Make your TV "smarter": TOP-5 media centers

Xiaomi Mi Box 3

The compact and functional TV set-top box from the Chinese company Xiaomi runs Android 5.1 with the MIUI TV shell rolled on top, which is famous for its high flexibility in terms of the ability to customize the menu interface to suit your own needs.

The initial setup of the device makes users sweat a lot - the product is focused on the Chinese market and it will not be possible to find the usual Google services in it. Yes, and the process of changing the language of displaying information does not bring pleasure, because. to find the necessary menu item among the numerous inscriptions in hieroglyphs without prompts will not work.

Otherwise, it’s a sin to complain about the operation of the set-top box - it copes very well with playing content in ultra-high 4K resolution, reads the vast majority of file formats and is completely unaffected by lags and slowdowns. High performance is explained by the use of a powerful 4-core processor in the design, working in conjunction with 1 GB of RAM.

There are only two ways to connect to the media center: via a USB 2.0 port or via an HDMI cable. Another connector on the case is an audio output. Minimalism can also be seen in the appearance of the remote control, on the back of which there are power keys, Android interface controls (home, back and menu) and volume, as well as a joystick for navigating the menu. The remote control is equipped with a built-in gyroscope, which is useful in games and some applications.

In tandem with the set-top box, it becomes possible to surf the Internet, use social networks and IPTV services, and play numerous games. It is worth adding here also support for Miracast technology, the meaning of which is to ensure the display of TV pictures from a mobile gadget, and as a result we have an inexpensive device with high functionality that turns even the most ordinary TV into a multimedia center based on Android OS.

The main emphasis in the media player from the Ukrainian brand Aura is placed on online services, IPTV and broadcasting of terrestrial digital television channels, for which a DVB-T / DVB-T2 tuner is sewn into the model case.

The model is enclosed in a compact plastic case with glossy sidewalls. In operation, the device shows itself almost silently, which is achieved by using a passive cooling system. On the front panel there is a port for connecting an external USB-drive to the set-top box, all other connectors are hidden on the back side. The media center is connected to the World Wide Web either via an Ethernet cable with a bandwidth of up to 100 Mbps, or via a faster Wi-Fi network (150 Mbps). To do this, the model is equipped with an external Wi-Fi module.

The device reproduces content in all major formats in resolution up to FullHD (1920x1080 pixels). In addition to external data carriers, network video storages (DivanTV, Megogo, Ex.ua, etc.) can serve as a signal source.

The set-top box includes all types of cables for connecting to a TV: HDMI, RCA and a network cable. Also in the box with the device you can find a learning remote control with five customizable coloured keys. An alternative to the remote control is the Aura HD Remote application, available for download for owners of Android smartphones. It makes it much easier to work with the on-screen keyboard and course in the browser and numerous social network clients (VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, etc.).

The model has practically no flaws. These include only a relatively long start-up time of the set-top box after it is disconnected from the power supply - the full loading of the interface takes up to one and a half minutes. But the Aura HD Plus T2 Wi-Fi comes out of standby without the slightest hesitation, allowing you to quickly start broadcasting the expected football match or start playing Blu-ray and DVD-Video images that are read almost instantly.

The brainchild of iconBIT is easy to confuse with a classic Wi-Fi router - its design has a similar form factor with two rotary antennas for receiving a wireless data signal.

The set-top box significantly upgrades the capabilities of a TV without the SmartTV function, opening up access to viewing content from removable media(USB drives or external HDDs), as well as online broadcasting. Video playback is smooth and stable even when it comes to large 4K files with high bitrate. A powerful 4-core processor controlled by Android 4.4.2 is responsible for this.

In the pre-installed Play Market application store, you can download almost any programme, incl. not directly related to video playback. The browser, YouTube client, numerous network services with streaming video and even games are installed without problems in the internal memory of the device with a volume of 8 GB. In addition, the media center supports AirPlay technology, which allows you to broadcast photos and videos from Apple technology to the TV screen.

