Best Decent Android TV Box

Here's the STUFF reviews of the Netogy Nova 10 & the Mediabox Maverick streaming boxes:

stuff.co.za

Netogy Nova 4K Streaming Box Review - Trying To Be #1 - Stuff South Africa

We review the Netogy Nova 4K UHD Android Streaming Box, and do our best to let you know where your money should be spent.
stuff.co.za stuff.co.za

stuff.co.za

Mediabox Maverick Review – Plug-in And Play - Stuff South Africa

If you’ve always wanted a smart TV and you haven’t had the requisite cash lying around, the Mediabox Maverick should be on your radar.
stuff.co.za stuff.co.za
 
Smiggles said:
^^
Click to expand...
The chip shortage is to blame for lack of Dolby Vision. There’s a hardware component that needs to be in the box. Waiting for the hardware chip would have resulted in a long delay and the potential launch of other devices.

With Dolby Atmos, your answer is semi-correct. It doesn’t do Dolby Atmos over Netflix - hence it was never advised as a Dolby Atmos box.

But it’s not a technical limit - it DOES do Dolby Atmos on Apple TV+, Tidal etc
 
Also, consider the ColoVu C1 Plus 4K Google Certified Android TV Box as well - it has ALL the ports you require, as well as Dolby Digital AND Atmos support.

1744659000642.png

1744659042834.png

stuff.co.za

ColoVu C1 Plus 4K review - The best of a not-so-crowded bunch - Stuff South Africa

8.0 Thinking inside the box Despite being one of the more expensive boxes in the world of Android TV boxes, the ColoVu C1 Plus manages to deliver a superior product that warrants the price tag. Sure, it's bigger than the other boxes in the same vein and is just so damn white, but it's the
stuff.co.za stuff.co.za

Here's the listing on Takealot:

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com
 
Dolby said:
The chip shortage is to blame for lack of Dolby Vision. There’s a hardware component that needs to be in the box. Waiting for the hardware chip would have resulted in a long delay and the potential launch of other devices.

With Dolby Atmos, your answer is semi-correct. It doesn’t do Dolby Atmos over Netflix - hence it was never advised as a Dolby Atmos box.

But it’s not a technical limit - it DOES do Dolby Atmos on Apple TV+, Tidal etc
Click to expand...
So it doesn’t work thanks for confirming.
 
HAL 9000 said:
Also, consider the ColoVu C1 Plus 4K Google Certified Android TV Box as well - it has ALL the ports you require, as well as Dolby Digital AND Atmos support.

View attachment 1812896

View attachment 1812897

stuff.co.za

ColoVu C1 Plus 4K review - The best of a not-so-crowded bunch - Stuff South Africa

8.0 Thinking inside the box Despite being one of the more expensive boxes in the world of Android TV boxes, the ColoVu C1 Plus manages to deliver a superior product that warrants the price tag. Sure, it's bigger than the other boxes in the same vein and is just so damn white, but it's the
stuff.co.za stuff.co.za

Here's the listing on Takealot:

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com
Click to expand...
That sounds pretty good
 
HAL 9000 said:
According to the official specs, it only has Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

Features:​

  • Google and Netflix certified
  • Android™ TV 11 (or newer)
  • Chromecast built-in
  • Resolution: *4K Ultra HD @ 60fps
  • Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR)
  • CPU: Amlogic S905Y4 ARM Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A35
  • Supports AV1 codec
  • 16GB Storage
  • 2GB RAM
  • Wi-Fi 5 (2.4GHz/5GHz) (2 x 2 MIMO)
  • Ethernet LAN port (10/100Mbps)
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 2 x USB2.0 ports
  • 1 x Micro SD card slot
  • HDMI 2.1 with HDCP
  • Bluetooth remote with voice search
  • Dolby Digital Audio

Netogy Nova 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box

The Netogy Nova connects you to a world of information and gives you an easier way to enjoy all the entertainment you love, whether streaming from your favourite apps, watching the latest blockbuster movies, listening to music, or playing games. Enjoy premium content in crystal clear *4K Ultra...
www.nology.co.za www.nology.co.za

The Xiaomi MiBox 2 (2nd Gen) only has Wi-Fi connectivity - having no LAN port is probably why it is one of the more affordable units on the market.

