On April 17th 2013 I decided to purchase a product I have had an interest in for a while. I have always been a fan of Android and have ventured into the Android products before with smart phones, so when I decided to buy “EZTV” Android 4.0 TV + PC Box it was very familiar. Also I wanted to enhance my Android experience and instead of buying a mouse and a keyboard, I opted to buy the wireless keyboard and motion mouse that is compatible with the Android system. Setting it up was very simple as it is basically a box with a power cable requiring power from the socket and a HDMI cable, which was included in the package that links the TV box to the TV allowing a very clear and smooth picture. Choosing the resolution for me is important as I want to get the very best I can from this TV box product, therefore choosing 1080p was always going to be my choice. The “EZTV” is easy, especially as it has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich version as its operating system. Like most Android platforms, it is completely customizable, allowing you to set the date and select languages as well customizing lay-outs and wall-paper, so if I want to stick a picture of the family cat in a pirate outfit as the background then I can. There is also a feature that someone like myself enjoys and that is the section to install a VPN as being in the Middle Kingdom, known as China, their ‘great firewall of China’ prevents high speeds and also the ability to access certain sites and applications. With the VPN, I can choose if I am in the USA or the UK or anywhere else where there is more freedom on the internet then where I am currently.
I flicked through the menus and instantly got very familiar with this product, and then I viewed some of the pre-installed applications and came across a very familiar and high addictive game, Angry Birds. I decided to have a play as I wanted to see how the box and control would react, particularly during this type of game play. A quick back ground for those who do not know what Angry Birds is, it is a game where the players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playing field. To control the slingshot on the mobile phone it requires touch screen control allowing more freedom to guide the bird to the intended target but my TV is not touch screen therefore I had to rely on the remote control.
The controller that came with the “EZTV” is good for navigating around the menus and settings in a standard left/right/up/down direction but struggles with the freedom of movement that Angry Birds allowed. Luckily for a little bit extra cash I purchased a wireless mini QWERTY keyboard that also doubles up as a motion mouse. Simply insert the USB wireless mouse reader in the TV box and the motion mouse read straight away and within seconds I was using the mouse controller to move the bird freely just like when I was using my finger on the touch screen phone. The interaction was just as good as it was on the phone but this time it was clearer to see, instead of my mobile’s 5 inch screen I had a whole 36 inch screen TV to view everything. Android is part of Google and as a result there are many pre-installed applications, which truthfully speaking are usually related to what I use on my computer such as YouTube for watching videos and Gmail to check my e-mail. Also there is Google Chrome browser, which is also my favorite web browser to use. The TV box has its own built-in 2GB hard disk, which for someone like me is more than big enough for the amount of videos, photos, and data I usually save. However because this “EZTV” TV box is very diverse, I can boost the amount of space by using either an SD card or a USB flash drive that allows an additional 8GB each, also the hard drive slots inside the TV box can support a massive 2TB, so if I ever get desperate I can quickly make a trip to the city center and purchase a bigger hard disk.
The remote that came with this product as mention before was good enough for navigation but so useful with something like Angry Birds game due to the freedom of movement. On the other hand, if you are not a gamer this shouldn’t really bother you as the control is simple and not covered in buttons. All the menu pages such as the home page, the page containing the apps and settings etc are clearly labeled as well as the volume and the left/right/up/down directional buttons.
The actually box itself is a respectable 210x150x60mm (L x W x D) size and does not take up much room, also it has an antenna on the back for connecting to the WiFi does not take up much space. The power adapter is a direct DC connection into the back of the box as well as the HDMI port that allows connecting to other HDMI compatible TVs/monitors. Also for those that don’t have WiFi, there is a RJ-45 socket in the back to connect your LAN line as well as the usual YPbPr TV audio connection. Down the side of the media box are two USB ports for plugging in your mouse, keyboard, or flash pen. The box is well design and I think is very easy and not that complicated to set-up.
I will finish with a short conclusion to announce that I believe this Android 4.0 TV box is a smashing way to bring an Android operating system into your front room that has almost the same abilities a as a regular desktop computer while saving on space. The user ability is great for transforming your TV into an Android multimedia center. I am glad with this purchase, and also due to enjoying games I also purchased the wireless mini QWERTY Keyboard and motion mouse to enhance the playability.
