Android TV Box

chenaz

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I was looking at Lazada instead of taobao. Tx3 2gb ram selling at 48 shipping from China and local shop seller selling it at 75.

Then j saw another brand mx10 which is 4gb ram with rk3328 .selling at 68

Is mx10 better option?

No please do not get R69, that is a lousy box. Get S905W based box like Tanix TX3 Max or TX3 Mini.

I wanted to buy R69 Allwinner H3 based R69 for Armbian Linux usage (not as an Android box as I know it is not good) but the seller delivered the wrong one with RK3229 to me (which costs higher but not what I want).

That is the problem by going through Taobao and generic box — no point to return as the shipping cost can be high. In this case R69 Box is kind of useless to me as it can not run Linux unlike the older H3 based box.
 

gregory_choo

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I was looking at Lazada instead of taobao. Tx3 2gb ram selling at 48 shipping from China and local shop seller selling it at 75.

Then j saw another brand mx10 which is 4gb ram with rk3328 .selling at 68

Is mx10 better option?



AML chips has better compatibility compared the RK chips.

If not playing games, any RAM higher than 2GB are wasted.

mx10 is not a brand.
 

xiaofan

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I was looking at Lazada instead of taobao. Tx3 2gb ram selling at 48 shipping from China and local shop seller selling it at 75.

Then j saw another brand mx10 which is 4gb ram with rk3328 .selling at 68

Is mx10 better option?

As Mr Choo mentioned, MX10 is a generic model name and not a brand. So you are counting a bit of luck here if you choose to go with this one.

From the spec it is very similar to my H96 Max RK3328 based box and the reviewed MX10 unit in the following YouTube link— just an upgrade to Android 8. The review is pretty positive.

https://youtu.be/CwAoioGKxFE

And indeed 4GB RAM is just a gimmick for using this as a TV Box. But it does not hurt either.
https://youtu.be/lSMqMyAbD9o

The price is quite reasonable and similar to Taobao price —2018 MX10 Box is roughly S$54 for 4GB/32GB and S$60 for the 4GB/64GB model and you need to pay for shipping.

My own testing of the H96 Max+ (one of the most popular generic RK3328 model) shows no compatibility problem and smooth performance and no heat problem (bigger size) and this MX10 is of bigger size so heat should be okay. RK3328 is somewhat between S905W and S905X so performance is quite okay. USB 3.0 may help as well in some use cases. Take note that my box is running Android 7.1 though.

So my opinion is that you can buy this if Lazada gives you some good return policy.
 
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xiaofan

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So my opinion is that you can buy this if Lazada gives you some good return policy.

Searching with Lazada for Tanix TX28 show two vendors having the 4GB/32GB model below S$80, the external antenna should help WiFi performance and the design look better. So you may want to check that as well. It is not as popular as TX3 Max and TX3 Mini within the Tanix brand, why? Because you S905W/S905X are more mature and proven solution.

BTW I do not use Lazada so I fo not know how to tell a shop is good or not. I myself do not trust Qoo10 and just start to look at Shopee and Lazada. My wife tried once with Lazada and it is okay. She tried quite some time with Qoo10 and I do not think the quality is good. She started with Amazon US and then AliExpress and then Qoo10 and now Taobao. I just sneak a little bit of my gadget stuff in her orders this year 😄
 
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xiaofan

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https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EBG4tRTmgaf-zXUKg1YcoTxoERwROcYD-DU2sHjuC6o/htmlview

The above is a good chart to look at for pure HW spec comparison. Brand and build quality may be more important than features/specifications in most people’s use cases.

In terms of performance,
Rockchip 3399 >> Allwinner H6/Amlogic S912 > S905X2>S905X/RK3328>S905W>RK3329/Allwinner H3

I will say do not buy boxes based on the last two CPU (Rockchip RK3329 and Allwinner H3) in terms of HW — that includes UBox Gen 2/3/4 and EVpad 2S+/EVpad Pro+

And do not buy Box with 1GB RAM unless you really only use single app most of the time which is unlikely true — you will feel itchy to try new things soon and then you will regret. UBox Pro (gen 5) is bad to have 1GB RAM even though the CPU is a powerful H6 and moreover the cost is high.

BTW UBox/EVpad seem to be popular and they seem to survive the crackdowns so they have their own reasons to be popular. The build quality seem to be so-so and that is probably by design since there is no VIP/subscription fee — the boxes would need to have a high chance of death after two years so that the consumers have to buy a new box and the company can survive. Sorry for the conspiracy theory...
 
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xiaofan

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Nvidia shield the most powerful

Yes but no need for most use cases. Price is high and support may not be good in Singapore to justify the high price unless you want to play games which I will say to go to proper product like Nintendo Switch or Microsoft/Sony.
 
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xiaofan

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News start to spread that UBox apps are blocked by Singapore ISPs. Let’s see how it goes. They are illegal anyway from the very beginning.
 

dricas_007

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News start to spread that UBox apps are blocked by Singapore ISPs. Let’s see how it goes. They are illegal anyway from the very beginning.

