Hey guys, I'm looking for a pretty budget TV*box under $50, I really don't need much from it but here are a few things that are very important for me:
Speed - I've had experience with super slow smart TV devices in the past, generally a cheap smart TV is simply pure sh*t.
So I don't really need anything that should be capable of gaming, I'll probably never use that, but I do want the TV box to operate fast.
Outer storage ability - Probably the most important thing for me is a device that will be able to hold up external storages(flash drive, SD card, HDD(?)). I believe I've seen some TV boxes that only support up to 64GB of SD card, I would really love to have the ability to use more than that so I won't have to mess with it too frequently.
Flexibility - I have a fair bit of knowledge about android devices, I don't like being limited, I know that most TV boxes come with root access, but that's very important for me to have the freedom to do whatever I wish in case I need it.
Things that aren't important for me:
My TV screen is 50 inch and only supports 1080P, I have no need for 4K/8K streaming whatsoever.
I probably won't use netflix with it, so 1080P/4K netflix support is not important.
I probably won't use the TV box for gaming at all, but could be a nice plus.
My usual internet speed is around 100MB, so 1000MB might not be necessary, it would be a nice to have on the way though.
So far I believe my best options are either the A95X F3 or X96 AIR with the A95X F3 looks a bit better to me. There's also the MAGICSEE N5 PLUS which looks ok, it also has the ability to connect an HDD which is fairly amazing, but the drawbacks are worse performance, no miracast and the price which is a bit higher.
I've also seen the new X96 max plus which looks really really good overall, but haven't seen much reviews of it yet, so I can't judge about that yet.
Anyway, would love you hear some recommendations, thanks!
Related
I've been wanting to get my feet wet in android tablet land for quite some time. I would like the following features:
pdf/ebook reading with bookmarking / highlighting / notes
GPS (I already have a bluetooth gps module if that helps) for dash-mounted in-car navigation
bluetooth keyboard support (official or unofficial i really don't care but it's got to be there).
fast web surfing / display effects
the ability to run honeycomb (even if it's unsupported)
preferably some kind of decent camera on for skype / snapshots though i suppose i could do without it...
I have not yet fully decided on a 7" or 10" tablet but I would find some additional convenience with the smaller of the 2 as I plan to do some reading on this. also, as I will be doing lots of reading, I need a display resolution of at least 1024x600 and aprox. equivalent dpi or better for 10" tablet.
I've looked at the nook color and it seems like a really nice tablet but it seems kind of sluggish for the really high price of $250... if i could find one of these in the $150-200 range I could probably be convinced to go with one of these.
I've also looked at the viewsonic G tablet and was impressed with the underlying tegra2 hardware but very disappointed with the display viewing angle, and to a slightly lesser extent display resolution. I think it's going price of ~250 would be warranted if the display were actually good (high resolution and good viewing angle).
Does anybody have any other ideas for very inexpensive, high resolution, fast tablets that I should be looking at, or perhaps some kind of epic deals? (i'm ok with used if i could find something i'm happy with even).
Thanks,
Cpgeek
Hi everyone, I have to do a presentation of a game I developed for Android. I wanted to show my phone's screen on my PC, so it can be showed in the projector. The problem is, all of the ways I tried to do this result in minimum fps, like 5 or 10, and obviouly, to show a game performance this isn't enough.
So, I ask, is there a way to show my Android screen on a PC with high fps? With som kind of wire or something to pass video channel? (my phone only has usb and jack outputs...)
Thank you all!
Well the only reason some electronics devices show 1080p or true HD images is that it has a built it port specially designed for its purpose. Which is to display images. Its called the HDMI port.
Phones on the other case is the maximum you can get. Since its the maximum amount of pixels it can display on the device. Eg the bigger the screen the more pixels you need for a crisp image. The smaller the screen the less pixels because we don't need that much. But if we enlarge it from a small device we get large pixels.
Unless you have a laptop, tablet or other mp4 I don't think you can get higher than 10 fps
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA
I have been looking for the answer to the same question for a long time now. I wanted to post video reviews for apps but nothing works. Obviously Screencast is too slow and emulators are even worse. The only way I've come across that gives great FPS so far, is buying a Media Capture Card, and a decent HDMI one costs around $100. Too expensive IMO but if you don't mind spending a little, I suggest you check it out. I guess that's how the game-making companies must do it...Oh well, let us know if it works out?
Hello!
