I want a very simple set top box solution that can be plugged in to HDMI1 on a TV and that has a super simple interface so that someone who isn't tech savvy at all can use it. My thinking is, if they know to turn on the TV and can then just navigate around live TV channels (don't want anything else) that'd be great. I want to be able to configure/limit the channels they have access to to keep it as simple as possible.
Can anyone recommend a hardware solution that can do this? Thanks!
Amazon fire stick is very easy to use and works well for the iptv I have used.
If you buy any android stb, and just switch it off and on everytime without exiting the My TV app (or whatever app you use for iptv), then it will essentially work like a regular tv, because if you don't exit the app, then the next time you switch it back on, it will just automatically connect to iptv and display the last channel that you were watching.
This is assuming that you don't unplug it from the power source, as that will be like a reboot.
Dreamlink D-Lite is about as basic STB as it gets, but you do get their proprietary IPTV app which is designed for the box, stable and easy to set up, and once set up with the service credentials and network / wifi information it will auto boot to the app every time. You are limited as to what apps you can install as its marketed as a dedicated IPTV STB, but if you just want a STB experience then installing apps won't be important to you anyway. Its a lot more plug and play than a standard android box, in that you don't need to piss around with finding an external IPTV app which you are comfortable with and of which doesn't bombard you with ads (or whose ads do actually stop when you pay for the premium version), followed by installing multiple different external players (VLC, MX Player etc) in order to get stable and reliable playback from all channels. As a STB it is also quite competitively priced.
I use both an Android box (using IPTV Smarters Pro) and the D-Lite and I find personally that the D-Lite is the box I use if I want to get in from work and just watch hours of relatively trouble free TV, the Android box is also OK and perfectly functional, but I would be lying if I said I can effortlessly switch between Live TV, Catch Up, Series etc without ever having to fiddle around with player selections. If I wanted to set up a box for my non tech savvy parents (in their 80's) I would choose the D-link, as the Android does demand some technical hand holding from time to time and the ability of the user to change players, and if it crashes or loses power, the ability to refresh channels and EPG in the App which in the case of Smarters is a two stage process.
TVIP-605
Highly under rated!
https://www.tvip.tv/en/media-center/sbox-605
Solid as a rock and easy interface.
I now have 2 of these ...
Also, I use a super stable IPTV provider;
I have 2 subs with these guys. Super stable+quality streams.
Formuler z7+/z8