Is It Legal To Buy a Kodi Box - Why You Need to Be Careful When Buying a Media Streaming Device?
Last updated May 11, 2024
Last updated May 11, 2024
9 Best Kodi Boxes in 2024
Last updated September 8, 2022
Buying a Kodi box or an internet TV streamer is a no-brainer from a user's point of view. Considering how it gives you access to practically any live Premier League or box office blockbuster without rental fees or a subscription, it is hard to resist its offer. Still, the question remains; how do we find the best Kodi box?
Since Kodi boxes are compatible with many platforms, including Android, macOS, and Windows, a wide range of devices fall under this category. At TechNadu, we think the best way is to find a compatible media box where you can install the Kodi app and then use it as a Kodi Box.Â
That said, be aware that the fully loaded Kodi boxes may come with illegal addons, leading to piracy and copyright infringement. That is why we are sticking to the legal Kodi Boxes for this article.Â
Let's jump right in and go through our top on-point recommendations for the best Kodi boxes in our next section and then talk about what makes a good Kodi box good.
Best Kodi Boxes
Finally, we're ready to give you some on-point recommendations. Our editorial team has ranked these devices based on their ease of installation, day-to-day performance, and streaming quality.
Once you buy one, it's up to you to install the Kodi app, create your media library, and use the application in any way you want. Here, we present to you the 9 best Kodi boxes in 2022.
- Xbox One X - Powerful Gaming Console with Kodi V19
- Nvidia Shield TV Pro - Best High-End Android Kodi Box
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max - Best Budget-Friendly 4K Kodi Box
- Amazon Fire TV Cube - Best FireOS-Powered Kodi Box
- Beelink SEi8 Mini - Kodi Box for Video Streaming
- Raspberry Pi 4 - Best DIY Kodi Box
- Minix Neo J50C - Best Entry Level Kodi Box
- Mecool MK9 Pro - An all-rounder Kodi Box
- Assemble Your Own PC - Ultimate Streaming Machine
1. Xbox Series X - Powerful Gaming Console with Kodi V19
You might not believe it, but the Xbox Series One is currently the best Kodi player on the market. It may also surprise you that Kodi started as an Xbox app, and even to this day, it continues to work on its operating system.
The setup is even easier: just head straight to the Microsoft App Store and install the latest version of Kodi. An in-built app store makes the process easier than Amazon devices, where you need to side-load the Kodi software.Â
The current hardware supports the latest Kodi version 19. Thanks to Xbox’s hardware power, including its 8-core processor and 16GB memory, Kodi performs exceptionally well on the device. The only problem we faced with Series One, and for that matter, the previous Xboxes, is that there are plenty of add-ons on v19 Kodi that are not yet optimized for the device.Â
Since there are not many alternatives to many of these addons, users are forced to sacrifice some of the essential services. That said, if you could work around a handful of add-ons, the Xbox Series One is the best Kodi Box you can get this year.
PROS
- Capable hardware.Â
- Great design.Â
- Supports 4K-HDR.
- Features Dolby Atmos.
CONS
- A few add-ons malfunction.
2. Nvidia Shield TV Pro - Best High-End Android Kodi Box
Nvidia Shield TV is probably the most powerful Android-based streaming media player out there. Its bottom-up design makes it one of the best Kodi boxes, allowing users to enjoy a cinematic experience with 4K HDR support.Â
Since it runs Android, this Kodi Box is super easy to set up. And since Google Play is configured on it for your smart TVs, the navigation between the screens is an absolute breeze. Once you install the Kodi app, it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to continue to your next favorite movie search.
With super-smooth animations and menus, we found Nvidia Shield’s performance exceptional. For most searches, you don’t have to type the name of your title, as you can use its in-built voice search on its remote control.Â
Considering its small size and gaming inclinations, Nvidia Shield is a great Kodi box with excellent performance.
PROS
- Built-in voice and remote controls.Â
- Features Google Assistant.Â
- Strong Processor.Â
- Android-based hardware.
CONS
- Hard to access its MicroSD port.
3. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max - Best Budget-Friendly 4K Kodi Box
Amazon Fire Sticks is probably one of the world's most widely used streaming devices. Since it supports the OTT services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, it’s hard to debate its utility as a Kodi Box.Â
As far as the performance is concerned, Amazon’s latest Fire Stick doesn’t stutter while streaming 4K content. Apart from that, it also has built-in Alexa support to navigate between the titles quickly. That said, as of 2022, you cannot directly install the Kodi app on your Firestick from its app store. However, there is a clean workaround.Â
The easiest way is to install a free downloader app from Amazon’s store and use it to sideload the Kodi app on your stick. This may not be completely legal if and when you use the app to access copyrighted content, but as long as you have a reliable VPN installed on your stick, you needn’t worry. Once the Kodi app is installed, the Fire TV stick 4K max is phenomenal to use.
PROS
- Faster processor.
- 4K support.Â
- Great value for the price.
CONS
- The setup process is tricky.
4. Amazon Fire TV Cube - Best FireOS-Powered Kodi Box
Like Amazon Fire Stick, installing Kodi’s app on Fire TV Cube is a bit of a hassle. But once installed, the Kodi app doesn’t falter between screens. In fact, in our testing, the Fire TV Cube, with its TV OS, which is a variation of Android, gives the strongest Amazon streaming experience among all Amazon devices.Â
The entire credit goes to its hefty processor and Dolby Vision, which are great additions to the existing Fire Stick experience. The recent upgrades from Amazon have been a treat, too, and made the streaming experience even faster.Â
The only few places where the story lags for the Fire TV box are its lack of HDMI cable and cluttered home screen. Even though the Fire TV Cube has a few shortcomings, its spot as one of the best-performing streaming players is rock-solid. Â
PROS
- Consistent and fast performance.
- Hefty processor.
- Fire TV OS.Â
- Dolby Vision.
CONS
- Lacks HDMI cables.
- Cluttered home screen.
5. Beelink SEi10 Mini - Kodi Box for Video Streaming
Beelink has somehow managed to manufacture an incredibly powerful PC with an i5 10th Gen Intel processor while keeping it about the size of a portable speaker. It is very silent and never gives the heating issues, no matter how you use it.Â
An integrated Micro SSD card would have been a nice touch, but we do not have any complaints against it as far as we used it as a Kodi box. The setup can be picked up directly from Microsoft’s store and doesn’t take more than a few minutes.Â
However, its expandable RAM unit and inclusion of Thunderbolt 3 and an NVMe SSD make it an outstanding product. Our only hardware issue was related to its ports, which were a little too tight for its case.Â
If you care about having a small and simple Kodi Box that can handle 4K streaming like a cakewalk, then Beelink could be the streaming box for you.
PROS
- Thunderbolt 3 support.
- Smooth 4K 60FPS video playback.
- MicroSD reader.
CONS
- A tiny bit more expensive.
6. Raspberry Pi 4 - Best Entry Level Android Kodi Box
Raspberry Pi 4 could work as a multi-purpose media box if you are not afraid to put a bit of elbow grease. Its small size makes it the right choice for building a powerful Kodi box.Â
The brand Rasberry Pi makes the setup easier than you might expect. There are pre-built options to sideload the Kodi app; once it is installed, the animations and interface run on the right side of smooth.Â
It has a powerful quad-core CPU. However, the machine struggles while running 4K titles unless you have a strong WiFi connection. You could also use an Ethernet connection to boost its performance. We recommend getting a MicroSD card, so its hardware performance doesn’t lag over time.Â
Raspberry Pi 4, like its previous generation, doesn’t come with a body. It doesn’t even come with a remote control, so you might have to spend some more. However, we discovered the easiest method is to get a CEC-compatible smartphone app for its lack of remote control.
PROS
- Customizable computer.
- Pocket-sized chip.
- Intuitive interface.
CONS
- Doesn’t come with a body.
- No remote control.
7. Minix Neo J50C - Best Entry Level Kodi Box
Minix Neo J50C is an affordable Windows 10 Pro system that could be used as a Kodi Box. It has small square dimensions, and frankly, it doesn’t compare to the likes of Xbox, but if you are looking for a Windows-based Kodi box on a budget, this could be an option to consider.Â
Physically, setting up Kodi on Minix Neo is very easy, as you might expect. The steps are similar to how you would install Kodi on any Windows system. During the testing, when we dived into the interface, we found that the output was set to 1080p, which, to be honest, doesn’t look that great on large screens. Of course, the device supports 4K output, making it considerably easy to switch to 4K.Â
Additionally, the streaming experience on the device is pretty smooth, even without an SSD card. However, we recommend boosting its RAM to 16 GB, even though it may cost extra. At this configuration, every little nudge helps. That little boost in RAM would help you stabilize the particular shaky multitasking.Â
The deal is straightforward. It’s a cheap machine for daily use, and in our experience, you wouldn’t mind opting for this as long as streaming hiccups don’t annoy you.
