Connecting smart tv iconbit full hd. Choosing a universal media player to connect to your TV. Instructions on how to connect an Android TV box to a TV as a Smart TV

Launching the iconBIT HDS6L media player

In one of the previous articles, we are a media player, the functions and features of this model. Perhaps one of the readers decided to purchase this or other similar device. Arriving at the store, he paid the money and received a sealed box in his possession. Well, what to do next? This is what we will talk about today.

We will not consider connecting to a TV and audio system. As a matter of fact, this process is no different from installing a regular DVD player. But the connection to a home network is worth dwelling on. This is again an optional procedure. The media player can also work autonomously. However, if the apartment has a network, then it makes sense to connect the device to it to facilitate the transfer of content from the computer, conveniently control the device and provide it with access to the Internet.

The standard connection method is the Ethernet port. When using it, it is enough to purchase or make on your own (or with the help of familiar "computer scientists") a patch cord, one end of which is inserted into, and the other - into a router or router. However, in many cases such a connection is undesirable. Usually, the TV is located far enough from the computer, so that it turns out to be problematic to route the cable to it.

In this case, you can use Wi-Fi, since the Realtek 1073DD chip, on which the media player in question is based, provides such an opportunity (of course, you need a router or router to have Wi-Fi support). To do this, you need to purchase a USB Wi-Fi adapter and connect it to the corresponding port (it's good that there are two of them on the player, so the adapter doesn't interfere with the connection of the "flash drive"). True, you need to be careful here. The fact is that Realtek 1073DD cannot detect all USB adapters. So before purchasing this device, it is better to look at the manufacturer's website and see those models that are guaranteed to work.

Talking about Wi-Fi, one cannot fail to note another very important point. The fact is that the bandwidth of this type of connection is very modest. So the process of copying content from a computer to the device's internal hard drive can be quite lengthy. In addition, there may be a problem with the playback of HD video over the network (video in standard definition plays normally). So, if you have the opportunity to lead a network cable to the media player, it is better to do just that.

Further, it is desirable to perform one more action. We are talking about updating the firmware of the media player. In the last article, we said for a reason that developers regularly release new software for their products. It not only fixes the found errors, but also "sews in" support for new codecs, and also takes into account changes in the work of Internet resources. The user manual does not say anything about the need to update the firmware. Still, it is better to perform this operation immediately. Otherwise, you may face a situation where some of the player's features will be unavailable (for example, Google will update the YouTube software, making it impossible to watch videos through the player). The firmware procedure itself is not particularly difficult. It is described in detail in the manual, so we will not dwell on it.

By the way, about the firmware. For there is not only official, but also alternative software. And it cannot be said that it is anything worse. On the contrary, many users may think that alternative firmware is more convenient to use. Both options are actively discussed on the developer forum, so at any time you can read about the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. We do not specifically compare them in the article, since the situation is changing quite quickly (as new versions are released). To select the firmware, it is better to look at the forum and get the most current information. Or try both options yourself and choose the best one for yourself.

On this, the preparatory work can be considered completed, it's time to set up the media player. To do this, you need to enable it and go to the parameters section. It has five tabs. The first two are for audio and video settings. There is nothing unusual here. On them, you can select the digital audio output used, set the screen size, select the video output mode, video stream parameters (saturation, brightness, etc.), etc.

The third tab is more interesting. It configures the network connection. In general, DHCP support is implemented. So if your home network has a router or router with a DHCP server, then it will receive an IP address automatically. However, if necessary, it can also be entered manually using the remote control. The next tab is for configuring the system (updating it, specifying the interface language, etc.). And the last one is for entering additional parameters. For example, it can be used to customize the display of photos, in particular, to turn off their preview, which significantly slows down the opening of folders with a large number of pictures.

The rest of the media player setup is more convenient to perform directly from the computer. For this, the device's own web server is used. You can connect to it by entering the IP address in the browser line (you can find it out in the player's settings). Using the web interface, you can perform many actions: change the network name of the device, start and stop services, mount additional partitions (for example, network folders, including on), as well as manage the UPnP server, UDP proxy and torrent client ... By the way, about the latter. Numerous reviews indicate device freezes when the torrent client is actively working simultaneously with watching a video. This is a known problem, which probably cannot be solved by firmware updates alone. It should be understood that the capabilities of the hardware platform itself are limited. And if you want your torrent client to be on all the time, it's better to get a media player based on a more expensive chip.

Well, in the end, all that remains is to transfer the content to the internal hard drive. If your video, audio and photos are stored on an external hard drive, then the easiest way is to connect the drive directly to the device and copy everything you need directly (since the operation of copying files is implemented very conveniently). If the data is on a computer, it is most convenient to transfer it to the player over the network.

There are two possibilities here. The first is through the Windows Network Neighborhood. To do this, change the network name using the web interface, specifying the name of the home network group as a workgroup. After that, you need to start a special service - Samba (you can do this again using the web interface or from the remote control in the network settings). This will make the media player visible in the network environment. If you plan to frequently copy information from or to, it makes sense to enable autoloading of the Samba service.

The second option is the built-in FTP server. Using any FTP client (developers recommend using Total Commander or Far Manager), you can access the internal hard drive connected to a USB drive or directly to the root partition. However, the latter option is only recommended for experienced users.

