Best device for Coreelec in 2022/2023

Did you try a custom rom like slimBOxtv?

slimBOXtv (ATV version) + CoreELEC is the perfect duo.

on my dead Beelink? noā€¦ not much point.

Just save up a bit more (if required) and do it properly. An Odroid N2+ would be perfect, and heaps more grunt than a S905X4.

$250CADā€¦ Thatā€™s like triple the price. If my Beelink lasted 5yrs, and 2yrs of which without updates, what exactly will the Odroid do for me that an $85CAD s905x4 wonā€™t?

Just want 1000M connection, Dolby Vision, and a very easy CoreElec installation.

I think Iā€™ll just grab an HK1ā€¦ Then test it to make sure it has 1000M not 100M Ethernet. No dolby but, gone 5yrs without it.

TOX3 and G1 were on the list, but I can only find them on AliExpress and no way Iā€™m dealing with 4 weeks shipping and their return policies. Theyā€™re great for <$10 parts, but thatā€™s about it.

On what planet is $115US equal to $250CAD? Itā€™s $150 CAD. Anyway, buy whatever you want. If you go cheap, you deal with the unknown with these tv boxes. This thread is about ā€œbest deviceā€. Not cheapest.

Did a quick google search and most were about $250ā€¦ Amazon, eBay, AliExpress evenā€¦ Again, stuff in Canada costs more money beyond just the exchange rate.

That said ā€œbest deviceā€ has some variablesā€¦ Else why have a thread? Just list the one single best device and leave it at that.

Plus, my thread asking for advice got merged into this thread by the site, not me.

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HK1 will work ok for you.

Fingers crossed, just ordered it. :smiley:

I started another thread though, had a few questions about the HK1, like how to confirm the ethernet/ram since seems like about a dozen sellers of these and some have accurate specs and some faked.

But ya, I donā€™t gameā€¦ never used the Android on the Beelinkā€¦ just want high speed ethernet (everything I have is Cat6 ethernet connected 1Gbit router, etc)ā€¦ and wanted Dolby Vision but, in 5yrs never used it so, had to skip that feature to stay on budget.

Maybe once working again, Iā€™ll get what I wanted, the G1 box, but just need to be able to run KODI again since my TV is connected to an android box and nothing else.

hello, i have a odroid n2 and i am very happy with it. a friend of mine now asked me if i could also build something for him. he is absolutely unfamiliar with hardware/software, so the htpc must be very easy to handle. i am wondering if anyone could recommend something. i guess important is either CEC or bluetooth connection (then he needs a new remote). wifi would be nice. i would buy him an odroid too but they are badly available in my country and too expensive for what they are. price should be around 100-150 EUR (including everything).

Not sure what country you are in but have you fancied other SBC manufacturers, like Raspberry Pi or Rock? RaspberryPi is more of a libreelec thing, and from my personall experience a few years ago rock is a little bleeding edge meaning it may not be stable.

Not sure what your needs are, like 4k, hdr, stuff like that, but maybe try looking on eBay or your equivalent of a used marketplace for old thinclient computers. Some higher end examples could be like the HP Elitedesk G2 mini which can be had in the USA for around $50. And those have a 6th or 7th gen i5 or i7 in them usually. On the lower end of the scale you could try Lenovo Thinkcenters M32 or Dell Wyse computers, but these things are bog slow on Intel Celerons, and Iā€™m not sure how they would fare on Kodi but I imagine they at least have all the necessary codecs. These computers are intended to be an all in one solution for businesses and likely have wifi and bluetooth on board.

I never paid more than $80 CDN for the S905X4 for on amazon.ca before GST using coupons but I do get ā€œfreeā€ Prime shipping. If you want cheap I see a S905W2 for $35 CDN right now. Amazon offers return.

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I grabbed an $85 one with $5 coupon and Prime shipping, and arriving today.

There were a few $80 with coupon, and a few other brands around $75 with $4 coupons, but, the one I got had the most reviews and many of them said it does have the 10/100/1000 Ethernet. The slightly cheaper ones either had no reviews to read or said that the Ethernet was 10/100 only.

Just need to figure out which file from device tree to use.

Also, why does it constantly pop up ā€œDraft is being edited in another window. Please reload this page.ā€ when I am trying to type on this site? Pops up kid-typing constantly.

I get as many retries as real page hits too, I figured I was the only one. Maybe itā€™s a Canadian thing.

Your trust reviews on Amazon? The ah21x devices I have can be all flashed with Android firmware from any make Vontar, RK1, MxIII and they all are made with used parts.

Trust reviews on Amazon is a bit of a stretchā€¦ But they do help in decision making. If one products has a bunch of reviews saying the specs are wrong, and one product saying the specs are rightā€¦ Which would you buy?

Anyway, if anyone has an HK1, let me know what file to use from the device tree.

When you get your HK1, it should have 4gig of memory and 1gig Ethernet, so you will use the device tree that I have circled in red. Donā€™t worry, you can also try different device trees without re-burning the microSD card.

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Thanksā€¦ exactly what I needed. I found a nice video 5yrs ago with exactly what files were needed and how to install for the Beelink I hadā€¦ worked perfectly. Beyond that, I never really played with the files, features, functions etc. I just need the box to boot into CoreElec and my remote to work, and Iā€™m happy again. Really is a shame though that Beelink seems to have dropped out of the small android boxes, else Iā€™d have gotten another/newer one.

Amazon mis-shipped the order soā€¦ will hopefully get it today.

Remember, your remote will not work out of the box for CE. After you install CE, You have to add the file for your remote drivers to your system config.

Hmm, not sure if that mattersā€¦ I mean, I wonā€™t be using the HK1 remote, I have a remote with a bluetooth dongle that has both a bluetooth and iR signalā€¦ on the Beelink, the iR turned the box on, once loaded into KODI the bluetooth remote just worked, no installation or setup, just something KODI compatible.

Forgot to see if the HK1 had iR or not, forgot about that part.

Yes, it has an IR receiver.

Well, seems all good. File you said to use seems to be working so farā€¦ does that mean 1000M connection? Used the Android part and installed Ookla Speed Test and getting 104Mbps, which is the most I can get through internet, but, I am upgrading my PC this year and maybe internet in the futureā€¦

Remote works though. Used the HK1 to program the power button on my MX3, and luckily found something online about the reset switch being inside the audio jack on the HK1 and now rebooted twice successfully into KODI. About to add sources and scrape but wanted to make sure 10/100/1000 ethernet, not 10/100 firstā€¦

Is there a way to test that and ram? I installed (under android) a hardware info app but because designed for a phone I guess, no ethernet info. Said 4GB ram thoughā€¦ hopefully accurate (?)