Inside my teardown printed final summer time of Walmart’s “onn.”-branded authentic Android TV-based streaming receiver, the UHD Streaming Gadget:
I discussed that I already had Google TV working system-based successors for each the “field” and “stick” Android TV type components (the latter subsequently dissected by me and printed final December) sitting on my cabinets awaiting my teardown consideration. That point is now, particularly for the onn. Google TV 4K Streaming Field I’d purchased at intro in April 2023 for $19.88 (the very same value as its Android TV-based forebear):
The sizes of the 2 machine generations are near-identical, though it’s near-impossible to seek out printed dimension specs for both machine on-line, just for the retail packaging containing them. As such, nonetheless, a correction is so as. I’d stated in my earlier teardown that the Android TV model of the machine was 4.9” each long-and-wide, and 0.8” tall: it’s truly 2.8” (70mm, to be exact) in each size and width, with a top of ~0.5” (13 mm). And the newer Google TV-based variant is ~3.1” (78mm) each lengthy and large and ~0.7” (18 mm) tall.
Listed here are extra “inventory” pictures of the newer machine that we’ll be dissecting at present, together with its bundled distant management and different equipment:
Eagle-eyed readers could have already seen the only structure distinction between the 2 generations’ gadgets. The reset swap and standing LED are standalone alongside one aspect within the authentic Android TV model, whereas they’re at both aspect of, and on the identical aspect as, the HDMI connector within the new Google TV variant. The 2 generations’ distant controls additionally differ barely, though I guess the muse {hardware} design is equivalent. The decrease proper button within the authentic gave user-access favoritism to HBO Max (beforehand HBO Go, now often known as simply “Max”):
whereas now it’s Paramount+ getting the particular therapy (a transition which I’m guessing was motivated by the more moderen membership partnership between the 2 firms and carried out by way of a relabel of that button together with an integrated-software tweak).
Subsequent, let’s have a look at some “real-life” pictures, starting with the skin packaging:
Observe that, versus the front-of-box image of its precursor that follows, Walmart’s now referring to it as able to as much as “4K” output decision, versus the earlier, much less stylish “UHD”:
Additionally, it’s now referred to as a “field”, versus a “machine”. Maintain that latter thought till subsequent month…now, again to at present’s affected person…
The 2 sides are comparatively info-deficient:
The underside marks a return to info-rich type:
Whereas the highest as normal by no means fails to elicit a chuckle from yours actually:
Let’s see what’s inside:
That’s fairly a posh cardboard assemblage!
The first belongings you’ll see if you flip up the highest flap:
are our affected person, at present swathed in protecting opaque plastic, and a fast begin information that you may discover in PDF type right here, each as-usual accompanied within the picture by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for dimension comparability functions.
Under them, within the decrease degree of the cardboard assemblage, are the aforementioned distant management and a 1-meter (3.28 ft) HDMI cable:
Right here’s the bottom of the distant management; notice the added sticker (versus its predecessor) above the battery compartment with re-pairing directions, together with the differing data on the smaller sticker within the higher proper nook inside the battery compartment:
I noticed after typing the earlier phrases that since I hadn’t executed a teardown of the distant management final time, I hadn’t taken an image of its opened bottom, both. Luckily, it was nonetheless inhabiting my workplace, so…right here you go!
