Why do Android TV boxes keep opting for 2-3 GB of RAM?

by Carter5467

The Nexus Player runs with 1GB, and 2GB increase seems helpful yet not even phones can run optimally with that much RAM (ex. Nexus 5X).

I understand that these boxes are supposed to be cheap, but why throw a terrible amount of ram on it. (You could just say get the Sheild TV, but I personally believe that for me would be overkill)

(Perhaps it has something to do with the GPU, or just the fact the Nexus Player uses that horrendous intel atom processor. Or I just have an experience of only getting devices with bad processors)

I just want to find a Nexus Player alternative that isn't the Sheild TV or horrendously slow.

npaladin2000

Because multitasking isn't all that much of a "thing" on TVs. Generally you're running one game or decoding one stream (with PnP a max of 2 perhaps). And there aren't all that many background processes that need to stay active. Yeah, you might want to switch apps, but those apps can be saved-state and don't need to necessarily be kept in RAM.

bintasaurus

Get the Shield....I apologise,buts that's the answer

mrgermy

I just purchased a Mi Box to replace my Nexus Player. The experience is so much smoother on the Mi Box.

h20534

They don't need more than 2GB in most cases. Seriously, it would be overkill. You're watching netflix/hulu/Plex on it. You don't need much more than what a Mi Box or Shield already packs for that.

TheRealSilverBlade

Anything more would be complete overkill.

Even a box like the Wetek Hub which has 1 GB of RAM is plenty enough to playback uncompressed blu-ray rips.

All TV boxes are doing is processing the video. It's not doing 3-4 apps at a time.

NedSc

There really isn't a big "need" for that much RAM even on phones. They use the large amount of RAM to keep apps open and ready, which gives the appearance of a faster device when switching between things. That's pointless on a TV box that won't have users flipping between open apps.

Especially when 90% of the usage is video client apps/services. Even 512MB of RAM is enough if the app is well written (most are not, though).

2GB of RAM is quite roomy on Android TV.

Andrroid

Your post clearly indicates you care about performance and yet, the shield is overkill?

Homie, the shield is what you want. You just don't want to pay per performance.

dz5b605

Because memory in the last year has tripled in price.

BiggussDikkuss

Have a look at the (S912) MECOOL M8S Pro L, then easily install an unofficial Android TV ROM on it using the inbuilt Updater App: http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s912/mecool/firmware-roms/676338-rom-mecool-m8s-pro-l-tvstock-nexus-rom-android-tv-7-1

There is no Chromecasting due to it being an unofficial Android TV ROM, but you will get 1080p Android TV Netflix with DD+ 5.1 Audio and all the other Android TV bells and whistles including the ATV Playstore.

One of the Pro L models even comes with a Wireless Voice remote. AMLogic S912's are faster than the S905X in the Xiaomi Mi Box.

Kemaro

Shield TV is the only viable Android TV box. The rest, I'm sorry to say, are all hot garbage.

kratoz29

The Shield just has 3 GB of RAM still, I supposed as a PMS it should have more, specially with transcodes.