All Hokie, All the Time. Period. Presented by First Bank & Trust Company

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EDGEMAN OP
Jun 18, 2026 at 10:40 AM ET
Instead of buying a Roku, Apple TV 4K, or Amazon Firestick, how about...
...another option? I haven't looked into these before, but I like what I see.

11 Replies

UTPr0sim UTPr0sim
1mo
Why do I need a box? I have YoutubTV and a smart TV that has lots of apps
for ESPN, Youtube, Pluto, Disney, Hulu you name it.
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EDGEMAN OP
1mo
Generally speaking, these boxes work better than the software loaded...
...onto your television. That function in older "smart" televisions sucked. Really sucked. I think they're just OK today.
JoesterVT JoesterVT
1mo
Yeah....I don't get why companies are still developing these products
The only people who need one are people with early HDTVs. Early HDTVs are few, and the ones left are on their death bed. Like most things, tech-wise, I'm probably missing something....
PhotoHokieNC PhotoHokieNC
1mo
Pass. Am not looking for a sex change, which is
about the level of reversal all that hoohah entails.
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EDGEMAN OP
1mo
THIS is how you find malware in an illegal Android TV Box
This guy does a really deep dive into this box. Good to know before you buy one...
B777Fr8Dog B777Fr8Dog
1mo
Samsung has all that shirt built in!
UTPr0sim UTPr0sim
1mo
yep, that's what we have. No need for a box.
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EDGEMAN OP
1mo
That review only covers ~8 options, but there are so many more that are...
...very capable. Most of the better units are WiFi 6, 4K minimum (some 8K), have low def video upscaling, Dolby Atmos, HDR+, etc. One thing they recommend is to use a VPN on the box, and to set it up where it's on its own (Guest) network...just in case one of the 3rd party apps you add contains malware.
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
1mo
FWIW ONN is owned by Google
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EDGEMAN OP
1mo
Isn't Android also owned by Google?
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
1mo
Yes. Some people may think that ONN is independent like Roku was before
it was acquired by Fox. If a person has issues with Google or doesn't want to use any Google products, then they probably should stay away from ONN too. As the relationships become even more interconnected, then that will be more difficult to achieve going forward. Particularly if people end up purchasing a smart TV in the future.