IF YOU are tired of traditional cable TV and want to experience the full power of streaming, you may need an Android TV box.
Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky’s Now TV are only some of the online services people are using today.
According to Ofcom's Media Nations report, the number of subscriptions to those three streaming services combined was 15.4m in the first quarter of 2018, overtaking the 15.1m of pay TV subscriptions.
Of course, if you like to stream your favourite TV shows and films, you may opt for a smart TV instead, and if that's the case, here is a list of the best 4K TVs you can buy in 2020.
If you find the charm of Android TV little boxes irresistible, however, you are in the right place.
We have selected the best Android TV boxes you can buy right now, as well as answered any questions you might have about them.
1. Xiaomi Mi Box S
- Xiaomi Mi Box S, £69.99 from Amazon – buy here
Specifications: Processor: Quad-core Amlogic S905X, RAM: 2GB, Internal Storage: 8GB
This great value device is the second iteration of Xiaomi's TV box, and it does build on its predecessor to deliver a full-fledged Android TV experience.
The Mi Box S comes with an improved remote control featuring dedicated buttons for Netflix and Google Assistant.
The device is excellent if you're looking for a cheap device able to stream 1080p content, as its WiFi connectivity is very stable.
The Mi Box S may have some problems whet it comes to streaming at 4K quality, however, as its hardware is just not powerful enough.
Still, at this price, this little box offers a lot of bang for your buck.
2. NVIDIA Shield TV Pro
- NVIDIA Shield TV Pro, £199.00 from Currys – buy here
Specifications: Processor: NVIDIA Tegra X1+, RAM: 3GB, Internal Storage: 16GB + SD Card slot
The undisputed queen of Android TV Boxes, the NVIDIA Shield Pro is a device that, for quite a while has been used mostly by gamers, both for its daring aesthetics and GeForce Now features.
The second version of the Shield is, however, truly a device for everyone.
While previous models already supported several HDR formats, the Shield TV Pro is now able to lay back Dolby Vision content, improving brightness and contrast levels considerably (you have to have a TV supporting this feature.)
There are plenty of connections on the box, including two USB 3.0 ports, a 4K HDR-compatible HDMI port, and an Ethernet port.
Of course, the Shield TV Pro also supports Wi-Fi is and Bluetooth 5.0.
Are you looking for a 4K streaming device that can also let you play games? The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro may be the one for you.
3. Fire TV Cube
- Fire TV Cube, £109.99 from Amazon – buy here
Specifications: Processor: Six-core ARM Mali graphics, RAM: 2GB, Internal Storage: 16GB
Essentially looking like a cubic Amazon Echo, the Fire TV Cube does most of the things Alexa would normally do, but involving your TV in the process.
Featuring the traditional Echo buttons on the top and a straightforward setup process the box is pretty easy to use, and being able to ask Alexa to play something without having to operate a remote control is really neat.
If you want the Cube to hear you though, Amazon suggested you should place it at least 30cm from your TV or speakers.
The quality of the streaming itself is remarkable, as the Fire TV Cube can tackle 4K Ultra HD with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision.
In terms of connections, the device features a Micro-USB port, an HDMI one, infrared blaster, and power.
In terms of raw power and streaming options, it's a close match between the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro and the Fire TV Cube, so if you don't need gaming-specific features you may be better off saving some money with the Fire TV Cube.
4. Roku Ultra
- Roku Ultra, £138.00 from Amazon – buy here
Specifications: Processor: quad-core ARM Cortex A53, RAM: 2GB, Internal Storage: 16GB + microSD slot
Packing a 17% increase in power when compared to its predecessor, the Roku Ultra is without doubt a premium Android TV box.
With solid 4K HDR performance, this box places itself in the same league as other devices in this list, but the lack of Dolby Vision support somehow makes the device slightly less attractive.
Still, Roku was a pioneer in the TV boxes war, and that shows both in the Roku Ultra's easy setup and in its remote, which is a pleasure to handle.
In fact, the remote has two programmable buttons, can be used to control your TV as well as your box, and has an auxiliary audio jack on the side for private listening.
Featuring quite standard connections, the Roku Ultra has an Ethernet port, an HDCP 2.2 HDMI 2.0 and a MicroSD card slot that can be used to store additional channels.
A nice touch, the Roku Ultra also offers a USB port located on the side of the player in case you want to play something from a a drive or smartphone.
5. DOLAMEE D5
- DOLAMEE D5, £27.99 from Amazon – buy here
Specifications: Processor: quad-core RK3229, RAM: 2GB, Internal Storage: 16GB + microSD slot
The cheapest option in this list, the DOLAMEE D5 is a basic Android TV box with some interesting specs.
Bluetooth 4.0 And 2.4G Wifi will allow you to connect smartphone devices quite easily, with the box having a specific option to mirror phone screens directly (much like a Chromecast would.)
With 2GB RAM and a quad-core processor, this box support 4K resolution output with H.265 decoding and even has a HDR function.
The image is obviously not as crisp as 4K in more premium devices, and the D5 does not support 3D films, but if you're on a really tight budget, it doesn't get better than this.
What are TV boxes?
In the times before smart TVs became mainstream, people found various solutions to enjoy multimedia content that was not provided via traditional cable TV.
TV boxes are one such solution, and allow viewers to stream TV shows and films with just a remote control and an internet connection.
The most advanced TV boxes also feature additional options, such as games that can be played via a smartphone or dedicated controller.
Most TV boxes today use Android as the operating system, as it is an open-source OS that can be customised quite easily.
Using Android also means that these TV boxes are compatible with several apps from the Google Play Store, which is great if you use streaming services that you wouldn't typically find in a smart TV's library.
Do I need a TV box if I own a smart TV?
The biggest difference between a smart TV and a TV box is the computing power the two devices can provide.
As you can see from some of the options above, TV boxes are effectively small Android computers, effectively packing in a lot of juice.
This not only translates into faster browsing and more space for apps but also, quite often, better streaming quality for your films and TV shows.
Moreover, these little boxes can actually turn your TV into a gaming station or simply a PC monitor, if for example, you are thinking about installing a text editor or spreadsheet reader.
That being said, if you have a last-gen smart TV featuring all the apps you need, a TV box could be a redundant tool.
Are there valid alternatives to TV boxes?
Developed alongside traditional Android TV boxes are multimedia HDMI "sticks", which are very much in between smart TVs and Android TV boxes.
The best examples of these are Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV Stick.
These dongles are essentially designed to bring smart capabilities to traditional TVs, very much like TV boxes, but are usually cheaper.
Because of their pocket size, they are also less powerful, making them a valid alternative if you don't have a smart TV and you really need to save money (the cheapest devices in this category can cost under £20).
If you are an iPhone user, you might have also noticed the absence of Apple TV devices in the list above.
Starting at £179 for the 32GB version, the latest model of the Apple TV supports 4K and HDR10 colour, making it a solid streaming device.
However, the box is clearly geared towards use with Apple TV plus service, and support of third-party apps is quite limited.
It's always great to stay on top of the latest tech trends and save some bucks in the process. Follow our Sun Selects Tech page to stay up to date.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best Android TV boxes? You should get a great 4K TV to go with that.
Are you more of a cable TV kind of person? Here is our pick of the best TV aerials you can buy in 2020.
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