Android/Dream Box [ Illegal discussion = Ban ]

Sappy404

For those looking at the Mi Box, these guys in the UK seem to have the US version for £79, plus about £6 shipping and paypal fees. It's on back order currently.

I took the plunge on the Geekbuying International Version and expect to pay much the same if not more in taxes and fees, and there are doubts about the non-US international version over on the Kodi forum, as pointed out by Do-More.

Do-more

Sappy404 wrote: »

For those looking at the Mi Box, these guys in the UK seem to have the US version for £79, plus about £6 shipping and paypal fees. It's on back order currently.

I took the plunge on the Geekbuying International Version and expect to pay much the same if not more in taxes and fees, and there are doubts about the non-US international version over on the Kodi forum, as pointed out by Do-More.

That guy on the Kodi forum has now received his box and it does appear to be the correct spec, it just comes in a plain box, so you should be safe enough Sappy.

Do-more

For anyone interested in a Wetek Hub or Play 2, Wetek have a 10% off code on all purchases from the Wetek store until Nov. 30th.

Code is HTL10WS1

[Edit] Just checked the code and can confirm it is working and brings the cost of the Play2 to €108.91 including standard shipping.

Alf Stewart.

Do-more wrote: »

For anyone interested in a Wetek Hub or Play 2, Wetek have a 10% off code on all purchases from the Wetek store until Nov. 30th.

Code is HTL10WS1

[Edit] Just checked the code and can confirm it is working and brings the cost of the Play2 to €108.91 including standard shipping.

I'm possibly interested.

I am a bit unsure as to what these actually do however. If anyone wants to send me a pm, feel free .

Also, when i go to add one of these to cart, it gives me a choice of two tuners.

DVBS2

And

ATS2

What's the difference

batistuta9

these are boxes with tuners for TV. can run android, open/libreelec
DVBCT2 = aeriel/cable
DVBS2 = for satellite
ATCS is for north america mainly

Sappy404

Do-more wrote: »

That guy on the Kodi forum has now received his box and it does appear to be the correct spec, it just comes in a plain box, so you should be safe enough Sappy.

Yeah, mine is the last post on that forum saying the same Wish I'd found that UK site first though!

Xiaomi have only last week announced new versions of the Mi Box, one of which matches those specs, so that's defo the int'l version. The Chinese version available when he bought it wouldn't match those specs.

krustydoyle

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016WGF9O2/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Is this a good offer and could you add packages to it??

Lucas Hood

krustydoyle wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016WGF9O2/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Is this a good offer and could you add packages to it??

Nothing to do with Android.

Sappy404

krustydoyle wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016WGF9O2/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Is this a good offer and could you add packages to it??

There's a massive thread over in Bargain Alerts all about this that has been running for years. Have a read of the last few pages and you'll get a good idea as to what it can do.

styron

krustydoyle wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016WGF9O2/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Is this a good offer and could you add packages to it??

Krusty, a long standing thread on it here

styron

Sappy404 wrote: »

Wish I'd found that UK site first though!

Think you'll be glad in the end you didn't. The few Trustpilot reviews look fishy to me. The site domain has a one year lease expiring 30/12 and the parent company - a "management consultancy" - had £75 worth of assets in the last lodged accounts.

yvonne.joy.3

Hi people, i have been reading up on this thread and have a few questions, apologies for the basic questions:

1) what is the best box to buy at the moment?
2) what spec should I be looking out for?
3) is the minix neo U1 Android 5.1.1 a good box?
4) do these boxes work over wifi or do they require ethernet?

Thanks in advance

Sappy404

yvonne.joy.3 wrote: »

Hi people, i have been reading up on this thread and have a few questions, apologies for the basic questions:

1) what is the best box to buy at the moment?
2) what spec should I be looking out for?
3) is the minix neo U1 Android 5.1.1 a good box?
4) do these boxes work over wifi or do they require ethernet?

