I'm looking at getting an android tv box and was looking for one that's relatively cheap and available in Australia. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
I'm looking at getting an android tv box and was looking for one that's relatively cheap and available in Australia. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
I have a Mi Box, Nvidia Shield, and a TV with Android built in. Hands down get the Shield.
The Mi Box is OK and I use it in the bedroom but it’s not very good for any ‘heavy lifting’ like 4K content. My biggest gripe with the Mi Box was audio sync issues with my AVR due to lack of proper refresh rate switching, which may not be an issue for you at all.
I would not buy another Mi Box but would likely get another Shield in the future, the whole experience is so much nicer/smoother and more polished. Well worth the extra dollars in my opinion, especially if you want to use it for casual gaming.
Thanks. I've seen that the NVIDIA shield is coming to Australia this year. What are your thoughts on that?
I had the nexus player, was good but underpowered.
have had a mibox 4k for about 1.5 years, works well but has a fair ammount of bugs.
The vodafone tv box is probably what i would buy right now, same power as the mibox with the addition of local support and a tv tuner.
foxtel box i think is exact same as the vodafone tv box (technicolor) but guessing more restrictive.
I plan to get a nvidia shield tv and a hdhomerun so i can make it a PVR/Emulator gaming box
Don't waste your money on slow cheap hardware. Pay the bit extra and get a NVIDIA Shield. There's always a few around on gumtree and FB marketplace. Best bit of hardware I've brought in the last 3 years.
The sheild is being released locally at the end of the month for roughly $250. Save up and get one.
Mi Box is a great device if you are only looking for streaming video (Netflix, Hulu, IPTV, etc). Shield is only worth the upgrade in hardware/price if you are planning to stream PC games. Both are great, but buy what you need and want in a device.
For the last month I have been using x96 mini 2gb Ram 16GB internal space.
Has been more then sufficient for my IPTV habits and only cost me about $60-$70 of eBay.
Netflix didn't work on it as i think its "rooted"(this means something else where i'm from) but haven't had trouble with anything else.
If you only need 1080p Netflix and do not need Chromecasting support then take a look at the MECOOL M8S Pro L with Voice remote as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMeIqU_gbWQ
It's Nougat OS will be faster and more stable vs what is currently happening with the very buggy Oreo Firmware on the Mi Box.
Local Media Player support forum for Aust:
I have a BuzzTV XPL3000 purchased from Canada, and it's great. Its made for IPTV but has all the usual functions of an Android TV box as well.
In Australia you probably have two decent (cheap) choices. The first is the Mi Box, which I can personally vouch for. Its a decent price (for me it was $80ish NZD), but make sure you get the correct model (MDZ-16-AB). However you will have to parallel import it, from somewhere like Aliexpress (be careful about the model, as I previously mentioned). You could also try Amazon, but I haven't checked (I personally got it from AliExpress, as we don't have Amazon in NZ).
Another option is Vodafone TV - https://www.vodafone.com.au/vodafone-tv . It isn't stock Android, but it has the advantage of being able to receive TV, over an antenna, however it was is a bit pricier - $144 AUD, and I haven't heard of anyone here who has got one.