Have you noticed how the television keeps moving closer to the Internet? With the advent of so-called Smart TV’s, most big screens now include interesting functionalities such as Youtube access, basic Internet browsing and app support. While this is likely to soon become a standard functionality of most TV screens, it may not be enough reason for you to spend almost a thousand dollars getting a new television.
Truth of the matter is that you don’t actually need to buy a new TV to make it smart and get it connected to the Internet. In the past months, a new interesting concept has been released to the market: PC-on-a-stick devices, also known as Android-on-TV gadgets.
What is Android-on-TV?
The original Android-on-TV gadget was Google TV, but it didn’t take long at all before the market was flooded with similar, but lower cost alternatives.
Simply put, this kind of gadget is an Android device in a package roughly the size of a matchstick. When you plug it in a TV (usually via HDMI port), your television effectively turns into an Android-enabled device. This means you can use it to check your e-mail, install games and apps from Google Play, and of course, browse the Internet.
For the average user, these gadgets represent the most cost efficient solution to turn any standard TV into a casual computer. Useful for everyday web browsing, instant messaging and video chat… provided of course, you plug in a wireless keyboard and mouse, or otherwise get hold of one of the remote control + keyboard + trackpad combos which are getting increasingly popular since Google TV was released.
Since most Android-on-TV ticks actually feature reasonably powerful chips (usually a double core processor backed up with an average GPU), it means you can effectively play most games and apps available at Google Play. But if you’re most interested in gaming maybe you should look into the Android Gamestation variants soon to be released (check following section to see more details).
The advent of Android Game Stations
For users who are focused on gaming more than casual Internet browsing, there are similar concepts that promise to deliver just that: Android based gaming consoles that can be plugged into any TV. The most popular examples right now are the Gamestick and the Ouya, both of which were developed independently and are soon to be released to the mass market.
Both of these are also Android-on-TV contraptions, but with a heavier focus on gaming. They rely on more advanced processors (such as as the widely popular and robust Tegra 3 System-on-chip) and feature built-in controllers as part of the package. The Gamestick looks like a classic Nintendo controller with a detachable wireless transmitter meant to plug into the TV; the Ouya is shaped like a cube and connects wirelessly to a more sophisticated and modern-looking controller.
Final Thoughts
Something is clear at this point in electronics development: Android devices keep getting more widespread, and in the next few years they will spread much beyond the realm of smart-phones and integrate in television screens as well. It shouldn’t take a decade until all TV sets feature a built-in Android chip, but anyone interested can turn any contemporary TV into an Android enabled device by making an investment of under $100.