Ferguson FBOX ATV and Ferguson U5PVR - a new generation of devices in the Ferguson offer
Ferguson introduces two interesting devices to its offer that offer full 4K / UHD HDR streaming support and - a rarity in this type of devices - the possibility of parallel operation of two operating systems on one device: Android TV and Linux Debian. In parallel, i.e. without switching when booting devices. It gives interesting possibilities of their use ...
Ferguson FBOX ATV is now available in the manufacturer's offer, while Ferguson U5PVR will go on sale at the end of February this year.
Ferguson FBOX ATV
Ferguson FBOX ATV is a small inconspicuous box measuring 10.5x10.5x2cm, weighing only 200g and a set of useful inputs and outputs. The device is passively cooled and does not emit any sounds, so it can work in the living room or bedroom. Also, the diode signaling operation of the device has been dimmed accordingly, thanks to which it remains visible, but it does not illuminate the interior of the room at night.
The components of the device are noteworthy, among which the most important are:
o efficient HiSilicon HI 379M V200 processor
o Mali-450 graphics system that perfectly supports displaying 4K / UHD HDR content with 10-bit color depth and allows you to play quite graphically complicated games
o 2 GB of fast DDR 4 RAM ensures smooth operation of the device with even many services running
o dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi n / ac with two MIMO-2 antennas
o S / PDIF optical output
Thanks to these components, Ferguson FBOX ATV is one of the faster and smoother mini-PCs on the market.
Also in terms of the richness of the offered connectors, the FBOX ATV stands out from similar devices. FBOX ATV offers the following connectors:
o 2 USB ports (including one USB 3.0)
o microSD card reader
o SPDIF digital audio output
o HDMI 2.0 output
o 3.5mm AV output (thanks to it you can watch Netflix even on old "bubbles"!)
o RJ45 Ethernet connector
In the FBOX ATV program layer, it is Ferguson's first device with Android TV. The system is liked by some, not very much by others, but remains one of the best systems supported by the TV remote control. The system has its limitations, but in return offers a rich library of applications for streaming video content through VOD services such as Netflix, YouTube and others. It is worth noting that this is streaming in full 4K / UHD, which is rare in receivers without Android TV due to restrictions introduced by Google. Here the highest quality of sterling is available "on stock".
The most importantfeatures of the ATV FBOX program layer:
o Android TV operating system with Level 1 Widevine support
o Linux installation option
o availability of an extensive Android TV software library
o the manufacturer pre-installs the Aptoide TV application with additional software repositories for Android TV
o full HDMI passthrought - the system can provide the receiver with a clean soundtrack encoded by any codec
Linux, i.e. full use of the device
Ferguson FBOX ATV allows you to install Linux (Debian distribution) on an external drive (microSD card, USB drive, USB stick), which opens a whole range of possibilities for the device. It is worth noting that this does not affect the Android TV system - both systems work in parallel and no boot to the selected system is required. In this way, the device remains an excellent media player additionally offering a lot of possibilities.
The process is not complicated and has been described in detail on manufacturer's website .
When installing Linux, the following services are also installed:
o media server Plex (on Android the client is pre-installed for its convenient operation)
o network client Bittorrent Transmission
o FTP server for convenient access to files
o server Tvheadend
o SSHD server for convenient access to the Linux console
After installing Linux, there are great opportunities to use the device as a server for various applications, e.g.
o file server on the local network (NAS functions)
o file server on the external network
o access services server (VPN, WebDAV, other)
o web server ...
The possibilities are huge! The manufacturer gave an example of using FBOX ATV as a web server with Apache, PHP, MySQL and WordPress script to host their own website. Reading the guide WWW server installation opens your eyes to the possibilities of using the device for many purposes.
Undoubtedly, Ferguson FBOX ATV is an interesting and full of possibilities construction. You can learn more about the device from manufacturer's website . Available is also available for download device catalog card .
Ferguson FBOX ATV is available directly at manufacturer's online store and in good consumer electronics stores.
Ferguson U5PVR
Ferguson U5PVR, i.e. ATV on very solid steroids, is an extension of the ATV FBOX idea. The device is by definition different from the FBOX ATV, much more powerful, equipped with television reception heads in DVB-T / T2 / C / S / S2 standards, allowing the installation of a hard disk and focusing on advanced access to media fed from various sources.
Ferguson U5PVR is also the first Ferguson receiver allowing the installation of software enigma2 .
The components used in the device differ from those of the FBOX ATV. Noteworthy are:
o very efficient, powerful HiSilicon HI3798C V200 system - approx. 25% stronger than the system used in FBOX ATV
o Mali-T720 graphics system - much more powerful and efficient than the one used in FBOX ATV, of course with full 4K / UHD HDR support with 10-bit color depth and allowing to play complex graphics games
o 2 GB of fast DDR4 RAM
o dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi in the n / ac standard
o Gigabit Ethernet
o SATAIII port for connecting a hard disk (without USB adapter, as in other receivers)
Very efficient hardware is supplemented with the ATV software known from FBOX, so:
o Android TV operating system with Level 1 Widevine support
o Linux installation option
o availability of an extensive Android TV software library
o the manufacturer pre-installs the Aptoide TV application with additional software repositories for Android TV
o full HDMI passthrought - the system can provide the receiver with a clean soundtrack encoded by any codec
o there is also the option of installing Enigma2 here
Also in terms of the number of connectors Ferguson U5PVR provides a set of needed and useful connectors:
o 4 USB ports (including one USB 3.0)
o microSD card reader
o S / PDIF digital audio output
o HDMI 2.0 output
o 3.5mm AV output
o RJ45 Ethernet 1Gbit / s connector
o CA port
o SATA III (for connection 1x HDD)
o mini USB connector
o ANT DVB-T / T2 / C input
o SAT DVB-S / S2 input
Thanks to the ability to install Linux, Ferguson U5PVR offers in the software layer everything that Ferguson FBOX ATV and enriches it with native Tvheadend support. However, one of the most interesting possibilities seems to be the possibility of installing the Enigma2 system, it will definitely make you smile on many faces.
Ferguson U5PVR will be available for sale at the end of February this year, and is currently available for download catalog card this device. The website is still being prepared.
If you have more detailed questions about any of the devices, direct contact with the manufacturer is possible at the following email address: Ferguson expert @.com or marketing(_at_)ferguson.pl
