After reviewing inexpensive TV set-top boxes for televisions, it’s time to get acquainted with the TOP-5 gadgets in the mid-price segment. A great review “Best TV Boxes of 2020 from $50 to $100” was presented by the Technozon channel.
What can be said here, the ranking of set-top boxes is honest and impartial. And interestingly, all representatives are leaders from 2019. This means that all new releases are based on old chips. Otherwise, the TOP would look different.
Best TV Boxes of 2020 from $50 to $100
Immediately about the winners:
- Ugoos X2;
- Ugoos X3;
- Mecool KM9 Pro;
- Beelink GT1 Mini-2;
- Mi box 3.
The Ugoos X2 TV box, priced at $52, is not in the budget class but in the mid-price category. In terms of price-quality ratio, it is the best solution for buyers.
The MECOOL KM9 Pro set-top box, with a minimum cost of $42, also falls into the mid-price segment. The reason is that for $42, you can buy a version with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. The trimmed version lacks Bluetooth and has a 100 Mbps network interface. Therefore, the review included a version with more features: 4/64 and modern modules.
The Beelink GT1 Mini-2 differs from its predecessor (Mini) by having a larger memory capacity. Also 4/64 GB. Everything else remains unchanged. Except that the price increased by $10.
Ugoos X2 TV Box: specifications, review
| Chipset | Amlogic S905X2 |
| Processor | 4x Cortex-A53 up to 2.0GHz |
| Video adapter | ARM Mali-G31MP2, 650 MHz |
| RAM | LPDDR4 4GB 3200MHz |
| Permanent memory | EMMC Flash 32 GB |
| Storage expansion | Yes |
| Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
| Wired network | Yes, 1 Gbps |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2.4G/5G, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Update support | Yes, hardware, with Root |
| Interfaces | HDMI 2.0, S/PDIF, LAN, IR, AV-out, USB 2.0 and 3.0, TF |
| External antennas | Yes, 1 removable |
| Digital panel | No |
| Network capabilities | Root, Samba Server, Scripts |
| Price | $52 |
A very cool set-top box for its price segment. Perfect for UHD video viewing and gaming. Does not overheat, does not throttle, can decode video and audio. Works with any content source, supports all file formats. Equipped with excellent network modules that do not hinder downloading large video files. A unique gadget of its kind.
It should be noted that the Ugoos X2 set-top box is available in 3 versions:
- Cube;
- ATV;
- PRO.
All variants meet the stated requirements and differ only in appearance and remote control included. They also have a small price difference (within $5).
Ugoos X3 TV Box: specifications, review
Interestingly, the legendary Ugoos device took second place instead of first. The reason is simple. With higher performance, X3 heats up significantly, causing user dissatisfaction. This issue affects all versions of Ugoos X3 (Cube, ATV, and Pro).
| Chipset | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | ARM Cortex-A55 (4 cores, 1.9 GHz) |
| Video adapter | ARM Mali-G31MP2, 650 MHz |
| RAM | LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM 4 GB |
| Permanent memory | EMMC Flash 32 GB |
| Storage expansion | Yes |
| Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
| Wired network | LAN Ethernet RJ45 1 Gbps |
| Wireless network | 2.4G/5G dual-band |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Update support | Yes, hardware, firmware |
| Interfaces | HDMI 2.1, S/PDIF, LAN, IR port, AV-OUT, USB 2.0 and 3.0 |
| External antennas | Yes, 1 removable |
| Digital panel | No |
| Network capabilities | SuperSU, Silent, Samba, NFS |
| Price | $60-$90 |
If you ignore the heating issue or ensure active cooling, the Ugoos X3 becomes the best purchase in the mid-price segment. You can confidently play any games on the TV and watch movies in 4K quality. The set-top box can even outshine more expensive solutions on the market presented by Chinese, American, and Russian manufacturers.
