Android TV Box

[xiaofan]

Main negative feedbacks for Mi Box Global version are with regard to the Android Oreo upgrade. I do not read many negative feedbacks for Mi Box S since it comes with Oreo.

Another thing Mi Box or Mi Box S may not be a very good Kodi box for power users based on the feedbacks from various website. This may have something to do with the hardware specifications -- lack of Ethernet connection, lack of storage space, probably a bit lack in terms of CPU processing power as well, lack of Dolby Vision or Atmos support, etc. All these should not cause much problem for the users who are more into streaming. Just need to remember it is still a low end box which is mainly meant for streaming.

Chromecast is one of the best features for Mi Box S but take note it depends on the app and the wireless performance. So there can be issues there as well.

Ref: negative review of Mi Box S for those with high Video/Audio quality requirements. Go for Nvidia Shield TV or Apple TV 4k in that case.

https://www.techhive.com/article/3319662/xiaomi-mi-box-s-review.html

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[Reborns]

any issues with mibox S?
do you recommend it? my uses are mainly netflix, viu and paid iptv apps

really no problem so far
but can tell Netflix quality different if watch via XiaoMi vs LG's built in Netflix

but then the XiaoMi allow me to VPN and watch Hulu content and Australian content and etc
which the LG tv can't

 

[Reborns]

[YOUTUBE-HD][/YOUTUBE-HD]

Hey guys, any suggestions for a good android TV box that can stream Youku, TVB anywhere, Netflix and etc? I've no interest in 4K as this is mainly for my mom and I don't think the subscribed services have much 4k shows.

So my mom likes to watch HK dramas and etc but is not tech savvy enough to navigate through those free websites with lots of advertisements etc. I have subscribed to TVB anywhere and is getting my China friend to help me subscribe to Youku (Hearing that it does not require VPN). Also subscribed Netflix for my dad.

The idea is that I will buy an android TV box, install all the needed applications on it and it'll serve as like a huge catalogue of shows where my parents can easily navigate so they won't accidentally click on to ads or have to watch subpar quality videos. At least with this solution they can watch at a decent 1080p. A bit overkill with all the subscribtions but I am new to this so don't want to risk getting scam at SimLim over those illegal streaming boxes. Of course if got lobang also I will consider ah haha, for reference purposes

Youku content confirm need VPN..
so 1 more subscription for u

also tvb anywhere sg is not a android TV app
so u need to side load and it won't appear on the android TV menu
only inside the apps menu
the worst of all.. it is ONLY portrait orientation (meant for phone only)
hahahahahha

 

[xiaofan]

Hey guys, any suggestions for a good android TV box that can stream Youku, TVB anywhere, Netflix and etc? I've no interest in 4K as this is mainly for my mom and I don't think the subscribed services have much 4k shows.

So my mom likes to watch HK dramas and etc but is not tech savvy enough to navigate through those free websites with lots of advertisements etc. I have subscribed to TVB anywhere and is getting my China friend to help me subscribe to Youku (Hearing that it does not require VPN). Also subscribed Netflix for my dad.

The idea is that I will buy an android TV box, install all the needed applications on it and it'll serve as like a huge catalogue of shows where my parents can easily navigate so they won't accidentally click on to ads or have to watch subpar quality videos. At least with this solution they can watch at a decent 1080p. A bit overkill with all the subscribtions but I am new to this so don't want to risk getting scam at SimLim over those illegal streaming boxes. Of course if got lobang also I will consider ah haha, for reference purposes

Since you need Netflix 1080p, you do not really have many choices. If you can pay a bit higher cost get Nvidia Shield TV. If not get Mi Box S. They support up to 4k. Non certified box only support 480p. There are hacks from box vendors like Mecool to run Netflix 720p/1080p/4k with unofficial Android TV OS but Netflix will eventually catch them.

Youku is okay once you pay for the VIP, the TV version is called 酷喵影视 so you need to pay for the higher tier of VIP, still not expensive though. I am paying for the normal VIP so it is only good for phone/tablet. You can subscribe by yourself using iOS actually and pay in SGD. Take note there are three three tiers of VIP, 优酷VIP, 酷喵VIP and 体育VIP. Now there is an offer for 酷喵VIP 3month for S$10.98, just checked my iOS.

TVB Anywhere is very bad, it does not support TV boxes and it does not support Chromecast.

