Do you want to run Android on a computer? Tronsmart thinks customers will do that, so it offers the Tronsmart Orion R68 Android set-top box to stream video to a TV or use as a low-profile desktop computer.
The idea of an Android computer looks appealing as the platform gets more mature. HP tried to deliver this with: HP Slatebook 14an Android-based laptop that shares its design style with its popular computers HP Chromebook 14 which we love. Android works best on touch-based mobile, but can it work on a computer without a touchscreen? With the Tronsmart Orion R68, we wondered if it would work in a living room environment with a remote or on a desktop.
Please see our review Tronsmart Search X5 Windows 10 set-top box.
Tronsmart Orion R68 Design
Those familiar with the Amazon Fire TV will probably think the Tronsmart Orion R68 looks familiar. It has a similar black square shape. The box feels extremely light as it is made of plastic. It also has a non-slip surface on the bottom. Although it is very light, it feels solid.
The front and left sides are smooth, while the back and right sides contain all ports and connectors. Tronsmart Orion R68 includes 2 USB 2.0 ports, a micro USB port and an SD card slot. Two small slots allow for heat dissipation.
On the back, we see the power button, power cord connector, another USB 2.0 port, an HDMI output, Ethernet (10/100) and S/SPDIF for high-quality audio output to the stereo system.
The box easily connects to your TV, network and peripherals. USB ports allow the user to connect a keyboard and mouse for use as a desktop computer. I also connected Logitech Illuminated Living Room k830 keyboard with a built-in touchpad for computing from the couch. Optionally connect external storage to store large video files or a large movie/image collection.
There is an included remote control with power button, home button and mouse pointer button. The home button works like your phone’s home button, the mouse pointer button turns the mouse pointer on and off. Use the four arrows up/down/left/right to control the mouse cursor using the remote. Volume up/down buttons as well as menu and back buttons round out the remote’s features.
Logitech Illuminated Living Room Keyboard K830.
The remote control is comfortable in your hand. It’s weird to control the mouse cursor with this but at least it’s possible. The keyboard solution above works better than the remote.
Tronsmart Orion R68 Features
The Tronsmart Orion R68 does a good job of setting Android to a desktop or set-top box setting. I tried it in my office by connecting it to my desktop monitor. I’ve used it for some limited productivity work.
Android is starting to shine as a fine entertainment platform now that most of the top streaming services offer apps. Netflix, Hulu and YouTube work great. We installed as many TV streaming apps as possible and they all worked fine.
Thanks to USB ports and SD card slots, users can enjoy their own media. With the Tronsmart Orion R68, users can play high quality videos including 4K, show pictures as slideshows or play MP3 files. The S/SPDIF port helps provide music lovers with a great tool to connect to a surround sound stereo system.
The Rockchip RK3368 Octa Core (Cortex A53) even makes it a useful gaming system. The Power VR6110 GPU allowed us to play some of the fun Android games available.
Internal storage is somewhat limited so you will definitely need some external storage for your personal media files. Some Android apps allow you to move the app to external storage, but others don’t make the Tronsmart’s internal storage fill up quickly.
It has a nice media-centric launch app that makes the remote handy.
Tronsmart Orion R68 Recommendation
Should buyers looking to run Android on their TVs get an Android TV like the excellent NVIDIA Shield TV we heartily recommend, or a full Android-based set-top box like the Tronsmart Orion R68?
NVIDIA Shield TV brings Android TV to your set in a powerful and feature-packed solution. Easier to use and more powerful for gaming. However, not all streaming TV apps will work on NVIDIA Shield TV, but they should all work on Tronsmart Orion R68 as it runs the full version of Android 5.1.1. The Tronsmart Orion R68 is only approximately cheaper than the Shield TV. $100 on Amazon.
But what about those who want a cheap Android desktop? Tronsmart Orion R68 shines as a tool for productivity applications. Run an Office application or one of the Google office applications and you have a simple, low-cost office tool. It fits perfectly in a nursery, a college dorm room, or as a second computer.
But gamers should definitely choose NVIDIA Shield TV. It’s more powerful and comes with a great game controller.
There is another Android set-top box available for the named order. Little Remix. It’s a Kickstarter project that has finally started shipping. I backed it up and just bought it. At just $70 it’s a promising option.
To sum it up, gamers won’t enjoy Tronsmart as much as the Shield TV, but Tronsmart outperforms the competition as a media streaming and productivity tool.
