If you’re looking for a little media streamer that offers scope beyond just streaming media then this little MX Box is well worth considering.
The MX Android box gets it’s grunt from a dual core 1.5Ghz processor and despite it’s compact size it has lots of ports available. As well as an SD card slot (up to 32GB) you also get 4 USB ports, very useful for extending the capabilities of this box beyond just streaming.
Hidden in the AV plug is the factory reset button, accessed using a toothpick.
Networking is handled by either WiFi or via wired Ethernet connection. The WiFi antenna is built into the box, you don’t have anything sticking out externally which means the box is kept nice and tidy.
The remote is OK, but be warned it takes ages to type anything out using it as you have to select each letter. Something like the LG magic remote would be much better for this sort of device as despite having had a TV friendly interface added you still will feel like you need to ‘touch’ the screen.
You can go some way in solving this problem by making use of a wireless keyboard/mouse, something like the Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400, which is a keyboard with a trackpad on it, is perfect for this sort of setup and instantly made the MX Android box a lot more useable, for example web browsing became a lot easier when you can type in addresses/search terms.
Pitched as a media streamer it was surprising that testing various streaming apps provided mixed results: Netflix, Plex, XBMC all worked fine, but neither Google Play or Now TV would stream any content, with Now TV displaying a ‘this box has been modified’ message. However, if Now TV is something you want you’d be better off going with the dedicated £10 NOW TV by Roku.
The MX Android TV box has access to the Google Play (or Amazon) app store allow you access to the hundreds of thousands of apps available, and opening up this Android box for a lot more than just media streaming. For example you can install an office programme and use this as PC replacement to type documents, or for some fun you can install games and use this with a control pad as you’ll see in the video below.
Remember you may need to spend a little extra on peripherals if you want to use a keyboard/mouse/gamepad, and judging by my experience with Now TV not all apps will work, but overall it’s a decent little Android box for the low price.
Available now from Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/1BgljhP and Amazon com: https://amzn.to/1voRhUp
