Database Info

XBMC media player

This is a bit of a placeholder for what I hope will be discussion about using the XBMC app (not the remote), on the GTab.
I found that XBMC has a "page" on the nVidia Tegra development site. With their feet truly wet from the Apple A4 (ARM-based) release on the iThings, how long must we wait for a release?
http://tegradeveloper.nvidia.com/tegra/project/xbmc
Discussion thread:
http://developer.nvidia.com/tegra/forum/xbmc-tegra2-development
Tegra 2 branch:
https://github.com/Phaeodaria/xbmc-tegra2/
sdavilla's thread on XBMC.org forums:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=71297
XBMC on ARM discussion at XBMC.org:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=35139

Brain Fart.
Would someone please move this thread to Themes and Apps? (ugh)

Keep in mind that the original prototypes for Boxee (which is based off of XBMC) was running on a tegra2 (but was ultimately dropped b/c of its 1080p video compatibility).

Very good point there, I'd not put those together.
I've gone through these threads and it looks like there's a lot of work been done for ARM compatibility by many, and that it's an ongoing project.
Nothing I've seen available for Android even approaches the level of sophistication and compatibility XBMC had the middle of the last decade on my XBox.

I've been using XBMC for like 10 years, going back to my original modded XBOX. I use Boxee today on a couple of computers. Nobody wants one of these for my G Tab more than I do.
Until that day happens, PlugPlayer isn't too bad. It lets me browse my UPnP media server and play a lot of the files. It's in no way a full blown media center app like XBMC, but once the episode of 24 is playing on the tab, it's all the same to me...
Cheers!
MC

upnpplay is a nice free alternative as well.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0B5.1 using Tapatalk

Likewise. I've still got an XBox running one of the T3CH builds of XBMC, and probably still have a copy of XBMP on it too, just because.
Thanks for the suggestions of other alternatives.
MicroChip said:
I've been using XBMC for like 10 years, going back to my original modded XBOX. I use Boxee today on a couple of computers. Nobody wants one of these for my G Tab more than I do.
Until that day happens, PlugPlayer isn't too bad. It lets me browse my UPnP media server and play a lot of the files. It's in no way a full blown media center app like XBMC, but once the episode of 24 is playing on the tab, it's all the same to me...
Cheers!
MC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

shredness said:
upnpplay is a nice free alternative as well.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0B5.1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does UPnPlay play video as well? The site seems like just music.
Thanks!
MC

I recently got a deal where I'm now the owner of a 16GB iPad 3G.
XMBC -05 runs rather well on it. I've played many videos from the local storage, over SMB shares, and from an SD card using the Camera Connection Kit, and only High Profile 720/1080P videos have issue. The Iron Man 2 trailer, which I am confident is a 1080P Main profile MOV, runs seamlessly. Incredible considering the resources the iPad lacks (RAM specifically).
Unfortunately the sheer diversity of multi-core Android devices is going to make optimization difficult, but I am confident that this will happen at some point.

[Q] How can I watch 720p mkv video on Inspire 4G??

Wondering if anyone has a solution here, AVI and MKV have issues playing. The MKVs are 720p HD tv shows, and the audio is great, but the video is choppy\slow-mo. Has anyone managed to find a player or a method to resolve this? I know this has been discussed in other forums, but related to different phones, so curious if there's a specific fix to this phone, or if a 720p is just too much for the Inspire 4G to handle. I wouldn't think so since last year's iPhone 3G and 3GS and 4 can handle it just fine.... I'm thinking something is wrong or I'm using the wrong app.

