Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments on NVIDIA Launches Upgraded Shield TV with Tegra X1+ Processor

NVIDIA Launches Upgraded Shield TV with Tegra X1+ Processor

Shield TV 2019 vs Shield TV Pro 2019

Ever since NVIDIA launched the Shield TV in 2015 it features in lists of best Android TV boxes in the $200 budget range, although it can raise to close to $300 if you do not live in a country where the Shield TV is not officially sold. The company launched a more compact version in 2017, and NVIDIA just officially announced upgraded Shield TV and Shield TV Pro 2019 models with a more powerful Tegra X1+ Processor delivering a 25% boost, as well as  Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support. As you can see from the photo above the Shield TV now has a completely different cylindrical design, while the Shield TV Pro keeps the traditional design of the box. However, both share many of the same specifications: SoC – NVIDIA Tegra X1+ processor with a 256-core NVIDIA GPU Memory & Storage Shield: 2 GB RAM; 8GB eMMC flash; MicroSD card slot Shield Pro: 3GB RAM; 16GB eMMC flash; MicroSD card […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on MINIX Unveils NEO T5 & NEO U22-XJ Amlogic S905X2 / S922XJ Android TV Media Hubs

MINIX Unveils NEO T5 & NEO U22-XJ Amlogic S905X2 / S922XJ Android TV Media Hubs

Amlogic S922XJ TV Box

We’ve already seen MINIX showcased a fanless Gemini Lake mini PC at IFA 2019, but the company also had two upcoming Amlogic TV boxes on display at the event. MINIX NEO T5 features Amlogic S905X2 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor, while MINIX NEO U22-XJ TV box is powered by an Amlogic S922XJ hexa-core Cortex-A73/A53 processor. The former runs Android TV 9.0 with Google certification, while the latter comes pre-loaded with Android 9.0 OS. I had never heard about S922XJ, and apparently, Amlogic has yet to formally announce it, so I wonder whether it could be Amlogic S922X-B tipped by Khadas a while ago with higher CPU & GPU clock speeds. The processor will also come with Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio licenses, and Amlogic has a history of giving different processor names depending on the audio licenses. MINIX NEO T5 Specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X2 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor with Arm Mali-G31 MP2 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage –  16GB […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Onenuts Nut 9 TV Box Runs Android TV, Doubles as a Smart Speaker

Onenuts Nut 9 TV Box Runs Android TV, Doubles as a Smart Speaker

Onenuts Nut 9 Android TV Box

We’ve previously covered HF10 2-in-1 Android speaker and TV box that looks more like a speaker than a TV box, and since we’ve posted about it several years got improved to work as a smart speaker supporting Amazon Alexa. If you’re a distributor looking for something with the same functionalities, but in a more compact TV box form factor, Shenzhen Tomato got you covered with their Onenuts Nut 9 TV box that works as a traditional TV box running Android TV 7.1, as well as a smart speaker with support Google Assistant even when the TV is off thanks to a built-in microphone and a speaker placed on the bottom of the enclosure. Onenuts Nut 9 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X Arm Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.5GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU up to 750Mhz+ System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash, micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K (3840 X 2160) @ 60Hz […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Google OTT Turnkey Solution to Deliver Fast-to-Market Pre-Certified 4K HDR Dongles

Google OTT Turnkey Solution to Deliver Fast-to-Market Pre-Certified 4K HDR Dongles

Google OTT Turnkey

Despite Google offering Android TV for an optimized big screen experience, many TV boxes are still running a heavily modified version of Android for smartphone, since it’s not that trivial for manufacturers and TV operators to get certification for Android TV. Operators normally just want their own branded hardware with their own streaming app and/or launcher, and “Google OTT Turnkey” aims to help this section of the market by providing pre-certified OTT (Over-The-Top) hardware with low investment and a quick time to market. The dongle/TV box will come with a voice remote control, include certified for Google services and Netflix, receive firmware from Google, while still allowing operators’ customization. The solution would allow a time to market of about 2 to 3 months. We learned about Google OTT Turnkey in the first part of “the Android TV Workshop” at the Connected TV World Summit 2019. The solution is quickly mentioned at the 6:03 mark. That’s not an awful lot of […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments on MECOOL KM3 Android TV 9.0 Certified TV Box Sells for $65.99 (Promo)

MECOOL KM3 Android TV 9.0 Certified TV Box Sells for $65.99 (Promo)

