Nology, the Platinum Distributor for Yealink in South Africa, is proud to introduce Yealink’s highly anticipated W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution which solves the above problem, as well as many others. Forgoing the technical jargon, Multi-Cell DECT simply means that a cordless phone can “roam” between various base stations without losing a call. Yealink’s W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution allows up to 100 handsets to be connected to up to 30 base stations, all seamlessly handing over calls and allowing users to roam as they please. Taking the DECT base station range into account, (up to 300M with clear line of sight) this provides a massive area of coverage when fully populated! Of course, most businesses will not just deploy phones over a large flat surface, and the Yealink W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution is ideal for bridging the coverage dead spots in multi-level buildings.

Unlike Wi-Fi based cordless phones which are prone to interference and poor user experience if the Wi-Fi infrastructure is incorrectly set up, DECT remains the wireless technology of choice for high voice quality, low interference and secure VoIP communications.

Multi-Cell DECT, combined with Yealink’s industry leading design is also revolutionising the traditional office environment, by bringing DECT to your desktop and conference phones! As part of the refinements expected later this year, Yealink will offer a comprehensive DECT cordless office VoIP solution. This is great news for both installers and end users, as it means install times are cut down, the requirement for trenching/trunking is significantly reduced, and there’s a cost saving by reducing the need for installation of Ethernet points.

Alex Bantjes, VoIP Product Manager at Nology says: “The Multi-Cell DECT market has traditionally been dominated by only a few brands, at an almost unaffordable price point. Not only will Yealink disrupt this trend, but also introduces a new facet of mobility to your desktop and conference phones which is completely unique to the market. Nology is eager to empower our partners with Yealink Multi-Cell DECT which will usher in a new era of cost effective, high coverage, quick deployment VoIP devices.”

Yealink’s W80B Multi-Cell DECT works with most of the existing Yealink cordless handsets and customers who are relying on Yealink’s DECT products already can simply make the switch to Multi-Cell by replacing the DECT base station, with minimal disruption to their business operations. Contact Nology today to see how we can help you build you DECT solution.

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When it comes to Android TV boxes, the options seem limitless. We are spoilt for choice with Xiaomi Mi Boxes, the (now deceased) Kwesé Play and a variety of nameless Android boxes. But we’re convinced we’ve found the best Android TV box on the market locally: the Ematic 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box.

The Ematic 4K Ultra-HD ​Android TV Box is one of the few Android boxes available in South Africa right now that is both Google- and Netflix-certified. That’s worth mentioning because it ensures better quality, as well as Google updates. The media box has also got Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, which allows you to transform your TV into a Smart TV.

Setup for greatness

This is one of the most basic setups we’ve ever experienced with a streaming box/smart device. You know those people who ask on Facebook groups for help setting up their tech? Even those folks will be able to set up this one. For reals.

The Ematic box has an intuitive interface that can match (or overtake) most smart TV interfaces. To be honest, we preferred the Android TV interface on the Ematic to our smart TV’s interface (we’re not gonna tell you which brand, soz). Ematic’s menus flows seamlessly from one category to the next, have great keyboard setups for typing with a controller and are an overall joy to use.

It’ll automatically detect WiFi and begin setup — if you choose to do the setup through an Android phone, it’s even more seamless. Just sign in to your Google account, and it retrieves your home network password and all your favourite apps. It’ll continue by downloading a bunch of apps you want. Just like that, setup’s complete.

The included controller is also one of the better ones we’ve held. It’s simple, easy to navigate and can be used by a toddler. Just don’t give it to your toddler, though.

The content king?

Everyone’s got a streaming service these days (yeah, even DStv). Which makes us spoilt for choice. But it also means streaming boxes need to stay up to date with all available streaming apps.

This is where the Ematic box stood out most: content availability. It features all the basics – Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Google Play Movies/Music. But unlike some other Android boxes (like Kwese), it features South African-favourites Showmax and DStv Now.

It’s also got 8GB of onboard storage, along with a micro-SD slot that supports up to 32GB. Because of Android, this streamer has a host of apps available for download, including Steam Link (for the PC gamers), Google Drive, to save and download files to, Twitch and VLC. Yes, this does mean you can store other music and video files on your box. No, this does not mean you should pirate them.

Our other favourite is, of course, Spotify. For those times you just don’t have the capacity to handle another episode of Breaking Bad and really need to do the dishes. You can even save downloaded playlists to the box in case of a mass internet-outage. Nifty. And Eskom-ready.

Let me help you with that

Probably the best feature of this little box is the built-in Google Assistant. You can ask the bugger anything you’d ask a Google Hub or Google Home. Only this time, it’ll display results on your TV.

