Turn
any TV into a Smart TV
So
you have a regular TV and are looking to upgrade to a ‘Smart TV’ that offers
basic internet services like email, social networking and web browsing. Guess
what? You don’t have to spend a bomb. A new breed of smart boxes is blurring
the lines between computers and televisions, at a fraction of the cost of a
Smart TV. Some come preloaded with Android, while others offer desktop
operating systems like Windows and Linux. Here are a few of the new ways.
What is a Smart Box?
A Smart Box is a little device that runs a smart operating system like Android, Windows or Linux Ubuntu. It usually connects to a TV via HDMI, comes with USB ports to connect external hard drives or pen drives, and features Wi-Fi connectivity that allows users to go online and access email, social networks, photo and video services and other web pages. The box itself can be operated using a keyboard and mouse, or a remote control.
Portronics Limebox
Runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread
What we like
‘Cute’ isn’t a word we usually use to describe a gadget, but that’s exactly what the Limebox is, with its florescent green-white body and pizza slice-like shape. If you like funky, the Limebox will be a hit.
Unlike many other manufacturers, Portronics has thrown in a remote control with a convenient button to switch the Limebox on and off, saving you the trouble of getting out of your chair – makes a world of a difference when watching TV shows or movies.
Among the two Android boxes, the Limebox is clearly the better performer. Even a FullHD MKV file – a heavier format than MP4 or AVI – ran smoothly, allowing us to seamlessly scan through videos, fast forward or rewind. Once connected to Wi-Fi, it even played FullHD YouTube videos without a hiccup.
What we didn’t like
Limebox has a custom home screen meant to be used with its remote, but beyond that, it’s plain old Android that doesn’t work as well with smart boxes as it does with phones.
The lack of a mouse or a keyboard does hurt its usability. The remote is great when you want to use media, but the arrow keys are painful to scroll around or type each letter with. And hey, how do you play Angry Birds if you don’t have a mouse or a touchscreen?
Few apps from the Play Store work well. Preloaded apps like Documents To Go and Angry Birds worked fine, but others – Dead Trigger, PicsArt, Stick Tennis, Flow
– wouldn’t run properly or not download at all.
Specs: 1.2GHz Rockchip processor | 512MB RAM | 4GB internal memory, SD card slot (up to 32GB) | 2xUSB2.0, optical audio, HDMI, Composite (RGB) AV port | built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 190x150x78 mm
Rating 6 / 10
Rs.8,499
Runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread
What we like
‘Cute’ isn’t a word we usually use to describe a gadget, but that’s exactly what the Limebox is, with its florescent green-white body and pizza slice-like shape. If you like funky, the Limebox will be a hit.
Unlike many other manufacturers, Portronics has thrown in a remote control with a convenient button to switch the Limebox on and off, saving you the trouble of getting out of your chair – makes a world of a difference when watching TV shows or movies.
Among the two Android boxes, the Limebox is clearly the better performer. Even a FullHD MKV file – a heavier format than MP4 or AVI – ran smoothly, allowing us to seamlessly scan through videos, fast forward or rewind. Once connected to Wi-Fi, it even played FullHD YouTube videos without a hiccup.
What we didn’t like
Limebox has a custom home screen meant to be used with its remote, but beyond that, it’s plain old Android that doesn’t work as well with smart boxes as it does with phones.
The lack of a mouse or a keyboard does hurt its usability. The remote is great when you want to use media, but the arrow keys are painful to scroll around or type each letter with. And hey, how do you play Angry Birds if you don’t have a mouse or a touchscreen?
Few apps from the Play Store work well. Preloaded apps like Documents To Go and Angry Birds worked fine, but others – Dead Trigger, PicsArt, Stick Tennis, Flow
– wouldn’t run properly or not download at all.
Specs: 1.2GHz Rockchip processor | 512MB RAM | 4GB internal memory, SD card slot (up to 32GB) | 2xUSB2.0, optical audio, HDMI, Composite (RGB) AV port | built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 190x150x78 mm
Rating 6 / 10
Rs.8,499
Zotac Zbox Nano XS AD11
No OS Pre-installed
What we like
It’s tiny! No really, you have to see it to realise how tiny it is. It’s a 4x4-inch gizmo (about 2 inches in height) that makes for a pretty nifty-looking gadget. Don’t let the size fool you, the XS AD11 is a full PC that can take anything you throw at it. Add a keyboard and mouse, and you can even use it as a desktop. It boots up quickly (thanks to its SSD) and runs Windows 7 smoothly. Heavy-duty gaming or image editing does slow it down to a crawl, but it managed to play some new games – Prototype 2, Need For Speed: Most Wanted – on medium to low settings without stuttering. Zotac has bundled a Windows Media Center remote control as well as a web cam for Skype calls. But the Media Center remote only makes sense if you have Windows installed – which brings us to the worst part about the XS AD11...
