Is Android TV right for me?

by [deleted]

I've been using Kodi on a Raspberry Pi for a few weeks and am not a fan. It's buggy, has a tacky interface, and is an absolute hassle to get normal streaming apps to work (can't even get Netflix). I'm thinking of opting for a fire stick or an Android tv box.

The main things I'm looking for include: good support for common apps like Netflix, Disney+, YouTube. A remote.The ability to load unofficial apps like stremio, or even Kodi; although I said it's not great, having Kodi as an option for shows not available on the streaming services I have would be nice (also I already bought realdebrid). Good casting support.

I'm very tech savy so I don't mind tinkering with the product a bit to get it to where I want. If I got a fire stick my first step would be removing all the bloatware anyways.

So does Android TV fit my use case? Or should I opt for fire stick or something else?

Edit: removed the link apparently that box isn't certified. I do want apps designed to work on tv

Edit2: why are all the certified boxes more expensive and only 2gb ram? Why wouldn't I opt for the more powerful device that also lets me add an sd to it for more storage?

Edit3: Thanks for the help everyone. I'll be going with the Walmart onn.

mannwhit

I have a Walmart onn box plays Netflix Amazon Disney etc no hassle w official support.

Also have Kodi install on it and a flashdrive attached which allows me to play any local files.

I would hate no having the ability to use local files. An android box that can install Kodi gave me the best of both worlds

pawdog

You don't need more than 2gb ram for streaming. If you just want to get started cheap. Tivo Stream 4k OR ONN UHD $40 or less. Both run Kodi quite well as well as all the streaming service apps.

f1vefour

Yes Android TV will fit your needs, if you need Dolby Atmos and/or Vision the Onn does not support it.

latinriky78

I apologize for this but I really don't have time to explain why Android TV is for you but I'm going to share my list of the most recommended devices so you can have an idea of what to pick depending on your budget and needs:

CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE UNITED STATES ONLY:

- AirTV Mini (More info at airtv.net/products)

- AT&T TV (More info at http://att.com/tv/device-features )

- Tivo Stream 4K (More info at http://tivo.com/products/stream-4k )

- T-Mobile TVision HUB (More info at http://t-mobile.com/tvision/services/hub )

- Verizon Stream TV (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://verizon.com/products/verizon-stream-tv-gen-2 )

CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR EUROPE ONLY:

- EKO KATV10

- Nokia Streaming Box 8000 (More info at http://nokia.com/shop/streaming-devices/nokia-streaming-box-8000 ).

- Strong Leap-S1 (More info at http://strong.tv/en/products/ip-tv-receivers/leap-s1 )

- Youin (by Engel).

CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:

- Chromecast with Google TV (more info at http://tv.google )

- Dynalink TV dongle (More info at http://dynalink.life )

- Homatics Box Q (More info at http://homatics.tv/products/homatics-box-q )

- Homatics Dongle Q (More info at http://homatics.tv/products/homatics-dongle-q )

- Mecool KM2 (More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Nvidia Shield TV (The most expensive but powerful, recommended for gaming. More info at http://shield.nvidia.com )

- Walmart Onn (More info at http://walmart.com )

CERTIFIED ANDROID TV BOXES WITH NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO CERTIFICATIONS THAT USE THE NOW OLD AMLOGIC S905X SoC:

- Xiaomi Mi Box S (More info at http://mi.com/global/mi-box-s )

- Ematic Jetstream (More info at http://androidtv-guide.com/streaming-gaming/ematic-jetstream-tv-box )

CERTIFIED ANDROIDTV/GOOGLETV BOXES WITH ONLY PRIME VIDEO FOR THE US, EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:

- Formuler GTV (Gigabit ethernet. Exclusive MYTVOnline2 app for IPTV. More info at http://formuler.tv/gtv )

WARNING!, ALTHOUGH MECOOL IS THE BEST OEM WHEN IT COMES TO RELEASING NEW DEVICES EVERY YEAR, THEY ARE THE WORST WHEN IT COMES TO RELEASING FIRMWARE UPDATES TO FIX BUGS AND ISSUES, IF YOU DON'T MIND ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN GET ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MODELS:

- Mecool KM6 Classic Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Mecool KM6 Deluxe Edition (AV1 hardware decoding. Gigabit ethernet. WiFi 6. 4GB of RAM. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Mecool KM7 (AV1 hardware decoding. 2GB/16GB and 4GB/64GB versions. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Mecool KT1 (AV1 hardware decoding. DVB-T2/S2/C tuner built-in. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Mecool Now (An Android TV device with a built-in camera and microphone, suitable for videoconferencing. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

- Mecool KD2 TV Stick (AV1 hardware decoding. More info at http://mecoolonline.com where you can get a 10% off with the code "mecoolbox" at checkout)

For more info about all certified Android TV devices, head over to www.androidtv-guide.com website.

heybart

There are official Android TV devices like fire stick, Google Chromecast with Google TV, tivo stream, Walmart onn, that run Android TV and are certified so that you can run things like Netflix and Amazon prime and get full HD and 4k. Then there are those no name Chinese "TV boxes" that run Android and some side loaded version of Netflix that can only get 480p. Stay away from those.

You can run Kodi on official Android TV boxes, even though it's bloated and kind of slow. I'm not a fan of Kodi at all. There are stand alone apps that work with rd. Google them.