Android TV boxes have become the go to devices for home media centers, and with many users finding how nice Kodi can be the two have become very popular.
Many android TV boxes now come fully loaded with Kodi installed along with all the popular add-ons.
This makes them great items to have to watch all your favorite shows, movies, or Bing watch.
Keep in mind Kodi is free to download and install on many devices from a old computer to a Raspberry Pi.
If you already have a android TV box Kodi may be able to be loaded on it.
Here we are breaking down the best hardware-to-cost options available.
Low-End Cheap Kodi Android TV Boxes.
There are many who will scoff at the idea that a low-end android TV box will be able to stream Kodi.
The fact is many can and do a good job at streaming video.
Keep in mind though these boxes are cheap low costs units for a reason, things such as support or updates will almost be nonexistent.
Last year the MXQ was a popular low cost unit we reviewed at under $40, the box still streams video with Kodi.
I gave out a few of the MXQ boxes last Christmas to friends and family and many are still using theirs daily.
Last year the basic specification we recommended for a Kodi box was a S805 CPU and 1GB RAM.
Currently the minimum hardware specification for a Kodi box should be at least a S905 CPU and 2GB RAM.
There are other good CPU’s for a basic box such as the S812.
I recently did a review on one such box running a S905 CPU and 2GB of RAM, which you can read here.
The internal storage space for files is also limited on these boxes, with 8GB the standard.
More storage space can usually be added via a USB flash drive or Micro-SD card.
If you are on a budget than a Kodi box with at least the basic hardware will run Kodi, just dont expect more from it than you should.
Mid-Range Kodi Android TV Boxes
Mid-range boxes can be very similar to low-end boxes as far as hardware but are often built better and have good support.
These types of boxes range in cost from $60-$100 dollars but may be worth it for those needing help with a upgrade or any problem that may come along.
A popular mid-range box is the Matricom G-Box which we did a review on here.
If you are tech savvy and have no problems upgrading a android TV box with Kodi than getting a low cost option will likley be better.
If you dont want to spend the money on a high-end box but may need updates and support than a mid-range unit would be a good option.
High-End Kodi Android TV Boxes
High-end Kodi android TV boxes cost much more than other boxes since they run the fastest CPU’s and RAM.
They also will have large internal hard drive space and can even be used as a gaming box in some cases.
By far the most popular top-end unit is the Nvidia Shield which starts with a base 16GB model and moves up to a 500GB internal hard drive model.
Without a doubt if you have the money than the Nvidia Shield will give a user the best experience, along with support and upgrades.
The NVIDIA Shield runs a Tegra X1 CPU, 256-core NVIDIA graphics and 3GB RAM.
Summary
Getting the best box will always depend on your budget.
There is no doubt the the high-end boxes will give the best user experience but low-end units also have there place.
I have several friends who use a combination of these boxes and have tested out and done reviews on many of them.
Low or mid range units may have a slight delay or require looking at a few YouTube videos when a update is needed but do run Kodi and stream videos fine.
As anyone who has used Kodi knows the streams available are dependent on third party sources from the internet.
This makes any box no matter how good at the mercy of a Kodi add-on and the streams it pulls in.
Whichever box is chosen be sure to read the reviews on Amazon or elsewhere to be sure it is a good fit for you.