What we didn’t like
The lack of a preloaded operating system is a huge problem. The Zbox Nano starts seeming a little overpriced when you add the cost of a Windows license. And if you’re loading up a free operating system like Linux Ubuntu, setting up the remote control isn’t easy for an average user.
Make no mistake about it, the XS AD11 is a full-fledged PC – but what’s a PC without a mouse and a keyboard? Those are additional costs again, and you’ll ideally want wireless variants of both. The four USB ports at the back quickly get used up by a keyboard, mouse, Wi-Fi dongle and webcam, leaving only the eSATA/USB combo port at the front. Too little.
Specs: 1.65GHz Dual-Core AMD E450 processor | AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics | 2GB RAM | 64GB mSATA SSD | 2xUSB2.0, 2xUSB3.0, eSATA/USB2.0 combo, 3.5mm audio out, 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, 6-in-1 memory card reader | Wi-Fi dongle, Ethernet port | 106x106x37 mm
Rating 6.5 / 10
Rs. 25,400
No OS Pre-installed
What we like
It’s tiny! No really, you have to see it to realise how tiny it is. It’s a 4x4-inch gizmo (about 2 inches in height) that makes for a pretty nifty-looking gadget. Don’t let the size fool you, the XS AD11 is a full PC that can take anything you throw at it. Add a keyboard and mouse, and you can even use it as a desktop. It boots up quickly (thanks to its SSD) and runs Windows 7 smoothly. Heavy-duty gaming or image editing does slow it down to a crawl, but it managed to play some new games – Prototype 2, Need For Speed: Most Wanted – on medium to low settings without stuttering. Zotac has bundled a Windows Media Center remote control as well as a web cam for Skype calls. But the Media Center remote only makes sense if you have Windows installed – which brings us to the worst part about the XS AD11...
What we didn’t like
The lack of a preloaded operating system is a huge problem. The Zbox Nano starts seeming a little overpriced when you add the cost of a Windows license. And if you’re loading up a free operating system like Linux Ubuntu, setting up the remote control isn’t easy for an average user.
Make no mistake about it, the XS AD11 is a full-fledged PC – but what’s a PC without a mouse and a keyboard? Those are additional costs again, and you’ll ideally want wireless variants of both. The four USB ports at the back quickly get used up by a keyboard, mouse, Wi-Fi dongle and webcam, leaving only the eSATA/USB combo port at the front. Too little.
Specs: 1.65GHz Dual-Core AMD E450 processor | AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics | 2GB RAM | 64GB mSATA SSD | 2xUSB2.0, 2xUSB3.0, eSATA/USB2.0 combo, 3.5mm audio out, 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, 6-in-1 memory card reader | Wi-Fi dongle, Ethernet port | 106x106x37 mm
Rating 6.5 / 10
Rs. 25,400
Akai Smart Box
Runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread
What we like
The wireless mouse bundled with the Smart Box is, without a doubt, the best accessory in all these gadgets. For a TV with a smart operating system, it’s ridiculous not to have a mouse. Sure, it isn’t as convenient as a remote when you’re watching videos on television, but that’s a small sacrifice for all the added functionality it gives. Plus, the right-click button becomes a shortcut for ‘Back’ in Android, making the interface easier to navigate.
Akai’s Smart Box features a custom interface. And while it isn’t great to look at, its UI – with shortcut categories such as media, games, etc – actually makes a lot of sense. It provides quick access to the right app and gels with Android just well enough to be intuitive without sacrificing functionality.
What we didn’t like
Preloaded apps run like a charm and this covers office apps, media players, social networking and some games. But downloaded apps perform disastrously. Stick Tennis on TV felt like we were playing in slow motion, while the colour-based game Flow didn’t load all its colours. And our favourite photo editor, PicsArt, crashed often. Sure, these tools are designed for a touch experience, but what’s the point of having Android without app support?
While FullHD AVI files played well, the device struggled with MKV movies in FullHD (though 720p HD MKV files ran smoothly). Also, there seems to be an odd yellow tinge to all the videos played through the Smart Box; and this is most noticeable with animated films.
Specs: 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB Flash memory, SD card slot (up to 32GB) | 4xUSB2.0, 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, Composite (RGB) AV port | built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 155x120x30 mm
Rating 6 / 10
Rs. 6,990
Runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread
What we like
The wireless mouse bundled with the Smart Box is, without a doubt, the best accessory in all these gadgets. For a TV with a smart operating system, it’s ridiculous not to have a mouse. Sure, it isn’t as convenient as a remote when you’re watching videos on television, but that’s a small sacrifice for all the added functionality it gives. Plus, the right-click button becomes a shortcut for ‘Back’ in Android, making the interface easier to navigate.
