A decent quality screen with a resolution of ~ 1024x600
Bluetooth
HDMI out (mini, micro, mhl)
and....well that's pretty much it. I seem to find a lot of one or the other. For example the Archos 70 has hdmi out but an 800x400 screen. The Ainol Novo 7(aurora/elf) has 1024x600 and hdmi out but no bluetooth. I thought I'd be allright without Bluetooth but the more I think about it, I use Torque to diagnose people's engine codes sometime and would like to continue doing that with whatever tablet I end up with.
I do like the Motorola Xyboard even though it's 8.2 inches however I can't get that without being tied to verizon for 2 years of their terrible data plan, so that's out =/
Hopefully I'm overlooking something and the answer is right in front of my face.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
Both available in Wifi only so no need for contracts....
got556 said:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
Both available in Wifi only so no need for contracts....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah samsung galaxy is a good bet.
I assume they both require a docking station to use HDMI?
Not the ideal solution, but certainly doable. Noted and thank you!
So today Razer has officially taken the wraps off their Forge TV. Even if you already own a Nexus Player you will still benefit from this announcement. The purpose of this post is to highlight the key differences and similarities between the two, and to highlight what the Forge TV brings to the larger Android TV ecosystem.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-forge-tv
Specs:
The Nexus Player uses a quad-core Intel Atom 64-bit @ 1.8ghz, a PowerVR 6-series GPU, and, 1GB of RAM. The Forge uses a Snapdragon 805 SOC which features a quad-core Krait 450 CPU @ 2.5ghz, an Adreno 420 GPU, and 2GB of RAM.
The Nexus Player offers support for 64-bit whereas the Forge is limited to 32-bit. Also, the jury's still out on performance, but most benchmarks place the Intel SCOC on par with the Snapdragon 805 (behind, obviously, in apps that aren't made for x86). Overall, I'm confident enough to suggest that performance will likely be in the same neighborhood on both devices. And as a Nexus Player owner, I can tell you that I haven't run into an area yet where the 1GB of RAM has been a limitation. So to me, it comes down to 64-bit versus extra RAM. Pick your future-proofing poison.
It should also be noted that the Forge TV has proper gigabit ethernet and USB 3.0 output, compared to the Micro USB 2.0 found on the Nexus Player. You'll need adapters to get proper USB and ethernet functionality, and even then, you're limited to 100megabit ethernet at best.
Gamepad:
The announcement of the Razer Forge TV brings us the first truly good first-party Android TV gamepad. Many of you have read my complaints, but Google/Asus inexplicably FORGOT to have a start and/or select button. And they placed the home button in a location where you'd expect there to be a start button. The end result is poor compatibility with some games (Soul Calibur), difficulty mapping with many emulators, and accidentally exiting the game when you had intended to pause it.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-controllers/razer-serval
The Serval gamepad brings the back/home buttons down to the base of the gamepad, where they belong. The power/mode button remains top/center, but is less prominent. It's now flanked by back/forward buttons that are likely/hopefully intended to be start/select mappable.
It also supports wired/wireless connectivity, remembers up to 4 connected devices so you're not constantly pairing it with alternate systems, and seems to support some form of phone mount for on-the-go gaming. Overall, this is the gamepad that we should have originally gotten, and yes, it should work with your Nexus Player.
The Software:
The unique software here is support for Razer Cortex Stream. This will allow you to stream your PC games to your HDTV. It will be free for Forge TV owners, and $40 for everyone else. This solution will support older GPUs and non-Nvidia GPUs, so it's more flexible than the current options. Again, it looks like you won't need a Forge TV to take advantage of this. You should be able to purchase it for your existing Nexus Player. One caveat: may not be available at launch for the Forge TV, as the Forge is slated for a 1Q 2015 launch, while Stream is slated to go into beta during 1H 2015. Also, Razer is notorious for missing launch windows (Forge TV was previously slated for Fall 2014).
Storage:
I didn't list this under specs because it warrants its own discussion. The Nexus Player has 8GB of storage, and the Razer Forge TV has 16GB. To be perfectly honest, I'm not happy with either option. But with that said, I have 3.1GB remaining on my Nexus Player. That includes several Android games, Kodi, several emulators, and numerous ROMs. I don't have the space to emulate CD-based systems easily, but the old cart-based systems are fine. Having 16GB would give me a little more wiggle room, but 64/128GB options would be preferable for those who want to do serious emulation. With that said, the 8GB of the Nexus Player is more than adequate for someone who wants a streaming device with some light gaming. The additional 8GB on the Forge TV will make the gaming aspect a bit easier.
