Android TV Device Comparisons

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I think the bluetooth harmony remotes will do this, but I don't think the older one will. At least mine don't work out of the box. But people have said that they've loaded the newer ones with Shield remote, and it will send ONLY those commands. So still not very useful.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point, but I'm able to use my Harmony 650 (IR only) with my ShieldTV. I haven't tried the AndroidTV (I just realized I could use it with a v7 server), but I assume it would work.

Of course, it only recognizes the buttons that map to the ShieldTV remote buttons.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point, but I'm able to use my Harmony 650 (IR only) with my ShieldTV. I haven't tried the AndroidTV (I just realized I could use it with a v7 server), but I assume it would work.

Of course, it only recognizes the buttons that map to the ShieldTV remote buttons.

I thought I tried this once with my Harmony 650 and I didn't get it work... Likely I was doing something wrong. But I would think that if it works on the standard Android TV UI then it will likely work on the MiniClient as well, but, as you said, you only get up/down/left/right/select and back as valid buttons.

[samgreco]

I've been using the Flirc with a Harmony 650 on my Amazon FireTV for a while. I had used it during my Kodi experiment. The Flirc software supports Kodi directly, so all of the buttons worked.

Haven't had time to try the MiniClient yet, but will soon and see what happens.

[cncb]

Originally Posted by stuckless

But I would think that if it works on the standard Android TV UI then it will likely work on the MiniClient as well, but, as you said, you only get up/down/left/right/select and back as valid buttons.

You also get play, pause, stop, FF, and REW (at least in Kodi).

[DarkWolf77]

So I already have a Roku 3 and by the sounds of it, a Sage client for that is unlikely. Do you guys think it's worth it to invest in a SHIELD tv? The Nexus player is cute, but seems limited (looked at it a while ago and decided against it - I honestly don't remember why).

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by DarkWolf77

So I already have a Roku 3 and by the sounds of it, a Sage client for that is unlikely. Do you guys think it's worth it to invest in a SHIELD tv? The Nexus player is cute, but seems limited (looked at it a while ago and decided against it - I honestly don't remember why).

If you can pick up a $50 Nexus Player... i think it'll be a fine player. It supports h264, mpeg2, hevc (h265) and vp9. It's actually not a bad device. I use a Sheild TV (it was a gift), and it's a great device, but I wouldn't consider it to the baseline. I think the FireTV is a good device as well, but, the FireTV UI is a bit cluttered.

Bottom line the Nexus is a cheaper box, but it'll do the job. Sheild is a higher performing box, but much of that is because its also a micro console. Will sagetv run better on a shied... probably... But, depending on your budget, I think the Nexus player is decent choice as well.

[jm9843]

Originally Posted by DarkWolf77

Do you guys think it's worth it to invest in a SHIELD tv? The Nexus player is cute, but seems limited (looked at it a while ago and decided against it - I honestly don't remember why).

To add to what stuckless said: the Shield has a big advantage on ports/interfaces with Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 x 2, Micro-USB 2.0, MicroSD slot, and an integrated IR receiver.

If you require ethernet, a "full" remote, or want to expand the storage, the Shield can handle it out of the box without dealing with usb->lan adapters and usb hubs.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by jm9843

To add to what stuckless said: the Shield has a big advantage on ports/interfaces with Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 x 2, Micro-USB 2.0, MicroSD slot, and an integrated IR receiver.

If you require ethernet, a "full" remote, or want to expand the storage, the Shield can handle it out of the box without dealing with usb->lan adapters and usb hubs.

Yes, great points.... I never looked at it from the hardware interfaces point of view.

[Fuzzy]

I may look into a new box for my living room and retire the noisy aging cilent that's living there now. For me, it looks like it's either the Fire TV (2015), or the Shield. Shield is obviously higher capabilities (but sure is uglier). The shield costs a lot more on the surface, but after looking closer, it already has an IR receiver ($25 extra for the Fire TV), it includes an HDMI cable (Fire TV does not), and comes with the game controller ($50 extra for the Fire TV). In the end, the price of a complete package ends up being a lot closer, which means the performance advantage of the Shield would definitely tip the scales.

Ultimately, I wish there was a proper sagetv client for the XBone, as just about anything I put in the living room will be passing through the Xbox anyway - but for now, the Shield looks to be the best option.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I may look into a new box for my living room and retire the noisy aging cilent that's living there now. For me, it looks like it's either the Fire TV (2015), or the Shield. Shield is obviously higher capabilities (but sure is uglier). The shield costs a lot more on the surface, but after looking closer, it already has an IR receiver ($25 extra for the Fire TV), it includes an HDMI cable (Fire TV does not), and comes with the game controller ($50 extra for the Fire TV). In the end, the price of a complete package ends up being a lot closer, which means the performance advantage of the Shield would definitely tip the scales.

Ultimately, I wish there was a proper sagetv client for the XBone, as just about anything I put in the living room will be passing through the Xbox anyway - but for now, the Shield looks to be the best option.

Do you have .NET experience. I don't mind helping someone build out a .net version of the client. I won't be working on it myself, but, I certainly know enough about the internals of the miniclient to help, and Jeff, would help with knowledge as well (he's certainly replied to his share of emails from me during this process : )

I've mentioned this before, but the existing Java codebase is split into a "core" and a "android" projects. The core, while, it can't be used on .net, does include all the communication layers, etc, and delegates rendering a media playback to Android implementations. This code might be able to be run through a java to .net converter to get most of it converted over. Then you need to work on the opengl UI rendering and the MediaPlayer implementations.

