Android TV boxes

[scouserl41]

We use a Roku device occasionally for TV where there is no signal OTA. Usually to catch up on PBS shows we've missed.

We aren't TV junkies and more often get movies on DVD from thrift stores to watch.

I was shown an Android TV box (no particular brand I can remember). Which the seller said got all the latest movies free and lots of current TV shows.

My experience with Roku is that you have to have a "Home" TV subscription to get most TV channels, and PBS stations now want you to buy a subscription to access recent programming.

​Does anyone have any direct experience with one of these boxes that does give access to free movies and TV channels?

​We're full timers and have no interest in satellite systems and no home address apart from Livingston TX.

I understand about these boxes being internet devices and data consumption.

​Thanks BnB

[rynosback]

I watch by OTA TV as well. But I use a OVA DRV to record shows so I can fast forward through the commercials. The camp grounds with no OTA signal seem to have cable at them. I think we have only come across one that has not in 18 months. Red Box is also our friend. I do stream towards the end of our phone plan if we have the gigs left.

 

The problem with a box like that is that you would burn through data, assuming you are getting a good signal.

[scouserl41]

I watch by OTA TV as well. But I use a OVA DRV to record shows so I can fast forward through the commercials. The camp grounds with no OTA signal seem to have cable at them. I think we have only come across one that has not in 18 months. Red Box is also our friend. I do stream towards the end of our phone plan if we have the gigs left.

 

The problem with a box like that is that you would burn through data, assuming you are getting a good signal.

 

We find many places with no OTA signal and WITHOUT cable. I guess it varies.

[BlueLghtning]

We use a Roku device occasionally for TV where there is no signal OTA. Usually to catch up on PBS shows we've missed.

We aren't TV junkies and more often get movies on DVD from thrift stores to watch.

I was shown an Android TV box (no particular brand I can remember). Which the seller said got all the latest movies free and lots of current TV shows.

My experience with Roku is that you have to have a "Home" TV subscription to get most TV channels, and PBS stations now want you to buy a subscription to access recent programming.

​Does anyone have any direct experience with one of these boxes that does give access to free movies and TV channels?

​We're full timers and have no interest in satellite systems and no home address apart from Livingston TX.

I understand about these boxes being internet devices and data consumption.

​Thanks BnB

 

 

Most likely this Android TV Box has "Kodi" built into it. - https://kodi.tv/. You can actually install Kodi onto Android tablets, Apple iPads, Amazon Fire TV & Fire Stick, PC's, and many other devices. Kodi is officially supported on Windows, Android, Mac OS X, Linux, Ubuntu, & Rasberry Pi. If you research the device you want to install it on, someone has probably installed Kodi on it. It just so happens a lot of these Android boxes now come with Kodi installed on them and are becoming very popular for the ones that don't want to figure out how to install it and configure it. We loaded Kodi onto our Amazon Fire stick and it works great.

 

Kodi is not any kind of subscription service, you don't need any existing TV service, and you do not need to pay anything. Kodi is totally free. The best way to describe Kodi is that it's 3rd party open source entertainment software that takes just about any of the streams out there and organizes them all into one easy to use software package. You can watch TV Shows, Movies, listen to music and a few other things. Basically you do a search for something you want to watch and it then automatically finds all the streams that have that movie or TV show and then you choose one of the streams it gives you in various levels of streaming quality. After a while, you usually start to figure out what streams are more reliable than others. If it's pretty popular movie or TV show, you'll probably find lots of good streams for it. It's its something kind of obscure, you might have more difficultly finding a good stream. For the most part, Kodi works great and we have been using it a lot lately. We haven't had cable for a couple years in our house and have relied on Netflix, Amazon, & Hulu. We started using Kodi about 6 months ago and one of the shows we like watch is the Walking Dead TV Show. You can easily find a good Walking Dead stream a couple hours after it airs on TV. Usually we watch it the next evening. No commercials and you can watch it straight through. It's pretty awesome actually.

 

I hope this helps.

[scouserl41]

Thanks BlueLghtning

That explains a lot! I'll start researching.

Best

BnB

[BlueLghtning]

BTW, this one of the boxes I've been watching. I'm probably going to get this for my Dad for Christmas, I might pick up one myself.

- https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Android-Quad-core-Penta-core-Pre-installed/dp/B01J2W8UKI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1479310821&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=nexbox+a95x&psc=1

 

It is running Android 6.01, This one has a 5 core CPU running at 2ghz. It has 2 GB ram & 16GB rom. It is able to use both 2.4ghz & 5ghz wifi. 5ghz wifi doesn't reach as far, but the spectrum is so much less crowded and you have access to way more frequencies. It also supports 4k TV and has BT4.0.

 

I have no personal experience with this box, from what I see I like it. The major complaint about it is the crappy remote it comes with, but a wireles mouse and keyboard is cheap to buy and use.

 

So what I look for when I look at these Android boxes as there are a ton of them out there. As anything technology related, it's always changing, but for right now I want to see it at least running Android 6.01. Andrdoid 7 is out so we should start seeing boxes popup running Android 7. I want to see at least a quad core CPU with 2GB Ram & 16GB rom. Lower end models have 1GB Ram and 8GB Rom. They'll work, but your experience may not be as good. Some older models are also running older versions of android like 5. .

 

There are some better ones then even the one I listed, but the price point starts going higher. Just figure out what fits your budget and where you want to be. I would certainly read the reviews of any Android box you are going to buy and see what others are saying about it.

[scouserl41]

Again thanks, there are so many of them it's hard to find where to start.

I'm setting up my ROKU to stream using KODI via my laptop, I may try through the Android phone too but if I get tired f all that then I'll probably buy a box as the ROKU is pretty restricting for streaming.

BnB

[BlueLghtning]

Again thanks, there are so many of them it's hard to find where to start.

I'm setting up my ROKU to stream using KODI via my laptop, I may try through the Android phone too but if I get tired f all that then I'll probably buy a box as the ROKU is pretty restricting for streaming.

BnB

Are you coing to cast your laptop screen to the Roku or something other way? I don't always find that I get the best results trying to stream something through 2 devices. Too many bottlenecks to run into. Unfortunately the Roku is one of the devices that you can't install Kodi directly on to. I thought you could, but just checked and it doesn't work. The Amazon Fire Stick though supports it.

[scouserl41]

I got lead down a sidetrack trying to cast the laptop to the the ROKU!

After wasting a day and getting totally frustrated I think I'll wait until we get settled down for the winter in a week or so then send off for a ccomplete box and retire the ROKU or move it to the bedroom TV.

Thanks for all the tips.

BnB

[BlueLghtning]

I think one of those dedicated Android boxes should work pretty good and give you good results with the least amount of headache. I just started watching a new TV series last night on Kodi that caught my attention. It's only on Season 1 so far, but I can catch up to where it is currently.

[steelpony5555]

The Nivida Shield box from Best Buy works great.  Follow instructions on You Tube to set it up.  Once it's set up you will have Kodi, You Tube,  programs that stream old movies and access to all the pay channels like Netflix and Amazon.  I use mine on the road.  You will need fairly decent internet access.  If the area where I am is weak then I just Mifi mine off my phone....