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+--- Thread: Best Kodi Media Player Options 2024 (/showthread.php?tid=376035)
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-03-29
I'm not using CEC with Ugoos & CE. I leave my box on all the time, and use CEC/IR combination with my other gear (projector, AVRs) to turn on/off. And, have a Fire TV remote paired via Bluetooth to navigate around Kodi/CE.
On dual boot option on the Ugoos eMMc, done entirely via SSH using PuTTY. Just followed the last set of instructions here (under 'Unsupported devices'). After install, when you power up box, it goes directly into CE/Kodi, and you can add an option in CE/Kodi to reboot to NAND to switch over to the Android OS.
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - Toad King - 2024-04-01
I've seen a couple people say you can't wake up the AM6B+ from standby but I have no problem doing so from my Bravia X93L. It doesn't wake out automatically on TV power-on but it does when you switch to the HDMI input it's attached to, and sometimes it takes a minute before remote controls work but I've noticed that with all CEC controls on this TV.
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - banggun - 2024-04-05
Just having another check in. I'm wondering if the list can be updated by reporting the players ability to render Kodi GUI in 4K resolution. I'm currently using the Dune 8K and when it comes to pure video playback I guess it beats out almost any other player on the list however it's ability to being limited render only 1080P interfaces makes it feel more like a player from the early 2010 rather then latest state of art player. Of course rendering the UI at a higher resolution might also impact on how snappy it performs. Given the rather limited information on this though I can imagine this might be valuable information to some potential buyers out there. I can currently personally vouch that the Nvidia shield allows for 4k GUI support (despite being ran on Android TV 11). The Dune 8K is however limited to 1080P. I know the Zidoo Z9X pro to have the same limitation (both ZDMC and Kodi app).
Of course the players ability to run CoreElec may also open the players ability to render GUI in 4K, it could also be a plus for some users out there....
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - clarkss12 - 2024-04-05
(2024-03-29, 16:36)hdmkv Wrote: I'm not using CEC with Ugoos & CE. I leave my box on all the time, and use CEC/IR combination with my other gear (projector, AVRs) to turn on/off. And, have a Fire TV remote paired via Bluetooth to navigate around Kodi/CE.Since you have had an opportunity to test the Ugoos box running true TV-led Dolby Vision, is it worth the purchase?? Also, what is your advice about Homatic box that you purchased for testing Dolby Vision??
On dual boot option on the Ugoos eMMc, done entirely via SSH using PuTTY. Just followed the last set of instructions here (under 'Unsupported devices'). After install, when you power up box, it goes directly into CE/Kodi, and you can add an option in CE/Kodi to reboot to NAND to switch over to the Android OS.
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-04-06
(2024-04-05, 21:26)clarkss12 Wrote: Since you have had an opportunity to test the Ugoos box running true TV-led Dolby Vision, is it worth the purchase?? Also, what is your advice about Homatic box that you purchased for testing Dolby Vision??Yes, worth a purchase. Had been mostly oblivious to the affected DV FEL titles that exhibit issues in most players that only support MEL. But, once you start noticing them, you can't unsee them. One of the most obvious examples suggested is the intro of 'Saving Private Ryan', the cemetery sequence. With MEL only, the brightness level in the cloudy sky keeps shifting. With proper FEL, the brightness stays consistent. Another example: in the 'Power Rangers (2017)' UHD (bought this crappy movie just to test), in the end credits roll, the text color appears faded w/o FEL. With, it looks solid white and bright. You'll find those and more examples here, along with a link in one of the tabs to numerous Google Drive with test files. Maintained by @Salty01 at AVSForum. I'll planning to test with this FEL clip from Spears & Munsil as well.
Instead of consolidating, I now have even more media players for different use cases:
- Ugoos w/CoreELEC: Anything 4K DV & HDR10+
- Fire TV Cube 3: Family friendly for Kodi use and streaming apps, and anything AV1 & VP9 codecs
- Dune HD: Most SD & HDR with upscaling & Dolby VS10, and full 3D
The Homatics box is good, but didn't blow my socks off. It isn't a Shield TV Pro nor Fire TV Cube 3 killer, at least in terms of Android performance. Not slow on its own, but noticeably slower in comparison to those two, like navigating around Kodi with large libraries. It has HDR10+, which Shield doesn't. It does CoreELEC via USB, with DV working, but still isn't as snappy as Ugoos or even a generic S905X4 box with CE installed into the internal flash/NAND. Of course, with a generic box, you lose DV. Overall, good, but not better, alternative to Shield TV Pro or Fire TV Cube 3. I still have my Homatics box if you want it
.(2024-04-05, 15:34)banggun Wrote: I'm wondering if the list can be updated by reporting the players ability to render Kodi GUI in 4K resolution.Sure, I can add this. Even if a player can support 4K GUI resolution well, I still use 1080p to help improve performance for Kodi navigation. Any player other than Shield TV Pro you've had success with keeping GUI at 4K?
