Android Smart TV Box

[Anonymous]

I purchased TX1 M8S Fully Loaded Quad Core Android Smart TV Box KODI XBMC

It arrived, it works, has loads of channels, (no user guide) I couldn’t find how to enter letter when setting up wifi security code. Using ethernet, on start it says WiFi is better.

It seems to have a lot in the main menu.

Does anyone know much about these smart boxes, I haven’t a clue.

Mine is the TX1 not TX2 as show (seller updated)

[blacklion1725]

I think on mine (no currently is use) the on-screen keyboard just popped up on the appropriate screen. A USB keyboard like this is always handy to have – even if you only need it for setting up – save loads of time typing in urls, passwords etc.

If you have ethernet I’d use that though – I can’ see any case where wifi would be “better” than ethernet, especially on a device that is 99% about streaming.

I’d also be prepared to be underwhelmed as to the performance of these things. I’ve always found the display output less than great on a big TV, and Fully Loaded often means loads of Kodi addons and bloat, a lot of which won’t work.  I’ve normally ended up resetting them and starting from scratch, adding just the Android apps and Kodi addons that I actually want. If Kodi is your main interest, Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick is the best budget solution for me, much nicer to use

[Anonymous]

I will look into a keyboard blacklion1725
Maybe not such a rush as you say ethernet is best.

About adding apps, not sure how and where they come from.

Maybe look into Amazon Fire TV/Stick

[blacklion1725]

Adding apps would normally be via Google play store – just like a phone since these are Android devices. that’s assuming Play Store is installed. You would normally log in to a Google account once your wifi is set up, so you probably haven’t seen it yet….but if you keep the ethernet option, you should get prompted to log in to google ad hopefully then see the “Play” icon on your home page or in the app drawer (just like phone or tablet)

And yes for Kodi – Amazon Fire TV (stick is about £35 at the moment – a high point, it tends to cycle down to £30 and occasionally £25). Chalk and cheese compared to an Android box for Kodi though – way, way better experience. It (Fire) is Android-based and you sideload (from a phone) Kodi. Dave did a little guide on the old site, be worth posting back if you decide to go that way. I’d wait till the Fire TV stick drops again (which it will).

[Anonymous]

There is a google play on it, I will login.
Never downloaded apps to a mobile or tablet, this is a first for me. other than Windows Store. I will have to
get that keyboard.

I am learning already much appreciated.

 

[blacklion1725]

Ah sorry didn’t realise. Might be easier to set up a free google account on a PC/Laptop and then use that to log in to the Android box. You will also now have a free GMAIL email address, so worth picking a decent username.

https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?hl=en

Sounds like the seller has already installed and configured loads (Kodi is an Android app) so you may find you don’t need to add much new, but worth knowing how to. To remove apps, you can find “Apps” in the setting menu and uninstall from there, or search for it in the Play store, it will show “Installed” and you can uninstall from there as well. I’d make sure you are going to keep it before you tinker too much.

[Anonymous]

cheers

I will set up a google account and explore, now I have an idea on what’s what.

If I tinker too much (hopefully) I can re-boot. I have seen that as it often pops up on a tinker.

There is a lot to learn even simple things, ie I loaded a film and got it to go full screen, I can’t remeber how I did it and can’t find it. It took me an age to figure out how to get back after a film to pick another.

I suppose practice makes perfect.

 

[Anonymous]

blacklion I got hold of an Amazon Fire Stick.

Whats it all about, I set it up, everything I tried to watch wanted coins or ££s. I downed apps (all4) it wanted coins to watch it.

I downloaded a Free Fitness App, it wanted money I need to check it didn’t take any ££ off my Amazon account.

Loads of lists for Prime Members.

[Robin Long]

I haven’t played with the fire sticks as I have had mixed reviews about their reliability but expect to pay £35-45 for one that would work out the box, if its asking for money it’s probably not working.  My android box works fine on wifi, my neighbours(different make) will only communicate via lan, though it does have wi-fi.  I have one of  these battery life is poor but works fine other than that. I’d second blacklions comment reset and fresh install, all the instructions are on the net

Cheers Knight,

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[The Duke]

The fire app ecosytem isn’t great. But the all 4 is free, as is are all the nomal TV apps.

