Thanks to growing popularity and a general drop in cost, today it's perfectly possible to pick up a media player (read “TV Box” or “set-top box”) without burning a hole in your pocket. The most popular models on the local market rely on chips far more robust than they appear, while Android holds a dominant position among all devices. Want to know more? Here are five suggestions.
Over time, we've learned to appreciate generic hardware. First, their manufacturers are the only ones who really compete on price, and second, there's always room for pleasant surprises. A case that comes to mind is the Lepai LP-2020A+ amplifier. Nobody doubts it's generic to the bone, but its price-to-performance ratio proved extraordinary, and as if that weren't enough, a new modder movement was born dedicated to altering many aspects of its hardware. If we move this to the media player market, maybe there's not as much room for modifications, but the potential is there (after all, most come with Android installed), and it's truly impressive that these little devils can play almost everything we have stored on a memory card, a pen drive, or an external hard drive. Interested in buying one and taking your TV to the “Web era”? These are our five picks:
BQEEL MXQ
Its external appearance doesn't tell us much, but if there's something we must acknowledge about the MXQ, it's its robustness. The specs talk about an Amlogic S805 SoC, meaning we're guaranteed four cores at 1.5 GHz and a Mali-450 video module that handles 1080p content without any trouble. 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, WiFi, and four USB ports are more than enough. (33 euros)
Zenoplige MXIII
“What if I want more?” In that case, let's look at something like the Zenoplige MXIII. Besides bumping Android up to 5.1, it doubles the amount of RAM and internal storage. Its SoC also steps up a notch, adopting the Amlogic S812. It's similar to the S805 but has two important advantages: its Mali module runs at a higher frequency, and it includes 4K support. It has a dedicated power button and, overall, a better finish. (79 euros)
BQEEL M8R 4K
“Is there a better price?” The answer is yes, but that already means changing the hardware a bit. The M8R player basically repeats the combo “Android 5.1 - 2 GB of RAM”, however, its SoC is an eight-core Rockchip RK3368 at 1.2 GHz, with a PowerVR video module. It supports 4K playback, has 8 GB of internal storage, connects via WiFi or Ethernet, and includes an optical audio output. Note: video is only via HDMI. (60 euros)
Zenoplige T95
At first glance, any consumer could imagine the Zenoplige T95 as a hybrid between a router and a clock radio, but don't be fooled: there's a complete media player inside. The T95 stays on Android 5.1, though it adopts the 900 series of the Amlogic SoC (S905 to be more precise). That makes it a bit faster according to benchmarks, and the directional antenna should help more than one user with WiFi problems. Right now, it's cheaper than the MXIII. (76 euros)
Mini HD Media Box
Folks, it's hard to achieve a more basic and compact design than this. The Mini HD Media Box can be installed anywhere (assuming there's a direct line to the remote control sensor), it has an SD card slot and a USB port. That's it. There's no Android here, nor web connectivity... things some users will see as positive. Its video outputs are HDMI, component, and classic RCA for older TVs. (39 euros)
That's all for today. Do you have another player to recommend? Have you opted to install a computer next to your TV? Or did your Smart TV absorb all these options? Leave a comment. Good luck!
