Now TV Box review

PROS

·         Slick, speedy menus

·         Easy-to-use Now TV app

·         Has all UK catchup TV services

·         Superb value

CONS

·         Now TV only streams at 720p

·         Not Netflix or Amazon apps

·         USB port doesn't work

·         No watchlist or reminders

·         Restrictive device registration

BEST DEALS FOR BSKYB NOW TV BOX

KEY FEATURES

·         Dual-band Wi-Fi

·         10/100 Ethernet

·         5.1 and 7.1 channel audio pass through

·         Now TV and UK TV catch-up services

·         UK only

·         Manufacturer: BSkyB

·         Review Price: £14.99

WHAT IS THE NOW TV BOX?

Now TV is Sky’s solution for the UK’s cord-cutting generation. Where once you had to tie yourself into a contract, install a dish and use one of Sky’s hulking set-top boxes to delve into its trove of exclusive films, TV and sport, now you can get started with a £15 box and pay-as-you-go content access.

The new Now TV Box itself is based on the Roku 2 – it looks and functions more or less the same, and uses the same remote. It’s much cheaper than the £50 Roku, however, and you get favourable discounts on passes for Entertainment, Movies and Sports packages. It’s a great option for people looking to switch away from standard Sky, but there are some compromises compared to rival streaming boxes.

NOW TV BOX – SETUP & EASE OF USE

Sky is wise to use the Roku as the Now TV’s core – it’s a smart system that’s more mature than some of the alternatives out there. Naturally the Now TV app comes pre-installed, but the box’s setup process also automatically downloads all the main catch-up services as well. It’s a nice thing for novice users, as this is conceivably all that most people want from the Now TV Box.

It’s a slick and fast streaming unit, too. Some of the cheaper options out there, such as the Roku Streaming Stick and Amazon Fire TV Stick, can be a little slow at times. This isn’t a problem for the Now TV Box. Popping through menus and launching apps is a smooth, lag-free experience for the most part. Some of the catch-up apps can be a bit finicky sometimes, but we suspect that’s down to poorly coded apps rather than poor hardware.

And the main Now TV app doesn’t suffer from any problems at all. It’s impressively responsive and doesn’t feel like a significant step down from the full Sky experience. In addition to the usual on-demand options, you can drop into the Live TV experience to watch Sky channels.

Each features a neat “Now & Next”-style programme guide, giving you a similar experience to a full Sky box – albeit much simpler. There’s no option to get reminders for shows, but the on-demand catch-up means missing the scheduled time for a programme isn’t a problem most of the time.

This is easily the best Now TV experience, too. The Now TV app for Apple TV is rather limited and clumsy, whereas the experience on this new box feels cohesive and considered. It’s simple enough that anyone could pick up the remote and start using it without difficulty.

It helps that the remote is so simple. In contrast to modern TV remotes, and even the well-regarded Sky remote, it has a sparse collection of buttons that are instantly intuitive. The Back button takes you back; the Home button takes you to the homescreen; playback controls are for controlling playback; and the two buttons labelled “Now TV” and “Sky Store” take you directly to both of those entities. Simples.

These buttons, and the four-way controls in the middle, have a nice precise feel that leave you in no doubt that you’ve pressed them correctly. Only a button with an asterisk isn’t immediately clear, but this turns out to be context-sensitive button that comes in useful from time-to-time.

Using products like the Now TV Box makes it abundantly clear that, somewhere along the line, TVs became way too complicated. In that respect, the new Now TV Box is a huge improvement.

It’s a good start.

NOW TV BOX – CONTENT & DISCOVERY

Of course, the main reason to consider Now TV and the Now TV Box is the content. In the UK, Sky has the rights to many of the best TV series around, and it has exclusive access to films much earlier than Netflix or Amazon. Its sports coverage remains exceedingly good, too, despite recent incursions by BT.

While there’s plenty of dross, as on any streaming service, recent big films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Lucy, Gone Girl and American Hustle are all there. The back catalogue of older films is damned good, too, including the whole Alien series, American History X, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and plenty of fun B-movie fare and cult classics, such as the legendary Demolition Man.

