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Rikkitic
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  #2417230 13-Feb-2020 12:02
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Any Android box can be loaded for overseas TV channels and it is not difficult to do but it may take some fiddling. You also need to be wary of shady IPTV sites if you want to stay on the side of the good guys. You may need a DNS proxy or VPN to circumvent geo-blocking (not to be confused with piracy). Try visiting the sites you want to stream to see if you can download their apps. Then try Google Play. Then search for other providers of APKs, like APKpure and APKmirror. Some will work. Many will not. As has been pointed out, most of these are designed for phones. They can be made to work with varying degrees of success, but navigation is sometimes a pain. A good app to start with is something that lets you rotate the view and lock it, since many phone apps will assume your device is vertical. To sideload, copy the APK to a flash drive and plug it into your box. Then navigate to it with File Explorer or whatever file manager is on your device and click on it to install. Kodi is well worth having. There are many easy to use add-ons for different streaming sites. Avoid the illegal ones. If nothing else, they are often unreliable. You can also use @Apsattv's IPTV playlist for NZ Freeview channels and even Australian ones if you have a proxy. Many people here use DNS4ME. An air mouse with keyboard can also be useful for navigating some apps.

 

 





Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

 


 


 
 
 
 

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Hatch (affiliate link).
beenz

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  #2417285 13-Feb-2020 12:33
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PS
I live rural just outside of Rangiora and if anyone is near by or even in Christchurch and has the time to show me how to set up mi box s it would be awesome.
PM appreciated
Thanks

beenz

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  #2417322 13-Feb-2020 13:31
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beenz: It looks like the mi box s is the one for me then.
I presume it can be loaded for overseas tv channels and side loading these apps is quite straightforward with content on youtube how to do it ?
Thanks for your help guys


Do you live in Christchurch? 😀👍



Rikkitic
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  #2417324 13-Feb-2020 13:34
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beenz: 

Do you live in Christchurch? 😀👍

 

Are you asking me? Sorry, no. I'm on North Island.

 

 





Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

 


 


Kiwifruta
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  #2417333 13-Feb-2020 13:42
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beenz: It looks like the mi box s is the one for me then.
I presume it can be loaded for overseas tv channels and side loading these apps is quite straightforward with content on youtube how to do it ?
Thanks for your help guys


This is how I side load the apps.
With my phone or PC search online for the “Android TV” version of the apk.
Download the apk and then upload it to my google drive account.
Then on Mi Box, use the Xplorer app to download the apk from Google Drive and install the app.

Handle9
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  #2417465 13-Feb-2020 16:26
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beenz: It looks like the mi box s is the one for me then.
I presume it can be loaded for overseas tv channels and side loading these apps is quite straightforward with content on youtube how to do it ?
Thanks for your help guys

 

@beenz

 

You need to check which services you want to use and then check whether they have Android TV apps.  Most services will have and Android TV app but some won't. In that case Kodi will probably work for you as there are many unofficial add ons. There is a bit of a learning curve but it's very well documented on youtube and the web. 

 

Sideloading is pretty straightforward. Always try and get the Android TV version of the app. Sometimes that will involve searching for Nvidia Shield rather than android TV - if it works on a Shield it'll work on a Mi Box.

 

Avoid Android phone apps unless you are a masochist. They will either not work, require a 3rd party app to work or not work properly with the remote. Generally they are a source of total frustration. Once you are a bit more experienced with the platform you may want to play but IMO it's just not worth it.

 

I'd suggest sending @michaelmurfy a PM to request access to the unblocking forum, it's an excellent resource if you want to watch offshore TV.


Handle9
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  #2417539 13-Feb-2020 17:58
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Adrianmx6:

Handle9:


@Adrianmx6 You have posted a whole lot of links for non-TV based products like boxee and and google TV. You don't appear to understand what is being sold in NZ as you keep referencing Roku.


You also haven't posted any links that shows how one would accomplish the miracle of running Android TV apps on HTML5 based non Android platforms like Tizen or My Home Screen. If you actually have something useful to share that would be really interesting but at the moment you are just spamming the thread and causing confusion.



The internet is your friend and no intention to spam, only to enlighten and encourage people to research for themselves...


The process is a bit fiddly but is it useful....🤔


Kodi running on Tizen (Samsung) - https://www.kodiinfopark.com/install-kodi-on-samsung-smart-tv/


Kodi running on Apple OS - https://www.kodiinfopark.com/install-kodi-on-apple-tv/




Just stop. You posted an article that says there is no way to install Kodi on Tizen and to use a Chromecast or a Roku.

Your enthusiasm is great but posting this sort of stuff isn't helpful, it only confuses people needlessly.




steve2222
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  #2421003 14-Feb-2020 14:15
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Handle9:

 

beenz: It looks like the mi box s is the one for me then.
I presume it can be loaded for overseas tv channels and side loading these apps is quite straightforward with content on youtube how to do it ?
Thanks for your help guys

 

@beenz

 

,,,,,,

 

Sideloading is pretty straightforward. Always try and get the Android TV version of the app. Sometimes that will involve searching for Nvidia Shield rather than android TV - if it works on a Shield it'll work on a Mi Box.

 

,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

 

Bolded bit: In understood this NOT to be true. I thought the architecture of the NS was different to the MiBox - is it something about 'arm' vs 'x86'. I remember reading countless threads (on Reddit) a couple of years ago about this as people were asking NS owners to extract the Android TV version of BBC iPlayer app that NS directly commissioned themselves (under licence from BBC). Users wanted to take the NS extracted BBC app and install it on a MiBox. My understanding is it does  not work due to this arm vs x86 thing. BBC have not released their own version of an Android TV app, presumably they must have given NS some exclusivity period.

 

 

 

Anyway that is my understanding from a couple of years ago, but maybe I have it wrong.


nzkc
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  #2421065 14-Feb-2020 15:21
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Dont have a Shield so take this with as much salt as you want...

 

I would say "If it works on a Shield it will very probably work on a Mi Box". They are both Arm architecture (but very different chips). So, no, not a 100% guarantee.

 

I do have a Mi Box and its run almost (see below) everything I've tried on it.  When it doesnt, as I have said before, I just use it as a Chromecast and cast from my phone (cause nearly everything has a phone app).

 

Some apps check the hardware - but this is few and far between.  For example; the Freeview TV app will not run on my Mi Box. It comes up stating its only supported on the Smart Vu X and exits.  TBH: Its an horrendous app (and I have a Freeview TV) anyway so I'm not that bothered.


Handle9
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  #2421170 14-Feb-2020 18:37
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I haven't run into a Shield apk that doesn't run on a Mi Box. If it was heavy game it'd probably be a different story but for streaming apps they all seem fine to run.


driller2000
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  #2421249 14-Feb-2020 23:15
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Handle9:

 

I haven't run into a Shield apk that doesn't run on a Mi Box. If it was heavy game it'd probably be a different story but for streaming apps they all seem fine to run.

 

 

 

 

That is my exp as well as an owner of both a Shield and MiBox.


steve2222
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  #2421252 14-Feb-2020 23:27
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driller2000:

 

Handle9:

 

I haven't run into a Shield apk that doesn't run on a Mi Box. If it was heavy game it'd probably be a different story but for streaming apps they all seem fine to run.

 

 

 

 

That is my exp as well as an owner of both a Shield and MiBox.

 

 

 

 

Have you tried extracting the BBC iPlayer app from the NS and installing it on the Mi Box?


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