Shopping for Android TV boxes can be a painful task, even more so than smartphones. While most boxes in South Africa make similar promises of streaming bliss, very few deliver the actual experience.

What’s this experience, you ask? For one, seamless integration with some of the biggest streaming apps, Google certification, and the ability to play content cast from an Android phone.

Thankfully, alongside the likes of the Xiaomi Mi Box S, we can add another box to the country that delivers on these.

Built by Ematic, the 4K Android TV box retails for around R1200. On a good day you can get it for under a grand, but either way, it’s worth the price.

What’s in the box

First thing’s first, then. What’s in the box?

Alongside the Android TV box, you’ll find an HDMI cable, a two-pronged power cable with a barrel end, and a TV remote.

Aesthetics and design

It won’t win any art competitions nor does it include any RGB, but utility is greater than aesthetics in the case of streaming boxes. To that end, the Ematic offers users practicality in spades.

With its plastic square design, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket, lighter than a budget smartphone but about twice as thick.

This makes it great for throwing into a bag. It also gives users a number of mounting options, too. You’d have no problem securing it to the back of a TV with some double-sided tape or Velcro.

One potential gripe is the length of the power cable. If your TV is mounted on a monitor arm on the wall, while your power plug is at floor level, you’ll find it difficult plugging in the TV box. It’ll reach if your TV is resting on a cabinet that’s about waist high, but will be a stretch on anything taller.

At least the HDMI cable is of decent length.

Internals, specs and I/O

The Ematic 4K Android TV box’s internals is nothing to really write home about. It’s powered by the Amlogic S905X chipset, which features four ARM Cortex-A5 cores at up to 1.5GHz.

That’s enough to push out 4K video with relative ease alongside the ARM Mali-450 GPU, a five-core chip that is clocked up to 750MHz.

Accompanying this is 2GB of DDR3 RAM and just 8GB of eMMC storage. It’s not lightning fast, and it’s about the lowest amount of storage you’ll find on a TV box in 2020, but it’s adequate.

I’ve about 10 audio and music streaming apps and VLC installed, and still have space for one or two games if need be. You can also install a microSD card if you want quick storage, or plug in a hard drive. You can also sideload apps if need be via a USB stick.

Speaking of I/O: you get a microSD card slot and two USB 2.0 ports on the right-hand side of the box, a single HDMI 2.0a port, a 10/100Mbps RJ45 Ethernet port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a SPDIF jack at the rear. The power port is also at the back, while the front and left of the box are free of ports.

I would’ve loved to see at least one USB 3.0 port, and perhaps even a USB-C port included.

The remote

Comprised of ten buttons and powered by two AAA batteries, the Ematic’s remote is fairly simple.

It fits in the hand really well thanks to a generously curved back, but that also makes it a horror to place or use on a flat surface. It’ll wobble when pressing buttons, or swirl around when you place it on a table.

Where it shines though is its options. Without being too cluttered, the remote features a back button, home button, and menu button on its primary row. Above that is a directional pad disguised as a control wheel. A select button is in its centre.

The latter’s placement is perfect though and your thumb tends to rest perfectly within the little concave select button.

In the top right corner, there’s an Android Assistant button, which lets you voice search on practically any screen and from within any app. The microphone sits just above the LED light at the remote’s top section.

It’s an excellent addition to the remote, and one that’s definitely needed. There’s no keyboard, which means either typing on the screen keyboard using the directional pad and the enter key, or connecting an external keyboard.

The latter will make more sense for some, but you can also get away with it by using your smartphone to find content and cast it to the box itself. This works flawlessly.

There are also dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix and the Google Play Store, which transport you directly into these apps from whichever you were in at the tap of a button. It’s great if you frequent YouTube and Netflix, but I would’ve loved to see a programmable button as well.

Finally, the volume rocker is below the home button row.

Overall, I had little issues with the remote bar the lack of a keyboard. Buttons feel good to click, but the printed surfaces will wear over time — especially on the home button — so keep this in mind.

I would recommend getting a small media keyboard if you’re looking to do some serious analog searching on this device.

Software

Finally, we get to the best part of the Ematic Android TV, the software experience.

The box runs on Google-certified Android TV 9.0, the latest version of the OS optimised for large screens. It works extremely well.

Some would argue that it just isn’t as feature rich as the likes of Apple TV and other aftermarket Android TV skins, but I find it provides the user with just enough customisation and easy access to services.

As it’s Google-certified, Showmax, Netflix, and DStv Now works out the box. You can also update these apps as well, something you can’t always do on some Android boxes.

The Google Play Store also gives you access to other streaming services, like Twitch or Spotify, but you can also always side-load the apps you really want on this device too.

Unfortunately, Apple Music just isn’t available on the Android TV, so for these apps we’d recommend simply casting audio or video to the box.

As I mentioned earlier, this works an absolute treat. You, and your family, can cast video to the device provided you’re connected to the same WiFi network. And it’s really as easy as opening the app on your phone, and tapping the casting button. It’s excellent, really.

I also gave VLC a go and can confirm the box can play video, music and other content via your home network without any issues. It can also play 4K content from a hard drive with ease too.

I would, however, recommend you install a wired network connection to the box. WiFi has a habit of dropping out after resuming from standby. This isn’t an issue with the primary WiFi connection in my house either. I gave it a go on three different networks, and all had issues resuming the connection at times.

To this end, you might want to use that Ethernet port at the back, but for some, this just won’t be an option.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d rate the Ematic Android TV box highly, especially if you’re looking for a seamless streaming experience. There are more powerful boxes out there, and the device is lacking some features others have.

The remote can be a pain, and typing is an absolute chore, but these can be solved relatively simply.

It’s annoying WiFi issues at startup can also be mitigated by a wired connection, but again, not everyone can run metres of cables around their dwellings.

