With the rise of the Amazon Fire TV Stick, there has been a push to get cheap home theater gear into homes.
And with more than two dozen popular home theater models available for less than $100, there is an abundance of affordable alternatives.
The question is, which ones are worth buying?
So here are some recommendations for getting your Kodi box set up.
The top recommendations: If you’re in a budget, you should consider the Kodi Mini.
The Mini is the easiest Kodi build you can make, and it’s also the most customizable.
The only thing you need to add is the Plex Media Server and Plex Media Cloud app to your home theater setup, and you’ll have everything you need.
The main difference is the HDMI cable, which is now a standalone unit.
It comes with a built-in power brick, but you can also buy a USB adapter for $10.
That’s $50 cheaper than buying a standalone box.
If you don’t want to shell out $150, the Kodi Ultra Slim is the most affordable Kodi box.
It’s a slim package with a sleek, black case and a $60 TV-style stand.
The box comes with two USB ports, a microSD card reader, and a HDMI port for plugging into your home cinema setup.
You can also add an HDMI port to the side of the box to allow your HDMI-equipped set to run on a TV or monitor.
The HDMI port can also be used to stream media to your TV, which means you can use it to watch Hulu on a home theater system.
However, the box doesn’t come with the Plex app for Kodi.
That app can be downloaded for free, and there are dozens of Kodi apps that can be used with it.
The Kodi Ultra Mini comes with the same Plex app, but it comes with an optional Plex Media Hub that lets you add additional Plex content.
If that’s all you need, you can buy a Plex Hub and plug it into the back of the unit for an additional $40.
It also has a built in speaker and microphone, which makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a small home theater.
If it’s not enough, there are a number of other Kodi boxes that offer similar features.
The Kano is a $80 Kodi box that comes with all the features of the $60 Kodi Ultra, plus a USB hub and a USB HDMI cable.
You get an HDMI-connected HDMI to VGA adapter, and the box also comes with Plex Media Center, Plex Media Player, and Plex Mini apps for $25.
If the Kano isn’t enough, you also get an integrated audio and speaker setup, but that’s a pricey add-on for $100.
The best Kodi box is the one that comes standard with the Amazon Echo.
The Echo is a device that lets users stream live television to their Amazon Echo Dot, and that means you get the same streaming capabilities of the Echo Dot as well.
The difference between the Echo and the other Kodi box options is that the Echo comes with more built-up software that lets it access the Amazon Alexa service, including a microphone and speaker.
It can also stream Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Amazon Music directly from the Echo.
If your budget is tight, you might want to consider the Kobo.
The Roku 3 is the smallest Kodi box, and is the cheapest of the bunch.
You’ll also get a built and HDMI-compatible HDMI cable for $15.
That HDMI cable will be your primary source of audio and video for the entire setup, so you won’t have to invest in a separate box for every channel you want to watch.
However and without an HDMI cable in the box, the Roku 3 has an HDMI to USB port, and HDMI to HDMI port adapters are available for about $10 each.
If $50 is not enough for you, you have the option to add an audio input, as well as a TV and speaker adapter for a more affordable price.
If all else fails, you’ll be able to watch your TV and use the Kodi app to stream to the Amazon app.
You don’t have the Roku app in the Amazon Instant Video app, so your Kodi setup will look something like this: Roku 3 box with HDMI to TV adapter and HDMI cable: $30 Kodi box with Roku app and HDMI port adapter: $20 Amazon Instant TV app: $35 Roku app for Amazon Fire: $15 You’ll be better off with the Roku Mini instead of the Koro.
The $50 Koro offers a smaller box that can stream more content, but the Roku mini is more versatile and can handle a variety of media formats.
It supports Plex Media Servers for watching streaming content, and also includes Plex Media Services for Plex Media Store and Plex Music for Spotify.
The Plex app is also available for free.
The smaller Roku Mini also comes standard, but for $35 you can get a standalone Amazon Fire Stick instead. The