I don't think the stock video player can do it, so you'll have to try some third party apps like VPlayer, RockPlayer, and Act 1. Let us know if any of those three get the job done. I'm curious too. Otherwise we may need to convert videos.

gtg465x said:
I don't think the stock video player can do it, so you'll have to try some third party apps like VPlayer, RockPlayer, and Act 1. Let us know if any of those three get the job done. I'm curious too. Otherwise we may need to convert videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VPlayer - Same
RockPlayer - Same
Act 1 - Same
None of these seem to work. I wonder if it's the way my videos are encoded? I sure hope not, because all the MKV files I download from the torrents of tv shows I miss are formatted the same way. They always played fine on iPhone
Anyone else experience this issue and find a resolution?
Thanks!

maybe the class of your SD Card, for anything above 720p a class 6 card is needed

Wiingy said:
maybe the class of your SD Card, for anything above 720p a class 6 card is needed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh really? I don't see any Class 6 or higher on Amazon. Mine is a class 4. Can the Inspire 4G even benefit from class 6? I'm able to watch them off the memory card on my class 4 when plugged into my computer just fine.

the desire hd can support all class cards including class 10, so i cant see why the inspire cant either.
Yea class 4 should be ok i would think? Have you tried different size files?
Is anybody else having trouble like this ?

Wiingy said:
the desire hd can support all class cards including class 10, so i cant see why the inspire cant either.
Yea class 4 should be ok i would think? Have you tried different size files?
Is anybody else having trouble like this ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 2 inspire 4g devices, and have tried both a Class 2 and a Class 4 card. I ordered a Class 10 from Amazon (they only had up to 16gb, not the 32GB like my class 4), so I'll report back tomorrow when it arrives.
The file I'm using is a 1.09GB MKV file.

I have yet to purchase the Inspire and this problem is one of the reasons that I am waiting. FWIW I have read many complaints from users having this problem.

I have the same issue
It happens on G1, Streak and Inspire. However, cheap Archos doesn't this issue. Isn't that ironic? I was trying to copy the Archos player but no success...

andycai said:
It happens on G1, Streak and Inspire. However, cheap Archos doesn't this issue. Isn't that ironic? I was trying to copy the Archos player but no success...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearly it's either the way my video is encoded, or the lack of proper decoder on the android. I am at the end of my rope trying to resolve. I didn't like my iPhone because it's incompatibilities, and everyone with Android said "get an Android cause it'll decode anything" ... lol... wonder if we'll ever have a solution to decode a mkv properly.

You do realize that your phone is only capable of show video resolution up to 400p? MKV is mostly used for HD rips because it ends up having the best quality after compression, but your phone is not HD in the sense that it is over a standard definition television vertical wise (watching it in wide screen format).
Anything bigger will have to be scaled down by the player, sucking up battery life and you wont notice a quality difference. Aside from that, forcing your device to play something higher res will suck the battery life as well because it will be more intensive on the cpu. Why dont you just use xvid rips in avi format? Everything that's ripped in mkv is always ripped in xvid as well.

yareally said:
You do realize that your phone is only capable of show video resolution up to 400p? MKV is mostly used for HD rips because it ends up having the best quality after compression, but your phone is not HD in the sense that it is over a standard definition television vertical wise (watching it in wide screen format).
Anything bigger will have to be scaled down by the player, sucking up battery life and you wont notice a quality difference. Aside from that, forcing your device to play something higher res will suck the battery life as well because it will be more intensive on the cpu. Why dont you just use xvid rips in avi format? Everything that's ripped in mkv is always ripped in xvid as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's what I'm going to do is just rework the files. Any suggestion on an easy program for MAC to convert MKV to avi?
Thank you much!

I am using avi format xvid and it still can't play anything in hd. My captivate plays the same files fine wtf.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Nevermind vplayer works for xvid avis I wonder why the stock player won't play any of them....
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

laxwillsch said:
Nevermind vplayer works for xvid avis I wonder why the stock player won't play any of them....
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the processing power is certainly there so I guess it's just an issue of improper codec execution :-(

Not sure on a player to watch them on android. I would just go through the top ones on the market place and do trial and error
I dont have a computer with osx on it currently, but VLC (the PC/OSX version) does convert file formats as well and it's free.

yareally said:
Not sure on a player to watch them on android. I would just go through the top ones on the market place and do trial and error
I dont have a computer with osx on it currently, but VLC (the PC/OSX version) does convert file formats as well and it's free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah none worked. I think it's just the issue of the MKV file. They don't work on iPhone with any of the players either, I think it just takes more power and video processing to handle them.