I am a happy iPad 4 owner but I am wondering if it's the case to sell it.
I mainly need a tablet to watch movies "on the go", as I really don't like do any kind of work on it. I love my notebook, my keyboard, my external display :laugh:
I am thinking about selling my iPad and get an Android cheaper alternative. Size 10", with a good resolution (at least HD) and capable of playing full HD and MKV.
Is there something you would suggest? Web browsing is not my priority. Weight, price, screen and battery are
I need at least 5 hours with no wi-fi.
Thank you for your help!
lemy_ said:
Hello!
I am a happy iPad 4 owner but I am wondering if it's the case to sell it.
I mainly need a tablet to watch movies "on the go", as I really don't like do any kind of work on it. I love my notebook, my keyboard, my external display :laugh:
I am thinking about selling my iPad and get an Android cheaper alternative. Size 10", with a good resolution (at least HD) and capable of playing full HD and MKV.
Is there something you would suggest? Web browsing is not my priority. Weight, price, screen and battery are
I need at least 5 hours with no wi-fi.
Thank you for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give a shameless plug for the tablet I own and love, the LG G Pad 8.3. Smaller than a 10", but that's the point. Especially compared to an iPad, and even more especially when you consider watching movies. The iPad has a 4:3 ratio, while the LG has a 16:10 ratio (most Android tablets have a 16:9), which is much better for watching movies because there'll be less wasted space on the screen. I'm sure you've noticed how much useless space there is when watching a letterboxed movie on your iPad. The G Pad can be found for extremely reasonable prices these days.
As for full 10" Android tablets, these will cost quite a bit more, but will still seem a good deal compared to iPads. You can get the Samsung Tab Pro 10.1 for under $400, and for $450 there's the Tab S 10.5". The latter will probably be a better platform for watching movies (and everything else, really) because of the AMOLED display, which'll have blacker blacks and more contrast.
Regardless of your choice, Androids are great for entertainment, largely due to the widescreen aspect ratio, and also because most have microSD slots to store more stuff, you can load stuff from your computer via simple drag and drop (no iTunes BS), and because even if it doesn't natively support the file type you're trying to play, you can get a player (MX Pro, for example) that'll play practically anything you can throw at it.
Planterz said:
I'll give a shameless plug for the tablet I own and love, the LG G Pad 8.3. Smaller than a 10", but that's the point. Especially compared to an iPad, and even more especially when you consider watching movies. The iPad has a 4:3 ratio, while the LG has a 16:10 ratio (most Android tablets have a 16:9), which is much better for watching movies because there'll be less wasted space on the screen. I'm sure you've noticed how much useless space there is when watching a letterboxed movie on your iPad. The G Pad can be found for extremely reasonable prices these days.
As for full 10" Android tablets, these will cost quite a bit more, but will still seem a good deal compared to iPads. You can get the Samsung Tab Pro 10.1 for under $400, and for $450 there's the Tab S 10.5". The latter will probably be a better platform for watching movies (and everything else, really) because of the AMOLED display, which'll have blacker blacks and more contrast.
Regardless of your choice, Androids are great for entertainment, largely due to the widescreen aspect ratio, and also because most have microSD slots to store more stuff, you can load stuff from your computer via simple drag and drop (no iTunes BS), and because even if it doesn't natively support the file type you're trying to play, you can get a player (MX Pro, for example) that'll play practically anything you can throw at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the GPad 8.3 okay for MKV/1080P files? :silly:
I had both Nexus 7 2012 & 2013 and actually I find the aspect ratio/size really not suitable for me. It was like having a giant phone.
I also have a Note 3 so that's why I am concerned about 7/8 inches tablet. However the GPad looks really promising
lemy_ said:
Is the GPad 8.3 okay for MKV/1080P files? :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It took some searching, but I found a 1080p .mkv video (the nature of which shall remain unspoken), and the stock player plays it fine (as does MX Player).
I had both Nexus 7 2012 & 2013 and actually I find the aspect ratio/size really not suitable for me. It was like having a giant phone.
