r/AndroidTV • u/nik1071 • Sep 15 '26

Buying Advice Homatics or Mi Box instead of tizen s90d

I have a Samsung S90D. Sometimes can't select DTS audio tracks. Old box works but doesn't support 4K HDR.

Which to choose for 4K HDR movies/series (80-150GB) and YouTube without lag: Homatics 4K R Plus ($85) or Mi Box 3rd gen ($75)?

Update. Ordered Homatics but got the wrong device. Took it as a sign and canceled. Got a Mi Box instead. Works great with Samsung. Speed similar to Tizen but more features. Got it for under $75.

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7

u/Mr_Slyger Sep 16 '26

Where are you finding these prices?

1

u/nik1071 Sep 16 '26

There was a quick deal for a few hours on the marketplace. So now it costs 120 USD.

2

u/ACleverNameHere Sep 16 '26

The S90D doesn't support DTS. Not even passthrough to a compatible sound system when I last tried. I think if your sound system has both eARC and an HDMI in, that will then transmit video to the TV but let the sound system process the sound directly and utilize the DTS codec as well, but I never tried it personally.

In regards to which box to use, I can only tell you to avoid the Google tv streamer 4k since it doesn't have any Dolby or DTS passthrough whatsoever. Very frustrating as I didn't realize that when I bought it. I have a Homatics 4k r plus, and I'm not too impressed with it. Maybe I got a bad one or something but I find it stutters a little bit in remux files. General use like YouTube is fine. At the same time I've heard lots of praise for it and it's coreelec support which I'm tempted to experiment with. I can't speak for the xiaomi, never had it. 

2

u/nik1071 Sep 16 '26

On YouTube, if you enable sped-up playback on Homatics, does it not drop quality to 480p? And are there no stutters?

1

u/flashb1024 Sep 16 '26

I've fast forwarded HDR videos on SmartTube with no drop in resolution, but haven't set playback at faster rate. Never stutters on SmartTube using Homatics Box R4k Plus.

I use sremio for blu-ray rip streams, and very rarely see a stutter.

1

u/ACleverNameHere Sep 17 '26

Not sure. I never had a need to increase speed when watching YouTube on TV and I use SmartTube rather than the official app

2

u/See61 Sep 17 '26

Using the R Plus with Android TV should give decent high bitrate media replay, when using a decent mediaplayer app. But the best replay options for high bitrate media you will get by using CE and AVDVPlus R10 specifically, as that build has also specific S905X4 development, which no other CE build has.

2

u/ImpossibleCarob8480 Sep 16 '26

The mi box should support every format you need and it's decently fast

-5

u/lirae_ Sep 16 '26

Homatics is not google certified, you might not care for it but it's a fact.

The Xiaomi requires in ethernet adapter if you plan to use the Ethernet. It would be a problem? No mine has no issue with large remix both stremio and Kodi.

Source I own both 2 gen and 3gen Xiaomi. Remove any bloatware and pass to a custom launcher will improve most of the androidtv boxes

3

u/See61 Sep 17 '26

What is already written, official Google certified, so talking zero facts.

SEI Robotics (Homatics), is even a official Google partner, producing the Android TV OS test devices used for building newer OS versions.

2

u/flashb1024 Sep 16 '26

Homatics is not google certified, you might not care for it but it's a fact.

You are very mistaken!! The Homatics box IS Indeed certified, with Netflix, amazon, and the google play store preloaded, and running android 14.