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re: Is Amazon Fire TV (2nd gen) the ultimate KODI box?
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:23 am to CAD703X
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:23 am to CAD703X
Explain to me why i should invest in this? I had the fire stick and went through all the kodi loading and app hacking shite and it just seemed to much to do and not very fast or reliable for content. Couldnt ever get it to see my PC files either. Scrapped it for the new Chromecast setup with cartoon HD app. Am I missing something here? Sell me on it CAD. I do not have a 4k tv by the way.
1
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:23 am to CAD703X
well, it only streams at 30fps, which is shite.
I had to move my FireTv out the living room b/c of the 30fps crap b/c watching sports was not fun.
You'd be better off running the 4K Netflix through your TV's app, assuming you can get it.
A Sony TV with Android can do everything you are looking for, minus the gigabit, but it still has a Ethernet port. I run Kodi on mine and have never had a problem or buffered. I'm not even plugged in anymore as i'm plugged into my Roku instead of the tv now and I still don't buffer.
I had to move my FireTv out the living room b/c of the 30fps crap b/c watching sports was not fun.
You'd be better off running the 4K Netflix through your TV's app, assuming you can get it.
A Sony TV with Android can do everything you are looking for, minus the gigabit, but it still has a Ethernet port. I run Kodi on mine and have never had a problem or buffered. I'm not even plugged in anymore as i'm plugged into my Roku instead of the tv now and I still don't buffer.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:24 am to CAD703X
quote:
CAD703X
The current amazon fire tv is 1080p at 60fps or 4k at 30fps.
Sports still aren't broadcast in 1080p so that's a non issue for me. But if I recall correctly most movies are filmed at 24fps so that won't be an issue either.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:25 am to TeddyPadillac
quote:
well, it only streams at 30fps, which is shite.
I had to move my FireTv out the living room b/c of the 30fps crap b/c watching sports was not fu
That's not accurate. Vue only did 30fps for a little while but is now doing 60fps. Other apps have been doing 60fps. What were you using to stream sports?
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:30 am to WavinWilly
quote:
That's not accurate. Vue only did 30fps for a little while but is now doing 60fps. Other apps have been doing 60fps. What were you using to stream sports?
I was talking about Vue on the Firetv. If it's 60fps now, then great. I wasn't waiting for that roll out so I put my Roku3 back in the living room and moved the FireTV to the smaller kitchen tv, which is the furthest from the router and I do believe the Firetv has the best wireless of all the devices.
On top of the 30fps crap, the audio not matching up still happens from time to time, and it was really bad about a month ago. Now it only happens for about a minute then it corrects itself. Still irritating.
I personally prefer the Roku over the FireTV by a very large margin, but that's just me. If I needed to get Kodi, then i'd say the Firetv is better, but I dont' need my firetv for that purpose.
I can list a good bit of apps that are on Roku and not on FireTV. Can't do that the other way around.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:33 am to WavinWilly
quote:
But if I recall correctly most movies are filmed at 24fps so that won't be an issue either.
If so, then that must be why it's only broadcasted in 30fps. Makes sense.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:37 am to TeddyPadillac
quote:
On top of the 30fps crap, the audio not matching up still happens from time to time, and it was really bad about a month ago. Now it only happens for about a minute then it corrects itself. Still irritating.
Yea that was really really frustrating. Just an FYI for you or anyone else, I had to do an update for both the Vue app and the Fire TV itself. The audio issues and 60fps didn't get completely resolved until I got the AFTV on version 5.2.1.1 (I was on .1.0 before).
Just a friendly heads up to check for the update for anyone still having the issue.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:42 am to whodatfan
quote:
Scrapped it for the new Chromecast setup with cartoon HD app
showbox is working again too quote:
I do not have a 4k tv by the way.
you dont need it, then.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:44 am to TeddyPadillac
quote:
You'd be better off running the 4K Netflix through your TV's app, assuming you can get it.
i have that. so you're saying the amazon fire netflix app is inferior because of this?
i'm not savvy to the whole 30fps vs 60fps 4K stuff. i see only one HDMI port on my TV supports 60 but the manual says to reserve that one for gaming which I don't plan to do.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:47 am to TeddyPadillac
quote:
If I needed to get Kodi, then i'd say the Firetv is better, but I dont' need my firetv for that purpose.
I can list a good bit of apps that are on Roku and not on FireTV. Can't do that the other way around.
i want to access 4K content that I store locally. it appear the built-in Plex app on my tv won't pull it in at 4K but transcodes to 1080p. I don't care about the apps on the amazon box as much as i want a way to have acess to my local NAS to play anything from my personal library.
KODI seems like it will do that in spades.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 11:58 am to CAD703X
I have a gen 2 fire tv box, and I don't have any complaints. I only have a 150 mbps internet connection at the house, but I have the box connected to my router through the ethernet port and never have any buffering issues.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 1:29 pm to CAD703X
quote:
GO AMAZON!
Mind blown
Posted on 8/19/16 at 2:17 pm to CAD703X
So you are using the plex app on the Firetv to stream 4K stuff from your personal library?