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[xiaofan]

[YOUTUBE-HD][/YOUTUBE-HD]

Youku content confirm need VPN..
so 1 more subscription for u

also tvb anywhere sg is not a android TV app
so u need to side load and it won't appear on the android TV menu
only inside the apps menu
the worst of all.. it is ONLY portrait orientation (meant for phone only)
hahahahahha

You'll need VPN for Youku if you do not pay. If you pay you do not need VPN. Just take note there are three tiers of VIP. Normal Youku优酷VIP for phone/tablet， 酷喵影视VIP for TV and 体育VIP for sports.

TVB Anywhere SG does not even allow you to install on official Android TV device like Nvidia Shield TV or Mi Box S, no way to side load it as far as I know.

You can try to install on normal Android TV box running mobile version of Android but the experiences may not be good. In fact the latest version seems to detect external display so my previously working setup now does not work -- an error message pops up -- "Please note playing video to an external display is not supported ［10006］. So they really you use it on your mobile phone and not on TV/monitor. I just tried it myself so I think it is now totally not working on TV ...

Not so sure why TVB does this in Singapore, maybe they are bound by the agreement with Starhub, no live TV for TVB Anywhere SG and no TV usage.

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[gregory_choo]

Hey guys, any suggestions for a good android TV box that can stream Youku, TVB anywhere, Netflix and etc? I've no interest in 4K as this is mainly for my mom and I don't think the subscribed services have much 4k shows.

So my mom likes to watch HK dramas and etc but is not tech savvy enough to navigate through those free websites with lots of advertisements etc. I have subscribed to TVB anywhere and is getting my China friend to help me subscribe to Youku (Hearing that it does not require VPN). Also subscribed Netflix for my dad.

The idea is that I will buy an android TV box, install all the needed applications on it and it'll serve as like a huge catalogue of shows where my parents can easily navigate so they won't accidentally click on to ads or have to watch subpar quality videos. At least with this solution they can watch at a decent 1080p. A bit overkill with all the subscribtions but I am new to this so don't want to risk getting scam at SimLim over those illegal streaming boxes. Of course if got lobang also I will consider ah haha, for reference purposes

if you need netflix, not many choices. suggest "mibox s"

most of the video from youku can be viewed without VPN, on my box with free youku account, only japanese dramas need vpn. Not sure about paid account.

youku is not the only app, there are many other free apps for hk, china and jp/kr drama/movies with good quality, just install one or two of them then your parents will have hard time to catch up the shows. Most of them can operate with remote control and very easy to navigate.

 

[qualcom]

All device will have software issues.

Feedbacks for Nvidia Shield TV are in general positive, except the lack of Dolby Atmos support under Netflix.

Feedbacks for Mi Box S can be mostly positive but you need to remember it is a low end device mainly meant for general streaming apps. Do not expect high end feature like Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos. Lack of Ethernet can be an issue for reliable streaming but the wireless performance is said to be good as long as you do not put it far away from router.

I myself am not a user of official Android TV OS device. I bought older ChromeCast 1st gen dongle and Apple TV 3rd gen before I started to play with Android TV boxes. And I am not using apps like Netflix. So I am actually using other generic boxes with better HW spec than Mi Box S but running generic mobile version of Android.

So take a pint of salt with my comments as well...

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i see.. so this means i'd have to plug a usb ethernet adaptor to get iptv apps to run smoothly. still it may not cost more than ac ryan ultra.

 

[qualcom]

really no problem so far
but can tell Netflix quality different if watch via XiaoMi vs LG's built in Netflix

but then the XiaoMi allow me to VPN and watch Hulu content and Australian content and etc
which the LG tv can't

so netflix in mibox s is not even HD?
i really don't need 4k but if HD isn't supported, i think the quality will be bad.

 

[xiaofan]

i see.. so this means i'd have to plug a usb ethernet adaptor to get iptv apps to run smoothly. still it may not cost more than ac ryan ultra.

No need USB Ethernet adapter for most use cases. I am just saying there is a possibility if you put Mi Box S far away from the router.

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[xiaofan]

so netflix in mibox s is not even HD?
i really don't need 4k but if HD isn't supported, i think the quality will be bad.

Mi Box S supports 4K HDR, Dolby Audio and DTS, but not Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos. Most of the people will be fine unless you have a high requirement.

