INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kodi boxes are a massive success no matter how you slice them
The best models deliver 4K video to your TV and allow you unfettered access to audio and video streams of every format and service
and music files over a local network, the software also includes the ability to install add-ons to stream from almost any streaming service
supported by pretty much any platform you could think of, up to and including macOS, Android, Linux and Windows
doesn't count), so you need to find your own device to run it on.Luckily, dozens of manufacturers the world over are more than happy to
That said, while there are plenty of boxes available with Kodi pre-installed, you have to be careful
So-called 'fully loaded' Kodi boxes come with lots of add-ons that give you access to pirated content
Unsurprisingly, there's a huge crackdown on these types of boxes, with the EU declaring them illegal.The best solution is to find a
compatible media box and manually install Kodi
Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Processor: Quad-core | Operating System: Fire OS (Android based) | 4K support: YesPowerful processor4K HDR-readyDolby
Atmos supportRemote isn't the bestPutting Kodi on the Amazon Fire TV takes a bit of finagling, yes, but when it's on there the world of
streaming video will be your oyster
We prefer the latest iteration of Amazon's streaming device because it delivers 4K HDR video via a small, inconspicuous dongle
It's easy to hide out of sight and does nothing to mar the appearance of a perfectly clean entertainment center.In terms of specs, the
Amazon Fire TV has a Quad core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU with speeds up to 1.5GHz
It uses the Amlogic S905Z SoC architecture and supports 32-bit apps
Inside you've got 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage
It's made from a plastic material and, due to its small stature, can be easily lost
Minor qualms aside, however, this is probably the best Kodi box on the market right now.Read the full review:Amazon Fire TV (2017)2
Amazon Fire TV StickAn amazing all-rounder for HD TVSize: 85 x 30 x 13mm | Suported Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Processor: Quad-core | Operating
System: Fire OS (Android based) | 4K support: NoFast processorCheap deviceNo 4K supportKodi needs to be side-loadedThe Amazon Fire TV Stick
With the 2017 version of the Fire TV Stick, things are even better
A faster processor makes the media streamer 30% faster than the old one, according to Amazon
The new stick also features Alexa support built in (although this doesn't work with Kodi), and the device is only slightly more expensive
than the original.However, getting Kodi on the Fire TV Stick can be a bit of a hassle, as the app is not listed in the Amazon app store
Instead, you have to sideload Kodi
Testing, we found that our 1080p videos played smoothly; 4K videos launched and were downscaled, but we soon ran into buffering problems as
the Fire TV struggled to keep up with the high quality video.If you don't care about not having 4K and want a small, simple device that can
Amazon Fire TV (2015)Size: 115 x 115 x 18mm | Supported Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Processor: MediaTek 2GHz quad-Core | Operating
System: Fire OS (Android based) | 4K support: Yes (HDR)4K SupportSnappy and fastKodi needs to be side-loadedThe Amazon Fire TV is a top
choice for anyone that wants a great all-rounder
At its heart, this media player is an excellent choice for Amazon Prime Instant Video and Netflix, supporting both services in 4K with HDR,
but the power to play Ultra HD content means that the Fire TV is also rather good for Kodi.As with the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Kodi is not
available through the official app store, so it has to be sideloaded
This is slightly annoying to do, but not overly difficult
Once installed, Kodi can be launched quickly from the main menu.Kodi runs beautifully smoothly on the Fire TV and takes just a few seconds
Amazon's excellent Voice Remote is great for navigation and connects via Bluetooth, so you don't need line of sight; voice commands are not
supported in Kodi, though.We tested using 1080p and 4K videos, with both playing smoothly
The Fire TV has 802.11ac Wi-Fi built in, but if your home network isn't fast enough to play video without buffering, there's an Ethernet
port, too.While streaming is the easiest option, the Fire TV has a microSD card slot so that you can load this up with movies
Given the media player's small dimensions, you can load it up with content for travelling.If you want Kodi in 4K, but want access to other
