13 hottest set-top boxes and smart TVs in China

Web TV is a booming entertainment sector, and big tech companies are eager to get a piece of the action. Smart TV penetration in China is second only to Japan, which has a much smaller population. This year alone, we’ve seen multiple companies jump into the web TV arena with set-top boxes, smart TVs, or both – including some web giants like Baidu and Alibaba.

Here’s a rundown of this year’s biggest and hottest competitors:

Set-top boxes

Xiaomi Box

The much-hyped Xiaomi Box was delayed by media regulators for several months, but it sold out almost immediately when it was made available for pre-order in March. The device costs $63, or $48 for Xiaomi phone owners. Like most of its competitors, it has a custom OS built on Android. A new version soon to be released will support Android games from the Xiaomi game market powered by a faster Cortex A9 chip. Future TV supplies the content, which ended up getting Xiaomi in legal trouble with Youku. Compatible with DLNA, Miracast and Apple’s AirPlay for control via smartphone.

Baidu’s iQiyi and Skyworth

The newest player in the set-top box game, the Super Definition Box (translated from Chinese) is a collaboration between premium video content provider iQiyi, appliance manufacturer Skyworth, and e-store Jingdong. The Android-based quad-core box will integrate content from iQiyi, PPS (Baidu owns both those Hulu-like sites), CNR, and Jiangsu TV. The box is now up for presale on Jingdong for RMB 299 ($49). Product specs do not list DLNA or Airplay support.

LeTV C1S

Here’s another offering from a Chinese video site. The C1S boxes started shipping in April for free to customers who purchased a half-year subscription. It supports up to 1080p and 3D video and runs on an Android-based OS. The C1S is only sold with a RMB 490 ($75) per year subscription to all of LeTV’s licensed content. You can also substitute the box in for your home’s wireless router. Includes Airplay support, but DLNA is not listed.

Huawei MediaQ

MediaQ is banking on its hardware more than its features. It runs on Android and sports a quad-core Cortex A9 chip, Bluetooth, and dual-band wi-fi for RMB 488 ($80). It can be used with multiple screens, such as simultaneously on a tablet and TV. Skype-like video calls using a built-in camera, voice control, and a handful of pre-installed games are also included. It’s smaller than its competitors and comes with HDMI in and out ports. Like Xiaomi, it pulls content from Future TV and CNTV. Airplay and DLNA supported.

Smart TVs