# IPTV Boxes



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Hola a todos

Its been a while since I have been online here but I thought of you all for a bit of advice.

I have not had UK TV for a long long time but am thinking of getting it again and have decided that rather than all the hassle (and expense) of having a dish installed I would opt for an IPTV box.

I have read so many mixed reviews.. some people offering one off payments, others offering monthly subscription based services but I am lost as to where to get one from. One guy recommended someone who offers the box for a one off payment of 120 euro but this worries me as I have heard that streams get cut off and its best to have a subscription based service as they are more likely to keep it online!

Anyone here using an IPTV box and who do you recommend as a supplier?

Thanks folks!


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

If you have a good internet service then an IPTV box can give you lots of enjoyment; I have no connection to www.entertainmentbox.com except as a customer but their TV8 V4 box is supreme. I use the Wookie Wizard build which is updated most months with new streams. 

I get all normal British TV, Freeview, plus boxed sets and movies. Their site has lots of helpful articles and YouTube videos plus of course on-line help`

Davexf


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> If you have a good internet service then an IPTV box can give you lots of enjoyment; I have no connection to www.entertainmentbox.com except as a customer but their TV8 V4 box is supreme. I use the Wookie Wizard build which is updated most months with new streams.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I will take a look!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xicoalc said:


> Thanks, I will take a look!


Get in touch with one of our members - "Sat"

WE have an android box - you can get them through ebay. We paid a one-of fee of £69. These boxes are the same as or similar to the ones you might buy locally for 100-200 € with or without an annual subscription but you don't really get anything more than we've got.


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

Kodi
Exodus
1channel


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Get in touch with one of our members - "Sat"
> 
> WE have an android box - you can get them through ebay. We paid a one-of fee of £69. These boxes are the same as or similar to the ones you might buy locally for 100-200 € with or without an annual subscription but you don't really get anything more than we've got.


Thanks, I should have thought of him, I will drop him a line. Its just so confusing because many people have told me they have bought boxes and then later streams disconnect and they are left with a useless box. I will drop Sat a line tomorrow and also look at eBay!


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

A few options:

An android box / firestick running kodi. One off payment. But as this relies on "public" free streams, reliability can be "iffy". Streams and repos / addons go down, buffering at peak times, having to update addons on a monthly basis....user interface can be a bit fiddly. (Note : UK traders are now being jailed for sale of "loaded" boxes)

An paid service using the likes of a MAG box - as a paid service, uses a private server, so better quality, better reliability.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

sat said:


> A few options:
> 
> An android box / firestick running kodi. One off payment. But as this relies on "public" free streams, reliability can be "iffy". Streams and repos / addons go down, buffering at peak times, having to update addons on a monthly basis....user interface can be a bit fiddly. (Note : UK traders are now being jailed for sale of "loaded" boxes)
> 
> An paid service using the likes of a MAG box - as a paid service, uses a private server, so better quality, better reliability.


Cheers Sat, have sent you a PM


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Have a look at Brit Box TV - Costa Smart TV They are based in Costa Blanca area 

I bought my box from them about 2 years ago. It's easy to use, no buffering if you have a decent internet speed, and it updates itself when required! The picture quality is good and any problems are swiftly dealt with by email. 

They have everything installed that is needed to access almost all channels you can think of.

One off payment and no monthly fees. 

Steve


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

tebo53 said:


> Have a look at Brit Box TV - Costa Smart TV They are based in Costa Blanca area
> 
> I bought my box from them about 2 years ago. It's easy to use, no buffering if you have a decent internet speed, and it updates itself when required! The picture quality is good and any problems are swiftly dealt with by email.
> 
> ...


Thanks Steve, I will take a look at this website too!