streaming services, too, the Amazon Fire TV is the box to buy.Read the full review: Amazon Fire TV4
Nvidia ShieldSlick and quick, this is the most powerful 4K set-top boxProcessor: 1.9GHz quad-core Tegra X1 | Operating System: Android 6.0 |
4K support: Yes (HDR)4K supportEasy installationExpensiveThe Nvidia Shield is the most powerful Android set-top box that we've reviewed
It's designed with all types of 4K home entertainment in mind, from Netflix to the latest games via Geforce Now
Unsurprisingly, this power makes the Nvidia Shield one of the best boxes for Kodi.Running Android TV on Android 6.0, the Nvidia Shield is
one of the easiest boxes to configure Kodi on
With Google Play reconfigured for your TV screen and remote control, rather than a touchscreen, installing Kodi was an absolute breeze; in
fact, we didn't have to type anything, since we were able to use the voice search provided by the remote control to find the Kodi app.Kodi
started in just a couple of seconds, with the box recovering from standby in a similar amount of time
There are no lengthy waits with the Nvidia Shield.Once in Kodi performance was exceptional, with super-smooth menus and animations across
The menus and interface were easy to navigate using the excellent bundled remote control, too.We tested 4K and 1080p videos, with both
The Shield could also easily downsample 4K video to fill a 1080p TV, too
We had no problems using the built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi; if your network signal isn't strong enough, there's an Ethernet port in the
back.Considering the small size of the Nvidia Shield, the performance is phenomenal
If you don't care about the gaming content, the Amazon Fire TV is better value for 4K playback; if you want the absolute best performance,
this is the media streamer to buy.Read the full review:Nvidia Shield5
Seguro Trongle X4A fantastic budget 4K Kodi boxSize: 110 x 110 x 17mm | Supported Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Processor: 2GHz quad-core
Amlogic S905X | Operating system: Android 6.0 | 4K support: Yes (HDR)Wallet-friendly price4K supportWi-Fi support is buggyNot as slick as
others on this listWant 4K, but don't want to pay over the top for a box that can handle it You need the Android-powered Seguro Trongle
Measuring just 110mm square with a height of 17mm, the Trongle X4 is also one of the smallest set-top boxes that we've seen.Wi-Fi is built
in, but the X4 couldn't see our 5GHz 802.11ac network, so could only connect via 2.4GHz
The connection was painfully slow, so we recommend using the Ethernet connection at the back instead.As the X4 runs full Android 6.0, the
Google Play Store is built in, making it straightforward to install Kodi (or other Android apps)
As the play store is designed for touch, navigating it with a remote control is a little painful
It's handy that the remote has a Mouse button, so you can move an on-screen pointer to make selection a little easier, though
Once installed, Kodi can be pinned to the front screen, making it easy to launch; the only thing you have to wait for is the X4's 25s boot
time, as there's no fast standby mode.The X4's HDMI 2.0b output supports HDR10 and HLG HDR processing, along with Ultra HD resolutions, so
you'll easily be able to play the best-looking content on this box.After all of the latest updates had downloaded and installed, Kodi ran
smoothly on the X4, quickly connecting to our shared folders
We tested both 1080p and 4K films, with all playing smoothly, thanks to the 2GHz quad-core Amlogic S905X CPU
Buffering becomes an issue over Wi-Fi, but we had no such problems when using Ethernet
There's even a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), so you can store content locally and carry the X4 around with you, making it great for
The Amazon Fire TV and Nvidia Shield are slicker for 4K, but this is a good budget option.6
Raspberry Pi 3A fun project for Raspberry Pi fansSize: 85 x 86 x 17mm (board only) | Supported Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Processor:
1.2GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53CustomisableVery cheapNo caseNo 4K supportThe Raspberry Pi 3 is a brilliant little computer for all types of
projects, and its diminutive size makes it an attractive option for building a tiny Kodi media centre
The Raspberry Pi Foundation makes this easy, too, with NOOBS supporting two pre-built options: LibreELEC and OSMC
We've used OSMC for this guide.Once installed, the Pi 3 boots into OSMC and runs you through a quick configuration wizard before moving to
After that, the Raspberry Pi 3 takes around 20s to power on