Remote:
The Nexus Player comes with a generic, yet adequate Bluetooth Remote. There's also a remote app, but it crashes a lot, loses connectivity, and it's limited to Android (my wife is an iPhone user). So, the physical remote is a necessity for us. The Razer seems to lack a physical remote. Instead you're to use a smartphone app (different from the Google app, briefly demonstrated on a Samsung phone in the Razer video, linked below). This app is compatible with Android an iOS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_A1gyYRTgc
Conclusion:
We have comparable hardware at a similar price. People who are simply looking for a high-quality streaming device with extras will prefer the Nexus Player, which has an actual remote. Those who are looking for a more gaming-oriented focus will appreciate the Stream app and extra storage and RAM of the Forge TV. However, there's nothing preventing you from using the Serval gamepad with a Nexus Player, nor using Stream with a Nexus Player. Ultimately, the choice of device will come down to your balance between media consumption and gaming.
Or you could be like me - Move the Nexus Player upstairs to the bedroom, the Forge tV downstairs in the living room, and sync the NP's remote to the Forge TV instead (using a gamepad upstairs).
I have the nexus player and am loving it. I am curious if the Forge TV will be better than it in regards to performance. However I mainly use my Nexus player for media consumption and the retro emulators.
There is no guarantee that the NP remote will pair with the ForgeTV. Remember that I can pair my NP remote and Fire TV remote with my Note 4, but I could not pair the NP remote with the Fire TV or the Fire TV remote with the NP. The ForgeTV may have similar restrictions.
I'm actually really interested in the control. Sounds like a much better designed controller. plus I like that it has the attachment to put your phone on it. I've been looking for a control I can use on my phone and PC . I carry a DS4 controller w/ the Nyko smart clip in my backpack and it works great on my Surface w/ Win 8.1 and holds my phone but I have to run a cable to my phone for it to work since I can't run sixaxis due to no root. If I'm going to pull the trigger on the control might as well get the bundle. Whichever one I like better will go in the living room and the loser in the bedroom. (Loser in the bedroom. That's what she said.)
IBNobody said:
There is no guarantee that the NP remote will pair with the ForgeTV. Remember that I can pair my NP remote and Fire TV remote with my Note 4, but I could not pair the NP remote with the Fire TV or the Fire TV remote with the NP. The ForgeTV may have similar restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus Player and the Forge TV both run the Android TV OS. It is highly unlikely that the NP's remote won't pair with the Forge TV. However, I'll report back on this once the Forge TV is released. I'll own it day one (plus shipping, if no brick and mortar availability).
IBNobody said:
There is no guarantee that the NP remote will pair with the ForgeTV. Remember that I can pair my NP remote and Fire TV remote with my Note 4, but I could not pair the NP remote with the Fire TV or the Fire TV remote with the NP. The ForgeTV may have similar restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Suprised to hear you could not get the NP remote to work with the Fire TV. Did you try sideloading settings.apk on the Fire TV and then try pairing the NP remote?
Link to download settings.apk - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=57129257&postcount=20
mr3p said:
Suprised to hear you could not get the NP remote to work with the Fire TV. Did you try sideloading settings.apk on the Fire TV and then try pairing the NP remote?
Link to download settings.apk - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=57129257&postcount=20
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I was able to pair my keyboard, but not my NP remote. No big deal. I would have rather used my AFTV remote on the AFTV because it is infinitely better.
It's too bad that the NP has a gimped Bluetooth interface. I would love to pair that AFTV remote. There isn't a better settings apk for lollipop, is there?
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
Android on the Nexus Player is only 32 bit. While the SoC may be 64bit, it's likely that Google will never release a 64bit version for it, and doubtful that drivers are ever available for 3rd parties to build build their own.
IMO, the Razer Forge TV is the better system... but I personally won't be buying anymore Android TV's until Google makes them work at least reliably and adds audio passthrough.
Luxferro said:
Android on the Nexus Player is only 32 bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source? This contradicts everything that is currently known, so you're going to need to back that up with some evidence.
Luxferro said:
IMO, the Razer Forge TV is the better system... but I personally won't be buying anymore Android TV's until Google makes them work at least reliably
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus Player has had few more issues than my Roku, and far less than my WDTV Live SMP. I understand your audio pass-through concerns, but right now it seems like you're just fabricating things to support your point of view. I am, however, open to being proven wrong if you're capable of backing up your claims.
jaykresge said:
Source? This contradicts everything that is currently known, so you're going to need to back that up with some evidence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty commonly known. The only Nexus device that actually runs 64 bit Android is the Nexus 9. You can look at the source code.
-include vendor/intel/fugu/BoardConfigVendor.mk
TARGET_ARCH := x86
TARGET_ARCH_VARIANT := silvermont
TARGET_CPU_ABI := x86
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https://android.googlesource.com/device/asus/fugu/+/lollipop-release/BoardConfig.mk
vs.
