Acer Google TV Streaming Box

cavedog said:
So after some testing it's an android tv box. Its fast and responsive, handles UHD content well. Looks pretty much the same as my QVWI android stick due to Android TV Home. Has some extra ports like 1G ethernet and Optical audio which is nice features.

On 720p streams it does look like it cleans and sharpens the image more giving a better picture than my QVWI stick but I'm not 100% sure so I will keep an eye on that especially with the big sporting weekend coming up.

So far has been good. Time will tell. At R799 it's a very good deal. At R1500 I'm not so sure if it's that much better than say a Xiaomi box.
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should perform pretty identically to a Gen 3 because it uses the identical SOC and the same 2GB of RAM - it does have a lot of ports built in and to get the ethernet and extra USB stuff on the Mi Box you have to add a powered USB Hub (which adds to the cost big time) so its a well performing unit with lots of ports for extra configuration flexibility so it can be a better solution than a Mi Box but to actually become the king of the hill it needs more Ram to be able to play 4k local content that also includes Dolby Atmos totally flawlessly because of the high bandwidth requirements of that task - so if you have something much older its a worthwhile upgrade but if you already have a Mi Box Gen 3 or similar then its merely a sidegrade just with a lot more built in ports ..... you are then better off waiting to see if some manufacturer providing Google TV based boxes is going to have the balls to introduce something with at least 4 gigs of RAM - I have no idea why all the idiotic manufacturers just stick to 2 gigs like its a religious requirement

BTW streaming platforms will generally be internet dependent and you probably will notice no difference between this and other older models with older SOCs ..... in my usage i found that the Mi Box Gen 3 picture quality was noticeably better to that of the Gen 2 when using the exact same software to play local downloaded content off hard drives - so IMHO this one should on paper also look pretty much better than the older units when playing stuff off hard drives

if i lost a unit and had to replace it i would probably suggest this one rather then the Mi Box but this one did not exist at the time that i got my Mi Box Gen 3 so this wasn't an option at the time - NOW though this might be the better option between those 2 ( i still will not consider the Apple TV for the practical reason that i cannot connect hard drives or even SSDs to it and i don't want the complexity of adding a networked computer into the mix because i'm looking to make things simpler and not really more complicated than they have to be ...... easy = just stick a USB cable into an available port and you have access to your locally stored content)
 
naughty001 said:
should perform pretty identically to a Gen 3 because it uses the identical SOC and the same 2GB of RAM - it does have a lot of ports built in and to get the ethernet and extra USB stuff on the Mi Box you have to add a powered USB Hub (which adds to the cost big time) so its a well performing unit with lots of ports for extra configuration flexibility so it can be a better solution than a Mi Box but to actually become the king of the hill it needs more Ram to be able to play 4k local content that also includes Dolby Atmos totally flawlessly because of the high bandwidth requirements of that task - so if you have something much older its a worthwhile upgrade but if you already have a Mi Box Gen 3 or similar then its merely a sidegrade just with a lot more built in ports ..... you are then better off waiting to see if some manufacturer providing Google TV based boxes is going to have the balls to introduce something with at least 4 gigs of RAM - I have no idea why all the idiotic manufacturers just stick to 2 gigs like its a religious requirement

BTW streaming platforms will generally be internet dependent and you probably will notice no difference between this and other older models with older SOCs ..... in my usage i found that the Mi Box Gen 3 picture quality was noticeably better to that of the Gen 2 when using the exact same software to play local downloaded content off hard drives - so IMHO this one should on paper also look pretty much better than the older units when playing stuff off hard drives

if i lost a unit and had to replace it i would probably suggest this one rather then the Mi Box but this one did not exist at the time that i got my Mi Box Gen 3 so this wasn't an option at the time - NOW though this might be the better option between those 2 ( i still will not consider the Apple TV for the practical reason that i cannot connect hard drives or even SSDs to it and i don't want the complexity of adding a networked computer into the mix because i'm looking to make things simpler and not really more complicated than they have to be ...... easy = just stick a USB cable into an available port and you have access to your locally stored content)
Click to expand...

Yeah. You hit the nail on the head. Wonder when we will see 4GB RAM as the default spec for these boxes. I find them generally to be pretty good in all aspects except for the 2GB RAM.
 
cavedog said:
So after some testing it's an android tv box. Its fast and responsive, handles UHD content well. Looks pretty much the same as my QVWI android stick due to Android TV Home. Has some extra ports like 1G ethernet and Optical audio which is nice features.

