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Beelink SEA Android 4K TV box review


I have been building home theater PCs (“HTPCs”) for almost fifteen years.  My current HTPC configuration includes an Intel Celeron CPU capable of decoding various AV codecs, a high end Nvidia GPU card, a large capacity hard drive, and an M-Audio sound card capable of 7.1 surround sound.  The entirety of this system is housed in a large HTPC ATX case the design of which is to stylistically match a high end audio/video component enclosure.  Over time, dedicated TV boxes have emerged in the AV market.  The Beelink SEA Android TV box is one such example in a package at a fraction of the volumetric size of my HTPC.  In this review, we will see if the SEA can ultimately replace my HTPC as my main home theater device.

SPECIFICATIONS

The SEA is powered by a Realtek Quad-Core ARM Cortex CPU with an ARM Mail GPU.

It includes 2 GM DDR4 of ram memory and 32 GB eMMC internal storage in this review unit whereas a less expensive unit with 16 GB is also available.  Additional storage is available with a full size SD card slot and an internal SATA III 2.5″ hard drive slot.

Connectivity options include WiFi 2.4G and 5.8G capability, an RJ45 ethernet port, Bluetooth 4.0, one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port.

Audio/Video ports include HDMI in, HDMI out, and SPDIF audio.

The SEA is powered by a 12V/1.5A DC wall adapter.  There is no actual power switch on the SEA, as it powers on as soon as you plug the DC adapter in.

UNBOXING

The SEA is housed in a compact box about the size of the ATX power supply on my HTPC.   After removing the cover, there is a 2 page guide that mostly points out the different ports on the SEA.   Inside the box, the SEA itself is wrapped in plastic situated on top of a plastic support carton.  The remaining contents below include an HDMI cable, remote control and DC adapter.

As shown in the pictures, my review unit came with a EU power adapter.  Customers can order an adapter for US, EU, or UK plugs.

The SEA itself is only approximately 7.5″ long by 0.75″ high by 5″ deep.  The majority of the top surface is a matte black color with a pattern that resembles a brushed metallic surface.  There is a substantial cursive Beelink logo that is not all that perceptible given that it is in a glossy black color.  The sides are all glossy black with the front center featuring a small LED display for time or status.  There are small rubber feet/pads on the bottom corners.  I personally like the plain black box design as it blends in unobtrusively with the rest of my home theater equipment.

The included remote control is similar in looks and function to the variety of HTPC remotes I own.  You will need 2 AAA batteries as they are not included.

REVIEW EQUIPMENT

For this review, I essentially used the SEA to replace the HTPC component of my home theater system which also consists of a 1080p Panasonic Plasma flat screen TV via HDMI, and a Yamaha amplifier via SPDIF.  I also used my Dell 4K PC monitor as a separate test of the 4K video capabilities of the SEA.

A variety of ripped 4K Ultra HD and 1080p movies, and  CD media were transferred to the internal storage of the SEA for playback testing.

USAGE

Immediately out of the box, I attached the HDMI cable between the SEA and my TV, and powered it up with the DC adapter.

Upon powering the box, you’ll see a blue ‘boot’ LED messsage on the front display panel and a couple of splash screens on the TV.  It took approximately 30 seconds to boot.  If this is the first boot, the SEA will go through a setup process with a series of guide screen choices such as network configuration and screen size adjustments.

Since the OS is Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), the basic UI screen reminds you of a smartphone.  The home screen has a notification/status bar as well as a large widget-like element displaying time and location.  There are other icons in tiled/gridded format to invoke various apps and utlities like: internet, file explorer, play store, settings, and memory usage.  The right third of the entire UI has a container where you can store commonly used app icons.  Furthermore, this home screen can be ‘swiped’ left or right to give you additional app storage windows.

There was no documentation enclosed to help you navigate the UI.  However, if you are familiar with Android on phones, you’ll eventually meander your way through all the menus and UI elements to find what you need.  I imagine those without Android familiarity will probably fumble around the UI much more.