-include vendor/htc/flounder/BoardConfigVendor.mk
# Build a separate vendor.img
TARGET_COPY_OUT_VENDOR := vendor
TARGET_ARCH := arm64
TARGET_ARCH_VARIANT := armv8-a
TARGET_CPU_ABI := arm64-v8a
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Click to collapse
https://android.googlesource.com/device/htc/flounder/+/lollipop-release/BoardConfig.mk
@TheManii Back me up if I'm correct ;p
Luxferro said:
It's pretty commonly known. The only Nexus device that actually runs 64 bit Android is the Nexus 9. You can look at the source code.
https://android.googlesource.com/device/asus/fugu/+/lollipop-release/BoardConfig.mk
vs.
https://android.googlesource.com/device/htc/flounder/+/lollipop-release/BoardConfig.mk
@TheManii Back me up if I'm correct ;p
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's correct for the moment, the NP ships with a 64 bit atom, but the rom itself is 32 bit only.
Who knows if goog will upgrade it to a 64 bit rom, as they've been very consistant in the past that: if it did not ship with a feature, it generally will not get it enabled via an ota.
In the past, intel/microsoft have shipped 32 bit windows on atoms because they lacked 64 bit drivers. If that's also the reason the NP doesnt ship with android-64, then a custom rom won't be able to fix it unless they can make 32 bit drivers work on it, or make their own drivers.
As an aside: the remote (or rather the lack of need for the remote) is the reason I like my NP. the app is pretty reliable, it's the wifi on the NP that isnt.
My ADT-1 and NP work without any issues with the app when using wired ethernet.. My unupdated fire stick wont work with it's remote app, and it's a hassle to use in comparison.
Alright guys, thank you for the updated information.
FYI, there are 64-bit drivers for the Intel Atom x86-64 and Android L. The first 64-bit preview in October included support for Intel Atom x86 and Intel Atom x86-64, but only Android TV Intel Atom x86. Additionally, Intel's own development page for Lollipop currently shows that support for L-32 and L-64 is in progress but L-64 is not complete. Interestingly enough, they leave one blurb stating that one of their SDKs will NOT work on 64-bit software environments (and specifically lists the Nexus Player as an example).
Additionally, it was Intel Atom Cedarview that, while 64-bit in hardware, did not support 64-bit Windows. Silvermont has incomplete but functional 64-bit support in Linux and Windows.
TheManii said:
As an aside: the remote (or rather the lack of need for the remote) is the reason I like my NP. the app is pretty reliable, it's the wifi on the NP that isnt.
My ADT-1 and NP work without any issues with the app when using wired ethernet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't realise that the NP / Nexus Player had poor wireless performance.
What USB adapter are you using on the NP / Nexus Player to get wired Ethernet?
dabotsonline said:
I didn't realise that the NP / Nexus Player had poor wireless performance.
What USB adapter are you using on the NP / Nexus Player to get wired Ethernet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant really say if its poor per-se (as in it has reasonable performance even with 1080p youtube streams), just that if it disconnects, you can't reconnect it with the remote app in that case.
Besides that, I simply use the remote app on my NP and ADT1 as it means I don't have to actually use the physical remote. It's simply a hassle to reconnect wifi due to that.
I'm using my old wii ethernet adapter, as the ATV rom supports the chipset without any modifications (and I already had one lying around since I dont use my wii anyway)
I now wish that i had waited for the forge... the gigabit Ethernet is a huge deal... I have now tried 2 usb to ethernet adaptors and they are soooooooooooooooooo slow compared to the wireless AC. There is also issue with the casting functions when using Ethernet as well.
TheManii said:
As an aside: the remote (or rather the lack of need for the remote) is the reason I like my NP. the app is pretty reliable, it's the wifi on the NP that isnt.
My ADT-1 and NP work without any issues with the app when using wired ethernet.. My unupdated fire stick wont work with it's remote app, and it's a hassle to use in comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are my thoughts on android TV kind of in regards to your comments
1) they can keep the remotes and just continue to improve cec as far as I'm concerned. I know there's people with old tvs who squawk at the thought, but while these little remotes are kind of cute they end up being the same PITA that hdmic-cec could have solved long ago. For me cec works great on the three displays I've tried it on
2) I sideloaded the sixaxis pair app to run my ps3 DS controllers with the NP (messes up default remote pairing, but since I already didn't care for the remote anyway I just keep using my OEM TV remote which is wifi-direct )
3) I use the NP for xbmc, casting, and limelight. Limelight is probably my favorite, but xbmc gets used the most as the wife doesn't enjoy watching me play games for very long
4) in an xbmc and cast oriented setup android and iOS are both potential remote sources with cec and ps3 controller being fall backs - plenty of options
5) ac-wifi on the NP has been very reliable for my environment. I've been running an ac68u router for a while, and thought I'd get the itch to upgrade to the 87 but I don't think that'll be necessary. Performance is great, game streaming is great, I'm overall happy. For the same price I'd have probably taken a second hand adt1, but those aren't selling too cheap right now
Apps?
