[hdmkv]

Last updated January 27, 2025

News and Updates:

• Updated for 2025: Recommended media player options below, with new information where applicable. Please share your thoughts to ensure these are the right recommendations; thank you
  
• Ugoos AM6B+ (and other S922X-J players): 3D playback is broken . Devs may work on a fix (as 3D isn't a priority for them). Playback stops abruptly about 3-5 minutes into any 3D MVC movie/video (unsure if same is true for SBS or TAB)
  
• No Dolby Vision FEL in CoreELEC's future: Sad, but unsurprising. However, while CE-NG 4.9 kernel builds are available, they should continue providing FEL support in Ugoos AM6B+ & compatible (J or K-variant) AmLogic S905X4 boxes. We'll be stuck w/Kodi 21.x, and at some point, scrapers, add-ons, etc. may stop working. Wishful thinking is that someone may be able to fork newer CE/Kodi versions based on NG 4.9 to allow us to continue enjoying FEL
  
• Kinhank G1 budget Google TV Box: I still do NOT recommend this box; caveat emptor. I tried flashing it per instructions here, but the custom image file wouldn't install, with progress stuck at 0% even after numerous attempts. Gave up, and let box just update to latest official firmware w/the locked bootloader. G1 a decent Google TV box, but if you want one for non-CE use, get the onn Google TV 4K Pro instead. It's better & even cheaper
  

This thread is the spot to discuss the best Kodi-capable media players available. 'Best' means supporting as many requirements listed below. Added benefit: Online streaming capabilities (free & premium like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, etc.). Primarily focused on local playback in a home theater. Realistically, finding a single 'best' device that does everything (and does them all well) will likely never happen, so a secondary device will likely be needed, especially for online streaming (a Roku, Fire TV Stick, etc.). But, some of these devices come very close to serving as all-in-one's depending on your needs.

Requirements:

• Proper support for 23.976 (most movies & shows) and other common framerates (25/50, 29.97, 59.94, 30/60, etc.)
  
• Playback of all HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ & Dolby Vision
  • Proper TV-led DV Profile 7 FEL playback is a big plus (many UHD discs use DV P7)
    
• Full HD/object-based audio passthrough (TrueHD, ATMOS, DTS-HD, DTS:X)
  
• Gigabit LAN, solid WiFi 6/6E, or solid performance using gigabit USB-to-ethernet dongle
  • Ability to stream 4K UHD rips from a NAS (or any server) with bitrates (or peaks) of 80-90+ Mbps
    
• Snappy & powerful-enough box (that doesn't feel sluggish navigating large libraries or overall)
  
• Most wanted (for some of us): 3D MVC support
  
• Nice-to-have: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, etc. in 4K, with EAC3-JOC ATMOS & all HDR formats supported
  

Here are media players I personally use in my home theater.

Best universal remote IMHO is the SofaBaton X1S (not X1). Highly customizable, and supports IR, BT & Wi-Fi protocols. And/or, if you need a cheap, but lightweight/handy, well-designed & highly functional remote for CoreELEC:
- Ugoos UR02
- Fire TV remote clones (but w/IR support for volume control & customizable buttons) (my choice)
- Another BT remote

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If you disagree with any of these recommendations, let's discuss in this thread .

+++ Best All-in-One Kodi Media Players +++

Dolby Vision-licensed S905X4 Android TV Media Player (Homatics Box R Plus / Dune HD R Plus / Rocktek G2 / Nokia 8010)
The current do-it-all champ! Homatics box recommended as it has the best support of the bunch
Consensus for now is to keep the box on Android TV 12 & not perform a manual update to 14 (found online) until there's a stable version (that'll likely be made available officially via OTA)
$149 or less
+ Only media players to really do it all—between its CoreELEC (CE) & Android TV sides (using dual-boot)
+ Supports:
++ Player-led dual-layer FEL DV (CE)
++ Premium apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, etc. at 4K & HDR/DV (Android TV)
++ HD/object-based audio (CE & Android TV w/Android 12)
++ Full 3D MVC (CE)
+ AV1 4K playback
- As this leverages AMLogic's MVC decoder, it suffers from the same microstuttering problem Vero players (as well as Ugoos players below) have with a handful of 3D titles
- CE needs to run off a mSD card or USB flash drive (but, can be made to mostly run off the internal flash or EMMC drive)
- VC-1 playback is problematic
- Performance noticeably less snappy as Ugoos AM6B+ nor any of the newer AMLogic S928X-K/J-SoC (System-on-Chip) based players