Well, in conclusion, we can summarize a little. Most people are used to the fact that after purchasing a video source, you just need to connect it to the TV. But in the case of a media player, this is not the case: some device configuration is required from the user. Of course, you don't have to do it. But in this case, you will not be able to use all the functions and appreciate its capabilities. Therefore, it is better to follow the steps described above. They are not difficult, they do not require much time, but they will allow you to fully enjoy modern digital technology.

Iconbit has long been known for its versatile multimedia solutions. In particular, the line of media players, which we have covered many times, includes both expensive models of equipment and devices for an unassuming user, the most, as they say, "popular" ones. Their popularity is due not only to their low price, but, what is much more important, their wide functionality. Which, in turn, is achieved due to the presence of a built-in TV tuner that supports work with a digital terrestrial signal, which is broadcast in Russia. It is these popular consoles that will be discussed in this article. And so that the choice is not narrow, we will study three models at once that have similar functionality. Along the way, comparing multimedia and other capabilities of the devices.

Completeness, design

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

The modest, discreet packaging in which the devices are delivered is equally informative: it contains sufficiently detailed technical information about the main functions, inputs and outputs, as well as the completeness.

Which, it should be noted, is also quite modest: the package contains only the most necessary accessories. For example, there is no HDMI cable here, but why? I think for a very reasonable reason: such a cable is necessary to connect to a TV or other signal display source that supports high resolution. But if the user already has such a source, then with a high degree of probability he also has the main tool for transmitting a digital signal - the notorious HDMI cable.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2
Media player Quick Start Guide Remote control with batteries USB power cable Composite AV cable IR extender	Media player Quick Start Guide Remote control with batteries USB power cable Composite AV cable	Media player Quick Start Guide Remote control with batteries USB power cable Composite AV cable

Let's note the following facts: the first set-top box, Iconbit Movie T2 (which you can't even call a set-top box because of its diminutiveness), is intended for hidden placement. For example, behind the TV or in the back of a shelf. Since the infrared sensor of this attachment, which picks up signals from the remote control, is located outside, connected to the unit with a thin meter cable. The sensor can be placed anywhere by gluing it with double-sided adhesive tape so that the infrared radiation from the remote control can “reach” the sensor from any corner of the room. Unlike this miniature set-top box, the next two devices are placed next to the TV or under it.

Despite the seemingly significant differences in the design of the consoles under consideration, we have quite a reasonable basis for comparing these devices. Since the functionality of the devices is not determined at all by the shape of the case or dimensions. These factors only determine the composition of the interfaces, installation methods and power supply.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

So, despite the different form factor and dimensions, all three consoles under consideration are equipped with USB ports for connecting external media with media content, suitable for playback by the built-in player. These ports are located on the sides of the cases, and this arrangement is explained by the fact that during the operation of the device, the USB connector is most often demanded for quickly connecting media - a flash drive, card reader or USB-disk.

Other interfaces that are required for a fixed connection are usually located on the rear of the case. The exception here is the Iconbit Movie T2 mini-set-top box, which, due to its design, is a device with a "pass-through" connection.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2
Inputs: power supply (5 V) antenna USB 2.0 Outputs: composite video output 576i	Inputs: antenna USB 2.0 Outputs: analog audio (stereo, in composite AV) audio coaxial composite video output 576i antenna	Inputs: antenna USB 2.0 Outputs: analog audio (stereo, in composite AV) composite video output 576i

As you can see, the difference in the composition of the inputs and outputs of the devices is small. The second device, Iconbit Movie FHD T2, has the richest choice of connectors. Here, unlike the other two set-top boxes, there is a coaxial audio output, the signal from which can be sent to an audio receiver, as well as an antenna output. Due to the loop-through connection, this antenna output may be needed in order to feed the terrestrial signal to the next TV with a digital tuner or to another set-top box in another room.

Another important point (not important for everyone, but perhaps for many): pay attention to the presence of analog video output in all three devices. Yes, this is the same composite video output with stereo sound that more than one generation has become accustomed to, having given it its own romantic name "tulips". Hopelessly outdated from a technological point of view, this interface is still used in many households. Perhaps even in the majority, given our reverent attitude towards the old proven technique. However, even the most "advanced" user, who has long since freed his home from heavy picture tubes, will probably find at least one CRT device. Somewhere in the garage or in the country, but there will definitely be. And one of the TV boxes under consideration is a great way to breathe a second life into a forgotten "box". By the way, looking ahead, we note that the interface of all three set-top boxes quite allows them to be used with TVs that have low resolution, and even with interlaced: the graphical elements of the interfaces are made large, without sharp contrasting borders that could flicker when viewed on a kinescope from its interlaced scanning.

