Are Android Tv boxes really needed anymore?

[kennethk]

Hey all sorry if this wouldn't be the right section to ask here kinda new.

 

I was kind of thinking as someone who was amazed that I could grab a .avi off my old eMachine rig and transfer it over to a Xbox 360 in it's early release days as a kid I was amazed by that and just starting to learn everything you could do with hardware yes back then I didn't have much money to explore other options but since technology has grown around me I've come to learn and love external players such as Nvidia shields or even a decent spec'd android box straight out the China.

 

Though it's kind of got me thinking with smart TVs starting to get bigger and we'll smarter will we really have much of a need for external devices? Don't get me wrong I love my Nvidia shield but a lot of TVs already have android built into them now days, even rokus are getting better with their channel line up. Some older folks I know are still paying $100 for basic TV which you could get a decent media app set up for like half that. Hulu or your favorite media app for example.

 

It just has me wondering if anymore all we'll need is a TV and a router no other additional boxes. Given the fact a stand alone TV may not be as higher speced as say something external like the shields it still gets the job done. To be honest all I mostly use external android boxes for are just some emulation here and their.

 

Just some wondering thoughts about the future.

[tkitch]

the simplest solution is to drop mp4's onto a USB Stick and plug it into your TV.  

[IkeaGnome]

My main TV is plugged into ethernet in case I want to watch something on my plex, but it usually just has Youtube, D+, or Prime Video on. 

[Fasauceome]

I like buying the non-smart TV's because many have an implementation of a smart device that I am not really partial to. A cheap used smart device and a "dumb" TV is my go to. Chromecast and Roku sticks can be had on eBay for a pretty low price.

[Senzelian]

Google as an example has been working on integrating Android TV into as many TVs as possible, but so far only Sony has really started implementing it.

If they manage to get a deal with Samsung or LG, it would be really big and we would probably start to see the fall of Roku and the likes.

[tikker]

If all you do is stream Netflix, most likely no. However LG, for example, decided DTS support was no longer needed after the C9. Those kinds of lack of support for high-end audio codecs and such do still give them a reason to exist. If only Nvidia would fix the HDCP issue causing these long signal losses when e.g. switching between HDR and SDR, the Shield would be the ultimate media box to me.

[Donut417]

15 minutes ago, kennethk said:

thoughts about the future.

Most smart TV's have crappy software. Guys like Roku, Google, Apple, etc just do a better job. Even LG's software is pretty ok. Its also a preference thing. 

[Nayr438]

Yes.

• Most TV's are speceed in a way that barely meet the needs of the Smart Functionality they ship with
• A lot of TV's still ship a proprietary system built on Java that most manufactures don't offer long term support for.
• TV's that ship with Roku or Android are subject to the same problems that face smart phones and tablets.
• Smart TV's offer more room for failure points.
• It's Cheaper to upgrade or replace a streaming device than a TV.

[cacoe]

Yes they're necessary because even your brand spanky new top of the line TV you buy today is going to suck in a few years. Granted if you can afford that, you're probably the kind of person who will replace it, but for me, I splashed out in 2015 on an Android TV that could only get by in the first place, moved over to a Fire Cube about a year ago, and will probably replace the TV in a couple of years. 

 

Also, to the person that suggested MP4 via USB sticks, Plex will blow your mind (to play your legal rips of movies you own that have been ripped in your country where this is legal), but I won't go into further detail on that.

[kennethk]

2 minutes ago, cacoe said:

Yes they're necessary because even your brand spanky new top of the line TV you buy today is going to suck in a few years. Granted if you can afford that, you're probably the kind of person who will replace it, but for me, I splashed out in 2015 on an Android TV that could only get by in the first place, moved over to a Fire Cube about a year ago, and will probably replace the TV in a couple of years. 

 

Also, to the person that suggested MP4 via USB sticks, Plex will blow your mind (to play your legal rips of movies you own that have been ripped in your country where this is legal), but I won't go into further detail on that.

I'd assume most people would upgrade TVs every 5 years or so but I doubt app support will stop instantly, besides the fact TVs are getting cheaper and cheaper. I managed to get a 65" onn tv on black Friday for $250. I know onn isn't the best given it's a Walmart brand but it's still a fact you can grab a decent TV now days for under $400 if you wait for a decent enough deal.

[cacoe]

1 minute ago, kennethk said:

I'd assume most people would upgrade TVs every 5 years or so but I doubt app support will stop instantly, besides the fact TVs are getting cheaper and cheaper. I managed to get a 65" onn tv on black Friday for $250. I know onn isn't the best given it's a Walmart brand but it's still a fact you can grab a decent TV now days for under $400 if you wait for a decent enough deal.

What's the actual smart experience like though? The one I bought in 2015 was £650, as a display, still looks great, one of the best old 1080p TV's, but even though it was more premium in it's class, it was severely underpowered for smart functions. 