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

tebo53 said:


> Have a look at Brit Box TV - Costa Smart TV They are based in Costa Blanca area
> 
> I bought my box from them about 2 years ago. It's easy to use, no buffering if you have a decent internet speed, and it updates itself when required! The picture quality is good and any problems are swiftly dealt with by email.
> 
> ...


on ebay now same box as brit box


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

soulboy said:


> on ebay now same box as brit box


I certainly would not be paying 149€ when you can get the same box off ebay for 30pounds.It seems like when people lost their UK TV every man and his dog were jumping on the band wagon and greed came into play.If you pick up a cheap android box with KODI plus Mobdro you will get more channels than you can throw a dog at but as has been pointed out internet speed is the key to how you receive it.At the end of the day you get what you pay for but there are still people who will try to rip you off.Look for a box with 2gb plus 16gb or alternatively get an Icecrypt box with an80cm dish and you can get all your basic BBC,ITV etc...in true HD although sadly nobody knows how long Intelsat is going to last.Bit early but wishing eveybody a soulful Christmas,the holidays are coming.

Sorry about the post above but one of the joys of living in Spain bloody power cuts.


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## The slow walkers (Nov 10, 2015)

We took an Android MX box out to Spain after using it in the UK for a little while. Just for comparison, in the UK, we had an internet speed of over 100mb using an ethernet cable. The live TV was ok but didn't manage to find anything high quality. Sport was so so, sometimes you get a good feed and no buffering, other times it looked like a video of someones 8mm cine. Non live films and TV were excellent and with no buffering whatsoever. 

In Spain we had a mighty 12mb connection and I'd say the quality was about the same, although we couldn't access BBC I Player, as we didn't have a VPN. After reading up a bit, it seems that buffering isn't always down to internet speed and can be caused because the info being sent is in packages and if they aren't in the right order, your machine coughs and splutters until they are. We found that this happens mainly with sports programmes and usually just before something good is about to happen.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

soulboy said:


> I certainly would not be paying 149€ when you can get the same box off ebay for 30pounds.It seems like when people lost their UK TV every man and his dog were jumping on the band wagon and greed came into play.If you pick up a cheap android box with KODI plus Mobdro you will get more channels than you can throw a dog at but as has been pointed out internet speed is the key to how you receive it.At the end of the day you get what you pay for but there are still people who will try to rip you off.Look for a box with 2gb plus 16gb or alternatively get an Icecrypt box with an80cm dish and you can get all your basic BBC,ITV etc...in true HD although sadly nobody knows how long Intelsat is going to last.Bit early but wishing eveybody a soulful Christmas,the holidays are coming.
> 
> Sorry about the post above but one of the joys of living in Spain bloody power cuts.


Hola 

The problem with Ebay is there is no backup or help; the advantage of paying monthly is the help available when problems arise. I have many friends who are not happy to delve into an Android box as they struggle with Windows. 

That said, I have other friends that see a monthly update as fairly simple. Having owned a variety of boxes over the years, and with an IT background, I know that all these boxes CAN give reasonable results. 

So I believe this is "horses for courses" in that whilst some people enjoy fiddling and finding new streams and have made it into "an art", there are many who just want to sit in front of the TV and watch. 

As to quality, Mobdro is the lowest quality and my last resort; Film-on is OK for the news etc. It is the same for films and boxed sets; select the stream that will play on your box with minimal buffering. If you want to watch a film in the new 4000 standard then you need the best box combined with a good internet speed. 

Davexf


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Well so far getting nowhere. Sat off here unfortunately doesn't cover my area, the BritBox people's phone number doesn't work and I cant seem to find anyone who covers my local area.... why is everything so complicated.

I certainly am the sort of person who wants to just turn it on and it work and not be searching for new feeds every month to reprogram the box!


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## jeff4051 (Mar 28, 2016)

As in previous thread Google Wookie Wizard they will show you how to put the wizard on a Kodi box. It is brilliant have used it for years. Every month or couple of weeks they do an upgrade to get rid of addons not working and put new ones on. You also have to learn how to take the old Kodi app off and I am using Kodi 16.1 on it. It sounds compicated but do it step by step it is well well worth it. All films free, all box sets free sport free what more do you want for 30 quid. I have one in bedroom, living room and kitchen while I am cooking.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I have always found Kodi very hit and miss- and thats with a 100+ fibre download


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

xicoalc said:


> Well so far getting nowhere. Sat off here unfortunately doesn't cover my area, the BritBox people's phone number doesn't work and I cant seem to find anyone who covers my local area.... why is everything so complicated.
> 
> I certainly am the sort of person who wants to just turn it on and it work and not be searching for new feeds every month to reprogram the box!


