Review: MyGica ATV582 Android TV Box & Streaming Media Player

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Powerful android TV box with all the bells and whistles

9.0 Feature Packed

This is a premium quality android TV box that is jam packed with powerful functionality. The remote (and mini keyboard) supplied is a real winner and makes browsing and finding content a breeze. This device has changed how I watch movies and entertainment on my TV. I'm able to watch content I never thought possible (Thundercats and He-Man anyone), and it's all watchable from my existing TV.

  • Ease of use 8
  • Specifications 8.5
  • Design 10
  • Entertainment 9.5
  • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

With Fibre internet fast becoming a reality for an ever growing number of homes in South Africa, it’s now possible to have all your entertainment streamed directly through your internet connection. Americans refer to it as “cutting the cord” for cable TV. What’s more is you don’t even need a smart TV to do it, any device with an HDMI input will do the trick, and can be turned into a smart TV.

Introducing the MyGica ATV582 Android TV Box from Mantality – it’s definitely one of the more pricey android TV boxes we’re selling but it does have some superior features which justifies the price tag. Touted as the “world’s first quad core CPU, octocore GPU Android TV box” It’s a compact yet powerful, internet enabled smart device that plugs into any TV or computer with an HDMI port – but also comes supplied with an RCA cable if you’re on an older system. However, if you’re just looking for a simple device to mirror your android phone’s screen then take a look at the Anycast M9 Plus.

This specific model features support for Ultra HD (4K) TVs at a staggering 3840 x 2160 pixels resolution. So if you’re lucky enough to have an Ultra HD TV then this device will fully support it. The operating system runs on the trusty Android framework, and the MyGica range of devices have their own OS which is very slick and easy to navigate.

Right out the box you have everything you need to get cracking. What really makes this model stand out from the crowd is the remote control. This remote control has both mouse and qwerty keyboard functionality which really comes in handy when you need to search for media, or switch between to air-mouse mode and normal navigation. The context menu is also essential for some apps that have a “right-click” menu. These kind of remotes we sell separately, at third of the price of this entire kit – so it’s a good deal getting one of these included. It has a very slick rubberised feel to it too which is a nice though, and really makes it feel the business in your hand.

Manufacturer’s Description

The world’s first Quad Core CPU and Octo Core GPU Android TV Box is now sleeker and sexier than ever before. With features like the Amlogic S802B Processer and Octo Core Mali-450 GPU the ATV 582 blows away the antiquated rock chip processor in both speed and clarity.

An Amlogic S802B Processor’s blazing speed is 2.0GHz, getting what you want to see on your HDTV screen in light speed. True surround sound with hardware decoding of Dolby-Digital(AC3) through HDMI output. Octo Core Mali-450 GPU ensures that it is crystal clear when it gets there with hardware that decodes UHD 4K2k. You will have 4 times the resolution of 1080P HD at Ultra High Definition 3840 x 2160.

In addition to an internal memory of 8GB NAND Flash and 1 GB RAM you get the convenience of wireless 802.11 b/g/n network with its own external Wi-Fi antenna for optimal connection. Plus a state of the art remote control with numbers and preset functions.

Key Features

  • Amlogic S802B Quad Core CPU, Octa Core GPU, frequency is 2.0 GHz
  • 1GB RAM, 8GB Flash NAND memory
  • Powered by Android 4.4 KitKat OS\Built in Internet Browser for Web Surfing with Flash Support
  • Google Playstore, Offering Millions of Apps, Movies, Books and Games
  • KODI Media Centre (formely called XBMC). Sports, News, Movies, Religious, Music and more.
  • Skype Video Chat. (Web Camera required, KR-300 remote Supports Microphone/Speaker)
  • Free Movies from Crackle and Free Trial of Netflix.
  • Supports 4K2K video local media playback from Micro SD card or USB HDD
  • Bulit in 802.11 b/g/n Dual Band Wi-Fi with External Antenna
  • HDMI Supports 1080i,1080p and 4K Ultra HD
  • Support weather, calendar, and desktop clock gadgets
  • 2 external USB interface, support for mobile HDD, support mouse and keyboard operating
  • Support for weather, calendar, and desktop clock gadgets
  • Support for music player, picture player and more family entertainment
  • Airplay/DLNA from your Android and Apple IOS Devices straight to your MyGica ATV 582
  • Support for Micro SD card up to 32GB
  • App Installer for application installation from USB/Micro SD

mygica-os-1

The Android 4.4 Operating System on a MyGica ATV582

The operating system (Android 4.4 Kitkat) on the Mygica is a very sleek looking OS that has all your most popular apps right there at the dashboard when the system switches on. It boots up quickly, even when a reset it needed, it boots up with a few seconds. The TV Box has all the most popular media apps like Netflix, Kodi, YouTube, Facebook, Google Play etc already installed, so it’s ready to rock and roll right out of the box. We do recommend you uninstall Kodi and reinstall the latest version (from Google Play) to ensure you have the latest release. Google play features 1000s of apps that you can install on this device, everything from movie and TV streaming apps to utilities and more. You’re also able to purchase the latest movies from Google Play Movies & TV.

What Apps can I Install?

