Cannot decide which box should I buy

[mariano_quilmes]

Hello I would like to know your opinions about these boxes, they are four but the prince range varies:

• Tronsmart MXIII Plus Android 5.1 2G/16G TV Box Amlogic S812 Quad Core 1000M Gigabit LAN HDMI BT4.0 2.4G/5G Wifi KODI OTG - 75 USD - Geekbuying
• Beelink MiniMXIII TV Box 1000M LAN - 2G/16G - 45 USD - Gearbest
• MXIII-G TV Box Android 5.1 1000M LAN - 2G/16G - 56 USD - Gearbest
• Beelink i68 TV Box 4K 1000M Ethernet - 2G/16G - 70 USD - Gearbest

The primary use would be for Kodi or Openelec to watch movies via streamming or x264 and x265 content from an usb drive. My TV´s are 1080p so no 4k capable displays. I am not interested in gamming. Maybe check emails, weather, news, Youtube and Websurfing. No more than that.

I look for a company that has good reputation and support for future firmware updates.

Thanks in advance.

Mariano.

[palerider]

Q-Box is very good! Works way better than my other MXQPro's

[bluesmanuk]

Streaming via Ethernet or WiFi?

[mariano_quilmes]

I bought a 5 Ghz capable router (E3000) , I do not know if a movie can be streamed without skipping using Wifi with that band or it is way better wired. I is the first box that I will buy, if Wifi is a no go for 1080p, then I will use it wired. The main problem is that in Argentina due to customs regulations we only can buy two times per year from Chinese pages, I have already used one of my slots so I only can place one order, so I want to buy something that fullfills everything.

Sorry for the noob question... but Q-box is a brand? Any particular model?

Thanks in advance.

Mariano.

[bluesmanuk]

For 1080p, 5ghz dual band will likely be fine for streaming, although ethernet is always the preferred choice if available.

I was going to suggest a Windows alternative box for a few dollars more than the maximum you showed in your examples as you will be pretty much guaranteed to do all that you want and with the minimum of messing around that you often find with Android.

But such a box only had 2.4Ghz WiFi, which for the most part would probably be OK but may not be dependent upon local conditions.

Although the MXIIIG is almost seen as old hat now, it is a very competent box that I seem to remember being one that passed all the Antutu video format tests.

The S905 is a newer SOC that does pretty well and is still being improved in terms of ROM's etc

Steer clear of the Beelink i68 because quite frankly it is a SOC that didn't really take off and was originally meant for the lower end of the home Chinese market.

[mariano_quilmes]

But a Windows Mini PC, with 2 or 4 Gb of Ram? I only have seen 2Gb at that price point and they say that 2 Gb is not optimal for Windows 10. Is there any 4 Gb alternative at that price?

[bluesmanuk]

2Gb is fine for the things you have specified that you want to use and Kodi will work perfectly first time, every time.

Of course any extra RAM etc will enhance any machine further but then you are paying even more, as in this as an example.

http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Cenovo-MINIPC2-Intel-Cherry-Trail-Z8300-Windows10-Smart-Mini-PC-4G-64G-2-4G-WiFi-LAN-HDMI-1080P-OTG---Silver-366940.html

[Lurker]

mariano_quilmes - I have sent you a PM with links to many reviews which might be of interest. If you are looking for an android machine, I would personally consider either the MXIII-G, Beelink M18 or one of the Tronsmart Vega S95 machines. I am also waiting patiently to see if the new Amlogic S912 machines are going to offer any substantial advantages over the current crop of devices. The latest S905X and S912 devices will presumably ship with Marshmallow rather than Lollipop firmware which might also be something to consider but they may only become widely available towards the end of the year.