I gave you ebay UK for these boxes,you can get the same box off ebay Spain and as for warranty backup you have your statutary guarantee and virtually all these boxes come now pre installed with everything on them.So,just plug in the power lead,HDMI to the TV,switch it on and away you go.It's a damn sight different now to when these boxes first came out along with the Raspberry Pi.Now all the hard work is done for you.As for backup and technical help it's just another way of ripping people off for money and like I said and somebody else said a good internet speed is a must.I suppose I count myself lucky that I have fibre optic with 300megs.You will also find that Worten and Media Mkrt are selling android boxes now so if you don't mind paying over the odds you can get one from there.Horses for courses and whatever floats your boat.


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Rabbitcat said:


> I have always found Kodi very hit and miss- and thats with a 100+ fibre download


Sadly Rabbit anything is better than nothing at all for some people.


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## The slow walkers (Nov 10, 2015)

soulboy said:


> I gave you ebay UK for these boxes,you can get the same box off ebay Spain and as for warranty backup you have your statutary guarantee and virtually all these boxes come now pre installed with everything on them.So,just plug in the power lead,HDMI to the TV,switch it on and away you go.It's a damn sight different now to when these boxes first came out along with the Raspberry Pi.Now all the hard work is done for you.As for backup and technical help it's just another way of ripping people off for money and like I said and somebody else said a good internet speed is a must.I suppose I count myself lucky that I have fibre optic with 300megs.You will also find that Worten and Media Mkrt are selling android boxes now so if you don't mind paying over the odds you can get one from there.Horses for courses and whatever floats your boat.


We bought ours via Amazon and the actual provider offers free e-mail back-up/ technical assistance for as long as you need. That said, it's amusing to google queries about the box and see what instructive, helpful, not so helpful or downright bizarre videos people post. Horses for courses is absolutely right, I dabble and we have a system that works for us, Mrs S prefers the switch it on and watch approach, which is where I come in, switching it on, going through the menus until we find what we want.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

Just for clarity of updates; The Wookie Wizard runs an RSS feed along the bottom in the main menu giving you details of the latest build. I then follow these instructions for the "monthly update" 

To Install Wookie Wizard - clear cache and data first: 

•	Open Kodi
•	Select SYSTEM > File Manager
•	Select Add Source
•	Select None
•	Type the following EXACTLY "http://wookiespmc.com/wiz" and select Done (no quotes - had to insert to get it to print properly) 
•	Highlight the box underneath Enter a name for this media Source, type wookie & select OK
•	Go back to your Home Screen
•	Select SYSTEM
•	Select Add-Ons
•	Select Install from zip file
•	Select wookie
•	Select Click Me - Succumb to the Wookie.zip 
•	Wait for Add-on enabled notification takes a long time !!!
•	You may have to restart the “Entertainment Box” 
The Wookie Wizard is now installed. To use the add-on do the following.
•	Select PROGRAMS or APPS (start Kodi, select Video Addons and select the Wookie)
•	Select Wookie
•	Select the build to install and let the wizard install it for you (New Look) 

And that's it - not difficult after a couple of times 

Davexf


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## The slow walkers (Nov 10, 2015)

_And that's it - not difficult after a couple of times 

Davexf_

Funny, my ex used to say that to me.


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## jeff4051 (Mar 28, 2016)

What davefx posted is right but you must have kodi 16.1 or above for the wizard to work


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

soulboy said:


> or alternatively get an Icecrypt box with an80cm dish and you can get all your basic BBC,ITV etc...in true HD although sadly nobody knows how long Intelsat is going to last.


Luckily where the OP is, the signals for UK TV via the Astra 2 satellite are fine, so no need to hack into intelsat..


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

xicoalc said:


> Well so far getting nowhere. Sat off here unfortunately doesn't cover my area, the BritBox people's phone number doesn't work and I cant seem to find anyone who covers my local area.... why is everything so complicated.
> 
> I certainly am the sort of person who wants to just turn it on and it work and not be searching for new feeds every month to reprogram the box!


you don't have to do that!!! Mine updates itself. Send britbox an email, they *always* answer.


