Five media players on Android for pumping smart TV functions

At first glance, Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 2K HDR looks like an ordinary flash drive. However, instead of the tip of the USB “tail”, an offshoot of the HDMI connector protrudes from the device case. Through the corresponding port, the stick is connected to the TV.

The body of the media player is made of black plastic. One half is matte, the other is glossy. The model has a wireless connection to the global network, for which a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 adapter is installed “under the hood” of the device. The cord is only needed to supply power. Fortunately, the stick "eats" energy directly from the TV's USB A socket (provided that the current strength on it is at least 1 A).

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 2K HDR runs Android TV 9 with a classic tiled menu interface. The device has a built-in Chromecast, supports 2K video playback, HDR content display, Dolby Atmos and DTS audio decoders. Out of the box, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video clients are pre-installed in the media player, and a separate Google Assistant call button is placed on the remote control with a built-in microphone.

The hardware platform of the player is by no means the strongest. 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of ROM is a clear confirmation of this. In contrast, it is necessary to note the compact dimensions of the stick. The prefix can be taken with you on vacation, on vacation or to the country. It is enough to insert it into a free HDMI-connector of the TV and it will “get smarter” literally before our eyes.

The Mecool KM9 Pro Classic media player makes any TV “smart”, whether it is completely without smart functions on board or with an unflattering shell to use.

The set-top box significantly upgrades the “smart” capabilities of the TV, opening up access to online broadcasting and viewing content from removable media( USB drives or SD memory cards). Video playback is given to the device in resolution up to 4K with a frame rate of 60 fps. Moreover, the media player supports HDR10 technology and reads the lion's share of common video file formats.

The operation of the model is managed by Android TV 9 OS. The set-top box is certified by Google, which provides support for branded “Google services”: the Play Market application store, Chromecast technology, Google Assistant voice assistant, etc. It seems possible to communicate with a virtual assistant through the microphone of a minimalistic remote control, which outwardly is very close in spirit to the Xiaomi remotes.

The TV set-top box is connected to the World Wide Web via Wi-Fi or via the LAN connector on the rear panel. In the second case, the speed is usually higher. With TVs, the model keeps in touch via the HDMI video output. The device has a passive cooling system, and the amount of memory on board is distributed in the ratio of 2 GB of RAM against 16 GB of ROM. Accurately twice as much memory is listed in the assets of the "purebred" Mecool KM9 Pro model without the Classic prefix in the expanded name - 4/32 GB. Additional storage space will be needed for those who plan to actively install all kinds of applications. And for a YouTube client and a couple of online movie theater applications, the basic version of the media player is more than enough.

Previous generations of Chromecasts from Google did not have their own smart shell and were a kind of hub for connecting a smartphone to a TV. Everything changed with the announcement of the Chromecast with Google TV dongle, a completely independent media player with advanced functionality.

As you might guess from the name of the model, the set- top box uses the Google TV platform in business. This is a launcher based on the Android 10 operating system, the main space in which is reserved for recommended content from installed services. Software for the device can be downloaded from the Play Market or third-party sources, but the user cannot do without "dancing with a tambourine" in installing apk files. Dongle "sees" them through a USB hub, or some specific applications that still need to be found in the store. The device got only 8 GB of memory.

The whistle is connected to the TV via an HDMI connector. The power supply to it is implemented from the USB-C port. With the World Wide Web, the model keeps in touch exclusively via Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz). High-quality components allow the set-top box to play videos with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels at a frequency of up to 60 fps. The device also claims support for popular HDR specifications and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.

The dongle comes with a miniature remote control with a five-way “pad”, separate buttons for calling the Google Assistant voice assistant, launching YouTube and Netflix clients. The remote "steers" both the media player itself and the TV itself. The smart player boasts a fast and user-friendly menu interface, support for major licensed streaming services, acceptable performance and ultra-compact dimensions that make it invisible against the TV.

The Taiwanese brand Dune has a reputation for producing flagship-level TV media players. An affordable offer in the brand's smart set-top boxes is the HD Smart Box 4K model.

The device reproduces content of all common video formats in resolution up to 4K (3840x2160 pixels). Its sources are online media libraries, streaming services, USB storage media or SD memory cards. In addition, the model supports the display of HDR-video with 10-bit color. Provided that this technology is implemented in the TV, the viewer has the right to enjoy rich and rich color reproduction.

The model uses an intuitive Dune HD menu interface and implements the work of "old" applications from the brand's media players based on the Linux kernel. A separate item in the menu is the Android component with the Google Play Market and the ability to install third-party programs. To complete the picture, the set-top box lacks only the voice search function with the help of Google Assistant.

Positioning Dune HD Smart Box 4K as an entry-level media player can be seen in the modest amount of onboard memory - only 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of ROM. As a result, the device sometimes slows down. It is also worth considering that the remote control for the model uses IR communication, so the set-top box must be placed in the visibility zone relative to the remote control. Ultimately, before our eyes appears an advanced multimedia device that can make any TV "smarter".

Ugoos is known for its cool TV boxes. The top model in the manufacturer's assortment is rightfully considered the AM6 Plus media player.

The device plays movies of any size, easily turns modern games and does not heat up during operation. It supports both HDR10 + and Dolby Vision, and in 4K resolution at 60 fps. Powerful "iron" pulls puzzles of any degree of "severity". Everything is fine with the set-top box and with the amount of memory - there is 4 GB of RAM here, and the capacity of the standard drive is 32 GB.

The Ugoos AM6 Plus operating system is built on absolutely “pure” Android 9.0. Installation of applications is possible both from the Google Play Market and from third-party sources(including when writing apk files to an SD memory card). Almost all sides of the body of the device are packed to capacity with all sorts of connection connectors: AV, AUX, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, a gigabit LAN connector, two more USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, an optical audio output and a power connector.

In addition to the smart set-top box, there is a small black remote control with a microphone. Using Bluetooth v 5.0, it is easy to connect a wireless gamepad, mouse or external keyboard to the model. Only the “raw” basic firmware of the media player causes complaints. But this does not matter, since updates “over the air” regularly “arrive” on the device. Well, I would like to see a more democratic price tag for Ugoos AM6 Plus.