New Oreo based Android TV box for $69

[fresnoboy]

Looks like Jetstream just released this: https://9to5google.com/2018/09/12/je...hdr-box-price/

It's based on the amlogics chipset, and amlogics just announced they have Android Pie running on their STB parts: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300712755.html which seems to imply Google may be releasing a Pie version of Android TV soon.

This seems like a more up to date version than the Xiaomi box from a couple years ago.

And Sony TV's seem to be getting newer versions of Android TV as well,. so definitely looks like there is life that platform.

mike

[stuckless]

At first, I was thinking, yeah, another "android for phone" masquerading as "android tv", but this is an actual Android TV box. This is good news.

[wayner]

It is good news. Is it just me or is AndroidTV kind of underperforming?

This is one of very few devices using AndroidTV - we have the Shield and the MiBox but the MiBox has very limited distribution and the Shield is pretty expensive and is somewhat more of a gaming device. Sony is using AndroidTV on some of their SmartTVs but that is pretty much it.

I wonder if this will be available in Canada?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by wayner

It is good news. Is it just me or is AndroidTV kind of underperforming?

This is one of very few devices using AndroidTV - we have the Shield and the MiBox but the MiBox has very limited distribution and the Shield is pretty expensive and is somewhat more of a gaming device. Sony is using AndroidTV on some of their SmartTVs but that is pretty much it.

I wonder if this will be available in Canada?

underperforming in what sense? in performance? marketshare/mindshare?

I don't think the Shield is necessarily a gaming device (I've never gamed on it, myself). It's just a better hardware device, with generally better CPU and memory, which makes it cost more, but it does out perform any other Android TV device, today... even when it's 3 years old.

I use 2 Shields and 1 mi-box2, and yeah, the Shields are noticably faster and smoother.

Personally, I'd avoid buying a TV with Android TV (or any other built-in OS). Their OS will become obsolete long before the technology of the TV. An separate piece of hardware is by far the best choice, as, you can upgrade it when you want.

I'd be seriously lost right now, if my Shields died. I use them daily for netflix, prime, youtube and sagetv. I couldn't get by without them (Even if I left sagetv, I'd still be using Android TV for Plex/Emby)

[wayner]

Yes, underperforming in terms of devices, market and mindshare. I believe it is well behind Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku in terms of market share. IMHO it makes more sense and should be the market leader just like Android is in the phone space - and I am a hardcore iOS guy (although I use Windows or Linux over Mac).

I believe the MiBox has only ever been sold at Wal-Mart in the US and a couple of other niche retailers. It looks like the new device is only at Wal-Mart as well.

I still like my HD200s and 300s but most TVs in my house have other devices for Netflix/Youtube such as MiBox, Xbox, smart DVD players, HTPCs, etc.

[stuckless]

I agree that Android TV lacks mindshare and marketshare, and really, Google only have themselves to blame. Firstly they waited too long, and secondly, they are trying very hard to tightly control the platform. My guess, is that in Google fashion, they will eventually "retire" the OS, like they did with GoogelTV and half the shit they build/promote.

That being said, I have a box full of media players (2 apple tvs, 3 rokus, Amazon TV, Google TV, 3 HD 300s). I've tried about everything, but Android TV was the only platform that I felt worked really well on a TV and gave a good balance of features, extensibility, and smoothness.

AppleTV was probably the worse for TV in my experience. But, there are a lot of Apple people out there, with only 1 real option, so it's going sell, and they are going love it, no matter how bad it is. You summed it up when you said you are an "iOS" person. Apple people have to live within their ecosystem. I'm not tied to any ecosystem. I have macbooks, windows and linux pcs. I have an iPad, and I used it for a year, but I recently traded up to a chromebook (pixelbook). Myself and one of my sons use Android Phones, and my wife and my other son use iPhones. So needless to say, I have to support a lot of different devices across several ecosystems.

I'd love to see more Android TV devices out there, but the reason we are not, has more to with Google than the platform itself.

[fresnoboy]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I agree that Android TV lacks mindshare and marketshare, and really, Google only have themselves to blame. Firstly they waited too long, and secondly, they are trying very hard to tightly control the platform. My guess, is that in Google fashion, they will eventually "retire" the OS, like they did with GoogelTV and half the shit they build/promote.