Thanks in advance

1) Depends what you want to use it for. Top of the line android boxes would include the Nvidia Shield, as it's designed for gaming and has great graphics, it has google's own Android TV operating system, and has a big company behind it. You're paying a lot though.

2) Most people would tell you 2gb RAM and an 8GB storage space for apps. Newer versions of Android can allow you to mount external media as internal storage too.

3) Minix have a good reputation but I'm not familiar with this one. Seek out reviews online.

4) Almost certainly they'll have wifi and it will be fine, but if you're looking to stream 4k content or Bluray-quality video and you have an older wifi router you'd probably be better off using Ethernet.

Some other factors I'd consider:

- Android TV was developed by Google especially for this kind of box, but most of them don't have it - they'll use an underlying version of Android with their own feature set and menus. Some look a bit goofy and poorly translated, others will look great.

- The remotes that come bundled will vary from barely functional to microphone-equipped motion-sensing magic wands. You might want to invest in a decent one but 3rd party remotes will be limited as their functionality won't be heavily integrated into the design. You might see a pop-up on-screen keyboard even though you're typing away on a physical keypad, for example.

- The Android TV OS allows you to cast from google apps on your phone like YouTube (just like a Chromecast) but this kind of thing will be limited with other devices. Non-google apps will usually cast fine with 3rd party software installed like Miracast.

- Kodi, the main reason people get one of these boxes - can be an almighty pain to set up and maintain correctly for the uninitiated. We can't really talk about it's advantages here but you will probably have to put some work in, or install a pre-configured version that's bloated with a bunch of stuff you'll never use.

- Make sure the box you get has an infrared (IR) sensor if you plan on using it with a universal remote. Some bundled remotes will use Bluetooth.

- A lot of boxes will handle 4k, some newer ones will use HDR. If you have or will soon have a compatible TV and image quality is something you want the most of, consider these.

- If you have an older TV, some boxes have analog AV output options as well as HDMI. Check your TV for connectivity.

yvonne.joy.3

thank you for your quick reply
I have been looking at the minix neo U1 on Amazon for a while now, its at £110 at the moment but from checking on camel it was down to £60 just after christmas last year.

are they difficult to set up?
I am pretty good with computers and phones on Android platforms but these boxes are new to me.
Would I need help in setting them up or would I find it online?

What boxes here would people recommend, I won't need it for gaming

I have a new TV so have hdmi so the connectivity wont be an issue

Thanks

eamonnq

yvonne.joy.3 wrote: »

are they difficult to set up?
I am pretty good with computers and phones on Android platforms but these boxes are new to me.
Would I need help in setting them up or would I find it online?

Plenty of help online, won't be any bother to you to set it up.

branners69

yvonne.joy.3 wrote: »

are they difficult to set up?
I am pretty good with computers and phones on Android platforms but these boxes are new to me.
Would I need help in setting them up or would I find it online?

I have that Minix box and cant recommend it enough, I paid £85 for it.

With this website and Vdubt25 on Twitter you will be sorted! Also You Tube provides plenty of help!

BandMember

yvonne.joy.3 wrote: »

Hi people, i have been reading up on this thread and have a few questions, apologies for the basic questions:

1) what is the best box to buy at the moment?
2) what spec should I be looking out for?
3) is the minix neo U1 Android 5.1.1 a good box?
4) do these boxes work over wifi or do they require ethernet?

Thanks in advance

1) The Minix Neo U1 would be rated as the best box on the market, alongside the Shield. Personally, I only ever buy and recommend Minix boxes - most user friendly and best on the market IMHO.

2) Branners answered that perfectly! Never buy a box with only 1GB RAM (most cheap boxes only offer this)

3) See answer 1.

4) They work over wifi, but I would recommend that you connect with an ethernet cable (or homeplugs if possible), especially for live streaming. While the wifi on the Minix boxes is pretty good, in general, the wifi on most boxes isn't great and you may struggle if the box is far from your router.