Through the Google Play store there are literally 1000s of apps available to install and maximise the functionality of this device. Everything from movies and audio apps to games and more. These are easily installed by opening the Google Play app (pre-installed) and selecting the apps to install. Google Play Movies also allows you access to all the latest movies . These purchased movies will then appear in your “Purchased” playlist on the YouTube app. We like this as YouTube has the best possible streaming technology, so your movies are streamed at amazing quality without the buffering found on other video streaming services. You’re also able to download dedicated movies and streaming apps like Netflix and Showmax.

kodi-menu-lrg

What is Kodi?

Kodi is what makes these android boxes so powerful, and popular. With Kodi (which comes pre-installed on the MyGica ATV582) you have access to a world of entertainment and streaming. Kodi has 100s of its own addons from within its interface. Some require paid for user accounts, but most are free and made possible by a global open source community of developers and media geniuses that contribute to Kodi constantly. While Kodi is an open source media centre (formerly named XBMC) don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s anything but a mega-powerful media centre! Kodi supports a wealth of apps from all the major American and international TV and entertainment networks – some do need you to register but most are free. It also supports most portable USB hard drives with movies, music and media you might already have. Just plug it into the spare USB port on the TV box and access the content from within Kodi.

One really handy addon I used with Kodi is called Trakt. This ingenius app allows you to search for titles to add to your watchlist (on your smartphone and on this device), plus it will also keep track of all the shows you watch, so you never start and episode you’ve already watched on this device or another.

View the full list of Kodi addons here.

Conclusion

This is a premium quality android TV box that is jam packed with powerful functionality. The remote (and mini keyboard) supplied is a real winner and makes browsing and finding content a breeze. The operating system is a very slick and allows ease of use. Wifi being built in was essential and works well, especially if your router is sitting in the other room. The antenna supplied also ensures greater coverage. I love the compact size of this unit and remote – it’s not much bigger than a slice of bread. Although I didn’t test it for gaming purposes, I have no doubt that the quad core CPU and octo core GPU would handle even the most demanding of mobile games. A powerful GPU is essential for any device supporting 4K (UHD) resolutions, which this one does. And don’t worry if you have content on an external USB drive, there’s 2 USB ports (1 spare when you have the remote dongle plugged in) for all your external drive needs. Plus an SD card slot for your all your photos and other content.

All in all I’m very pleased with how this unit performs and the features which make it a must have gadget for people looking to bring their entertainment into the 21st century. With its great specs and extended compatibility it’s future-proof too – so you’ll be able to use it for years to come.

Troubleshooting

In the interest of full disclosure, there were a couple of hiccups experienced.

  • Kodi didn’t work out the box. The app didn’t load and kept returning me to the home screen. This is easily remedied though. Go to settings and clear all data then it should work. If that doesn’t work, uninstall Kodi then re-install via Google Play app. It’s probably not a bad idea to do this anyway as it will ensure you have the latest version of Kodi which is always being updated.
  • Not really a troubleshooting issue, but it should be noted that the Power Off button puts the device into standby mode vs. switching it off. This means that if there’s an issue, and the unit freezes, you would need to pull out the power cable and plug back in – i.e. for a reboot. After remaining in standby mode, the device can drop the wifi connection and you have to reconnect (see below).  I also would have liked to be able to switch off the device completely without having to unplug the power cable.
  • Wifi troubles – sometimes when powering up from standby mode the wifi doesn’t seem to connect automatically. To fire it up again you need to go to the Wifi Settings menu and disable, then re-enable wifi for it to refresh the connection and login to your router or access point again.

For any other troubleshooting you can view the dedicated MyGica forum or view the MyGica Manual (PDF)  . Or visit the Manufacturer Website.

The MyGica ATV582 is available to buy online from Mantality.

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Hello, howzit, sawubona, dumela... we love manly stuff – and sell it too! Our online store features 1000s of the coolest gadgets and products aimed exclusively at men. We’ve been selling manly goodness since 2008 and completely live and breathe “men’s culture” and all the cool things that surround it. Shop with us maybe? We source and support local SA businesses as well as import products from all corners of the globe.

14 Comments

  1. Wow. Amazing features it has. I liked the S802B Quad Core CPU feature. Well recently, I have bought a G5+ quad core 4K Android TV box Kodi streamer from “Gostreamer” which provides mostly same feature as MYGICA ATV582. The most common and great thing is that Google Playstore, Offering Millions of Apps, Movies, Books and Games which we can easily install by this tv box. Thanks for sharing this lots of information. It is really very helpful.

  2. What drugs are you on? Premium product? I have one and I reckon you would be better off trying to watch tv using a turd your dog left on the lawn. I hope they paid you well to write that bogus “review”.

    • Currently working like a dream. But should this one ever going on the blink, I’ll give your suggestion a try. Can you recommend a TV Box we should be stocking? Preferably no dog turds though.

  3. Hope you can assist. I bought the MyGica 2 weeks ago and am still struggling to get it connected to either my Vodacom wifi or my Telkom wirelss. It picks up the Vodacom and the D-Link but when trying to connect it takes forever “connecting” and then says Connectin failed.

  4. Liyana van Wyk on

    I have had the worst experience with this device! It has a terrible lag, the remote doesnt sync properly.

    We have had an apple tv for years, I decided to add an android rather than upgrade our other devices! WORST MISTAKE EVER!

    Its stuck on Google Play… Showmax / Netflix and Amazon doesnt work with the remote we had to buy a wireless mouse and keyboard otherwise its not usable!

    I am so dissappointed by this product! We have reset ot twice with no change!

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