The Entertainment segment leans heavily on American imports for its biggest hitters, with Game of Thrones (just season one at the moment), Boardwalk Empire, Justified, True Blood and True Detective currently leading the way.

Sky’s own productions and the back catalogue of ITV dramas are more hit-and-miss, though, and the Entertainment segment certainly feels like the weaker offering of the two. Moreover, there’s a jarring mixture of full boxsets and time-limited catch-up episodes, and it’s not always obvious which is which until you enter the programme.

This also highlights the serious lack of a watchlist feature. There’s no way to create a list of things you want to watch later, or get reminders when programmes you want to follow have a new episode. In fact, Now TV doesn’t have any serious discovery features. Broad categories like Most Popular, Action, Drama and so on help organise things a little and there’s a More Like This option, but Now TV doesn’t suggest things to watch based on your previous habits at all.

These two points underline that this is a rather underdeveloped service. Sky has decent content, particularly as part of its Movies pass, but it hasn’t done much to enhance the experience. This is a little disappointing given the premium its passes command compared to rivals, though the content does justify that somewhat.

It’s also irritating that films and TV are limited to only 720p HD resolution, not even 1080P Full HD – especially poor when you consider that Netflix and Amazon are already pushing into 4K video streaming. Now TV does at least feature 5.1 surround sound, but its image quality is passable rather than excellent – everything just seems a tad softer and less vibrant than content from its higher-res rivals.

Henscoqi Z4 Tv Box Review

Chiptrip Z4 TV Box with Android 5.1 powered by Rockchip RK3368 (Promo)

Chiptrip Z4 is another TV Box with Rockchip RK3368 processor. RK3368 is a very popular chip, which supports H.265 video playback in hardware decoding and output true 4K resolution video 60fps through HDMI 2.0. Chiptrip Z4 TV Box comes with pre-installed Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Now Chiptrip Z4 TV Box is available at an attractive price on Gearbest only $85.12 + free shipping, but if you use the Coupon Code: GBCZ4, the current price will be $76.99 + free shipping. Chiptrip Z4 TV Box is available in black color. Chiptrip Z4 also has 2GB DDR3 RAM and16GB eMMC Flash, Dual Band WiFi and Gigabit Ethernet. From the outside TV Box looks simpleand minimalist, also has an external WiFi antenna. TV Box measures 14.9 x 10.1 x 2.3 cm.

Chiptrip Z4 TV Box Technical Specifications:

·         CPU – Rockchip RK3368 Octa-core (Cortex-A53)

·         GPU – Mali-T6X

·         Memory – 2GB DDR3

·         Internal Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot (max. 32GB)

·         Video decoder/encoder – support H.265 hardware decoding and supporting formats: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,H.263, H.264, AVS, VC-1,RV, VP6/VP8,Sorenson Spark, MVC 4Kx2K 60FPS / Video encoder: H.264,H.265,VP8,MVC(4K) H.264,H.265 Data Rate: up to 60Mbps

·         Audio format – Support OGG, FLAC, RM, MP3, WMA, AAC

·         Picture format – GIF, PNG, JPEG, BMP

·         Connectivity – 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet,Dual band  Wi-Fi @ 2.4GHz/5.8GHz, Bluetooth 4.0

·         OS – Android 5.1

·         Interfaces – Micro SD Card Slot, 2x USB2.0, HDMI, RJ45, Micro USB / OTG, 1x AV, DC-5V Jack

·         Power – 5V/2A

·         Size – 14.9 x 10.1 x 2.3 cm/ 5.86 x 3.97 x 0.90 inches

In the box you will find: 1 x Chiptrip Z4 TV Box, 1 x Power Adapter, 1 x AV Cable, 1 x HDMI Cable, 1 x IR Remote, 1 x English Manual.

Main Features Z4 TV Box:

·         Support 2.4G + 5G dual band WiFi.

·         With Android 5.1 OS, we will have high speed feedback and smooth response.