The UI can be navigated using the remote control arrow pad, ‘OK’, and back buttons.  There are also dedicated buttons for one-click access such as web browser or settings.  At times, I found it was easier just to plug a keyboard and mouse into the USB ports to navigate the UI and use apps effectively.  This is especially the case with apps like Chrome browser or the Play Store where you want to gain focus on a text field or do any sort of text entry.  Ideally, I prefer not to have to use a mouse or keyboard on my HTPC.  In the case of the SEA, if you’re going to do basic home theater tasks like media playback, using just the remote control generally works.

The remote control additionally has a learn function that allows you to control your TV.  Thankfully, documentation for this learn function does exist, but it is in the form of small lines of text on the bottom of the remote.  Your button options are limited however, as you only have on/off and volume buttons.

The file explorer app allows you to explore the storage locations in the SEA to access all your files and media.  Since the internal storage is only up to 32 GB on my unit, the additional SATA III 2.5″ hard drive slot is a welcome expansion option.  The hard drive enclosure is accessible underneath the unit.  No hand tools are required to access the drive door, which slides out when you depress a tab.  In this case, I added a 2 TB SSD, by sliding it through the opening until it snugly attaches to the SATA port.  The SATA connector is the only means of securing the drive as there are no additional screws or fasteners involved.  Since the SSD is thinner than a typical 2.5″ spinning hard drive, the SSD can rattle if you shake the SEA vertically.

The SSD was brand new, so after rebooting, the additional hard drive was not found.  I assume in this case that Android had no drive formatting capability.  I removed the drive and reformatted it externally using a Windows PC.  After reinstallation in the SEA, the SSD and it’s full capacity was finally recognized.

One thing I’ll note, the SSD was very difficult to remove from the SEA.  The way the brackets and drive housing was designed, there was no easy way for me to grip the end of the SSD to slide it off the SATA connector.  This, along with the aforementioned size disparity between the SSD and housing, made me worry that I would break the SATA connector as I was wiggling the drive out.  After managing to get the SSD out with some small electronic tools, I’m hoping that I will rarely have to replace this drive.

Video Playback

The SEA supports MKV, WMV, MPG, DAT, AVI, MOV,  ISO, MP4, and RM video formats with the native video player.  However, I found that when using this player, some of my 1080p videos had stuttering issues.  Even my smallest filesize video would not play back smoothly which seemed odd.  I immediately went to the Play Store to install Kodi which is a media player software app and VLC which is a video player.  Using either player, the videos played back smoothly as I would expect from a dedicated media player.

As a final video test, I plugged the SEA into my Dell 4K monitor.  Using a sample 4K UltraHD video, I was able to get it to successfully to play on this monitor.  However, none of my 4K videos would play smoothly with slight stuttering no matter whether I used the internal video player, Kodi, or VLC.  To be fair, my HTPC doesn’t play these files smoothly either since it lacks the horsepower to do so.  Since my regular flat screen TV is only 1080p, the 4K stutter didn’t bother me in my usage situation.

One other thing I’m trying to sort out is that the remote control doesn’t have an official “Play” button.  There is an arrow keypad with an OK button in the center.  I find that the OK button can serve as a “Play” button in Kodi, but it doesn’t work that way in VLC as it seemed to access a menu instead.  So, once again, I had to plug in a mouse to play a movie.  So, currently, there is inconsistency between remote control operation and apps that I still have to rectify.

Audio Playback

The SEA can play MP3, AAC, WMA, RM, FLAC, and OGG files using the native audio player.  I transferred a variety of familiar FLAC files to the SEA and played each of them successfully.  I’m the first to admit that I’m not an audiophile, but I felt that I could pick out the same details in the playback with the SEA as I can using my HTPC.

Image Playback

Using the file explorer, I accessed a folder of JPG images stored on the SD card.  Clicking on each JPG file brings up the image on a viewer as expected.  However, after a number of images, the viewer failed to display the picture and showed a error symbol instead.  I tested the same SD card on a PC and had no issues viewing every single image.  So it wasn’t entirely clear why I was getting an error.  Personally, picture viewing and slideshows are features I will probably never use on the SEA or any HTPC anyway.  So I didn’t spend any further time trying to diagnose this issue.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Even though I am personally familiar with Android because of my smartphones over the years, after three weeks of usage, I still have this nagging feeling that I am missing some cool features or not taking full advantage of this device.  I feel a lot of this is because there is no documentation at all with the SEA and I could not find any manuals on the Beelink website.  There is a forum on the Beelink website where you can ask specific questions to Beelink employees or pick up tips from other users.  Ultimately, that is where I think I will be slowly building up knowledge to explore the full potential of the SEA, as it is a fun device to play with if you like to tinker.

