There have been many local players that introduced set-top box devices in the Philippine market; none of which standout, until Kata introduced its own take on the market segment – the Kata Box. It’s basically an Android-powered box which could “automagically” turn your conventional LED or LCD TV into a Smart TV.
The interior of the Kata Box is defined by its
quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM which could technically run Android apps
smoothly and amused first-time set-top box users. However, with
its flashy design and promising specs sheet, do we really need to spend our
hard-earned money on this device? Read along our Kata Box review and find out.
Kata Box Review: Design and Construction
The Kata Box is pretty. In fact, it comes with
a striking similarity with the Apple TV in terms of it chassis. At Php 2999
price tag, it comes with a dedicated remote and a power module. Likewise, Kata
also packaged a game controller in a separate box which comes with a microUSB
cable for charging and Bluetooth dongle for wireless gaming experience. At
first glance, Kata is trying to pose this Box as a gaming device.
Even though there’s a lot of bows and frills
included in the package, I just can’t take my eyes off the Kata Box. The design is
simple but elegant – rounded corners with matte finish on top and glossy
plastic on the sides. The bottom strikes a dimpled pattern which makes the
whole module easy to hold with one hand.
Despite the fact that it comes with a sub-3k price tag, the Kata Box is
pretty solid, it’s a well put together device.
What I like about the device is that it comes with a minimalist box. It consumes little space which could hardly cover a real estate space in your home entertainment theater set-up.
Ports and Memory
Around the back of the device, there are plenty
of ports to keep you connected. For one, the power jack keeps everything intact
when connected to an AC source. Likewise, the back also houses a USB 2.0 port,
3.5-mm audio jack, an HDMI, DC-IN and Ethernet. Flipping the box to the right
flashes another USB 2.0 port. The front side houses the LED
indicator.
There's no HDMI cable included in the package; thus, you need to have an HDMI cable to connect the box to your HDMI-enabled TV set. The set-up below features the power jack, the HDMI cable and the ethernet connector.
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| Power Adapter |
 |
| Separately sold HDMI Cable |
The device only holds 8GB of native storage and it comes with several game titles out of the box. However, if you feel like hoarding media rather than just streaming, you need to plug a microSD card.
Performance and Hardware
The 1.5GHz quad-core Amlogic CPU gives chops to
the Kata Box. Its processing capability is undeniably smooth. But that does not
erase the fact that the 1GB of RAM included in the box could hardly catch up
with the fast processor. This is evident when we took the device for a spin
with some graphic-intensive titles.
However, there’s no denying the fact that the
Kata Box churns flawlessly in streaming activities. Of course, we made sure
that there’s no app running in the background. Our YouTube experience was very
engaging knowing that the software is optimized with our screen’s form factor.
The Bluetooth game controller brings the
finesse in the whole setup. You can also use it as an alternative to a mouse –
the left joystick is used for scrolling while the right joystick if for cursor
controls. On the other hand, the remote is a black slab with matte finish that
feels very good in the hand. It’s also very sturdy despite the fact that it’s
very light. The buttons are responsive and very clickable.
Software
Kata Box runs with Android 4.4.2 KitKat. It
means that, just like your Android phones, it could run Android apps. What's more exciting is that Kata Box’s software optimizes these apps for a great home
entertainment experience
Kata has neatly layered several useful apps on
top of the Android interface. It has presented some apps according to their
categories – TV, Office, Games, etc. The TV folder includes a rich suite of
apps for viewing – MegaVPN, Netflix and Fox Now, to name a few. It’s also a
breath of fresh air that the company includes a 60-day VPN service that allows
users to stream shows from US.
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| Kata Box's Multitasking and App management |
Most of the time, you may need a wireless mouse and keyboard to fully optimize other apps, especially those downloaded from the Google Play Store. I tried using some productivity apps and it seems like a pretty great alternative workstation for simple word processing tasks.
Some titles outside of the Play Store can also be emulated in the Kata Box like the old favorites Pokemon in Gameboy Advance and Contra.
The
Wrap
The
Kata Box is a very promising entry level set-top box. It sure has all the basic
necessities when it comes to this device. Plus, it comes with a dedicated game
controller which could upscale Android gaming experience. Of course, it’s not
without its shortcomings – it's packaging a console doesn’t mean it is exceptional
in the Android gaming scene.
Deal Makers:
Great design
Great design
Good Streaming
function
Inclusion
of Game Console
2 USB ports
microSD
slot
emulator
support
Great User
Interface
Deal
Breakers:
Small built-in memory
Small built-in memory
No HDMI
cable included out of the box
Kata Box
Specs
Amlogic
S805 SoC
1.5GHz
quad-core CPU
Mali 450
GPU
1GB RAM
8GB
internal memory
WiFi 802.11
b/g/n
LAN
USB Port
(2)
HDMI 1.4
Port
RJ 45 Port/
Ethernet Port
DC-IN Jack
AV output
microSD
slot
Android 4.4
KitKat
107 mm x
107 mm x 25 mm
