Chromecast or Fire TV stick or Roku or others?

[52-80 19140]

Need a cheap 1080p HDMI device that can do these 2 things:

1.  Play movies stored on network (SMB/Samba) server.  Big bonus if it can host Kodi because thats my catalog for my main TV

2.  Stream illegal sports.  Preferably directly off web browser instead of dependency on some app/skin where underlying network or source might be broken.

 

on my main tv i use a mac mini that hosts kodi, and i can use its native browser to stream stuff and it has ad-blocking and etc.  the 10 year old mac mini for secondary tv is just about busted, and looking for replacement device.

 

 

[RPM 26315]

I have Fire TV and have no complaints. As far as illegal streaming, I have no idea. Fire has 2 browsers to choose from. Silk and Firefox.

[rage-a-holic 4369]

I'm a big fan of the Mi Box. I have 3 right now.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Xiaomi-Mi-Box-S-4K-HDR-Android-TV-with-Google-Assistant-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/677842593?irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_xk6wkK1%3AhxyJUB90GBQcExbTUki0hq2lUTEwUc0&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_10451&clickid=xk6wkK1%3AhxyJUB90GBQcExbTUki0hq2lUTEwUc0

 

Fire tvs sucks for what you want to do. I have a stack of them that the Mi's replaced.

[52-80 19140]

14 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

I'm a big fan of the Mi Box. I have 3 right now.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Xiaomi-Mi-Box-S-4K-HDR-Android-TV-with-Google-Assistant-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/677842593?irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_xk6wkK1%3AhxyJUB90GBQcExbTUki0hq2lUTEwUc0&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_10451&clickid=xk6wkK1%3AhxyJUB90GBQcExbTUki0hq2lUTEwUc0

 

Fire tvs sucks for what you want to do. I have a stack of them that the Mi's replaced.

whats the diff from that to , say, the chromecast.

 

i dont have many subscsription service so i dont need native support for showtime and hulu and etc.  mostly want flexibility with the browser or to navigate the network file store

[rage-a-holic 4369]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

whats the diff from that to , say, the chromecast.

 

i dont have many subscsription service so i dont need native support for showtime and hulu and etc.  mostly want flexibility with the browser or to navigate the network file store

No idea. I picked up a Chromecast a few years ago and found it to be a slow, limited POS.

You don't have to jailbreak the Mi to load whatever you want it on it. You can use Aptoide and/or the Play store.

You should be able to stream whatever videos you want locally (USB/microSD) or via home network. I just use VLC.

And if you're fine with watching "free" sports, just pay $7/month for IPTV and stop worrying about trying to find/stream shit with your browser.

[Dbeasy 15039]

I don’t understand the Iptv sports comment or the illegal sports comment. What are these?

[52-80 19140]

32 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

I don’t understand the Iptv sports comment or the illegal sports comment. What are these?

I live outside the US so even when my legitimate cable package shows their once-a-week US sporting event, it's local language broadcast.  

90% of my sports watching is via sino-russo websites. Want to watch this in bed in the TV rather than on the laptop

[rage-a-holic 4369]

41 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

I don’t understand the Iptv sports comment or the illegal sports comment. What are these?

 

[52-80 19140]

So I got the miboxs and it has Kodi as an app which is cool.  Functions identically to desktop version, so just added the SMB address as video source and all works great.

 

Can't find a native browser yet.  There's some on the Google app store I haven't tried.  Oh and all the IPTV providers look sketchy as fuck (but not surprised).......however there's basically no sport for the next few months so doesn't matter

[rage-a-holic 4369]

3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

So I got the miboxs and it has Kodi as an app which is cool.  Functions identically to desktop version, so just added the SMB address as video source and all works great.

 

Can't find a native browser yet.  There's some on the Google app store I haven't tried.  Oh and all the IPTV providers look sketchy as fuck (but not surprised).......however there's basically no sport for the next few months so doesn't matter

if you want a rec, just PM me, the IPTV I use has 2 streams for $7/month. 3000+ channels. All the ESPNs/FS/LHN/etc

[TwiceHorn 31431]

Chromecast has nearly zero computing power.  It is a device that receives a digital stream and inputs it to your tv.  The stream has to come from somewhere else, a browser or an app.  It's nothing much more than a connection point.

[52-80 19140]

10 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

if you want a rec, just PM me, the IPTV I use has 2 streams for $7/month. 3000+ channels. All the ESPNs/FS/LHN/etc

Thanks.  I'll hit you up when the sports world comes back from the dead

[Deej 76748]

Are there any sports left to stream?

[52-80 19140]

having lots of various issues with my xiaomi mi box s.  past the return window.  maybe future updates will fixit

[TwiceHorn 31431]

15 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

having lots of various issues with my xiaomi mi box s.  past the return window.  maybe future updates will fixit

China is asshoe.

[52-80 19140]

10 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

China is asshoe.

Dem mawfuckin bootleg tvbox shit

[rage-a-holic 4369]

4 hours ago, 52-80 said:

having lots of various issues with my xiaomi mi box s.  past the return window.  maybe future updates will fixit

lots of issues? I have 3 Mi boxes I've bought over the past 3 years, all slightly different models, but the only real problem I ever had with them was a Showtime app that was freezing them up after an app upgrade.

[52-80 19140]

26 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

lots of issues? I have 3 Mi boxes I've bought over the past 3 years, all slightly different models, but the only real problem I ever had with them was a Showtime app that was freezing them up after an app upgrade.

Every other day, it refuses to power on via remote.  Have to unplug and replug.  Seems to be better now.

 

Couldn't Cast to it at all.  Did some googling and ended up having to "uninstall" Google play services or something from the box, then it worked.

 

Dropped/drops wifi often.

 

Kodi app can connect to and index my SMB networked files...but can't play any of them.

 

Apps occasionally crash...but this one not unexpected for low ram device.

 

Mostly it works using Netflix and that's satisfactory enough

 

[HRSchenker 2268]

I love my chromecast. Works great with my phone and I can stream sports online then cast it to my tv. As long as their is someone online streaming LHN I'll get to see every game regardless of subscriber status. I mean, allegedly.

[4th&Five 41506]

About 6 months ago one of my Chromecast’s stopped turning on unless I unplugged it and plugged it back in. It usually only happens when I haven’t watched tv in a few hours or overnight. The tv will turn on but not recognize an input until I’ve unplugged it. I finally got sick of this and got a new Chromecast but it does the exact same thing. I’m thinking it has to be something with the Sony tv because none of my other Chromecast/TV’s have this problem. Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? I’ve checked all the settings and changed HDMI ports. 

[dcbc 14464]

17 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

About 6 months ago one of my Chromecast’s stopped turning on unless I unplugged it and plugged it back in. It usually only happens when I haven’t watched tv in a few hours or overnight. The tv will turn on but not recognize an input until I’ve unplugged it. I finally got sick of this and got a new Chromecast but it does the exact same thing. I’m thinking it has to be something with the Sony tv because none of my other Chromecast/TV’s have this problem. Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? I’ve checked all the settings and changed HDMI ports. 

Do you have the power for the Chromecast plugged into a USB service port on the TV or straight to a wall power source?

[4th&Five 41506]

I've tried both and neither fixed it.

[Eugene11 379]

On 3/28/2020 at 8:36 PM, rage-a-holic said:

if you want a rec, just PM me, the IPTV I use has 2 streams for $7/month. 3000+ channels. All the ESPNs/FS/LHN/etc

Is this still a thing you use?