Katarzyna Petru
Acer, known primarily for laptops and monitors, has decided to enter the streaming device segment. Pre-orders have launched in South Africa for the Acer AiTV – 4K UHD Google TV Box, which has a chance to stand out from the competition. This is the first device of its kind from the Taiwanese brand, and it seems that the company has chosen South Africa as its testing ground.
True powerhouse in terms of ports
Where most devices are limited to one HDMI and possibly USB, Acer took a completely different approach. AiTV offers HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, a microSD card slot, and even Toslink S/PDIF for connecting a soundbar or amplifier. Additionally, there is a separate power socket, allowing USB-C to be fully utilized for other devices. Wi-Fi 6 support is also included.
Specifications and AI on Board
At the heart of AiTV is the Amlogic S905X5 processor with four Cortex-A510 cores and ARM Mali-G310 graphics. The hardware allows for 4K streaming and utilizes "super-resolution upscaling" technology. An additional NPU with 4 TOPS supports AI applications. Users have 32 GB of internal memory at their disposal, with the option to expand via microSD. However, there are discrepancies regarding RAM – the announcement states 3 GB, while the pre-sale mentions 2 GB.
Google TV with Dolby Vision and Atmos
It includes all the most important streaming apps, and the remote has shortcuts to Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube Music, as well as a large "Live TV" button. Acer provides support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, Google Cast, Google Assistant, and Dolby Atmos sound.
Price and Availability
AiTV has entered pre-sale in South Africa at a price of 1,499 rand, which is approximately 295 PLN. It is still unclear when shipping will begin and whether the device will appear outside of Africa. However, if the project succeeds, Acer may launch its device globally – and then the competition will have a tough nut to crack.
