Concept in Definition ABC

What about televisions that are not "smart"? Are they "stupid"? Not; we always have the chance to add that part of intelligence that they lack by connecting an external device, which usually receives the generic name of set-top box which, in English, comes to mean “box fixed on top [from the TV] ”.

A set-top box it's a apparatus that connects to a television, being controlled by distance, presenting a simple and comfortable interface to use with a television, being able to connect with Internet to consume content from the network of networks and in which applications can be installed.

The latter allows us to personalize our device with the applications of the providers of contents that we want to hire.

There are many set-top boxes on the market, which use different software platforms, being more or less flexible

As an example of a set-top box we have the Apple TV, based on a variant of the iOS, and for which we can download applications from the App Store, although not all those that are available for the iPhone or iPad, but we have to settle for the ones that Apple accepts for this device.

Google has Android TV, a platform designed for smart TVs that can also be used in set-top boxes, with the same limitation regarding applications as in the case of Apple TV.

However, in the market we have a large number of devices, especially from Asian manufacturers, that use the standard Android (stock Android), although the same manufacturers can - and usually do - introduce their own interfaces to offer greater customization of the device.

Finally, we have a series of set-top boxes that assemble their own platform, like the Roku.

Formats

In addition to being able to be presented in the form of a "box" (whose advantage is that of having several ports USB or otherwise), they can also be presented in the form of stick, much more discreet because we do not have to worry about where we have to put them, and aesthetically, are hidden behind the TV as they connect directly to the HDMI video ports as a pendrive it does so on a USB port.

The handicap in the case of Formatstick is that it does not accommodate a large number of ports.

As for the control peripherals, these can be a remote control similar to that of a television, or a set of keyboard and wireless mouse.

Photos: Fotolia - Maya Kruchancova / implementfilms