Best TV Boxes, Rating 2020 Tuners and Smart TV Boxes

A set-top box is needed to increase the capabilities of the TV. These devices began to gain popularity with the advent of digital television format. Users, to watch their favorite programs in digital quality, needed TV tuner.

Now the best set-top boxes are equipped with wide functionality. Some have complex operating systems. In this issue we will take a look at TV tuners and Smart TV boxes for TVs. More details about what will suit you described below.

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Content

What is a set-top box (receiver) for digital channels?
Digital broadcast standard formats
Screen encoding and resolution
Connectors
What is a Smart TV Box?
Operating system
Processor and RAM
Rating of set-top boxes (TV tuner) for receiving DVB-T2 (for old TVs)
Best Smart TV Boxes for Android
Rating of Smart consoles on Ios (Apple)

What is a set-top box (receiver) for digital channels?

Before the advent of digital broadcasting, one had to be content with average quality analogue broadcasts. The TV receiver is designed for receiving a digital signal from an antenna cable... In the set-top box, the digital signal is converted into a format supported by the TV, and is transmitted through an interconnect cable to the inputs on the TV. High-quality models are equipped with progressive HDMI port.

Digital broadcast standard formats

Digital formats are divided among themselves depending on the broadcast source:

DVB-C, DVB-C2 - standard digital broadcasting from the provider;
DVB-S, DVB-S2 - digital signal reception through a satellite dish;
DVB-T, DVB-T2 - digital television received by a conventional antenna.

Numeral two in the format name indicates the HD-resolution of the picture.

Screen encoding and resolution

A good set-top box should support as many formats as possible. Be sure to pay attention to the possibility converting MPEG-4.

CRT TVs, as well as the first LCD and LCD models, are not designed to transmit high-quality HD or 3D. Such devices only work with analog format SDTV... This feature must be taken into account when choosing.

Connectors

To connect the receiver to a TV, there are several connectors on the back of the device:

RCA is the most common way of connecting through an interconnect cable with "tulips";
SCART - found on imported TVs of the 90s and 2000s;
HDMI is a connector for connecting to a modern TV.

Also, the set-top boxes have an antenna output, through which you can connect the device to the antenna jack on the TV.

What is a Smart TV Box?

A smart TV box is able to turn a regular TV into something like a computer. With this device you can view media content from the Internet on a TV screen, or stream content from pocket gadgets. Simply put, with such a set-top box, your TV will become SMART TV... The device supports third-party multimedia applications. To such a set-top box, you can connect separate drives or use the built-in memory. Therefore, if your TV is already SMART, then it is advisable to buy such a set-top box only if your TV slows down or the firmware is outdated and not supported by the manufacturer.

Operating system

Almost all SmartTV set-top boxes run on Android, but there are also Windows models. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are many applications and games released on Android, this system is undemanding to the filling, we recommend buying them. Windows differs in advanced features, an office suite of programs, but due to the demands on the processor and RAM, it is found on expensive models.

Processor and RAM

The main thing to pay attention to is processor performance, RAM sizeas well as built-in memory. It directly depends on whether applications will slow down.

Processors used in quality set-top boxes usually have four or eight cores. The RAM must be at least 2 GB and the hard drive must be 8 GB. The amount of memory for storing files can be increased by connecting an external drive.

In the rating, we did not consider very expensive gaming, music and specialized TV consoles. The TOP includes models that are enough to complete the assigned tasks and that are suitable for most buyers.