On 720p streams it does look like it cleans and sharpens the image more giving a better picture than my QVWI stick but I'm not 100% sure so I will keep an eye on that especially with the big sporting weekend coming up.

So far has been good. Time will tell. At R799 it's a very good deal. At R1500 I'm not so sure if it's that much better than say a Xiaomi box.
Click to expand...

Okay there is definitely a difference on 720p streams on a 4k UHD 60Hz tv on the Acer. This AI Super resolution isn't fake. The streams look like 1080p at least. Clear and not blurry where its blurry on my old TV stick.

Some context.

1st box was a Skyworth Leap S1 [Amlogic S905X2]
2nd stick was a QVWI 4k Stick basically Skyworth [Amlogic S905Y4]
3rd Acer AiTV box [Amlogic S905X5M] which has the super resolution upscaling just like the Xiaomi 3rd gen

I think the price for R799 made it a very decent deal but since that deal is over the R1500 price is a bit steep if you do not need Ethernet. If you do that is pretty much the only option* with this chip unless you import something from China. Don't quote me on this.

Overall happy with the box especially considering how well the 720p streams look on it when I compare it to my old boxes/sticks.
 
I set up my new Acer unit earlier this morning & I am NOT a fan of the clunky 'NON-CUSTOMISIBLE' Home screen with Google TV, compared to the far better customisation options of the Netogy Nova's older Android TV interface.

First thing I did after the initial setup of the Acer unit - and a 1.04GB system update - was download & install the Projectivy launcher - which has WAY BETTER customisation options compared to Google TV.

Due to only having a Telkom LTE data package - 120GB (07h00-00h00) +120GB (00h00-07h00) - I always watch YouTube content at 360p and my previous Netogy Nova (2023) unit often played these videos with a 'fuzzy' look to them.

The AiTV playback resolution upscaling enhancements of the Acer unit make even 360p look MUCH CLEARER with NO hint of 'fuzziness' at all.

So far, really enjoying the AI improvements to picture quality - it's made a 'MASSIVE(tm)' difference to the overall viewing experience... ;)
 

Acer AiTV 4K UHD Digital Streaming Box  Review: Your next streaming console - NAG​

1765176128095.png

In a move I did not expect to see from Acer, the company launched a TV box. Even more surprising is that this box was conceptualised and brought to market by the Acer South Africa team, and is now rolling out to markets around the world.

The Acer AiTV box arrives in a market already stuffed with Google TV streaming devices, yet it immediately sets itself apart by doing something most of its peers don’t even attempt, treating game streaming as a first-class citizen rather than a hobbyist afterthought.

On paper, it looks like another compact 4K puck, but the hardware choices tell a different story. With an Amlogic S905X5M processor, 2GB of RAM, and, crucially, Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6, the AiTV has the baseline muscle and network stability that Steam Link relies on.

Using Steam Link on this device feels closer to a purpose-built streaming client than the usual mobile-leaning Android TV implementation. The setup is pretty straightforward, as expected. You authorise the device via your Steam App, pair a controller, and within minutes, your Steam library is on your TV without any of the codec lag or latency issues that often plague cheaper boxes.

The AiTV’s hardware decoder also handles AV1 and HEVC codecs, and the box maintains stable frame rates when streaming from a PC on your local network. High-frame-rate titles like Battlefield 6 and Forza Horizon 5 maintain a convincing 60fps stream as long as your home network can handle the throughputs required.

The AI upscaler is mostly beneficial for movies and series, but it does help with Steam Link too. Games encoded at 1080p or 1440p pick up sharper edges and cleaner gradients without over-sharpening the image. It’s not the dramatic jump you’d expect from a dedicated GPU’s upscaler, but it gives streamed games a welcome level of polish on large displays.
Click to expand...

www.nag.co.za

Acer AiTV 4K UHD Digital Streaming Box  Review: Your next streaming console < NAG

SystemAndroid 14 for TV (Google TV)AI ProcessorAmlogic S905X5m Quad-coreRAM/Storage2GB(DDR4)/32GB (eMMC)Expansion slotMicroSD card slot (supports up 512GB)PortsHDMI 2.1 eARC, USB-C port, USB 2.0 port, S/PDIF optical outputConnectivityWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 1Gbps LAN portDisplay resolutionUp to...
www.nag.co.za www.nag.co.za
 
Does anyone know if you can turn off the AI upscaling on this box? I really don't like the way it affects the background it looks really fake even on 1080p on my 4K 60hz tv.
It may be the tv and the box both scaling things but I much preferred my old v1 Mi Box image.
 
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