Noontec A9 Smart TV Box Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Noontec A9 Smart TV Box4. The Noontec M100 Multimedia Keyboard5. Software and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Overall we are left with generally positive impressions of the Noontec A9 Smart TV Box. The unit itself is stylishly designed and will compliment a living room environment aesthetically. The black gloss finish may attract fingerprints and dust but if you keep it clean, it looks great.

Build quality is excellent and the unit is well put together. The built in Wi-Fi is very useful and it means there is no need to purchase an extra dongle or pass meters of network cable through a living room.

After experiencing the horrible interface of the MovieHome V8, we were pleasantly surprised with the A9 Smart TV Box. Android 2.3 doesn't work that well with a smart TV box but this isn't surprising as it's designed for use primarily with smartphones. It is, however, a million times better than the operating system on the V8.

The user interface is easier to navigate and much better featured, YouTube is fully supported. Browsing the internet is also not a problem.

We were a little disappointed that applications such as iPlayer and BBC News weren't compatible with the unit but this was redeemed to some extent by browser support for these features. Sadly we did experience some trouble with other video on demand services such as 4od, the video didn't play back smoothly and would jump and stutter continuously.

We do question the need for a device such as the Noontec A9, though, as a PC, laptop or tablet can handle the same tasks without the associated problems.

There are three different versions of the Noontec A9 available on the market with slightly different bundled items.

We would certainly recommend opting for the additional M100 wireless multimedia keyboard as the user experience is greatly enhanced by the addition of a thumbpad and keyboard for navigation and text input. They do charge a slight premium for this but there aren't many alternative multimedia keyboards out there at the same price.

The cheapest we were able to find the Noontec A9 online was at Play.com where they are selling it bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse for £100. We would recommend buying the version with the M100 as the keyboard-touchpad combo is better suited to a living room environment. This can be yours for a price of £105 at Scan.

Pros

• Sleek Design.
• Solid Build Quality.
• Inbuilt Wi-Fi.

Cons

• Android 2.3 isn't ideal.
• Poor app support.
• Stuttering with some flash video playback.

KitGuru says: Far from perfect but a big improvement on the MovieHome V8.

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