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View Full Version : Crazy Carl’s XR4000 Review



crazy carl
10-03-2019, 07:13 PM
Hello fellow fixers,

Today we’re looking at the brand new Buzz XR4000 series, this review is a work in progress and will update it accordingly with what I have tested not tested and if and what others want tested on it. I have only had this box for about 2 days so please bear with me.

The Box and contents:
-Nice presentation, comes with remote and batteries, the power adapter and an HDMI cable. And quick start instructions on what the buttons for the remote actually do (Thank you Buzz team). All packaged nicely in their on separate containers.
-The box itself is very sleek, very modern and has a nice Multicoloured LED Logo that glows or pulses certain colours depending on what the box itself is doing, nice rounded edges and very thin, this is a very small box people much more compact then a roku 1-4 model, fits right in my old roku mount mounted behind my tv.
-Here’s a big win vs the 3000 series, if you have a behind the tv mount for smaller boxs so that it’s out of sight out of mind the remote functions work perfectly on the XR4000 on the older 3000 you needed to be almost right in front of the thing at-least for me for it to work let alone behind the tv.
-All the usual connections are present on the back(Ethernet Jack, HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, USB 3.0 port, SD port and power plug.

Remote Control:
- Improved, layout is really nice and easy, button placement and quality improved. Doesn’t feel cheap but does have some click to it. If your wife or family are quiet people or your planning to use this with napping babies around just do it, put it in the entertainment room where it belong.
- Does not have a light-up feature, hoping this eventually comes to the family or becomes an upgrade in the future but as of now it does not.
- Does not have an air mouse feature, not be confused with the mouse activation button that can be used. The button does work but kind of a pain to scroll/use as it doesn’t track just use the arrows and it eventually gets there. Some have remotes that mimic the movement of yours hands itself on the screen.


Initial setup:
-Easy, there is no guide for dummies needed her folks to start it up and go through the start up promts. (Timezone, Wi-FI, current firmware update this all happened right at the beginning for me.)

Buzztv App version 4:
-Big change and I mean GUI and total look is a serious Yes for me. Four easy categories (Live TV, VOD, TV shows, and EPG) underneath All Apps which is a shortcut to apps you have installed, App Store which links you to the aptoide market (which does give you the option to sign in or switch to goggle okay and sign in to goggle okay store)
-Under that you have settings, Server settings, Wi-FI, Update and Buzz utilizes.
-Live TV is a gorgeous as ever, and i have seen many boxs and many different apps (Tivimate, Smarters, OTT Navigator, GSE, Mytvonline1 and 2, IMplayer, Kodi’s smart URL, etc) The GUI is easy in the eyes and works well, buttons are simple and laid out, options are easy and not confusing, Menus are self explanatory and I haven’t experienced any crashes or lag to speak of.
-VOD layed out nicely in a horizontal way with categories and factories, pleasing on the eyes. Clicking a movie loads it quickly*(mileage may very as all of this depends on your supplier) when accessing a movie your GUI in the player is very easy functions well for play, pause, rewind and Fast forward.
- TV Series laid out the exact same was as VOD with same interface* same mileage may very.
-EPG*(mileage will vary) this is hard to review because I don’t use IPTV or condone the use of it, but theoretically it looks great, it should under the right circumstances load fast provide good information and allow for easy channel zapping, easy categorization as well as storing favourites. Catchup, Recording and the other perks are all there.

Other Andriod Apps:
-VPN apps (Work well out of the ones I have tested)
-Kodi (Works as it should)
-Netflix (App from the store works as long as you use mouse function in your remote)
-Plex (App does not function)
-Hulu, Amazon Video, Other IPTV apps (Have not tested)
***This is a side note for those having issues with plex, Netflix, other iptv streaming apps such as Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Video. Kodi is your friend and should be your go to, there are addons for all of these that work through Kodi’s 18 series and up and work well. I am not speaking to 3rd addonds I’m talking about legit addons that have been ported over.

Is it worth the switch from a 3000 series or below?

For me it was and is a definite yes, the 3000 series are still great box’s and don’t get me wrong the GUI and the Interface that you get along side with them are great especially considering the price a 3000 or 3000m or even a 3100 are going for now. However the XR4000 and it’s bigger brother that’s debuting soon with 4gigs of ram are setting a new tone and really are the evolution of what the Buzz team are striving for. Comparison wise on the software side this is a grown up, mature, easy to use box that your friend, your just starting out friend, your cousin jimmy that knows nothing, your parents or even grandparents can use this box and with ease. The XR4000 is a major go and look forward to whatever else the Buzz team comes out with next.

Let me know if you guys want anything specific looked at or tested or if you have any comments below.

Cheers and happy testing.

nobodyspecial
10-04-2019, 12:36 AM
Nice review CC

tec9
10-04-2019, 05:23 AM
Great to hear don’t need remote pointed right at box you can actually hide it away and it will still work. The ir remote on 3000 like you said you had to almost point right at it for it to work. Is this 4000 remote rf or Bluetooth or something? Or using a ir extender?

crazy carl
10-04-2019, 10:15 AM
Great to hear don’t need remote pointed right at box you can actually hide it away and it will still work. The ir remote on 3000 like you said you had to almost point right at it for it to work. Is this 4000 remote rf or Bluetooth or something? Or using a ir extender?

Yes, this was a vast improvement for me, My wife is extremely anti-cord or anything that’s on or around our mantel that isn’t decor. So the change to rf is a solid welcome. My set up now is nearly perfect as I run this behind my TV and I run my Pi 4 through the wall through mini HDMI. I hope in the future they implement a Bluetooth air remote that would stop me from having to use kodi for Netflix but I mean I have always run Netflix through kodi because I prefer a list view and everything all in one.

Cheers friend thanks for reading

tec9
10-06-2019, 12:08 AM
The ir-100 remote that comes with 4000 should be ir. You sure you didn’t get arq100 remotevthat is rf with your 4000.

dishuser
10-06-2019, 12:13 AM
the remote is not rf
it just has better reception than most ir remotes

crazy carl
10-06-2019, 03:40 PM
the remote is not rf
it just has better reception than most ir remotes

Thanks for the info dishuser whatever majic they have used its considerably better then previous versions remotes

sat9182
10-06-2019, 03:59 PM
interested in witch remote you actually have is there a keyboard on back or no ?

the arq100 has keybord on back

nobodyspecial
10-06-2019, 05:11 PM
interested in witch remote you actually have is there a keyboard on back or no ?

the arq100 has keybord on back

He has the IR 100 guaranteed

crazy carl
10-18-2019, 11:47 AM
Update: My cousins twice removed dog walkers pizza delivery guy has further tested the Live TV portion, so far MAC connections are reported to work rather well, sometimes at the beginning after the handshake it takes a few moments for the guide to load but after that it’s generally smooth.

-M3U logins have issues at the moment, the main issue being the box has a hard time obtaining a EPG through the m3u_plus links, however I have been told via Buzz contact support that in November there is an update to fix some of the M3u login issues. This one is a welcome update for me as the all in one stop shop is what we are all looking for.

-Remote, I’m torn between the original it came with and the Air remote version, I wish there was almost a blend of both that existed. The original has a really really nice layout that plays extremely well to the strengths of the box, but the keyboard and air mouse function make Netflix apps, Tvzion apps that much easier to use.

-Plex is still broken and came seem to find a working version that connections to my servers, kodi does work fine for this but the andriod app is beautiful in comparison and with the air remote would be swaggy.

Let me know what you guys wanted tested.