That’s better than the Mi Box S but the comparative lack of UK catch-up and on-demand apps is a miss. Broadly speaking you get a decent selection: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, BT Sport, Spotify, Tidal, Stadia, Peloton, TikTok, StarzPlay, ESPN, Amazon Music, UFC, WWE, Mubi, Roxi and Deezer. There is My5 and ITV Hub catch-up apps but the rest of the UK catch-up apps are missing in action (iPlayer is said to be on the way). More similarities to the Xiaomi box arrive in the library of apps. But that is Android’s problem and not something the Strong can do anything about. It would make more sense if it was included on the Home page, it seems counter-intuitive to click to another tab if you want quick access to content you’ve favourited. Even though it’s the second row down, you could easily gloss over it. The Discover tab carries over the ‘Watchlist’ feature that first debuted with the Google TV interface, although the way it’s presented within the tab doesn’t particularly highlight its importance. It should get better the more you use it, but the options it presents are fairly generic. The ’Discover’ appears to repeat the same titles, not offering much in the way of variety or personalisation. Having used Google TV on the Sony A80J, this older version of Android TV does lack the curation and useful info on content tiles like review scores and price details (you have to delve into the title to see that), which makes it rather uninformative at first glance. Operation of Android TV 10 is fine with easy navigation across the ‘tab with Home, Discover, Apps and Settings across the top row. Android TV 10 is the version out of the box, which isn’t the latest one but is more up to date than the Xiaomi’s Android 9. The interface is Android TV and not Google TV, which is available on the Google’s latest Chromecast streamer. The similarities to the Mi Box S continue with the interface and app library. Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in.Like the Mi Box S the volume control is not over the TV’s or any connected audio device, but the Leap-S1’s internal volume, which I can’t wrap my head around. The feedback from button presses has that nice, clicky feel to them and there’s no noticeable lag between presses and input on screen. The remote is another similar looking effort to the zapper that comes with the Mi Box S, with a d-pad for navigation, volume control, Home and Google Assistant buttons and the usual shortcuts for Netflix and Prime Video. It’s well specified on the connection front. On its side is a micro-SD slot along with USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, and on the rear is the HDMI port for connection to a TV, Optical S/PDIF for connecting an audio device, LAN for hardwired connection to a router, IR port and AV output for compatibility with older non-HDMI TVs. Its shape and size mean it has more connections than most streamers outside of the Apple TV 4K box. The Strong Leap-S1 is similar to the Mi Box S in that it’s flat, square in shape and lies flat on the surface next to your TV rather than being plugged straight into the HDMI port like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K. Is it enough to have Amazon and Roku looking over their shoulders? Design You get Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, as well as a USB port for hooking up a hard drive and a digital audio amplifier port for connecting the Leap-S1 to a sound system. Strong’s effort is an Android-toting streamer with a few more features than your average streaming stick. If you thought the video streamer market had been sown up by Amazon and Roku, the Strong Leap-S1 is here to remind you there are other choices. Google Android TV with Chromecast and Google Assistant.
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