So, does the Beelink SEA 4K Android TV Box replace my HTPC?  The answer for me is, not yet, but eventually.  I will need to spend some time experimenting with apps and configurations to get it operating to the level that I had my HTPC running.

Source: The Beelink SEA 4K TV Box for this review was provided by GearBest, please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $103.99
Manufacturer: Beelink
Retailer: Gearbest
Pros:
  • Compact footprint
  • Android OS allows for UI and App/player customization
  • Expandable storage with SATA III
Cons:
  • No documentation
  • Remote control features are not consistent with Apps
  • Hard drive difficult to remove
  • UltraHD videos didn't play smoothly

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Beelink SEA Android 4K TV box review originally appeared on on May 16, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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EDC fire starter, key multi-tool, smart sculpting gadget, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns


crowdfund

This week we have five picks for notable crowdfunding campaigns that include an interesting design for picture hanging device, a keychain multi-tool, and more. Click through to see this week’s list of notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Exotac nanoSPARK

What is it?
The Exotac nanoSPARK is a tiny spark generator that you can add to your EDC and survival pack.

Why do I like it?
I like the Exotac nanoSPARK because it’s small, fits in your pocket or any gear bag, but is capable of starting a fire. The handle of the nanoSPARK is a waterproof storage area that can hold cotton or other fire starting tinder so that you can start a fire as quickly as possible.

Where can I find more info?
With 6 days left in the campaign, The Exotac nanoSPARK campaign has already passed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order an Exotac nanoSPARK starting at $22. After the Exotac nanoSPARK campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

BISON ROLLING GRILL

blurb by Bob Patterson

What is it?
The Bison Rolling Grill is a flexible grill grate that, including the frame and stand, rolls up into a pouch about the size of a bag of tent stakes.

Why do I like it?
Whether you’re car-camping or backpacking, hauling your grilling gear is always awkward. The Rolling Grill provides a clever solution that’s easy to pack and stow without taking up a lot of space. The Teflon-coated aluminum grate is easy to clean, and the stand height is adjustable to match the size of your fire.

Where can I find more info?
With 9 days left to go, Bison Camping Equipment has almost reached its fundraising goal of $35,000. While the early-bird pledges are sold out, you can still get one for $49 with delivery planned for July 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Absolut Hangsmart

What is it?
Absolut Hangsmart is a tool that helps you hang stuff on a wall.

Why do I like it?
I like the Absolut Hangsmart just because it’s an extremely overbuilt gadget that will let you hang a picture on a wall. It’s a cool idea but wowza, it will get very expensive if you want one for every item that you want to hang on your walls. Apparently, people disagree because they have already doubled their funding goal.

Where can I find more info?
With 10 days left in the campaign, The Absolut Hangsmart campaign has already passed their funding goal of $30,000. You can pre-order an Absolut Hangsmart starting at $24. After the Absolut Hangsmart campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Handy Kee – Most Useful Titanium Multi-Tool Key

What is it?
Handy Kee is a Grade 5 Titanium multi-tool with 18+ functions and shaped like a key.

Why do I like it?
I like the Handy Kee because it’s small enough to fit on your keychain but has enough features to make it a worthy EDC item. It has multiple sized wrenches, a flat screwdriver, bit holder, bottle cap lifter, lottery ticket scratcher and more.

Where can I find more info?
With 16 days left in the campaign, The Handy Kee campaign has already passed their funding goal of $2,000. You can pre-order a Handy Kee starting at $21. After the Handy Kee campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

CHIZZLE: The Smart Sculpting Surface & Guide

What is it?
CHIZZLE is a platform that connects to your computer to help you make sculptures.

Why do I like it?
How you make a sculpture of a bird? You get a lump of clay and remove everything that doesn’t look like a bird. Simple right? 😉 But that’s what CHIZZLE is supposed to do for you. It shows you on the computer screen what to remove from the lump of clay. In a world full of 3D printers, this device looks like a lot of hands-on fun.

