Firestick alternatives
- Thread starter Satda06
- Start date
pabloescaban
VIP Member
He's already explained that he had everything set to exo and vod wouldn't play so he's now using VLC for VOD.
If he goes back to exo, he's got no VOD, what's the point of having a choice of players if one of them shouldn't be used?
The way forward is still android if that ever became a problem it would then be enigma boxes. I mean you often see requests for close to sky as possible. That would be a enigma box. But they would be more difficult for some to setup
Last edited:
silverblack
Member
Got one of these coming https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...o.order_list.order_list_main.5.2c691802wdqL39
Thought it was a good price for the spec.Sold a Chromecast 4K to pay for it.
Will try Projectivy first see how that goes but install the slimbox rom at some point.
Thought it was a good price for the spec.Sold a Chromecast 4K to pay for it.
Will try Projectivy first see how that goes but install the slimbox rom at some point.
Was looking at these a while ago but didn't take the plunge. Let us know how you get on.
Would also be interested in hearing what you think of it
I think the Xiaomi s box 3rd Gen is a good firestick alternative. It’s the same price point and works great.
I did consider the Google Streamer when it was on sale but now it’s gone back up to full price I went with the Xiaomi.
Has anyone tried any of the Aliexpress boxes linked in the TK Official Firestick alternatives Thread?
silverblack
Member
My X88 Pro arrived pretty quick about 6 days after ordering.It's very quick and snappy no lag at all but the remote is pants very clicky.
I installed Projectivy straight away and it looked great but some stuff needed the mouse option so went and installed Slimbox.
Connected to the box on the 2nd attempt as you have to plug the usb in and reset at the same time.
All installed ok and booted into Slimbox.Much better in the Android TV interface.
I got all the apps i wanted installed Tivimate,Emby,Youtube etc and all work fine.
Downside is the remote but i'm currently searching for BT remote i have and try that once i find the damn thing !
Other downside is the Wifi.No way is there a wifi 6 chip in this box.I was getting speeds of 20-40mb pretty bad on a 900mb connection.
My Google TV box which is upstairs in the bedroom (router downstairs) gets around 475mb download over wifi.
I kinda fixed it using a Netgear extender and i now get 100mb download in the Kitchen where the TV is.
Not tried ethernet to see if i get the full 900mb as the box will never be plugged in where it is.
For another £15 you can get a Google TV streamer which are often discounted to £75 and might be a better option.
But i hate the remote on that too 🤣
I installed Projectivy straight away and it looked great but some stuff needed the mouse option so went and installed Slimbox.
Connected to the box on the 2nd attempt as you have to plug the usb in and reset at the same time.
All installed ok and booted into Slimbox.Much better in the Android TV interface.
I got all the apps i wanted installed Tivimate,Emby,Youtube etc and all work fine.
Downside is the remote but i'm currently searching for BT remote i have and try that once i find the damn thing !
Other downside is the Wifi.No way is there a wifi 6 chip in this box.I was getting speeds of 20-40mb pretty bad on a 900mb connection.
My Google TV box which is upstairs in the bedroom (router downstairs) gets around 475mb download over wifi.
I kinda fixed it using a Netgear extender and i now get 100mb download in the Kitchen where the TV is.
Not tried ethernet to see if i get the full 900mb as the box will never be plugged in where it is.
For another £15 you can get a Google TV streamer which are often discounted to £75 and might be a better option.
But i hate the remote on that too 🤣
Look for a box with the S905X5M soc one is noted on the Alternatives thread. I went with a Tanis TX5 Plus. I can not fault it.
Hi guys
Have a look at the new zgemma Airbox y1
Quality hardware from zgemma not like the cheap stuff available from Alibaba, also very reasonably priced for the hardware spec and does pretty much everything needed
Any questions you can contact the sellers who are brilliant at responding quickly and efficiently
Zgemma Airbox Y1
Thank you
Have a look at the new zgemma Airbox y1
Quality hardware from zgemma not like the cheap stuff available from Alibaba, also very reasonably priced for the hardware spec and does pretty much everything needed
Any questions you can contact the sellers who are brilliant at responding quickly and efficiently
Zgemma Airbox Y1
Thank you
moshibeth
VIP Member
Android 11.0 👎
Aristotle
VIP Member
I run Android 11 and have no issues. I have seen plenty on users that android 14 updates have caused issues with devices.
I haven’t updated to android 14 because it doesn’t give me any advantages for third party streaming apps.
soltia
Member
I have homatics R 4K plus for main lounge tv. I don’t use any mainstream apps other than YT. I use tivimate and the plex client. , so need certified device. Was thinking of upgrading from a 4K firestick in another room. I don’t like firestick ui , but from a streaming aspect it plays iptv and plex fine. Bought a couple of cheap boxes from Amazon with the s905x . Returned em , 4K wasn’t smooth, no gb lan . I’ve had loads of cheap android boxes over the years and they shave all been crap. Now it looks like older sticks are not being updated to the new Amazon os. 3rd gen cubes are widely available at around £50. Just asked ChatGPT to compare the cube to a basic android box with that s905x and this is what it says ( i appreciate ChatGPT isn’t the gospel ). “ At the hardware level, many of these boxes use:
The bigger issue is software and certification.
Here’s the real-world difference between a cheap S905X5 box and something like the 3rd gen Fire Cube:
- low-quality NAND storage that wears out early
- poor cooling / thermal design
- unstable power supplies
- inconsistent Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules
- fake specs (advertised RAM/storage not matching reality)
- no-name boards with almost no QA
The bigger issue is software and certification.
Here’s the real-world difference between a cheap S905X5 box and something like the 3rd gen Fire Cube:
| Attribute | X88 Pro X5M Android TV Box £105.53•Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.co.uk-Seller + others | Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen £123.33•eBay + others |
|---|---|---|
| Raw decoding ability | Very good | Very good |
| Streaming app certification | Often missing | Fully certified |
| Netflix/Disney+/Prime quality | Sometimes limited to 480p/720p | Full 4K HDR/DV |
| DRM support | Frequently partial | Full Widevine + official support |
| Firmware updates | Rare or nonexistent | Regular updates |
| App compatibility | Hit or miss | Reliable |
| Thermal/power QA | Inconsistent | Generally solid |
| Kodi/Jellyfin flexibility | Excellent | Good |
| Long-term stability | Lottery | Predictable |
| Malware risk | Higher on unknown brands | Low Am still undecided. |
soltia
Member
100mbps lan. Straightaway that’s a minus. I’d also want to know if the 2gb ram is ddr4 not ddr3 ?
manic01
VIP Member
2GB DDR4
So where is this sk3 as i can't find it. Noticed there's a sk4, is that supposed to be even better as it doesn't even have a 1 Gig ethernet port. These aren't ATV devices, just media players. Great if you're only playing games and local files, terrible if you want to be streaming, or am i missing something here.