In short

A TV box goes by many names: Android box, streaming box, media box, media streamer, media player or set-top box. They all describe the same thing: a small device that connects to the TV with one HDMI cable and to the internet by Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and comes with its own remote.

Because it runs Android, you choose the apps. OTV Prime 11000 runs Android 14 and has Google Play built in.

What is inside one

A TV box is built from the same kinds of parts as a phone. These are the ones that matter, with the OTV Prime 11000's figures as an example:

  • Processor and graphics: they keep the menus quick and the picture smooth. OTV Prime 11000 has a quad-core processor and a five-core GPU.
  • Memory (RAM): more memory lets apps open faster and stay open. OTV Prime 11000 has 4 GB.
  • Storage: where apps are kept. 16 GB of storage is built in, and it is extendable up to 120 GB with an external USB drive plugged into a USB-A port on the side of the box.
  • Video decoding: the formats the box can play. OTV Prime 11000 plays 4K at up to 60 frames a second with HDR10 and HLG, and decodes AV1, VP9, HEVC (H.265) and AVC (H.264).
  • Connections: dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI, two USB ports and an AV output.

The full list is on the Tech Specs page.

What you can do with it

TV box, streaming stick or smart TV?

A smart TV has the computer built in, but it cannot be replaced when it gets slow. A streaming stick is a very small box that hangs from the HDMI port. A TV box is larger, which leaves room for a wired Ethernet port, USB ports and more memory.

Does a TV box come with channels?

The box is the player. OTV does not provide any TV channels, subscriptions or any other audio-video content, and has no affiliation with any third-party providers.