Do you guys think that noname boxes are valuable or are they of poor quality ? Or should I buy a Xiaomi box or stick ?
I also read that Xiaomi will release a new 4K stick in several months/weeks (we don't know), so maybe I should wait, or simply buy a Chromecast with Google TV
What would your advices be ?
EDIT : I live in Europe
The last mass market Chinese box I bought (about 4 or 5 years ago) turned out to have malware imbedded in its "update" app. This was a box that went by several brand names on Amazon. Since then I avoid them like the plague.
I’d recommend Chromecast w/ Google TV, or even a Fire TV stick over Xiaomi.
What would your advices be ?
Depends. What country are you in?
If you care about Netflix or Prime in HD, you need to get a box certified for those.
Otherwise, likely pick on specs. Minix makes some higher specced boxes and not really no name, but they don't really update them either.
Xiaomi probably supports better.
I'm in love with Google Chromecast w/ Google TV. Tried the generic chinnese boxes but never found a reliable one. Best to stick with a good brand. I have not tried Xioami.
Buy the Onn android tv box from Walmart. It’s the best value right now for android TV boxes. Works great. Make sure you let it do all the updates.
Make sure that it actually runs Android TV and has Netflix preinstalled, otherwise you will not have a good Experience. Many Chinese Brands ship with more or less Stock android, which isn't a lot of fun with a Remote. And you can only use the Netflix App for Mobile Devices. Netflix and the Entire UI can be controlled with Mouse Mode, but it's not a pleasant Experience at all, trust me on that, I once had a China Box with Stock Android.
I got a Xiaomi Box, which has Android TV installed. Netflix and everything else just works fine, tough Amazon Prime wasn't installed. Newer Xiaomi Boxes have it installed I think, mine is a few years old. If it isn't, you can find the APK for the Nvidia Shield Version of Prime online, I found it on Reddit I think.
I think it depends on where you get it from. If you buy it directly from a Chinese site such as Banggood you might have a rude awakening if you try to return the unit, get customer support or make a warranty claim. But if you get it from a site like Amazon then it would be a lot easier to return it. And as others have said, many of these devices do not support Netflix in HD let alone 4K. But then again, Netflix in SD is not that bad, particularly if you have a smaller display.
buy a set top box. buy local brands. new does not mean better. if you buy a Chinese box it better have a root switch, it better be able to play emulated games for newer consoles, it better have an optical out port and other i/o ports, it better have a fast wifi chip...Chinese boxes are pointless in the past 2 years (I understand buying one before then) and you have to be dumb to buy one. Just go to your local electronics store a pick one up in an instant.
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