Description. The Onn. UHD Streaming Device is a small, black settop box with the full Android TV experience. The unit contains a power port and one HDMI input. The player comes with a relatively simple remote that operates via Bluetooth and has a built-in microphone for voice search and accessing Google Assistant. At this price point, it is uncommon for a player to have a remote with Bluetooth and a built-in virtual assistant, so these are welcome additions.
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up. It has an onscreen guide that automatically scans for available WiFi networks. A google account is required to set up the device, however, providing a credit card is not necessary. You can quickly set up the player using an Android device which will provide your Google account and Wi-Fi information.
Ease of use. The Onn. UHD Streaming Device is easy to use:
Interface. The main home screen has rows of tiles that feature recommended content by app. The layout of the apps on the home screen is customizable for easier access to your favorites. It has a search function that will search several of the available video streaming services for content. Search results are unbiased toward any one service provider, and are instead listed in price order. We found this player's response to be fast, allowing it to navigate menus and content quickly.
Remote control.The provided remote uses Bluetooth communication so it does not require a direct line of sight with the device for control. It also has a built-in microphone and a dedicated button for voice search. Additionally, an app is available that lets you use a phone or tablet to control the player and use the device's keyboard to enter text. The app also allows you to use your phone or tablet's microphone for voice commands.
Picture quality. This player supports resolutions up to 4K UHD. HDR is also supported, despite the fact that it is not claimed in the specifications. One significant drawback to this device is that the HDR feature cannot be disabled when connected to a TV that supports HDR. This means that all content will be presented in HDR including content that is not intended for that format. We were able to evaluate SDR by choosing a TV that we could force out of HDR mode, however many TVs do not have that option. Picture quality was excellent for SDR content when we tested in our lab, but TV's typically have a different set of picture settings for viewing HDR, so color and contrast may be off.
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI port.
Connections. Given its design, this player has a limited number of connections. It has one HDMI output. It supports the Wi-Fi standards up to 802.11ac, which supports dual-band 5GHz networks. Chromecast is also supported so you can mirror and display content from compatible devices.
Miscellaneous. The Onn UHD Streaming Device can be paired with a game controller for playing compatible games. With built-in Google Assistant support, you can use the remote's microphone for voice commands to search for content, check the weather and control compatible Smart Home devices.