Akai’s Smart Box features a custom interface. And while it isn’t great to look at, its UI – with shortcut categories such as media, games, etc – actually makes a lot of sense. It provides quick access to the right app and gels with Android just well enough to be intuitive without sacrificing functionality.
What we didn’t like
Preloaded apps run like a charm and this covers office apps, media players, social networking and some games. But downloaded apps perform disastrously. Stick Tennis on TV felt like we were playing in slow motion, while the colour-based game Flow didn’t load all its colours. And our favourite photo editor, PicsArt, crashed often. Sure, these tools are designed for a touch experience, but what’s the point of having Android without app support?
While FullHD AVI files played well, the device struggled with MKV movies in FullHD (though 720p HD MKV files ran smoothly). Also, there seems to be an odd yellow tinge to all the videos played through the Smart Box; and this is most noticeable with animated films.
Specs: 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB Flash memory, SD card slot (up to 32GB) | 4xUSB2.0, 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, Composite (RGB) AV port | built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 155x120x30 mm
Rating 6 / 10
Rs. 6,990
Foxconn Nano PC
No OS Pre-installed
What we like
With a sleek, brushed-metal black chassis and only a little blue LED to indicate it’s on, the Foxconn Nano PC looks classy. Plus, the package includes a cool stand. Four USB ports at the back, two more USB 3.0 ports at the front, built-in Wi-Fi and a memory card reader – the Nano PC has the best connectivity options among all the smart boxes. The back also includes a DVI port and audio-out, letting you connect it to a standard monitor and PC speakers.
What we didn’t like
With no preloaded operating system, the Nano PC either needs you to install a fresh version of Windows or some other OS on it. And much like the Zbox Nano, this is a huge hassle for non-techie users who are looking for a simple ‘ready to go’ machine to turn into a Smart TV.
The size apparently comes at the cost of performance. This was the only smart box in our round-up which couldn’t handle FullHD MKV videos at all. Games, too, were a no-go with the Nano PC. In fact, using Windows 7 was a sluggish and unsatisfactory experience. Linux Ubuntu ran very well, but it also struggled with high-quality videos.
The Nano PC doesn’t come with a remote control, keyboard, mouse, webcam – it’s just the barebones PC, so you will be spending more on all of these accessories, to say nothing of a Windows license.
Specs: 1GHz dual-core AMD C70 processor | AMD Radeon HD 7290 graphics | 2GB RAM | 250GB HDD (+4GB USB Flash drive bundled) | 4xUSB2.0, 2xUSB3.0 (front), 3.5mm audio out (front and back), 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, DVI, 5-in-1 memory card reader | Built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 190x135x38 mm
Rating 4.5 / 10
Rs. 22,500
No OS Pre-installed
What we like
With a sleek, brushed-metal black chassis and only a little blue LED to indicate it’s on, the Foxconn Nano PC looks classy. Plus, the package includes a cool stand. Four USB ports at the back, two more USB 3.0 ports at the front, built-in Wi-Fi and a memory card reader – the Nano PC has the best connectivity options among all the smart boxes. The back also includes a DVI port and audio-out, letting you connect it to a standard monitor and PC speakers.
What we didn’t like
With no preloaded operating system, the Nano PC either needs you to install a fresh version of Windows or some other OS on it. And much like the Zbox Nano, this is a huge hassle for non-techie users who are looking for a simple ‘ready to go’ machine to turn into a Smart TV.
The size apparently comes at the cost of performance. This was the only smart box in our round-up which couldn’t handle FullHD MKV videos at all. Games, too, were a no-go with the Nano PC. In fact, using Windows 7 was a sluggish and unsatisfactory experience. Linux Ubuntu ran very well, but it also struggled with high-quality videos.
The Nano PC doesn’t come with a remote control, keyboard, mouse, webcam – it’s just the barebones PC, so you will be spending more on all of these accessories, to say nothing of a Windows license.
Specs: 1GHz dual-core AMD C70 processor | AMD Radeon HD 7290 graphics | 2GB RAM | 250GB HDD (+4GB USB Flash drive bundled) | 4xUSB2.0, 2xUSB3.0 (front), 3.5mm audio out (front and back), 3.5mm audio in, HDMI, DVI, 5-in-1 memory card reader | Built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet port | 190x135x38 mm
Rating 4.5 / 10
Rs. 22,500
–
Mihir Patkar TL121125
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