[Donut417]

2 minutes ago, kennethk said:

I'd assume most people would upgrade TVs every 5 years

Thats because they build everything now days to be throw away. Our Microwave was $199 two years ago. Has had its control board replaced twice. The repair guy said it would cost $250 the next time it goes out. The fucked up thing is its a Maytag brand Microwave. At one time they used to be a good company. But now all this stuff is built as a throw away. 

[Alan G]

I have had a PC driving my PC for the past 10 years with a cablecard tuner as I still watch stuff on broadcast television.  I have a 1 TB HDD that I store content on.  It's a simple Pentium PC with a GTX 1030 GPU that can run 4K content.  I have control of the PC and am not beholden to Samsung software which can drop apps any time (older Samsung 'smart' TVs discontinued support for HBO Max).  The system works just fine and it runs 24/7.

[Fasauceome]

9 minutes ago, Caroline said:

Are those still being made? last time I tried to get a TV I gave up after days of browsing the net and visiting stores, and that was 2 years ago

Non-smart TV's? I got mine from best buy for around $120.

 

Smells like chinesium, I don't even recall the brand but bare minimum was what I was looking for.

 

Cheap Vizio stuff tends to work quite well. My last Vizio worked for about 14 years. My girlfriend's is still going for who knows how long

[kennethk]

Just now, cacoe said:

What's the actual smart experience like though? The one I bought in 2015 was £650, as a display, still looks great, one of the best old 1080p TV's, but even though it was more premium in it's class, it was severely underpowered for smart functions. 

It's a Roku based operating system I enjoy the functionality of it because I can still use my smartphone as a remote control. I know they can crap out at any given time. I still have an LG 40" I got like 10 years ago that I use a display for my PC.

[Kopaka]

Yes because I like seperation of concerns. I'll find the tv with the best picture quality and then the box with the best os, instead of potentially having to make compromises when considering both things in one device.

[Donut417]

17 minutes ago, Kopaka said:

Yes because I like seperation of concerns. I'll find the tv with the best picture quality and then the box with the best os, instead of potentially having to make compromises when considering both things in one device.

Or your built in Smart features go unsupported after a while and you need a new TV or a external box regardless. Thats why separate is always better. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Donut417

[CerealExperimentsLain]

*slaps the hood of the 3900X with GTX 1080 running Kodi plugged into the TV, a well as 199TB of UnRAID Storage* >:D

[Donut417]

Just now, CerealExperimentsLain said:

*slaps the hood of the 3900X with GTX 1080 running Kodi plugged into the TV, a well as 199TB of UnRAID Storage* >:D

Honestly I would love to run an HTPC. But my issue is between the Plex server, NAS, Gaming machine and MacBook I have crammed in to my room. I literally have no space and I bake to death all year round. 

[CerealExperimentsLain]

Just now, Donut417 said:

Honestly I would love to run an HTPC. But my issue is between the Plex server, NAS, Gaming machine and MacBook I have crammed in to my room. I literally have no space and I bake to death all year round. 

Yeah this one is in my living room so it just fits under the TV.  It also runs Steam in Big Picture Mode (Which I hope gets an update after 5 years with the Steam Deck coming) so it's also my main couch gaming machine.  But I got it to fit in an Ikea Kallax next to the consoles and like... And being a PC I can use some real dumb peripherals with it.

 

 

[Quackers101]

*slaps nvidia AI at all your problems*

"my 1080p content is now upscaled to 4K with the nvidia shield series"

 

wonder when they will release the updated or newer gen upscaling.

[TetraSky]

Smart TVs software usually can't be played around with, unless it's running a version of Android, but even there it's not perfect. 
You usually can't do more than what they decide you can do with your TV and they've also begun throwing extra ads at you on the interface, on the expensive TV you've bought.

An android TV box runs Android, you can sideload apks to it, is more "open" with what you can do with it and you just know for sure it will run Steam Remote Play as well as work with your controller.

 

I personally prefer a TV without smart functionality. I'm not paying extra for the privilege to be shown personalized ads and it spying on the built-in camera/microphone.

[BondiBlue]

1 hour ago, kennethk said:

I'd assume most people would upgrade TVs every 5 years or so but I doubt app support will stop instantly

Yes, it can. I bought a 60" Samsung smart TV in 2013 and it lost support for most apps within 2 years. 

[kennethk]

2 hours ago, BondiBlue said:

Yes, it can. I bought a 60" Samsung smart TV in 2013 and it lost support for most apps within 2 years. 

That was like 8 years ago though. Technology improves with time.

[BondiBlue]

9 minutes ago, kennethk said:

That was like 8 years ago though. Technology improves with time.

That was just one example. It's happened more recently as well.