Disappointed that your older LCD or plasma television misses out on the Smart TV features now coming to all new sets? Don’t be. With one simple addition, you can add them in, and an Australian company will be offerings its own box to do just that soon enough.
Heading to stores in November for $149, the Strong SRT AN4 is a small digital receiver that can easily plug into your TV through HDMI and features Android 4.0 for web access.
With receiver functionality, the SRT AN4 can record what you’re watching over a USB port to a flash or hard drive, as well as let you see what’s on with an electronic program guide.
The inclusion of Android 4 means customers will gain access to Google Chrome, as well as apps, widgets, and games available on the Google Play Store, and networking can be configured over either a WiFi connection or the old school wired Ethernet, both of which are in the AN4 box.
While not the first device we’ve seen to add smarts to a TV set, the Strong SRT AN4 looks set to try and make a grab for some of Sony’s would-be customers, with a $200 difference between the Sony and Strong sets.
Price-wise, Strong’s product competes with Kogan’s $99 solution, a device that fits in a thumb drive case, but requires power through a mini-USB port.