Additionally initially situated within the decrease degree of the cardboard assemblage are the AC adapter, an oval-shaped piece of double-sided adhesive for attaching the machine to a flat floor, and a set of AAA batteries for the distant management:
Right here’s the micro-USB jack that plugs into the on-device energy connector:
And listed below are the ability adapter’s specs:
that are comparable, “wall wart” type issue variances apart, with these of its predecessor:
Lastly, listed below are some overview pictures of our affected person, first from above:
Right here’s the micro-USB aspect:
This aspect’s naked on this era of the machine:
however, as beforehand talked about, contained the standing LED and reset swap within the prior era:
They’ve moved one aspect over this time, straddling the HDMI cable (I noticed after taking this shot and subsequently shifting on with the disassembly that the standing LED was behind the penny; stand by for an additional have a look at it to come back shortly!):
The final (left) aspect, in distinction, is naked in each generations:
Lastly, right here’s the machine from under:
And right here’s a closeup of the label, itemizing (amongst different issues) the FCC ID, 2AYYS-8822K4VTG (no, I don’t know why there are 28 totally different FCC paperwork posted for this ID, both!):
Now to get inside. Ordinarily, I’d begin out by peeling off that label and seeing if there are any screw heads seen beneath. However since final time’s preliminary deal with the hole between the 2 case items panned out, I made a decision to strive happening that very same path once more:
with the identical profitable final result (a reminder at the beginning that we’re now wanting on the underside of the within of the machine):
Take a look at the hefty piece of steel masking roughly half of the inside and linked to the Faraday cage on the PCB, presumably for each thermal-transfer and cushioning functions, by way of two spongy items nonetheless hooked up to the latter:
I’m additionally presuming that the steel piece provides rigidity to the general meeting. So why doesn’t it cowl the entirety of the within? They’re not seen but, however I’m guessing there are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antenna someplace whose transmit and obtain potential would have been notably attenuated had there been middleman steel shielding between them and the skin world:
See these three screws? I’m betting we will get that PCB out of the remaining prime portion of the case if we take away them first:
Yep!
Earlier than we get any additional, let me present you that standing LED that was beforehand penny-obscured:
It’s not the precise LED, after all; that’s on the PCB. It’s the emissive finish of the sunshine information (aka, mild pipe, mild tube) seen within the higher left nook of the within of the higher chassis, with its companion swap “plunger” at higher proper. Observe, too, that this time one (grey) of the “spongy items” ended up caught to this aspect’s steel shielding, which as soon as once more covers solely ~half of the within space:
The opposite (pink) “spongy piece” continues to be caught to one of many two Faraday cages on the highest aspect of the PCB, now seen for the primary time:
Within the higher proper nook is the aforementioned LED (cluster, truly). At backside, as beforehand forecasted unencumbered by middleman shielding because of their areas, are the two.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi antennae. Alongside the best edge is what I imagine to be the PCB-embedded Bluetooth antenna. And as for these Faraday cages, you recognize what comes subsequent:
They really got here off fairly simply, leaving me cautiously optimistic that I’d ultimately have the ability to pop them again on and restore this machine to full performance (which I’ll wait to strive till after this teardown is printed; keep tuned for a debrief on the result within the feedback):
Let’s zoom in and see what’s beneath these cage lids:
Inside the higher one’s boundary are two notable ICs: a Samsung K4A8G165WC-BCTD DDR4-2666 8 Gbit SDRAM and, to its proper, the system’s “brains”, an Amlogic S905Y4 app processor.
And what concerning the decrease cage area?
This one’s an enigma. That it comprises the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transceivers and different circuitry is just about a given, contemplating its proximity to the antennae (amongst different components). And it very properly may very well be one and the identical because the Askey Laptop 8822CS, seemingly with Realtek wi-fi transceiver silicon inside, that was within the earlier Android TV model of machine. Each gadgets assist the very same Bluetooth (5.0) and Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO) protocol generations, and the module packaging appears fairly related in each albeit rotated 90° in a single PCB structure versus the opposite:
That stated, sadly, there’s no definitively figuring out sticker atop the module this time, as existed beforehand. If it is the identical, I hope the producer did a greater job with its soldering this time round!
Now let’s flip the PCB again over to the underside aspect we’ve already seen earlier than, albeit now free of its prior case captivity:
I’ll direct your consideration first to the now clearly seen reset swap at higher proper, together with the now obscured mild information at higher left. I’m guessing that the black spongey materials makes certain that as a lot of the sunshine originating on the PCB on the opposite aspect makes it exterior as potential, versus inefficiently illuminating the machine inside as a substitute.
As soon as once more, the Faraday Cage lifts off cleanly and simply:
The Faraday cage was beforehand situated atop the PCB’s higher outlined area:
Unsurprisingly, one other Samsung K4A8G165WC-BCTD DDR4-2666 8 Gbit SDRAM is there, for two GBytes of complete system reminiscence.