MECOOL KM3

Several Amlogic S905X2 TV boxes have been launched in the last few months, but most of them are still running a modified version of Android 8.1 for smartphones. MECOOL KM3 is said to be a Google certified TV box running Android 9.0, which has to be Android TV 9.0 since Google will not certify a TV box without their TV optimized operating system. MECOOL KM3 hardware specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X2 quad core Arm Cortex-A53 processor with Mali-G31 MP2 “Dvalin” GPU System Memory – 4GB DDR4 Storage – 64GB eMMC flash, micro SD card slot up to 32GB Video & Audio Outputs HDMI 2.1 output up to 4K @ 75 Hz with HDR/HDCP 2.2/CEC 3.5mm AV port (composite + stereo audio) Video Codecs –  VP9 Profile-2 up to 4K 60fps, 10-bit H.265 up to 4K 60fps,   AVS2-P2 up to 4K 60fps,  H.264/AVC  up to 4K 30fps,  H.264 MVC up to 1080p60,  MPEG-4 ASP up to 1080p60 (ISO-14496), etc.. Connectivity – […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on WeTek Air Hybrid 4K HDR Set-top Box Now Available for 119 Euros and Up

WeTek Air Hybrid 4K HDR Set-top Box Now Available for 119 Euros and Up

WeTek Air

We previously covered WeTek Air,  an upcoming Android TV set-top box taking DVB-T2/C, DVB-S2 or ATSC tuner cards and certified by Google. The company has now officially launched the device, and you can buy WeTek Air for 119.00 Euros without tuner or for 129.90 Euros with either a DVB-S2 or DVB-T2/C tuners. Just two caveats, only 400 pieces are available now, and they will only ship to Europe, although a worldwide launch is planned for the next batch. Here’s a reminder of the specifications: SoC –  Amlogic S905D quad core Arm processor System Memory – 2 GB DDR4 Storage – 16 GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot Video & Audio Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60Hz with HDR-10 support Video codecs – H.265 & H.264 AVC up to 4K60Hz, H.264 MVC, MPEG-4 ASP, VC-1, AVS, MPEG-2, MPEG-1 up to 1080p60 Audio codecs – MP3, AAC, WMA, RM, FLAC, Ogg, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Xunison X-Brain Android Smart Home Hub Supports Z-Wave and Bluetooth Controllers

Xunison X-Brain Android Smart Home Hub Supports Z-Wave and Bluetooth Controllers

Xunison-X-Brain-1200

Xunison X-Brain is an All-in-One smart home hub that integrates a high-performance secure router, a home server, a WiFi, Z-Wave & Bluetooth gateway. X-Brain runs Android TV operating system, so you can watch live television, stream videos from Netflix, Hulu or IPTV services with EPG, as well as install apps from Google Play. The home automation part of the system allows you to control Z-Wave & Bluetooth Smart Home devices, monitor your home security system, control your home energy consumption, and so on. Xunison X-Brain V1 preliminary hardware specifications: Multimedia subsystem SoC – Unnamed quad-core processor @ 1.5 GHz with penta-core Arm Mali-450 3G GPU, likely Amlogic S905X System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16 GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI + AV port (composite) Audio – HDMI output, AV (stereo audio), and S/PDIF Router subsystem SoC – Mediatek MT7628 580MHz MIPS 24KEc processor Storage – 256 Mbit flash WiFi – 802.11n 2T2R […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on SEI 520 is a 2-in-1 Android TV Hybrid Set-top Box and Smart Speaker

SEI 520 is a 2-in-1 Android TV Hybrid Set-top Box and Smart Speaker

SEI 520 Android TV Smart Speaker

SEI Robotics has showcased a new device at CES 2019 that looks like a smart speaker, and SEI 520 is indeed a smart speaker with Google Assistant support, but it also adds a digital TV tuner and a quad-core Cortex A53 processor running Android TV 9.0 operating system to allow you to watch live TV, and stream videos. Preliminary specifications for SEI 520 smart speaker: SoC – Quad core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, possibly Amlogic S905X2 System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 16GB eMMC flash Video Output – HDMI up to 4K UHD Video Decode – VP9 and H.265/HEVC Audio Output – HDMI audio + optical S/PDIF Input – Far-field microphone Speaker – No technical details provided Connectivity – Ethernet, 2T2R MIMO WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0 Tuner – DVB-S2X/T2/C, ATSC, ISDBT USB – 1x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB 2.0 port Misc – IR blaster Power Supply – 12V DC via power barrel jack The device will ship with a remote […]

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