In one look
Expert rating
Benefits
- Feature-rich remote control
- Google TV software makes streaming meaningful
- Super cheap even without sale price
The inconvenients
- Performance can occasionally lag
- No Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support
- The Google TV guide still has blind spots
Our opinion
For under $20, Walmart’s Google TV box is surprisingly solid. However, it lacks some Dolby support compared to more premium rivals.
You might not expect much from Walmart’s Onn 4K Streaming Box, given its sub-$20 price tag.
But just like the original Android TV model from two years ago, this new device is surprisingly solid, surpassing even Google’s $30 Chromecast dongle in value. It has a comfortable and capable remote control, 4K HDR video support and the latest Google TV software, which helps users sort through their streaming options.
The Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box offers additional benefits for people who use other Google products and services.
However, some compromises are to be expected at this price. Apps and menus are sometimes slow to load, and the Walmart Onn still omits support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos. Google TV, meanwhile, continues to have some limitations even though it’s useful overall. If you’re willing to accept these compromises, no other streaming box gives you so much for so little in the US.
Same hardware (mostly)
Hardware-wise, the Onn 4K Streaming Box 2023 is nearly identical to its 2021 predecessor. total storage.
Performance is passable most time, but app load times are a weak point, often taking over 10 seconds to reach an app’s main screen. You will also notice stuttering and freezes when performing more demanding tasks, such as loading the home screen’s Live tab or the live guide in Pluto TV. (This is most noticeable after a reboot or right after launching an app.)
Storage is also a slight issue, with only 5GB available for apps after accounting for system files. Google has made efforts to reduce the size of TV apps, and the device still had around 2GB with a dozen video apps installed, but space could become tight if you install games or a lot of video apps . Unlike Roku and Apple TV, Google TV doesn’t have the ability to automatically offload apps you don’t use.
For connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth, so you can pair a set of headphones or wireless headphones for private listening. Its only ports are HDMI for video output and micro-USB for power, so you’ll need a USB-OTG cable if you want to connect more accessories.
Same remote control (almost)
Unlike Google’s Chromecasts, the Onn Remote has shortcuts for settings, live guide, profile selection and channel change.
Jared Newman / Foundry
The Onn 4K’s remote is loaded with buttons, including shortcuts to Google TV’s live guide, settings menu, profile selection screen, and voice commands. The channel up/down buttons, meanwhile, can cycle through live channels in Sling TV, YouTube TV, Channels DVR, and Google TV’s live tab.
The remote also includes buttons for TV volume, power, inputs and mute. It supports HDMI-CEC if your audio system is connected through your TV’s ARC slot, and unlike Roku’s streamers, it can also directly control A/V receivers via infrared. The device does not automatically detect the brand of your TV, so you must go through a setup process to pair it with your TV, soundbar or receiver.
Like most streaming devices, the Onn 4K also comes with app shortcut keys, in this case for Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+ and YouTube. Most of them can’t be reprogrammed (at least not without workarounds), but holding the YouTube key lets you assign the button to YouTube TV or YouTube Music instead.
Google TV software
Jared Newman / Foundry
The biggest change from the original Onn 4K streaming box to this 2023 model is the switch from Android TV to Google TV on the home screen.
Although the underlying operating system and app support are the same, Google TV puts more emphasis on customization. The top row of the home screen recommends content based on your viewing habits. Below is a list of favorite apps, followed by a “Keep Watching” line that lets you quickly resume shows from supported streaming services.
The “Continue Watching” line helps you resume movies and shows from several popular streaming apps.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Keep scrolling and you’ll find even more suggestions for what to watch, with the option to add anything to a universal watchlist. Google TV supports multiple profiles, so each person can get their own recommendations.
Meanwhile, Google TV’s Live tab offers a unified grid guide for live channels from select pay-TV services (currently YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Philo) and free streaming sources. Mark channels as favorites and they’ll appear at the top of the guide so you can quickly see what’s on without jumping through each app.
With the “Live” tab, you can preview your favorite channels without leaving the home screen.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Google’s approach is unique in that it lets you choose which services appear in these menus. (You’ll find this option via the “Manage Services” button at the bottom of the home screen.) While some Google TV recommendations can’t be turned off, such as YouTube’s, you can mostly limit the screen hospitality to services that you are already paying for.
Google TV lets you hide recommendations from apps you don’t care about.
Jared Newman / Foundry
You can also use the search button to search for specific programming. Ask for a movie or show, and Google will tell you how to watch it or, in some cases, launch the video directly. Ask for a live TV channel and (if your live streaming service supports it) Google will take you there directly. You can also ask for genres, actors or directors; unfortunately the results will come from any service, not just the ones you have selected to appear on the home screen.
Search for a show and you can add it to your watchlist or see where to watch it.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Overall, the Google TV streaming guide is fun to use, but there are still some gaps in understanding it. Netflix content appears in the “Continue Watching” row, for example, but nowhere else on the home screen. Peacock works in reverse, showing recommendations but not supporting the “Continue Watching” line. All of this means that you will always end up spending time in individual apps, whether you like it or not.
Benefits of the Google ecosystem
Google TV’s screen saver mode integrates with Google Photos.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Like other Google TV devices, the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box offers additional benefits for people who use other Google products and services.
The best example is Screensaver mode, which can browse photos of specific people in your Google Photos library. The Onn Box can also be part of a multi-room audio setup with other Chromecast speakers and Google TV devices, and you can use the voice remote to view camera feeds or control any smart home devices you have. configured via the Google Home app.
Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box vs Other Cheap Streamers
You can currently buy the Onn 4K Streaming Box from Walmart for $19.88. The supermarket chain is not available in the UK, so this product is not for sale in that country.
The main draw of Walmart’s Onn box is its Google TV software, and compared to the $30 Chromecast with Google TV HD, it’s a better value. The remote is more useful, it supports 4K HDR video and costs $10 less to start. Walmart’s box has the same benefits as Roku Express and Fire TV Stick Lite, both of which are more expensive at $30 and are limited to HD video.
The math changes if you’re willing to spend a little more. For Google TV seekers with Dolby Vision TVs or Dolby Atmos sound systems, the $50 Chromecast 4K will make more sense. And for those not sold on Google TV, the Roku Express 4K ($40) and Streaming Stick 4K ($50) have simpler menu systems and more reliable performance.
But if you’re just looking to make a TV smart for as cheap as possible, the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box, surprisingly, fulfills that need better than anything. You can find other options in our list of the best media streaming sticks.
This article was syndicated from TechHive – you can read the original review here.
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