Which SmartTV Box to choose?

The advanced technological solutions make it possible not only to purchase more practical equipment, but also to adapt current devices to new requirements in order to provide new forms of entertainment. The world is moving forward all the time, the times when you needed a cable TV subscription to watch all the latest and biggest TV shows are gone, now the best TV shows appear on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO GO or Youtube. Of course, the best way to use such services is to stream programs directly to your TV. There are many devices that will help you connect the latest and best video streaming services to your TV, but not all of them are equal, you should consider a few different things before buying a player. How can you use Smart TV and which device to choose?

Smart TV set is a modern device that allows you to turn our regular TV into a Smart model. With the dongle you don't have to buy a new, more modern TV to enjoy its features. Just buy and set up the device, so that every user can enjoy many entertainment applications. These are for example: YouTube, Netflix, HBO Go, Player and many others. Switching from TV to Smart TV also allows you to download simple games and connect a pad to play games. Thanks to the dongle you can turn your TV into a much more practical and functional device.

At the beginning you should consider whether you need a fully-fledged streaming device. In the media player market, you can find devices with their own operating systems that allow you to download and install applications on your internal drive, or with a device such as Google Chromecast that streams the content of an image from your phone or computer. Instead of installing Netflix on a device connected to your TV, you install it on your phone or computer and then stream the video from your phone to Chromecast, which is connected to the HDMI port on your TV.

It is also important to keep in mind the specifications of your TV. Not all dongles and players can support 4k content or HDR playback, so if you have a 4k TV you should look for a device that can stream 4K movies.

At the end, it is worth considering the system to which we are attached. For example, Android users may want to use the Android TV, while iPhone and Mac users may prefer Apple TV.

Apple has already got us used to their design, the device is very well designed and will surely fit in with other home entertainment devices. On the back of the device you will find a power input, HDMI and Ethernet port. In this way the device guarantees us a more stable internet connection for 4K video streaming. One of the best things about Apple 4K TV is the Apple tvOS, which is very easy and intuitive to use, especially with the included remote control (Siri Remote), thanks to Siri you can search for content with your voice. In addition, you can access music, podcasts of games and hundreds of apps, and upload or copy content from your iOS or macOS device using AirPlay wireless technology. Apple TV can even serve as the center of the HomeKit, for the Apple Smart Home.

Google Chromecast works differently than most devices on the market , largely because it was built exclusively to stream content from your phone, tablet or computer to your TV. This means that there is no user interface or application to install - it is more of a network bridge than a standalone device and the phone becomes a remote control. One of the biggest advantages of Chromecast is that it works with other Google devices. For example, you can tell your Google Home speaker to look for videos on Youtube or play music on your TV via Chromecast.

Chromecast was first introduced in 2013 and has since then undergone several major updates. Currently, the flagship google device is Chromecast Ultra , which stands out from other Chromecast models thanks to its 4K streaming and HDR playback with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. A stable internet connection is required to take full advantage of Google Chromecast.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers 4k and HDR playback, including support for more advanced HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. As with other streaming devices, the Stick 4K connects directly to the HDMI port on the back of the TV. The dongle is also equipped with an Alexa voice remote control that provides easy access to play, pause, stop, increase/decrease the volume. The streaming device has a fast processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard to ensure smooth streaming on your TV.

Amazon Fire TV works with Netflix, Pime Video, Youtube, HBO and many other video streaming applications. The device is part of the Intelligent Home Command Center and is compatible with Alexa voice control and other Amazon products such as Echo Dot. If you don't have Alexa products and you are not an Amazon user, I would recommend choosing a different device.

If your home is dominated by Android devices, Nividia Shield TV will be a good choice, the device debuted several years ago and has been updated several times since then. The media player is more expensive than other devices of this type on the market, but it is the best choice for those who want strong specifications. The Shield TV media player is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory, the device runs on a NVIDIA Tegra X1+ processor, which is one of the most powerful processors used in this type of devices. This extra power allows it to use advanced scaling technology, which makes HD movies look significantly better on 4K TVs.

Nividia Shield TV is more of a gaming focused media player in addition to the included standard remote control, you can connect a separate gaming controller to play games from the Google Play store, or games available in the GeForce Now cloud. The device itself also has a voice control assistant, which is integrated as opposed to the cheaper Chromecast Ultra. Shield TV is a standalone product that does not require a phone to operate.

Xiaomi Mi Box S is a streaming media player in 4k Ultra HD with Android TV, providing excellent functionality and ease of use. The device supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connection, providing a fast transfer rate, the Box works with Google Assistant and Chromecast Ultra, providing access to a multitude of premium video services and a continuous stream of new content.

Xiaomi Mi Box S is equipped with a Mali-450 GPU with a Cortex A53 core, which offers HDR compatibility from 4k to 60 frames per second. The device works under the Android 8.1 operating system and supports Dolby DTS audio. If we are talking about connectivity it should be mentioned that Xiaomi Mi Box S supports Bluetooth version 4.2, which allows you to connect your mouse or keyboard to the device, making it much easier to use the media player. The device from Xiaomi I would recommend to people who are looking for a reliable and affordable Smart TV media player, you have to admit that the accessory is very affordable, and the specifications or usability is not different from other devices available on the market.

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick with dimensions of 92.4 x 30.2 x 15.2 mm and weighing only 28 grams is a more compact version of Fire TV Stick, a particular advantage of this type of device is that we plug the device directly into the TV, so that our stick is invisible. Mi TV Stick offers a full Android TV experience, this gives it a clear advantage over Chromecast, because the user interface is sent directly instead of relying on a phone. Android TV has a large selection of applications, additionally it has a built-in Chromecast - it works the same way as a regular Chromecast, we have the possibility to stream content from a phone.

The accessory is powered by a chipset which has four Cortex A53 cores and 1 GB of RAM, we also have 8 GB of internal memory to install applications from the Play Store and store local content. The dongle itself is limited to 1080p, so if you have a 4K TV I would recommend looking for other devices that support this resolution. Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is a budget version with an available remote control with Google Assistant and many possibilities.