Additionally, if you want to game on an Android TV, invest in something with a little more RAM, internal storage and a faster chipset. The Ematic Android TV box wasn’t really designed for all that.

In closing, if you want a stress-free streaming box that just plays media with minimal setup, you can’t really go wrong with the Ematic Android TV box. Just keep a wireless keyboard on hand, okay?

Epsidon Technology Holdings (Epsidon) announced today its acquisition of Nology, a leading specialist value-added distributor of converged IP solutions to service providers, network operators, systems integrators and resellers across Southern Africa.

Founded in 2001, Nology imports and distributes some of the top global brands, including Yealink, Zyxel, MikroTik, 3CX, Technicolor and Axiros. Additionally, Nology has established itself as the leading CPE device management provider to some of the largest ISPs and network operators in Southern Africa.

About the acquisition, Debbie Abrahall, Managing Director of First Distribution, a division of Epsidon, commented: “We are really excited about the acquisition of Nology as it provides us with additional high value solution offerings that we can take to our partner base, thereby allowing them to increase their value to their customers. Nology’s converged communications offerings will seamlessly extend some of First Distribution's offering, allowing us to bring integrated video, voice and data solutions to the channel. The converged communication market is experiencing much higher growth than the traditional ICT markets, and this will present opportunities for our partners to look at new revenue streams in these high growth areas.”

Karel Leuschner, Managing Director of Nology, commented on the acquisition: "Nology is very excited about joining the Epsidon group and the additional value this can bring to all our stakeholders. We have built a successful and growing business over the last 18 years and would not have been able to achieve this without the support from our customers, vendors and employees. Nology will leverage the Epsidon group’s footprint in West and East Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and Southern Africa to accelerate our African expansion strategy. Having access to the group’s larger reseller base in South Africa further ensures broader coverage and greater growth opportunities locally.”

Nology will retain its independence within the Epsidon group operating autonomously, under its existing brand and also benefiting from the group’s Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor status.

About Nology

Founded in 2001, Nology is a specialist value-added distributor of converged IP solutions to service providers, network operators, systems integrators and resellers across Southern Africa.

About First Distribution

First Distribution is the leading value-added distributor in Africa. Our offering includes a product portfolio of global leading Datacentre, Cloud, Networking and Security products and services. This embraces hybrid solutions with access to any combination of on premise, private cloud and public cloud end-to-end solutions from multiple vendors. The portfolio, together with highly skilled staff to support and manage vendors with an unrivalled level of expertise, ensures that our partners have the key elements required for success. First Distribution additionally hosts one of the largest technology partner-to-partner networks in Africa allowing partners to extend the reach of their solutions across the continent.

For more information on First Distribution, visit: Firstdistribution.com

Editorial Contacts

For Nology

Jennifer Eksteen

marketing@nology.co.za

For Epsidon Technology Holdings

Bronwen Jacobs

bronwen.jacobs@epsidon.co.za

JOHANNESBURG (February 6, 2020) – Nology, a leading value-added distributor of converged IP solutions, today announces a partnership with Minim to offer AI-driven Wi-Fi management and security services to network operators, Internet service providers and systems integrators across South Africa. Nology will demonstrate the new service offering at the MikroTik User Meeting (MUM) South Africa, taking place on 7 February 2020, at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.

“We are looking forward to showcasing Minim, the latest addition to our product portfolio,” said Karel Leuschner, Managing Director of Nology. “Nology recognizes the increasing support burden that service providers face as a result of expanding Wi-Fi utilisation and connected devices in homes and offices. We believe Minim’s platform will be a gateway for our partners to lower these ballooning expenses and better compete on value-added services. Choosing Minim is in line with our mission to provide comprehensive, best-of-breed solutions to the industry.”

Minim is the only AI-driven Wi-Fi management and IoT security platform that delivers freedom-of-choice on Customer Premise Equipment (CPE). Now a Made for MikroTik software partner, Minim offers a Care Portal with unprecedented visibility and tools, leading to efficient customer service and operations. The company also delivers a mobile app for home users — available for white labeling— with intuitive features, including: guided Wi-Fi system setup, self-care, parental controls, ad blocking, privacy settings, security checks, and network improvement recommendations.

“We are excited to launch this partnership,” said John D’Amato, SVP Sales at Minim. “Nology is a trusted distributor of MikroTik hardware and innovative IP solutions. Minim’s AI-driven platform empowers service providers to better compete and retain customers. Together, we will provide top-notch consultation, support, and services to Nology’s network of partners and clients.”

Founded in 2001, Nology distributes and supports some of the top international Broadband, Wireless, Networking and VoIP brands, and has established itself as the leading CPE device management provider to some of the largest ISPs and Network Operators in Southern Africa. Nology is a channel-focused company that exclusively partners with ICT resellers, installers, and service providers. For more information, visit the Nology booth at MUM South Africa.

About Nology

Founded in 2001, Nology is a specialist value-added distributor of converged IP solutions to service providers, network operators, systems integrators and resellers across Southern Africa.

Minim

Minim is a cloud WiFi management platform that enables and secures a better connected home. Minim's Software as a Service (SaaS) helps operators increase revenue and reduce support costs by offering a premium managed WiFi service to their subscribers via customer premise equipment of their choosing. Subscribers benefit from best-in-class customer support, an easy-to-use mobile app, parental controls, AI-powered network recommendations, and more. The company is now partnering with service providers and consumer device manufacturers who want to help make home connectivity as safe and reliable as drinking water. To learn more, visit www.minim.co.

Contacts

For Nology

Grant Robertson, +27 10 980 0000

grant@nology.co.za

For Minim

Nicole Hayward, 1.833.96.MINIM x 7001

nicole@minim.co