TOP 5 TV-Boxes under $50 — at the beginning of 2021
The winter of 2021 has proven to be very productive in the field of IT technology. First, we were pleased with the CES-2021 exhibition with new devices. Then the Chinese offered to buy high-quality and inexpensive Android set-top boxes for TVs. Therefore, the TOP 5 TV-Box up to $ 50 at the beginning of 2021 has matured by itself. Note - the assortment of suitable gadgets has not changed much compared to last year (TOP 5 to $ 50 2020).
A small introduction to TOP 5 TV-Box up to $ 50
Such news is read by buyers who wish to purchase an inexpensive and high-quality gadget for their TV. Therefore, we will not waste the reader's time and start our rating not from the 5th, but from the 1st place. So it will be fair in relation to the buyer. And then it's up to you - to study the characteristics of other devices or go to the store page.
1 Place - TOX 1
The main feature of this TV box is that the software for it is developed by Ugoos. Yes, the one that produces the Premium segment consoles. Moreover, this action is not a one-off - the set-top box has long-term support (updates are coming). The basic advantages of the device can be added to the presence of:
- NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
- 1 Gbps
- Gorgeous cooling (without anthers and with a radiator).
- ATV module.
- Fair 4K 60 FPS.
You can list the advantages endlessly. This is a really cool and reasonably inexpensive TV-Box. In order for the buyer to have an idea of the device, we will summarize all the characteristics in a plate.
| Manufacturer | Vontar |
| Chip | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | 4хARM Cortex-A55 (up to 1.9 GHz), 12nm |
| Video adapter | Mali-G31 MP2 (650 MHz, 6 Cores) |
| RAM | LPDDR3, 4 GB, 2133 MHz |
| Flash memory | 32 GB (eMMC Flash) |
| Memory expansion | Yes, microSD |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Wired network | Yes, RJ-45 (1Gbits) |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2.4G / 5.8 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n / ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes 4.2 version |
| Interfaces | 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, HDMI 2.1, RJ-45, DC |
| Removable media | microSD up to 128 GB |
| Root | Yes |
| Digital panel | No |
| The presence of external antennas | Yes (1 piece) |
| Remote controller | IR, voice control, TV control |
| Price | $46 |
2nd Place - TANIX TX9S
This TV-BOX can be safely called legendary. After all, he alone has managed to hold leading positions in the category up to $ 50 for more than one year. Moreover, this is not just a cheap TV set-top box. This is a full-fledged media player capable of displaying 4K video with high-quality audio streaming.
Thanks to its technical characteristics and low price, TANIX TX9S quickly found its fans. This is one of the few consoles that boasts dozens of custom firmwares. The only drawback is that you won't be able to play games on this console. The power of the chip is enough only for video playback in 4K resolution. But for such a cost, this is not at all critical.
| Chipset | Amlogic S912 |
| Processor | 8xCortex-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 | Android TV |
| 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 | 25$ |
3rd place - AX95 DB
Quite an interesting set-top box for TVs in its price range. Its peculiarity is that Ugoos also releases firmware for it. The great hardware is just complemented by the right software. The declared 8K format is a publicity stunt for some unknown target. But for watching video in 4K from any source, the AX95 DB console is more than enough.
And interestingly, you can even play games. The chip is very powerful and will do the job. But. There is one point regarding overheating. The manufacturer did not fully work the cooling system. This is fixable. You just need to remove the cover and install the thermal pad. How to do this - you can find out on thematic forums or watch a video on the TECHNOZON channel.
| Manufacturer | Vontar |
| Chip | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | 4хARM Cortex-A55 (up to 1.9 GHz) |
| Video adapter | Mali-G31 MP2 (650 MHz, 6 Cores) |
| RAM | DDR3, 4GB |
| Flash memory | 32/64 GB (eMMC Flash) |
| Memory expansion | Yes, microSD |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Wired network | Yes, RJ-45 (100 Mbps) |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2.4G / 5.8 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n DUAL |
| Bluetooth | Yes 4.2 version |
| Interfaces | 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, HDMI, RJ-45, AV, SPDIF, DC |
| Removable media | microSD up to 128 GB |
| Root | Yes |
| Digital panel | Yes |
| The presence of external antennas | No |
| Remote controller | IR, voice control, TV control |
| Price | $ 40-48 |
4th place — X96 MAX+
The TV set-top box is already familiar to buyers. After all, this is the legendary TV-Box, which took the honorable 3rd place in the list of the best budget-class devices in 2020. Let us remind you that this is a duplicate of the VONTAR X88 PRO prefix, with which the memory was simply cut off slightly. By the way, in the reviews on the thematic forums about the X96 MAX Plus device you can even find such thoughts:
- The budget device is so good that sales of more famous brands have dropped.
