TV box is a derivative of TV home appliances. After realizing the connection between the network and the TV, the smart TV was born, which has made great progress both in terms of entertainment resources and feature richness. With the iterative upgrade of smart TV products, the AIoT Internet of Things and the gradual popularization of 5G networks are also helping to further expand the functions of network smart TVs. However, all this puts the Internet TV box, which appeared in early 2012 and broke out in 2013, in an awkward position.

According to relevant data, the growth rate of Internet TV boxes in 2013 was 236.7%, and the retail volume reached 10.1 million units. However, in the following years, TV box sales were not optimistic with the popularity of smart TVs and the growing weakness of the color TV market. According to the full-year data from AVC 2018, the smart box market size reached 77.30 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 35%, and the overall development momentum is in a downward trend.

In fact, for consumers, the choice to buy a TV box usually comes from the demand for diversity of video content. Traditional TV set-top boxes can only watch TV stations ’signals, but the TV box can install more third-party applications through the Android system it is equipped on. There is no need to worry about video programs that can only be viewed on a certain video software. The platform can meet the needs of watching different film and television programs. Many consumers who started the TV box also liked the convenient screen projection function of the TV box. We can also use the video projection software to cast our daily video, or use the large TV screen to play games.

And from the perspective of the update cycle, it is also a major reason for many consumers to choose a TV box. The TV update cycle is generally longer. Compared to mobile phones that are updated once a year or even half a year, TVs with an update cycle of 2-3 years are slower in terms of hardware upgrades and cannot keep up with the current mobile device hardware performance design. That is to say, even if we buy the latest smart TV now, it has the strongest hardware configuration and will not be eliminated in a short time, but it cannot be guaranteed that it will not fall behind in two or three years, and this is just the normal TV usage cycle. As a result, lower-priced and easy-to-use TV boxes have their uses.

Now you can buy a mainstream TV box for a relatively low price. These investments are much lower than replacing a TV directly. For many consumers, their TV does not support smart operation, or the TV hardware that has been used for a year or two cannot keep up. It only takes a small investment to get the latest models on the market. The same experience of smart TV can be said to be quite cost-effective.

Compared with the latest smart TVs, TV boxes do not require matching TV hardware configuration. Even TVs that do not provide intelligent systems and hardware, only need HDMI video input, and can be connected to the box through a video cable. Achieve the latest intelligent system, newer smart TV hardware, and multi-format video hard decoding functions.

Of course, the TV box still has its limitations, and the TV box is not omnipotent. Many of the box's built-in video resources also cost dozens or even hundreds of VIP fees to be able to watch our favorite movies and TV shows. Due to cost and selling price restrictions, there are also many limitations on the hardware, which cannot be completely comparable to the current mobile device operating experience.

In general, although facing the impact of smart TVs used with 5G networks, and the subsequent use of members must bear the cost of video software members, and bear the risk of short service life, but TV boxes rely on their purchase price The advantages of low and wide use conditions still have its value and significance.

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