Mecool KM9 Pro TV Box: review, specifications
In our review, we featured the budget representative of this brand – Mecool KM3 4/64 GB Smart TV. The KM9 Pro is the manufacturer’s flagship. The gadget does not throttle and does not overheat. Works perfectly with any applications. Can cast sound. Very flexible in settings and supports third-party firmware installation. The only drawback is that the manufacturer economized on the wired Ethernet interface. 100 Megabits per second is a thing of the past. Fortunately, Wi-Fi 5 GHz works very fast and compensates for all data transfer shortcomings.
| Chipset | Amlogic S905X2 |
| Processor | 4x Cortex-A53 up to 2.0GHz |
| Video adapter | ARM Mali-G31MP2, 650 MHz |
| RAM | LPDDR3 4GB 3200MHz |
| Permanent memory | EMMC Flash 32/64 GB |
| Storage expansion | Yes |
| Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
| Wired network | Yes, 100 Mbps |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2.4G/5G, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Update support | Yes, hardware |
| Interfaces | HDMI 2.0, LAN, AV-out, USB 2.0 and 3.0, TF |
| External antennas | No |
| Digital panel | No |
| Network capabilities | Root, Samba |
| Price | $50-$80 |
Beelink GT1 Mini-2 TV Box: review, specifications
Legends do not die—they reincarnate and are reborn anew. This can be said about the Beelink GT1 Mini, which, having gained more memory, was reborn again. And to avoid confusion among buyers, the updated TV box received the “2” suffix.
| Chipset | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | ARM Cortex-A55 (4 cores, 1.9 GHz) |
| Video adapter | ARM Mali-G31MP2, 650 MHz |
| RAM | DDR4-3200 SDRAM 4 GB |
| Permanent memory | SSD Flash 64 GB |
| Storage expansion | Yes |
| Memory card support | microSD up to 64 GB (TF) |
| Wired network | LAN Ethernet RJ45 1 Gbps |
| Wireless network | 2T2R WI-FI IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G 5.8G |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Update support | No, third-party firmware |
| Interfaces | HDMI 2.0, LAN, AV-OUT, 1x USB 2.0 and 1x USB 3.0 |
| External antennas | No |
| Digital panel | No |
| Network capabilities | Root |
| Price | $65 |
A rather strange device from the manufacturer. The Amlogic S905X3 chip, which heats up significantly in other devices, remains cool in Beelink. That’s great. But for some reason, the brand does not support its creation with updates. Fortunately, there are innovators who create unique firmware for the TV box. The disadvantages include the inability to play Netflix in 4K format and the lack of a digital audio output. It seems the manufacturer simply replaced their outdated Beelink GT1 Mini with added memory. But still, the device made it into the TOP “Best TV Boxes of 2020 from $50 to $100”. And that’s the main thing.
Mi box 3 TV Box: review, specifications
The Xiaomi device made it into the ranking not by chance. The outdated chipset and ancient Android 8.0 clearly work against the TV box. But. It is the only device in the TOP capable of stable operation and casting any sound format. Even Dolby Atmos. This is from the “Built to last” section. Small memory size, lack of demanded interfaces, but full functionality in reproducing 4K content.
| Chipset | Amlogic S905X |
| Processor | 4x Cortex-A53 2.0GHz |
| Video adapter | Mali-450 |
| RAM | DDR3 2 GB |
| Permanent memory | 8GB eMMC |
| Storage expansion | No |
| Memory card support | No |
| Wired network | No |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Version 4.0 |
| Operating system | Android 8.0 |
| Update support | Yes |
| Interfaces | USB 2.0a, HDMI, AV-out, DC |
| External antennas | No |
| Digital panel | No |
| Network capabilities | Firmware installation |
| Price | $67 |
In conclusion
Getting through the TOP best TV boxes of 2020 from $50 to $100, you can immediately sum up. There are no changes in the market again. Ugoos, Beelink, and Xiaomi are still leading. Are there no new and interesting set-top boxes? There are, and they would definitely make it into the TOP 10 or TOP 20. Read our reviews, subscribe to the Technozon channel, and you will definitely find interesting solutions for yourself.