Here's some quotes from a review
Here's some quotes from a review
quote:
It's not the only media streamer boasting 4K chops though, and it definitely isn't the first either. The Nvidia SHIELD console took that honor, with its Tegra X1 processor making it the most powerful streamer around.
quote:
In terms of networking there's a Gigabit ethernet port for wiring in – probably your best bet for a consistent 4K UHD stream – or the dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection. To nail that Ultra HD playback the MediaTek chipset supports the H.265 (HEVC) codec, as well as the legacy H.264 for 1080p content. It should be noted though that it's only capable of rocking a 4K UHD stream at a maximum of 30 frames per second, while it stretches to 60fps for 720p and 1080p outputs. To enable UHD playback you'll need a compatible display, and that doesn't just mean the obvious 3840 x 2160 panel resolution – it will also need the same HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2) connection as on the rear of the Fire TV. Without that you're not going to get the copy-protected 4K awesome of either Amazon Prime or Netflix; you can still watch 4K YouTube though if that's of any interest...
quote:
It's also impressively responsive with that Wi-Fi remote, although if you're flicking through your options quickly the 30Hz limit really does come into play on a 4K connection. It's not that movement becomes jerky, but it is noticeably non-smooth. Where that 30Hz speed limit isn't a huge issue, though, is in actual 4K Ultra HD playback. The new Amazon Fire TV has full access to the UHD content from both Amazon Prime and Netflix, as well as enabling you to rent or buy extra Amazon 4K content that isn't available on its Instant Video service. Netflix was typically smooth and quick to get going on my (admittedly speedy) home connection. In general the same was true of the Amazon Prime video experience too, with the likes of Orphan Black showing ne'er a stutter.
I did have a slight issue with UHD Red Oaks though, where playback again felt 'non-smooth'. It wasn't jerky, or stuttering, but in-motion shots especially it didn't feel particularly smooth in terms of frame rate.
quote:
I did, however, experience a few codec fails when trying to play back some of the 4K demo media we use to test out Ultra HD TVs and accessories. Even with usually reliable VLC installed from the app store I struggled with some video content. The most oft-used codecs are available, but you could find that some of your existing media library won't play back through either the Plex or VLC apps.
quote:
The Amazon Fire TV is arguably the best-value 4K Ultra HD media streamer available on the market right now. I say 'arguably' only because of the utter bias towards Amazon content in the Fire TV's OS.
quote:
The performance of the speedy new box is seriously impressive. For the most part 4K playback is smooth and reliable, with only rare instances of it being less than lovely in its super-resolution.
quote:
I'm also not 100% sold on the 30Hz limitations of the Fire TV's Ultra HD connection. Right now it's not a huge issue, with most video running at 24fps, but there are times, when running on a 4K TV, when it feels like it's running the hardware at the ragged edge.
quote:
Verdict
The new Amazon Fire TV is a pretty impressive little device. For your money you get an Ultra HD media player which also makes a decent fist of some light gaming. 4K playback is generally smooth, and the Amazon connection gives you access to the motherlode of paid-for UHD movie content. If you've picked up a cheap, dumb 4K TV (although one that has the necessary HDCP 2.2 compatibility for DRM'd content) then the new Fire TV is a decent choice for getting some UHD Netflix or Amazon Prime viewing on your screen. However, if you're already sitting on some Ultra HD smarts within your 4K TV, the Fire TV isn't really going to add anything else to the picture. And where the Nvidia SHIELD has the potential to grow and change, with the power to cope with future advances, the Fire TV feels like it's already running at the limits of its hardware. That 30Hz limit isn't an issue right now, but you'll be looking for an upgrade not far down the line. Essentially, then, the new Amazon Fire TV is fine, and for the Amazon faithful it offers easier access than the abortive web interface – but if you're just after a media streamer it's only okay.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 2:51 pm to TeddyPadillac
i dont follow. I have HDMI 2.2 connectors on my new Vizio and just bought 2 new 18gb HDMI cables from monoprice. whats the point of the bolded text?
and yes, i would like to natively stream my library of movies via Plex app built into the Vizio at 4K if that was possible.
But also the built-in youtube app maxes out at 1080p due to the lack of a DP9 chip so having the Amazon box should allow youtube to play 4K as well.
and yes, i would like to natively stream my library of movies via Plex app built into the Vizio at 4K if that was possible.
But also the built-in youtube app maxes out at 1080p due to the lack of a DP9 chip so having the Amazon box should allow youtube to play 4K as well.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 3:16 pm to CAD703X
This may be a stupid question, but what about the MXQ Pro box with the S905 chip for about $30? You can attach a USB drive.
Posted on 8/19/16 at 3:39 pm to CubsFanBudMan
i'm looking for these 5 things which amazon has:
- fast processor
- gig ethernet
- cheap price
- 4K output
- ability to run KODI
you're not going to find all 5 anywhere else for $99
- fast processor
- gig ethernet
- cheap price
- 4K output
- ability to run KODI
you're not going to find all 5 anywhere else for $99
Posted on 8/20/16 at 9:54 pm to CAD703X
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