Box recommendation

by david_mogar

Hello,

My old Chromecast has been dying for a long time. Yesterday, it finally happened.

I've been taking a look online and I'm not sure it there's any point on getting a new one (Ultra more than probably to use an ethernet and have 4k) or getting something else.

In this something else list I've been taking a look to the Amazon stick, the Xiaomi box and a lot more of devices for a similar price.

What do you think I should get? I mostly cast Netflix and YouTube and I would like to have Kodi too. If a box is a better option, is there any box coming for which I should wait? Anything in the market that it's really good? (Apart from Nvidia one that is too expensive for what I want I think).

Thanks in advance!

schneidernet

Shield Pro 2019. Does everything except Apple TV. Most importantly it does Atmos and Vision. Replaced my Fire TV's after the Cube 2 disaster.

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Icing on the cake is YouTube TV.

deustamorto

I have bought a MiBox S last week and it works like a charm. 4k resolution, android 9 and it connects to a 5GHz router. Also it comes with clean android tv os, no bloatware or custom themes.

someMFonreddit

Nvidia shield if you have money. Firestick 4k if you're on a budget. The firestick 4k can now unlock the bootloader, root, and remove all the Amazon ads and bloatware so it's nice and snappy. I have both the Nvidia shield and the firestick4k. After rooting the firestick4k, I was so impressed with the performance that i stopped using the Nvidia shield for now.

Kemaro

Nvidia Shield. Nothing else compares.

sivartk

Amazon products are full of ads, but other than that they are good. I'd get an official Android TV device so that really limits you to the Jetstream 4K device, Mi Box S and nVidia Shield. You might also look into the new Android TV based $50 TiVo that is coming out soon, too.

All of the other "cheap" Android Box's will more than likely not give you any HD pictures from Netflix or Amazon Prime.

billyburrito

I replaced some G1 chromecasts with the Mi Box S, they are super nice.

akisnet

Xiaomi Mi Box 3S at $60 first and if you aren't satisfied change to Shield. Both are approved and recommended by Google on Android TV official site.

If you are interested on streaming 4K HDR 60p and streaming only buy Mi Box. If you are interested on games and emulation buy Shield. The OS is the same on both for these tasks.

For just streaming videos shield is overpriced especially when has a chipset from 2014. Powerful but from 2014.

knotthatone

There are only three you should consider:

  1. Amazon Fire Stick 4K - Bastardized Android that upsells Amazon at every opportunity, but it does what you want. Wait for it to go on sale for $25, $35 max. Don't pay full price ($50) and don't buy the non-4k version.

  2. Xiaomi Mi Box - Vanilla Android, does what you want. Costs $60. Doesn't have the Amazon crap.

  3. Nvidia Shield Pro - Best choice if price is no object. Costs $200. Don't buy the cheaper one that looks like a tube.

On the horizon--nothing major I'd hold my breath for. TiVo's got one on the way around April-ish, but they have a dodgy track record and it might be crap. Google could always drop something new, but I haven't seen any reliable indication that's happening.

BiggussDikkuss

https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/cguehm/androidtv_device_comparison_table/

Amazon FireTV Stick 4K will be snappier and have more stable Firmware vs a Mi Box S - which at the moment with its new, just released Android TV Pie 9.0 Firmware has lots of user feedback complaining about Chromecasting problems:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/enf6cb/mi_box_s_casting_problem_on_new_update/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MiBox/new/

People don't need to Chromecast when they have native Netxlix and YouTube etc. Apps on AndroidTV devices.

fletch101e

If this was several years ago, I would NOT recommend shield over Box S as shield was buggy and they advertised features that didn't really work and still don't (ie GA). That said, If I had to give up one of them, I would keep shield over the Box S because it has better hardware. The remote that came with the shield was so badly designed, I would have returned the whole thing if I had not got a Harmony. There was a problem with the sheild's IR and you had to get an IR extender to get a normal harmony ir remote to work with it. Skip that and go to a harmony smart hub and then it works well.. The remote that comes with the Box S is cheap but a better design. But it too is better with the Harmony.

beyeg

Walmart online had them on sale.

blackboy211

I've owned a 4k Fire stick, Box S and various other chinese boxes. Since buying a Nvidia shield 2017 I have never gone back to any of my other devices. If you can afford the shield I'd get it. IMO the 2017 is now considerably cheaper since the new 2019 model has come out.

bailee6360

I have bought a superbox S1 . It come with bluetv and bluevod which could to watch tv and movies free.

But the price is a little expensive than mibox.

salvatorundie

Mi Box and/or Shield will let you Chromecast basically as you were used to before, but you can also install apps like Kodi.

beyeg

I got a MiBox for $20-25 a few weeks back and could not be happier.