A Double Review of Android Boxes: The Android Equivalent to Roku or Apple TV, Chromecast, or the Fire Stick

We are very into technology around here. The 4 year old already knows his way around a tablet and the basics of a Linux computer. The 1 year old can already use a mouse. We feel that technology is a part of us and is all around us and is an invaluable tool that they will need to master at a very young age. No worries, they still have books and play outside and have lots of toys that don't require batteries. Everything in moderation. That being said, we bought two different Android boxes to try to find one for Froot Loop to use. 

This box takes Android — an operating system known for being very versatile — and makes the entire experience very frustrating. If you’ve used a Roku (we have two and I imagine this applies to Apple TV, Chromecast, and other TV boxes), then this will feel like a leap backward as a media center experience.

You’re greeted with a home screen when the box is first turned on. There are some questionable (and questionably translated) apps pre-installed. Out of the box, it comes with Netflix, YouTube, Kodi, Chrome, and more.

I wanted to like this device. It could do more than my Roku, which doesn’t have a web browser and all these apps. It’s speedy with a quad-core processor and an eight-core graphics processor.

Unfortunately, as a media center, the box fails (with Kodi as the exception). The remote doesn’t have a play/pause button! As a computer with browser and apps, it fails again.

There’s a world of possibility with an Android computer hooked up to your TV. There are apps, a full web browser, and Google Play store access so you can install even more apps.

But it’s not a touch screen (obviously — it’s your TV) so you feel like you’re using the system with both hands tied behind your back. Sure, you’ve got YouTube (that’s great) but how do you use it? How do you swipe away a video when you’re done with it? I still haven’t figured out how to use YouTube with the included remote.

The exception to the rule is Kodi, the included open source media center app. It works great. It’s designed to be driven by a remote. If you’re using this box only for Kodi, then go for it. Kodi even comes with some plug-ins pre-installed — and some of them actually work.

Pros:
Comes with Kodi preinstalled.

Uses Android and has access to the vast Google Play store.

The user interface elements hang off the edges of the TV screen BUT you can use Display Position in the settings to fix that.

Cons:
The box only has a handful of screen resolutions (1080p @ 60Hz, 1080p @ 24 Hz, 720p @ 60Hz, 480p @ 60Hz, 1080i @ 60Hz, and 480i @ 60Hz). You can’t use this on an extra LCD computer monitor you have around unless it fits one of the resolutions. As the box runs Android, which is well-known for running on screens of every size, this limitation is very frustrating.

You need a keyboard and mouse to make the box easier to use. The included remote has a mouse mode (use the arrow keys to move, OK to click) but the cursor is slow to respond and is very frustrating. The onscreen keyboard is annoying as well.

So overall, this Android box is pretty much a fail. So, we tried another one… 

This is very similar review to the M8S (a faster version of this box). This box also takes Android and makes the entire experience very frustrating. 

You’re greeted with a home screen when the box is first turned on, just like the other one. Out of the box, it comes with Netflix, YouTube, Kodi, Chrome, and more, just like the other one.

Unfortunately, as a media center, this box fails too (with Kodi once again as the exception). The remote doesn’t have a play/pause button but does include universal buttons for controlling your TV power and volume. As a computer with browser and apps, it fails again.

YouTube is in a home theater mode (as opposed to the standard phone/tablet mode on my M8S) but is still difficult to navigate. For example, once a video starts, the fullscreen button vanishes. I had to pause the video and then it reappeared for me to select.

The exception to the rule is Kodi, the included open source media center app. It works great. It’s designed to be driven by a remote. If you’re using this box only for Kodi, then go for it. Kodi even comes with some plug-ins pre-installed — and some of them actually work. When first started, Kodi popped up the rather ominous message that some Kodi add-ons are illegal in certain counties.

Pros:
Comes with Kodi preinstalled.

Uses Android and has access to the vast Google Play store.

The user interface elements hang off the edges of the TV screen BUT you can use Display Position in the settings to fix that.

Cons:
The box only has a handful of screen resolutions (1080p @ 60Hz, 1080p @ 24 Hz, 720p @ 60Hz, 480p @ 60Hz, 1080i @ 60Hz, and 480i @ 60Hz). You can’t use this on an extra LCD computer monitor you have around unless it fits one of the resolutions. As the box runs Android, which is well-known for running on screens of every size, this limitation is very frustrating.

You need a keyboard and mouse to make the box easier to use. The included remote has a mouse mode (use the arrow keys to move, OK to click) but the cursor is slow to respond and is very frustrating. The onscreen keyboard is annoying as well.

Overall, this box was just as frustrating and annoying as the other one. We were very disappointed in both of them. We wanted to give Froot Loop something so he could operate kid friendly Youtube and Netflix on his own so he could watch his favorite movies and shows, but neither of these options are going to work for him. Our Roku is too complicated for him as well. 

For now, we have a Raspberry Pi computer hooked up to a monitor in the living room. We have downloaded some of his favorite YouTube videos (mostly cat videos, CoilBook videos, and videos of police cars and fire trucks) so he can watch them. We also have a beginner mode of Minecraft for him to play and a baby game for Cocoa Puff called Bam Bam. It can be operated from Honey Grahams computer and the videos pause easily using the space bar. For now it works, but we’d really like a system that works a little better for him. 

Do you have a computer setup for your kids? What do you use?