·         The processor in this chip is a RK3368 Quad core 64bit with a maximum clock speed of up to 1.5GHz. Apps have never run so smoothly.

·         The Chiptrip Z4 TV box has a memory of 2GB DDR3, with 16GB nand flash, support micro SD card up to 32GB, easily enjoy many games and APKs.

·         KODI supported. KODI can be used to play almost all popular audio and video formats.

·         Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity: Easy pairing with most Bluetooth-enabled devices (computer, mobile phone, keyboard, and others).

·         Infrared remote control let you enjoy your wonderful life which the wireless brings to you.

·         Support H.265 video code, enjoy the high-resolution video even at a low-internet-speed environment.

Rikomagic RKM MK36 mini PC review

Rikomagic RKM MK36 mini PC review

Review: No throttling here

Today we will be taking a look at another Bay Trail mini PC, based on a snappy tablet SoC in a compact chassis.

Intel's Bay Trail redefined the x86 landscape, by enabling vendors to design affordable mini PCs and tablets capable of running Windows. The newRikomagic RKM M36 is yet another design based on the Intel Atom Z3736Fprocessor, with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of on board storage.

Rikomagic might not be a familiar name in the PC space, but the company has been churning out loads of Android TV boxes, and now it’s going after the Windows space as well. However, the RKM M36 is a dual-boot system, so you get Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4 out of the box.

The M36 is somewhat bigger than many micro PCs coming out of China and Taiwan in recent months. Luckily, the extra space was put to good use – the device ships with a total of four USB 2.0 ports, a standard RJ45 network connector, and even a Kensington lock.

However, the best thing about having a bigger chassis is the fact that the M36 can operate at higher sustained clocks than most competitors. The Intel Atom Z3736F is an efficient part, but even so, if it is pushed too hard, it can heat up a tablet or stick PC to more than 40 degrees Celsius. Rikomagic decided to take a different approach, with a spacious chassis and a few cooling vents.

So what difference does this make in terms of performance? Let’s take a closer look.

Design and Build Quality

The RKM M36 features a plastic shroud over an alloy chassis. The finish is plastic, a combination of glossy and matte plastic with a faux brushed metal look. The design is simple – it’s a black rectangle measuring 158 x 120 x 33mm (6.21 x 4.72 x 1.30 inches).

If you were expecting a light, plastic chassis, think again – the RKM M36 isn’t very light, nor is it small. The device weighs 300g and it’s somewhat bigger than Intel’s smallest NUC units. Luckily, it’s quite a bit cheaper than an Intel NUC.

As far as the layout goes, all the connectors and buttons are located on the rear panel and the right side of the device. There is nothing on the front.

The right side houses the power button, two USB 2.0 ports and an audio jack.

On the rear you will find two additional USB 2.0 ports, RJ45 Ethernet port, DC in, HDMI out, Kensington lock and a microSD card reader.

It’s a clever design choice, because you can easily access the power button or plug something into one of the USB 2.0 ports on the side, or use a wired headset for Skype without having to mess around the rear of the device.

So what about build quality? While it doesn’t feature an all-metal chassis like some competitors, there is really not much to complain about. The plastic feels good and the “weighty” feeling helps as well. To be frank, it looks and feels like some much pricier mini PCs.

The design is rather conservative, but in case you want something flashier, Rikomagic says it will have a gold version as well.

Rikomagic RKM M36 Specs and Performance

There is not much to say about the Intel Atom Z3736F processor, we’ve already reviewed a number of Bay Trail devices, and Intel’s 22nm entry-level processor has been around for a while.

Coupled with 2GB of RAM and speedy solid state storage, the processor is fast enough for most everyday tasks, such as content consumption and light office work. However, Rikomagic’s decision to go for a somewhat bigger chassis makes a difference, especially in sustained performance.

We will get to that later, after we take a look at the specs.

