HDMI Dongle Converts Any TV into Android Smart TV

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beardguy

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Cool idea, but this looks terrible. Not practical at all to use that tiny remote like a mouse. Also, there's too many cables hanging off that damn thing lol. Looks pretty ugly. There's plenty of better devices on the market for the same price that are more streamlined than this.

I don't get the draw to "smart TV's" at all. I don't want to watch youtube videos or play Angry Birds on my TV. That's what mobile, tablet, and PC's are for.
 

ArgleBargle

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Ah, if only my Samsung Galaxy S2 could have the ICS update which has been promised for MONTHS now but as usual they FAIL TO DELIVER.

So, yeah, this is just another useless tchochke for me and many other people because either Google or Samsung can't be arsed to do their jobs.
 

hoof_hearted

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[citation][nom]cushgod[/nom]Hell Yeah, Down with Cable!!! Fuck you cable , you like that , ?? Right up your ass, you greedy fucks!!, Now you had your thumb up your ass so long now its too late, so many ways to get media then from Cable , HAHA!![/citation]

Agreed!! Been without cable TV for a few years now. Between Netflix, Redbox and getting news off the internet, saving a ton of money. Only thing I miss is sports, so have to go to sports bars every now and then for the major events.
 

tomrippity02

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[citation][nom]beardguy[/nom]Cool idea, but this looks terrible. Not practical at all to use that tiny remote like a mouse. Also, there's too many cables hanging off that damn thing lol. Looks pretty ugly. [/citation]

What other device turns your tv in an Android device? I haven't seen any.

This device only needs 2 cables technically. They had a lot more because they were showing off many devices, but they used a USB hub as the article points out. Seeing as how its the size of 2 thumb drives, I don't really see how one could consider it "ugly". Its much less obtrusive than a typical media center. For people who can't afford to go buy a smart TV, this is a great solution.

The draw to smart televisionsare not for Angry birds and youtube. They also include apps like HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Weather, Music Applications, etc... It doesn't seem like you've had much experience with smart televisions or you would obviously see the upside. All of the power of a media center without having to add the extra devices is really nice.

I use Pandora on my smart tv now when I have company over for entertainment, but with this device I could use Grooveshark instead, which I prefer hands down.
 

saltyzip

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Would be better for the remote to have a touchpad to do the swiping on and move the mouse around me thinks.
 

acerace

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[citation][nom]ArgleBargle[/nom]Ah, if only my Samsung Galaxy S2 could have the ICS update which has been promised for MONTHS now but as usual they FAIL TO DELIVER.So, yeah, this is just another useless tchochke for me and many other people because either Google or Samsung can't be arsed to do their jobs.[/citation]

How the gug does Samsung have anything to do with this you gug? Read the whole guging article before commenting.
 

tomrippity02

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[citation][nom]waaat[/nom]ehttp://www.engadget.com/2012/01/07 [...] -tv-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/30 [...] ckstarter/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/01 [...] -hands-on/http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/07 [...] pressions/[/citation]

Well, the first and third link are the same product, the third link is just referencing an update to the product.

The second link is to the exact same product in this THG article.

And the third doesn't appear to be available and was only just reviewed yesterday. It looks nice, but it also appears the IR sensor is on the device itself, so if your HDMI connection is on the back of the tv, your remote wouldn't be able to hit the sensor.

As mentioned before, it is only slightly larger than a thumb drive, are looks really that big of a deal?

 

RADIO_ACTIVE

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[citation][nom]cushgod[/nom]Hell Yeah, Down with Cable!!! Fuck you cable , you like that , ?? Right up your ass, you greedy fucks!!, Now you had your thumb up your ass so long now its too late, so many ways to get media then from Cable , HAHA!![/citation]You still have to have the internet lol so chances are you are still payiong the man....
 

annymmo

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So many people still haven't figured out you can just use your pc with your tv.

Seriously people who don't know that: WTF is wrong with you!?!
Doesn't the computer screen looks like a tv to you? NO?
 

dark_lord69

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[citation][nom]annymmo[/nom]So many people still haven't figured out you can just use your pc with your tv.Seriously people who don't know that: WTF is wrong with you!?!Doesn't the computer screen looks like a tv to you? NO?[/citation]
Dude... does your family/friends like to gather around a computer screen at a desk in the office? Cause that is the most typical setup for a computer.

Mine however is on a 37"HDTV in a living room in front of a couch so that concept works fine for me be in our other room it would be nice to have these apps on a TV that is NOT connected to a computer. Also, a mouse and keyboard are not a good replacement for a remote (for the average joe).


I like it... I might have to get one of these and just cancel cable... It would work perfect in my other living area that doesn't have a computer connected to the TV. On the otherhand I think a Roku would be able the same thing.
 

tomrippity02

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[citation][nom]annymmo[/nom]So many people still haven't figured out you can just use your pc with your tv.Seriously people who don't know that: WTF is wrong with you!?!Doesn't the computer screen looks like a tv to you? NO?[/citation]

Or they prefer using their pc while they watch television? Maybe they don't have a smart TV or media center and would like to watch a movie off of netflix on the tv while they browse. Or maybe there are multiple people in the family and one wants to use the PC with the tv and the other wants to use the PC for something else.

Why are people trying to put down an obviously useful device?

It costs way less than a computer as well... I have a laptop and a desktop in my home. If my TV didn't include the HBO GO and Netflix App, this dongle would be highly useful for me. I wouldn't have to give up my laptop to use those apps on the television.
 

beardguy

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[citation][nom]tomrippity02[/nom] They also include apps like HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Weather, Music Applications, etc... It doesn't seem like you've had much experience with smart televisions or you would obviously see the upside. [/citation]

My BluRay player has all these features built in already. Consoles have many of these features already as well. Why waste $100 on this thing? There is no compelling reason for me to want Android apps on my TV.
 

subaru41

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[citation][nom]ArgleBargle[/nom]Ah, if only my Samsung Galaxy S2 could have the ICS update which has been promised for MONTHS now but as usual they FAIL TO DELIVER.So, yeah, this is just another useless tchochke for me and many other people because either Google or Samsung can't be arsed to do their jobs.[/citation]

FYI, ICS has been out on the Galaxy S2 for several months. Check out XDA Developers on your phone model. There has not been an official release thanks to phone carriers taking their sweet time loading ICS with bloatware.
 

NoUserBar

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This is cool, a future of nano-machine computers hooking up to random monitors in game rooms of hotels will come to pass.
 

everygamer

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It would be cool if they could tie support for the Kinect into this thing (using the Kinect API), then you would use motion control instead of a touch screen.
 

tomrippity02

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[citation][nom]beardguy[/nom]My BluRay player has all these features built in already. Consoles have many of these features already as well. Why waste $100 on this thing? There is no compelling reason for me to want Android apps on my TV.[/citation]

There is no compelling reason for me to want to purchase a blu-ray player. I don't want any more dvd's laying around that gather dust and the player is much larger than this device would be. I can rent from Amazon or stream HD from any number of other services. With this device, all someone needs is the TV and the dongle. Short of playing an actual DVD this is a better option for just about any reason than a blu-ray
 
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