I've been leaving this issue pending for some time, but it's time to face it. What are the best Android TV Box we can find today? The offer is creepyly wide, so today we will try to shed some light on the world of “smart boxes” for TV.
The first thing to say is that the quality of the TV Boxes varies significantly according to their price. Although, depending on the use we want to give it,
The 12 best Android TV Box of the moment: playback in 4K, HDR, Netflix and much more
note that, except for honorable exceptions (Nvidia or Xiaomi), most TV Boxes have quite poor controls for anything other than browsing the Android menu and playing content from a flash drive.
If we want to have a full experience and navigation, it is best to buy a good wireless keyboard or an air mouse. They are not usually worth more than 10 euros, and the change is really drastic.
Now, let's take a look at the best devices to bring Android to the living room TV and turn it into a smart TV .
The first thing to say is that the quality of the TV Boxes varies significantly according to their price. Although, depending on the use we want to give it,
The 12 best Android TV Box of the moment: playback in 4K, HDR, Netflix and much more
note that, except for honorable exceptions (Nvidia or Xiaomi), most TV Boxes have quite poor controls for anything other than browsing the Android menu and playing content from a flash drive.
If we want to have a full experience and navigation, it is best to buy a good wireless keyboard or an air mouse. They are not usually worth more than 10 euros, and the change is really drastic.
Now, let's take a look at the best devices to bring Android to the living room TV and turn it into a smart TV .
1 # Nvidia Shield Android TV
The Nvidia Shield is the Ferrari of the Android TV Boxes. It is a device that is more oriented to video games. A good interface, an excellent design, compatible with almost all streaming applications of the moment and a control (in addition to a gamepad itself) ideal for browsing.
- processor Nvidia Tegra X1
- 3GB of RAM.
- 16GB or 500GB of internal storage.
- Android TV Operating System (Android 7.0).
- Support 4K HDR or HD at 1080p.
- HDMI port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, micro USB, micro SD and Ethernet port.
- We can stream from PC and play directly on TV (Nvidia GameStream).
- Support for Nvidia GeForce NOW.
Price : $179.00 (see on Amazon)
2 # Xiaomi Mi TV Box S
If we are looking for a slightly cheaper Android TV Box, one of the best options is the Xiaomi box. One of its greatest features are voice commands - through the microphone included in the remote control. In addition, it is one of the few Android TVs that is officially approved to play 4K content on Netflix.
- Processor Cortex-A53 64-bit 4-core running at 2.0GHz.
- 2GB of RAM
- 8GB of internal storage.
- Android 8.1.
- Support 4K HDR at 60fps.
- A USB 2.0 port and HDMI output.
- Bluetooth 4.2 + EDR connection.
- Supports 5G WiFi.
- Commands by voice.
- Chromecast integrated.
Price : $ 42 - $ 68 (see on Amazon / GearBest )
3 # A5X Max
This TV Box is the most powerful that we can find within the Android TV of Asian origin. It has 4GB of RAM, something that very few devices of this type currently equip. In addition, it accumulates up to 32GB of internal space, great for storing emulator ROMs, photos, music and video. It also has a lighter version of 16GB.
- 1 USB 3.0 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, HDMI, and Ethernet port.
- Rockchip 3328 Quad Core CPU with Cortex A53.
- Mali 450 Penta Core GPU up to 750Mhz.
- Support for 4K video output.
- HDR10 and HLG modes.
- Android 8.1
Price : $ 35.99 - $ 50.30 (see on Amazon / GearBest)
4 # Amazon Fire TV Stick
The truth is that "Fire" of Amazon is not an Android TV Box as such. It has its own system and uses the Amazon app store. However, it is a good option if all we want is a device that allows streaming content from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Movistar + and use a few apps without too many complications. It is not very powerful, but at least, what it does does well.
- CPU MediaTek Quad-Core ARM 1.3 GHz .
- Mali450 GPU.
- 1GB of RAM
- 8GB of storage
- 1080p resolution up to 60fps.
- Bluetooth 4.1.
- HDMI output
Price : $ 35.99 (see on Amazon)
5 # BQEEL Android TV Box
One of the best-selling Android 9.0 TV Boxes of the year. The BQEEL, in addition to a colorful and eye-catching design, has the new RK3318 chip (a cropped but efficient version of the RK3328) as well as 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. A highly recommended device if we look for an updated system at an affordable price.
- CPU Rockchip 3318 Quad-Core 64bit Cortex-A53.
- 4GB of DDR3 RAM.
- 32GB of internal space.
- Compatible with 4K TVs and 3D function.
- H.265 video decoding.
- Dual Wifi 2.4G / 5G and compatible with 10 / 100M Ethernet LAN.
- 2 USB ports (2.0 and 3.0), micro SD and HDMI 2.0.
Price : $ 50.99 (see on Amazon)
6 # Beelink GT King
The first TV Box to equip the new and powerful 6-core Amlogic S922X SoC that ensures us a much higher performance than the rest of the boxes of Chinese origin (it is also a bit more expensive, of course). Perfect for playing titles with a certain level of demand.