Rikomagic RKM M36 Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z3736F, quad-core, 1.33GHz stock, 2.16GHz Turbo, 22nm
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics, 311MHz base, 646MHz burst
• RAM: 2GB DDR3L
• Storage: 32GB eMMC, expandable via microSD card up to 32GB
• Wireless: dual-band 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
• Dimensions: 158 x 120 x 33mm (6.21 x 4.72 x 1.30in)
• Weight: 300g
• Ports: 4 x USB 2.0, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, 100Mbps RJ45 (actually a USB to LAN adapter), DC in (12V 2A)

Since we are already very familiar with the platform, we saw no point in running too many benchmarks, so we focused on what really matters – storage and sustained performance. We threw in a few benchmarks pitting the tablet Bay Trail against AMD’s Athlon 5350 desktop APU, just to get a better feel of how they stack up.

In 3D Mark Ice Storm, the RKM scores 14031, which is what we’ve come to expect from Bay Trail machines.

The bigger AMD APU also outpaces it in PCMark 8, which is hardly surprising considering the TDP difference.

It’s not a one-sided match though, as Intel’s platform manages to score somewhat better in AIDA 64’s memory benchmarks.

SiSoftware Sandra aggregate native performance also favours the AMD.

Bear in mind that this is really not a fair comparison – the AMD chip has a TDP of 25W, while the Atom has a TDP of about 5W and an SDP of 2.2W. It might not be fair, but that was sort of the point, as we wanted to compare the RKM M36 to an HTPC platform used by one of our teammates. At the end of the day, the tablet SoC comes very close to AMD's entry-level desktop offering in most tests. Of course, AMD has the upper hand in GPU-bound tests.

As we continued to run benchmarks, we got a feeling that the RKM M36 copes with load pretty well, quite a bit better than stick PCs and other micro PCs. The system can sustain Turbo clocks for a while, more than enough for everyday scenarios (unzipping, installing, browsing etc.).

HWmonitor CPUID returned some weird numbers, including a faulty temperature reading and a max clock of 3284MHz (!?) at full load. However, PCMark was a bit more realistic (and reliable) – it showed the RKM hitting just over 2.2GHz after an hour of benchmarking. The CPU managed to sustain high clocks in a number of tests, namely casual gaming, write and photo editing tests.

The CPU quickly heats up to about 50 degrees Celsius under average load, but even if you push it very hard, it usually stays under the 70 degree mark at all times.

Storage tests reveal that the eMMC drive is a solid performer, scoring well over 100MB/s in a number of tests. Of course, sequential read and write are not nearly as fast, but we’ve come to expect that. The biggest problem with the storage has nothing to do with performance – it’s the fact that you get two operating systems on a 32GB drive, along with a number of partitions.

While having Android and Windows on a HTPC may sound appealing, especially if you are into casual gaming, 32GB is a bit too cramped. You also end up with loads of partitions, which is a hassle. Luckily, the microSD slot should be more than sufficient for the occasional download, although it won’t come near the eMMC in terms of sheer speed.

Setup and Everyday Use

Setting up the Rikomagic RKM M36 is as simple as it gets. Just plug in the power supply, input devices and connect it to your TV or monitor via HDMI. It’s ready to go in a matter of minutes.

It’s not quite as portable as some micro PCs, let along stick PCs, but it has a couple of advantages. We already talked about the spacious chassis that can easily cope with the heat generated by the Bay Trail SoC, but that’s not all. The power button, two USBs and audio are located on the right side for ease of access, and this was a good call onRikomagic’s part. You don’t have to mess around to connect a USB stick or any type of peripheral. It might not be as portable as a stick PC, but it is a bit more practical as an everyday office machine or an HTPC.

The only problem with the layout is that you still can’t see an activity LED on the front, but it’s there – buried in the vents above the power button.

Another problem that plagues virtually all Bay Trail micro PCs, including Intel’s own Compute Stick, is the fact that overscan controls aren’t available. With many older monitors and some TVs, they would have been very helpful. Still, this shouldn’t be much of a problem for most users, although it is worth having in mind, especially if you want to use the system on a few different screens.

There is also one other thing worth mentioning. Bay Trail micro PCs aren’t capable of powering most external hard drives, since they simply lack the juice to do it. You should have no problem with other forms of external storage, including micro SD cards, USB sticks, or powered external hard drives. 