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - clarkss12 - 2024-04-06
@hdmkv, Thanks for that information. I am really struggling to get the Ugoos, for testing.
Edit: Does the Ugoos play Dolby Vision natively?? I have searched for that answer, but did not find it. I see that the newer boxes with the newest S928X/J from Ugoos still don't show that they play Dolby Vision videos natively.
In other words, how many Ugoos boxes have the Dolby Vison certs??
Any why can't your Homatics play DV with true TV-led??
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-04-06
Yes, Ugoos plays TV-led P7 DV natively with CoreELEC NG 20.5 or 21 nightly (I'm using the latter). Instructions are here. Your options are:
Ugoos AM6B+ (got mine from AliExpress)
Minix U22X-J
Amazon Fire TV Cube 2nd gen (but, must be rooted)
Looks like TV-led DV is also working under Android w/the latest Ugoos AM8. Maybe at some point with the Dune HD Pro One 8K Plus you have as well. So far, can't even install CoreELEC it appears.
Unfortunately, Homatics is doing fake TV-led like many other media players.
RE: Kodi Media Players State of the Union: Best Options in 2024 - banggun - 2024-04-06
(2024-04-06, 01:07)hdmkv Wrote:(2024-04-05, 15:34)banggun Wrote: I'm wondering if the list can be updated by reporting the players ability to render Kodi GUI in 4K resolution.Sure, I can add this. Even if a player can support 4K GUI resolution well, I still use 1080p to help improve performance for Kodi navigation. Any player other than Shield TV Pro you've had success with keeping GUI at 4K?
Nothing I personally own. But from what I've heard some Fire TV devices seem to be able to pull this off as well I might consider getting the cube if it does this well enough but I'm a bit concerned about it's network speeds...
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - gpmc - 2024-04-09
Hi there,
just ordered Ugoos AM6B+ and trying to download Coreelec 21.0 from the website but in the Downloader Helper there is no img file to get when selecting Ugoos AM6.
May somebody provide a working link to the installation files?
Thank you!
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Sholander - 2024-04-09
It's not ready yet, so it's not published.
Go to CoreElec forum for more info.
Edit: it's up as of now CE 21.0 Omega
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - miroshi - 2024-04-10
At the moment I use a 4k smart TV who support YouTube and payment streaming services (I do not use them) and Odroid N2+. In a moment Kodi stop the support for N2 I will probably get Vero. In my opinion this is the sweet spot setup. The single device solution can be be tricky.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Sholander - 2024-04-10
(2024-04-10, 11:25)miroshi Wrote: At the moment I use a 4k smart TV who support YouTube and payment streaming services (I do not use them) and Odroid N2+. In a moment Kodi stop the support for N2 I will probably get Vero. In my opinion this is the sweet spot setup. The single device solution can be be tricky.
Kodi is not "made" for Odroid N2, so why do you think it will stop supporting it?
Btw, new versions of Kodi run without problem on much older hardware, so what's your worry?
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - miroshi - 2024-04-10
(2024-04-10, 12:01)Sholander Wrote:My mistake - I mean CoreElec(2024-04-10, 11:25)miroshi Wrote: At the moment I use a 4k smart TV who support YouTube and payment streaming services (I do not use them) and Odroid N2+. In a moment Kodi stop the support for N2 I will probably get Vero. In my opinion this is the sweet spot setup. The single device solution can be be tricky.
Kodi is not "made" for Odroid N2, so why do you think it will stop supporting it?
Btw, new versions of Kodi run without problem on much older hardware, so what's your worry?
Somewhere in their forum was mentioned CE 20 will be the last one for N2+.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Sholander - 2024-04-10
Your Big mistake, because that information you read is fake-info; fresh Kodi 21.0 Omega final is just out for Odroid N2.
On their forum, according to developers (no fake info
with CoreElec "no" version a 64 bit Kodi 21 Omega running on new kernel is in preparation, and it's nightlies already work on Odroid N2. It is planed that coming Kodi 22, whose development just started, will be included in CE 22 with 64 bit Kodi version.They are reluctant to abort development for N2 because it is still a very strong workhorse with it's hardware, and since a lot of them are still in use, so you'll be covered for at least 2 to 2 1/2 years...
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-04-10
Think it would be good to add ODROID-N2/N2+ to the list in post #1. I used to have a N2 a while back & recall it being a very capable CE box. Has been a while though, so could someone list pros/cons with it as an option? And N2+ vs N1 performance differences. Thanks.