Try xyflash, i used this on iphone. Android market has it also so i tried it. It plays 720p mkv bleach videos and sub titles work using mkv sub extractor. Not the best but it does the job i think

Did you guys try lower resolution files but coded in mkv?
Will the Atrix be capable of running 720p mkv files?

idanoclo said:
Try xyflash, i used this on iphone. Android market has it also so i tried it. It plays 720p mkv bleach videos and sub titles work using mkv sub extractor. Not the best but it does the job i think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't even see an app by that name on the market. You realize that not everything for iPhone is for android, and vice versa, right?

Can Xoom play .mkv video files?

Can Xoom play .mkv video files?
I have a lot of 720p .mkv movies. I was wondering if I can watch 720p .mkv movies on the Xoom.

Earthbrain said:
Can Xoom play .mkv video files?
I have a lot of 720p .mkv movies. I was wondering if I can watch 720p .mkv movies on the Xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i doubt the native player can but i wouldnt be surprised to see some to some support for it later in the app market. most players out of box dont support mkv i believe

http://androidforums.com/android-applications/221011-app-play-avi-mkv-files.html
Rockplayer, arcMedia, VPlayer, yxplayer just to name a few.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tested Rockplayer and yxplayer on my CM7 Galaxy S and I can play my avi's now. It COULD work on honeycomb.

Prob not....
I doubt that the xoom will be able to play .mkv files right out of the box. But Im sure that there are other players in the market that will be able to. I used to have an iPad (but sold it to get the xoom) and that was one of my main problems, not being able to play .mkv, but the VLC app worked perfectly for me, the only problem was that the iPad wasn't powerful enough to run a 720p or an 1080p .mkv file. Kept lagging and the audio was out of sync. Hopefull with the tegra 2 processor and the 1080p support the xoom will be able to play my files.

robbiev80 said:
http://androidforums.com/android-applications/221011-app-play-avi-mkv-files.html
I just tested Rockplayer and yxplayer on my CM7 Galaxy S and I can play my avi's now. It COULD work on honeycomb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested all of them on Dell Streak 5, Nexus One and Inspire 4G, they can play but with lags. Ironically, the cheap Archos can play the same file fine. Go figure.

just make sure theyre not more than 4gbs. damn android file size limitation.

robbiev80 said:
http://androidforums.com/android-applications/221011-app-play-avi-mkv-files.html
I just tested Rockplayer and yxplayer on my CM7 Galaxy S and I can play my avi's now. It COULD work on honeycomb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Galaxy S has native Divx support and can play AVI and MKV through the built in video player. No need for any third party players. I doubt the Xoom will have divx certification, but it certainly should be able to decode 720P MKV files using a software solution through Rockplayer.

andycai said:
I tested all of them on Dell Streak 5, Nexus One and Inspire 4G, they can play but with lags. Ironically, the cheap Archos can play the same file fine. Go figure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
none of these have dual core either so the xoom will be able to handle high def mkvs, we probably just have to wait for a player that take advantage of dual core to smooth out playback.

socomdark said:
none of these have dual core either so the xoom will be able to handle high def mkvs, we probably just have to wait for a player that take advantage of dual core to smooth out playback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it has anything to do with CPU as Archos doesn't have that issue (although it has many other issues)...

randytheshiv said:
just make sure theyre not more than 4gbs. damn android file size limitation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what does it use FAT32??

muyoso said:
Galaxy S has native Divx support and can play AVI and MKV through the built in video player. No need for any third party players. I doubt the Xoom will have divx certification, but it certainly should be able to decode 720P MKV files using a software solution through Rockplayer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if you are running CM7 (as I stated in my post). CM7 = AOSP based.

