Despite being one of the more expensive boxes in the world of Android TV boxes, the ColoVu C1 Plus manages to deliver a superior product that warrants the price tag. Sure, it's bigger than the other boxes in the same vein and is just so damn white, but it's the best we've tested.
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Design
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Performance
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Controller
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Price
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UI
You’ve probably never heard of the ColoVu C1 Plus 4K, right? That’s a real shame because it’s one of the best TV boxes on the market. Well, it’s the best Android streamer on the shelves. Apple still holds the title for best streaming box in general, but the ColoVu does its best to be mentioned in the same breath as the Apple TV.
It’s hard to go wrong with a streaming box, especially in South Africa. For some inexplicable reason, the country seems to go crazy for these things. It makes sense. You want a place to watch Netflix, Showmax and Disney+ all in one place. If Showmax would just hurry up with its PS5 app, that would be plenty of folks’ go-to streaming hub. Until that day comes (if ever), we’re stuck with streaming boxes.
Curves in all the right places
Don’t let the absurdly orange packaging fool you; the ColoVu is as white as a box can get. We weren’t thrilled about the colour scheme at first – white just doesn’t blend in well with anything. But, over time, it grew on us. Unfortunately, it grew on the dust bunnies living around our TV setup too. A black shade would be ideal – if it existed. Get on that, please.
Besides the colour, the ColoVu is about as sexy as a TV box can get. Which is to say, not very sexy. It stands a little taller than similar streamers and for good reason. Where other boxes, say the Xioami Mi Box S, compromise on the LAN port for a lower profile, the ColuVu opts to keep it. And thank goodness, because trying to keep a stable 4K stream going on 5G is not it. We’re looking at you, Rain.
The bigger-and-heavier-than-average box goes a long way in making the ColuVu feel more premium. That’s certainly helped by the millions of ports the ColuVu manages to hold such as the: LAN, SD card slot, USB-A, HDMI port and power slot, SPDIF and AV ports. That’s plenty more than other premium boxes out there, and we’re here for it. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with more ports. But that’s not why you buy these things. You just want to watch the final season of Better Call Saul on Netflix. We get it.
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Sonic the Android TV Box
We weren’t expecting to even notice a real difference between the C1 Plus and our other favourite Android box – the Xioami Mi Box S. Oh, how wrong we were. From the very first time you boot the C1 Plus up, you notice the difference. It’s smoother than Michael Jackson, which is to say it’s buttery smooth. We never noticed just how jittery other boxes were until we played with the C1 Plus. It’s a small change, but one that we greatly appreciated. This alone would make it worth buying – the other stuff is all just a bonus.
If you’ve ever used any sort of Android software before, the setup and UI will all be familiar. Set up is as easy as plugging the power cord in and typing in your email address. It even comes pre-loaded with YouTube and Netflix, so you don’t waste any time faffing with downloads. You will need to seek out Showmax, Prime Video, and Disney+ on the Play Store, but that’s okay.
Google Chromecast is baked into the UI, which makes casting from your phone or PC much simpler. The Google Assistant feature was something we stayed away from, mainly because we prefer typing manually. But if you’re a die-hard voice browser, Assistant should suit you just fine.
Controlling what you watch
The final piece of the puzzle is the remote control that comes with the C1 Plus. Again, it’s hard to screw up a TV controller – just throw on a power button, some directional buttons, and an OK and you’re set. A couple of dedicated streaming buttons is always appreciated, though the problem South Africans usually face is that most of the buttons send you to services that aren’t available in the country. Who needs the hassle of a Hulu input?
The C1 Plus eliminates that problem. It has all the regular buttons you’d need, plus dedicated Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and Google Play Movies buttons – all of which are available in South Africa. Stack that on top of its weighty, curved body and you’ve got one of the better Android TV box remotes out there.
ColoVu C1 Plus Final Verdict
If you’ve got a 4K TV and aren’t happy with the built-in smart functionality, then this is the box for you. Our only gripe is the price – R1,600 could easily be spent on something far more useful – especially if you’ve already got a Smart TV. But if you have the extra income, then you won’t be led astray by the C1 Plus. Other boxes like the Xiaomi Mi Box S are cheaper and do many of the same things that the C1 Plus, just slightly worse.
Fortunately, Takealot never seems to actually sell the C1 Plus for R1,600 and often lists it as low as R1,370 – a far more reasonable price. If you’ve got the money to secure the best of the best in the Android (streaming box) world, then this is what you’re looking for. It’s faster, flashier and has more functionality than its counterparts. If you’re in need of something a bit more basic, it won’t be the end of the world to not choose this one.