From the STUFF review in 2023...



stuff.co.za

Xiaomi TV Box S (2nd-gen) review - It's what's on the inside that counts - Stuff South Africa

8.4 Sign mi up Xiaomi's gone and done it again with the refreshed Xiaomi TV Box S - complete with a revised controller, a new Google-fied UI and a processor that makes navigating around the place a breeze. Unless you've got a capable TV to experience the addition of Dolby Vision and HDR10+, we'd...
stuff.co.za stuff.co.za
View attachment 1812886

I have a Huawei B525 LTE router on my TV stand that has LAN cables connected directly to my Nova, the JVC TV & the SONY Home Theatre System.
Click to expand...
You can just use a USB to Ethernet converter if you want Lan connectivity.
 
RedViking said:
Because it has a usb port which can be used for Lan.
Click to expand...
The only downside is that it has only one USB - so when it’s used, there’s nothing free.

Fine if you don’t need it though
 

Mediabox Rocket 4K Android TV Box (Netflix & Google Certified)​


1744662471466.png

1744662281038.png

1744662334893.png

Features:

4K Video Support: Experience stunning visuals with 4K resolution and HDMI 2.1 compatibility.
Dolby Atmos Audio: Enjoy immersive sound quality that elevates your entertainment.
Hotspot Functionality: Use the Rocket as a wired or wireless hotspot for versatile internet sharing.
Universal Remote Control: The remote can control IR-compatible devices, including TVs, soundbars, and more.
Comprehensive Connectivity: Equipped with USB-C, two USB ports, and a microSD slot, as well as optical and headphone jack options for audio beyond HDMI.

Hardware Platform:

CPU Chipset: Quad-core Cortex-A55
GPU: ARM Mali-G31
RAM: 2GB LPDDR4
Flash Storage: eMMC 32GB

Review from NAG magazine:

www.nag.co.za

Mediabox Rocket Review: Turn any TV into a smart TV < NAG

I/O 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x SPDIF optical audio out, 2 x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1 x SD Micro, 1x Ethernet CONNECTIVITY Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth OS Android TV 12 PRICE R1,699 SUPPLIER Apex Interactive In all honesty, it took a debate between myself and a friend to really figure out where streaming media...
www.nag.co.za www.nag.co.za

Link to Takealot:

 
Dolby said:
The only downside is that it has only one USB - so when it’s used, there’s nothing free.

Fine if you don’t need it though
Click to expand...

there are effective ways to add USB ports 😉

mibox hub 2.jpg

Mibox S 2nd gen with a 4 port active USB hub (if 4 ports are not enough you can find one with 8 to 10 ports ..... also active meaning it is powered from a wallplug - so all the ports get enough power to work simultaneously and are not powered from the USB port they are connected to) - I have a USB to ethernet adapter plus flash drive as additional system storage and two hard drives connected to my hub ...... both drives recognize and work simultaneously

if you get the 8 port one you can add more portable hard drives as well as a Keyboard and mouse ..... and anything else USB that you wish to add - it may look cumbersome but it does the job and does it pretty well IMHO despite it being "older tech" to use flash drives - i'm not out to make a fashion statement BUT i want my job done - and this stuff does it and that is good enough for me
 
naughty001 said:
there are effective ways to add USB ports 😉

View attachment 1812912

Mibox S 2nd gen with a 4 port active USB hub (if 4 ports are not enough you can find one with 8 to 10 ports ..... also active meaning it is powered from a wallplug - so all the ports get enough power to work simultaneously and are not powered from the USB port they are connected to) - I have a USB to ethernet adapter plus flash drive as additional system storage and two hard drives connected to my hub ...... both drives recognize and work simultaneously

if you get the 8 port one you can add more portable hard drives as well as a Keyboard and mouse ..... and anything else USB that you wish to add - it may look cumbersome but it does the job and does it pretty well IMHO despite it being "older tech" to use flash drives - i'm not out to make a fashion statement BUT i want my job done - and this stuff does it and that is good enough for me
Click to expand...

Rather get one of the all in one jobbies and use a ssd or nvme USB drive:

uni-store-3.0-usb-ethernet-adapter-1024x803-2778893384.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X