OR u can use Handbrake to help u convert mkv to mp4 for playback on your xoom

Beware, that's not true. Xoom has limitation for what kind of video files it can play:
https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/45753?tstart=0
This has been discussed many times, all the forum threads are still alive.
You can search and join the talk.
sunnyd119 said:
I doubt that the xoom will be able to play .mkv files right out of the box. But Im sure that there are other players in the market that will be able to. I used to have an iPad (but sold it to get the xoom) and that was one of my main problems, not being able to play .mkv, but the VLC app worked perfectly for me, the only problem was that the iPad wasn't powerful enough to run a 720p or an 1080p .mkv file. Kept lagging and the audio was out of sync. Hopefull with the tegra 2 processor and the 1080p support the xoom will be able to play my files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

socomdark said:
none of these have dual core either so the xoom will be able to handle high def mkvs, we probably just have to wait for a player that take advantage of dual core to smooth out playback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it will still be limited by the FAT32 file system. You can't play full length 1080p simply because the files are too big.

please stop spreading this nonsense. its not true. this is a horrible false news being spread way to much. i just dont get people.

Neo3D said:
But it will still be limited by the FAT32 file system. You can't play full length 1080p simply because the files are too big.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't the whole 32Gb formated in EXT4? Why would there me any use of FAT32!?

What nonsense?
dudeimgeorge said:
please stop spreading this nonsense. its not true. this is a horrible false news being spread way to much. i just dont get people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

andycai said:
I tested all of them on Dell Streak 5, Nexus One and Inspire 4G, they can play but with lags. Ironically, the cheap Archos can play the same file fine. Go figure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my sentiments exactly, my Archos 101 can play every video file I thro w at it, I did purchase the $12 Cinema Plugin, the inability of the xoom to play some video files is what is keeping me from buying one, among other things

labbbby said:
Isn't the whole 32Gb formated in EXT4? Why would there me any use of FAT32!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I have an Evo and I think the file system on the SD card is FAT32. Can Windows 7 read EXT4?

Motorola's official word is to use <15MBps video on 720 and it will be fine.
Check the sticky faq here, it has the link to full Moto article.

Market Movies

OK so I rented a movie from the Market. First I tried to play it back on my Viewsonic GTab and I get the "movie playback not supported on rooted devices (error 49)" OK no worries, I swapped the HDMI from my GTab to my TF and then the movie will start and I get no video from the actual movie frame from within the Video app although I can see all other information around the frame. I choose full screen and then a TV full of nothing. Well this sucks... I plugged in the Xoom and I am able to finally watch my movie on the big screen. Not real impressed with the Market movie (Video rental) app dictating what devices are allowed to playback my PAID rentals or the HDMI output issue on the TF. I'm lucky I have several options here or I would have been out a few dollars... WTF Google?

You got 3 tabs wow....
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

So how did playback look on the transformer was it all choppy or anything. I was thinking about renting your highness HD but I don't wanna spend 5 bucks on a movie that's choppy
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

Why in the world would you want to rent movies on market?

I think to watch movies on a rooted device, all you need to do is rename the su executable to mu, then rename it back after you watch the movie.

goodintentions said:
Why in the world would you want to rent movies on market?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno... because we can?

Exactly I am sitting in front of my perfectly capable 46 inch high def Samsung bigscreen and can order HD movies and yet here I sit watching a movie on my 10 inch tablet. Its because I can! Lol

If you really want to rent a movie on your TF, give mspot movies a shot.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mspot.android.moviesClub&feature=search_result
I don't know if they do HD movies; I haven't paid to rent anything. I have only checked out the free of the week to make sure it works, and it does. It has a nice tablet interface, and the rentals are cheaper than google in many cases. You can also buy rental bundles, which makes it even cheaper.

Android TV box or Raspberry Pi?

