YouTube, Netflix & Co started to stream AV1 encoded content and so on
Yes they started to stream in AV1, but until they stop streaming in H264, VP9, etc. and ONLY stream in AV1 the lack of support for AV1 in boxes isn't really an issue. Hardware will catch-up eventually, but there's no rush.
So what is good, will be supported for a while and will not cost as much as Nvidia?:)
Is the X96 Air 4GB DDR3 64GB still good thing to buy?
I was thinking about https://www.geekbuying.com/item/MECOOL-KM…on--456422.html or beelink gt-king pro but it is well over 100€.
Or other boxes that would suit my budged atm(all s905x4):
A95X F4
X96 X4
Some kind of NUC like device is good. RPi4 is good. TV boxes are 50/50. The X96-Air will be supported by CE, but LE images are still rather WIP on newer Amlogic hardware (better on older). There is zero upstream support for S905X4 currently.
What about s905x3 - I think even one of them would be enough for me(i had old s812 box) - I would like to run LE/CE?anyELEC from nand I know that the problem with never devices is locked bootloader because of NF support(DRM sh*t).
S905X3 devices aren't well supported by LE at this time. CE would be better, but I don't use it so can't really offer an opinion on it.
An popular example is the Tanix TX6 (Allwinner H6) has proper support and works well. WLAN/BT are likely not the best (or not supported at all) at any of these "TV Boxes".
Thank You both for Your help. I think that i will buy used(just waiting for one to show up again) Odroid N2(+) will cost around 100€ but should last me for ages.
just saying, the N2 has no working "upstream" support at the kernel so you are bound to some old factory kernel with uncertain future
just saying, the N2 has no working "upstream" support at the kernel so you are bound to some old factory kernel with uncertain future
N+ as well?
Honestly i just need 1080p, h.265 and that's it.
LE images for Amlogic are using the upstream kernel. H264 is fine. HEVC works great in older SoC generations like S905X, but needs work with the newer devices like S922X. However, if you only need 1080p, you can always disable hardware decoding completely and use software which is no problem for the CPU on N2+ .. and while it will run warmer the N2/N2+ boards are basically a huge heatsink with a small board attached so it's no drama. The VDEC stuff is being poked, slowly. You also have the option to run CE with Amlogic legacy kernels.
So what is good, will be supported for a while and will not cost as much as Nvidia?:)
Intel NUC and equivalent devices, or the trusty RPi4.
Everything else will need a bit more homework and research tbh.
Display MoreWith these embedded devices its pretty hard to speculate on the future as for which is the best as there are basically 2 forks in the road going on.
Projects like Kodi and LE are focused on following the future by moving into the mainstream kernel which represents a better method of supporting different hardware which goes outside just the perview of linux on embedded devices like the typical Android boxes, and in doing so has been removing pieces of code that were based on the vendors bsp's which tend to be done in a out of tree manner specific to themselves... In this case Amlogic is the mostly mentioned in this thread. Doing so has meant some pieces of the overall setup need to be either fixed or outright created and its mostly being done by various open source groups which takes time. hence some things at this time still need to be fixed.
The alternative approach taken by projects like CE or AE or any of a number of other forks is to try and maintain the devices by using parts of the older vendor packages which has 2 basic effects to it... one is that basically a number of devices still currently work ok with the current Leia version while two being stuck on some older packages such as the kernel and some of its support packages. Currently running on older stuff like this seems like the better way as overall it pretty much works, but once Matrix is finally released who knows where it will leave any of these distro's that took this direction.
There is just no way to know when or even if any of the issues will be fixed as overall things appear to be going in the right direction but its been a long road and the end still hasn't been reached yet.
Its probably best to look to buy based on what your current needs require rather then try and make a purchase based on how long and good some device may be like you typically would when make a normal computer or laptop.
The only way to avoid this whole mess is to basically just give up on trying to run a JEOS system like LE or CE and stick to running the Android version that came on the device as then whatever the devices abilities are can simple been seen by reading the spec sheet of the device to see if it supports the features you want.
People need to remember... Companies like Amlogic Rockchip and others never intended for anything Other then Android to run on Their device which is what the device makers paid for in support and IP licenses. Its NOT until people try and run Linux that most of these issues really have any relevance... but if you really want Linux then its either pick a distro like CE which works but is vested in older vendor packages (which will eventually break) or pick LE and make sure to buy a device that is currently supported by LE for the time being.
A quite depressing situation... I wonder if most people are buying these devices because of Android or because of CE/LE/... If the latter is the case, teams should just drop support for devices which belong to vendors not providing help/information etc., even if it means to drop support for all/most. If people would stop buying their devices because of this, maybe then they would decide to be more cooperative. I know, a lot of "ifs" there, but still...
What about devices like Vero 4k+? They provide both: the device and the software. Not CE/LE, but similar, I think. Do they face the same problems as well, or do they have an NDA with Amlogic and have all the sources, (GPU-)drivers etc. they need?
A quite depressing situation... I wonder if most people are buying these devices because of Android or because of CE/LE/... If the latter is the case, teams should just drop support for devices which belong to vendors not providing help/information etc., even if it means to drop support for all/most. If people would stop buying their devices because of this, maybe then they would decide to be more cooperative. I know, a lot of "ifs" there, but still...
What about devices like Vero 4k+? They provide both: the device and the software. Not CE/LE, but similar, I think. Do they face the same problems as well, or do they have an NDA with Amlogic and have all the sources, (GPU-)drivers etc. they need?
I think the story is: either netflix or unlocked bootloader(CE/LE).
I think the story is: either netflix or unlocked bootloader(CE/LE).
Netflix 1080p is working with LE.
I think the story is: either netflix or unlocked bootloader(CE/LE).
Not sure what Netflix has to do with my post. If it's meant as the reason for people to buy these Android devices, I'm not too sure it makes sense, because most of these devices aren't properly certiefied and often get blocked or work semi well or not at all for DRM stuff. But who knows, maybe that's the reason for most...
Personally I couldn't care less about Netflix. Smart TVs make it possible to watch Netflix, cheap, but solid Amazon FireTV Sticks make it possible etc. If it works with LE - great, but it wasn't the point of my post.
The point was the quoted summary of the issues and consequences from the point of view of media players and projects like CE/LE/OSMC/... this thread is about.
I just thought that projects like LE/CE/... do help those companies to sell their devices and indirectly encourage them to continue with the stance they have regarding cooperation.
And I wondered, how Vero 4k+ fits in into this mess, because the situation is a bit different here, because the hardware and the software comes from the same company.
Not sure what Netflix has to do with my post. If it's meant as the reason for people to buy these Android devices, I'm not too sure it makes sense, because most of these devices aren't properly certiefied and often get blocked or work semi well or not at all for DRM stuff. But who knows, maybe that's the reason for most...
Personally I couldn't care less about Netflix. Smart TVs make it possible to watch Netflix, cheap, but solid Amazon FireTV Sticks make it possible etc. If it works with LE - great, but it wasn't the point of my post.
I don't care about NF as well but my point was - if it fully support NF there won't be anyELEC for it - most cases.
I also would like to have a box that boots straight into ELEC with good specs.
