So I've looked at getting a mini pc for iptv,kodi and that sort of stuff it seems a vpn is easier with a mini pc but iptv is easier with Android tv . What are your thoughts?
So I've looked at getting a mini pc for iptv,kodi and that sort of stuff it seems a vpn is easier with a mini pc but iptv is easier with Android tv . What are your thoughts?
I feel this question is directed at me lol. I bought a used but good configuration PC tower for cheap and for 3 years had it always connected to my tv, had windows 10 on it, and I used Kodi for all of my needs. So my tv screen would never leave Kodi screen, as I never closed it even when I put the PC to sleep.
Kodi is a complete media player, has add-ons to watch all movies and TV shows but add-on developers leave the project and you need to stay on top of it with the latest add-ons. Even IPTV client add-ons are available on Kodi and I watched IPTV through that and had a nice home screen with widgets where everything I wanted was a click away. PC though let's you easily download stuff and search for links on Chrome for some obscure tv and movies and live sports streams which you would otherwise not get on Android box or at least it isn't as easy and intuitive.
But I bought a Shield 3 months ago and I love the general snappiness and interface of it a lot more. There's voice recognition, easily able to cast from your phone to TV and almost all the things you need have an app or apk to sideload. It even works great with Kodi but I don't need it now as whatever I needed through it is easily available through apps. Also I got yelled by my wife because time to time my windows would just shutdown Kodi and I had to get the wireless keyboard out to start Kodi back up. Also I had a convoluted sound system set up which didn't work perfectly but now through the shield everything is wife-proof as well for ease of use.
Mind you, you can get a mini PC for cheap but Shield is not that cheap. And that's where it matters. Do not buy cheap Android boxes. It works fine but you may run into issues like choppy playback and general bad UI design.
I would get android box if I was buying as it will be easy to operate less issue with operating system etc plus you will have more options with apps etc
Android. Shield if you can afford it. VPNs are just as easy if not easier to install with an .apk
With Android you get the added bonus of running pretty much any Android app you want.
Get a shield
By mini-pc do you mean android device or similar? I use an android device with a vpn and smarters pro - no kodi needed. I dont have any issues running a VPNed connection on my android box and things work fine.
I have a OEM AndroidTV (work stuff) that has similar or better specs than the nVidia. I'm amazed at how smooth this new gen of android tv works and looks. Compared to my last device with was Android 7, v.9 is a giant leap forward. Looks more like a dedicated TV device instead of a junky version of a phone.
Considering what Windows10 has become, I would definitely recommend Android over a windows box. Smaller, faster, cheaper, and more companies are putting out good android apps designed for TV.
If you are using it for media purposes mostly, then I'd get an AndroidTV. VPN isn't hard with AndroidTV....get a VPN that has an app. I use PIA.