Austrian TV brand Thomson has just announced an update to its popular lineup of streaming devices with the launch of the Thomson Google TV Streaming Box 245 (4K), billed as the successor to its earlier Box 240 model.
The Streaming Box 245 is a rival to devices such as the Google TV Streamer, Nvidia’s Shield and various other streaming boxes and dongles, such as Xiaomi’s 3rd Gen TV Box S. It plugs into any TV to deliver the full Google TV experience.
It’s an excellent, low cost way to transform non-smart TVs into something much more capable. It provides access to all of the streaming apps and features you’ll find on any Google TV, including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ and YouTube. It comes with its own remote control, but most TV remotes are also compatible with it.
The Thomson Box 245 is set to replace the older Box 240 in the company’s lineup, and it looks like a decent upgrade. There’s a faster chipset in the shape of the Amlogic S905Y5-B, and it now has a generous 32GB of storage, up from just 8GB previously. However, the RAM remains the same at just 2GB.
Thomson said the device is able to decode both HEVC and AV1, which are the most efficient video codecs used by top streaming platforms. It supports pictures at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, and there are USB-A and USB-C ports for connecting external media.
In addition, Thomson has upgraded the remote control, adding backlit buttons to make it more visible when the lights are switched off.
The only thing we’re not yet sure of is the price tag. Still, it’s unlikely to be expensive, because it will sit below the existing Thomson Box Plus 270, which is a higher-end device that currently retails for around £100 in the U.K. With the Box Plus 275, you get the benefit of an HDMI port and additional RAM at 3GB, which should ensure a slicker experience, with apps opening faster.
