Android Home Theater.


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I am happy with Roku I event sent one to Bryan but I don't think he hooked it up yet

I watch any program I want from anywhere in the world on Satellite Direct its a one time fee $29 & stream to my tv from the computer with Play-to

have been watching Uk version of Shameless.

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Throw the Roku away It's old technology, get yourself a Matricom G-Box Midnight mx2, no fees, and many more times programming totally free direct off the internet not through your computer.

This box can be tethered to your router via a Cat5 cable or set up Wi-Fi, check the links I posted.

Prior to this I had an Apple TV2 which had to be "jailbroken" and loaded with repositories and "addons" to get all the online free programs.

Just as an example of what I can get FREE!!! BBC all stations, ITV, all stations, most of the time Sky 1,2,3,4 sports, just about every movie ever made from various sites, just about every TV show, both UK and USA ever made.

I watched all the episodes of Revolution last year just after they were broadcast and sometimes at the same time they were live on air!!! That was on the Apple which got smoked a couple of weeks back.

The G-Box is so much faster than the Apple was.

The main "platform" is XBMC, I added Navi-X as it makes navigating much easier..

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After doing some tests I found on a TV techs site, I established the Main Board is deffo smoked in the Vizio TV...Spent a few hours Saturday tracking a new board down at a reasonable price, same on order and should be here in a few days.

The tests proved the power supply board is good, very surprised that none of the fuses are blown on it.

Pity it got smoked as I loved the picture on the Vizio, it altered screen brightness automatically with ambient room lighting, plus many other features I liked.

It's replacement is a Westinghouse, couple of inches bigger picture, 50" against the Vizio's 47", hardly noticeable.

Just another thing I found over the weekend with the G-Box, we live in an area where the highest internet speed is 1.5mbs, so on the Apple, we had problems at weekdends with Navi X being too busy, but with the G-Box, it doesn't seem to bother it too much, in fact we watched three movies from late Sunday afternoon to just before we called it a night last night, not once did the G-Box buffer..

I've also noted that some servers the AppleTV2 wouldn't access, the G-Box has no troubles with, the more I use it the more impressed I am with it.

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I just found out, movies or programs can be downloaded to an SD card for later viewing, could be also put on DVD's via the computer...I'm going to find out if an external HD can be used via one of the usb ports to do the same thing!!

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It will support an external hard drive, so great for downloading multiple movies for "burning" to DVD or just watching later...

In researching the hard drive compatibility, I found out the G-Box is outselling Roku and Apple boxes....

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Well the TV that got smoked is working once more, just got to put the back on..All it got was the main board, fitted a new main board a few minutes back, and now one Vizio M470VT as good as new, it will now be our stand by TV and when I've finished the bedroom, I'll get a swivel wallmount bracket and mount it in there...

To be blunt, I'm as happy as a pig in the proverbial, nice to be able to diagnose electronic problems and correct them... I get great satisfaction our of seeing dead things come to life again.... Not to mention, a fairly new TV is not totaled.

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  • 2 months later...

BUMP.

Still extremely happy with the G-Box, downloaded nearly 300 movies to an external hard drive to watch later.

The missus bought me a wireless mini keyboard for it, just set everything up, replaces the remote and is much faster.

The Matricom G-Box is now the fastest selling android set top box on Amazon for the last few months...

Anyone looking for a satellite/cable alternative, this is the thing, all legal, no monthly fees and all in HD.

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I still cannot see the point of set top boxes on TV when you can download XBMCHUB.COM direct onto your Windows PC for nothing.

There are fewer bugs this way than with Android Devices. The latest 5th October release by the XBMC Team to factory restore the 12.2 Frodo version, RESETTING XBMC TO A CLEAN STATE AND SUPERCONFIGURE IT WITH THE NEW WIZARD IN 5 MINUTES. Its Amazing. This being done you have all the ADDONS you will need already configured. The one thing you need to avoid in imposter XBMC Sites, just log in to www.xbmchub.com and you are safe. Go to Downloads, there you will find eight different O.S supported, including Windows, Mac etc. take your pick & do it. The main Addons I use are 1 Channel, Hulu, Ice Films, Sports Devil & USTV NOW. This gives me all 2013 release videos back to 19 0ught Blob. I even watched a Valentino one the other night, Blood & Sand I believe it was called. Give it a try all you provide in 49.5Mb of disk space. No point in buying £80 plus equipment with silly handheld mini keyboards, use the gear you already have.

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SCREEN SIZE Bazza... The G-Box comes preloaded with everything you mentioned straight out the box...My eyes aren't what they were and I like to sit back in my comfortable recliner to watch a movie....