[Fuzzy]

I've some .net experience - but a lot of it was more console and network based utilities, not graphical things. The Windows Universal platform is a whole new animal I'd need to figure out to get going on the XBone - I currently don't even have a windows machine running 8 or 10.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I've some .net experience - but a lot of it was more console and network based utilities, not graphical things. The Windows Universal platform is a whole new animal I'd need to figure out to get going on the XBone - I currently don't even have a windows machine running 8 or 10.

Also the desktop client, in the main sagetv sources has a DirectX UI renderer, so, it might not be hard to convert that from Java/C (there is a jni part to this) to .net as well...ie, the APIs would likely be same/similar.

I had no opengl experience when I started the Android MiniClient (which is why it took so long to fix the UI glitches, and I still don't have support for drawing commands like rounded rectangles, etc).

[Stu Gare]

I quite like the idea of running the android mini client direct on a Sony Android TV.
Not quite time to upgrade any TVs yet, but I think I'll go for one of these next. No external device needed to run sage then :-)

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Stu Gare

I quite like the idea of running the android mini client direct on a Sony Android TV.
Not quite time to upgrade any TVs yet, but I think I'll go for one of these next. No external device needed to run sage then :-)

I keep TV's much longer than I'd be happy with the built in 'smart' features. Plus, the price premium for the 'smart' features is probably on par with (or more than) the price of an external device.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Ultimately, I wish there was a proper sagetv client for the XBone, as just about anything I put in the living room will be passing through the Xbox anyway - but for now, the Shield looks to be the best option.

I think I mentioned this in a previous thread but what about a Windows Universal app? Wouldn't that run in Win8, Win10 and also on an XB1 with minor alteration? (And maybe WP10 for the half dozen people who own one of those)

If anyone is going to do work on the client then doesn't this make more sense then a regular Windows application?

Could that still be done in Java or would you have to start over from scratch?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by wayner

I think I mentioned this in a previous thread but what about a Windows Universal app? Wouldn't that run in Win8, Win10 and also on an XB1 with minor alteration? (And maybe WP10 for the half dozen people who own one of those)

If anyone is going to do work on the client then doesn't this make more sense then a regular Windows application?

Could that still be done in Java or would you have to start over from scratch?

That's basically what Sean and I were just discussing. No, it couldn't be Java - it'd have to be ported over to .net (probably better to be rewritten from scratch, honestly), and ultimately would end up being a completely new code-base. That said, if done using the placeshifter protocol (which would pretty much be required, since the STV generation HAS to be java, as the STV itself is Java-ish), there are enough high-level API's in the universal platform that it likely would end up being a smaller project than sean's android project - but it still wouldn't be small by any account. Personally, I have never even installed win10, and I have not so much as made a hello world app on the universal platform - not that I'm against starting work on such a project if the time comes to me, but don't take my interest in the project as any sort of statement that I'm doing it.

[DarkWolf77]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Yes, great points.... I never looked at it from the hardware interfaces point of view.

Yeah and I think the main reason I didn't like the Nexus was the lack of built in IR. I have a nice Harmony remote (the discontinued 750) and I'd like to be able to use it with the device. Hm.

[dinki]

Originally Posted by DarkWolf77

Yeah and I think the main reason I didn't like the Nexus was the lack of built in IR. I have a nice Harmony remote (the discontinued 750) and I'd like to be able to use it with the device. Hm.

I've got a Nexus Player and really like it. I haven't had much time to try, but I'm pretty sure you can add a generic ir->usb dongle to the NP and then use your 750. I've got the same remote so hopefully it will work as advertised here: http://www.talkandroid.com/guides/an...oid-tv-device/

[SageWizdom]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

That's basically what Sean and I were just discussing. No, it couldn't be Java - it'd have to be ported over to .net (probably better to be rewritten from scratch, honestly), and ultimately would end up being a completely new code-base. That said, if done using the placeshifter protocol (which would pretty much be required, since the STV generation HAS to be java, as the STV itself is Java-ish), there are enough high-level API's in the universal platform that it likely would end up being a smaller project than sean's android project - but it still wouldn't be small by any account. Personally, I have never even installed win10, and I have not so much as made a hello world app on the universal platform - not that I'm against starting work on such a project if the time comes to me, but don't take my interest in the project as any sort of statement that I'm doing it.

Not that I have used it, but you could always give a shot at a cross compiler. http://www.ikvm.net/

[ThePaladinTech]

Originally Posted by wayner

I think I mentioned this in a previous thread but what about a Windows Universal app? Wouldn't that run in Win8, Win10 and also on an XB1 with minor alteration? (And maybe WP10 for the half dozen people who own one of those)

If anyone is going to do work on the client then doesn't this make more sense then a regular Windows application?

Could that still be done in Java or would you have to start over from scratch?

Hey! as one of the half dozen I would LOVE a windows phone app... Actually what I am searching for is a "My Media Center" equivelent that works on Windows Phone. Me and my wife use "My Media Center" all the time to discover new shows and schedule recordings. Right now I am running WMC, EmbyTV, SilconDust HD HomeRun DVR, and SageTV. looking for the one that will give me the "my media center" experience on Windows Phone. When I find that I can dump WMC.