I saw this Android TV box at CDR King and am wondering if I should get this or an AppleTV. The Android box is obviously cheaper and has some internal storage so that I don't have to rely upon the spotting internet connection here. Apple is, well, Apple. The quality I can count on and it will work seamlessly with all our Apple products. I have zero experience with Android and so I don't know how easily it will communicate with my Macs over our wireless network. I also have zero experience using Apple TV. I am tempted to get the Android box because of the storage and price.
From what I understand, a fast internet connection is key to using these devices. These boxes are gateways to internet media. If you will be playing saved media, perhaps you are better off with a media player.
If you want storage, there's a seller in eBay US that sells modded Apple TV Gen 1 that has 500GB of storage. Very neat conversion, as I bought one myself and it works perfectly.
I don't want a lot of storage. Just enough for one or two movies. In essence think of it as a 1-movie cache. I can store the movies long-term on my external HD or iMac. The internet connection just is not as smooth as need be for pure streaming.
If it can play 1080p and has surround sound I do not see why you shouldn't consider getting one. Make sure it either supports optical out or HDMI 1.4 ARC for good surround sound Whether apps is a consideration is up to you. -- A cheaper alternative is if your TV has a USB slot then the better way is to have a drive plugged directly onto your TV rather than a separate media box. (Also most DVD players these days have a USB slot, be sure to check yours if it comes with your TV set)
Can I stream the movies, music and apps already in my Macs, iPad, iPhone and iTunes Match to that cheap Android box? I can't? Oh you mean it is just a cheaper version of WDD Live, Popcorn Hour and all those pre-"post PC" "media hubs" that can't mirror everything else I do? But hey, if it's from CDR King, it plug and pray.
Plug and Pray. I like that. Back to topic, my AppleTV works perfectly - no need to download torrents when all the tv shows I want stream using Netflix and Playmo.tv. The service per month costs less than an actual movie date with my fiance. And the service works fine on my 1.5mbps PLDT DSL connection.
Yes... You can install Cheapcast I used to own one of these Android boxes... It can do anything (except for turn by turn navigation, since it has no GPS )... I even installed my old PC Camera and used our living room TV for Skype... Reasons why I threw it away after a month... Using it with the included remote control is such a pain... Seller recommended that I purchase a BT Keyboard/Mouse! It has a forked version of Android... My Google account has so much information (credit card, etc). I believe mine ran on ICS which wasn't as smooth as Jelly Bean