The first two models, Iconbit Movie T2 and Iconbit Movie FHD T2, have special slots in the bottom for attachment to vertical surfaces, like in routers and other stationary equipment of small dimensions. The third set-top box does not have such an option, it is intended exclusively for desktop installation. It should be noted that there are a large number of ventilation holes in all cases - apparently, this natural cooling is enough to keep the devices from overheating.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

The plastic halves of the cases are connected either by latches (Iconbit Movie T2) or by bolts. During operation, there is no need to look into the insides of the devices, but we will do this in order to evaluate the quality of the printed circuit boards.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

You can see that in all three models, the central chip is necessarily equipped with a metal heatsink that dissipates heat. There is no forced cooling in the devices. The connection quality of the components is satisfactory, no traces of manual work or soldering are found.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

The first model of the set-top box, a miniature Iconbit Movie T2, is equipped with an infrared remote control also of small dimensions. The set for the other two models has a slightly larger remote control with a different arrangement of buttons.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

Below are thermal images of the consoles in question taken after an hour of operation of the devices under room conditions with an ambient temperature of about 24 ° C.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2

It can be seen that the maximum temperature of individual sections of housings and electronic components after long-term operation does not exceed 60 ° C, which is, in general, a safe standard for modern microelectronics.

The main technical characteristics of the devices are summarized in one visual table:

Settings, operation

First of all, we will study the work of set-top boxes with terrestrial digital TV. Of course, we are talking about open air channels that are not encoded by the provider. In Russia, such broadcasting is conducted in the DVB-T2 standard. Of course, perfect reception is not guaranteed in different regions, it is highly dependent on the location of the transmitter (or the location of the user, which is the same). For up-to-date information on the coverage area of \u200b\u200bthe DVB-T2 signal, see. In some cases, it will not hurt to have a good receiving antenna with a signal amplifier. For our experiments, we purchased just such an antenna, which can be installed both indoors and outdoors:

The tests were carried out in different conditions, more precisely, in two: in a city with a population of half a million (practically its very center, built up with reinforced concrete high-rise buildings) and in a small town of 30,000 with mostly private one- / two-story buildings. In the first case, the nearest repeater is located at a distance of five kilometers from the receiving point, while the signal needs to cross almost half of the city's diameter with corresponding dense buildings. In the second case - "village" - the repeater is located one and a half kilometers from the receiving point. At the same time, practically nothing interferes with the free passage of the signal, but there is no line of sight due to the peculiarities of the terrain. Note: if in the city the power outage of the receiving antenna led to a guaranteed disappearance of the signal, then in the village the digital television worked properly in the absence of signal amplification. True, it is unreliable - in order to get a picture without freezing and breaks, the antenna had to be directed exactly at the repeater.

It takes 10-15 seconds to turn on the set-top boxes until fully ready for operation (displaying the signal of the last viewed channel). If the devices have not been in operation before or the channels have not yet been tuned in, then on the screen you will see the initial setup menu, from where you can start the search for a digital terrestrial signal. Despite the similar functionality, the search speed for channels in the compared STBs turned out to be different. This difference is quite tangible, albeit not fundamental - how often do we readjust TVs to complain that the search takes not 40 seconds, but 60?

In this video, you can see that the number of channels found in all three cases is 20 plus three radio stations. However, in the aforementioned small town, the search returned only ten TV channels. It turned out that in this area only (10 federal channels) are broadcast, while in the big city both, and (10 more channels) multiplexes are broadcast. According to trustworthy information, all three multiplexes are confidently received in Moscow and the Moscow region, which is 30 channels! Unfortunately, the author did not manage to admire these fruits of civilization due to the serious distance from them. But nothing! The ethereal figure is still at the development and launch stage.

Having become interested in the question of the number of digital channels, we searched not for an air signal, but for a cable one. From the same cable that enters a city apartment and is served by one of the city's inexpensive providers. However, the search box found absolutely nothing. Everything is correct. Our provider, along with analog channels, also broadcasts digital TV in the amount of more than 50 channels, but this signal has the DVB-C standard, which was abandoned in Russia when building a digital terrestrial network. And our set-top boxes, as we already know, are equipped with tuners capable of receiving a signal in the DVB-T or DVB-T2 standards.

However, this interest in fishing for canals did not dry up, as a result of which it was decided to go somewhere closer to the outskirts of civilization. Not so dramatically, of course. Just 10 kilometers from the nearest repeater, the one that broadcasts the first 10-channel multiplex. This repeater works for a small town, and therefore, its power is low. The antenna was installed "facing" the repeater, which was somewhere over the horizon.

Before searching for channels, the antenna was powered directly from the set-top box, while the antenna cable was connected directly to the Iconbit Movie T2 set-top box, and did not go through the amplifier attached to the antenna. The prefix quickly found all 10 television and three radio channels laid down in the area.

Connecting the amplifier to the antenna did not help either (since the testing was carried out in an open field, we used a 220V car inverter). Thus, we can conclude that you can only believe with a big ... no, with tremendous stretch. After all, judging by it, we were continuously in the zone of confident reception, which is colored green. However, we, most likely, were just “lucky” with the choice of the testing site. The fact is that we are located almost exactly in the center of the triangle, on the vertices of which the repeaters are located. By the way, there were three small settlements not far away. They are probably sad without digital terrestrial TV. But let's hope that with the introduction of the second multiplex throughout the territory, the power of the transmitters will increase, and that's when ...

Let's touch on the graphical interfaces of the devices under consideration. They, one might say, are of the same type, and the whole difference lies only in certain aspects of the design and the presence / absence of some insignificant points. At the same time, the design of the menus of the second and third consoles (Iconbit Movie FHD T2 and Iconbit Movie HDS T2) is absolutely identical, as well as the composition of these menus. In the following GIF animation, you can see the menu composition for Iconbit Movie T2 (left) and for two stationary consoles (right).

