Best Option for Second TV?

by MJ1385

I'm moving to a new home. On the main floor I'll have an old Samsung 60" Plasma that I plan to keep (1080P, not 4k). Downstairs in the basement I'll have an LG C7P (4k). I'm planning on buying an NVIDIA Shield for the TV downstairs, but don't want to buy two. I will have my home theatre system down there as well (advice on hooking that up?).

I'll also have a Google Home on the main floor and my internet will be in the basement with Google WiFi. What's the best option for a cheap Android TV stick that I can control with either a remote or my phone (we both have Pixel 2s) for the main floor that will support good quality 1080P streaming, including live TV?

edit - brevity edit 2 - Thanks all... going with the Mi Box upstairs, especially since some say it has a better remote for guests. Going with Hulu Live for live TV

becomingben

Well I love my Xiaomi mi box.

iPatella2

Get the shield man, you're obviously a baller. (LG OLED, Pixel 2, Google wifi) I say shield because this is the only device to check all these boxes

  • Amazon Prime TV
  • Youtube
  • Kodi
  • Netflix
  • Youtube TV (This is the cord cutting option I use and recommend to everyone, You will not have buffering like PS Vue/Sling/Directv Now.)

If Kodi isn't important to you I recommend the roku stick. It's $50 and does everything I listed above minus Kodi and bonus it's got built in power and volume buttons for your television right on the roku remote.

Mr_You

I often suggest distributing an OTA antenna over all the TV coax connections in case you have a guest over and you just want to give them the remote and let them channel flip OTA TV without having to explain anything. This would also be useful if your DVR is busy with no tuner available for watching a channel live or if the TV doesn't have a settop to access a networked DVR or the internet.

My recommendation is to use ethernet, powerline (TP-Link AV2000), or MoCA (coax) for your WiFi backbone and stationary devices (Nvidia Shield), use WiFi for portable devices if possible.

Feel free to ask questions.

CuvisTheConqueror

One of the big problems with Android TV is that there really aren't a lot of STB options on the market at the moment. On the lower price end, your options are basically the Nexus Player (outdated and discontinued, but at least it has the latest version of Android) and the Xiaomi Mibox (which a lot of people have had technical problems with, and is still stuck on Marshmallow).

If you use Sling, the AirTV might be an option. It can do anything any other Android TV box can do, but the interface is very Sling-centric. Another option would be the Channel Master Stream+, but that isn't in wide release yet and I've heard they've already sold through their first run.

officialgrantd

I know you're in the Android TV subreddit, but with a Google home and/or a smartphone, a Chromecast will stream most things you want. That being said, in my bedroom I wouldn't want that setup because I like to be able to lay in bed and use a remote without looking at it (like you would with a smartphone on Chromecast) so it really depends on your situation.

rhpot1991

Shield TV on every TV and be done with it.

elister

Get a Nexus Player for the 1080p TV. Ebay is probably the best place to buy them on the cheap. MiBox has that audio stutter bug thats very annoying and I dont think Xiaomi is going to fix that.

videoismylife

Amazon Firestick? I like mine, never had any issues with it; bought it refurbed for $20 a couple years ago. I can use Miracast from my phone if I want, but I hardly ever want to. I've owned a couple Chromecasts, but I sent them back because I had to use my phone or computer to watch Amazon Prime.

Edit - went cable-free a couple years ago, so I don't know whether this'll work for you with "live TV". I watch some channels on Pluto occasionally, no problems with live streaming. The YouTube Firefox workaround is fine too.

Max_Roc

Mi box. Love mine and sometimes prefer it over shield. I don't have the stutter bug but it's so easy to exchange at Walmart that I would ignore the whiners that have the bug.