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+--- Thread: Best Kodi Media Player Options 2024 (/showthread.php?tid=376035)
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - clarkss12 - 2024-08-26
(2024-08-26, 14:57)hdmkv Wrote:(2024-08-25, 20:19)clarkss12 Wrote: This is the remote I received with my Ugoos SK1, and I liked it so well, I purchased another one for a different device. Excellent price.Looks similar to a Google TV remote. Under CE, can you let us know which buttons work & don't? And know which can be re-mapped (like with Keymap Editor add-on) & not?
Original UGOOS UR02 BT Voice Remote Control Replacement for Ugoos X4 X4Q Cube Pro Extra TOX1 TOX3 TOX4 AM8 PRO AM6B PLUS TV Box - AliExpress
This is an amazing remote (for 8.19 USD). I tested CoreELEC using my new Ugoos SK1 that shipped with this remote.
I don't understand it, but it "seems" that the remote works with Bluetooth, even though I don't recall setting it up as a Bluetooth remote. It does NOT show up under the Bluetooth settings. The reason I say it MAY be connected via Bluetooth, I can point the remote 180 degrees the opposite direction and it works perfectly. When I first setup this box with CE, I added the "remote.confg" to the root of the CE drive. And that is for IR commands. Sooo, that is one sensitive remote, or the IR receiver on the SK1 box itself, is amazing. When I get my new remote, I will be testing in on my Ugoos AM6+ and will report my findings.
Ok back to the testing. I have never used the keymap maker addon, so something new I learned today.
This remote does NOT have dedicated pause/play buttons but the "OK" buttons works as it should for on screen pause/play controls. The "menu" button brings up the information menu. The "return" button obviously works, as does the "directional" ring around the OK button.
The "mute" button does NOT work.
However, I used the Keymap Editor app for the first time and programmed one of the "colored" buttons at the botton to bring up the "stats" for the video being played, which is awesome.
So, for an IR remote to be used with CoreELEC, it is amazing. I have dozens, and dozens of different remotes and Rii mini keypads. This is also a Google reference design, so it is reasonably comfortable to use. As in media players, there will NEVER be a holy grail for remote controls.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-08-26
Thanks... I ordered 2 here at $9.45 each shipped. Can you please share link to remote.confg for this?
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - clarkss12 - 2024-08-26
(2024-08-26, 17:37)hdmkv Wrote: Thanks... I ordered 2 here at $9.45 each shipped. Can you please share link to remote.confg for this?
Just sent you a PM with the link for the config file for that remote.
Edit: Dune HD is sending me this remote this week for testing. It has all of the buttons that are needed for a good media player experience.
Dune HD remote R4
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - MediaPi - 2024-08-26
I'd never buy anything from aliexpress that didn't have orders already and had reviews about it and the store had decent ratings. Yes you are covered if anything goes wrong BUT Chinese sellers love to undercut other vendors. so 50% is not going to happen, the margins aren't as high as that.
so even if it was a pricing error (never heard that before on aliexpress) , you'd still have to deal with contacting Aliexpress etc And the fact I told you that the seller details are deleted already gives you your answer lol
It was a scam, sellers don't delete pages, they could just re price them, this was AliExpress forcefully deleted the page. I know someone from coreelec has already been issued a refund.
even if it was a misprice, would you trust them giving you what you wanted? they aren't big companies so most likely they would have given you some very dodgy clone that doesn't have the right chip. then more frustration. buy from a reputable vendor from China. do your homework and use common sense. charging $40 lower than everyone is means it's a scam
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - mrcleeo - 2024-08-26
So, the "holy grail" for now is the Ugoos AM6B+...but it doesn't play av1 4k properly? I'm trying to gauge if I should get the ugoos now or wait to future proof.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-08-26
4K AV1 causes it to choke because it's trying to play it w/software decoding vs. the hardware decoding it doesn't have. I've gotten 1080p AV1 to play okay. I'd say get the AM6B+ as future boxes likely won't support full dual-layer FEL Dolby Vision; case in point, the recent AM8/AM8 Pro.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Draconix - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-26, 23:07)hdmkv Wrote: I'd say get the AM6B+ as future boxes likely won't support full dual-layer FEL Dolby Vision
This is correct, Dolby has patched the method that CoreELEC uses to achieve FEL, so boxes with newer processors will not have FEL unless Dolby changes their mind. I have a huge library and none of my videos are 4K AV1, but quite a few are Dolby Vision FEL and they look incredible. The Ugoos AM6B+ (with CoreELEC) absolutely is the holy grail of media players as of now, and I don't think you'll be disappointed with it.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - hdmkv - 2024-08-27
Yep. For me now, AM6B+ w/CE = almost all local media playback duties, including 3D. Fire TV Stick 4K Max/Cube 3 = online streaming and playing the few 4K AV1 files I've downloaded off YouTube, mostly music videos & PQ demos.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - mrcleeo - 2024-08-27
Thanks for the answers! I will order one now to replace my shield pro. I will retire that to my outdoor projector.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Cinephile - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-26, 20:00)MediaPi Wrote: And the fact I told you that the seller details are deleted already gives you your answer lol
What exactly has been deleted? The product page is still open, as is the store page. The number of followers also doubled overnight from 60 to 120+ which is a meaningless metric, but still worth mentioning. Perhaps it is a brand-new store that wants to disrupt the market by selling a limited quantity of products at a loss to gain traction? Who knows, really. But loss leader marketing isn't exactly a new strategy.
