Good entry level media box?

naughty001 said:
few things to note about the mi box S 3rd gen :

1) it doesn't have ethernet - it only has Wi-fi

snip...
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Thanks, I remember that was my issue when the very first Mi box came out.
My lounge is already hardwired and the fast AP's on the other side of the house. Ethernet is non-negotiable.

That said, USB to Eth isn't that expensive, but then if you only have 1 USB port... that feels like sacrificing too much just to get a 'name brand'. By the time I've bought all those accessories I may as well get a more expensive box.
 
rh1 said:
So far with a budget of R1k, someone already recommended Apple.

For R1k, I would dip my toes in Apple.

My 2c
The device must be google certified. It must have enough ram and storage. App updates takes space.

Then nice to have: lan and usb ports

Depend on how much of an audiophile you are, you might look at the outputs. There was some serious discussions on these forums. Luckily, I dont care so never bothered.
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Yes Google certified gives Chromecast. My 2nd gen Chromecast is getting very long in the tooth. Hence this thread in fact.
Not essential but would prefer it.

I've given up on most of my audiophilia. I've settled for HDMI audio.
 
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IamNoone said:
Agree fully.

I have drives with a lot of content not available anywhere as well. It has taken me decades to curate my library, and it is backed up on additional drives just in case.

What streaming service shows Mork and Mindi or Perfect Strangers or the original Quantum Leap or The Pretender?
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Netflix and Prime did show Monk up until recently
 
K3NS31 said:
Thanks, I remember that was my issue when the very first Mi box came out.
My lounge is already hardwired and the fast AP's on the other side of the house. Ethernet is non-negotiable.

That said, USB to Eth isn't that expensive, but then if you only have 1 USB port... that feels like sacrificing too much just to get a 'name brand'. By the time I've bought all those accessories I may as well get a more expensive box.
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You could just set up a mesh network. More devices support wireless than don't nowadays.
Rather have a strong wireless network setup.
 
Lupus said:
You could just set up a mesh network. More devices support wireless than don't nowadays.
Rather have a strong wireless network setup.
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Wi-Fi is fine if you have your own home router in your own home - so it depends entirely on the setup and where you stay .... for example i live in a retirement home and there are approximately 120 rooms with 150 or so residents plus staff (cleaning staff, kitchen staff, laundry staff etc as well as caregivers and nurses) so almost 250 people all competing for the wi-fi - and the ethernet works way better (theres a wall point connected to each room for the TV streaming) so in those circumstances the ethernet is a compulsory requirement though that isn't the case for everyone on this forum but there are times when circumstances are less than ideal and you are forced to think out of the same box as everyone else .... this is why i invested in the hub and ethenet adapter for the mi-box 2nd gen which i got for R899 or R999 at the time, and why i kept the accessories and just moved on to the 3rd gen

while this just an example there is very rarely a "one size fits all" solution for everybody out there - i think that everyone needs to look at their own circumstances and decide based on that what will work best for them
 
Stop ovethinking it. Jusy get the Xiaomi mibox 2nd gen with a usb converter and you are sorted. You don't need anything else. The time you spend wondering about it you could have made more money on the side working.
 
Mi box 2/3 with a decent AP from carb. Sorted
 
Tman* said:
You make the hoarders seem dumb and out of touch.

You buy monthly subscriptions, and need to keep buying even more expensive subscriptions to avoid seeing ads.
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No apart from Netflix and Youtube Premium which I share with the family I only pay R40 p/m for Torbox and nothing for Offcloud. Real Debrid is only R60 as well.
 
Smiggles said:
No apart from Netflix and Youtube Premium which I share with the family I only pay R40 p/m for Torbox and nothing for Offcloud. Real Debrid is only R60 as well.
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So "only" about +-R450pm

So essentially you can pay off your entry level media box in 2 months.
 
Smiggles said:
What does a bunch of hard drives and electricity cost? Nevermind the time to keep it all running and updated.
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A bunch? days are gone of needing an array of external storage. I run a single 8TB drive (which is sufficient for my needs) off a N100 mini pc that uses a whopping 15w

Been running Windows 8, 24/7 for years now without a hitch. Using the likes of Sonarr and Radarr also reduces time to update media.
 
Why not chuck the drives in a NAS and run Plex or Jellyfin instead of hooking them all up to the TV box?
 
RedViking said:
Stop ovethinking it. Jusy get the Xiaomi mibox 2nd gen with a usb converter and you are sorted. You don't need anything else. The time you spend wondering about it you could have made more money on the side working.
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Overthinking is my middle name. Unfortunately.
 
Thanks for all the input guys.
To those voting for wifi and giving tips - thanks but I'm well versed in networking and would've setup a high-speed mesh long ago if I needed one. My lounge has been hardwired for years and no next wifi network's gonna match that stability.

As for the main topic - I'll buy a mid to high-level Android box this weekend - hopefully TAL will have a sale, if not, they seem to all be similar prices anyway. I'll just have to bite the bullet - it's not crazy money. Probably go for that Nova or similar.

At least this discussion helped me crystalize what features I want/ need.
 
K3NS31 said:
Jul 4, 2025
Thanks for all the input guys.
To those voting for wifi and giving tips - thanks but I'm well versed in networking and would've setup a high-speed mesh long ago if I needed one. My lounge has been hardwired for years and no next wifi network's gonna match that stability.

As for the main topic - I'll buy a mid to high-level Android box this weekend - hopefully TAL will have a sale, if not, they seem to all be similar prices anyway. I'll just have to bite the bullet - it's not crazy money. Probably go for that Nova or similar.

At least this discussion helped me crystalize what features I want/ need.
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and?
 
SauRoNZA said:
Apple TV is first prize
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I've still got to work how to tell my neighbour that bought an Apple TV based on my recommendation just 4.5 years ago, that's not getting the latest interface :( He's already upset that he's got no FaceTime or HDR10+, but I suspect this lack on a new interface is going to have him question 'the latest updates'
 
Dolby said:
I've still got to work how to tell my neighbour that bought an Apple TV based on my recommendation just 4.5 years ago, that's not getting the latest interface :( He's already upset that he's got no FaceTime or HDR10+, but I suspect this lack on a new interface is going to have him question 'the latest updates'
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Did the Nvidia Shield get the latest interface? AFAIK it's still stuck on Android 11.
 
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