Best, Most affordable and Stable Android TV Box now???

[conazo]

I'm trying to purchase a few android tv boxes and would like anyone or most of your feedback, which is the best, most affordable and stable android tv box?

Thank You

[ultimatexbmc]

Welcome to a universe of choice and a 1000 forum posts covering all this, get reading
This is what Freaktab is all about.

[conazo]

please direct me to any links???

Thanks

[bluesmanuk]

It's a case of trawling through threads for reviews and comments.

Personally I would recommend ditching Android on these boxes.

It's just not yet become a mature enough OS to be stable enough to suit most needs.

With the onslaught of Wintel boxes, these are more likely to take over this year because for the most part they work out of the box.

[RISCy Dude]

Finding the right box to meet your needs is a challenge. I spent three months looking before I made a move. Mostly spent reading reviews, opinions and specs. If you find a box your interested in, before you buy, come to Freaktab and see what sort of developer interest/support is available(factory support here is also important). Avoid boxes that do not have any representation here or at least somewhere.
Be very skeptical of adverts and "site" descriptions, which are often exaggerated or flat out inaccurate. If you buy from places like ****, Amazon, Aliexpress, etc, make sure the seller has a good rating and a lot of reviewers/users.
It's a minefield out there. Step carefully.
Good luck.

[conazo]

Finding the right box to meet your needs is a challenge. I spent three months looking before I made a move. Mostly spent reading reviews, opinions and specs. If you find a box your interested in, before you buy, come to Freaktab and see what sort of developer interest/support is available(factory support here is also important). Avoid boxes that do not have any representation here or at least somewhere.
Be very skeptical of adverts and "site" descriptions, which are often exaggerated or flat out inaccurate. If you buy from places like ****, Amazon, Aliexpress, etc, make sure the seller has a good rating and a lot of reviewers/users.
It's a minefield out there. Step carefully.
Good luck.

Thanks for the info, i'm trying to get a M8 android box or the MX3 which one is better and do either of them have good support here on freaktab?

Thank You

[RISCy Dude]

Thanks for the info, i'm trying to get a M8 android box or the MX3 which one is better and do either of them have good support here on freaktab?

Thank You

Here you will find the best answers to your questions. I do not own either of the boxes you mentioned, so I cannot give advice on them. Generally speaking, if you go with the MXIII, pick one with the 2GB/8GB option. It would seem more firmwares are available for that box. AML S812 boxes are out there now. The S812 offers some key improvements over the S802 or so it is said.
You are probably going to need to read some to come to an informed buying decision. Doing so allowed me to avoid the "buyer's remorse".
Good luck.

[avd]

I have just purchased an mx3 2gb I stuck finless rom 2.1 on and it is very fast. I'm running Kodi 14.2 rc1 and I also stuck a community build called Andys build from totalxbmc.

[etyrnal]

It's a case of trawling through threads for reviews and comments.

Personally I would recommend ditching Android on these boxes.

It's just not yet become a mature enough OS to be stable enough to suit most needs.

With the onslaught of Wintel boxes, these are more likely to take over this year because for the most part they work out of the box.

Wintel is not going to take over, windows has been making operating systems for longer than Android, and they've been doing it half assed the entire time. Android has become a much more mature and stable operating system in a quarter of the time. I have much higher hopes for Android than for Windows. Besides Android is based on Linux which is based on UNIX which has been around since longer than Windows technically, and its overall operating system model is far more mature, far more stable, far more flexible, and far more powerful than Windows will likely ever be. Have you seen Microsoft Windows browse for folder dialogue? Why they're still holding on to features from the mid-nineties is beyond me.

[Electroman]

I wouldn't recommend android for xbmc use to a dog.

Nothing but glitches, unstable, choppy, functionality is hit or miss.

There is a definite pattern of blowing sunshine up our behinds from the Chinese, every box as it comes out is the "best ever", but then after we the consumers use them for awhile we find the problems, report back to the Chinese, they make like they're fixing and improving, they get you half way there then drop all support for the next "best ever" box. Process keeps repeating itself over and over.

