Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsRoom for improvement
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2023
Pros:
I upgraded from an older Android box to use a Tablo over the air DVR and it works.
Cons:
The remote is a foolhardy reinvention of the wheel. The rounded back and slippery surface guarantee you'll be picking it up off the floor. There are aftermarket silicone covers that give it a better grip and traction on slippery surfaces. The volume buttons on the side and the remote's overall small size means there's only certain ways to hold it without inadvertently adjusting the volume. I tried to use a universal RF wireless remote with a USB A receiver plugged into a USB C inline dongle. It worked but it completely crashed Chromecast's bluetooth even though it has nothing to do with bluetooth. Laughably, it even crashed the Chromecast remote. The only way to fix it is a restart buried in the settings. There's apps that will allow you to change the functions of buttons and that's the only thing good about this remote.
The screensaver is called "Ambient Mode". Screensavers are unnecessary these days. It's activated by pausing video. There's no way to set how long the delay is before it kicks in and once it does, you'll be kicked out of whatever app you were in and or place in a show you were watching. You can click down a rabbit hole of settings to see "all apps" and disable "Ambient Mode" but then it just goes to a black screen instead of displaying pictures and temperature. You're still kicked out of whatever you paused if you didn't resume as promptly as Google deems appropriate.
Summary:
It works with Tablo, it's got a goofy remote, bluetooth is buggy and Ambient Mode is annoying. The remote is tolerable with a silicone sleeve. Ambient Mode is a permanent annoyance. As I'm writing this I'm sitting in front of a paused show clicking the remote often enough to avoid it kicking in.
Update, Bluetooth pairing no long works for headphones. I've tried 3 different pairs and it sees none of them. Other devices see and pair with them no problem. A factory reset changes nothing. Bluetooth isn't exactly cutting edge tech. I'm astonished a company the size of Google would release something this buggy. Without headphones connectivity this is useless for me. In the garbage it goes where the buggy thing belongs. Avoid.