The prefix is equipped with a learning remote control with a separate “Mouse” key, which allows you to quickly switch to cursor control using the arrow button block. To connect third-party devices on the back of the media center, a number of connectors are provided: RJ45, two USB ports (2.0 and 3.0), "tulips", a composite input and HDMI. The latter outputs multi-channel audio in DTS and Dolby Digital formats.

The model has no significant drawbacks, and only the heating of its case under prolonged load can be attributed to minor disadvantages. iconBIT XDS74K successfully copes with all its obligations, including playing files from removable media and viewing online services, so the media center can be safely recommended as a partner to any TV.

Apple TV 4th Generation 32GB Price from 5 279 up to 9 805 ₴ →

The fourth generation of set-top boxes from the Cupertino company Apple was presented to the public in the fall of 2015 - more than 3 years after the announcement third generation.

Compared to its predecessor, the model received more powerful hardware (2-core Apple A8 processor and 2 GB of RAM), which raises the functionality of the media center to a new level. The key innovation was the appearance of the AppStore app store, adapted to interact with tvOS. It contains many clients for watching television channels (Reuters, CNN, etc.), libraries of films and music, applications for various TV services (including the domestic Megogo), and a catalog of games.

External changes in the design of the set-top box affected the thickness of its case, which approximately doubled, and the absence of an optical audio output, which left the owners of multi-channel acoustics in dissatisfaction. But Apple TV 4th Generation received a Bluetooth module that allows you to connect wireless speakers or headphones to the device. The interface ports on the back of the media center are represented by HDMI, Ethernet and USB Type C connectors (purely for service).

The Bluetooth connection performs another important function - with its help, the remote control is connected to the set-top box. In addition to 6 mechanical keys, on the working surface of the remote there was a place for a touch control panel and a microphone, and an accelerometer and a gyroscope were hidden inside its case. Touch input greatly simplifies menu navigation and rewinding videos, and orientation sensors in space are connected to the control process in games. The microphone is designed to give voice commands to the Siri assistant, which, unfortunately, understands a limited number of languages (Russian is not among them).

Owners of "apple" gadgets ( iPhone, iPad, MacBook, etc.) can stream content from their devices directly to the TV screen thanks to the support of AirPlay technology set-top box. The transmission of photo and video files is carried out without the slightest delay, but in games, minor lags still occur. However, as mentioned above, games are installed without any problems in the internal memory of the media center (32 GB) and run on the TV display without any hesitation.

Dune HD Solo 4K

The flagship model with the HD Solo 4K index from the Taiwanese company Dune turns the TV into a real multimedia combine.

One of the "chips" of the player is a special compartment for connecting an external HDD (up to 7 mm thick), located under the cover on the belly of the device. Thus, 4 GB of internal memory expands to 1-2 TB in a couple of movements. And two USB ports (on the front and back sides, respectively) allow you to connect other storage media to the media center.

Video playback with a high bitrate (more than 100 Mbps) can be carried out both from an external media and through a high-speed Wi-Fi connection operating in dual-band mode. A special line should be noted support for the full menu of Blu-ray images, which, due to the intrigues of copyright holders, has not been found almost anywhere since 2012. The standard player plays most known video formats in resolutions up to 4K at a speed of 24/30 fps.

A special joy when meeting with Dune HD Solo 4K is a flexible and responsive interface. Moving between menu items is fast and fluid, and their placement adjusts to your needs on an intuitive level. The set-top box is controlled using a lightweight and compact remote control. You can download the necessary applications and online service clients from the Dune Store.

The powerful video processor of the media center is able to increase the resolution of the reproduced content to UltraHD. It is also capable of outputting a picture in HEVC format (H.265 codec) with 10-bit color depth. In addition, the built-in DVB-T/DVB-T2 tuner allows you to broadcast digital terrestrial TV channels on your TV screen. Such a rich set of features elevates the model to the top of the pedestal of media players. Paired with it, even a TV with built-in Smart capabilities evolves to a higher level.