==================================================

+++ Best Pure Kodi Media Players +++

#1: Ugoos AM6B+ (using CoreELEC w/full Dolby Vision support)
The best local media Kodi player champ!
$160 approx
Simple and detailed CE install guides; and helpful suggested settings after CE install
Minix U22X-J & Max are also options, but they've been discontinued & are very difficult to find
A rooted Fire TV Cube 2 is another option, but performance is limited by its USB 2.0 port
+ First & only media players to support proper TV-led Dolby Vision Profile 7 (dual layer & FEL playback) (also works on the Android side, but w/poorer performance; may work a little better using this Kodi fork)
+ As close to a true replacement that exists to the highly regarded Oppo UHD Blu-ray players
+ Supports all HDR formats
+ Dolby VS10 functionality in tests builds (based off 21.x, latest build here) (here are screenshot comparisons with VS10 applied)
+ 3D MVC playback (Note: As this leverages AMLogic's MVC decoder, it suffers from the same microstuttering problem Vero players have had with a handful of 3D titles) 3D playback is broken (see top of this post)
+ Snappy performance (as of a DTB enhancement last year resulting in ~25% performance boost)
++ Also enable HS400 under CE settings' Speed Mode (may need to temporarily revert to default Estuary skin to do so)
++ Consider mounting your network shares for noticeably faster library scans & quicker playback (LibreELEC guide that also applies to CoreELEC)
- Uses somewhat older AmLogic S922X-J SoC from 2021
- 4K & few 1080p AV1 playback stutter
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)


#2 (tie): Dune HD Pro Vision 4K (Product page; @clarkss12's review & thread here)
$149
+ Similar to above, but with 3 OS/interface options (Dune's Linux-based, CE, and Android TV)
+ AV1 support
- Less snappy than AM6B+
- DV FEL only when using CE

#2 (tie): Vero V (Kodi forum; OSMC forum)
$191
+ Fairly snappy performance
+ AV1 support
+ Plays VC-1 well w/hardware decoding
+ Recently added support for DV (MEL only)
+ 3D MVC playback, but plagued by AmLogic's MVC decoder bug (which they haven't cared to fix, and may never)
+ Excellent user support forum
- No player-led (FEL) DV playback, but Profile 5 is output as HDR/SDR to non-DV displays
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)


#3: Ugoos X4Q Extra (Main CE forum thread here; X4Q-specific thread here)
About $125 approx off AliExpress (make sure you buy the 'Extra' version for DV)
Similar to Dune HD Pro Vision 4K above, just w/o Dune OS option

#4: Odroid N2/N2+ (using CoreELEC)
This almost 5-year old hardware has gotten new life thanks to CE developers
$90 approx & up with necessary components
+ Similar in performance to Ugoos AM6B+ above
+ 3D MVC should be possible, but haven't seen any user reports to confirm
- DV MEL only (no FEL), and Profile 5 videos won't play

#5 (tie): Generic AmLogic S905X4 Box (using CoreELEC)
$40-$55 approx
+ Fairly snappy performance
+ AV1 support
+ 3D MVC playback (using CE21 'ng' or 'ne' nightly builds)
+ Cheap
- No Dolby Vision playback
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)

#5 (tie): Intel N100/N150 UHD-based MiniPC (using LibreELEC)
$140 approx & up
(Specs, and a review of an example N100 box)
+ Solid choice for local streaming needs using LibreELEC
+ Snappy performance
+ HD/object-based audio passthrough
+ HDR10 & HLG supported
- No HDR10+ or DV
- No 3D MVC playback
- 720p-1080p resolution with Netflix, Prime Video, etc. (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)


==================================================

+++ Best Overall Android-based Kodi-capable Media Players +++

#1: Fire TV Cube 3 (Kodi forum; AVS forum)
$140, but has been $100 on sale (and as low as $56 for a refurb)
+ Meets almost all requirements, with Kodi v21+ sideloaded
> An advancedsettings.xml fix is needed to address audio synch issue in Fire TV's firmware
> Additional Cube 3 settings recommended by @fritsch
+ Very reasonably-priced for all it does
+ Alexa voice-control with equipment management built-in allows for turning on/off display, AVR, etc., & remote controls AVR volume
+ AV1 support
- Cluttered UI w/ads (Amazon has restricted using custom ad-free launchers)
> Method to use an ad-free custom launcher w/a single button press
- No 3D MVC playback
- VC-1 playback is problematic

Note: For Fire TV devices with Wi-Fi 6/6E, consider using WebDAV (HTTP) for local streaming (vs. SMB/NFS) for better performance

#2: nVidia Shield TV Pro
$200, but has been $170 on sale
+ Still a decent option for an all-in-one box
+ Custom launcher w/o ads possible to install
+ Still snappy performance (even when using 4K GUI), but Cube 3 feels snappier
- No HDR10+ or HLG playback
- No 3D MVC playback
- Hardware starting to feel a bit outdated; unknown how long it'll be supported (and no signs nVidia is planning a new box)


