Certified is the only way to go…
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Not sure which I would prefer since I have always used Firesticks I do have a $20 onn box I need to get setup just trying to figure out setting it up without giving Google all my info Ha plan on reading up in here to see if it would be worth going with an ONN box open to any advice since there are ton of people in here that are way smarter than me when it comes to this 
currently have 4 tv’s setup on firesticks
After setting up remote and wifi, the box will update and reboots to Google sign in page.
Link to Onn Android TV Box by Walmart - Troy’s First Impressions
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Ugoos all the way, game changer for speed for me
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I like android just because I like simple and easy to do things! I appreciate the others but just not worth my time. Thanks troy for all you do really has helped me make decisions and help others!
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For me…. I like both. AOSP has a downside, no WideVine L it is generally WideVine L3, whereas the Certified boxes are generally WideVine L1. However…. The AOSP will let you get right down into the weeds and set it up the way you like. I prefer NOT to use the Play store. I always use a 3rd party AOSP store.
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I have only ever used the fire stick and now the Onn 4k plus, they work for what I need
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I am using an ONN pro but wouldn’t mind trying one of these boxes! thanks Merry Christmas!
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I started with a fire cube (about 6 months) went onto a Formuler Z10 (little more than a year) loved MyTvOnline but remote sucked moved onto the NVidia Shield for past 4 years now. No gaming for me, strictly an entertain box.
Started with fire sticks, now onto 4k onn boxes. Who knows what the future holds!
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I started with the Nexus Player.(ASUS 2014) Friends minds were blown when I asked the device to “Play Bruce Springsteen-Born to Run.” LOL! Many google Chromecast’s and Android TV’s later I landed on the NVidia Shield Pro. I was never a fan of Amazons devices except maybe the Cube. Now Amazon has crippled their users. If the Shield is ever abandoned, (I didn’t say that,) I have no idea where i will go.
I have both…I like the AOSP because I like to tinker to see how things work and to see if of I can get them to work. Most of the people I help get into the hobby, like the AndroidTV boxes, because your have to do less tinkering and get right to watching content.
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Hi All
Compliments of the season to everyone here hope its a great one. I have used AOSP and certified android boxes over the last 5 or 6 years and my preference is certified e.g Nvidia shield pro and Mecool mostly and found them to be excellent. I am impressed with the X88Pro 5m and previously X88 Pro 20. The T95 Z and Q boxes as my earlier experiments were very reliable also.
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Shield all the way
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I use the Thomson 270 as my main streamer but I always had a itch to try a non certified android box…so I went for a 8gb ram and 128gb box. It’s slow and clunky. Streaming quality is meh! Made me love my Thomson 270 more than I already did. Onn (Thomson in the UK) are fantastic I love them
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Why I Personally Avoid Android TV Devices
I tend to avoid many streaming boxes because they run Android TV, which is part of Google’s certified ecosystem. That means Google ultimately controls platform policies, including how apps are distributed, verified, or potentially restricted over time.
I’m not saying Google will lock things down to absurdity, but these devices are still prone to future policy changes. We’ve already seen how this can play out with Amazon Fire TV, where updates gradually limited customization. I dealt with that myself—every major update meant spending hours fixing or working around new restrictions.
Because of that, I prefer devices that run Android AOSP instead of Android TV.
Currently, I use a Ugoos AM9 Pro, and it’s been rock solid. It runs AOSP, performs better than most devices I’ve owned, and works even better with the Projectivy Launcher. More importantly, I have full control over it—there’s no Google or Amazon layer dictating how I use my device.
To me, it’s about ownership. I’d rather not invest time customizing a device if future platform changes could undo that work. It would be like Microsoft suddenly restricting what apps you can install on your own PC.
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Well said.
Also, my AM9 Pro has been great with absolutely no issues.
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Google is now going thru every day and removing non certified apk’s from my Skystream box. I sideload it and within 24hrs it is removed. FYI. Time for an AOSP box.
You need to disable Play Protect and this won’t happen.
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