I'm not too worried because of the free return guarantee from AliExpress. If they send me a brick, I will get my money back and order again.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - mrcleeo - 2024-08-27
I got a flyDigi vader 4 controller from a new store on AliExpress and I Paid 36$ and it came. It's a 150$ Canadian controller. AliExpress is a roll of the dice. Sometimes it works out. If it works for you, I'll order from that dealer.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - scoobydooscollar - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-25, 05:34)Cinephile Wrote: AM6B+ for USD 83 delivered after discounts?!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007595718194.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.21ef1802L5wx8l
I took the plunge. I hope it wasn't too good to be true. Is there a way to authenticate the product on arrival?
I have bad news and good news for you....
You probably were scammed. I ordered one on Aug 10th for $89.42 from a different seller but with an identical posting and a few days was notified it had shipped. The tracking info said it shipped from California and was delivered to another address in California (I live in Louisiana). It was shipped via Fedex and the tracking info listed a shipping weight of 102 pounds. The delivery notification picture was of a very large box, obviously not a AM6B Plus.
I contacted Aliexpress and explained my case: I live in a different state, weight, the delivery picture etc. It took a few days, but the refund hit my PayPal account on Aug. 23rd.
A few days after I disputed my order the sellers "store" was taken down and the listing you ordered from popped up. I was watching to find the best price to reorder it. Maybe just a coincidence, maybe not.
Overall Aliexpress service was great. I'm now waiting on delivery from an AM6B Pluss from the official Ugoos store on Aliexpress.
Hopefully you come out better than I did and scored a deal but if not Aliexpress will back you up. If you do get an AMB6 I'll be ordering another.
Wishing you luck.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - scoobydooscollar - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-26, 17:12)clarkss12 Wrote:(2024-08-26, 14:57)hdmkv Wrote:(2024-08-25, 20:19)clarkss12 Wrote: This is the remote I received with my Ugoos SK1, and I liked it so well, I purchased another one for a different device. Excellent price.Looks similar to a Google TV remote. Under CE, can you let us know which buttons work & don't? And know which can be re-mapped (like with Keymap Editor add-on) & not?
Original UGOOS UR02 BT Voice Remote Control Replacement for Ugoos X4 X4Q Cube Pro Extra TOX1 TOX3 TOX4 AM8 PRO AM6B PLUS TV Box - AliExpress
This is an amazing remote (for 8.19 USD). I tested CoreELEC using my new Ugoos SK1 that shipped with this remote.
I don't understand it, but it "seems" that the remote works with Bluetooth, even though I don't recall setting it up as a Bluetooth remote. It does NOT show up under the Bluetooth settings. The reason I say it MAY be connected via Bluetooth, I can point the remote 180 degrees the opposite direction and it works perfectly. When I first setup this box with CE, I added the "remote.confg" to the root of the CE drive. And that is for IR commands. Sooo, that is one sensitive remote, or the IR receiver on the SK1 box itself, is amazing. When I get my new remote, I will be testing in on my Ugoos AM6+ and will report my findings.
Ok back to the testing. I have never used the keymap maker addon, so something new I learned today.
This remote does NOT have dedicated pause/play buttons but the "OK" buttons works as it should for on screen pause/play controls. The "menu" button brings up the information menu. The "return" button obviously works, as does the "directional" ring around the OK button.
The "mute" button does NOT work.
However, I used the Keymap Editor app for the first time and programmed one of the "colored" buttons at the botton to bring up the "stats" for the video being played, which is awesome.
So, for an IR remote to be used with CoreELEC, it is amazing. I have dozens, and dozens of different remotes and Rii mini keypads. This is also a Google reference design, so it is reasonably comfortable to use. As in media players, there will NEVER be a holy grail for remote controls.
I used the UR01 as Remote1 and UR02 as Remote2 config files when setting my CoreElec setup and used CEC to pair the UR02 with the box and the Play/Pause, skip forward/backward and the mute buttons all work. The only buttons that don't are the Web(red), Search(purple), and Music(green) that I can tell. I also paired one with my Nvidia Shield and it works great with it as well and is easy to remap.
I haven't tried to remap anything. I'll try that next when my new AM6B shows up, I don't want to break anything on this one since I'm loving it so much.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - Cinephile - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-27, 03:51)scoobydooscollar Wrote:Thanks, mate. That is some great insight. I expect the worst but will wait it out regardless and come back to you.(2024-08-25, 05:34)Cinephile Wrote: AM6B+ for USD 83 delivered after discounts?!Hopefully you come out better than I did and scored a deal but if not Aliexpress will back you up. If you do get an AMB6 I'll be ordering another.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007595718194.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.21ef1802L5wx8l
I took the plunge. I hope it wasn't too good to be true. Is there a way to authenticate the product on arrival?
Wishing you luck.
Knowing that AliExpress will refund me (and possibly close down the store) is all I need to know at this stage.
RE: State of Kodi Media Players: Best Options in 2024 - scoobydooscollar - 2024-08-27
(2024-08-27, 04:20)Cinephile Wrote:(2024-08-27, 03:51)scoobydooscollar Wrote:(2024-08-25, 05:34)Cinephile Wrote: Thanks, mate. That is some great insight. I expect the worst but will wait it out regardless and come back to you.
Knowing that AliExpress will refund me (and possibly close down the store) is all I need to know at this stage.
I ordered knowing that I had a high chance of being scammed, I just figured that I had Aliexpress, PayPal and American Express to go to and one of them would cover it. The Aliexpress reps were very nice and there was no hassle really. A few minutes chatting online and uploaded a picture the waiting. The wait was shorter than anticipated.
All in all, the experience makes me want to buy more there.