Guys... great insight on both devices, now I wonder if both can support side-loading apps (which I guess they do) and which are the best ones you tried already that works better on Android TV.
For example, has anyone tried out PopCorn Time on any XBMC version?
Thanks.
-Pichi
Forge TV clearly has better hardware IMO, but what about software? Nexus phones, for example, run the latest pure Android as well as any custom ROM you like for years after release. Other non-Nexus phones run Android but Nexus has always been on top in terms of update longevity and developer-friendliness. There's already a Lollipop port for the Nexus Player. How do you think the Forge TV will compare?
is anyone here skilled to make some roms for forge? you can root it with kingroot then replace it with supersu..
More on Forge yet?
Any decent reviews of Android TV boxes? I just want to get a decent Android box to stream NetFlix, Amazon Prime, ShowBox and Kodi in 4K on a box with a fairly new version of Android.
Best Android TV box
Hi if you are looking for decent android TV box then you can check EVANPO T95Z PLUS Smart TV Box. It's review on amazon look great.
CayenneGTS said:
Any decent reviews of Android TV boxes? I just want to get a decent Android box to stream NetFlix, Amazon Prime, ShowBox and Kodi in 4K on a box with a fairly new version of Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I've been looking for cheaper android tv boxes for iptv for friends, I can say without a doubt Nvidia Shield is by far the best. I've had mine since 2015, and the newer 2017 model is shrunk down same innards. 3gb ram, Nvidia Tegra processor is the best on it. Netflix full 4K HDR support officially. Official real android TV that receives updates all the time (Currently they are intentionally waiting to release Android Oreo on it as launcher is not good yet and are working with Google on that, but it's pretty solid with Marshmallow official androidtv version). Amazon Prime 4K HDR built in (first android tv to get it officially actually).
HDR support on every app Except Youtube... simply because Youtube uses a different Codec VP9 that requires a specific chip that came out after Shield was released. I'm using PerfectPlayer for IPTV on it now and it's really impressive with customized hardware decoding. Kodi runs great on it too when I tried it. Not sure about Showbox but do keep in mind the Google Play Store on official Android TV is limited to Apps that developers specifically support TV interface on. You can easily use your phone or browser to get the APK and install it on the Shield though if you can't find it in store. They call this sideloading and it works great once you figure out how. I personally use Solid Explorer on both Shield and my phone and find apk in the app on my phone, then copy it over the network to my Shield Network Shared folder (officially supported), then open it on Shield and install it.)
Keep in mind Nvidia shield will work with anything bluetooth and it does support Android TV Remote app so you can control and type from your phone. 2 USB 3.0 ports so you can even connect older xbox 360 controllers if you have pc dongle, etc..
Problem I'm seeing with every other Android TV Box is they're all Android Phone version with an added UI to make it look like Android TV, and I really feel like most of them won't get updated and might freeze if you push it with limited RAM and chinese-made processors. Official Android TV FTW. Honorable mention from research not experience - Xiaomi Mi Box, built in Android TV on non samsung/nonlg tvs... especially on Sony Android TV.
I have a very simple box, but very good for streaming MXQ PRO. Very inexpensive - $35. I got it from AMTRADE TV Boxes
I've just purchased a new box from China that I'm waiting delivery on. I had help from Robert Joseph of ghostware. He's awesome.
This is the info and specs on it. Like I said it has everything I want and even a little more with the extra hard drive space for which I've ordered a 240gig SSD drive from Amazon.
I got the version with 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of hard drive space. And it's pretty much dirt cheap for one of the best hardware setups on the market. Only about 65 US dollars.
These are some more of its specs. The gigabit Ethernet port is just as important as everything else. Especially if you have a fast connection like I do. You don't want to be limited to a hundred megabits.
I followed the advice SdM123, and I must say that Sidiwen A95X MAX TV Box Android 8.1 4GB RAM 64GB ROM Amlogic S905X2 Quad Core Dual WIFI 2.4G / 5G Ethernet is one of the best 0 buffering problems. I am satisfied with the purchase and thank SdM123 for pointing it out.
Cool
Which streaming device has the most internal storage?
Hi guys, what do you think of switchonshop.com ? I think to buy there, but I do not know if it is worth it.
At SwitchOnShop.com. I saw a set top box model MAG425A. Has anyone used such a model?