A regular TV has long stopped being “smart” on its own: to watch Netflix, YouTube, and run IPTV, you can simply buy a separate gadget. The easiest way is an Android TV box that connects via HDMI. In this roundup — five devices: four classic TV Boxes with Smart TV across different price ranges and one bonus in the form of a portable Android projector. Let’s figure out which set-top box is right for you.
Choosing the best TV boxes instead of a television
HOMATICS Dongle G 4K Google TV — A Compact Smart TV Stick
This “dongle” is compact and easy to use, and inside — pure Android TV
The first hero of the roundup isn’t even a typical Smart TV box, but a compact stick that plugs directly into the TV’s HDMI port. Homatics Dongle G 4K is a direct competitor to the Chromecast with Google TV, but with an important bonus: it has an Ethernet port.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | TV Stick |
| Processor | Amlogic S905Y4, 4 cores Cortex-A35, 2 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB / 32 GB |
| OS | Google TV (Android 11) |
| Video | 4K@60fps, AV1, Dolby Vision |
| Network | Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet 100 Mbps, BT 5.0 |
| Certification | Google, Netflix, Widevine L1 |
The Smart TV box is certified by Google and Netflix, so 4K is optimized out of the box and will work without issues. The package includes a G10 voice remote with Netflix and YouTube buttons. The perfect TV Box for a bedroom, a country house, or vacation — fits in your pocket.
RockTek GT1 UHD — A TV Box for Watching Movies Online
A classic TV box with Android on board
RockTek GT1 is one of the most interesting certified boxes on the market. It’s built on the fresh Realtek RTD1325 chipset and runs Google TV 12. The main difference from competitors on Amlogic is the proprietary AI picture enhancement algorithms and full HDMI 2.1, which ensures screen mirroring and image output without glitches.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | Realtek RTD1325, 4 cores Cortex-A55, 1.7 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB / 32 GB eMMC |
| OS | Google TV 12 |
| Video | 4K, HDR10+, AV1, Dolby Atmos, AI-PQ/AI-SR |
| Network | Wi-Fi 5 2T2R, BT 5.2, Ethernet 100 Mbps |
| Gaming Features | QMS, VRR, ALLM |
AI-SR upscales HD video to 4K, AI-PQ adaptively enhances picture quality. There’s no Dolby Vision, but there is Dolby Atmos and HDMI 2.1 gaming features. The optimal Android TV box for watching movies in 4K without workarounds.
Mecool KM7 SE — An Affordable TV Box with Google TV
Another excellent TV box with Google TV on board
Mecool KM7 SE is the “junior” in the KM7 family, which Mecool released as an affordable alternative to the KM7 Plus. It has a Google license and a full set of HDR formats — HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. So you’re getting a proven option without any knock-off feel.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | Amlogic S905Y4, 4 cores Cortex-A35, 2 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB / 32 GB eMMC + microSD |
| OS | Android TV 11 (Google-certified) |
| Video | 4K@60fps, AV1, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
| Network | Wi-Fi 5, BT 5.1, Ethernet 100 Mbps |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1, 2x USB 2.0, AV, microSD |
Netflix and other apps can be installed manually via APK, but Chromecast, voice search, and Google Assistant are available, as well as an AV output for older TVs. This Smart TV box is perfect for IPTV and YouTube fans who are ready to watch movies in Full HD.
VONTAR RT-X2 — A Powerful TV Box with Android TV
A solid TV box with a fast chip and GPU
VONTAR RT-X2 is a twin brother of the RockTek GT1 in terms of internals, but with important differences. The same Realtek RTD1325 chipset, but twice the RAM, gigabit Ethernet, and the latest Android TV 14. However, there are no Google or Widevine L1 certifications.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | Realtek RTD1325, 4 cores Cortex-A55, 1.7 GHz |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 / 32 or 64 GB |
| OS | Android TV 14 (uncertified) |
| Video | 4K, AV1, HDR10, AI-SR/AI-PQ |
| Network | Wi-Fi 5, BT 5.2, Gigabit Ethernet |
| HDMI | 2.1b with VRR and QMS |
Netflix in 4K won’t officially work, but there are 4 GB of RAM and root access out of the box. For fans of Kodi, Plex, and IPTV — the most powerful Smart TV box in the roundup in terms of hardware for the money.