I also have a Note 3 so that's why I am concerned about 7/8 inches tablet. However the GPad looks really promising
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the LG 8.3 because it's about the size/weight as the Nexus 7 tablets, yet with its smaller bezels, packs a significantly larger screen. I really don't like the ~10" tablets because holding them becomes fatiguing after a short time. But the 8.3 is still comfortably holdable with one hand, be it in portrait or landscape mode, and maximizes the screen size within that space. That's just my personal preference. Obviously a 10" screen is better for watching things, but if you have to hold it the whole time, then things can get painful. The size/weight of the 8.3 is manageable and gives you a good compromise between the 7" and 10" devices. The Samsung Tab S 8.4 is undoubtedly the king of these "inbetween" tablets, having a larger screen, yet being smaller, thinner, and lighter than the LG 8.3. But it also costs significantly more (yet less than iPads if you want more than 16gb storage).
And as I said, the aspect ratio is a big consideration you need to make when looking at tablets to watch movies on. The LG 8.3 will give you nearly the same horizontal screen size as your iPad, yet is over an inch and a half narrower, most of which'll be letterboxed black anyway. The iPad's 4:3 ratio is great for playing games and browsing, but wastes a lot of space when watching movies/tv, unless you're watching Magnum PI or other TV shows from the pre-HD days, or movies that were cropped for TV or directed by Kubrick. Anything else, and a 16:9 or 16:10 Android tablet (or Windows, but let's not go there) is better if your main concern is watching movies.
There are 3 threads already established that are devoted to discussions about devices, please read, and if necessary, repost your question in one of these threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
There are also several other discussion threads that you probably should review to help you. They are What phone do you wish you had? or
The Worst Android Device That You've Ever Had & Why or even this place that talks about The best phone you ever owned.
This is my review in my own words coming from the owner of a Nexus 9 and Nexus 10 tablet and a android user for over 20 years and Yes I received this tablet at a discounted price but in NO WAY does that change my views or thoughts on how I review this product, with that said this is the perfect tablet for first time users or like me "power users". This tablet is $81.99 and based of that price all this tablet does as far as performance and ease of use and just overall build quality it deserves 5 stars. As a heavy tablet user of $700 tablets I find myself using this tablet over my other tablets mainly because of the screen size which is 10.1in compared to my largest tablet that is also 10in BUT in all honesty the screen (as in colors) looks better on this tab. As as android developer this tablet offers "tech people" lots of fun too as this tablet is running Android 5.1 Lollipop and is pretty fast at handling tasks with its Quad Core processor and 1GB RAM. I am trying to keep review in simple terms but if you like to root and add modifications to your devices this tablet/pc is also very easy to root and mod. A few specs on the tablet I liked were, Quad Core Processor 1.3GHZ/Google Android 5.1 Lollipop Operating System/Dual Cameras: Front 0.3 MP and Rear 2.0 MP but picture quality is not great but again this is a tablet not a camera and most every tablet I have owned in the past which is over 10 I never use the tablet for picture taking but if needed this does take good pictures and does the job/*8 GB capacity, extendable to 32 GB with an SD card* This is a HUGE feature and not offered on most tablets out there and neither of my $700 tablets offer extendable storage/5500mAh is a nice size and Im very much a gamer and my battery lasts a full day so im very happy with battery life. This is a tablet/Pc which means you also get a keyboard/case with this tablet, I don't use these often but for reviewing purposes I used the USB driven keyboard case which I found to be a good design and worked very well, I really liked the protection the case provided and loved the pull out stand on back of case for watching movies or using tablet as a PC and the magnetic closure worked well. They keyboard layout was nice and keys seem very soft when typing and had no issues navigating around screen. Tablet fit securely in case and also liked that the case has 2 holes or loops which are used for a stylus which I use when using a tablet. WiFi and BLUETOOTH worked as expected and had no issues connecting to multiple routers and at least 5 BLUETOOTH devices. Overall I was very impressed with this tablet, I put it through some very heavy loads to test speed and it handled everything I threw at it and PLEASE watch video to really show off tablet/PC in action and also show screen resolution and how screen reacts to scrolling and just a better overall view of the whole package. iRULU has absolutely wonderful customer care, I emailed them numerous times with questions and always received a fast/courteous reply. I really wanted people to see this in product decryption also " Tablet is GMS Tested and Certified by Google to guarantee consistent quality, assure reliability, and maximize privacy protection for secure browsing and communications"
https://youtu.be/xJvqQtQqJPs
And if it's worth it, what's the main pros and cons?
I would mostly be looking at it for gaming and probably going with a custom rom, and for the price and specs it's hard to over look it compared to other tablets in the price range, it just looks to good to be true. Usually cheaper is never better with phones and tablets, I've learned the hard way...
Sent from my SM-T230NU using XDA-Developers mobile app
i bought the tab recently too . for starters i really like it and am already enjoying multirom benefits thanks to devs of xda.