PROS
- Powerful windows computer.
- Small size.
- Great selection of ports.
CONS
- No SSD card storage.
8. Mecool KM2 - An All-Rounder Kodi Box
MeCool KM2 is a nice-looking Android-based TV media player. With its latest Amlogic Quad Core chipset, it can stream 4K content with ease while maintaining enhanced contrast and clarity.Â
During the review, we found its voice controller quite functional; it allows you to control your searches with voice commands. It even has a Google Assistant built-in, which further simplifies enjoying TV series on your big TV. Even with more apps, Mecool KM2 doesn’t stutter. Adding a flash drive for extra storage would only make it faster.Â
Although Mecool KM2 works well with a WiFi connection, an Ethernet connection is what brings out the best from its hardware. It’s very responsive, easy to operate, and has a great interface, including a pleasing home screen and media player. If you are looking for an all-rounder that does what it says, this one is for you.
PROS
- 4K 30fps video output.
- Built-in Chromecast.
- Google Assistant feature.
CONS
- Buggy interface.
9. Assemble Your Own PC - Ultimate Streaming Machine
If budget is not the issue, we recommend you build the most versatile Kodi box for yourself. Depending on your hardware picks, you could outperform any models on our list and still leave room for more than just Kodi-related content.Â
The simplest solution could be buying a ready-to-use mini-PC by any recognizable brand, like Asus. These devices are often so small that they could make their home right beneath your existing TV set.Â
If this seems too simple, you can assemble your own PC. Numerous guides on the internet could help you in that direction. However, you need to be careful about the compatibilities of different hardware as not everything goes along with everything.Â
That said, the effort it takes to build your own PC is surely worth it, considering the edge it lets you have over the other hardware.
PROS
- Customizable as per the requirement.
- Powerful hardware.
CONS
- Needs expertise to set up.
- Can get expensive.
What Makes a Good Kodi Box? What to Look For?
Here, by Kodi boxes, we mean media streaming devices that connect to your TV or monitor. Generally, we use a remote control to interact with their interfaces. Since they come with very different specs and are compatible with various platforms, they are built for different purposes.
So, the first thing to know before choosing the right Kodi box is what you want to use it for. Think about your priorities, and you'll be well on your way to finding a product that you're going to love.
- Compatibility With Kodi: First and foremost, pick a device that's compatible with Kodi. Keep in mind Kodi has native apps for Android, Fire OS, and Raspberry Pi - in addition to Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you have an Android TV device, it's good to pick one that has access to the Play Store, so you can easily install Kodi and update it.
- Supported Video Resolutions: Second, find out the maximum video resolution of your TV. For example, if you have a 4K TV, you should get a Kodi box with 4K video output to take full advantage of your television. However, if you have an HD (1080p) TV, there's no reason to get a 4K Kodi box, as you can get away with a more affordable option.
- CPU (Processor) Unit: Again, keep in mind the maximum video output that you'd like to achieve. For example, 4K playback requires a powerful processor. In general, today's Kodi boxes and media streaming devices are already equipped with suitable CPUs. However, it's always wise to check this information, as you'll want to get the most out of your media streaming device.
- RAM & Available Storage: Remember that Kodi boxes can be used for purposes other than running the Kodi app. For example, Android and Fire OS devices can run individual apps, access media streaming services, store your media collection, run games, and more. With this said, ensure that your Kodi box has at least 2GB of RAM (3 to 4GB is preferable) and at least 16GB of storage (32 or 64GB is even better).
Final Thoughts
The Kodi app is arguably the best way to transform any device into a fully functional home theatre PC. If you’re looking for a legal Kodi box, there are all types of options, from the high-end Xbox Series X to a nifty option like the Amazon Fire Stick that won’t break your bank.Â
In our opinion, Nvidia Shield TV is hands-down the best performing Android-based streaming media player on the planet. However, if you prefer to build your own machine, Raspberry Pi could be the way to go, or better, you can build your own PC. If you are interested, check out more about Kodi, its add-ons, and skins on our website.
This brings us to the end of our guide to the best Kodi boxes available today. In case of any doubts or questions, don't hesitate to post your comment below - you can be sure that TechNadu's editorial team will respond as soon as possible.
