No need to be confused... Have a budget and list of requirements down... Go back to page one, solid job there... read thru, narrow down to one or 2 boxes, then come back here for further assistance. Though, if you ask me, the way the page one is already setup + the abundance of youtube videos showing performance. You should very easily make a fast decision..

P.S. 2GB RAM, 8GB ROM, V5.1+, Wifi & phone mirroring are very minimal specs and lots of devices already boast this and more... In fact, 16GB ROM is the norm.. nowadays, 32GB boxes exist too.. Question is performance and how it differs across devices and price. Failure to adhere to the above may result in being flooded with the suggestion to just get the Nvidia Shield..

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 14 2017, 01:16 AM

Now that wasn't so bad, wasn't it...

IMO, not a fan of "ships from overseas"... So to choose, I'd say go for the KM8 pro.. Was reviewed recently by a forummer and your needs seem simple enough. So should be okay. As for Beelink models & "dark video" issue. AFAIK, it's been a work in progress for quite sometime..unsure about it being fixed yet.

Natively...It isn't ... There are workarounds that need to be implemented. These are typically implemented by the box manaufacturers before being shipped out or later in the form of firmware updates. Hence, the very important criteria (to me), that my devices receive heavy backing from their manufacturers.

That's cuz Himedia has a "wrapper"... Custom code within the firmware to tie Kodi in & smoothen things..

Interesting... Yeah, Netflix has never cared if the device is rooted or not.. They even allow content downloads on devices.. Their major concern is providing a very smooth experience for their subscribers.. Which is why only certified by them devices get the full experience and others, just basic (enough to stay hooked on) experience.

The FTMC fork fix for AMLogic equipped devices is for those stuck running Android 4.4.2 and to address the SSL V2 compliance issues faced by certain addons not being able to play files from such sources.. Previous unaddressed performance issues remain.

There's Plex for Android...

However, should you still want to explore the Kodi route, there are easy ways of solving the media issue. Firstly, you have to understand that Kodi requires specific naming, folder and scraping conditions to be met in order to achieve best results. Visit this Naming video files/TV shows page to see how to properly name and store each file. It's a very important step to a successful library scan. Secondly, I advise you use a media manager (such as Ember Media Manager) to fetch, store, and view various details about your media collection. Once scraped, the media manager stores the information alongside the media files. Then while setting up sources in Kodi, you should tell Kodi to only scrape from local sources and not online like TVDB. This offers a ton of customization and flexibility. It only takes some time to setup it all up but once done.. Its wonderful, especially in a NAS enabled environment.

Fixed? Yes.. Further maintenance? I'm not so sure. We'll see... Besides, SPMC works better and is still "officially" maintained. IMO, it's what Jarvis for Android was supposed to be in the first place if the Kodi devs team had capable Android-specific devs. So for those who can't run Krypton and having issues with the official Jarvis version.. SPMC is a viable alternative.

Yep, once you uninstall the pre-installed Kodi, all addons and setup are gone. Doing this is actually preferred as most times, the pre-installed stuff aren't up to date and have broken links. So rather than having to troubleshoot, bla bla.. Better to nuke and setup from scratch. Then you can install addons you like and customize the UI to your preferences.. Your box isn't here yet.. Plenty of time to haunt the threads and YouTube video for tips..

If you are running a firmware later than v1.0.5, the firmware comes preloaded with the wrapper. So you've probably been using it but don't know it.. How it works is by modifying Kodi to run HiMedia's hardware video player and gives full hardware features (4K, auto-frame rate switching, 3D, 7.1 HD-Audio etc).. I too don't have a 7.1 setup yet..

Hey... We were all noobs once.. Like this, I don't know where to put my face..

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 14 2017, 03:24 PM

You have taken couponing and discounts to another level...

Not necessarily.. Take the Minix Neo U1 for instance, It's blessed with an AMLogic S905 processor, Android 5.1.1 & a unified eMMC 5.0 flash storage... And I can guarantee that it not only out-performs several S912 + Android 5/6 equipped devices out there, but offers even more app compatibility.. So while hardware is important, even more important is the firmware. As for future-proofing, I'd say you deal with now and perhaps 2 - 3 years from now (most current & well known boxes can handle this) and upgrade. It's a fast-paced tech world.. There will always be a better device..

Summarily, you don't buy a box and hope it fits into your requirements, you buy a device that actually fits your requirements... and right now it seems like you haven't figured out your requirements yet.. I mean, do you even know where to source "live channels and non-live dramas"? Cuz buying an android box does not equal automatically getting it all.. Want that? Stick to Ast** or Hypp**.

TLDR: *Find the source... *Confirm source will work with device... *Pull trigger.

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 14 2017, 10:18 PM

You speak of addons.. Is your primary app of choice going to be just Kodi? Cuz if then, you should only invest in a box that is confirmed Kodi friendly...

Well... Now we are talking... Popcorntime should be okay, beware of malware.... Plex should be okay too,... DirecTV & Directnow? No idea, never had to use either... So can't speak for both apps. Remember, keyword here is "should".

From the posted list of boxes, I believe it's just the KM8 Pro that has been mentioned around these here parts. The rest?? Practically unknown and do not expect solid performance/manufacturer support from em.. Even the KM8 Pro has its issues as do all devices.. So, you are left with one of two choices;
1. Purchase cuz cheap and see how...You could be lucky and face no issues or be stuck with a box that under-performs..... Please leave a review afterwards. OR
2. Stick to well known brands and purchase one based on real user reviews...albeit more expensive..But, you know exactly what you are getting and expected performance.

Choice is yours...

I understand you want a straightforward answer... Bear with me, as knowing all this beforehand will definitely pay off.... I recommend that you stick to devices already on Page one of this thread. Now, If perhaps you plan on purchasing IPTV services from a particular seller, then inform the seller of the potential device you want to buy, and confirm that the seller's app and service will work with it.

