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Homatics Box R 4K Plus TV Box AndroidTV 14 Amlogic S905X4 Kodi / Plex Client US$138.75 (~A$198.19) @ AliExpress

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Homatics Box R 4K Plus TV Box AndroidTV 14 Amlogic S905X4 Kodi / Plex Client US$138.75 (~A$198.19) @ AliExpressAffiliate
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DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 08:08 aliexpress.com (494 clicks)
Last edited 24/07/2026 - 20:01 by 1 other user
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For home cinema enthusiasts this box is more capable than a Nvidia shield or an Apple TV, but with a few caveats. You must flash the unit with corelec, a stripped Linux operating system designed specifically to run Kodi. Once you have done this, you will unlock superior features like HDR10+, Dolby MEL, Dolby FEL. However out of the box it also supports AV1, WIFI 6 and Gigabit ethernet.

For those who prefer a plug n play solution you may prefer the convenience of your shield or the apple tv, however if you are willing to tinker, which I know a lot of this site does, it is a far superior device. Especially for PLEX and Jellyfin users that wish to utilize the full power of there 4k remux content.

I should also mention that Kodi uses PlexKodiConnect - So dont expect the same user interface you are are used to. Kodi has always required tinkering as it is a crowd sourced project. However you get the benefits of premium features that the mainstream boxes dont offer.

Check YouTube for more information on how to flash these devices with Corelec. For the quality enthusiast there are also lists of Dolby Full Enhancement layer supported movies available online.

If I have missed anything or you feel I have got something wrong, let me know.

Ive also linked a useful spreadsheet which outlines all of the devices features: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Uyuw_1dADsRw7u1LGW6q…

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  • juns on 22/07/2026 - 08:15

    I got this last year July for 89USD/135.79AUD. Runs CoreElec and plays DV Profile 7 fine.

    HDMI CEC is also working well with my TV. Most basic control works and it goes to standby when my TV is turned off.

    The only downside I guess is they are slow.

    • 3
    • carmar on 22/07/2026 - 08:31

      I've not come across these devices before. Can I ask what you mean when you say that they are slow, please?

      • 0
      • Tacooo on 22/07/2026 - 08:55

        Opposite of fast.

        • 19
        • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 09:02

          I think he is trying to establish if the menu's are slow, playback is slow, startup is slow, menu is not snappy etc. I have read that you can export some of the OS onto the internal memory on certain devices to make it more snappy.

          Im currently running a firecube 3 along side a 2015 shield which covers most of my playback needs (aside from the Dolby FEL content) but I saw this device was on sale, so Im also curious about the real world performance.

          • 3
        • carmar on 22/07/2026 - 10:29

          Bahahahaha!!! Hilarious. Thanks, Tacoooooooo. Appreciate the thoughtful input.

          • 0
      • juns on 22/07/2026 - 09:29

        The startup or loading can be slow.

        Starting or stopping a movie for example can in some instance take 5-10 seconds.

        The movie, however, is not affected once it has started playing.

        • 1
        • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 09:42

          I read this, which may help with the issues you are having.

          CE needs to run off a mSD card or USB flash drive (but, this hack allows moving of some data to the internal eMMC, but only under ATV 12, not 14) however, still a bit less snappy than AM6B+

          • 0
          • juns on 22/07/2026 - 09:44

            @DarnyBoy1982: Thanks for that. I might have seen/heard of such workaround too.

            Honestly I am not too fussed with the slowness. It is tolerable and not affecting my media when it has started playing.

            I am just pointing it out in case other people is bothered by it.

            • 2
        • carmar on 22/07/2026 - 10:30

          Thanks, Juns.

          • 0
        • bamzero on 22/07/2026 - 10:50

          Yeh, could just be the SD card speed. I'm running CE on old S905X boxes and playback is pretty much instant (media and database is stored on NAS).
          I did the storage switch to use the internal eMMC for CE data and it made a pretty big difference if I remember rightly.

          (Pity can't get DV Profile 7 working on this chip and struggles with 2GB RAM a little these days but they've help up remarkably well for the $35 to $40 I spent on them back in 2016/2018.)

          • 1
          • carrawa on 22/07/2026 - 22:40

            @bamzero: Is the switch from X to Y a command line job or a menu change?

            • 0
            • bamzero on 22/07/2026 - 23:15

              @carrawa: Command line, bit of partition relabeling (and copy existing data if you aren't running a fresh install)

              After a quick search think this is it (libreeelec or corelec, either will work)

              • 1
  • uccoffee on 22/07/2026 - 08:19

    how come the spreedsheet doesnt have shield , google TV , apple TV benchmark ?
    Nevertheless, the form is great to see the N150 mini PC benchmark! I wonder how's it compare with running windows thou ?

