New to this, where to start?

by ElusiveRhino

Hello everyone, I recently learned about Android boxes and I'm really intrigued. I'm definately looking to buy one but I don't want to do it blindly. I have a couple of questions that are hopefully answered.

  1. Do I need a smart TV to run an android box or does a regular one work?

  2. From the research I've already done, Nvidia Shield seems to be the most popular and trustworthy. Should I buy the streaming media player or home media player? (I'll be using it for Netflix, YouTube, and live tv channels like HBO, TSN (if possible)

  3. Can I watch regular cable TV through the Android box for free?

Cheers for all the help!

tacojohn48

  1. You don't need a smart tv, just one with an HDMI port. I prefer the Nvidia Shield to a smart TV as it gets updated where my TV never gets updates.

  2. The versions I'm aware of are standard and pro. I went with the standard as everything I'm looking to do is steam. The pro comes with storage.

  3. If you're asking about piracy, it's possible, but I don't help with that. If not, there are plenty of subscription services that would work like cable. I use YouTube TV; they have a free 7 day trial.

BiggussDikkuss

If you want any Android Box for paid viewing of copy protected video streams from the likes of Netflix, HBO etc. then they need to come equipped with L1 DRM and HDCP 1.4/2.2

Nearly all the cheap Android boxes you see on the market do NOT come with the required DRM and HDCP.

The NVIDIA Shield, old Nexus Player, and the Mi Box do have these DRM / HDCP certificates and approvals.

The cheap MECOOL M8S Pro L also has L1 DRM and HDCP 1.x for Netflix and HBO.

You may not even need an external Android TV box if you buy a modern Smart TV - that runs Android TV - and that will comes with all the Apps you want already with L1 DRM and HDCP.

Ausernameneeded

For streaming video only, the Mi Box is the best value and works great. If you need more power for activities like games, than Shield can handle it. For your stated needs, I'd go with the $69 Mi Box.

For cable, PS Vue is really good at $40+ a month (depending on tier) and people seem to like Sling starting at $20.

JimboLodisC

When you say "Android box", it kind of implies that you're talking about Chinese junk boxes that run Kodi add-ons with regular touchscreen Android. Google forked the Android TV operating system from touchscreen Android in order to create an optimized living room experience. Perhaps calling it an "ATV Box" would be a better option.