My recommendation is that you increase your budget and go for devices such as the Minix Neo U9-H or HiMedia Q10 Pro or the previous gen Minix Neo U1. However and if i recall correctly, your list of requirements do not include items like 4K 60fps, 3D, ISO, HDR, USB 3.0, HD audio such as DD, DD+, DTS-HD, etc and passthrough?.. Then the above boxes may be considered overkill. In which case, you are better off buying a cheaper one like the Docooler M9S Pro 3/32GB box, currently used by fruitie or similar. She mentioned getting it for about RM200 and seems okay for her purposes, which appear similar to yours.

Minix & HiMedia's wrapper??? No connection la pls.. We've got the XBMC for Minix app just for that. While most HiMedia devices are still waiting around on fixes to enjoy Krypton 17.1, I've been using it with HD audio passthrough, no crashes either... And this is without any firmware update since Krypton 17.0's release... Means current firmware is more compatible. Minix are official Kodi backers... So go figure..

No 4K TV or HD audio requirements... Then skip the high end models... Go with something simpler.. Tech will change in a few years anyway... However, minimum must be Android Lollipop, 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM... Lookup the cheaper one I mentioned in the previous post.

As for internet connection, at minimum, I'd say a dedicated & stable 10Mbps.. Better still would be 30Mbps and higher... It mostly depends on the source. Strong sources like YouTube, can stream 1080p content with zero buffering on a 10Mbps connection... Other not so strong servers won't. So boils back to... "Find the source, play the source".

Edit: Just read the "parents" part... All I can say is good luck!..

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 14 2017, 11:47 PM

I understand..

Kodi is a beast and while very popular.. Not many know how to tame this beast.. Those who can, would swear by it and avoid touching anything else.. From a 10-foot UI, to custom keymaps, advancedsettings, compatibility with a wide range of file formats, pvr, superior library view and highly customizable skins, etc.. Really, what's not to love. Full disclosure, I'm yet to try dem fancy true HDR & 4K. So who knows.. IMO, as far as 1080p files go, Kodi has no match.

I already mentioned a few models.. What else do you want? Don't overthink it.. Buy a popular device.. use em..

You can try the Beelink devices.. However, RM300 price range and good support/guaranteed updates to Android 7 do not match.. Firmware development costs money and for a manufacturer to sell at less than $70 for a device.. There really isn't any profit margin left to run a decent dev team. Double your budget and support significantly increases. Major reason why most of us spend more.

The Neo U9-H is a decent device... No doubt.. IMO as a Neo U1 user, so far it isn't a significant upgrade for my needs (which is still 1080p content). For future proofing, I'd still recommend it over the Neo U1 and that makes it a good buy. Price is friendly too... See this post for a better price, but longer delivery time..

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 15 2017, 06:06 PM

So you change your DNS settings.. Then what? Still depends on the DNS server routing your connections from the blocked app to their servers and said servers accepting the DNS server as legit.. I don't use MangoTv and so you'd have to test yourself... Personally, security risk.. i don't simply use DNS servers plucked off the public internet.. Get a paid premium VPN instead.. the really good ones ain't cheap and should work..

Kodi does not require changing your DNS servers to operate.

Meaning, there's a Teamviewer software for computers which can access the box too.. Not just from a mobile phone/tablet...
TLDR: Can control android device from PC..

If you like all sorts of crap being installed on your box.. Crap waiting to breakdown and trust me, breakdown they will.. Then sure, use some "auto-configure/script", bla bla... Nothing beats manual installation and maintenance.. You know exactly what goes in or out and when. Cleaner, leaner machine.. IMO.

Good luck..


Page one and the last few pages of this thread has recommended boxes... Read!! It's an easy decision once you read.

It's called "Quick Support" for a reason.. Not built for long-term connection.

Yeah.. IMO, nothing beats a well-built physical remote. Plus as already pointed out, I believe it only works with devices under the same LAN, I've already got a remote. Teamviewer is great for out of local network control... in the case of assisting loved ones or similar..

Seen the Wukong remote in action on YouTube.. Not bad at all.. Smooth.

No & No. Don't need to know either. Can and prefer to setup up my devices, exactly how I like it...from scratch.

Oh it's not a scam, you should try it and come back to report here...

My point exactly.. Quick get in, do your thing and out.. All about resources.

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 17 2017, 04:14 PM

Did you just skip page one?

Hey, mind giving a review of sorts about yours? Particular about Kodi's performance..

Minix Neo U1: Can't speak for UHD playback but I've read it's decent. As for 1080p? It plays all good. Zero issues and auto refresh rate switching is done on a system wide level.. flawless... Ideally, your budget is already at RM500, so better increase slightly & go for the Minix Neo U9-H.. More future proof. On the other hand, the HiMedia Q10 Pro is a strong option.. AVFAN uses it with a 4K TV + 4K AVR.. He speaks highly of it too..

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 18 2017, 10:58 AM

Has 6 months warranty.. Perhaps you can buy and review for us.

This post has been edited by voncrane: Apr 18 2017, 10:54 AM

Personally, I wouldn't consider such devices.. So didn't bother checking such... It does mention it uses an eMMC storage, though unsure of which version. Don't expect it to be 5.0.. Possibly 4.5...

IMO, 3GB RAM is nice but they should have paired it with a 32GB fast eMMC storage to be more attractive.. Better to buy a slightly more expensive and proven device than to cheapskate and end up spending more to buy 2 boxes. Plus love an "as close to stock device", cuz I'm aware of how to fully maximize hardware and tweak most firmware. I understand it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some simply prefer to have everything already setup. Hence the popularity of those live TV, one time fee, bla bla boxes...