The area under it, conversely, is one other enigma of this design:
Its related define to the others suggests {that a} Faraday cage ought to have initially been there, too. But it surely wasn’t; you’ve seen the pictorial proof. Did the assembler neglect to incorporate it when constructing this specific machine? Or did the producer find yourself deciding it wasn’t essential in any respect? Dunno. What I do know is that inside it’s nonvolatile storage, particularly the very same Samsung KLM8G1GETF-B041 8 GByte eMMC flash reminiscence module that we noticed final time!
Extra typically, what surprises me essentially the most about this design is its excessive diploma of commonality with its predecessor regardless of its developed working system basis:
- Similar Bluetooth and Wi-Fi generations
- Similar quantity and velocity bin of DRAM, albeit from totally different suppliers, and
- Similar quantity of flash reminiscence, in the identical type issue, from the identical provider
The SoCs are additionally related, albeit not equivalent. The Amlogic S905Y2 seen final time dates from 2018, runs at 1.8 GHz and is a second-generation providing (due to this fact the “2” on the finish). This time it’s the 2022-era Amlogic S905Y4, with primarily the identical CPU (quad-core Arm Cortex-A53) and GPU (Mali-G31 MP2) subsystems, and fabricated on the identical 12-nm lithography course of, albeit operating 200 MHz sooner (2 GHz). The opposite notable distinction is the 4th-gen (due to this fact “4” on the finish) SoC’s added decoding assist for the AV1 video codec, together with each HDR10 and HDR10+ excessive dynamic vary (HDR) assist.
Amlogic additionally presents the Amlogic S905X4; the basic distinction between “Y” and “X” variants of a selected SoC includes the latter’s integration of wired Ethernet assist. This latter chip is discovered within the high-end onn. Google TV 4K Professional Streaming Gadget, launched final yr, extra sizeable (7.71 x 4.92 x 2.71 in.) than its predecessors, and now usually promoting for $49.88, though I sometimes see it on sale for ~$10 much less:
The 4K Professional software-exposes two further capabilities of the 4th-generation Amlogic S905 not enabled within the cheaper non-Professional model of the machine: Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. It additionally integrates 50% extra RAM (to three GBytes) and 4x the nonvolatile flash storage (to 32 GBytes), together with making wi-fi connectivity generational developments (Wi Fi 6: 2.4/5GHz 802.11ax), embedding a microphone array and swapping out geriatric micro-USB for USB-C. And though it’s 2.5x the worth of its non-Professional sibling, the whole lot’s relative; since Google has now obsoleted all the Chromecast line, together with the HD and 4K variations of the Chromecast with Google TV, the solely Google-branded choice left is the $99.99 Google TV Streamer successor.
I’ve additionally acquired an onn. Google TV 4K Professional Streaming Gadget sitting right here which, close to time period, I’ll be swapping into service instead of its Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K) predecessor. Close to-term, stand by for an in-use evaluation; ultimately, I’m certain I’ll be tearing it down, too. And even nearer time period, preserve an eye fixed out for my teardown of the “stick” type issue onn. Google TV Full HD Streaming Gadget, at present scheduled to look at EDN on-line someday subsequent month:
For now, I’ll shut with some HDMI and micro-USB finish pictures, each with the entrance:
and backsides of the PCB pointed “up”:
Together with an invite so that you can share ideas on something I’ve revealed and mentioned right here within the feedback!
Coda
As talked about earlier within the writeup, the attached-to-PCB-via-clips strategy used on this design made it easy-peasy for me to pop off the Faraday cages, and left me questioning if the resultant seemingly simple eassembly would end in a completely useful machine that I might then donate. Certainly it did, after lower than 5 minutes’ complete effort (3 minutes of which have been spent looking for a screw I’d dropped on the ground!).
Huzzah! Off to Goodwill it goes for reuse by another person!
—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Imaginative and prescient Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the corporate’s on-line e-newsletter.
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