Recommended Android / GoogleTV boxes

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lookout

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#312819 20-May-2024 19:43

I'm after a new TV box. From a quick look on Pricespy we have:

Chromecast with Google TV
Amazon Fire Stick Max
Xiaomi Mi Box S
Dish TV

Would like something with a snappy interface and a good remote. Running Stremio, Plex and the usual streaming services. I'm leaning towards the Chromecast. Although PBTech have a good price on the Fire Stick Max currently ($78) which has better specs but I've read there are ads in the interface.

What are the current best buys?

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#3232797 20-May-2024 20:28

I've had a Mi Box S for five years. It works great. I haven't run Plex, but we do the usual streaming, Disney, Netflix, Kodi, TV3, etc. Zero problems. Recommended.

davidcole

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#3232801 20-May-2024 20:58

I’ve got a Google tv. Is ok. Interface can be a little slow. Not sure if there’s a newer version or
The 4K version has more cpu.

It’s probably about 2 years old. Good for the price though - especially compared to my 4K Apple TV.

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Stu1

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#3232802 20-May-2024 21:08

Google tv is pretty good, I really like how you can have the app only view. The remote is very plastic and a bit laggy sometimes, another option is a second hand Apple TVs , there have been some cheap second hand Apple TVs on trade me lately I got another one for the garage last week for $120

pc

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#3232803 20-May-2024 21:26

if you can be bothered walmart is sposed to have a good one with rumours google will have a similar model coming sometime.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/onn-Google-TV-4K-Pro-Streaming-Device-New-2024-4K-UHD-resolution-Dolby-Vision-Dolby-ATMOS-Hands-Free-Voice-Control-Smart-Hub/5193222892?athbdg=L1600&adsRedirect=true

Next level streaming at an affordable price! The Onn. 4K Pro | Google TV offers a cinematic experience with 4K UHD picture quality and enhanced Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Plus, upgraded features like hands-free voice control with Google Assistant, find my remote, and smooth streaming with fast Wi-Fi 6. Enjoy effortless entertainment with Google TV™, bringing together 700,000+ movies, shows, and more across 10,000+ apps, plus 800+ free live TV channels — organized all in one place.

4K Ultra High-Definition resolution
CPU: Quad-core Cortex-A55
GPU: Mali-G31 MP2
3GB RAM with 32GB storage
Wi-Fi 6: 2.4/5GHz 802.11ax
USB 3.0 Port
10/100 Ethernet Port
Input: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz
Dolby Vision
Dolby Atmos
Google TV OS - easily setup with your Google account
Google Voice Assistant, Hands-free voice control
What's in the Box? 1 4K Pro Streaming Device, 1 Remote Control (2 AAA batteries included), 1 HDMI® cable 4.92ft (1.5 m), 1 AC Adapter with cable 4.88 ft ( 1.49 m), 1 Quick Start Guide

Ragnor

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#3232818 20-May-2024 22:34

Amazon is changing their OS from Android/Google TV to their own Vega OS, could be good eventually but expect a lack of investment in Android/Google based previous units and probably poor app support (especially for local apps like tvnz+ etc) in future initially.

Xiaomi has fairly poor software support imo, don't expect many updates for long or reliability. For example: My first Mi Box (older gen) bricked itself during firmware/software update, next my non 4k tv stick overheated a lot and froze (poor design), then my latest 4k tv stick was working well but latest OS update has munted the top nav/menu on the home screen and the remote return to menu button can't do anything but open the xiaomi skin which doesn't work in NZ and I've disabled, while on previous versions it returned too all apps or home.

tldr; Right now I would just buy Google's latest, create an alert in pricespy or priceme and pick one up in the next sale.

restecp

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#3232828 20-May-2024 22:55

Honestly, I have 3x Nvidia Shield TV's and even though they are a little dated they still absolutely hold up.

Plenty of launchers you can use to remove some of the common complaints.
I also have a ccwgtv and it's great for travel but the shield wins for me in every way.

allan

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#3232848 21-May-2024 00:04

Just a note - The non 4k version of Chromecast with Google TV would not keep up with the output from an HDHomerun. Just lack of CPU power I'm guessing. Passed it off to a family member who is perfectly happy with it & I purchased the 4k version which works just fine.

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Ragnor

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#3232849 21-May-2024 00:13

allan: Just a note - The non 4k version of Chromecast with Google TV would not keep up with the output from an HDHomerun. Just lack of CPU power I'm guessing. Passed it off to a family member who is perfectly happy with it & I purchased the 4k version which works just fine.

Yes do not buy non 4K versions even for HD, will likely overheat with modern bitrates/encodings

timmmay

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#3232853 21-May-2024 05:40

My Mi Box S is still getting software updates. Because it's a single purpose device updates aren't that important to me.

blackjack17

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#3232875 21-May-2024 08:46

timmmay: My Mi Box S is still getting software updates. Because it's a single purpose device updates aren't that important to me.

I've had mine for ages (5+? years) and it is starting to need a restart each day. Other than that it works perfect for a kodi box streaming local content.

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gcorgnet

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#3232889 21-May-2024 09:25

Another vote for Nvidia Shield here. These things are absolute beasts and will play anything you through at them. A bit pricey but given how long they last and how good there are, I'd be willing to spend the $$ for piece of mind.

timmmay

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#3232901 21-May-2024 10:08

blackjack17:

timmmay: My Mi Box S is still getting software updates. Because it's a single purpose device updates aren't that important to me.

I've had mine for ages (5+? years) and it is starting to need a restart each day. Other than that it works perfect for a kodi box streaming local content.

Mine's working as well as new, no restarts needed. I use a USB ethernet adapter as WiFi from the location we have it within a cabinet wasn't great. Even if it did need to be replaced, $150 or so every 4 years isn't too bad.

askelon

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#3232911 21-May-2024 10:54

I got a Firestick 4k Max to replace my Chromecast with Google TV 4k and have been extremely happy ever since. Runs smoother and more reliably. For the rest of the TV's around the house they still have the chromecasts. I havent used the non-4k versions though. I previously had a bunch of MiBox 4k's which have been retired as they were all starting to crash regularly etc. DishTV rubbish I would never touch again.

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#3232975 21-May-2024 11:55

I have both an Amazon Fire TV and a Chromecast with Google TV.

We use the Amazon Fire TV 4K most of the time. It's faster and supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

The main pro for Chromecast with Google TV is that if you want to watch rentals, you can do it from the device. With the Fire TV you need to rent on your phone or PC, then you will have access to it.

Other than this, pretty much all other streaming platforms are on Fire TV.

razor2000nz

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#3233014 21-May-2024 12:56

I have nvidia shield pro in the lounge, and firetv max gen 2 for bedroom. - If you need dolby vision support these are the 2 best options. (and are the only 2 that support TrueHD(with & without atmos) passthrough

Prevoulsy I had a 2017 nvidia sheild - only recentley changed to the 2019 version as new tv is Dolby Vision capable. May put the 2017 version on the market in the near future.

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