Cutting the cord, best media box?

[adam c]

I've decided to cancel my Telus TV and Internet subscription and will be moving to straight internet with VMedia, I currently have Netflix and will probably sign up for CraveTV aswell...

Now, most streaming devices have Netflix but either I'm not looking hard enough or they don't exist, but I can't find one that also has CraveTV built into it.

I've been primarily looking at the Roku devices but I'm new to this area only having a Chromecast which I'm not entirely in love with. I'm also looking for a device that my wife and 7yo can use easily

[spike98]

Anything that runs Android TV will have CraveTV

Id suggest the MiBox

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...bTJzW0pL6vmxvw

[2Legit2Quit]

Does the roku 3 allow one to load movies onto removable storage to be played through it?

Wish the Amazon fire tv media player was sold in Canada...

[navdeep]

i did have a box that runs android , but just switched to the new apple tv 4. it's amazing much faster also have live streaming. plus the 1800 plus apps

[Sdeibert]

I got tired of the boxes and Apple TV, finally got a Mac Mini last year. Upgraded the ram and HD to SSD. It's just as quiet as a box and with it being a computer you're not as limited.

The usuals can be done, Kodi, Netflix, Crave, Hulu whatever else there is but the part I like best is Open Emu. You can use most controllers (I use 2 PS4 ones) and now you can play retro games. NES, Sega and such.

I use AirServer so I can still AirPlay if needed and with the AppStore at your disposal there are tons of other games/apps.

The only caveat is you will need a keyboard and mouse to set it up initially, after that I use RowMote on your device and MacMini as a keyboard/mouse. I also have a Mouse for everyday use.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Nothing I've seen comes close to the Nvidia Shield Android TV if you want the 'best' media box with the greatest flexibility short of just using a full on PC, and it's getting a minor refresh this January. Incredibly easy to use as well. Even if you only stream, it's nice to have something that is instant-fast with everything and pre-buffers all your streaming content in an extremely polished environment. If you also download shows, use Kodi, or need to send proper HD audio to a home theater etc. it's a no brainer. 4K/60FPS HDR support, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, and all the other future-proof goodies. The games you can play on it are quite impressive as well, they have several that I imagine would be pretty fun for 7 year olds and of course also adults.

[JordanEG6]

BUMP

I'm thinking about cutting the cord as well and thinking about picking up an Nvidia Shield. I have 3 TVs, in addition to cable, one has Roku and the other two have Chromecasts. I use these for Plex and casting for Youtube or anything on my phone. Couple noob questions:

- Would the Shield be the be-all-end-all streaming device for everything I can stream?
- Can I get sports, live TV (network channels/news)?
- Do I need 3 devices for each TV? or can I just use one?
- Can I 'cast' anything through the device onto different TVs?

Any help would be appreciated

[Mitsu3000gt]

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BUMP

I'm thinking about cutting the cord as well and thinking about picking up an Nvidia Shield. I have 3 TVs, in addition to cable, one has Roku and the other two have Chromecasts. I use these for Plex and casting for Youtube or anything on my phone. Couple noob questions:

- Would the Shield be the be-all-end-all streaming device for everything I can stream?
- Can I get sports, live TV (network channels/news)?
- Do I need 3 devices for each TV? or can I just use one?
- Can I 'cast' anything through the device onto different TVs?

Any help would be appreciated

1) Yes, by far, but it still has limitations with Sports. The most recent update also added the full blown Google Assistant.
2) Sports is still the hardest thing to get on any streaming device. For a flawless experience you are still going to need NHL game center or similar. Kodi or other casting sources can still be used for streams but those are never ideal and still bound by regional restrictions unless you have an IP service.
3) The Shield has google casting functionality, so you don't need anything additional. It can do anything your Chromecast can do. You would need one per TV unless you use a HDMI switch and have a way of running the cables.
4) I don't think you can cast from one Shield onto another TV in another room, but I have never tried. You can of course cast anything from your phone or other similar device to the Shield for display on a TV.

[JordanEG6]

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1) Yes, by far, but it still has limitations with Sports. The most recent update also added the full blown Google Assistant.
2) Sports is still the hardest thing to get on any streaming device. For a flawless experience you are still going to need NHL game center or similar. Kodi or other casting sources can still be used for streams but those are never ideal and still bound by regional restrictions unless you have an IP service.
3) The Shield has google casting functionality, so you don't need anything additional. It can do anything your Chromecast can do. You would need one per TV unless you use a HDMI switch and have a way of running the cables.
4) I don't think you can cast from one Shield onto another TV in another room, but I have never tried. You can of course cast anything from your phone or other similar device to the Shield for display on a TV.

Thanks for response!

Last question. Do the remotes work solely through the IR receiver on the box or on the TV as well? If the latter, having one box is definitely doable.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Thanks for response!

Last question. Do the remotes work solely through the IR receiver on the box or on the TV as well? If the latter, having one box is definitely doable.

The remotes are not IR and do not require line of sight to work. They only work with the Shield, you aren't going to be able to use them to control the TV directly, but you can control the volume still through the Shield if you want which will affect the TV volume. You can also disable volume control completely so the Shield is always at max and the volume is handled exclusively through your TV or A/V receiver.

[Darell_n]

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The remotes are not IR and do not require line of sight to work. They only work with the Shield, you aren't going to be able to use them to control the TV directly, but you can control the volume still through the Shield if you want which will affect the TV volume. You can also disable volume control completely so the Shield is always at max and the volume is handled exclusively through your TV or A/V receiver.

Yes, this is the interlinking of HDMI components. With my iPhone I can open Sportsnet Now on my basement computer via Google Remote Desktop, Chromecast it to my Shield TV which powers on my stereo receiver, TV and begins playing my live sports.

[Star1995]

I use a bunch of boxes,

Apple TV in the Living room for NHL along with the usual YouTube and what not. NHL app randomly shuts down.
Nvidia Shield in the Living room for Kodi no NHL on the Shield. Solid for Kodi and accessing my network to stream from a PC
Roku upstairs for NHL Youtube. No Kodi.
Minix upstairs for Kodi, not as good as the Shield but that could be some setting that I'm not familiar with. Runs Windows 10 which wants to update every week or two.

I don't watch Netflix, Crave TV or any other "paid" service. IMO there is just too many free movies, TV shows, Sports out there that I don't feel the need to give money away. I suggest you learn about Kodi but keep something else along with Kodi as Kodi can be frustrating at times.

[firebane]

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I suggest you learn about Kodi but keep something else along with Kodi as Kodi can be frustrating at times.

This is not a fault of Kodi it is the fault of the bundled addons that people ADD to it. Kodi is nothing more than a multi-os front end with media capabilities that is very bare bones.

All these "Kodi" boxes is a setup a "company" has created with a bunch of pre-packaged crap and when that fails they assume its Kodi and it isn't.

[imhungry]

Not completely cutting the cord or getting rid a large telco completely.... but an option. TELUS launched Pik TV recently. Full Android Box functionality with ability to subscribe to channels (sports).

https://www.telus.com/en/ab/tv/pik/?linktype=nav

[Darell_n]

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