We’ve seen the likes of Sony, LG and Samsung promoting expensive
Smart TVs since last year. But current prices of majority of Smart TVs
in the market are over Php50k, even going as high as Php300k in larger
models. A cheaper alternative if you already own a TV is to get a set
top box running Android to hook up to your HDTV.
If you’re familiar with the LogiTech Revue, the Noontec Cube A9
is basically the same concept. We’ve feature several Noontec HD Media
players here before and the design is almost the same except for the
installed operating system.
The Noontec Cube A9 is an Android box that’s powered by a 1.2GHz
Rockchip processor with 512MB RAM and 2GB ROM running Android 2.3
Gingerbread. You have access to thousands of apps since Google Market is
already pre-installed.
You can hook it up to an external display or TV via RCA or HDMI
cable. It also has a built-in WiFi modem so once you’re connected to the
wireless LAN, you’re all set to watch YouTube or other streaming apps.
The Cube A9 can output 1080p full HD videos using popular formats
(AVI, MKV, MP4, etc) and you can even plug it to an external HDD to
store files or download torrents.
Was playing some games like Angry Birds and was able to comfortably
do so with the wireless keyboard and trackpad (the wireless keyboard is
an optional accessories). What comes with the box is just a small and
simple wireless remote control.
It’s a pretty interesting box although I’m hoping they could come out
with an ICS update in the future. I’m not sure when this will be
available but I remember the folks from Noontec Philippines told me the price would be under Php8k. Updated: Exact retail price of the Noontec Cube A9 is Php6,900.
Note: You can also get additional accessories on top of the basic
ones included in the box (the Cube A9, Wireless Remote, Cables, etc.).
To use a physical keyboard instead of the virtual keyboard on the
screen, there’s a compatible Wireless Keyboard & Mic (Php4,600) or
if you want to do some video conferencing, you can also get a compatible
USB Camera (Php1,750).
