Manufacturers of set-top boxes for TVs are in earnest divided. Starting with TV boxes for high-quality video playback in 4K format, the Chinese switched to supporting demanding games and outputting Dolby Atmos sound. With the increase in functionality, the price of consoles proportionally went up. Cool TV-box (Beelink и Ugoos) reached the mark of 130-150 US dollars. But what about buyers from the budget segment? There is a way out - the best cheap TV boxes under $50 are available in all Chinese and American stores.
No need to search. Technozon has already tested dozens of set-top boxes and offered a great overview. Author links at the bottom of the article. And the news portal TeraNews will present the material in text form. Overview, specifications, price - detailed information for the buyer in our article.
Best cheap TV boxes under $ 50: first place
The Ugoos X2 series console (Cube, ATV, PRO) is considered the best offer in the budget class. The gadget can play 4K video from torrents, drives, Youtube and IPTV without braking. Not warming, not trotlit. Supports almost all types of video and sound. There is enough performance to play toys. Ugoos products stand out from the competition with excellent Wi-Fi data rates. Due to the presence of a removable antenna, the consoles work perfectly in the given ranges.
Specifications Ugoos X2:
Chipset | Amlogic S905X2 |
Processor | ARM Cortex-A53 (4 cores), up to 1.8 GHz, 12 nm process |
Video adapter | ARM G31 MP2 GPU, 650 MHz, 2 cores, 2.6 Gpix / s |
RAM | LPDDR4, 2/4 GB, 3200 MHz |
Persistent memory | EMMC 5.0 Flash 16/32 GB |
ROM expansion | Yes, memory cards |
Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
Wired network | Yes, 1 Gbps |
Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2,4G / 5 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n / ac |
Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 (not available in all versions) |
Operating system | Android 9.0 |
Update support | Yes, hardware |
Interfaces | HDMI 2.0, S / PDIF, LAN, IR, AV-out, USB 2.0 and 3.0, TF |
The presence of external antennas | Yes, 1 piece, removable |
Digital panel | No |
Networking opportunities | Root, Samba Server, Scripts |
Price | $ 50-60 (depending on configuration) |
The cost of 50 US dollars for the TV Box of the Ugoos X2 series is nominal for the version with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of Flash. For a prefix with 4/64, you will have to pay $ 10 more. But even with a minimal configuration, the gadget shows excellent results in working with multimedia. The only drawback of Ugoos is the remote control. It is not convenient for normal surfing on IPTV and Internet channels.
Best cheap TV boxes under $ 50: second place
The Vontar brand X96S gadget is hardly a prefix. TB boxing is more like a big flash drive. But this does not prevent the device from showing excellent results in playing 4K content from different sources. And interestingly, an oversized console does not trotlit and does not heat up.
Specifications X96S:
Chipset | Amlogic S905Y2 |
Processor | ARM Cortex-A53 (4 cores), up to 1.8 GHz, 12 nm process |
Video adapter | ARM G31 MP2 GPU, 650 MHz, 2 cores, 2.6 Gpix / s |
RAM | LPDDR3, 2/4 GB, 2133 MHz |
Persistent memory | EMMC 5.0 Flash 16/32 GB |
ROM expansion | Yes, memory cards |
Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
Wired network | No |
Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2,4G / 5 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n / ac |
Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.2 |
Operating system | Android 9.0 |
Update support | Yes |
Interfaces | HDMI 2.1, 1xUSB 3.0, 1xmicroUSB 2.0, IR, DC |
The presence of external antennas | No |
Digital panel | No |
Networking opportunities | Standard multimedia set |
Price | $ 25-50 (depending on configuration) |
For its dimensions, the X96S is very productive. Pleased with the presence of a port for connecting an infrared extension cable (present in the kit). An HDMI connector (male) is built into the chassis. You can immediately insert the console into the TV. Not everyone will enter the port, so the manufacturer provided the gadget with a small extension cord. Also included is an IR transmitter with a 50-cm cable. It can be fixed with double-sided tape on the side or bottom panel.
Judging by the characteristics, the manufacturer saved on the type of RAM. Installed LPDDR module 3 generations. Although the chipset supports the 4th generation. The gadget does not have the ability to connect to a home wired network. Therefore, the owner, for comfortable operation, will need a decent router with support for dual-channel Wi-Fi.
