Computers & Electronics

Looking for Android Streaming Box

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  • Jul 29th, 2015 4:17 am
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Jr. Member
Sep 8, 2013
140 posts
38 upvotes
the 'Peg

Looking for Android Streaming Box

Hi all

Can anyone recommend an wifi Android Streaming Box preferably running KitKat that allows me to configure the DNS ? We also have an older tube tv that uses an AV connection. I'd like to install apps from the Google store like YouTube, Netlfix, Hulu, NHL GameCentre and DramaFever. Also would need USB port. Budget is around $140. Any reliable sites that I can buy from?
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Mar 20, 2009
8862 posts
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Vancouver
There must be 100 threads here on RFD about different Android TV boxes. If you want a wide selection, check: http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?cat ... oid+tv+box . Many of those are common models sold through many different online stores.

They run a standard version of Android, so you can easily change the DNS and install other Android apps. That's the whole point. For convenience many of them come pre-installed with Kodi, which is the primary app that most people want to use, but they're not limited to Kodi.
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Apr 25, 2013
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LoL ...before you buy anything, throw out your CRT and get a flat panel HDTV !
Ceases to amaze me on a daily basis that people have the money to pay for cable and subscription services to watch it on a crappy 480i CRT !
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Jun 8, 2015
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funkland
There was a rasperry pi 2 on amazon with case posted for 55$ the other day.
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Jun 12, 2015
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Ontario
EdT586 wrote: LoL ...before you buy anything, throw out your CRT and get a flat panel HDTV !
Ceases to amaze me on a daily basis that people have the money to pay for cable and subscription services to watch it on a crappy 480i CRT !
I'm kinda sad some of the add ons for kodi is standard def for tv shows that have been out for a while. So if I where to watch on hdtv, it wouldn't cover the full screen!

Do you know any good add on that has a lot of 1080p hd content only?
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Oct 29, 2014
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Dynasty12345 wrote: I'm kinda sad some of the add ons for kodi is standard def for tv shows that have been out for a while. So if I where to watch on hdtv, it wouldn't cover the full screen!
In order to make video of any aspect ratio fill your HDTV or other device's screen, change Kodi's view mode to stretch 16x9 and save that as the default setting.
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Apr 25, 2013
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Dynasty12345 wrote: I'm kinda sad some of the add ons for kodi is standard def for tv shows that have been out for a while. So if I where to watch on hdtv, it wouldn't cover the full screen!

Do you know any good add on that has a lot of 1080p hd content only?
Lets get one thing straight, Joe Blow consumer does not appreciate anything technical unless Ahmed or Sayed at BestBuy tells them half truths.
720P is HD and is more than enough and 1080p is an added bonus. Even if it is in 540p which is considered HD cable that you pay extra for, you should be very happy because you are getting it all for free even if it is in SD !

Filling your screen doesn't make it HD, it simply makes it overscanned or distorted, but Joe Blow thinks that anything that fills the screen in 16:9 is HD, in fact most of the true HD content does not fill your screen ! ...LoL
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Jun 12, 2015
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Ontario
EdT586 wrote: Lets get one thing straight, Joe Blow consumer does not appreciate anything technical unless Ahmed or Sayed at BestBuy tells them so.
720P is HD and is more than enough and 1080p is an added bonus. Even if it is in 540p which is considered HD cable that you pay extra for, you should be very happy because you are getting it all for free even if it is in SD !

Filling your screen doesn't make it HD, it simply makes it overscanned or distorted, but Joe Blow thinks that anything that fills the screen in 16:9 is HD, in fact most of the true HD content does not fill your screen ! ...LoL
Well if there are 1080p/i content available why not watch it right. Otherwise why buy a big screen hdtv to have it limited and show black around a small video. Might as well get a 30" tiny tv.

Anyone have suggestion for good 1080p add on still?
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Jun 12, 2015
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Ontario
GabbyWC wrote: In order to make video of any aspect ratio fill your HDTV or other device's screen, change Kodi's view mode to stretch 16x9 and save that as the default setting.
Will try that!
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Apr 25, 2013
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Dynasty12345 wrote: Well if there are 1080p/i content available why not watch it right. Otherwise why buy a big screen hdtv to have it limited and show black around a small video. Might as well get a 30" tiny tv.

Anyone have suggestion for good 1080p add on still?
I can guarantee you that 90% of people with HDTV don't even have the aspect ratio set correctly on their units, that is why they are seeing a window box(borders all around the their screen)
You should have your aspect ratio set to Just Scan or Normal, any other settings will distort the picture.
People pay all kinds of money for their toys and don't even know how to play with 10% of it's features.

You can set in Kodi to automatically look/play HD sources only, will take longer to start playing.

A 16:9 aspect ratio will distort horizontally, but hey some people are happy simply because it fills the screen even though it is wrong !
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Jun 12, 2015
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Ontario
EdT586 wrote: I can guarantee you that 90% of people with HDTV don't even have the aspect ratio set correctly on their units, that is why they are seeing a window box(borders all around the their screen)
People pay all kinds of money for their toys and don't even know how to play with 10% of it's features.

You can set in Kodi to automatically look/play HD sources only, will take longer to start playing.

A 16:9 aspect ratio will distort horizontally, but hey some people are happy simply because it fills the screen even though it is wrong !
So if there's a standard def video, what do you recommend then? What should I set the aspect ratio at for those type of video if 16:9 is bad.

Btw how do you set kodi to search hd only?
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Apr 25, 2013
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Dynasty12345 wrote: So if there's a standard def video, what do you recommend then? What should I set the aspect ratio at for those type of video if 16:9 is bad.

Btw how do you set kodi to search hd only?
The aspect ratio on your HDTV should only be set to Just Scan or Normal. Otherwise your HDTV simply fills in duplicate pixels in an attempt to fill the screen if the sources does not have it.
Then you should also set the correct screen size for Android box to fit the screen correctly.

I meant you can set it to autoplay HD sources in some of the addons like Genesis
http://www.xbmcandkodi.com/enable-autop ... s-library/

In Kodi you should also calibrate the screen in video settings.

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