Case in point just look at the rk3288, just about every knowledgeable person will say there's a stutter with all rk3288 units.

This crap never ends, I've been a huge sucker for many years now that is until I bought an hp mini stream, may be made overseas but it works like a rock solid tank, with not one single niggle whatsoever. I now have hours of extra time on my hands because I'm used to have to fish around at freaktab for 10 hours a week trying to improve my androids.

Tell us some more how good androids are. I'm done with them. If they work so great then YOU support the Chinese android manufacturers.

[bluesmanuk]

Wintel is not going to take over, windows has been making operating systems for longer than Android, and they've been doing it half assed the entire time. Android has become a much more mature and stable operating system in a quarter of the time. I have much higher hopes for Android than for Windows. Besides Android is based on Linux which is based on UNIX which has been around since longer than Windows technically, and its overall operating system model is far more mature, far more stable, far more flexible, and far more powerful than Windows will likely ever be. Have you seen Microsoft Windows browse for folder dialogue? Why they're still holding on to features from the mid-nineties is beyond me.

Yes but the vast majority of people use Windows because it works out of the box, which android doesn't on any of these boxes.

Google are taking far too long with making Android a mature OS and Windows has had to develop during periods of far inferior technology than we have now.

As for Linux, as good as it may be, not many actually make the choice to use it because it's more complicated and lacks any form of standardisation.

This time next year, Android will essentially be a dead OS on TV boxes.

[ChrisG8]

This time next year, Android will essentially be a dead OS on TV boxes.

Amazon Fire TV and the official Android TV will still be alive with combined market share being significant, although probably not the market leader. These unofficial Android boxes discussed here have been popular with technical hobbyists but have no presence in the mainstream, there will still be no mainstream market for these boxes but I don't know if you are right and even the current market will give up. That wouldn't surprise me.

I have a bunch of boxes in house and Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are the most stable in my opinion and these unofficial Chinese Android mini PCs the least stable, but I like all and can use all.

[clarkss12]

I wouldn't recommend android for xbmc use to a dog.

Nothing but glitches, unstable, choppy, functionality is hit or miss.

There is a definite pattern of blowing sunshine up our behinds from the Chinese, every box as it comes out is the "best ever", but then after we the consumers use them for awhile we find the problems, report back to the Chinese, they make like they're fixing and improving, they get you half way there then drop all support for the next "best ever" box. Process keeps repeating itself over and over.

Case in point just look at the rk3288, just about every knowledgeable person will say there's a stutter with all rk3288 units.

This crap never ends, I've been a huge sucker for many years now that is until I bought an hp mini stream, may be made overseas but it works like a rock solid tank, with not one single niggle whatsoever. I now have hours of extra time on my hands because I'm used to have to fish around at freaktab for 10 hours a week trying to improve my androids.

Tell us some more how good androids are. I'm done with them. If they work so great then YOU support the Chinese android manufacturers.

+1

[clarkss12]

One thing these boxes have going for them, is that they are fairly inexpensive. Of course, two years and $1000 later, perhaps they are not really that inexpensive.

[theeze]

Yes but the vast majority of people use Windows because it works out of the box, which android doesn't on any of these boxes.

Google are taking far too long with making Android a mature OS and Windows has had to develop during periods of far inferior technology than we have now.

As for Linux, as good as it may be, not many actually make the choice to use it because it's more complicated and lacks any form of standardisation.

This time next year, Android will essentially be a dead OS on TV boxes.

Are you comparing a wintel with a chinese box running Android? That's not a very good argument.

I have zero issues with XBMC or any other form of playback with the Note 4. All these chinese cpu manufactuers release buggy and unfinished sdks and the biggest reason why these android boxes are unstable and glitchy.

Wait until the Tegra X1 on the nvidia shield console and you'll change your mind. Even the devs at Kodi have confirmed to commit on the shield. Android is matured and is not the issue, it's the constant stream of chinese cpu's no bothering fixing their issues and releasing new cpu's faster than activision makes call of duty games.