Android tv sticks

[Downunder35m]

One thing I started to hate about those "cheap" offers is that they come with basically nothing.
Apart from a proper remote some even lack the needed OTG adapter cable and list it as an extra in the manual.
Also the nice "gaming features" are mostly a joke, ok there are games you could play with a crappy remote but the fun is drained fast.
There are few nice combos available that have a good sized keyboard within the remote as well as a touchpad.
Makes using the android system and apps much easier.
The funny thing is that those sticks in Europe are barely used.
Even entry level TV's offer WiFi connectivity and Internet access (some even with cable connection), something we can only enjoy on the lates models at high prices...

[jakeyboy]

I bought the minix x7 quad core.with the fw it came with it was very unstable.i then installed another cam being the quickshot v2 and now it is brilliant.it plays 1080p connected to wifi using xbmc.

[MM_VCD]

Downunder35m:

cheap models are very nasty, but if u spend few dollars more you get proper stuff.
you are wrong that in europe hardly anyone using them, best support comes from UK and from over all europe, just have look on feeds in XBMC.
why to sell your tv and buy new one ??? if I can have for $100.00 all stuff, also you cannot set up on smart tv XBMC.

[viewer]

Just an update, as well as a fishing expedition...

My sticks purchase has again been put thru' the paypal resolution centre again...not much luck getting anywhere with some of these ebay sellers. Naturally have been looking thru' sites like aliexpress etc in the meantime.

A couple of the things I am interested in doing, involves the mk devices and similar, as well as chromecast type dongles and Tronsmart T1000 type of thingo's.

I would like to be able to mirror my two tablets ( Sero Pro and Samsung Note 10.1) to the big tv, but from what I understand (?) an MK device can't do this, and an independent dongle is needed. My Sero Pro 7 ( works great) is only Android 4.2.1 and does not have the miracast function in display, and apparently is unsupported by the developers, as well as no known update in the wind.

I would also like to mirror a well known stream exclusive to samsung tablets, to the big tv, but am unsure if this is possible with either the mk devices or the chromecast or tronsmarts dongles? If anyone wishes to discuss that part/assist, maybe pm would be best?

I'm interested to hear from those people using these sticks and dongles for what they do with them, as well as using for other purposes.

I have joined Freaktab, but the willingness for their membership to provide newbie information is a bit slow at the moment...I keep trying...

I have found this place interesting as well..
is a google + site if the link don't work...GOOGLE ANDROID/NEXUS TV XBMC CHROMECAST

If anyone has some info for a newbie, and whether I should continue to proceed further, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[viewer]

[viewer]

Update again...

Paypal has again refunded me my 2 latest attempted purchases.

[gulliver]

Still waiting for my $19.99 lol

[loanrangiel]

Are any of these sticks any good ? , i like the idea of a straight plug in to HDMI and not another box near the tv - maybe the RPi is the way to go.

[viewer]

I have had my Tronsmart T1000 for about a week or so, and it is fairly simple to use.
I put ezcast app on the tablets, and it does everything it is intended to do, no problems with connectivity and dropouts.
No need for a power supply, as long as you have a usb slot on your tv to supply it with the necessary juice.
Does not seem to get hot at all.
Connection fairly quick with ezcast. Seems to save your password details for next log on etc.
Options are there for resolution, language, update( I did it straight off) etc.
Supports mirror function IF your tablet supports it...my tablets don't...grrr
Sometimes if I throw an HD movie at it , it will buffer for 10 seconds or so, then runs smoothly thereafter.
My suggestion to do with any of these devices, is to buy a patch/extension cable to run your stick to, as getting to the back of the tv to put in the hdmi connector can be a right pain if located like mine.

Anyhow...there's some info for you.

[viewer]

Some more info on the Tronsmart.

I have spent the last 2 days trying to figure out how to use xmbc on the pc Win 7, put addons in etc.

I then discovered I could stream xmbc to the big tv with the tronsmart, by installing ezcast for windows on to my pc. Ezcast pc automatically found the tronsmart, just having to add the ssid and password,and now I can wireless mirror to the tv.

That was a big thing to me, but probably nothing to other people...hmm.

I had no stuttering or anything, and watching the xmbc streams on the big telly was a buzz, not ever being able to do that before, and without having cables running everywhere.