Note these are only my thoughts , better read expert reviews to find out more.
pros
-smooth gaming performance
-impressive speakers
-good dev community
-direct stylus
-wifi direct controller (low latency compared to Bluetooth controllers)
- gamestream & game hub (nice pc gaming stream)
-okay to good battery life (for a gaming tab)
- full color management options
-connectivity options
-good android update track record (but poor quality sometimes)
-linux4tegraP)
cons
- not the best screen out there
-outdoor visibility is bit low
- idiotic power and volume button placemnet (no travel)
- accessories are not cheap (no charger or stylus included) (third party ones will get the work done for cheap)
neither cons nor pros
- old soc (kinda)
- future android updates (probably will get android N as stated in geforce community)
- 2Gb ram (mixed reviews)
-heat (duh!)
-16gb storage (i use 64gig sdcard and im doing fine)
Note : custom roms (except cm12 unofficial build) do not support the shield controller , but you can use multi rom like most of us do.
vimjam said:
i bought the tab recently too . for starters i really like it and am already enjoying multirom benefits thanks to devs of xda.
Note these are only my thoughts , better read expert reviews to find out more.
pros
-smooth gaming performance
-impressive speakers
-good dev community
-direct stylus
-wifi direct controller (low latency compared to Bluetooth controllers)
- gamestream & game hub (nice pc gaming stream)
-okay to good battery life (for a gaming tab)
- full color management options
-connectivity options
-good android update track record (but poor quality sometimes)
-linux4tegraP)
cons
- not the best screen out there
-outdoor visibility is bit low
- idiotic power and volume button placemnet (no travel)
- accessories are not cheap (no charger or stylus included) (third party ones will get the work done for cheap)
neither cons nor pros
- old soc (kinda)
- future android updates (probably will get android N as stated in geforce community)
- 2Gb ram (mixed reviews)
-heat (duh!)
-16gb storage (i use 64gig sdcard and im doing fine)
Note : custom roms (except cm12 unofficial build) do not support the shield controller , but you can use multi rom like most of us do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly the kind of replies I'm looking for.
Realiability is an issue for me too since I had a nexus 7 last year and I couldn't stand it, just on stock it had so many issues (so I never rooting for warranties sake, and had 3 in total with all the same issues), random touching and unable to scroll without screwing up, constant wifi drops, mic drops on Skype... It just goes on really. So just hearing that nvidia might have solid hardware and try to keep up with the software side of things could make it a winner for me, even if the official accessories aren't cheap the price of the tablet itself can make up for it. Plus if I need a controller I can just use my ps4s [emoji6]
It's really hard to find an affordable name brand tablet with decent specs anymore. And some official reviews are hard to believe sometimes, I don't really trust people that buy it, use it for a couple weeks and say it's great... Phone and tablets can deteriorate drastically by 6 months time.
I hope to see more replies to see what everyone thinks.
Sent from my SM-T230NU using XDA-Developers mobile app
I just got done setting up my Shield K1 this week. I came from a Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ on CyanogenMod 11. That thing is practically on its last legs in terms of usability since it's stuck on KitKat and it's noticeably laggy for even basic use now.
On the K1, I'm running an unlocked bootloader, TWRP recovery, rooted stock ROM, and Xposed. I'm not really into custom ROMs anymore as long as I can tweak an existing ROM to my liking, whether it's by manually editing system files or through Xposed. I've yet to play any games or even run the Fallout Shelter game that comes on it.
For $200, this tablet is really a bargain considering you get 1080p+ resolution, easy rooting, and tablet gaming performance that is still top tier today. As for what doesn't come in the box, I already have a QC 2.0 charger that I bought as a second charger for my phone, and I don't have a use for a stylus. I've never believed in spending lots of money on a tablet since it's realistically my least used computing device out of four (desktop, laptop, phone, tablet), so like the Nook HD+ back in its day, the Shield K1 is the best customizable/rootable tablet with a high resolution display for the money.
The only issue I have so far with the K1, which many others have had, is that the touchscreen is too sensitive and sometimes registers taps when my finger hovers over but doesn't actually touch the screen. You can recalibrate the screen by following this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tablet/general/adjust-touchscreen-sensitivity-t2963326
For a controller, I have a Xbox 360 wireless controller and USB PC wireless adapter, which can be plugged in to the K1 using a micro USB OTG dongle.