Conclusion

The Rikomagic RKM M36 is a strange beast. It wants to be a cheap and fun micro PC, but not at the expense of overall performance. Thanks to the oversized chassis that allows for a bit of airflow, the CPU can sustain high clocks under load, which is not the case with extremely small stick PCs.

The trade-off is obvious – the M36 isn’t a very compact device, it’s about the size of an Intel NUC. More room also means more connectors, so you get a couple of extra USB ports and an Ethernet socket. This might be good news for small offices, although many home users have ditched wired networks years ago.

Dual boot is a mixed bag. While the ability to run Windows for serious stuff and Android 4.4 for a bit of fun sounds good, you also lose a lot of storage. With 32GB on board, this is a big deal - 64GB of internal storage would be a selling point for many users. Then again, if you don’t plan on installing a lot of applications, and if you don’t download a lot of stuff, it’s not too bad. You can still do some light office work in Windows, then run Kodi or Popcorn, then reboot into Android for some WoT Blitz (The M36 also has an appropriate name for the latter, although it lacks a 90mm gun).

The asking price is $154 with free shipping, which means the RKM M36 is a bit pricier than most Bay Trail mini PCs. However, it ships with a somewhat faster processor than these entry-level models, and it does not throttle nearly as much, so for a $20-30 premium you get a bit more sustained performance.

 Voyo V3 MiniPC review

A pint-sized Windows 10 box with a surprising amount of grunt, theVoyo V3 MiniPC is the full package.

Traditional desktop computers have taken a backseat in recent years with the explosion in alternative devices such as notebooks, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and barebones PCs like the Raspberry Pi. Even so there are still times when a tiny Windows box is the best tool for the job, which is where the budget-friendly Voyo V3 MiniPC can come to your rescue.

The tiny Voyo V3 MiniPC runs Windows 10 and packs plenty of punch. 

Out of sight

With a footprint roughly the size of a CD case, the Voyo V3 is a mere 9.9mm thick and tips the scales at 200gm. The whisper-quiet fanless design makes it well-suited to the lounge room, bedroom and other locations where you don't want to see or hear a traditional PC.

The Voyo V3 offers plenty of connectivity options including mini-HDMI 1.4 video.  

Despite its amazingly compact design, the Voyo V3 runs a full version of Windows 10 Home 64-bit on a new Intel Atom Cherry Trail X7-Z8700 1.6GHz quad-core processor – accompanied by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state storage rather than flash. That's enough grunt to handle day-to-day computing tasks, all for around US$200 from a range of online stores including GearBest which supplied our review unit. Australians will obviously pay more once you allow for the exchange rate and shipping.

The Voyo V3 also has you covered when it comes to connectivity, with a USB2.0 port on the side and two USB3.0 ports on the back accompanied by mini-HDMI, audio-out, a microSD card slot and a USB-C port. Unfortunately the USB-C port is only for power, not connecting USB devices, and Voyo throws in an AC power pack along with a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable.

Making sacrifices

Not surprisingly there's no onboard optical drive, but you're also sacrificing an Ethernet port in favour of built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. This might be fine for everyday computing but if you've got plans to turn the Voyo V3 into a media centre/server then you might want to invest in a USB to Gigabit Ethernet adaptor.

Built for silent running, the Voyo V3 relies on a fanless design and solid state storage with no moving parts. 

Similar to the tiny Linux-powered Raspberry Pi you only get the computer, no extra accessories, so the Voyo V3's value proposition starts to break down if you also need to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse to turn it into a blown workstation. In this scenario you'll generally get more bang for your buck from an entry-level student desktop bundle.

The Voyo V3 makes more sense for people who already have these accessories lying around, or who intend to use it as a headless server or set-top box which doesn't require all those extra peripherals.

At 24 watts this little box consumes a lot less power than your typical desktop computer, which will save you money if you intend to let it run 24/7. Even then you might create Windows Scheduled Tasks to shut it down for a few hours each day when you don't need it, to help curb your power bill.