The menu is divided into seven thematic sections, which contain the following tools:

Iconbit Movie T2
TV channel settings
program editing module allows you to move, skip, lock, delete and even rename selected channels sorting of channels is possible by name and logical channel number
Video output settings
the choice of aspect ratio will be needed when connecting to TVs with different aspect of the frame (for example, CRT TVs have an aspect of 4: 3) the video output format when connected via HDMI is set to interlaced Full HD by default, but the set-top boxes are capable of outputting up to a progressive signal with a size of 1920 × 1080 and a frequency of up to 60 frames per second
Search for TV channels
start automatic search or search by specified frequency and bandwidth region selection power on / off of the receiving antenna (works only for passive antennas that do not have their own amplifier)
Date and time setting
time zone selection setting up automatic transfer of the set-top box to sleep mode setting of automatic power on and off at a specified time of day (only in Iconbit Movie FHD T2 and Movie HDS T2 consoles)
Language and sound options
selection of menu language, subtitles and audio streams that will be played by default switching digital audio output modes: stereo PCM or RAW HDMI
System settings
password setting factory reset software information and updates
USB media settings
launching a file browser with the contents of the connected USB storage photo slideshow setting (slide show time, etc.) setting the playback of video files (size of subtitles, their background and color) setting up TV recording: pre-recording volume (TimeShift), formatting USB-media

We will probably leave the arguments about the "quality" of a digital signal (in this case TV) to the preachers of pure copper and gold-plated contacts. Digit - it differs from analog transmission: there is a signal or it is not. The third state belongs to the category of a weak signal, when the picture “freezes” or crumbles into squares, which is a stretch to the concept of “quality”. If you still try to pull digital quality onto the globe of the article, then claims for quality should be made exclusively to the broadcaster. Which - and only he alone - bears full responsibility for such signal flaws as the notorious "spillage into squares" caused by a banal lack of bitrate, for an incorrectly exposed aspect of the frame, and similar flaws. The recordings made by one of the STBs under consideration will help to assess the quality of the received signal (it should be borne in mind that the recording is made without any additional transcoding by simply copying the received stream with packing into the * .MTS container). The resulting recordings can later be viewed in any software or hardware player - there is no encryption in the stream, this is free open air.

Together with the TV picture, the set-top boxes receive the required accompanying information: a program guide, a description of the current broadcast, a subtitle stream (if any), as well as teletext if available.

All three set-top boxes have the ability to record a selected TV or radio channel by timer. Among the functions of the timer there is the ability to record in cycles at a specific time every day or week.

Let's move on to the capabilities of the set-top boxes to play media content. We are talking about photos, music and videos that are copied to a USB drive. One fact should be remembered here: despite the difference in design, used electronic components and minor differences in the design of graphical interfaces, all three consoles under consideration have the same ability to reproduce certain formats. The same goes for the functionality of the built-in media players - it is the same except for one function - GoTo (quick jump to the specified position) - which is available in two stationary players Iconbit Movie FHD T2 / Iconbit Movie HDS T2, but is absent in Iconbit Movie T2. All other parameters are absolutely identical, and the different design of the built-in file browsers is just a design that does not affect performance in any way.

Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2 and Iconbit Movie HDS T2

Set-top boxes can be called omnivorous, if you do not go to extremes: after all, these are, first of all, set-top boxes, the main task of which is to receive and decode a television signal. They don't need to be able to play 4K video or 10-bit anime. The limit for STBs is video with a frame size of Full HD (1920 × 1080) b at up to 60 frames per second (frame drops are possible!), Encoded with H.264 (AVC) codec with standard parameters. That is, with a profile no higher [email protected] Simply put, all formats that meet DVD and Blu-ray standards, as well as those close to them, will play flawlessly. Playback of other videos with non-standard encoding parameters is solely at the user's own risk. For example, our set-top boxes are not even aware of the existence of the RealVideo codec. But here's the question: have many readers at least heard of such a codec?

The container in which the video is packed does not play a primary role. However, being at the same time a file extension, the container allows STBs to determine at least the theoretical possibility of playing such files. If the set-top box is not trained to play, for example, the aforementioned RealMedia, then files with the * .rmvb extension will simply not be displayed in the file browser.

With that said, let's consider a typical playback option, when as the source video there is a so-called BD remix (material taken from a Blu-ray disc and packed into a container - for example, MKV without transcoding). Set-top boxes do not experience difficulties with playing such template content. The only disadvantage, perhaps, is that the devices do not know how to go through the chapters of the film. they simply don't see the chapter stream in the file. But all other streams located next to the video are displayed flawlessly: audio tracks and subtitle streams can be selected directly at the time of playback.

Displaying subtitles	Selecting a subtitle stream
Select audio track, display file information	GoTo function - quickly jump to a specified position
Fast rewind (up to 32 ×)	Fast forward (up to 32 ×)

As for sound, the set-top boxes easily transmit all standard sound formats to the audio receiver via HDMI, and Movie FHD T2 can also transmit multichannel AC3 without transcoding to PCM (if the HDMI RAW option is enabled in the settings). However, one should hardly expect that an audiophile with a rare gift to hear the difference between AC3 and DTS will include the described set-top boxes in his music world.

In conclusion, we present the results of our universal test. It is designed to determine actual the number of frames per second that the device is able to process and send to the video output. It's no secret that players equipped with insufficiently powerful processors, being unable to process 60 frames per second, are forced to resort to a trick: duplicate or discard frames that they cannot cope with.

Testing consists in sequential playback of special video files in which the arrow makes a circle around the dial at a speed of one revolution per second, or one division per frame. At the same speed, the white rectangle at the top of the frame moves along its cells. If, during playback, you take a picture of a TV screen with a camera at a shutter speed of one second, each frame will be captured in the picture, no matter how many of them are in the file, 24 or 60. An even distribution of light zones means adequate decoding of the video stream, frame-by-frame. But if gaps are visible in the picture instead of a trace from the arrow, or, conversely, its traces are too bright, this indicates a frame skip or duplication. In "real life", when watching films, these gaps and duplications will look like sharp twitching of the picture, that is, no smoothness of movement can even be said.

Frame size, frequency	Iconbit Movie T2	Iconbit Movie FHD T2	Iconbit Movie HDS T2
1920 × 1080 24p
1920 × 1080 25p
1920 × 1080 30p
1920 × 1080 50p
1920 × 1080 60p

You can see that the set-top boxes cannot be claimed up to the point when they play Full HD video at a frequency of more than 30 frames per second. By the way, the obvious gaps and duplicates of frames that we see in the results of 25p video playback are a direct consequence of the fact that the set-top boxes were connected to the TV with the NTSC setting, that is, 1080 60p. If we connected them with the factory settings (PAL, that is, 50 frames per second), then the picture would be mirrored: files with a frequency of 25 frames per second would be played flawlessly, but with files having a frequency of 24 and 30 frames per second, similar problems would arise. Alas, our set-top boxes are not able to automatically switch the video output frequencies so that they coincide or become multiples of the frame rate of the video being played. However, not every full-fledged media player has such a function, let alone a TV tuner with the ability to play local files.

conclusions

The considered set-top boxes are modest, but quite functional devices that are capable not only of providing an on-air television signal, but also of reproducing any common media content. Their low cost can be compared to the price of a good TV receiving antenna. We summarize the found advantages and disadvantages of the devices, summarizing them in one illustrative comparative table:

Judging by this table, Iconbit Movie T2 and Iconbit Movie FHD T2 are the most preferred. However, the first, Movie T2, possessing all the functions of "full-fledged" stationary set-top boxes, is also much smaller than its colleagues. Moreover, this device was also the most inexpensive of the whole trio. Apparently, the choice should still be made based on the needs in certain interfaces. In this regard, the undoubted leadership belongs to the second set-top box, Iconbit Movie FHD T2. As for the third representative of the line, Iconbit Movie HDS T2 is a classic "country house" version of a universal player with the ability to decode digital TV broadcast.

The hero of today's story is a gadget designed to make it possible to work with the Internet through a TV, which initially does not have support for Smart TV or the Internet in any way whatsoever - neither via cable nor via WiFi. This miracle is called the Prefix Android Smart TV Box for TV, which is essentially a mini computer (Mini PC Box) with a pre-installed mobile operating system. This device connects via modern HDMI or old-fashioned AV cable to any TV with these connectors, and turns it into a large tablet. In this manual, I will tell you in detail how to connect and configure your TV box.

Features of TV Box Android Mini PC Box

Surprisingly, even in 2018, while shopping, I discovered that not all modern fancy TVs even have a simple Ethernet port for connecting an Internet cable. What can we say about wi-fi. So the invention, invented by the Chinese several years ago, is more relevant today than ever.

Moreover, Android TV set-top boxes, like any electronics, are being improved along with other technologies. Therefore, top models today support 4K video, wifi in the 5 GHz band, and many other "goodies" that make our life more enjoyable. And it will completely allow you to get rid of the need to pay a subscription fee for a television antenna, by default, carried out to an apartment.

So let's figure it out. There are now many modifications of TV set-top boxes on Android for TV on the market, differing mainly in the size of RAM, processor power and additional functions, but they all have common features:

• WiFi support
• Support for drives via OTG cable
• Built-in Android system
• USB ports for connecting peripherals and flash drives for watching videos or photos
• Many models have slots for SD memory cards

Installing, connecting and configuring the Android TV box does not require any skills and works directly, as they say, "out of the box" without any additional drivers or programs - connected via HDMI cable to the TV, and off you go.

Programs for an Android set-top box are no different from applications for a regular phone - in most cases they immediately have Google Play, YouTube, a browser, and so on - as on any tablet. Accordingly, new applications are installed in the same way as in any smartphone through the Play Market. They can be controlled both through a connected mouse or keyboard, and through a special console.

Instructions on how to connect an Android TV box to a TV as a Smart TV

But let's move on from words to practical instructions and see how to connect Android TV Box in reality. Before purchasing a model, make sure that your computer has HDMI or AV input (popularly called "tulips"). The latter is on all TVs with a "glass" tube, which means that even old TVs inherited from parents and which have been gathering dust on the far mezzanine for years can be connected to the Android TV set-top box, and go online from them or play movies, music or photos from flash drives.

The same applies to the Android Smart TV itself - most of the inexpensive small models have only an HDMI connector, if you have a very old TV, then it will not work.

At the same time, keep in mind that if your TV supports HDMI, then naturally use it to get the highest quality picture. Even on a good modern TV, connecting a Smart TV Box via AV tulips will give a mediocre image, like on a tube TV. Next, turn on the set-top box and select HDMI or AV as the input source in the TV menu, depending on which cable you connected the Android TV Box with.

In short, it is necessary that both the set-top box and the TV set have identical connectors. Better, of course, HDMI - the quality will be noticeably higher.

Let's move on to the practice of connecting a TV set-top box on Android to a TV. We choose our option:

• hDMI cable
• or AV tulips for old TVs

and connect the TV Box to the TV

A picture familiar to all Android users will appear on the screen.

Now you can install everything on the set-top box and enjoy viewing.

How to set up an Android TV box via a WiFi router?

Here you can already use the pre-installed utilities, but working with Android TV Box would be incomplete without its main advantage - the ability to access the Internet. In order to configure the set-top box to work on the Internet and connect to a WiFi router, we do the same as in the tablet:

After that, you can already enjoy all the benefits of the Internet - download applications, watch movies on YouTube, browse sites, play games, and so on.

How to control Android TV Box from your phone?

To facilitate the management of Smart TV Box on Android, many models support work as a co, which must be purchased separately. An alternative to it can be an application that is installed on a smartphone or tablet and turns it into a remote control for the set-top box.

There are many such programs - I have already introduced you to one of them. It was pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones. Its advantage is that it interacts not only with TV set-top boxes, but also with televisions, air conditioners and other household appliances and other elements of a smart home.

However, you simply cannot download it and install it, and even more so when it comes to an iPhone. Therefore, today we will talk about another universal and, most importantly, cross-platform application - Cetus Play. I briefly talked about it in the article about. It can be downloaded from both the Google Play Market and the Apple Store. And it means to install both on Android phones and on iOS - iPhone or iPad.

To control an Android TV set-top box from a phone, 2 conditions are required:

• Connecting both the set-top box and the smartphone to the same wifi network
• Installing an identical application on both devices.

So you will need to go to the same Play Market on the set-top box and install the version of the Cetus Play program for Android TV. It is also free and freely available.

Instead of an introduction, we would like to draw the attention of buyers to the reduction in price and progress of Smart TV systems over the past year. The ability to connect storage devices and wide support for all kinds of formats are available today even in the most inexpensive TVs. That's great, but the functionality of the boxes threatens entry-level media players. Up to complete disappearance.

Players are different

Several classes of devices are now capable of injecting multimedia functions into televisions: the successors of DVD players, computers and tablets have paved their way to television screens.

The most time-consuming type of media players are nettop models. These avant-garde mini-computers impress with their compactness and stability, and the quality of the components, the performance of ultra-low-voltage processors and the capabilities of desktop operating systems are not comparable to the potential of other media players. All the power of computer browsers, content playback programs and file-sharing networks today can be obtained in a quiet and compact "box".

Nettops: media players outside - computers inside

The problem is that the everyday use of these essentially desktops is hard to cope with the tasks of a set-top box. Choosing and buying a remote control, searching for a suitable media envelope and setting up a DVB tuner will require serious patience, and therefore will turn the project into a "long-term construction". We leave this method to experienced and determined fans of the PC platform, and we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the world of nettops in numerous news and reviews on the site.

The next subtype of media players are Android OS devices. Attempts to endow TVs with the functionality of smartphones and tablets have become a trend in recent years: familiar and ready-to-use applications, adaptation of the OS to high-resolution displays and inexpensive processors have positively affected the distribution of such devices. The disadvantage, as in the case of nettops, is the mediocre adaptation of the system to new controls: manufacturers have to “reinvent” the Android interface, taking into account the lack of touch input, and users have to get used to the specifics of using the Air Mouse “lazy”.

Mini-computers of the Android Stick format stand apart from such media players. These tiny (the size of a large flash drive) devices lack a digital tuner and only have an HDMI connector. But they can boast of an affordable price and a powerful operating system.

HDMI Stick - compact media players based on Android OS

The main role in the media player market is played by devices powered by Sigma Designs and Realtek platforms - direct descendants of hardware DVD and Blu-ray players. The loss of an optical disc drive is compensated by the introduction of streaming services, "omnivorousness" and, sometimes, a standard HDD connector in the media player case. Rather than being a computer device, this class of devices rarely allows installation of third-party applications and services. The developers' efforts lie in the plane of ease of management and picture quality.

Classic IPTV set-top boxes are still relevant today

Our guide will focus on the last two categories of devices.

In the dark forest of characteristics

There are many ways to feel about buying a media player. Nothing prevents you from being guided only by the budget for the purchase of the device. And this approach does not necessarily lead to disappointment, since the functionality of even the most budget models today meets the needs of an undemanding user. We will try to set priorities for those who want to get the most out of the media player with a minimum investment.

Interfaces

The variety of interfaces is dwindling in the digital broadcasting age, so a TV equipped with HDMI input and support for resolutions from HD Ready and higher is an ideal candidate for connecting a media player. The digital connector will provide maximum video quality and greatly simplify the multi-channel audio output to your home theater. The HDMI specification allows digital sound to be transmitted to acoustics unchanged (bitstream technology), which makes it possible to use the full potential of a high-quality audio system on media players controlled by Sigma and Realtek platforms. The situation is worse with consoles based on ARM Cortex chipsets. In their case, the sound potential is most often limited to the transmission of a stereo stream (LPCM) already processed on the set-top box to the TV.

When it comes to connecting a media player to an outdated TV, the situation is complicated many times over. In the absence of an HDMI connector, you will have to choose from the following analog interfaces:

• Composite output. Indicated on devices as AV Out or RCA. Has been using tulips, which have been familiar for the past two decades, to output video and stereo sound. The sound and video quality with this method of connection leaves much to be desired, and whenever possible we recommend using alternative connectors.

Composite interface

• Component output. Indicated on devices as YUV Out or YPbPr. It is based on all the same "tulips", but the video signal is transmitted through several cables at once, and the resulting picture quality is the best among all available analog interfaces.

Component interface

• SCART. In fact, it is not an interface, but a "container" for transmitting an RGB image with a low image quality by modern standards. It is rarely found in the number of connectors of media players and, as a rule, is supplied in the form of an adapter from a composite connector or an S-Video interface.

SCART connector

• S-Video. The least common interface in media players and TVs. Structurally, S-Video is a slightly better alternative to the composite connector. This development did not gain much popularity among TV manufacturers, and today it often catches the eye among the connectors of outdated computer video accelerators.

S-Video connector

Media players with an analogue tuner on board have practically disappeared from retail, and are replaced by support for the DVB-T2 digital TV broadcasting standard. The digital television network in Russia is rapidly expanding, but the widespread distribution of broadcasting in this standard is still far away. The presence of a digital signal in a particular settlement should be checked in advance on the website of the operator of the all-Russian digital TV broadcasting or from local providers.

Form factor and network communications

The trick familiar from VCRs with identifying the flagship "by eye" is no longer relevant. In the segment of media players, the most bulky model is not always the most productive. The dimensions of the new players are dictated only by the number of connectors for connecting to a TV, as well as by the presence of a hard drive bay.

You shouldn't unconditionally give preference to media players with an HDD slot either: in the absence of a "home video library", this function will soon cease to be in demand. Connecting a media player to a PC, constantly removing a drive to record new files or painstaking work with the web interface of a torrent client is tiring. But playing files from the local network will be faster and more efficient. In the case of mini-PCs based on Android, an additional argument for such use is the characteristic shortage of ports for connecting storage devices: the only USB connector is occupied by a wireless keyboard, and the weak current in the device does not allow connecting the USB Hub without power from the network.

Capacious storage on board will shelter any collection of media files

Fortunately, media players without support for data exchange over the network are rare today. Even budget models are able to offer an Ethernet connector or Wi-Fi support for receiving content via DLNA or Samba server. If possible, you should use the RJ-45 connector - wireless playback of Full HD video will require Wi-Fi 802.11n support and a productive router in line of sight.

A clear advantage of Android-based media players is the support of social functions: clients of Facebook, VKontakte, Skype and other messengers work quickly and are always updated to the latest versions. Some media players are equipped with support for webcams via USB-OTG, and the second half of 2014 was marked by the release of the Android Stick with a video camera and microphone in the device's body. Alas, the Wi-Fi transmitter power of the mini PC is poor, and to play 1080p video over the network, you will most often need a USB to Ethernet adapter.

Playback formats

With some reservations, we can say that the "omnivorousness" of modern media players has reached almost peak levels. Over the past few years, there have been no models left on the market that would not be able to play video files in Divx / Xvid, H.264 and MPEG 1/2 formats. As for audio files, it is worth paying attention to the presence of high-quality audio support in DTS, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD formats. Some media players lack support for sound in this format (due to the lack of a license for the codec or design features of the chipset), so it is better to avoid the unpleasant surprise in the form of a “silent movie” in advance.

As for the containers, the popular AVI, MP4 and MKV are easily played even in budget models, which means that any modern model is suitable for watching movies in DVDRip, BDRip, BDRip-AVC and BDRemux standards.

Problems with the selection of a media player haunt only fans of "full" Blu-ray and volumetric video. 3D movies are often distributed as ISO images or file folders. A truly convenient playback of such a video can only be provided by media players supporting the ISO BD3D standard, but with the proviso that navigation through the movie will be carried out through the simplified BD Lite menu. Support for 3D HD-video in other media players will be limited to "heuristic" launch of the M2TS file from the folder structure or the complete lack of support for the standard. Unfortunately, support for the full specification of Blu-ray has sunk into oblivion along with optical discs. An aggressive lobbying for copy protection called Cinavia played a part in this.

Devices developed in close cooperation with content providers stand apart - in the pursuit of copyright compliance and stimulating purchases in online cinemas, media players receive a limited list of compatible codecs and / or streaming services that are relevant only to foreign audiences.

Governing bodies

The interface of the Sigma SDK and Realtek SDK operating systems was developed taking into account the capabilities of a standard remote control: therefore, controlling such media players does not require additional skills from users of a TV or game console. Support for computer keyboards and mice is present in many models, but it does not represent any practical use - multi-stage menus are easier and faster to master using the same remote control than using the mouse cursor.