Evey app you download you will get an email to informing you of the purchase, even on free apps. It’s says something along the lines of “thank you for your purchase of All4” when you look closer the purchase price is £0.00.

The kids have fire tablets attached to the wife’s Amazon prime acount, and she gets these email daily. She always panics.

Personally I can’t stand the fire TV , I actively avoid our TV with it in. Wife loves it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Robin, I am using a standard (cable) USB Keyboard on my Android.

Cheers Duke after reading your post I looked in my email and it seems that way.

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[Drezha]

I’m hard pressed to beat the Chromecast to be honest. It’s so simple, even the girlfriend can use it! :whistle: I’ve the original Fire TV and I don’t use it at all anymore – not even to watch the Grand Tour (I watched the first one and haven’t since).

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Anonymous]

Thanks Drezha I will look into Chromecast.

[blacklion1725]

Anonymous wrote:

blacklion I got hold of an Amazon Fire Stick. Whats it all about, I set it up, everything I tried to watch wanted coins or ££s. I downed apps (all4) it wanted coins to watch it. I downloaded a Free Fitness App, it wanted money I need to check it didn’t take any ££ off my Amazon account. Loads of lists for Prime Members.

The Fire TV Stick UI isn’t great out of the box, but if you want a kodi device then once set up it is easy to use. I didn’t use mine for anything else. Once you have installed and used Kodi it should appear in your “Recents” and be very easy to find and launch from the home screen. You will need a phone or tablet with kodi and an app like “apps2fire” installed. It is a one off so you can always borrow an android phone for 10 minutes to do it. The other way is a lot of work from a PC. Once you have Kodi on, I’d ignore the rest of the GUI and the Amazon apps, just launch Kodi and away you go.

Its horses for courses, I don’t like Chromecast as I prefer a “proper” remote (like Fire and Roku). But for a cheap, Kodi solution I really don’t think you can beat the Fire Stick/TV.

Have a google for (recent) results on “Install Kodi on Fire TV stick” – have a read up and start from scratch (reset) would be my advice. If you want more than Kodi then maybe the Fire Stick s not the product for you – I agree the Amazon UI is pretty dreadful compared to a neutral device like the Roku (no Kodi for Roku though).

[The Duke]

I’m not a Chromecast fan,bit do think it give the best picture quality. And mine is the origanl one, bit whatever they do, it makes the fire TV and the roku look bad, and actually neither do, Netflix on the CC just looks brilliant.

@drezha, check out grand tour from number 4 , miss out the two Xmas specials (crap), lastweeks was also terrible. But all the rest are actually good. With the exception of the dead guest feature and the yank in a car, neither work for me.

[blacklion1725]

My eyesight ain’t brilliant, but Netflix looks great whatever I watch it on (normally the TV client). They are the kings of getting quality out of bandwidth. I had a BT internet fault recently, speed down to a crawl, but was watching Netflix and it still looked great – only when I started testing other stuff I found the fault as everything else was stuttering. But in general for me it looks great on TV, Roku and Xbox One. The Xbox obviously not a budget device, but also UI gets less horrible once you’ve used it a few times, and the stuff you use gets easier to access.

I’ll might have a nibble at a Chromecast Ultra if the price drops (£70 at the moment). Just to see how it is. The dependency on a mobile/tablet/whatever is a real killer for me though.

 

[The Duke]

I don’t think there is anyone better than Netflix as keeping your steam going on a shoestring, C5 drops out at a blink and I have stupid fast internet. But C5 and ITV still have issues, pre my fast internet, Netflix could wonder on at under a meg , you’d get quality degradation but hay it’s better than nothing.

You are correct on all the platforms Netflix looks great, I just think on the cc it always just looks that bit better. Non are bad given enough bandwidth.

[Author]

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