Small, compact and powerful, smart TV boxes based on Android
and Windows 10 are among the most desirable objects of the moment, especially
if you do not have a latest generation Smart TV. techsupportreviews
Smart TV Box: how much does it cost?
With a thickness of less than 100 Euros, it is in fact
possible to buy mini PCs specifically optimized for audio and video playback,
therefore able to make a great impression in your living room.
The smart TV box
Android are cheaper than equivalent Windows: often with a figure of around EUR
50 you can purchase very good products and with appropriate hardware equipment
to many uses, not only to meet the needs of TV video. For the Windows models
you have to take into account a cost slightly higher than 100 euros, up to the
top models that also cost over 200 euros.
Smart TV Box: what is it?
The offer is extremely varied, also due to the almost
infinite number of OEM integrators "made in China" who have
introduced very valid devices at ridiculous prices, at least on paper. The
reality, however, is very different and, despite the more or less similar
technical characteristics, the experience of use ends up being very different
from one model to another.
Best Android TV box
Having to choose one in person, after a long documenting
work, I have collected my personal collection of models that I consider
"best" in their category, favoring those brands able to offer a valid
build quality (such as Minix) or a certain reliability of Android customization.
The Android smart TV boxes, to be suitable for use as
multimedia platforms, require the presence of an ARM processor (identified in
the characteristics as Cortex A) at least dual core to have adequate
performance.
The recommended RAM must be at least 1Gb, but models with
2Gb of RAM are preferable because they guarantee better performance and above
all allow more uses, even as video game platforms.
The internal disk space can also be limited to 8Gb if you
plan to use it only with a few applications dedicated to video streaming. To
have adequate space to install some more applications or games, it is advisable
to use models equipped with at least 16Gb of internal space.
Most of the models are equipped with Android 6.0 (therefore
not with the latest version), some still with Android 5. For this kind of
products, unlike smartphones, the Android version is not essential, being often
heavily customized for the purpose.
Android Smart TV Box: which models to choose
The choice of devices equipped with Android OS is very wide
and also the price range is very different: it starts from ultra-cheap models
on € 35 up to more advanced models that exceed € 100. Typically, Android 6.0 is
easily found in this product category, while Android 7.0 is still quite rare.
With 1Gb of RAM, for a basic use, you can have a unit suitable only for playing
HD movies: if you want to use it to view videos in 4K it is better to opt for
at least 2Gb of ram or more. The CPU offer is at least varied: with a four-core
Cortex CPU it is also possible to have some fun with different video games
available on the extensive Google Play catalog.
So remember: it makes sense to invest more than € 50 in this
range of products only if you plan to use the Android mini pc to play games and
not just to make your television more “smart”.
Best Windows TV box
A slightly different speech applies to devices based on
Windows 10, which enter by right in this review, but which still do not have
the necessary maturity to offer the same experience of use of the best Android
devices: they will certainly, however, be preferred by those who wants to buy a
mini PC that is a little more transversal and compatible with the immense world
of desktop applications for Microsoft's operating system.
You have to remember, before you choose, a couple of rules:
• The best
performing Windows mini PCs are equipped with Intel Atom Cherry Trail CPUs.
Devices with Intel Atom are mostly suitable for playing videos in Full HD (not
4K) but not for gaming or for carrying out more complex applications;
• 32Gb of
storage is sufficient for Windows 10, but it is not the optimal choice in the
long term: in the presence of more substantial updates, the internal disk space
may not be sufficient and therefore remain "dry" of the update;
• 2Gb of
RAM are now very few. Opt for solutions with 4Gb of RAM if you can, you will
make the purchase much longer;
• For
playing video on a non-Smart TV, Windows 10 does a good job, but it doesn't
excel. If this is your only intent, consider also the many Android offers: the
applications dedicated to this purpose are much more numerous and better
optimized than Windows.
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Mini PC Stick Android and Windows
Another interesting category of Smart TV Box is that
represented by the "mini pc stick": it is a sort of pendrive that
connects to the HDMI port of the TV which is, in effect, a real PC equipped
with Android o Windows: thanks to the wi-fi connection, they connect directly
to the Internet or to a NAS where movies and music are stored. They are
therefore ideal as a client of Netflix, Raiplay, SkyGo and all streaming
services in general.
The models equipped with
Android are designed more for multimedia use and are therefore ideal for
making an old TV "smarter": thanks to Kodi, MX Player and many other
applications, in fact, the transformation is quite simple and no hardware is
required. too sophisticated to already have a good, fully functional system.
The models equipped with
Windows have a more transversal use: if desired, they can also be
excellent work solutions for those who are always on the move, being able to
easily perform a perfectly functional copy of Microsoft Office. Compared to the
Android models they are equally efficient as Smart TV Boxes, but add a little
more complexity, due to the management of updates, as well as a greater
heaviness of the system. But if you want to use them also to play, they are
unrivaled, especially for the greater availability of interesting titles on
Windows.
The advantages of this solution are innumerable:
• they
take up very little space, indeed they can be completely hidden, having to
connect exclusively to the HDMI port of the TV;
• they
require very little energy, they only need a USB port to be powered or a small
power supply similar to the one used to charge a smartphone;
• they
are easily transported: at the limit they can be used as pocket computers to
always carry with you;
• they
are powerful enough to run many things, even some video games;
Obviously, there is also some disadvantage for this solution:
• they
heat up a lot, therefore, if used for a long time, the performance ends up
degrading;
• they
do not have the same power as a desktop mini pc or an Android smart TV box;
• if
well equipped, they can cost on average more than a common smart TV box
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