Hi,
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this. But since the members visiting this sub-forum might have better idea of android tv box/stick i am putting forward my query here.
My requirements are 24/7 torrenting and playing movies in Sony FHD TV.. I don't care much about playing games or browsing in TV..
is there any android stick/box (preferably around $80) which can play high bitrate full hd movies without any hiccups while simultaneously downloading torrents? or am i better off with a raspberry pi??

vic6888 said:
Hi,
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this. But since the members visiting this sub-forum might have better idea of android tv box/stick i am putting forward my query here.
My requirements are 24/7 torrenting and playing movies in Sony FHD TV.. I don't care much about playing games or browsing in TV..
is there any android stick/box (preferably around $80) which can play high bitrate full hd movies without any hiccups while simultaneously downloading torrents? or am i better off with a raspberry pi??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Ugoos UT1 and I'm happy with that, I also picked up the stick version that is the UM2. I spent quite a bit of time checking out the Pi's and I found their raw power to be way too little for things like 3D gaming or 1080p playback. Good little devices, but I prefer the Quad Core units such as the ones I mentioned above. A new box is coming out called the Ugoos UT2 which is also looking good.
For installing custom firmwares, tweeking and maybe configuring the device via scripts and so on, then maybe the Pi will have more of a larger community with more projects. But for the items you've highlighted the Pi wouldn't be very suitable. Please correct me if I'm wrong Pi owners,

BlobLobba said:
I have a Ugoos UT1 and I'm happy with that, I also picked up the stick version that is the UM2. I spent quite a bit of time checking out the Pi's and I found their raw power to be way too little for things like 3D gaming or 1080p playback. Good little devices, but I prefer the Quad Core units such as the ones I mentioned above. A new box is coming out called the Ugoos UT2 which is also looking good.
For installing custom firmwares, tweeking and maybe configuring the device via scripts and so on, then maybe the Pi will have more of a larger community with more projects. But for the items you've highlighted the Pi wouldn't be very suitable. Please correct me if I'm wrong Pi owners,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from what i have read Pi is pretty good as a media playback device but i'm not sure whether it can handle torrenting and media playback simultaneously.. one of my room mate has got a Pi.. will have to test it this weekend and see if it holds up well for my requirement..

vic6888 said:
from what i have read Pi is pretty good as a media playback device but i'm not sure whether it can handle torrenting and media playback simultaneously.. one of my room mate has got a Pi.. will have to test it this weekend and see if it holds up well for my requirement..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One option could be to get two low price sticks, use one for torrent and one for media playback. Using media sharing to access the files between them. In that configuration I would suggest a UM2 and a Pi

BlobLobba said:
One option could be to get two low price sticks, use one for torrent and one for media playback. Using media sharing to access the files between them. In that configuration I would suggest a UM2 and a Pi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is also an option.. hearing rumors that Android 4.4 will bring a new UI for TV. Are these sticks upgradeable??

vic6888 said:
that is also an option.. hearing rumors that Android 4.4 will bring a new UI for TV. Are these sticks upgradeable??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think regarding 4.4 upgradability, I imagine the first possibility of that maybe via custom ROM. I checked out the stock firmware updates for the Ugoos regularly, as I have the UT1 and UM2. Let's wait and see what they release.

BlobLobba said:
Well I think regarding 4.4 upgradability, I imagine the first possibility of that maybe via custom ROM. I checked out the stock firmware updates for the Ugoos regularly, as I have the UT1 and UM2. Let's wait and see what they release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an android stick (MK908, quad-core 2GB RAM) and a Raspberry Pi. In terms of movie playback, the RPi is far superior due to better software support. The XBMC software is much more mature on the RPi.
I have no experience on the RPi with torrents, but I leave that to my NAS. An android stick's hardware is more powerful, so I guess it'll be better for torrenting. That being said, I use Openelec for my RPi and it comes with a transmission add-on for torrenting, so I assume it'll work ok.
Anyway, if movies are the main focus, definately go for an RPi and find another solution for torrenting if the RPi is not sufficient.
my setup:
A NAS for media storage and downloading
RPi with Openelec for media

I had a Pi, to be honest it was bloody hard work. My MK808 is MUCH better at everthing. It plays 720p perfectly (I don't bother with 1080p) it downloads torrents running Ttorrent and I can plug my 1Tb hard drive (passport) directly into it without a hub!
The Pi was a pain compared to the MK808, the 908 should be even better.
Pete
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I believe the 808 received much better support than the 908 does.
I think (custom) developer support is essential for setting up a working system.

