Hello. I'm getting into IPTV for the first time and need to decide on device. I've been doing my research, and still a few things I'm not sure of which is why I would appreciate your help.
The things that are priorities for me are:
- ability to record at least 2 simultaneous programs while watching a 3rd channel.
- Ability for currently watched channel to be buffered so I can pause, rewind and fast-forward within the buffered time (like cable TV boxes)
- Ability to have 1TB storage space for recordings (Internal or External usb SSD/HDD)
- Modern and nice UI and Guide (like cable TV boxes)
I will be using the system only for IPTV uses and so any additional android OS features (other apps, etc) are not important to me as I will not use them at all. Although ability to have VPN enabled on the box would be a MASSIVE advantage.
My family is so used to the cable TV box experience and watching things on "our time" that we essentially NEVER watch actual LIVE tv and sitting through commercials is simply a no-go. Not seen a commercial in 5 years. This is why the recording ability is at the top of my priority list. And I'm willing to pay extra for that convenience. So I'm not looking to save a dollar here and there, I rather pay for the better system and have peace later.
Based on my research I have narrowed down my choices to a fireTV with TiViMate OR a top end Formuler Box with the their special app.
I understand that the Nvidia Shield is also an option, however my understanding is that if I use the Shield I will need to still get TiViMate and the shield offers me nothing new that the fireTV doesn't offer. I have 0 use for the gaming features, so I don't see why I should pay extra for the shield, (unless if it has some other advantage I don't know about: internal HDD, better privacy, etc?). Please inform me.
The issue I have with the fireTV is that attaching an enxternal storage to it is a bit unwieldy.
The problem I have with the Formuler box is that the android version is older (7.0) and I'm not sure if its gonna cause me problems in the future (it might not, I don't know, tell me).
I love the multiscreen PnP feature of TiViMate, however I'm not sure if it does the live TV pause/FF/RW feature and recording more than one channel at once. (Remember I have never actually used any of these, this is my first time). The formuler does apparently have the live pause/FF/RW, but again I'm not sure about if it can record more than one show at at a time.
Again, the ability to record more than one show at the same time and the live-buffer feature what whats important to me, and money is not really the issue, I want the best setup. What would your advice be for me?
Many thanks.
You are in for a big disappointment. As /u/Ok-Flower-9404 said, you need to lower your expectations significantly. These types of IPTV services are being provided by a "couple of guys" in a "basement" somewhere with low grade equipment not multi-million dollar infrastructure. Reliability is low and while it works most of the time, issues are pretty common. Channels are going down on a regular basis, buffering, looping are also very common. Recording is a joke on most devices and while it can work, it often doesn't. Tivimate has some minimal recording capabilities but it's very rudimentary. There are no DVR options, no pausing, no rewinding of live tv. You can't schedule season passes and you can't set flags (like record only new airings).
While I love IPTV and been using it for 3 years, it's not a professional service. It's no replacement for real cable when it comes to reliability and features. I don't care how great of a provider you find, you will have problems and fairly often, it's the nature of the beast. Be prepared to receive a lot of calls from family members if you set this up for them.