That being said, I have a box full of media players (2 apple tvs, 3 rokus, Amazon TV, Google TV, 3 HD 300s). I've tried about everything, but Android TV was the only platform that I felt worked really well on a TV and gave a good balance of features, extensibility, and smoothness.

AppleTV was probably the worse for TV in my experience. But, there are a lot of Apple people out there, with only 1 real option, so it's going sell, and they are going love it, no matter how bad it is. You summed it up when you said you are an "iOS" person. Apple people have to live within their ecosystem. I'm not tied to any ecosystem. I have macbooks, windows and linux pcs. I have an iPad, and I used it for a year, but I recently traded up to a chromebook (pixelbook). Myself and one of my sons use Android Phones, and my wife and my other son use iPhones. So needless to say, I have to support a lot of different devices across several ecosystems.

I'd love to see more Android TV devices out there, but the reason we are not, has more to with Google than the platform itself.

Well, the press release from amlogics indicated they were doing a Pie version for android TV. Maybe Google will announce another android TV version and devices next month when they announce all their phones? If so, maybe the platform has legs.

[wayner]

Another thing I don't understand is that why do the Android boxes, which are often sold as Kodi boxes, seem SO much more prevalent than AndroidTV boxes? It can't really be price as you can get AndroidTV boxes for $69. And AndroidTV is such a better experience than Android when viewed on a TV, is it not?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by wayner

Another thing I don't understand is that why do the Android boxes, which are often sold as Kodi boxes, seem SO much more prevalent than AndroidTV boxes? It can't really be price as you can get AndroidTV boxes for $69. And AndroidTV is such a better experience than Android when viewed on a TV, is it not?

it goes back to my previous comment. Google has a tight grip on Android TV, wheres Android OS is Open Source. To my knowledge you can't actually get all the sources to recreate an Android TV box. As such people were porting Android Phone OS to these "TV" boxes, and the experience was crap, and, make things worse, people were calling it "AndroidTV" so the impression was the Android TV was crap (which it is, when you are using a phone OS on a TV).

[samgreco]

Originally Posted by stuckless

it goes back to my previous comment. Google has a tight grip on Android TV, wheres Android OS is Open Source. To my knowledge you can't actually get all the sources to recreate an Android TV box. As such people were porting Android Phone OS to these "TV" boxes, and the experience was crap, and, make things worse, people were calling it "AndroidTV" so the impression was the Android TV was crap (which it is, when you are using a phone OS on a TV).

Pretty sure this all stems from the DRM thing. My guess is that getting approval from the content Gods is much harder with something that's completely open.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I agree that Android TV lacks mindshare and marketshare, and really, Google only have themselves to blame. Firstly they waited too long, and secondly, they are trying very hard to tightly control the platform. My guess, is that in Google fashion, they will eventually "retire" the OS, like they did with GoogelTV and half the shit they build/promote.

That being said, I have a box full of media players (2 apple tvs, 3 rokus, Amazon TV, Google TV, 3 HD 300s). I've tried about everything, but Android TV was the only platform that I felt worked really well on a TV and gave a good balance of features, extensibility, and smoothness.

AppleTV was probably the worse for TV in my experience. But, there are a lot of Apple people out there, with only 1 real option, so it's going sell, and they are going love it, no matter how bad it is. You summed it up when you said you are an "iOS" person. Apple people have to live within their ecosystem. I'm not tied to any ecosystem. I have macbooks, windows and linux pcs. I have an iPad, and I used it for a year, but I recently traded up to a chromebook (pixelbook). Myself and one of my sons use Android Phones, and my wife and my other son use iPhones. So needless to say, I have to support a lot of different devices across several ecosystems.

I'd love to see more Android TV devices out there, but the reason we are not, has more to with Google than the platform itself.

Can you 'cast' or Airplay an iPad to a Nvidia Shield?

[KarylFStein]

Yes. I had to install an app on the SHIELD, but my daughter has cast her iPhone to it. I'm guessing the iPad works the same.

[valnar]

Although this is probably beating a dead horse in 2018, I wonder if it supports MPEG-2? The older HD300's have that as a trump card for OTA.