==================================================

+++ Best Full 3D-capable Media players +++

#1: Dune Real Vision 4K Plus
$300, or more for Dune HD Pro Vision 4K Solo, Duo, etc. with Realtek 1619DR SoC
Now getting hard to find; check eBay
+ Solid choice for local streaming requirements only
+ Android TV UI option
+ Fairly snappy performance
+ 3D MVC playback
+ Dolby VS10 engine
- No longer sold & getting harder to find
- Flaky HDR10+ support (officially supported, but fails HDR10+ dynamic metadata test)
- Realtek 1619DR SoC is starting to feel a bit outdated
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)


#2: Zidoo Z9X Pro
$249 or less
+ Almost as solid choice for local streaming requirements only
+ Fairly snappy performance, but Dune is snappier
+ 3D MVC playback
+ Dolby VS10 engine
+ AV1 support
- Still buggy & will need several more firmware updates (but, may not get much attention with Zidoo shifting focus to their new 8K player lineup)
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)

==================================================

+++ Best Windows-based Device +++

Any Recent Ryzen-based System (like the popular Beelink SER5 or newer SER6, 7 or 8)
Approx. $230 & up
+ Up to 18Gbps HDMI video, with 4K@60 with HDR
+ Snappy performance
+ HD/object-based audio passthrough
+ Full HD 3D with PotPlayer set-up as external player
+ 4K HDR Netflix with Netflix App or Microsoft Edge Browser
+ 4K HDR Apple TV with Apple TV app
+ Bonus: Decent PC-based and streaming gaming
- No HDR10+ nor DV

==================================================

+++ Other Contenders or Popular Media Players +++

Fire TV Stick 4K or 4K Max (both 2nd gen, 2023)
Max is $60, but has been $40 on sale
+ Similar to Fire Cube 3 above, but cheaper for all it does
- Noticeably less snappy performance compared to Cube 3

onn. 4K Pro Google TV Streaming Device (2024)
$50 at Wal-Mart
+ Snappy streaming box w/hands-free voice control
+ Cheap for a box with S905X4 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage & Wi-Fi 6
+ Supports all HDR formats
+ AV1 support
- No HD/object-based audio support (other than EAC3 JOC ATMOS w/online streaming)
- Cluttered UI w/ads (but, nowhere as bad as Amazon's)
- No 3D MVC playback


S928X-J 8K Players with CoreELEC
$215 and up; choices include Ugoos AM8/AM8 Pro or SK1, Tencent Aurora 5X, and X96 X10 Pro
+ Powerful new AmLogicSoC with 8K/60 HDR output
+ Dolby Vision (MEL) support
+ HD/object-based audio
- No full TV-led dual-layer FEL DV support like with Ugoos AM6B+ (MEL only)
- No 3D MVC playback
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)


Zidoo 8K Players
$301 for the Z9X 8K and up for other models
+ Powerful new AmLogic S928X-K/J SoC with 8K/60 HDR output
+ Dolby VS10 engine
+ AV1 support
+ Said to be more stable than Dune 8K, with no HD audio passthrough issues
- No 3D MVC playback
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)

Dune HD Pro One 8K Plus
$399
+ Powerful new AmLogic S928X-K/J SoC with 8K/60 HDR output
+ Android TV UI option
+ "Experimental" support for 4K@120
+ Dolby VS10 engine
+ AV1 support
+ YouTube 8K HDR
- Overpriced
- Reports of HD audio issues with DTS-HD/X
- No 3D MVC playback
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)

A very thorough review in Russian (use Google Translate)

Raspberry Pi 5
$140 approx & up for a complete kit (board, case, mSD card, power) (4GB RAM is enough for Kodi use)
+ Solid choice for local streaming needs using LibreELEC
+ HD/object-based audio passthrough
+ HDR10 & HLG supported
- (May not be a negative) VC-1, MPEG2 & H.264 software-decoded (vs. hardware in previous Pi's)
- 3D no longer supported (RPi 3B+ was last Pi to have MVC 3D)
- Not for 'official' Netflix, Prime Video & other premium streaming use (but, may work via Kodi add-ons for some)



Did I miss any requirements? Any other solid boxes or lesser-known gems in the wild? Please reply in this thread or PM me, thanks.

