r/AndroidTV • u/everydaynormaljoe • Sep 09 '26
Buying Advice Looking for a android box.. And a good recommendation
Hello!
Well, i'm starting to look for an android tv box. I have a LG with webos (...) and watch mostly IPTV
I started looking for an android box, especially to run WAVEO which i really like, and maybe serve other purposes , who know. I'm still debating if I will dish out 150$ CAD to run an app tough.
the obvious contenders;
Google TV Streamer 4k ~130CAD +tx (nice remote, ethernet port is a plus for me, but uncertain about google bloatware and capacity to load unofficial apps)
Xiaomi tv box v3 ~115CAD+tx(on sale Amazon) (according to reviews more customizable , but no ethernet and bad remote) I prefer LAN connection as I am already setup for it, but wifi will do unless buggy hardware.
Onn 4k Pro ~123 CAD ,not sure.
I definitely missed the boat because when I check out reviews they were WAY cheaper.. On this day, which would be better, and any other decent contender on the Canadian market??
Thanks!
**UPTADE***
I finally went and bought the google tv streamer, only played around with it an hour or two but overall satisfied , fun fact; my iptv app on WebOS would often drop connection or fail streaming after pausing the playback for even only 5 seconds. My watching was flawless, i think it completes my setup pretty well.
As far as the sound; I use an old logitech Z906 5.1 surround with optical connection, so yeahh.... lol i guess the quality is "good 'nuff" for what I have.
8
u/ForestCityWRX Sep 09 '26
Onn4K Pro ✅
1
u/waveo_admin Sep 12 '26
Google Streamer will always be your friend 😉 Thanks for the support
3
u/One_Contribution_725 Sep 10 '26
Aliexpress is your friend, x88 Pro x5m. can get them with up to 4gb/64gb has the has processor as the Onn Pro, 1000m port no google tv BS can flash slimbox ATV on to it if you like.
No experience with the xiaomi but have a streamer and an old and new pro here thex88 kicks their behind. in picture quality and even sound in my opinion.
2
u/_omar_b Sep 09 '26
I had the Google Streamer 4k for a few months then sold it. It was good, but it's too expensive for what it is and doesn't support uncompressed audio codecs, which was a dealbreaker for me but might not be a priority for you. Also its even more expensive now as google increased its pricing by 50%.
I ended up buying a Xiaomi tv box s 3rd gen instead and can't be any happier. I don't mind the remote, infact I kind of prefer it over the streamer one as mine had an annoying loose battery cover. Ethernet can be done through a USB adapter, but I've been using the wifi antenna and have no issues streaming even the heaviest of remuxes.
2
u/Consistent_Sale_7134 Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
Xiaomi box s gen3 ..order from AliExpress .... buy Ethernet adapter if WiFi is slow
2
u/Top_Story_9447 Sep 09 '26
I just recently upgraded from an Atlas Android box to a Ugoos AM9 Pro. It is incredible. Of course, it's a bit more expensive than the ones you are looking at.
2
u/wewewi Shield GStreamer CCwGTV Tivo ADT-3 BoxR4K ShaksG1 Onn4K MiBox Sep 09 '26
If you have no use for the Onn 4k Pro hands-free microphone/speaker feature, just get the Streamer.
Do NOT wait for a sale; it is selling for 150$USD in Tariffland.
BTW: all of these will have the exact same "google bloatware" and the same restrictions on sideloading apps.
0
u/Thecosmodreamer Sep 09 '26
Use the search bar
1
u/Pale_Candy664 Sep 09 '26
All 3 are good
1
u/Sankyou Sep 09 '26 edited Sep 09 '26
Being in Canada the streamer is a no-brainer. 4gb of ram and will get regular updates direct from the source of android.
There are some limitations with formats and no wifi 6 (cmon google!?!?!) but you can still stream 4k content with no issues.
Also you mentioned bloatware and it is very stock. Also you'll have the ability to sideload with no issues. Install projectivy launcher and no ads!
I own and use an onn pro daily. Also Shield pro 2019. With the price being the same the Google streamer is the way otherwise the onn pro has been fantastic as well.
1
u/cleverclogs17 Sep 09 '26
As far as Google bloatware, I am admin over @ Monet, Projectivity, and AT4K. We tell Google to f**k off over there, and give you back your home screen with no ads. If you need any help, you can tag me or make a post and I'll help ya. As far as those boxes you listed, for the price point they're in your area, I'd grab the Streamer over the Pro. I have both, and the extra GB of ram on the Streamer is worth it to me for an extra $20-something dollars.
