It is possible that the television in our living room, our bedroom or the one in the kitchen, because everyone has the television where they want, is not intelligent. It may be one of those of a lifetime. Or maybe it is, but its operating system doesn’t convince us too much and we prefer to use another one with more possibilities. In either case, we can resort to the famous dongles for HDMI port.
There was a time when these dongles, set-top-boxes or HDMI connectors were scarce and little varied but now we have models of all shapes and colors, and there are already quite a few brands involved in their manufacture and distribution. And many of them with their own operating system, because there we have Android TV, or Fire TV, or Apple TV. So we will try to recommend you which are the best if you want to make your TV smarteror change the system from which it already is.
Chromecast with Google TV, the vitaminized Chromecast
The first option that we plant here is that of Google TV, a kind of Google Chromecast vitaminized with a slightly modified version of Android TV. In the same way that it is done with the pure Android of the Pixel, Google gives Android TV a coat of paint, customizing the aesthetics and integrating it into its already legendary Chromecast.
Thus, we obtain something better than a Chromecast because the same options are maintained as before, that of serving as a bridge between the mobile and the television, and we also have a dongle with a complete operating system to install apps, download and everything we want. oh and with a remote control with voice control and Google Assistant.
Google Chromecast TV – Streaming Entertainment, on your TV and with Voice Search – Enjoy Movies, Series and Netflix in 4K with HDR – Easy to Install
Google Chromecast, the one of a lifetime
Since we have talked about Chromecast with Google TV, it is fair to also recommend the original model, the ‘everything started with you’ of Google’s connected devices. It is the cheapest model of those offered by Google and serves, like the one we have previously mentioned, as bridge between the mobile phone and our television.
Simply connect it to the TV’s HDMI, configure it by linking it to our WiFi and we can send content from the mobile to the TV almost effortlessly. Y it is also possible to use it as a support for Google Stadia, the firm’s streaming console. Without a doubt, a great purchase that cannot be missed so that your television does more things than it was designed to do.
Google Chromecast Play Streaming Content, Color Charcoal
The Amazon Fire Stick 4K, Alexa and top image quality
Another of the best options to make our TV smarter is the Amazon Fire Stick 4K. East dongle also has remote control with some preconfigured buttons and that responds by voice thanks to having integrated Alexa. We will only have to connect it to the television, configure it with our Amazon account and that’s it.
On Amazon Fire TV we can install practically all streaming services of current content to take with us on a trip or wherever we want. And some that give a little more work than the others, like HBO Max, can also be installed. With a trick, yes, but you can.
Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls)
Realme 4K Smart TV
We are going for the fourth alternative to make our television smarter and for this we enter the Realme catalog. In addition to mobile phones and tablets, the firm also has connected devices such as this Realme 4K Smart TV Stick which, as its name suggests, is capable of inject 4K images directly from the Internet into our television.
With the Realme 4K Smart TV Stick we also have the possibility to install apps (is Google TV, the custom interface of Android TV) and we have a command with voice control (thanks to Assistant) that closely resembles the commands offered by Google TV or Amazon Fire TV. Without a doubt, a great alternative with direct access to the Google Play Store.
realme 4K Smart TV Stick – Streaming Player with Remote Control, Google Voice Assistant, Google Play Store, Netflix, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
Xiaomi Mi TV Box S, Xiaomi’s ‘set-top-box’
We jump a little product category, although fulfilling the same function, to run into a set-top-box, a kind of decoder that we connect to power and to our television. It’s like having a Blu-ray player, or a DVD player, but in this case with an intelligent operating system. Which? Well AndroidTV in the case of this Mi TV Box S.
As in other alternatives, we have a remote control that has Google Assistant integrated, so it also responds to voice commands. In the Mi TV Box S we can install all the apps compatible with Android TV and thus turn our television into a streaming player full of options. One of the best purchases.
Xiaomi Mi TV Box S – Streaming Player, Black
Amazon Fire TV Cube, the cube of happiness
With the Fire TV Cube we find the most powerful version of the dongles Amazon smart. It is a kind of Fire TV Stick 4K but raised to the nth power and, as in the case of Xiaomi’s Mi TV Box S, it is a set-top-box designed to be placed next to our television. Although, everything is said, its design is much better than that of Xiaomi at the cost of having a device with more volume and with a much higher price.
The Amazon Fire TV Cube allows us to control it by voice thanks to Alexa, but it can also take control of the TV itself, or even any satellite player that we have connected to it. The Fire TV Cube offers us Ultra HD 4K video compatible with Dolby Vision and HDR, in addition to HDR10 +, and we can play Dolby Atmos audio. Yes, its price is high. Yes, it is a really good device.
Fire TV Cube | Streaming media player with voice control via Alexa and 4K Ultra HD
Youin You-Box, the name you will never remember
We close for now the list of options to make our TV smarter with a new bet with Android TV. In this case, it is the one that Youin brings us with its You-Box, a set-top-box that seems to be gaining popularity relatively easily and that appears at an attractive price. Especially for its compact design and for offering 4K at 60 frames per second without too many problems.
Video playback is automatically adjusted based on the input source, so HDR will be automatically enabled on content with DolbyVision, for instance. Although of course, you will need our television to be compatible with this type of image. Without a doubt, a great option at an attractive price.
Engel Youin You-Box EN1040KX- TV Box Android TV 4K UHD – Google Assistant and Chromecast Integrated – Exclusive Product, Black