Graphics grunt

If the Voyo V3 is going to live in your lounge room then you'll want to add a USB infrared receiver, which should work straight out of the box with media player software like Kodi or Plex Home Theatre to offer a slick couch-friendly user interface.

The box also has built-in Bluetooth, giving you the option to keep a compact wireless keyboard with a built-in trackpad on the coffee table.

Thanks to the Atom's video hardware acceleration the Voyo V3 has the grunt to output up to Ultra HD video at 30fps via the HDMI 1.4 output. Using the right playback software it hands the video decoding over to the Intel HD graphics chip to take the load off the CPU.

You can see this at work when running Kodi on the Voyo V3 – when GPU hardware acceleration is enabled Kodi's CPU usage sits at around 10 per cent whether you're watching a Full HD 1080p MKV file or an Ultra HD MP4 file. Disable hardware acceleration and Kodi's CPU usage jumps to 60 per cent for the 1080p video, while playing Ultra HD it blows out past 90 per cent and the video stutters badly.

Unfortunately you can't always take advantage of the hardware decoding, which is where the Voyo V3's general grunt comes in handy.

For example if you're running Plex Media Server on the Voyo V3 to stream video around your home it can't take advantage of the hardware decoding. Streaming that 1080p MKV video and transcoding it for another device sees the Voyo V3's CPU usage hit 100 per cent, but at least the video still plays smoothly.

The same 1080p MKV video chokes when streamed from Plex Media Server running on a Synology DS214play network drive. Plex can't use hardware acceleration on the Synology network drive either, which means the load falls upon the dual-core Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor accompanied by 1GB of RAM.

In Synology's defence its own DSVideo streaming app can take advantage of the NAS' hardware decoding, and the newer DS216playpacks more of a punch, but if you're wedded to Plex then it's worth weighing up your options.

If you're only interested in media server features you might consider the Voyo V3 a feasible and cost-effective replacement for a media-savvy NAS, although you might need to invest in an external USB drive to boost the storage. Of course you're forgoing a multi-drive NAS' extra RAID data protection and other advanced features which can make a NAS a valuable addition to your home network.

As a compromise you might configure the Voyo V3 as a download box and media player/server but still rely on a NAS for the data storage heavy lifting. Using Windows 10 gives you a lot more flexibility and choice than a NAS in terms of download and media server software. Using the Voyo V3 as both a lounge room media player and a central home media server kills two birds with one stone and might make it easier to justify the expense.

If you like to tinker then you could get similar results running Kodi media player on a cheaper Raspberry Pi, at least with 1080p video, but only if you're prepared to invest the extra time and effort to learn your way around Linux and perhaps get your hands dirty at the command line. Life becomes more complicated if the Pi is also a download box and server.

Everyday workhorse

The Voyo V3's quad-core Intel Atom power plant and 4GB RAM is fine for day-to-day productivity tasks, making it a viable student PC if you've already got the monitor and other peripherals lying around. If you like to push your computer then you might pine for a little more RAM, but if that's the case then maybe this isn't the box for you.

Unfortunately I can't say that the Voyo V3 is rock solid. In two weeks' testing the box crashed several times, sometimes while doing very little, which is frustrating but not necessarily a deal-breaker.

I suspected the passively cooled box was overheating, it sometimes felt quite warm to the touch and other reviewers have noted that the DTS thermal management is disabled in the BIOS by default. That said, stress-testing the CPU while monitoring temperature readings failed to replicate the issue. If you're using it as a 24/7 server, scheduling a daily reboot might be a sensible precaution and it seemed to solve the issue.

So what's the verdict?

The Voyo V3 is far from the only MiniPC on the market but it certainly has a lot going for it in terms of design, features, performance and price. Whether it's right for you depends on what you're trying to do with it.

You'll find more economical ways to perform some tasks, whether you opt for a Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Apple TV or competing MiniPC, but the Voyo V3 certainly deserves to be on your short-list if you're building a silent running media centre/server. Even if you don't need more hardware in the lounge room, the Voyo V3's whisper-quiet design, grunt and versatility might make it the perfect all-in-one entertainment box for another room in your home.