I have added the following note to the 1st post of the following thread.
Android TV Box Recommendations
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/android-tv-box-recommendations.6662455/
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Notes added on 11-Oct-2026
1. Prices of Certified Android Boxes are in general increased.
Price of Mi Box S Gen 3 and Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 have gone up by quite a bit but others also go up. So they are still okay to buy. You may also find cheaper 2nd units of Mi Box Gen 3, Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 and Mi Box Gen 2 as well.
Google’s US$99 4K TV Streamer is now at U$149.
Nvidia has raised the price of Shield TV Pro from US$199 to US$299 and discontinued the standard cylindrical Shield TV.
mecool TV boxes also have price increases and the online stores show sold-out for the models listed.
https://www.mecool.com/
MECOOL MEon1 4K GTV Streaming Box, Sale price at US$139.99
MECOOL KM2 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at US$150.99
MECOOL KM7 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at uS$125.99
MECOOL MEgo1 4K Google TV Stick, Sale price at US$150.99
2. Amazon newer FireTV Stick 4K Select 2025 and newer models like FireTV Stick 4K 2026 and FireTV Stick HD 2026 are not worth buying as they change from Fire OS (Android based) to Amazon's own Vega OS.
Reference: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Review: a disaster with Vega OS
https://androidpctv.com/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-select-review/
3. There may be other certified Google TV devices as well.
4. Those with a decent TV running Android TV OS or Google TV platform may not need an Android TV box.
5. Apple TV is always a good alternative. Now the latest model is still Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen released in 2022.
But with the recent price increase, it may not be worth buying now.
https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/lifestyle/video/do-not-buy-apple-tv-4k-now
(HWZ Article, 2 Jul 2026)
When it was announced in October 2022, it had a starting launch price of S$199. This got you an Apple TV 4K with Wi-Fi connectivity and 64GB of onboard storage. For S$239, you could get a model with Ethernet connectivity and 128GB of storage.
Today, that same 64GB model costs S$299. And if you need Ethernet connectivity, prepare to cough up S$379. That’s an increase of around 50% and 58%, respectively. And as good as the Apple TV 4K is, I’m afraid they don’t represent great value at these prices, especially when much more affordable alternatives exist.
6. If your apps are included in your Samsung TV, then it is also okay. If not, you may still need an Android TV Box.
7. LG TV is ususally not that smart and may still need an Android TV box.
My original post
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To summarize for year 2025/2026 (updated on 14-Sept-2025)
Please also go to Page 7 for some updated info about SOC (TV Box Chipset) comparisons.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/android-tv-box-recommendations.6662455/page-7
Basically you can consider the following.
1. Get certified Google Android TV OS devices which are also certified by Netflix:
Mi Box S Gen 2 or Mi Box S Gen 3 (highly recommended), Google TV Streamer 4k (2024 model), Google Chromecast 2020, Mecool KM2, KM2 Plus, KM2 Plus Deluxe and KM7 Plus.
Mi Box S Gen 2 is a good upgrade from Mi Box S in terms of the upgraded S905X4 CPU and Google TV OS. It also adds the support of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-box-s-2nd-gen-review/
Mi Box S Gen 3 is a good upgrade from Mi Box S Gen 2 in terms of the slightly upgraded S905X5M CPU and 32GB Storage.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-box-s-3rd-gen-review/
There are a few other choices as well, like Mi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen), Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick and Mecool KD3 4K TV Stick.
Mi TV Stick 4k Gen 2: same S905X5M CPU as Mi Box S Gen 3.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-stick-4k-2nd-gen-review/
Or if you want to pay for the best Android TV box, get Nvidia Shield TV 2019 for streaming. If you are into gaming as well, get Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019.
I tend not to recommend 1080p TV sticks like Mi TV Stick 1080P and Mecool KD5 or Google Chromecast HD (2022 model), they are okay if you use the built-in apps. If you add more apps the 1GB RAM can be the limiting factor.
2. Consider the boxes mentione in Point 1 again if you are first time buyer.
3. If you only need Netflix but not Chromecast, and you want to get a powerful box, get Amazon FireTV Cube 3rd Gen (2023 model). Amazon FireTV Stick 4K 2nd Gen (2023 model) and 4K Max Gen 2 (2023 model) is also a good buy.
4. If you do not need Netflix HD, you can also consider official Android TV OS box (but lack Netflix certification) like Mecool KM6 (S905X4 based) or KM7 SE (S905Y4 based). They support Chromecast.
When you do not need an Android TV Boxes?
1. You have an Android TV OS based smart TV (eg: Sony smart TV), and the performance is okay.
2. You have a smart TV from Samsung/LG and yet you do not feel the limitation from the lack of apps.
3. Apple TV owners. Apple TV is a very good TV box, especially if you are into Apple ecosystems.
