Recommendation for Low Tier TV/Internet Access

by PrettyMuchAVegetable

Hi All,

I've been flipping through the subreddit and it's been very helpful so far to teach me the difference between an Android TV and the piece of junk box from Alibaba at my dad's place. So thanks for that. One thing though is that most recommendations are geared towards getting the most out of top end systems with good internet connections.

Well I've not got one of those good setups, my setup is very limited. So limited I might get value and meet my use cases out of a less expensive or older model Android TV (or an alternative product).

My setup is as follows: 1080p LG TV

5mbps Internet service

Sony HT-IS 1000 micro surround sound

Located in Canada

Chromecast

I cannot get better internet. That's not part of the equation, and I won't benefit from 4K because my internet is so slow.

What I would like to do, if possible, is use the following legitimate Android apps on my TV. Preferably with a remote. Preferably with a snappy interface.

Amazon Prime

Netflix

CRAVE TV

Bell FibeTV

Crunchyroll

Curiosity stream

Global Go / CTV Go

Google Play Music

Amazon Prime Music

YouTube

Twitch

I don't care if the thing runs Kodi or not. I really just don't want to go high end if I don't have to since I get little extra value per extra dollar. I was thinking about FireTV but it won't do the BellFibeTV app or youTube. Chromecast of course won't do Amazon or BellFibeTV. Any recommendations are much appreciated.

raptor75mlt

I'm curious why you say the FireTV won't do BellFibeTV. On the website it says they support it. and Youtube you can use a third-party app like SmartYoutube.

As an AndroidTV, cheapest if you go for the MiBox, you will need to sideload Amazon Prime but at least Netflix will work.

LoudlyAnything

basically any box would work for streaming, with 5mbit/s you should get 720p Netflix and Youtube not more. My choice would go on a Xiaomi mi box S where maybe thanks to an hard disk you can store some 1080p movies.

wyrdough

If your 5Mbps connection doesn't have a cap, you can still enjoy some 4k from time to time, you just have to plan ahead a bit, be selective, and get a box (like the Shield) that supports hardware h265 decoding. A 10-15GB 4k encode isn't as good as a UHD Blu-ray by any means, but it's still better than most streaming options and can be downloaded overnight even on slow connections.

This is actually where Kodi and stuff like Couch Potato, SABnzbd, and the like really shine. They include easily configured rate limiting and, more importantly in your case, scheduling so that they can work while you're asleep/at work/whatever and leave your Internet connection fully available to you for streaming or whatever when you need it.

Tired8281

Shield isn't just for watching 4K, you know. Just because you can't make use of the top-end features of the box doesn't make it a bad buy. The best feature of the Shield is how fast it is. Not talking about internet speed here, I'm talking about the time it takes to do what you tell it to do. That's all local processing, on any device, because it all happens on the box and doesn't leave your house. Think about how many times in a day you press a button. How many times you launch a different app. With a slower box, each and every one of those actions takes longer. Sure it might only be a few milliseconds, but that adds up. A faster box feels "snappier", which leads to less frustration from the things you can control, which will help in a limited situation where things like your internet are going to frustrate you in ways you can't control. The other thing Shield excels at is longevity and support. In five years, they might lay fibre to your house, and then you might have Gigabit internet at your home, and with 4K TVs getting so cheap maybe you'll have one of those in five years. Your Shield might still be good in five years, while your cheaper box will have worn out it's flash memory or died in some other way.