If you are looking for an Android TV box to run Kodi, but you don鈥檛 really know how to install and personalize Kodi yourself, you might want to consider the XBMCMart Smart Android TV box.
Available for less than $100, this TV box comes with a Kodi build already installed, set up according to XBMCMart鈥檚 standards, including loads of add-ons to let you access the latest movies, series releases, and live TV.
This is very much a plug-and-play box for anyone who wants the convenience of Kodi but doesn鈥檛 want to spend a lot of time configuring their own box. But if you want to take control of your viewing experience, you will probably find that this box isn鈥檛 sophisticated enough for you.
Let鈥檚 take a deep dive into the exact specifications and how this box works to help you decide whether it might be the right choice for you.Contents hideOur RatingSpecificationsReviewIs It Legal?Where To BuyThe Verdict
Our Rating
As a fully-loaded Android TV box, we would score the XBMCMart Smart TV Box 3 out of 5 stars.
If you buy this box today and plug it into your TV, you will probably be very impressed with how simple it is to get started and just how much content is already available for you to watch. If you are looking for an affordable way to access all the latest entertainment, you will be very impressed.
But, when it comes to Kodi add-ons, what is working today might not be working tomorrow, so you need to be able to update your Kodi app as needed. This box does provide automatic over-the-air updates, so hopefully, it is not something you need to do very often. But if you need to update Kodi or download other apps, the user interface is pretty intuitive.
However, if you want to do more than just the most simple updates, you will probably find this box disappointing. It is running a very dated version of Android (Jelly 4.2.2) and has just 8 GB of ROM, so there isn鈥檛 much space for you to play around with. The box also runs off just 1 GB of ROM, so asking it to do much more than basic streaming is probably unrealistic.
Also, as a note, if you prefer to use Netflix, Prime Video, and other paid-for streaming services, you can easily get your hands on a better box for half the price. Part of what you are paying for with the XBMCMart device is the content set up.
Specifications
- ARM Cortex A9 Dual-Core CPU x 2
- Mali 400 Quad-Core CPU x 4
- 1 GB of RAM
- 8 GB of ROM
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system
- Full access to the Google Play Store
- 3DTV compatible
- Ethernet connection port
- USB slots x 4
- SD card expansion
- Remote control included
Review
Who Should Consider The XBMCMart Smart TV Box?
The XBMCMart Smart TV Box is worth considering if you are looking for a fully loaded TV box. This means that the box comes set up to give you access to loads of free entertainment content, often through legally dubious means (more on this below).
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But if you are looking for an Android TV box through which you can watch the main streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Sling TV, and more in 4K, using your paid-for subscription, this is not the box for you. You can get a better box for this for half the price. Check out the Amazon Fire Stick 4K, or the Dynalink Google Legit Certified Android TV Box.
Not only are these alternative boxes around half the price, but they also come with other benefits, such as voice command, which you won鈥檛 get with the XBMCMart option.
This box is specifically for people who want to get access to that free content and also want their box to come fully loaded with that content, rather than putting in the work of setting up their box and finding it themselves.
If you want a box you can set up yourself and customize, then you probably also want to look elsewhere as you can get more powerful boxes for a lot less. Check out our list of the best 4K Android TV boxes here.
How Does The XBMCMart Smart TV Box Work?
The XBMCMart Smart TV box is just like any other Android TV box, in that it runs off the Android operating system and you can download apps from the Google play store to use on the box.
What sets this box apart is that it comes with the Kodi app not only already downloaded but already configured to give you access to tons of free content.
Kodi is just a media library application, but many developers have created add-ons for Kodi that allow you to access free content. How the majority of these add-ons work is that they scrape the internet for existing streams of whatever you are looking for, and then let you watch them without having to pay.
You can download Kodi onto any Android TV box yourself and configure it to do the same thing, but the challenge is that you need to know what you are doing. But not with this box, because it has already been done for you.
Kodi and its add-ons do need to be updated sometimes to ensure that they keep working the way they should. At the moment, XBMCMart is providing over-the-air updates for you so you don鈥檛 have to worry about that. But bear in mind you don鈥檛 have any contract with them when you buy the box, so that service could stop at any time, at which point you would need to do those updates yourself.
You can learn more about Kodi and how it works here.
Pros & Cons
So, if you have decided that you are interested in the XBMCMart Smart TV box, what are the pros and cons to consider?
Pros
- The box comes fully loaded with content including new movies, the latest TV shows, and live TV. You get access to this for the one-off cost of the box, rather than having to pay expensive monthly subscription fees.
- The box arrives ready to use, you can just plug it in, connect to the internet, and pretty much start watching right away.
- Kodi does need to be updated, but XBMCMart is currently providing over-the-air updates, so that is done for you. However, bear in mind that this service could stop at any time, but you would still be able to make the updates yourself.
In sum, for very little money and very little work or expertise, you get immediate access to huge amounts of entertainment content for free.
Cons
- The content you are accessing does come from a legally dubious source and you will need to use a VPN while watching (more on this below).
- This box is not very powerful. It has just enough space and power to do what it has been designed for, so it probably can鈥檛 handle anything additional that you might want to throw at it.
- If you want to use legitimate streaming services that you pay for, you probably won鈥檛 be able to access them in full 4K as the box is not authorized; you will be limited to watching in HD.
- It does not come with any of the special features associated with Android TV boxes today, such as voice control or smart home integration.
In sum, if you want a fully loaded TV box, the XBMCMart Smart TV box is a great choice, but if any other kind of functionality is a priority, don鈥檛 go with this box.
Is It Legal?
These Kodi add-ons that let you scrape the internet for content function in a legally grey area. Downloading copyrighted content is illegal, but the law is unclear when it comes to tapping into existing streams. The reality is that it is probably against the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
This means that you should protect yourself, both from the authorities and the people who provide access to the content. While it is not common, some people will use these legal grey zones for criminal activities, since you will be less likely to pursue and report the crime as well.
The best way to protect yourself is with a VPN. It masks your IP address to protect your identity and encrypts your data to ensure no one can see the content that is entering and exiting your device.
You can learn more about VPNs and how they work, and find our list of recommended VPNs for Kodi, here.
Of course, you should also be protecting yourself with antivirus software. Find our recommendations for the best services here.
Where To Buy
You can currently buy the XBMCMart Smart Android TV Box on Amazon for under $100, and it comes with everything you need to get started right away.
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This is more expensive than other boxes with higher specs, but you are paying for the setup that gives you access to free content via the Kodi app. You could do this yourself with a cheaper box, if you have the expertise.
If you don鈥檛, remember that you are weighing the price of the box against that of the ongoing subscription services that you would need to pay for to gain access to this content.
The Verdict
If you are looking for a fully loaded TV box that gives you access to loads of entertainment for a bargain price, the XBMCMart Smart Android TV box is well worth considering. Plug it in, and within moments you will have access to the latest movies, shows, and live TV.
However, if you are looking to stream from the big streaming services, such as Netflix and Prime Video, or you want to set up your own media library hub around an Android TV box, this probably isn鈥檛 the choice for you.
Have you used the XBMCMart Smart Android TV Box? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below or via our social media.