I'm running it stock, works fine. I was blown away by how well it plays my film collection. Avi, mkv, mp4 or whatever, it just works!
Pete
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

BlobLobba said:
I checked out the stock firmware updates for the Ugoos regularly, as I have the UT1 and UM2. Let's wait and see what they release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What websites do u check for firmware updates UT1 and UM2 and what Air mouse Keyboard work best for UT1 and UM2 you know any?

el_easy said:
What websites do u check for firmware updates UT1 and UM2 and what Air mouse Keyboard work best for UT1 and UM2 you know any?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'd be interested in this too. I have a Kaiboer F4 (same box different name).
All I could find was this chinese site with update 1.1.0 - which I already have. It's dated August 20th 2013.
http://www.evolvetechsolutions.com/collections/kaiboer/products/kaiboer-f4.htm

mad_sunday said:
I had a Pi, to be honest it was bloody hard work. My MK808 is MUCH better at everthing. It plays 720p perfectly (I don't bother with 1080p) it downloads torrents running Ttorrent and I can plug my 1Tb hard drive (passport) directly into it without a hub!
The Pi was a pain compared to the MK808, the 908 should be even better.
Pete
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm...what? Just flash OpenELEC on a SD and be done with it basically. H.264 videos play perfect out of the box for me even 1080p isn't any problem at all. The Pi is much better at playing videos (exception of DivX but who uses that anymore) than any Stick could be in my opinion.

Kevi754 said:
Erm...what? Just flash OpenELEC on a SD and be done with it basically. H.264 videos play perfect out of the box for me even 1080p isn't any problem at all. The Pi is much better at playing videos (exception of DivX but who uses that anymore) than any Stick could be in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried playing movies which are more than 8GB? how does Pi performs for those movies? And can i run transmission or any other torrenting software if i use OpenELEC ??

Kevi754 said:
Erm...what? Just flash OpenELEC on a SD and be done with it basically. H.264 videos play perfect out of the box for me even 1080p isn't any problem at all. The Pi is much better at playing videos (exception of DivX but who uses that anymore) than any Stick could be in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was just so unreliable due I suspect to the ****ty USB implementation. I tried OpenElec (and several others) but I could never get it to work as I wanted it (and I've been running Linux on my PC's for 10 years). I threw it in the bin once I'd got the Android stick plugged in. The MK808 is faster, more reliable, easier to setsetup, and works perfectly with my USB 1TB hard drive without a hub (try that with a Pi). I find the video playback far superior too using MX player without having to cough money for codecs that you need for the Pi.
Pete
Sent from my GT-I9205 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

You should probably use the pi as a 244/7 torrent box and the android mini pc as a game/ video player. Its way easier to use the pi as a cheap, power efficient torrent while not wasting processing power from the android on something like that. Thats what I do and it works great!

el_easy said:
What websites do u check for firmware updates UT1 and UM2 and what Air mouse Keyboard work best for UT1 and UM2 you know any?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I check this Ugoos Firmware download archive they maintain on this page here.

minix x5 with new 1080 rom works great for me, have not had a ras pi

I used to use my CX919 for what you mention, until it died.
Played everything fine, Did not try 1080P content.
Great features, horrible build quality.

These quadcore tv sticks seam to die because of poor thermal design. I have bought a T-R42 (like CS918/K-R42 but with bluetooth) and I'm going to run an Ubuntu on this box.
I don't mind the RPi and actually I have one and I like it but keep in mind that you get only 512MB of memory and a 700MHz single core while you get 2GB of memory and a 1.6GHz quad core on these rk3188 tv boxes/sticks.
Also keep in mind that you might need a case, a power adapter and a wifi-stick for the pi which might cost you at least additional 25$ while this was all included in the T-R42 box I got and which sells now at 80$ including shipping from some chinese sellers (I payed 90€ and got it from a local seller).
One big advantage of the RPi is that there have been millions of them sold and there exists a vast community.
cheers
CRizziR