I got my unit from here, and it arrived very smartly


Anyhow, small steps from me, but I'm sure more play time to come. My prime target is to get the sports uk streams to work on xmbc, as many of them do not load. Once that is worked out, and the favourites saved, I'll be well pleased.

Over n out

[Downunder35m]

So what is actuall better in real life - something like the Tronsmart or an Android TV stick with airmous/keyboard?
Considering I still use my phone/tablet screen the feel should better.
How about playing a game on the big TV? Works ok with HD games?

[viewer]

I haven't got a google stick, so can't help with that.

With the tronsmart, I can use my mouse etc via the existing pc to control things, as the mouse and joystick are rf to the pc. What gets shown on the pc monitor is on the tv.

The tronsmart has no facility to plug in an sd card or a bluetooth/rf transmitter, as such, it is only able to reproduce what your tv / tablet / phone has, onto the big screen. The google sticks do have these other inputs.

If the google sticks have miracast, ezcast built in, then perhaps they may be the better option for versatility, but not having one leaves me in the dark...perhaps another member may shed light for you?

Have not tried a game yet, just trying to come to terms with xbmc and it at the moment.

I did stream a movie to the tronsmart from the pc last night, and all went perfectly.

It appears it would be an easy device to take somewhere with you if you were on holidays, or at a friends house, combine it with a phone or tablet with some movies/music on your sd card or internal memory, and away you go.

[Downunder35m]

Was thinking off those long weekends in the bush where everyone too some video of the action.
Would be great to just plug a beamer in and let everyone show the good stuff while sitting around the fire.
AFAIK most Android TV sticks also offer some WiFi casting options but it seems they have massive problems with HD content while streming it over WiFi.
Also they only come with very limited remotes and at least a good airmouse with keyboard is needed as an extra if you want to make good use of it.
No idea if you could use your mobile to control such a stick
Obviously something that does it all would be great, mirror your device on the TV but if you need use it as a stand alone Android system.
Maybe something will pop up in a few weeks, technology moves so fast these days that it is hard to keep track...

[viewer]

I streamed a full HD movie last night, it never twitched or buffered throughout...and all I used was wifi. I just tried the same HD video from tablet to the telly,100% again.
The tronsmart is different, in that android sticks have their antenna embedded within the stick, whereby this one has its antenna at the end of a lead, see this picture.You can place the lead anywhere, rather than the back of a tv, ala the google sticks, and as such, reception is great.

[allover]

viewer, what is the sound like?

[viewer]

Sound was ok, but I only had the unit connected straight to the tv, thus simple sound thru' its speakers.
Normally I have all sound going through my Yamaha Home Theatre amp, however, it is of the older variety, and has no HDMI connections on it, so I am a little snookered there.
There is no other outlets for audio on the dongle, so that does not help me either.
It just connects straight into the hdmi port of whatever you connect it to.
Maybe I need a cable that has rca composite/component cables on one end,connect them to my amp, a female HDMI connector on the other end, and then connect that to the male hdmi end of the dongle? I\ll have to see if there is such a cable?

One thing you can do, is use this device, via the pc Ezecast app, to mirror your image of Foxtel Go to the big tv. The drawback is that "Go" sees this as another device, so if you already have 2 devices in use, you then need to deregister your tablet or mobile ( as allowed), to enable the dongle to work.

Back to the sound, I need to sort out a work-around, as I don't want to listen to just the tv speakers, especially after using an amp on everything else.

[pheggie]

Doesn't your TV have an optical pass through sometimes a little cable that came with the TV needs to plug in to TV with an optical socket on it?

[viewer]

Thanks pheggie,
Had to pull the telly around.
Yes it has optical out.
Do I just buy an optical/toslink cable and connect that to my amp where it says OPTICAL 1 DVD or OPTICAL 2 DTV/CABLE or 3 CD ??
Never played with them before.

[allover]

Why this thread has caught my attention is because i want to to put what is on the screen of my PC (AFL) onto a projector via an amplifier, I can go direct to the projector but that does not solve the commentary as the speakers on the projector are crap, if any one has any ideas, would be pleased to hear

[pheggie]

Thanks pheggie,
Had to pull the telly around.
Yes it has optical out.
Do I just buy an optical/toslink cable and connect that to my amp where it says OPTICAL 1 DVD or OPTICAL 2 DTV/CABLE or 3 CD ??
Never played with them before.

A Toslink cable in either of those optical inputs would be okay whatever is free both would work.