In terms of setting them up, YouTube and Google are your friend here. We can't really go into detail here. However, I would urge you to stay away from installing a "build" on your box. They usually take up a lot of space and may not update add ons automatically. I would only install the add ons that you actually need and use, uninstall everything else. Also, stay away from apps if you can as a lot of them are filled with viruses, pop up ads and the like.

TL;DR Buy a Minix and look up YouTube and Google! You'll be sorted in no time!

UsedToWait

,^ MINIX Neo U1 is coming up on a lightning deal round 5pm for anyone interested..

I'm kinda torn - I'm seeing the newer boxes with 3gb ram and the S912 chip set, and am waiting for (unbiased) reviews on these..

The other factor is the MINIX only runs 5.1 android - I would have expected them to have upgraded to 6.0 by now..

Anyone want to counter my (fuzzy) logic?

yvonne.joy.3

BandMember wrote: »

1) The Minix Neo U1 would be rated as the best box on the market, alongside the Shield. Personally, I only ever buy and recommend Minix boxes - most user friendly and best on the market IMHO.

2) Branners answered that perfectly! Never buy a box with only 1GB RAM (most cheap boxes only offer this)

3) See answer 1.

4) They work over wifi, but I would recommend that you connect with an ethernet cable (or homeplugs if possible), especially for live streaming. While the wifi on the Minix boxes is pretty good, in general, the wifi on most boxes isn't great and you may struggle if the box is far from your router.

In terms of setting them up, YouTube and Google are your friend here. We can't really go into detail here. However, I would urge you to stay away from installing a "build" on your box. They usually take up a lot of space and may not update add ons automatically. I would only install the add ons that you actually need and use, uninstall everything else. Also, stay away from apps if you can as a lot of them are filled with viruses, pop up ads and the like.

TL;DR Buy a Minix and look up YouTube and Google! You'll be sorted in no time!

Thank you for the info yes I say that the cheaper options have the 1GB of ram which I intend to avoid.
At least now I know what to look for and that I can get the info online for setting them up.

yvonne.joy.3

UsedToWait wrote: »

,^ MINIX Neo U1 is coming up on a lightning deal round 5pm for anyone interested..

I'm kinda torn - I'm seeing the newer boxes with 3gb ram and the S912 chip set, and am waiting for (unbiased) reviews on these..

The other factor is the MINIX only runs 5.1 android - I would have expected them to have upgraded to 6.0 by now..

Anyone want to counter my (fuzzy) logic?

I will have to keep an eye on that one anyway ðŸ‘

Do-more

UsedToWait wrote: »

,^ MINIX Neo U1 is coming up on a lightning deal round 5pm for anyone interested..

I'm kinda torn - I'm seeing the newer boxes with 3gb ram and the S912 chip set, and am waiting for (unbiased) reviews on these..

The other factor is the MINIX only runs 5.1 android - I would have expected them to have upgraded to 6.0 by now..

Anyone want to counter my (fuzzy) logic?

I bought a Wetek Play 2 about two months ago and would highly recommend it. I have just been watching the first few episodes of Planet Earth 2 on the BBC iPlayer add-on on Kodi on the Wetek and the picture quality was stunning, 1080p stream I presume with the Wetek connected to a 55" LG 4K TV.

The Wetek runs the official Android TV OS so it is bang up to date on that front and support is great with regular updates and their own forum in addition to other threads on the likes of the Kodi hardware forum, although to be honest I haven't had any problems with it, it has just worked well for me since day one.

The remote control works very well and the only thing I would wish for is if it had a keyboard on the back. Unfortunately not, so I have a Microsoft wireless keyboard connected to it also for when I need to do text searches.

NATLOR

Plus 1 for the Wetek,I have a core for around 9 months (upgraded from a firestick).its used constantly and hasn't missed a beat.