Another interesting detail is that, along with the NVidia Shield and the Xiaomi Mi Box S, it is one of the few devices capable of playing HBO in HD format. It also includes air mouse and voice control.
- Amlogic S922X Hexa-Core SoC (Quad-Core Arm Cortex A73 and Dual-Core Cortex A53).
- 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM + 64GB eMMC.
- GPU Mali-G52 MP4.
- Voice remote control
- USB 3.0 port + USB 2.0 port + micro SD slot.
- WiFi connectivity 2.4 + 5.8GHz.
Price : $ 93.55 - $ 130.00 (see on Amazon / GearBest)
7 # MECOOL KM9
The MECOOL KM9 is one of the most recent models of the well-known manufacturer of Asian TV boxes. The device includes the latest version of Android 9.0, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal space. It also incorporates the new Amlogic S905X2 chipset model with 4 Cortex-A53 cores and Mail-G31 MP2 GPU for better performance. In addition, it has dual band WiFi connection (2.4G + 5G).With these components and a good command we can watch streaming content from Netflix, YouTube, KODI, listen to music on Spotify and play classic emulators perfectly.
Play content in 4K, it has 3D function and H.265 HEVC decoding.
Android 9.0.
2 USB ports (USB 2.0 + USB 3.0, micro SD card slot, HDMI, AV and Ethernet.
Amlogic S905X2 CPU and Mail-G31 MP2 GPU.
Dual WiFi 2.4GHz + 5.0GHz.
Bluetooth 4.1
Price : $ 56.99 (see on Amazon)
8 # T95 S1 Android TV Box
This is the Android TV Box that at the beginning of this 2019 is raised with the seal «Amazon’s choice«. It is not a very powerful TV Box, but due to its price it can be a great alternative for those looking for something simple. It also includes remote control with wireless keyboard, something essential for a good user experience and smooth navigation through menus and controls.
- CPU Amlogic S905W Quad Core .
- 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
- Mali-450 GPU.
- Support for 4K (Ultra HD) video and H.265 decoding.
- Android 7.1 operating system.
- 2 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, LAN port and card reader.
Price : $ 36.99 (see on Amazon)
9 # Khadas VIM2 Max TV Box
The Khadas VIM2 Max is much more than a simple Android TV Box. It is closer to a Raspeberry Pi, both in concept and usability.We can install Android and use it as a normal TV Box, or we can install Ubuntu or OpenELEC / LibreELEC and go one step further. Everything will depend on the game we want to get and the time we are willing to invest in it. The perfect device for fans of experimentation and customization.
CPU Amlogic S912 Octa Core 1.5GHz .
3GB of DDR4 RAM (also available 2GB version).
GPU Mali-T820.
64GB of internal space.
2 USB 2.0 ports, a USB Type-C input for charging the device, SD slot, HDMI output and a LAN port.
WiFI 2 × 2 MIMO with RSDB.
4K 10-bit decoder.
Programmable MCU.
Price : $ 94.67 - $ 220.54 (see on Amazon / GearBest )
10 # VIDEN W2 Smart TV Box
One of the most popular TV Boxes on Amazon. It is a device that is not very powerful, but that can come in handy if all we are looking for is a TV Box that can play multimedia content from an external disk or memory, watch YouTube videos and surf the Internet a bit.
- Processor Amlogic S905W Quad Core .
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of internal space.
- 4K UHD playback.
- Native H.265 decoding.
- 2 USB ports
- Android 7.1.
Price : € 44.99 (see on Amazon)
11 # Alfawise H96 Pro +
A really versatile TV Box. Alfawise is one of the best-known Chinese brands in the world of TV Boxes, and although it does not develop high-end devices, it moves wonderfully within the most attractive and efficient mid-range. This Alfawise H9 Pro + is presented as a smart box with great value for money.
- CPU Amlogic S912 Octa Core 2.0GHz .
- 3GB of RAM.
- 16GB / 32GB of internal storage.
- Dual band ac WiFi (2.4G / 5G).
- Android 7.1.
- H.265 and HDR hardware decoding.
- Supports Airplay, Miracast and DLNA.
- 2 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 port, Ethernet, AV and SD card reader.
Price : $ 39.58 - $ 65.99 (see on Amazon / GearBest)
12 # Beelink GT1 Ultimate
Beelink is another of the great Asian manufacturers of TV Boxes. Its most popular device is this GT1 Ultimate, a box with serial root, with 3GB of DDR4 RAM, the always efficient Amlogic S912 Octa Core processor, and 32GB of internal space for apps, games and files.
- Android 7.1.
- 2 USB, micro SD, HDMI, Ethernet ports.
- 802.11 ac dual band WiFi.
- 4K UHD at 60fps.
- Supports H.265, and decoding by Hw VP9-10.
- 3D noise reduction filter.
Price *: $ 66.91 - $ 80.00 (see on GearBest / Amazon)
Note: The approximate price is the price available at the time of writing this post in the corresponding online stores, such as Amazon or GearBest .