The controller has a built-in microphone to help you with that. Just hold the Assistant button and speak into the controller. It does make you feel a bit like an idiot at first. “What’s this dude doing talking to his remote?” you’ll think. One does get used to it over time though. We’re living in a world where speaking to tech has become the new norm. Might as well get some practise in now.

Because the Ematic box is certified by the man himself, Google, you’ll receive regular updates to the Assistant feature. The box should stay up to date with the latest AI and machine learning that you’d find in any other Google-based smart hub.

Just output

The Ematic box runs Android TV OS 8.1 and up — in other words, you’ll get regular updates from Google. That’s important to folks these days. Another feature that sets the Ematic apart from the rest of the boxes is its 4K capability.

Which means you’ll need a 4K-capable TV. Don’t come running to us if you don’t get 4K output working on a normal HD display. The other problem is that 4K isn’t super-widely available. You can find some 4K content on Netflix, but it’ll chow your bandwidth, so you’d better be on an uncapped line.

It’s great to have the 4K (Ultra HD is another moniker) option, though. And of course, with Chromecast built-in you can project just about any content from another device (a laptop or phone perhaps) to the TV without sideloading dodgy apps or pulling out another HDMI cable. Want to show your friends your latest skydiving experience? Go ahead and cast it to the TV. As easy as falling on your face, something we hope you only attempt while not wearing a parachute.

Ematic 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box Verdict

Is the Emtaic 4K Ultra UD Android TV Box worth your time and money? Basically. We reckon anyone without a smart TV (yet) should look into getting an Ematic box. For just R1,200, you can turn just about any display into a smart TV hub. It’s kind of a no-brainer really. Add another R400 and you can get the 32GB internal storage upgrade. And if you’re like us, and prefer smoother interfaces, the Ematic box may just be a nice-to-have replacement for the sub-par smart TV interfaces out there. There are a few sets like that on the market — clunky, hard to navigate and slow. None of those descriptors apply to this Android TV OS 8.1-powered hardware.

An Android TV box can be a great purchase, especially if you have a high-speed Internet connection and are tired of paying high monthly instalments for satellite TV.

There are a lot of Android media boxes available in South Africa, however, with many of them not certified by Google, despite their use of the Android operating system.

While these devices usually support some content applications – such as YouTube, Twitch, and Kodi – many do not officially support apps like Netflix and DStv Now, as these applications require certain certifications to be implemented.

There are a large number of uncertified Android media boxes on the South African market, and they are sold through numerous prominent retailers and labelled as “Android TV” boxes, despite running a mobile operating system.

These media box manufacturers use a number of tricks and workarounds to bypass certifications, making it important that you know whether an Android TV box is certified before purchasing it.

Encountering problems

MyBroadband spoke to Nology product manager Grant Robertson about the problems with uncertified Android media boxes and how distributors attempt to trick customers into believing they offer similar features to certified boxes.

Nology is the official distributor of the Ematic 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box in South Africa. The Ematic 4K is both Google and Netflix-certified, providing the best experience possible for Android TV box users.

Robertson said that not only do uncertified boxes lack the security features due to their outdated and modified software, they also lack official support for many applications.

“An uncertified Android media box lacks the latest security, features and some of the key applications we have become accustomed to,” he said.

“Many third-party applications have also come to require a Google Certified device to run – for example, DStv Now. An uncertified Android media box will not run these apps and displays an error at start-up.”

He added that these uncertified Android media boxes also run mobile versions of the operating system and applications, leading to an unfriendly interface and difficult navigation for TV users.

Dodgy tricks

Robertson said that when Android media box manufacturers do not meet the requirements for certification, they use a few tricks to ship their product.

“Some manufacturers’ Android media boxes will often run an older or mobile version of Android on their devices, so they actually negate the need for the certification,” he said.

“The problem with this is that these older Android versions often lack the security and features of the later Android versions, lack the proper TV interface, and use apps that were never designed for a TV in the first place.”

To use these apps, a customer will need to download an APK from the web and sideload a mobile Android version of the app, which is often a trial-and-error process.

“This is also a security risk, as these non-official apps could have malware or viruses already loaded,” Robertson said.

Another trick which he said media boxes often employ is to preload an older version of an app that is available out of the box which will stop working once it receives any updates.

“This means a customer is stuck with the specific app that the Android media box shipped with.”

Lastly, Robertson added that many Android media box manufacturers use inferior hardware to cut costs and offer their products for cheaper.

“In other words, they’ll use the slower S905W CPU which does not have the power to run a 4K60FPS video – or even select a single band (2.4GHz) WiFi module as opposed to dual-band (2.4GHz / 5GHz),” he said.

When you are looking at purchasing an Android TV box, you should always check the description and fine print to make sure it supports the right apps and runs the correct Android TV operating system.