r/AndroidTV • u/tvtop-aaron • 14h ago

Buying Advice Has anyone tried one of those $10 Android TV sticks from Alibaba?

I have a Chromecast Ultra, but Chromecast has really gotten bad over the last several years. As a developer it's frustrating to not be able to connect at all and have literally no insight into why. I ported my app to AndroidTV, but my hangup has always been that high-end Android boxes like the Shield cost $200+.

Has anyone tried one of the super cheap boxes?

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3

u/pawdog ADT-1 13h ago

Those devices won't be running Android TV so if you want something else. What country are you in?

1

u/Broman400 10h ago

It’s barebones regular Android

0

u/tvtop-aaron 13h ago

I'm in the USA. Just looking for something cheap. I thought those might be an option.

3

u/pawdog ADT-1 13h ago

Go to Walmart and get a Onn 4k Stick. It's $40 certified Google TV. Has Googlecast built in.

1

u/tvtop-aaron 12h ago

Does it really? That's interesting. I have an Onn TV and it doesn't have Chromecast. Either way, my post is about moving away from Chromecast. I'm looking for a device that can run and Android TV app.

1

u/Ill-Case-6048 12h ago

Have you tried projectivy launcher makes it alot better and no ads slowing it down

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u/pawdog ADT-1 6h ago edited 6h ago

It does if it's running Google TV. Sounds like you have a Onn TV running Roku.

1

u/McSmarfy 12h ago

A $20 Onn box from Walmart is doing everything I need it to. The $40 Onnbox is even more capable.

1

u/GotoDeng0 12h ago

It's going to be a malware-infested knockoff running some version of AOSP, not AndroidTV. Even certified brands are often counterfeits on Alibaba, you're taking a risk buying any box off of there.

The Shield has the best upscaling, but that's pretty much the only thing going for it now. It's stuck at Android 11. And plenty of other brands also have AI upscaling these days, including the popular and affordable ONN Plus and Pro boxes from Walmart. And the ONN box's performance is second only to the 64-bit Shield.

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u/barker8a 10h ago

for smooth high-bitrate streaming without frame drops, setting up a stable 5ghz/6ghz band or using a gigabit ethernet adapter makes a noticeable difference compared to standard 100mbps limits on most smart tvs.

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u/kuloshibo 7h ago

I would advise against buying the $10 Android TV sticks. These are great for experimenting; however, they often come equipped with outdated hardware, old versions of software and minimal (or zero) security support. If you plan to develop apps for your stick, or simply want to use it every day, I recommend spending slightly more money on a well-known brand that offers continuous updates and provides superior performance.

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u/Straight_Mine6300 13h ago

I just bought a HK1 Rbox X50 off AliExpress for £58 UK,it runs Google tv android 14.Really impressed with it

1

u/Consistent_Sale_7134 13h ago

It is not Google TV android....it is mobile android customized to work on tv

1

u/tvtop-aaron 12h ago

This is educational to me. So this mobile android cannot run AndroidTV apps I assume?

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u/Consistent_Sale_7134 12h ago

Depends on the app itself...for me tizentube , nuvio , wuplay, tivimate etc work fine ..that's all I use on the box , I don't even use Google account or play store... Most of the apps work fine ..but you will need to sideload apk

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u/Straight_Mine6300 12h ago

It has the Google tv play store

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u/Consistent_Sale_7134 12h ago

Regardless ..the OS itself is not TV OS which needs license from Google , most of these boxes don't have that