OSMC gives you a custom skin designed for the Pi, although you can switch back to the Classic option
We recommend avoiding over-complicated skins, as the Pi may struggle to run them
As it stands, the default skins work well, but the animations are only just on the right side of smooth
It's also worth buying a fast microSD card so that the Pi 3 boots quickly and remains responsive.Thanks to its quad-core CPU, we found that
that the Raspberry Pi 3 could handle 1080p videos easily
There's no Ultra HD support from the HDMI output, and the Pi 3 can't downscale 4K movies
With our test 4K footage, the Pi showed a broken image and became very jerky to use
Given the 802.11n Wi-Fi built into the Pi 3, you may find that you need to use the wired Ethernet connection if your wireless network signal
isn't strong enough and you get buffering issues.The Pi 3 comes without a case, so you'll need to budget for one
It doesn't ship with a remote, either, although you may be able to control Kodi using an HDMI CEC-compatible TV's remote; the smartphone app
is otherwise the easiest method.If you have a Raspberry Pi 3 already, it will make a decent 1080p Kodi media centre
If you don't have one, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is a better choice, and cheaper considering it comes with a remote and doesn't need a
case.Read the full review:Raspberry Pi 37
Emtec GEM BoxA simple choice if you have one hanging aroundSize: 83 x 83 x 24mm | Supported Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Processor: ARM Mali-450MP6
1.5GHz quad-core | Operating System: Android 4.4 | 4K support: NoBudget priceDecent Wi-Fi performanceDoesn't support latest Kodi versionsNo
4K supportThe Emtec GEM Box might seem like a good choice for Kodi, but we'd only recommend it if you've already got the box itself lying
Running Android 4.4, the GEM Box is not compatible with the latest builds of Kodi, and the Google Play Store doesn't show the software as
available for download.Instead, you have to install the Complete Kodi Setup Wizard, which gives you access to older versions of the software
From here, we could install Kodi 15.2 Isengard instead
It's fiddly using to Google Play Store to install the Setup Wizard, and we had to flick the switch at the bottom of the game controller to
move between normal and mouse mode in order to select the search box and installation options.Kodi 15.2 ran smoothly enough on our GEM Box,
and we soon had it set up to stream content
Full HD content played without trouble
The GEM Box doesn't have a 4K output, nor can it downsample 4K video; our Ultra HD video just crashed the media player, and we had to cycle
Struggling with larger video files shows that the quad-core processor is a little behind the times.We had no problems streaming videos over
either the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections
If you want local storage, the GEM Box can take a microSD card, for locally stored video
That can make the diminutive GEM Box a handy device to carry around.The issue with the GEM Box is its price and out-of-date operating system
If you have one already, being able to install Kodi is useful; if you want to buy a new Kodi box, look elsewhere in this guide.8
Build your own PCThe best way to get the system you wantUltimate customisabilityUnlimited powerLots of work4K output requires certain
hardwareThe PC is the most versatile platform on Earth, so why not use it to build your very own Kodi box Yes, the total cost will outstrip
that of the other models here, but you'll get a more powerful unit that can run more than just Kodi.There are lots of options to go for, too
The simplest is to buy a pre-made mini PC
We tested on the excellent, but not widely available, Asus VivoMini VC65
This tiny computer measures 197 x 196 x 62mm, so will easily squeeze underneath your TV
There's even a version with a built-in DVD drive, too.The other option is to build your own computer - check out our guide on how to build a
console-sized gaming PC for a good guide
First, integrated graphics on Intel processors only support an HDMI 1.4 output
That means you're restricted to 4K at a jerky 24Hz; you have to use DisplayPort to get the full 60Hz in Ultra HD
For that reason, you will need a mini PC with a dedicated graphics card that has an HDMI 2.0 output.You don't get a dedicated remote control
with most PCs, but the control options are huge: you can use a wireless keyboard, game controller or the smartphone app, amongst others.This
is probably the most expensive method on this list, but the resulting satisfaction from having built an HTPC entirely yourself is worth the
effort it takes several times over.Gqk7cUY64ADscsrxBieFsf.jpg#