The X-Box only costs $US98 the replacement remote, (mini keyboard, about $US28, so not a fortune..

The main platform of the G-Box is XBMC and automatically updates all repositories itself, I added Navi-X as I like a lot of the features etc of Navi-X.

Doesn't tie my computer up either, as it has nothing to do with the computer except shares the same modem/router for wireless reception of the internet.

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Ayupmeduck,

I hear everything you say about the MX Box/G Box and it only costs $US126 total for the ADDITIONAL remote, (You do have to use two don't you?) I suppose I have overlooked a bog standard monitor on a PC, maybe because I have the same problem as you with the eyes, and have been using a Fujitsu Siemens HD Monitor for the last four years.

That being said, I am sure you must agree as you have already said in a previous post, these units cost over twice the amount over here, (Best available here is £130 for both), is more difficult to set up without the additional mini keyboard your good lady has just bought you, and even this is more fiddly that a standard keyboard and mouse if you are holding a cup of tea at the same time. More importantly purhaps, You should also remember that most of the guys over here are of am age and posible circumstances that they have to count the pennies in with the pounds. Surely the advice to 'Try Before You Buy' for 'NOTHING' more than a little time is sound advice. Do you not agree? As for tying up the computer, I personally can ownly watch one at once.

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We have to count our pennies too Baz, but as we don't have cable or satellite TV, it works out a lot cheaper for us, an I much prefer my recliner to my desk chair. The computer goes off around 5-00pm.

I did download XBMC for the computer, but haven't used it, I find the monitor after a while makes my eyes ache.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You have to activate the stuff you need to watch, for a start go into "Video" In the menu click on "Get More" then scroll down all the addons, Select the ones you want and click on them, a menu will popup...Easy from there.

Go to Youtube and use XBMC as the search criteria, there are dozens of videos to help you overcome any problems you have...Once you get used to it, it's easy.

Use the xbmchub forum and site to get other "repositories and addons" Loads in there, look for the "downloads" in the top menu bar.

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I accidently "bricked" my X-Box last week, just did something stupid and hadn't backed the main files up on a memory card, so had to hunt around for the XBMC special edition software that Matricom uses..Eventually located it and downloaded it, also add "Fusion" holy crap, hundreds more addons are added by using Fusion..

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Can't say I've ever had any problems learning or using XBMC Mick, I loaded it into an Apple TV2 a couple of years back and had to load everything with that "tethered" to the computer via a USB cable, with my X-Box, I can either download anything via an SDHC card or type in the drop down box out of the systems menu and enter the URL where the file is, much like on the computer loaded XBMC.

Whats simpler than adding things via a "menu" of all programs?? Just like changing a channel on TV..

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I did now download some channels, cant say I found much of interest yet.

The picture quality is very good

I could do with getting some US channel 9 news Los Angeles.

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Activate these..

1 Channel. Movies and TV shows.

Free Cable. Ditto.

Hulu... Ditto....you may have to make sure you're using a US proxy to watch Hulu though.

Ice Films......Ditto.

Project Free TV this is probably one of the best for Movies, TV shows old and new.

Putlocker TV ...

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Mashup is another you should activate..

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I just installed Navi-X, it works in programs for watching up to date movies, I had to load it via a memory card, but was real easy... With the computer I couldn't get to where I have it filed, so ended up uploading from a saved copy of Navi-X on a memory card...

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Mick, I see you are having a go, be assured it will get easier, but at first it can be confusing but later with use it is very user friendly.

Having done what you have, have you loaded 'fusion'. Also, when you click the icon to start xbmc what appears first on screen, does it say 'wizard edition' then immediately change to a 'Bar' across with Videos in the centre & Files & add-ons underneath it. If so, click on add-ons and say what you see there.

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I added Fusion to my X-Box.....Good grief, the amount of extra channels it adds!! Unbelievable.. The only problem I have with "Video" is I cannot download movies to my external hard drive, I can only do that in Navi-X.

Tried Navi-X in my computer this morning, problem is it's either download a movie or use the computer, so back to downloading movies to my external hard drive on my X-Box.

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Go to the xbmchub.com site to find additional software containing these site repositories. You'll find loads of helpful info there Mick, including a very helpful forum, I haven't joined it, but from past posts gained a wealth of help.

Also, don't forget Youtube, lots of instructional videos on XBMC.

XBMC was written originally for the XB gaming box, so the owners could watch streaming video as well as downloading new games, it was expanded to be used with other gaming boxes, then as Android devices became more popular, coded for them too.

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