- Vontar has found a gold mine and will soon begin to step on Xiaomi's heels.
- You need to be careful with the X96 MAX + firmware so that the manufacturer does not slow down it remotely. This is a joke towards Apple, which is underreporting the performance of its devices so that buyers purchase new smartphones.
| Manufacturer | Vontar |
| Chip | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | 4хARM Cortex-A55 (up to 1.9 GHz) |
| Video adapter | Mali-G31 MP2 (650 MHz, 6 Cores) |
| RAM | 2/4 GB (DDR3 / 4, 3200 MHz) |
| Flash memory | 16 / 32 / 64 GB (eMMC Flash) |
| Memory expansion | Yes, microSD up to 64 GB |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Wired network | Yes, 1 Gbps |
| Wireless network | 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac 2.4GHz / 5GHz, 2 × 2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Yes 4.1 version |
| Interfaces | 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, HDMI 2.0a, RJ-45, AV, SPDIF, DC |
| Root | Yes |
| Digital panel | Yes |
| The presence of external antennas | No |
| Remote controller | IR, TV control |
| Price | $ 25-50 (depending on configuration) |
5th place - S9 MAX
This console appeared on the market not so long ago, but somehow it did not immediately attract attention. The hardware was decent and the functionality was very limited. The low price played an interesting joke with the TV-Box S9 MAX. The gadget attracted the attention of programmers who rushed to release firmware for it. As a result, we got a very interesting and convenient device for viewing content.
According to the TOP 5 TV-Box rating up to $ 50, the set-top box could be safely raised to the 2nd place. But this cannot be done for just one reason. Out of the box, the gadget doesn't know how to do anything well. And only the firmware catches all the stars on it. That is, if the manufacturer starts to "shove" custom firmware into the device at the factory and comes up with something with cooling, then the S9 MAX prefix will easily rise to the pedestal of the rating.
| Chip | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | 4хARM Cortex-A55 (up to 1.9 GHz) |
| Video adapter | Mali-G31 MP2 (650 MHz, 6 Cores) |
| RAM | 2/4 GB (LPDDR3 / 4, 3200 MHz) |
| Flash memory | 16 / 32 / 64 GB (eMMC Flash) |
| Memory expansion | Yes, microSD up to 64 GB |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Wired network | Yes, RJ-45 (100 Mbps) |
| Wireless network | Wi-Fi 2.4G / 5.8 GHz, IEEE 802,11 b / g / n / ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes 4.2 version |
| Interfaces | 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, HDMI, RJ-45, AV, SPDIF, DC |
| Root | Yes |
| Digital panel | Yes |
| The presence of external antennas | No |
| Remote controller | IR, voice control, TV control |
| Price | $ 40-48 |
In conclusion on TOP 5 TV-Box up to $ 50
The list of worthy set-top boxes could be easily expanded to 10. As our favorite channel Technozon did. By the way, you can watch the video below. The TOP 10 rating, according to the author, includes devices such as:
- X96S - 6th place.
- A95X F3 Air - 7th place.
- Vontar X3 - 8th place.
- Mecool KD1 - 9th place.
- Xiaomi MI TV STICK - 10th place.
We would still agree about the X96S and Vontar X3, but the rest are outright slag. After the update, Xiaomi MI TV STICK stopped working adequately. Moreover, a custom firmware could fix the problem. We have taken the place of ordinary users, far from "needlework". A similar story with the A95X F3 Air, which only works well through Kodi. Therefore, we limited ourselves to the TOP 5 TV-Box rating up to $ 50.
And 5 devices are enough to make a decision. After all, the more options in one price category, the more difficult the choice. Of all the options offered, we recommend buying a TANIX TX9S or TOX 1. They are cheap, powerful and functional out of the box. TOX 1 is more expensive, but you can play games on it. TANIX TX9S is cheaper and only focuses on videos from any source. This is the verdict of the TeraNews team. And you see for yourself.