Best cheap TV boxes under $ 50: third place
The next winner of the competition is the Fire TV Stick 4K with full support for Alexa. It is available for sale only in the online store Amazon. The TV box is made in the form of a flash drive and is designed to be installed directly into the HDMI port of the TV. Included is a cable with the output of an IR transmitter. So there will be no problems with management.
In terms of performance, the Fire TV Stick 4K gadget aims only to play content from any source in UHD quality. The TV box supports all modern audio and video codecs on a hardware level. To play blasphemy on such a console. But, as a video player, the gadget competes very successfully with business-class TV boxes.
Technical characteristics of Fire TV Stick 4K:
Chipset | Broadcom Capri 28155 |
Processor | 1.7 GHz Quad-core |
Video adapter | IMG GE8300, 570 MHz |
RAM | LPDDR3, 2 GB, 2133 MHz |
Persistent memory | EMMC Flash 8 GB |
ROM expansion | No |
Memory card support | No |
Wired network | No |
Wireless network | 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Wi-Fi 2,4G / 5 GHz (MIMO) |
Bluetooth | Yes, version 5.0 + LE |
Operating system | Android 9.0 |
Update support | Yes |
Interfaces | HDMI |
The presence of external antennas | No |
Digital panel | No |
Networking opportunities | Standard multimedia set |
Price | 50$ |
The best cheap TV boxes under $ 50: fourth place
The prefix Tanix TX9S stands out from the competition with its very low cost and decent performance. A TV box, with morally obsolete hardware on board, demonstrates excellent abilities in working with 4K content. Moreover, from any sources. Not trotlit, not heated. It behaves perfectly in the work of IPTV, and YouTube, and with external drives. There is one drawback - the path to resource-intensive games to the owner is completely closed. The prefix is simply not intended for such entertainment.
Specifications Tanix TX9S:
Chipset | Amlogic S912 |
Processor | 6xCortex-A53, up to 2 GHz |
Video adapter | Mali-T820MP3 up to 750 MHz |
RAM | DDR3, 2 GB, 2133 MHz |
Persistent memory | EMMC Flash 8GB |
ROM expansion | Yes |
Memory card support | up to 32 GB (SD) |
Wired network | Yes, 1 Gbps |
Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2,4G GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n |
Bluetooth | No |
Operating system | Android7.1 |
Update support | No firmware |
Interfaces | HDMI, RJ-45, 2xUSB 2.0, DC |
The presence of external antennas | No |
Digital panel | No |
Networking opportunities | Standard multimedia set |
Price | 30$ |
The Tanix TX9S is the benchmark for a real TV set-top box. In this form, most buyers see TV boxing in the market of their country. Good price and decent 4K playback. All. Games, support for modern audio technologies - many users do not need this. On TV speakers, without external speakers with an AV processor, you still can’t hear the difference in Dolby Atmos or DTS +.
Best cheap TV boxes under $ 50: fifth place
The rating is closed by the S95 prefix. The gadget can also be attributed to obsolete devices, because of the filling, but for its price category it is very productive. Content from any sources in 4K format is played without friezes and braking. Suppose that the S95 TV box does not pull modern demanding toys, but in the role of a TV set-top box, it copes with all the tasks.
Specifications S95:
Chipset | Amlogic S905X2 |
Processor | ARM Cortex-A53 (4 cores), up to 1.8 GHz, 12 nm process |
Video adapter | ARM G31 MP2 GPU, 650 MHz, 2 cores, 2.6 Gpix / s |
RAM | LPDDR4, 2 GB, 3200 MHz |
Persistent memory | EMMC 5.0 Flash 16GB |
ROM expansion | Yes, memory cards |
Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
Wired network | Yes, 1 Gbps |
Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2,4G / 5 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n / ac |
Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 (not available in all versions) |
Operating system | Android 8.1 |
Update support | Yes, firmware |
Interfaces | HDMI, SPDIF, RJ-45, 1xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB 3.0, DC |
The presence of external antennas | No |
Digital panel | No |
Networking opportunities | Standard multimedia set |
Price | 45$ |
In conclusion
The rating “Best Cheap TV Boxes Under $ 50” clearly shows that there are many interesting offers in the affordable price segment. If the owner of a multimedia device has only a TV and does not want to play, then any of these gadgets will be a great purchase. Indeed, for modern 4K TV only relevant content is needed. And all the consoles from the "TOP 5" are suitable for the tasks. Sense of overpaying?