Seem like only M1 user tio blocked. Can be easily resolved by manually changing the DNS in the router:)
 

xiaofan

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Seem like only M1 user tio blocked. Can be easily resolved by manually changing the DNS in the router:)

Yes that seems to be true. Still lesson learned is not to rely on one app or one vendor which may be blocked any time .
 

xiaofan

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xiaofan

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Legal aspect of Android TV box in Singapore

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...g-devices-are-they-legal-in-singapore-9216202

Q: Are these streaming devices, also known as grey or Android boxes, legal in Singapore?
The short answer: Yes.
The use of such streaming devices to access legitimate content does not constitute copyright infringement, an Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.

Q: Are consumers allowed to view content from the streaming apps/services on these devices?

The IPOS spokesperson said rights owners of the content may take civil action for copyright infringement against those who access or download programmes for viewing without authorisation. This includes viewing the content through a computer, mobile device or a device that connects a television to the Internet.

As such, users of these devices should ensure they are accessing content from authorised content providers, he added.
“Needless to say, the courts will decide each action by copyright owners on a case by case basis.”
Mr Andy Leck, managing principal and head of Intellectual Property practice group at law firm Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, told Channel NewsAsia that retailers have been known to blatantly advertise the pre-loaded apps as being legal when that is not the case.
"Therefore, consumers should watch out for red flags, including whether the pre-loaded applications offer access to a huge range of channels which are identical to the channels offered under legitimate subscription services, at a fraction of the price of legitimate subscriptions," he said.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...g-devices-are-they-legal-in-singapore-9216202
 

seveneleven

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Yes Google Chromecast function is built-in.

You need to buy the older Android 6.0 version as per New TV Box SG for better compatibility now. And make sure you buy the Mi Box Global Version, not China version (Mi 3,3c, 3 enhanced, 4, 4c, etc).
https://www.mi.com/global/mibox/

New version is Mi Box S with Android 8.1.
https://www.mi.com/us/mi-box-s/specs/
https://www.mi.com/global/mi-box-s/






Not this one running MIUI TV.
https://www.mi.com/global/miboxpro/specs/

Pro: Certified Android TV with high resolution Netflix and YouTube, Google Chromecast function, Amlogic S905X CPU with 2GB RAM, dual band ac WiFi

Cons: no Ethernet, 8GB storage

If i already got a smart TV, still necessary to buy Xiaomi tv box? Since smart tv can download app to play contents also..? Correct me if i am wrong.

For Ukobox, is it the same as Xiaomi box? Or Ukobox only able to play those free to air channel in the countries, e.g Malaysia, sg, hong kong...
 

xiaofan

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If i already got a smart TV, still necessary to buy Xiaomi tv box? Since smart tv can download app to play contents also..? Correct me if i am wrong.

For Ukobox, is it the same as Xiaomi box? Or Ukobox only able to play those free to air channel in the countries, e.g Malaysia, sg, hong kong...

If your smart TV is running official Android TV like those from Sony, then no need.

Samsung is based on Tizen and LG is based on WebOS and therefore can not install Android apps.

Ukobox is mainly the digital tuner box for those TVs without built-in DVB-T2 tuner. You use them to watch local channels like Ch5/Ch8.

Edit: ukobox seems to be able to watch some other channels with an added wireless adapter but this is not the same as Android TV boxes which you can add apps from the official store or side load.
 
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xiaofan

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got local one.

Not so sure what you mean. But do not buy those Android TV boxes sold by local vendors in Sim Lim Square or Shopping Centres in general. They are mostly using a cheap S$30-50 boxes and install some software and then charge you S$100 or S$200. Kind of scam boxes.
 

Chevalier

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If i wanted a no frills box for my father in law. Just single app.

UBTV PRO?

Just Chinese content
 
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xiaofan

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If i wanted a no frills box for my father in law. Just single app.

UBTV PRO?

Just Chinese content

Over priced for a S$50 Box and you have not read the news that ISP start to block Unblock Tech Ubox based on high court order? Starting from M1.
 
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xiaofan

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Mi Box Global Version is having WiFi problems after the Oreo update and now it is not easy to prevent the update. So probably need to avoid buying Mi Box right now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/8tt66m/mi_box_dropping_wifi_intermittently_after_oreo/

If you do not need Official Android TV perks like Netflix HD or Chromecast, then you can just buy a S$50 Box like Tanix TX3 Max or TX3 Mini 2GB/16GB version. You may want to get a USB fan as well for better cooling.

If you are more tech savvy and more adventurous, you can try non-branded Amlogic S905X/S905W based boxes at S$50-70 for 2GB/16GB with usually 100M Ethernet and 2.4GHz wifi. Or you can try S$70-100 Amlogic S912 based 3GB/32GB version with Gigabit Ethernet and dual band WiFi. Or RK3328 based 4GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB version if you value USB3.0. It is not as good as those Amlogic S912 based box though.

Then join New TV Box SG for the apps.
 
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