Where can I find more info?
With 30 days left in the campaign, The CHIZZLE campaign is still working towards their funding goal of $60,000. You can pre-order a CHIZZLE starting at $89. After the CHIZZLE campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

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EDC fire starter, key multi-tool, smart sculpting gadget, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on on May 16, 2017 at 8:30 am.

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Stick LEGO to your walls with Brik removable wall tiles


It’s time to take your LEGO creations from the floor and table and put them up on a wall for all to see. Brik Wall Tiles are LEGO compatible peel and stick 10 x 10 inch baseplates.

The back of each flexible wall tile has a temporary adhesive that can be used multiple times to attach the tiles to smooth surfaces like walls, doors, refrigerators and more.

The wall tiles are available in white, blue, and black and are priced at $19.99 in packs of two or $59.99 for a package of 6 which includes additional bricks and a removal tool.

Visit https://www.brik.co/ for more info. I also found another company on Amazon which sells peel and stick LEGO compatible wall tiles in other colors and sizes. The ones on Amazon have construction grade adhesive though, so you won’t be able to remove them without damaging the wall.

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Stick LEGO to your walls with Brik removable wall tiles originally appeared on on May 16, 2017 at 7:08 am.

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Benjamin Bott Design Chickadee English Tan ultra minimalist wallet review


In my quest to find a great minimalist leather wallet, I was given the opportunity to review a Benjamin Bott Design wallet called the Chickadee English Tan ultra minimalist leather wallet. When it arrived, it was love at first sight.

The wallet arrived in a drawstring bag to protect it from scratches during shipping. There was no other fancy packaging involved – all of the time, energy, and money goes into the product itself.

Design and Quality


Description: The Chickadee English Tan wallet is a 100% handmade (hand cut leather, hand sewn, etc.) item made in the USA in Gloucester, Massachusetts by Benjamin Bott Design Leather Goods. Benjamin Bott Cunningham is the proprietor and has been working full-time for the past four years making leather wallets, phone cases, and key fobs.

The Leather: One of the first things I noticed about the Chickadee wallet was the quality of the leather, its suppleness, and its beautiful color. The Chickadee wallet is made out of full grain English tan Dublin Horween leather (4.5 oz or 1.8 mm). The Horween Leather Company, a tannery located in Chicago, IL established in 1905, is well known for producing some of the finest leathers in the world. Dublin is a waxed version of the Horween Essex tanned leather. Horween describes the Essex tanned leather as a rich full grain top quality cowhide that is tanned with “the same liquor we use to tan shell cordovan [horsehide].” Even though this is a vegetable tanned leather, it is not as stiff because of Horween’s tanning process. The leather holds its shape, yet is soft and flexible enough to give a little to accommodate the cards you insert into the wallet.

The Design and Workmanship: The design and cut are clean, unpretentious, precise and gorgeous. The wallet is made up of two rectangular pieces of leather (one long piece, one short): the long rectangular piece is folded in half with the second piece inserted in between to create the two available wallet pockets.


The wallet was then hand stitched together with a short stitch length using 0.035” thick waxed polyester Olive Green thread along the right-hand side of the wallet (a saddle stitch). The stitching is very tight and really well done. The above photos show the saddle stitch from the front of the wallet (left photo), then from the back (right photo).

Along the lower edge of the wallet, a cross-stitch was used. The wallet comes in different thread colors: Turquoise, Royal Blue, Scarlet Red, Purple, Lark (looks like ivory), Seal (looks like black), Olive Green, Emerald Green, and Old Brown.

The burnished edges are beautifully polished and so even with each other that you cannot tell that there are three edges sewn together just by touching the edge. Wow.

I spoke to Mr. Cunningham about how he was able to obtain such a nice finish on the edges of the leather. To obtain the smooth polished appearance as shown in the photo above, he started with 100 grit sandpaper and worked his way down to 1000 grit sandpaper and finally treated it with saddle soap and water. The wallet is an amazing piece of craftsmanship – you can tell that a lot of time was invested in this beautiful leather product.



