Android TV box test comparison. Smart TV box - how it works, a review of the best, reviews

Smart TV box - this device will make your TV much smarter than other representatives of the TV industry, allow you to use the Internet to watch online cinemas, monitor latest news and the weather on various Internet resources, play games and have fun at home in general. It is perfect for both LED TVs, liquid crystal and old lamp apparatus.

The main advantage of such set-top boxes is that in their functions they are many points ahead of smart TVs. The latter have standard boards in their arsenal, limited only by basic functions. Whereas a smart TV box is a small PC. It can be upgraded by updating the software (we will talk about this a little later), finally changing it to more new version... This is a cheaper and more practical option than buying a new smart TV every year or 2.

Content

A smart TV set-top box is essentially a portable computer that fits into a small design "box". The device works with a processor based on the Android, Windows, TvOS or iOS operating system, which makes it possible to fully use your TV as a smart one.

Connecting the device is very easy via HDMI cable... In TV models that cannot be called particularly smart, there are no ports for this connection. Therefore, the developers found a way out in the form of an HDMI-AV adapter. On the one hand, it has a plug of the cable of the same name, and on the other, an adapter for tulips. It is also possible to use the converter to convert from hdmi to av, as in the picture.

The smart TV box uses an internet connection using WI-FI from your modem or by connecting an Eternet cable directly. Access to the global Internet from your TV will now allow you to call it smart. You can use all kinds of social media, such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, VK, Twitter, Odnoklassniki, etc., translator and Google maps, chat on Skype, work with documentation Microsoft Word, download games and applications in the service from Android Play Market. So the task of the smart device is completed, the client is satisfied. He no longer needs to burden himself with the thought of buying an expensive smart TV, he already has it.

The first inclusion of a smart set-top box for a TV tells that you need to update the software. This procedure is important for home appliances and gadgets that have Internet access. It is designed to quickly find new firmware versions and install it. It takes, on average, no more than 5-10 minutes. Subsequently, you will receive some additional functions of basic programs, extensions, widgets, a modified interface, etc.

To view information about the previously installed software, you need to enter the "settings" menu on the desktop and go to the "About phone / tablet" tab. There you will see what firmware was provided by the developers and the availability of new versions software for a smart console.

Standard equipment and prices

This point is one of the most important. It depends on it how your TV will behave when you connect a smart set-top box to it, whether they will be compatible. Therefore, you need to treat this issue properly. First, you need to figure out what types of smart consoles are offered by manufacturers and in what form they are presented:

sticker;
boxing;
usb drive (flash drive);
with or without antenna (to enhance the WI-FI signal).

The price of such devices can be very diverse, it all depends on the greed of the manufacturer. The only factor affecting the pricing of smart TV set-top boxes is the internal "filling".
80% of all gadgets are powered by the Rockchip chipset. And from this, the further cost is calculated. It includes operating memory, internal memory of the device, the presence of a video adapter, Bluetooth and WI-FI and other additional functions.

Review of the most popular smart TV boxes

Let's take a closer look at the most popular smart TV set-top boxes:

MXQ PRO
Smart TV Box CS918 4K
X98 PRO

MXQ Pro TV

This is a highly functional smart set-top box for TV, which works on the basis of Android 5.1 (in the future, it is possible to upgrade to Android 6). Her luggage includes a powerful 4-core 64-bit Amlogic S905 processor with a core frequency of 2 GHz, a graphics adapter with a frequency of 600 MHz.

The set-top box is equipped with 1 GB of RAM, which is enough for watching movies and videos in the highest quality Full HD and Ultra HD.
Regarding internal memory smart set-top boxes, they have 8 GB of free space for movies, music, games and applications that will decorate your TV and your time. Available, on the back and side, there are 4 USB ports, with which you can connect large external drives and an SD card slot for viewing and playing files from your mobile phone or tablet.

Connecting a smart TV set-top box to the Internet is carried out in two ways:

And most importantly, you can connect the set-top box to the TV using the HDMI cable, which we already talked about earlier. This will make it possible to view digital IPTV television.

Smart TV Box CS918 4K

The next type of smart consoles also works on the basis of Android 5.1, but is already equipped with the most powerful 8-core Rockchip RK3368 processor with a core frequency of 1.5 GHz and an improved model of the PowerVR G6110 graphics accelerator with a frequency of up to 750 MHz.

Volume random access memory the new generation DDR3 is increased to 2 GB, which doubles the functionality and multitasking of the smart set-top box. The internal memory is still at around 8 GB, but 2 USB ports will increase it to 64 GB. This will be enough for downloading and viewing multimedia files high Quality... But the most important thing is that with the help of the new generation video adapter, you can view videos and movies in BlueRay and 4K quality, and this is already a great advantage.

There is also a function of viewing IPTV TV channels of your Internet provider in Full HD quality with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels.
A smart TV set-top box is connected to the Internet in two ways:

directly through LAN portto which you need to connect the Internet cable;
using a WI-FI antenna that will pick up the signal from your router / modem.

The smart set-top box comes with a special remote control and an HDMI cable for quick connection and convenient use.

Smart TV box with wi-fi at the highest price point. Its price is an order of magnitude higher than that of other representatives. This is due to the ultra-powerful 8-core Amlogic S912 processor with a core frequency of up to 2 GHz and an 8-core Mali T820 graphics adapter, which reaches 750 MHz. Together with the 3 GB DDR3 generation RAM, this gives incredible performance indicators according to AnTuTu results of 40 thousand points (parrots).

The smart box itself is equipped with operating system Android 6.0.
As for the internal memory of the smart device, it is slightly increased. Now its volume is 16 GB (expandable up to 64 GB using an external USB drive or SD card).

You can still connect your device to the Internet in two ways:

directly through the LAN port to which you need to connect the Internet cable;
using a WI-FI antenna that will pick up the signal from your router / modem.

There is also an AV output, which will allow you to connect a smart set-top box to old tube TVs and sockets for a mouse and keyboard for more convenient use. The latter can be connected wirelessly, which will be a big plus for those who like to control the world sitting on the couch.

X98 PRO

This is one of the top smart set-top boxes for LCD and LED TVs. It is equipped with a new generation 8-core Amlogic S912 processor with ARM Cortex A53 core. The processor frequency reaches 2 GHz. The Mali T820 video adapter with a clock frequency of up to 750 MHz makes it possible to support 3D graphics: it can be both 3D films and various games and applications that can be found on Play Market.

The amount of RAM increased to 3 GB (still the same 3rd generation DDR) will expand the functionality of the smart set-top box and will allow you to perform even more tasks, load even more complex programs without any jambs. The amount of internal memory of the device is limited to 32 GB.

Besides the standard uSB connectors, HDMI, LAN S / PDIF port is implemented in this model, which will allow connecting digital audio / video equipment: stereo systems, disc players, stereos, home theaters, cameras, cameras, etc.

You can connect the TV to the Internet via a smart set-top box in the same two ways: