What is a tv-box?And what can you do with it?

TV-Boxes are small sized devices that you can connect to your TV and will provide you with a wide array of content. They come in all shapes and sizes, varying from tiny such as the Xiaomi Mini TV box which is not bigger than a power plug, or a little bigger such as the Tronfy MX4. They also have different configurations. Some run on Windows, such as the Pipo TVBox, but most will run Android.

Android TV Boxes make up the majority of the models sold. These devices are usually priced between $60 and $120, depending on the configuration. They use mostly ARM SoC’s with a configuration of 1 GB RAM / 8 GB Storage or 2 GB RAM / 16 GB Storage. These boxes run a version of Android 4.4 with apps such as Kodi (previously known as XBMC) to provide the content but they can also run many other Android apps.

Connections:Android TV Boxes are different from Mini-PC’s in that TV Boxes have more connection options.A typical TV Box has the following connections:

HDMI: to connect to your TVUSB: so you can connect a USB-drive from which you can play movies or other contentSD-Card slot: to play content from SD-Cards and also used to update the TV BoxA/V: Some of the TV boxes also have an A/V Connection to connect the box to older TV’sBluetooth: Most TV boxes have a Bluetooth function. With this you can connect for example a Xiaomi Game controller to play games on your TV, or you can use your mobile phone as a remote for the TV box. Bluetooth is not standard on all TV boxes.Network: A lot of the TV boxes have a network connection, some via Ethernet, other via Wi-Fi. This enables the TV box to connect to the internet, or stream content from your pc or network storage.

Hardware:Android TV Boxes come in different configurations but they all share the same basic layout. A SoC, short for System on Chip. This is the brain of the TV Box. It is houses the CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphic processing unit) as well as some other components. Here are some of the most popular SoC’sRockchip RK3188. This is one of the oldest designs and can be found in most android tv-sticks. Not very powerful but small size. This does not support 2K or 4K playback and output. Rockchip RK3288. This is an upgraded version of the RK3188. It has support for 4K playback and output. Amlogic S805 & S802. These are quad core CPU’s that can be found in a lot of the TV boxes. These support output of HD resolutions and decoding (watching) videos up to 1080P.Amlogic S812. This is a more powerful version of the S805. This has a octa core CPU and supports features such as playback of 4K video, 3D and 4K output.

Generally speaking, the S812 is the best choice. Besides the CPU and GPU the TV box also has memory and storage. This can be in different configurations. 1 GB RAM (memory) & 4 GB Storage 2 GB RAM (memory) & 8 GB Storage.16 GB of Storage is also available on some devices. The memory is needed to use apps and more memory means you can open more apps at the same time without the TV box becoming slow in use. Also the RAM is used by various apps, such as games. In general, more memory is better and faster. The storage is used to store the software and content. Standard some space is taken up by Android and the installed apps. Having space available means you can install new apps, plugins and such but also that you can store content directly on the TV box. This can be movies, pictures or documents. Then you can play those directly without the need for internet or external devices.

Software:Nearly all TV boxes run Android 4.4 or Android 4.4.2.This is not very different from the Android on most mobile phones, except it is on a bigger screen.To make it more easy to navigate most brands build their UI (user interface). When you start up for the first time the tvbox will ask you which launcher you want to use. A launcher defines how you will see all the apps on your tv. There is a standard Google launcher, but this looks a lot like your phone and is not easy to navigate and use on a TV. So the manufacturer of the TV box makes their own launcher. If you choose this, you will find it much easier to navigate through your apps and content.

Because it is Android, you can install apps through the Google Play Store. This can be news apps, or games. Of course the app has to work on a bigger screen so some apps will not work. And with the standard remote you cannot use all apps. If you connect a game controller, you will find you can play a lot of games just like a game console. And it is also possible to connect a keyboard and mouse so you can type or browse on the tv box as it were a simple PC. But a TV box is made mostly for playing content. For this there are some apps installed such as Netflix, HBO Go and Amazon Prime, which provide streaming content (some of these might require a subscription or are only available in some countries).

The most well-known app to play content on a TV Box is Kodi (the new name of XBMC).Kodi is an app especially made for TV boxes and lets you navigate easily through content.You can play files that you put on the TV box yourself, or stream them from a location on your home network, play from USB or SD. This content is divided into TV SHOWS, MOVIES, PICTURES and MUSIC. Using this part of Kodi requires some knowledge of how Kodi works, and how to set it up. But once it is set up it is very easy to navigate.

But one of the biggest selling points of Kodi, and of TV boxes in general are the plugins of Kodi.Plugins are little programs that enhance the features of Kodi. There are literally 100’s of plugins that can do very different plugins.There are plugins that allow you to read your Facebook, watch YouTube or check Reddit pictures or things like that. Most important are the streaming plugins. Plugins like Navi-X open up a world of streaming content, from the latest movies & tv-series to older material. This with a simple click of the button on the remote. You do need an internet connection connected to the TV box for this. When you open the plugin you can navigate through the menu easily and select which content you want to play. This will be then streamed over the internet so you need a fast connection and some patience. Also because this can be illegal in some countries, the links in the plugin to the movie don’t always work. So sometimes you have to try different sources.

Resolution:Resolution means basically the size and quality. There are many different resolutions and various terms to name them. A few are:SD (Standard Definition): This is a low resolution, usually 480i (which means 640x480 pixels).This is common in older TV’sHD (High Definition): These are higher resolutions, everything starting from 720p (1280x720 pixels).This offers a much better quality picture. Some common HD resolutions are 1080P (also called Full-HD), 2K (2048 × 1080 pixels) and 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels, also called True Ultra-HD) and 8K (double that of 4K). In TV box terminology resolutions are used to define two things: the quality of the source material (a video can be FullHD or 4K for example) and the output of the TV box (the resolution of the signal the TV box will send to the TV. This will depend on the possible output of the TV box and the input of the TV).