The Chickadee English tan wallet has two pockets. There are no additional materials used to line either of the pockets. The interior of the back pocket is raw leather. The back pocket also has a stamp with the Benjamin Bott Designs logo inside – the words “Benjamin Bott” are printed at the top, then below that is an image of a cow with “made in the USA” stamped underneath.

One of the sides of the interior of the front pocket is made of smooth finished leather while the other side is raw leather.

Size: The Chickadee wallet measures 9.5 cm L x ~6.7 cm W (3.75″ L x 2.75″ W) When the wallet is empty, it is approximately 0.25″ or a little over 0.5 cm thick. The wallet is made from 4.5 oz. leather which is about 1.8 mm thick. Mr. Cunningham informed me that if it were made with thinner leather, over time the leather would break down from use thus limiting the length of time that you would be able to use such a wallet.

Comparing the Chickadee English tan wallet to my Garzini wallet shows you the difference in size. The Chickadee is definitely more minimalistic. You can also see the differences in the thickness of the types of thread used and the leather quality. The Horween Dublin leather really catches your eye thus making the Chickadee wallet stand out.

The wallet is indeed a very nice size and fits comfortably in my hand.

Use


The wallet is capable of holding 3-4 cards and some cash according to the Benjamin Bott Design website. As you can see, it is indeed capable of carrying four plastic cards in the front pocket and four paper cards and two five dollar bills in the back pocket.

When full, the wallet is about 5/8″ or a little over 2 cm thick. If you carry less than this, it will obviously be thinner.

I have been using this wallet for almost two weeks now, and have only grown more impressed with it over time. My only concern was that the exposed cross-stitched thread along the bottom of the wallet might wear out over time, but Mr. Cunningham is confident in the stitching quality and has thus offered a lifetime warranty to cover the stitching (and the wallet as a whole) should it become an issue.

Final Thoughts

The Benjamin Bott Design Chickadee English Tan ultra minimalist leather wallet is by far the best made, highest quality, and in my opinion, most attractive minimalist leather wallet that I have reviewed to date. It is made using world renowned Horween leather (Dublin English tan) and thick waxed polyester thread. It is extremely well made and I expect that it will last a lifetime (the stitching and the wallet have a lifetime warranty). It is $60 but well worth the price. It holds my basic needs (4 plastic cards, 4 paper cards, and a couple of dollar bills) and I absolutely love it. I will be using it every day – perhaps on some days, just to gaze at its beauty.

Source: The sample used in this review was provided by Benjamin Bott Design Leather Goods. Please visit his website for more information or to purchase one.

 

Product Information

Price: $60
Manufacturer: Benjamin Bott Design Leather Goods
Pros:
  • High-quality materials (0.035” thick waxed polyester thread, 4.5 oz. Dublin Horween leather)
  • Minimalist design
  • Extremely well made (precise hand cut leather, tight stitching, beautifully burnished edges)
Cons:
  • None

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Benjamin Bott Design Chickadee English Tan ultra minimalist wallet review originally appeared on on May 15, 2017 at 9:50 am.

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Make a small batch of ice cream almost instantly with the Chef’n Sweet Spot


I love ice cream but I don’t get to eat it nearly as often as I’d like because Jeanne can’t tolerate dairy and making non-dairy ice cream at home with our own ingredients can be a hassle to drag out an electric ice cream maker and all the necessary gear. When I saw the Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker my eyes lit up because it looks like it could be the holy grail of frozen treat makers.

The Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker doesn’t require electricity, batteries, a crank, or even ice. All it needs is space in a freezer and scraping action from you.

How does it work? It’s a flat metal bowl that you store in the freezer until you’re ready to make ice cream. Then you take it out and pour the ice cream mixture (the Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker comes with a recipe book) into the frozen metal bowl. After a very short time, the cold surface freezes the mixture and you then mix and scrape it into the consistency that you like using the provided tools.

The Chef’n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker makes small servings that you eat immediately, so you won’t overeat. You can read more about it at the Chef’n site and order one on Amazon for $43.51

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Make a small batch of ice cream almost instantly with the Chef’n Sweet Spot originally appeared on on May 15, 2017 at 7:50 am.

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