The story about a TV set-top box with a happy ending

I have an old LG plasma TV, which is used to watch movies and before it was connected to a computer, but after moving the TV and computer were separated and settled into different rooms. Since we do not watch terrestrial and satellite television, the question arose about the source of video for plasma. The connection to the Internet was to be via Wi-Fi.
The OS did not choose for long, since all the smartphones and the tablet on Android we had in my case the choice was obvious - you need to take the prefix on Android. But which one to take the console was not at all obvious. As a result, after a brief acquaintance with the topic, it was concluded that most of the budget Android consoles, be it an HDMI whistle or just a separate box, have either the same hardware inside or very similar. Therefore, I decided to take what was in the store. This is the DEXP AL-3020 from the nearest DNS store.

The usual console with the usual characteristics: naked Android (as I like) version 4.4, 1GB of RAM, four-core processor RockChip RK3188, like, what else is necessary for happiness? Yes, by the way, this set-top box does not have a power supply unit, but this did not frighten me, because from old smartphones and tablets killed by a son there are several micro USB chargers lying around.
The joy of connecting and seeing Android on TV was pretty fast, this piece of iron began to upset me almost immediately. The first is the impossibility of using the IR remote control from the kit, not that it did not work at all - it worked, but was completely unable to replace the finger when using the tablet. The problem was solved by a wireless mouse, the benefit of the device is a full USB connector.
So, the first trabl was successfully overcome by the mouse.
The joy of buying came back a little, but began to disappear again when they began to watch videos online. Sometimes it seemed like everything was fine, but sometimes hard hangs started, the constant loss of the connection. IPTV from the provider did not work at all, the picture just collapsed into squares.
But real techies never give up, smoking started on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum and trying different firmware, one of the alternatives was installed, which made FullHD real, because from the factory there was only 720p, but the new firmware did not eliminate the problem.
Further, somewhere slipped infa that for such consoles need a powerful power supply and a normal cable (by the way, at first it worked from the service USB TV connector). An adapter for 3A and a thick USB-microUSB wire was purchased, very high quality, according to the seller. The wisps and Wi-Fi falling off remained, as a result, the piece of iron won me and I, for some time, accepted the fact that watching a TV set is a tape measure, it can give a look, maybe not.
Some time later, when the attitude to the piece of iron as to a new one changed to a “braked garbage”, which was gathering dust under the TV-shelf, one evening, when there was nothing to do, it was decided to open the device and look into his soul.


A similar fee from the Internet (its not zafotkat to rework)

An autopsy showed that the processor is cooled unclear how, and heats up when watching a video hoo how, and the Wi-Fi antenna is a track on the board. I see nothing wrong with antennas in the form of tracks, but this one somehow did not inspire me. It was decided to upgrade the device.
For this I needed:
- A piece of radiator from I do not remember what;
- thermal grease;
- two pieces from the spring;
- two clamps;
- Wi-Fi antenna from the old router (was purchased for 60 p.).
Before the road to the antenna on the board, there was some kind of a resistor, or a capacitor, and I saw that in other devices with a similar board, but with an external antenna, it was not there, so I boldly removed it and soldered the external antenna to the site before built-in antenna.
')


Then he made a window for the radiator, assembled the case, put the radiator on the thermal paste and springed it with the help of curved pieces of spring. It turned out great Frankenstein.







The crucial moment has come - connection and verification. My happiness knew no bounds when there were several times more networks in the Wi-Fi settings than it was before - this was a good sign. Speedtest stably showed 30-32 Mbit / s for reception and return. Earned IPTV and the animal was not to know. I have been using it for about a month in a converted state. Everything works fine. About the game I will not say - I do not play. I hope this article will help someone to make friends with this device.