    • 0
    • juns on 22/07/2026 - 08:21

      I thought it does have shield. My guess is CCwGTV is not the usual choice.

      Does Apple TV even support Kodi?

      • 0
      • uccoffee on 22/07/2026 - 08:22

        i see the CCwGTV in the dolby vision part, but how about the new google streamer ?

        • 0
        • juns on 22/07/2026 - 09:34

          Unsure, as I have not done too much research into google products for this purpose.

          When I looked into device selections, I was looking specifically for device that is capable of showing DV 7 FEL. AV1 is a bonus for future proofing.

          My guess is none of the google products has the capability of showing DV 7 FEL, but I could be wrong.

          Last year July at least, the only two known devices that was capable of DV 7 FEL was just this Homatics or the Ugoos. Ultimately I picked Homatics for its AV1 support.

          • 0
      • PainToad on 22/07/2026 - 09:33

        Does Apple TV even support Kodi?

        Yes. With https://github.com/bitxeno/atvloadly

        But audio support sucks.

        • 2
        • juns on 22/07/2026 - 09:45

          Well there you go, I learn something new everyday.

          • 0
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 08:23

      Because the spreadsheet I linked is specifically for devices that are Corelec/Kodi capable.

      • 1
      • uccoffee on 22/07/2026 - 08:35

        kodi is so bad with its unicode support, cant use it with all these chinese , japanese , korean file names / metadata files.
        i gave up long time ago

        • 1
        • hambuger on 22/07/2026 - 13:40

          Which OS? It's always worked for me although I did have to copy a font or two over on some hardware..

          • 0
  • BatmanAU on 22/07/2026 - 08:57

    Couldn’t you just set up a cheap N100 for this type of setup? Not that I actually know anything about Kodi/Plex etc

    • 1
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 09:05

      You can but its more expensive and lacks the majority of the features this device offers. See the spreadsheet I linked in the description, it lists the N100/N150 based systems.

      • 1
      • BatmanAU on 22/07/2026 - 10:06

        Cool, I don’t know much about these things, I just use Apple TV and my tvs apps

        • 1
  • atlas on 22/07/2026 - 09:11

    Does it actually dual boot core elec and Android TV?

    • 0
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 09:17

      Corelec runs via the SD card, so if you remove the SD card it will boot into android.

      • 0
      • atlas on 22/07/2026 - 09:49

        Thanks. How's the performance running Android TV?

        • 0
        • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 09:56

          Sorry I dont yet own it, the information I have is from reviews and stuff Ive read online. Im currently tossing up between this and a Ugoos AM9 Pro or Ugoos AM6B+.

          Each unit has one or two features the others dont, however for the price I would say the Homatics seems to be the best bang for buck and best all rounder.

          • 0
        • anozbargainuser on 22/07/2026 - 10:34

          It runs ok, just loading of apps can be a bit slow.

          • 1
  • skysurfer on 22/07/2026 - 09:35

    Support for Atmos?

    • 0
    • anozbargainuser on 22/07/2026 - 10:34

      Yes

      • 0
      • juns on 22/07/2026 - 10:41

        I wish I have the disposable income to enhance my audio experience. I am under the impression that audio can be a very deep rabbit hole.

        Dropping $$$ on OLED DV capable TV already seems like a massive buy for me.

        Currently still using my trusty Logitech Z906 that I got in 2016.

        What do you reckon a good one step up within $1500 budget?

        • 0
        • anozbargainuser on 22/07/2026 - 10:57

          I heard the Samsung Q 990 series is decent for around $1K

          I personally owned the Sony HT-A8000 with rear + sub, which I love.

          • 1
        • Sfh1975 on 22/07/2026 - 16:31

          Buy a used Yamaha HT setup. I am still running RX-V475 (with 5.1 speakers) which I got around 2016 I think for less than $1000 from BingLee. Apart from the "smart" features, very little changes in these over a decade.

          • 0
  • hambuger on 22/07/2026 - 10:30

    This seems pretty expensive for a S905 box. Unless they're all this much nowadays?

    Also noted in the spreadsheet it says it comes with a 1A power supply which isn't enough power. This doesn't seem like a great deal unless you specifically need some HDR weirdness that cheaper android boxes can't do

    • 0
    • reactor-au on 22/07/2026 - 10:42

      It's the cheapest box that can do DV profile 7 FEL if that's important to you

      • 2
      • hambuger on 22/07/2026 - 13:39

        Ahhh. Dolby and their new things and layers.

