What’s better than an Android TV stick with a speedy quad-core processor and an external antenna to help offer strong WiFi performance? How about a model with two external antennae?
The DM918 is a new mini-computer that you can plug into a TV to run Android apps on the big screen. It has Rockchip RK3188 ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core processor, and two antennae.
There’s no guarantee that the external antennae will make a big difference — they’re pretty small, and without looking inside the case it’s tough to say how well they’re wired. But since many similar devices suffer from poor WiFi performance, if I had a choice of picking up a model with at least one external antenna and one without, I’d probably consider a model like this.
Other specs for the DM918 include:
- Android 4.1 software (and support for Android 4.2)
- Mali 400 quad-core graphics
- 2GB RAM
- 8GB storage
- microSD card slot
- 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi
- Bluetooth
- HDMI connector
- 1 full-sized USB port
- 2 mini USB ports (1 used for charging)
This model doesn’t come with a remote control, which helps explain why it’s cheaper than some of the other RK3188-powered mini PCs I’ve seen. But you can connect a keyboard, mouse, game controller, or other device to interact with Android apps running on you TV with this sort of device, or invest in an Android-compatible remote control that works over Bluetooth or which comes with a USB dongle.