I want an AndroidTV box or the ability to create a DIY one. Don't you?

by danioj_

With the recent news at Google io of the new JBL sound bar incorporating Android TV I got frustrated.

If I want to run AndroidTV today I have limited options. Replace the 3 NUCs in my house and / or the VM running in my living room with:

  • Cheap Android box x4
  • Expensive Nvidia Sheild x 4
  • Crazy expensive new TV x4

Don't like either option.

With the expected announcements I thought for sure we would get something like what I want. I felt for sure we would get an upgraded Chromecast with AndroidTV on it. What did we get:

  • Indication that a developer version of what I want exists but will not make it's way to consumers
  • Notice that what I want is coming but is only built into (what will be) an expensive sub standard speaker (to my dedicated receiver and sound system anyway) with what I want built in

I asked myself why they wont make this developer dongle available to consumers- I don't know why - i realised its clearly about packaging AndroidTV into partner hardware solutions. Making money. Why would they want to give us the ability to create our own when they have something they can tell their partners will drive sales.

Bugs me.

NedSc

Yeah, it's weird. Google wants people in their "ecosystem", and as long as the hardware met the right specs, you'd think they would encourage adoption.

Unofficially, the big hold up is DRM certification and Chromecast support. That's why certain cheap boxes can be flashed with an unofficial Android TV ROM and work virtually identical, and if that box has DRM certification/keys, even Netflix and such will work (just no Chromecast).

Google doesn't seem to be going out of their way to stop DIY Android TV boxes, but they're also not going out of their way to make it easier for companies to make an official box.

One theory is that maybe this is because they're working the long game. Maybe they've told their existing/upcoming hardware venders that they don't plan on making their own box, in order to incentivize the provider box market and the built-in TV set market. But even that seems unlikely. It's not like that stopped them from getting into making their own phones.

It's weird.

iroQuai

What's wrong with the cheap MiBox option? I'd go for 1x shield TV and 3x MiBox. PMS on the shield, Plex on the MiBoxes.

hackel

Each year I keep hoping for an upgraded Nexus / Pixel player, and each year I'm disappointed. It is very frustrating indeed.

fraseyboo

It's not official AndroidTV but the GeekBox is the closest device I've found to a developer box, it's open source with a MXM3 interface that lets you plug it into a secondary board with additional ports. Dual boots Android 5.1 and Ubuntu. There's a really good Instructables page here that shows off what you can do with it.

Max_Roc

Mi box. It often gets a bad rap but just exchange it until you get a good unit. It's a good box and I couldn't care less if it never gets nougat or oreo. It already does what it needs to so long you don't get a defective unit.

sotirisbos

I just got delivery of my Mi Box from GeekBuying and it seams great. One day delivery from Italy to Greece!

I haven't seen any of the wifi or screen problems in the past hour toying with it.

The interface lagged a couple of times but that might have been due to it updating apps.

Question for the more experienced:

Is the Mi Box the only cheap official Android TV box?I need another 3-4 devices for the rest of the TVs around the house and I want them to have the same interface and capabilities so that my older family members have the same experience.I am looking for the cheapest units.

Are the Mecool boxes any good? Is Chromecast the only feature that is lacking?