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## jeff4051 (Mar 28, 2016)




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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi Guys,

Just to update you all, I spoke with SAT although he couldn't offer me a MAG box until next year and unfortunately I wanted it in by Christmas. I therefore looked for other suppliers and got a MAG subscription based package. 

I can see that there are certainly financial benefits to going for an Android based package in terms of a one off payment but I personally fall into the group of people the want to just turn it on and know its there. So I opted for the MAG and we will see how it goes!


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## st3v3y (Aug 27, 2015)

I also have a MAG and have tried 3 or 4 different subscription services paying between £17 & £35 per month for the exact same service. Before I settled on my current sub everything had been based on the Ruya service and it was too hit and miss for me. I know my way around kodi and am fine using either but the girlfriend finds the MAG a lot easier to navigate so I also went for a turn it on and let it work option for the main TV.

The problem Ruya gave me was that it failed me too often and because I was after the simple 'point and shoot' option, it just wasn't good enough. For me it has to be reliable and also HD. I know it isn't full HD but that's a different story. In the end I found a guy that I have now settled with, tried his service on kodi for a couple of months and it was rock solid and since then have paid for an annual subscription on my MAG which was £85. It has worked great. 

And my point here is to find the service that gives you the least amount of grief at a price that you are happy to pay and stick with it. I took my Ruya price down by 50% but the stability was not good enough. In the end my Ruya provider was arguing on twitter with my current provider which is how I found him. Great guy, has a facebook and twitter account, chats regularly on email and perfect for me. Took me 6 months to get there so good luck and hopefully you've nailed it on your first attempt!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

st3v3y said:


> I also have a MAG and have tried 3 or 4 different subscription services paying between £17 & £35 per month for the exact same service. Before I settled on my current sub everything had been based on the Ruya service and it was too hit and miss for me. I know my way around kodi and am fine using either but the girlfriend finds the MAG a lot easier to navigate so I also went for a turn it on and let it work option for the main TV.
> 
> The problem Ruya gave me was that it failed me too often and because I was after the simple 'point and shoot' option, it just wasn't good enough. For me it has to be reliable and also HD. I know it isn't full HD but that's a different story. In the end I found a guy that I have now settled with, tried his service on kodi for a couple of months and it was rock solid and since then have paid for an annual subscription on my MAG which was £85. It has worked great.
> 
> And my point here is to find the service that gives you the least amount of grief at a price that you are happy to pay and stick with it. I took my Ruya price down by 50% but the stability was not good enough. In the end my Ruya provider was arguing on twitter with my current provider which is how I found him. Great guy, has a facebook and twitter account, chats regularly on email and perfect for me. Took me 6 months to get there so good luck and hopefully you've nailed it on your first attempt!


Just to update on this, got the MAG254 box the other day and it has been used very heavily over Christmas and works like a dream. There have been a couple of moments where the picture froze for a few moments but this is almost certainly down to our internet connection and literally has happened 2 or 3 times.

Quality is super good, especially the HD channels and it benefits from a lot of on demand programming and movies

So for now so far so good!


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

What price is your subscription and how fast is the download speed you use with it

Cheers


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> What price is your subscription and how fast is the download speed you use with it
> 
> Cheers


I paid 79 our for the box and around 20 a month for the subscription. I have a WIFI internet to my house as I live in the campo so get speeds that vary from 3mb to 10mb (usually around 7 or 8) and this works perfectly even for the HD channels.

It did blip twice on boing day but this was at a peak time when many people were likely to be using internet and o the Sky Cinema channel (again, likely to have been a busy channel at that time) so all in all I am impressed.

I get all the channels you can think of, hundreds and hundreds of movies on demand, catch up tv for most channels and all is good!


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## st3v3y (Aug 27, 2015)

Sounds great. Well done for finding a good one from the start. Good luck with the service too


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

All this sounds very complicated. I bought an Android box for under 40euros from amazon.es and an air mouse, a friend loaded it with Netflix, Amazon Prime and a VPN for BBC IPlayer and with that you get BBC 1,2, 3 and 4.
I share my Netflix with a friend based in Antwerp so the whole setup costs me under 40 euros a year. 
We don't have fibra, probably never will have but no connection problems whatsoever.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

Caution, this is an old thread and things have moved on 

Davexf


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