multimedia or htpc device options?, TV sticks, raspberry pi, android?

[jason41987]

im wanting to have a device connected to my television to give it the ability to play netflix, hulu, spotify and pandora.. preferably through offcial apps, some old console emulators, and maybe even set it up to stream PC games through steam

so im looking at things like the amazon fire tv stick, roku stick, raspberry pi 2, and was even considering installing something on an old netbook i no longer use.. unfortunately android x86 on the netbook is impossible to get netflix functioning

my concern with the stick options you plug into the HDMI port of your TV is that most seem to be restrictive as to which apps you can actually install, it seems they need apps specifically for it and i dont have access to full android list of applications.. any way to remedy this or replace the OS with normal android?

in terms of the raspberry pi 2, can anyone confirm that android functions on this along with the android apps listed above?

basically what im looking to do is convert my television into a stationary, but fully functional android device

 

[Mr5oh]

some old console emulators

I haven't done much emulation on android, just some very basic NES. However I can tell you from my experience with the HTPC I just built, if you plan on playing classic consoles at the 1080 resolution a PI will not be enough horsepower.

 

[jason41987]

the television i intend to use is only 720p

 

[jason41987]

hmm.. if we ignore emulators for the time being, will android TV devices allow me to install any native android app and use them on my TV?.. like the free spotify android client, plus hulu and netflix of course?

 

[americanaudiophile]

An Android TV box with access to the store should be able to download any app it can run. Take a look at this one:
http/www.amazon.com/PROBOX2-Streaming-Android-Processor-Controller/dp/B00N3KEFT6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/180-0704244-6358720

 

[jason41987]

im not looking to spend more than $50 though and the fire TV stick will do anything i need it to... either that or the raspberry pi which has similar specs and costs about the same but is a bit more "open" in design

 

[jason41987]

hey.. what do you guys think of this?.. its around $50, lists a 2ghz quad-core A9 processor, 8-core mali M450 GPU, and 1 gig of RAM.. potent for a $50 device

http/www.amazon.com/Digital-Reins-Streaming-Mali-450-Miracast/dp/B00OPECDSO/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1433590591&sr=8-20&keywords=mx3+android

the M8 is pretty cool too, may be worth the extra for more power

 

[jason41987]

anyone?

 

[rumble]

I've heard people install osmc (https/osmc.tv/) on Raspberry Pi for streaming purposes. Raspberry Pi can even play HD videos: http/raspberry-pi-tutorial.com/raspberry-pi-hardware/