OCEANIC FIZZY POP NINE

UsedToWait wrote: »

,^ MINIX Neo U1 is coming up on a lightning deal round 5pm for anyone interested..

I'm kinda torn - I'm seeing the newer boxes with 3gb ram and the S912 chip set, and am waiting for (unbiased) reviews on these..

The other factor is the MINIX only runs 5.1 android - I would have expected them to have upgraded to 6.0 by now..

Anyone want to counter my (fuzzy) logic?

I on phone, how much will it be? They will update it at some stage surly? I after a box as a pressie, so many. Sick of looking. Or wait for fire TV/wetek sale Friday?? Aaaaaaaah.

Sappy404

Out of interest, what kind of channels would you get with a cable tuner off a Virgin connection on the Wetek, guys? I'm in an apartment with no option for a satellite dish and no shared Saorview aerial.

SolvableKnave

First timer here, bought one these and it's turned out to be a PITA. Actually think I've bricked it already trying to update the OS. (My MAJOR gripe with this is the flaming hoops you have to jump through to do this)

What would peoples opinion be on this box? Specs are on par with the general consensus here.

TitianGerm

SolvableKnave wrote: »

First timer here, bought one these and it's turned out to be a PITA. Actually think I've bricked it already trying to update the OS. (My MAJOR gripe with this is the flaming hoops you have to jump through to do this)

What would peoples opinion be on this box? Specs are on par with the general consensus here.

Seems expensive.

Mr.Crinklewood

Do-more wrote: »

I bought a Wetek Play 2 about two months ago and would highly recommend it. I have just been watching the first few episodes of Planet Earth 2 on the BBC iPlayer add-on on Kodi on the Wetek and the picture quality was stunning, 1080p stream I presume with the Wetek connected to a 55" LG 4K TV.

The Wetek runs the official Android TV OS so it is bang up to date on that front and support is great with regular updates and their own forum in addition to other threads on the likes of the Kodi hardware forum, although to be honest I haven't had any problems with it, it has just worked well for me since day one.

The remote control works very well and the only thing I would wish for is if it had a keyboard on the back. Unfortunately not, so I have a Microsoft wireless keyboard connected to it also for when I need to do text searches.

Would the Wetex be overkill if I had no intention to use the satellite function?

styron

SolvableKnave wrote: »

First timer here, bought one these and it's turned out to be a PITA. Actually think I've bricked it already trying to update the OS. (My MAJOR gripe with this is the flaming hoops you have to jump through to do this)

What would peoples opinion be on this box? Specs are on par with the general consensus here.

Geekbuying ship that box with no added customs from Spain for €68 (€64 using BLACK6 coupon code by 27/11) - so a major rip off from androidtvboxesireland.

I'd have the same reservation about this box as the Minix - the S905 is now an "old" proc, the S905X revision and newer procs offer HDR and VP9 capability/future proofing if these matter to you.

Do-more

I think it is unfortunate that Wetek don't sell a version of the Play 2 without any tuner, but I guess it would be very close to the price of the hub. The Play is a good bit better than the hub not least because of the poor remote that comes with the hub.

But to answer your question I would say no it is not overkill (I have never used the tuner in my own Play) especially if you have the money to get one immediately and use the 10% code I posted above.

I've had a range of boxes in the past starting with a Pi2 then Pi3 and then a mini M8s. The Play 2 is definitely the best of all those. The mini M8s is quite good but the concern I have now with cheap Chinese Android boxes is that they never get any software updates so no security patches etc. So many may be an open back door to your network.

In my own case I run two routers one with Tomato firmware that is set up with a UK VPN and I connect only my media devices to the Tomato router so hopefully that keeps the rest of my network pretty safe. The mini M8s doesn't get much use as it is in a bedroom but whenever it is time to replace it I may well go with another Wetek device or then again Google might launch a new Android TV device of their own at a better price...

Ivefoundgod

For someone just starting off would a fire tv stick be sufficient for kodi or would I be better off getting a minix?