Google's HDMI media player with Android TV looks suspicious

By: Bohdan Chub | 11.04.2018, 17:40
Google's HDMI media player with Android TV looks suspicious

Recently, an unusual media player with the Google logo was certified by FCC. Outwardly it resembles Chromecast and at the same time it has the capabilities of a full-fledged TV set-top box. Although not a fact that the device has anything to do with the Internet giant.

What it is?

The gadget runs in the database called 4K ATV Stick. It connects to the HDMI port of the TV and is powered via Micro USB. Inside, there is a quad-core Amlogic S905X processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a built-in 8 GB. The same characteristics can be found in Xiaomi Mi Box 3 and dozens of other set-top boxes. The manufacturer claims to support 4K-video with a frequency of up to 60 frames per second (HEVC / H.265).

The media player runs on Android TV and comes with a remote control equipped with a microphone for voice control and a call button for Google Assistant.

Why doubt?

It's worth starting with at least the fact that instead of Google, the certificate was received by the Chinese OEM Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co., Ltd. Another bell - an instruction, the text of which is more like an automatic translation from Chinese into English. Google could entrust the production of its media player to another company, but why in this case the partner did not conclude an agreement with the FCC on non-disclosure of information about the device?

Perhaps the corporation did not take care of this, since it does not plan to release the device in mass production. For example, a media player will be presented as part of a development kit for the Google I / O 2018 conference in May. But so far these are only assumptions.

Sources: Liliputing , FCCID.io