        Still rocking my 10 year old NUC that'll convert profile 8&9 to HDR10 but not 7. Maybe some 7? Definitely not this FEL thing. It's so confusing and irritating! Do TVs do 12bit now too?

        • 0
        • carrawa on 22/07/2026 - 22:50

          What does 7 do?

          • 0
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 10:51

      If you wanted to nitpick, the Xiaomi Box S 3rd gen is cheaper, but its performance is garbage in comparison to this, also if you have a 2nd gen firecube laying around that hasnt been updated for a long time you can flash it with corelec. Making it fully Dolby FEL compatible.

      • 0
      • combatant on 22/07/2026 - 11:11

        What is it specifically about the Xiaomi's performance that is garbage in comparison?

        • 0
        • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 11:18

          Only 2gb ram, Less powerful gpu, No ethernet (if thats important to you) and USB 2.0 only. Maybe "garbage" was a bit harsh considering the price but its definitely less capable. See this video which mentions freezes, and crashes: https://youtu.be/mQvdxOw182M?si=kA1OwsIT7YNU3Xmd

          • 0
          • combatant on 22/07/2026 - 11:41

            @DarnyBoy1982: That video is actually pretty positive about the Xiaomi. A few freezes in some scenarios, but some of those seemed to be caused by having the UI set to the wrong res. It actually looks to be a great budget option.

            • 0
          • carrawa on 22/07/2026 - 22:55

            @DarnyBoy1982: You can get a USB to Ethernet cable.

            Only issue for these is updates and security.

            I had the MiBox 3. They have mic on the remote but it can't be turned off or disabled.

            Good unit but I don't think they are making new ones and if they do, few and far between.

            • 0
            • DarnyBoy1982 on 23/07/2026 - 08:19

              @carrawa: Yes I feel like I would rather fork out the extra for a licensed box due to the security concerns.

              • 0
    • Sfh1975 on 22/07/2026 - 16:34

      How about the one from vodafone? Wasnt that S905 too? Was not that expensive either.

      • 0
  • The Hobo on 22/07/2026 - 10:33

    Don't think this does Kayo in 4k though

    • 0
    • anozbargainuser on 22/07/2026 - 10:40

      According to Kayo, it should - https://kayosports.com.au/en-AU/help/articles/31174086034973…

      Homatics R 4K Plus runs Android TV 14 (Google certified)

      • 0
      • carrawa on 22/07/2026 - 22:56

        What is the latest Android TV? Updates till when?

        • 0
        • anozbargainuser on 23/07/2026 - 13:37

          Android TV 16 is the latest, there's no word if Homatics will update this box to 16.

          • 1
      • The Hobo on 24/07/2026 - 17:51

        Interesting, Kayo must have made some changes. Previously for 4k, they had a list of devices it supported, and if you weren't using one of those, it wouldn't play 4k.

        • 0
  • Horacio on 22/07/2026 - 10:44

    Thanks OP! And whoever made that spreadsheet, wow

    • 1
  • hen dawg on 22/07/2026 - 12:32

    I got one for US$96 but 2 yrs ago.
    Coreelc use is good for sure if home cinema enthusiast and have NAS or similar to link up to for downloads.
    I rarely use mine now since discovering the convenience of debrid services and Stremio/Nuvio but they don't passthrough all the audio formats from the TV or ATV 4k to my AV receiver

    • 0
  • danwylie on 22/07/2026 - 12:45

    ooh that's tempting. Plex is pretty laggy for me on the shield these days.

    • 0
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 12:52

      Re-paste the cpu if you havent already. I did this and it helped a lot. Its not difficult and there are guides on youtube.

      • 2
      • danwylie on 22/07/2026 - 12:55

        Cheers, I'll check it out, I've definitely got some arctic paste around somewhere

        • 0
  • liongalahad on 22/07/2026 - 14:01

    So out of the box this won't have HDR10+?
    Is this overkill for Stremio/Nuvio?

    • 0
  • monaro on 22/07/2026 - 20:18

    These sort of stories make me worried about some of these Aliexpress Android TV boxes…

    https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/06/popa-botnet-linked-to-pu…

    • 1
    • DarnyBoy1982 on 22/07/2026 - 20:40

      The artical mentions "unofficial android boxes" this box is a licensed google box if that makes you feel any better.

      • 1
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