Resources:

• Best Device for CoreELEC in 2025 thread at CE forum
  
• Can't access the .kodi folder in Android 10+? Here's a great workaround
  
• Kodi A/V Samples Wiki (with lots of useful A/V test files, demos & samples)
  
• Media player PQ tests & technical analyses (AVSForum thread)
  
• Media players section at AVSForum
  

[selfcontained]

I've been following the videos and (minimal for now) analysis of media players here https://www.avsforum.com/threads/picture...y_top_post I've distilled it (I think accurately) as such

for DV HDR profile 8.1 & profile 5: Amazon's 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube (CM4.0 support; but set to LLDV as TV-Led would result in double RPU processing)
for just HDR10 & SDR then Shield TV Pro followed by Amazon's: 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube or 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick Max

the video poster hasn't completed his full analysis and some of my conclusions (assuming I've intepreted correctly) may change.

It's too bad the Amazon products make it nearly impossible to use without an Amazon & Google account but that's a rant for a different thread.

[izprtxqkft]

additional

Zidoo Z9X Pro
(firmware v1.0.75 beta)

Kodi 20240110 8fe22bc3 master
- Refresh Rate Switching
(does not have any whitelist/cannot whitelist)
+ Audio Passthrough

ZDMC 20.2 (no external player enabled)
+ Refresh Rate Switching
+ Audio Passthrough (retested, TrueHD Atmos, DTS:X working)

(Played from internally mounted NFS, no media server involvement)

[clarkss12]

Excellent, thank you.

[hdmkv]

Hey @clarkss12, you've probably tried every type of box imaginable . Anything of note from CoreELEC, FreakTab forums?

@selfcontained, thanks, added link to the AVS thread.

@izprtxqkft, with Zidoo, for Kodi use, their ZDMC fork is always best to use. Are you saying that at present audio passthrough isn't working w/ZDMC 20.2? Which would mean it's really broken in the native Realtek player app.

[izprtxqkft]

Are you saying that at present audio passthrough isn't working w/ZDMC 20.2?

trying to keep it related to Kodi i turned off the external player (settings -> player -> videos -> play with external)
i just retested with it enabled and it just kicks me out of playback so it is completely non-functional with external player
and retested again and after a restart it seems to be doing TrueHD Atmos and DTS:X passthrough on internal kodi player, being the highest end of those codecs expect the rest are working fine
*updated report

[hdmkv]

Bought Z9X Pro as soon as it came out last year, but returned it as it was too buggy. Sounds like it's still buggy. Went with Dune Real Vision 4K Plus instead. Only thing it doesn't do well is HDR10+, even though it's the same SoC as Z9X, which play 10+ fine.

[izprtxqkft]

Sounds like it's still buggy.

i won't disagree with you but with the addition "when used with Kodi", when used with HT4 it's the best device i've bought in years
just wanted to leave a little extra note since you mentioned it though, when using the official Kodi it's not perfect so nobody should expect it to be

[clarkss12]

This thread reminds me of Warxtasy and his thread..... https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=252916. 
The old timers on here. remember him....  He just faded away.   
“Win just one for the Gipper” 
Thank you for that good information.......

[hdmkv]

I miss @wrxtasy as well. @noggin had last been touch w/him if I'm recalling correctly. What happened?

[clarkss12]

I miss @wrxtasy as well. @noggin had last been touch w/him if I'm recalling correctly. What happened?

For those that did not know him, he was a true master. He was the man to see about these Android boxes and what they were capable of and how to get the most of them.

He was a true master of these boxes for several years, and is sorely missed.

He saved me a lot of money, by not buying junk.

[ashlar]

First of all, thank you for creating this. As other mentioned, @wrxtasy work has been sorely missed on these forums.

On to the subject, what's the limitation of Cube 3? I mean... so far there's always been something limiting the attractiveness of this boxes to me. Is performance better than on Shield, as I understand from what you write?
Is it capable of handling Dolby Vision in UHD remuxes? Or is that something still impossible to achieve anywhere?
Pardon my ignorance, as I am mainly a Windows Kodi user. I have always tried to remain up to date with this kind of boxes because you never know (ended up buying a Vero last year for the living room, for instance).

[izprtxqkft]

Dolby Vision in UHD remuxes

4K UHD Remux should be baseline, perhaps @hdmkv can update the first post to include 4K Video 80+Mbps
except for the Vero, Dune Real Vision 4K Plus and FireTV "Stick" i can confirm the rest of the devices listed meet this

Dolby Vision where noted, independent of video bitrate
Cube Gen3 certainly capable of Dolby Vision

[calev]

intel n100 boxes are cheaper and perform better than some of these boxes on almost everything. I feel like it should be mentioned. It does hdr just not dolby vision. And because it's amd_64 can do netflix and other streaming services fine. Unless this is a arm only list.

[izprtxqkft]

And because it's amd_64 can do netflix and other streaming services fine.

you missed the end part of the requirement "in 4K & all HDR formats supported" meaning L1 widevine
but yes i agree it should be added to the list with the deficit that streaming formats will be limited to ~720p (1080 on netflix)