For its cost it is hard to beat for Netflix streaming. Another potential choice for Netflix is Amazon Fire Stick 4K at the similar price range but it is less popular in Singapore.

Of course Samsung LG Sony Smart TV may have better video quality with the built in Netflix. On the other hand Samsung Tizen OS and LG Web OS are not Android so Mi Box S can be a good add on for them. If you have Sony or Sharp Android TV device then you probably do not need Mi Box S.

The other main benefit of Mi Box S is the support of Google Chromecast — you can use your phone to run apps like SingTel TV Go, SingTel Cast, StarHub Go, Viu Premium, etc, and then cast to TV. Then you can do other things with the phone.

 

[cottoncloud123]

Anyone has any problems with toggle live TV on android TV box? I can't watch the live TV(all channels) since last week tho.

 

[xiaofan]

Anyone has any problems with toggle live TV on android TV box? I can't watch the live TV(all channels) since last week tho.

Are you using official Toggle app and upgraded to the latest version ? Are you located in Singapore?

Toggle has recently changed the links and most of 3rd party apps are not working now.

As for Toggle itself, it is more designed for the phones and you can use your phone and then cast to the TV if you have Chromecast dongle or boxes like Mi Box S and Nvidia Shield TV.

 

[cottoncloud123]

I'm using official tho but downloaded the apk instead and yes I'm located in sg. My box is A95X.

Are you using official Toggle app and upgraded to the latest version ? Are you located in Singapore?

Toggle has recently changed the links and most of 3rd party apps are not working now.

As for Toggle itself, it is more designed for the phones and you can use your phone and then cast to the TV if you have Chromecast dongle or boxes like Mi Box S and Nvidia Shield TV.

 

[gregory_choo]

I'm using official tho but downloaded the apk instead and yes I'm located in sg. My box is A95X.

you have to use phone to watch. it will stop you from watching if it knows that it is not a phone.

 

[xiaofan]

I'm using official tho but downloaded the apk instead and yes I'm located in sg. My box is A95X.

Not so sure what you mean by downloaded the app instead. Toggle app is available from Google Play Store.

But indeed Toggle is not guaranteed to work on TV boxes as it is designed for phones. And with the HBO content added to Toggle it may beef up the protection.

Worst is still TVB Anywhere SG. Toggle at least supports ChromeCast.

FYI Toggle still works for my TV boxes, just tried it under my H96 Pro+. I use a mouse with the app.

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[cottoncloud123]

Does live channels (eg. Channel 8) works on ur TV box?

Not so sure what you mean by downloaded the app instead. Toggle app is available from Google Play Store.

But indeed Toggle is not guaranteed to work on TV boxes as it is designed for phones. And with the HBO content added to Toggle it may beef up the protection.

Worst is still TVB Anywhere SG. Toggle at least supports ChromeCast.

FYI Toggle still works for my TV boxes, just tried it under my H96 Pro+. I use a mouse with the app.

 

[xiaofan]

Does live channels (eg. Channel 8) works on ur TV box?

Yes, Channel 8 works fine.

 

[cottoncloud123]

U downloaded the app from playstore?

Yes, Channel 8 works fine.

 

[xiaofan]

U downloaded the app from playstore?

Yes. From Play Store.

But as already mentioned, Toggle is not guaranteed to work on Android TV boxes. It is designed for phone. So it is normal if your generic box does not work with Toggle. In fact it also warns about potential incompatibility issues with my boxes but it happens to work on my boxes as of now.

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[xiaofan]

Thanks for the advice! Now wait for Mibox user to advise. Mibox is easily more than $100 cheaper than Apple TV. And...we really foresee the kids using most of it. IT show I will check online prices see what discounts will run on Lazada/Qoo10/Shopee and will get device this week.

Yes there is a confirmation that SingTel Cast works directly from Mi Box S.

So we have confirmation that SingTel TV Go and SingTel Cast work on Mi Box S, without the needs to use Chromecast from mobile phone. Same for Nvidia Shield TV.

Take note Starhub Go does not work under Mi Box S or Nvidia Shield TV. You needs to use your mobile phone to cast to TV with the built-in support of Google Chromecast in Mi Box S and Nvidia Shield TV. Same for Toggle. But Toggle might work on some generic boxes, no guarantee though. So better using a phone and cast to TV.

TVB Anywhere SG will not work on TV boxes. Previous version could work on some generic boxes but now it detects external display and throw out error message.

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