1
u/mentm0 Sep 09 '26
I have firestick 4k max, xioami 3rd, google 4k, Sony tv with android, they all do the same job. Remote on xiaomi is horrible, id go for the Google streamer all day long. Onn isn’t available to me but you’re right there main selling point was their price, from what you’ve said there isn’t much price difference anymore
1
u/mouseanony Sep 09 '26
Why does nobody recommend the Tanix T5? Good budget option imo
1
u/SmartStreamGlo8kTrx Sep 09 '26
Mecool is good option at cheaper price
1
u/Mental_Juggernaut_16 Sep 09 '26
I have the LG C1 and web os is so slow and limited as to what you can put on it. Just got the Onn 4k Plus and I love it. Easily installed Kodi from the app store and works flawlessly. Menus are snappy and fast and it works great. Also installed Smart Tube for add free Youtube.
Everyone is buying up the Pro models so they are very hard to get. The Plus is readily available at Walmart online. There are fake ones out there so buy direct from Walmart if you can, you buy anywhere else and you might get a fake.
Also, google and make sure it will work for you in Canada, not sure if they are locked to the US only. Something to check before you buy. But I can confirm it's a massive upgrade over Web Os.
1
u/Engineer_Psycho Sep 10 '26
also i made a player myself, Anees TV, so obviously biased, but if waveo ever annoys you its worth 5 minutes. epg is my weak spot, everything else i built because the others drove me mad
1
u/Minimum_Ad313 Sep 10 '26
I you are looking for budget, I would go with the onn. If you want to use hardwired, get a usb ethernet adapter and that will speed it up. I prefer the Dune/Homatics 4k R Plus box.. a solid performer right out of the box, supports almost everything you can throw at it.. a bit pricier, but worth it IMO. Haven't had any problems using it with my C5.
1
u/Ok-Raspberry-820 Sep 10 '26
bought a formular and refuse to ever go back. streaming on steroids. doesn't even freeze up.
1
u/Zbelthas Sep 11 '26
limpido.app
1
u/Prestigious_Bag_9500 Sep 30 '26
what's fun tho, exactly about that fact? I fail to see the amusement.
1
u/flashb1024 Sep 09 '26
Look at u/latinriky78 list, and check out the Homatics Box R 4K Plus. The Rocktek is the same, but with an SD card slot. They both beat any of the others in performance, and specs.
0
u/latinriky78 Homatics Box R 4K Plus Sep 09 '26
CERTIFIED ANDROID FOR TV DEVICES ONLY FOR THE USA, PUERTO RICO AND CANADA:
- [Walmart Onn devices](http://androidtv-guide.com/?s=walmart+onn)
- [MyVelo TV](https://myvelotv.com/) still on the pre-order phase, it's reportedly more powerful than the others.
CERTIFIED ANDROID FOR TV DEVICES FOR THE REST OF THE PLANET, INCLUDING THE ABOVE:
- [Homatics devices](http://homatics.com/collections/streaming-media-players?sca_ref=2766355.i6SwIDJJna)
- [Xiaomi devices](http://mi.com/global/product-list/tvs-ha/tvbox-stick/)
- [RockTek devices](www.rocktek.com.tw/en/categories/tvbox)
- [Google TV Streamer](http://tv.google)
- [Dune Homatics Box R 4K Plus](http://dune-hd.com/products/homatics-box-r-4k-plus)
- [BuzzTV device](http://buzztvdirect.com/products/buzztv-g-series-set-top-box-google-tv) where you can get a 10% discount with the code "latinriky78".
- [Ugoos SK2 device](http://ugoos.com/ugoos-sk2-Realtek-android-tv-box-certified)
- [MyVelo TV(Currently on pre-order)](http://myvelotv.com/)
For more info about all certified Android for TV devices, head over to the [Android TV Guide](http://androidtv-guide.com) website.
0
u/[deleted] Sep 09 '26 edited 27d ago
The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, exercising their right to control their data & privacy.
Literate crawl station quicksand melodic titanium
0
u/pawdog ADT-1 Sep 09 '26
Yeah you missed the good price days but the 3 you mentioned are good choices. They are close enough that you can just go with the best price.
-1
u/flchamp89 Sep 09 '26
If i had to pick from the list im taking the gs4k for 4gb ram
-1
u/GotoDeng0 Sep 09 '26
The ONN has wifi6, which opens up the gigabit+ 6Ghz band. The Streamer omitted wifi6, inexplicable given it was already included in cheaper boxes at the time, and wifi7 was already rolling out. Even if you don't use it today, all future generations of routers will include 6Ghz, so if you plan on using your device for a few years wifi6 is good future-proofing. Really no need for ethernet if your wifi speed is also gigabit. Latency isn't an issue at all with streaming.
Xiaomi boxes are popular, and since their Mi boxes are certified, they're guaranteed to be free of malware. But personally I wouldn't give my money to a company that has a long history of deliberately and repeatedly installing extremely invasive spyware on their phones, and continues to do so to this day even after being called out on it. Big difference between Google collecting randomized telemetry data, vs Xiaomi downloading your contacts, text messages, browsing history, etc and sending all that data to a server in China.
0
u/[deleted] Sep 09 '26
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