TV comfort versus computer functionality

Android media players are at the other extreme: only multifunctional remote controls with QWERTY keyboard and Air Mouse mode, which are not very ergonomic, can compensate for the lack of touch input in these products. In the end, all Android Stick users switch to a full-size PC keyboard and mouse - controlling the media player from the couch will never be easy.

Performance and hardware platform

The confrontation between Sigma and Realtek chipsets painfully resembles the picture in the PC processor market. Sigma Designs' platform typically comes with a finer workflow and superior synthetic performance. The stability and speed of the SMP series chipsets are overshadowed by the high cost of the platform for manufacturers - media players of equal price based on Realtek and Sigma will differ in functionality not in favor of the latter.

Realtek multimedia processors are much more flexible. Thanks to a loyal pricing policy, they have become much more widespread. As is often the case in low-end products, a number of annoying flaws have long haunted the RTD series platforms - experienced users of media players will nod in the direction of a known flaw, when video playback at 23.976 frames / s was accompanied by constant jerks. The next negative point happened due to the fault of careless manufacturers of TV-boxes: ventilation problems in models equipped with a slot for an HDD led to overheating and unstable operation of a whole family of media players. Today all these problems have been eliminated, and the competition between the two chipset manufacturers is taking place on an equal footing.

Comparison of the performance of these platforms can be done "the old fashioned way", guided only by the operating frequencies of the processor, but the lion's share of the load in the SoC of media players falls on hardware decoders. The performance of content playback for these devices is beyond the purview of benchmarks.

Nevertheless, measuring performance in "synthetics" remains the only possible way to classify SoCs. Specialized multimedia processors and competing chips based on the ARM Cortex architecture can be divided into five classes (in descending order of performance).

For buyers who are not ready to analyze the market in search of the ideal media player, we have prepared a list of current Smart TV systems for every wallet and need. These products will not necessarily include market leaders, but the price-performance ratio allows us to recommend these models with confidence.

Upvel UM-521TV

The UM-521TV media player is the most fortunate candidate for enlivening the TV screen with social media, online entertainment and other applications for the Google platform. A quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and stock Android Jelly Bean will appeal to customers for whom timely access to news feed and videos means much more than painstaking selection of content for long-term viewing.

TVZor TVZ100ZT

The ideology of the TVZor media player is contrary to fashion - the model belongs to a still small class of devices developed in cooperation with content providers. In the Russian market, a limited selection of streaming services is rarely successful with buyers, but TVZ100ZT has every chance to turn the tide. For only 3000 rubles, the buyer gets a media player with a rich package, a programmable remote control with a QWERTY keyboard, a DVB-T2 tuner, an online media library and a set of connectors for connecting to a CRT or LCD TV.

Unfortunately, not a trace of the functionality of the Android system remains, and access to files on the local network is closed. But 20 stably working IPTV channels are supplemented with a pack of free TV series in the online store, and support for formats for digital media is in no way inferior to "full-fledged" and more expensive competitors. More details with TVZor TVZ100ZT

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

"Functionality over performance" - the Movie3D IPTV model is based on the outdated Allwinner A20 chipset, and the proprietary shell adjacent to Android leads to extremely leisurely navigation through the device menu. In contrast to these shortcomings, the player has a rich set of functions and a reasonable price. Working with custom IPTV playlists, support for stereo pairs of the BD3D ISO standard, numerous streaming services and access to the Google Play app store cannot fail to appeal to thrifty shoppers. Newbies will also love the abundance of free content, while advanced Android users will appreciate root access and the ability to install third-party apps. More details with IconBit Movie3D IPTV you can get acquainted in our review.

ASUS O! Play Mini Plus

ASUS O! Play Mini Plus

In the O! Play Mini Plus, ASUS engineers chose not to get involved in the pursuit of smartphone features. The lack of support for Blu-ray ISO images and flaws in the online component will be accompanied by fair complaints from users. However, this model is aimed at practitioners and its main goal is the convenient playback of content from local and network drives. Gigabit Ethernet, card reader and eSATA connector allow you to receive any video and music "fully armed". The level of implementation of these functions directly speaks about the quality of the media player. Composite output will allow you to play Full HD files even on old TVs. But among enthusiasts O! Play Mini Plus is not respected, since the media player is based on the notorious revision of Realtek's MD chipsets, which means that the device is completely closed for flashing at home.

Google Nexus Player

Google Nexus Player

Google presented its vision on what should be a set-top box based on the Android operating system. A model called the Nexus Player, developed in collaboration with ASUS, is finally on sale. Base Android's interface and functionality has been tailored for easy on-screen TV use and content streaming. The media player supports Google Chromecast functions, allowing you to stream videos, music and photos from your computer, smartphone or tablet to your TV screen. A distinctive feature of the interface is the automatic ranking of applications and multimedia files in accordance with user preferences.

The basic kit includes a multifunctional remote control with an integrated microphone, and a game pad is available at an additional cost.

Nexus Player is built on the Intel Atom quad-core platform, clocked at 1.8 GHz. The graphics component is based on the Imagination PowerVR Series 6 video accelerator, and the memory subsystem has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. Wireless communication is represented by Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1, and among the communication ports there is HDMI and Micro-USB. The cost of the novelty is $ 99.