Hardware wise they look similar, price is similar. But the jetstream/Ematic 4K has more built in features. Built in ethernet, spdif, two usb ports. vs the mibox s with 1 usb port and no spidif or ethernet.
But it seems like more people have the mibox. So im wondering if there isnt some gotcha im missing.
Can you connect to Ethernet? If so it is so much better. Mibox will require an adapter for that. I have an S and it is good. The old 3 wasn't, but the S hasnt given me any trouble. I use nova player, plex, prime, Netflix, mlb and a few others regularly without issue. My only real issue is large file sizes locally with nova player. I don't have an Ethernet for it die to it's location. Also not a strong wifi signal so it isn't all necessarily the boxes fault.
How about the Mecool KM2? I have both the Ematic Jetstream and Xiaomi Mi box, both retired.
MECOOL KM2 specifications:
SoC – Amlogic S905X2-B quad-core Cortex-A53 processor.
System Memory – 2GB DDR4.
Storage – 8 GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot.
Video. ...
Audio. ...
Networking – Ethernet, Dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 2R2T & Bluetooth 4.2/5.0 via Realtek RTL8822CS.
USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type A port, 1x USB 2.0 Type A port.
Honestly, I probably wouldn't bother with either of those. They're both pretty old at this point.
If you're looking for something on a budget, the Chromecast With Google TV and the Tivo Stream 4K are good, and you can get USB and Ethernet on either with a USB-C hub as long as it has power pass through. Wal-Mart also has a couple of cheap options through their Onn brand, though I haven't heard much about those other than that they exist.
More people have the Mi Box because unless I am mistaken, the Jetstream is only available in the US.
Can't recommend any of those in 2021, tbh. SPDIF is outdated AF, ethernet is only 10/100, USB ports are only 2.0.. There is no way around it: those boxes are obsolete.