Review of the Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder. New sound quality thanks to four built-in speakers

Polsat soundbox 4K is a decoder available in the Polsat Box offer. It is based on the Android TV platform and has built-in speakers that use Dolby Atmos technology. It is available in the S, M, M Sport and L packages for PLN 30 per month + a one-time fee of PLN 1 to activate the decoder. This decoder is also a great option for people who cannot install a satellite dish. It has the DUO function, thanks to which it works in two technologies: satellite and landline Internet.

First connection

The set includes everything necessary to connect and start the decoder for the first time – power supply, remote control, internet cable and HDMI cable. The latter is very useful because we always lack it and we don’t have to look for it separately in stores and spend extra money.

In addition, the batteries for the remote control were packed separately. Everything wrapped in paper, which is a nod to ecology. In addition, there were instructions on the paper in which the remote control was packed.

Pairing the decoder with the remote control

Before you start installing channels, you need to pair the remote control with the decoder. To do this, you need to hold down the 7 and 9 keys for a few seconds to pair everything. There is no great philosophy in it and it is simple, even for people who do not know much about technological innovations.

Even people from abroad using the Polsat Box offer were appreciated because by clicking the 1 button on the remote control, you can turn on English subtitles. Later we can choose the language again. The Bluetooth remote control has a range of up to 10 meters, which allows you to freely control the decoder even from another room.

First launch of the decoder

When you turn on the decoder for the first time, you must immediately connect it to the Internet, even if you connect the decoder via satellite. In addition, our decoder intended for testing downloaded software updates and after completing all activities, it restarted. It’s better to do it right away, because it only took a moment (depending on the Internet speed, for me the update took from a few to several dozen minutes), and nothing interrupted the subsequent entertainment, which was watching programs and learning new functions of this equipment.

We connected the decoder via a cable, which guarantees a stable connection. If other users do not have this option, the Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder has built-in Wi-Fi 6, which uses two different Wi-Fi frequencies – 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Searching for available networks is automatic and therefore easy. In later tests, we disconnected the set-top box from the Internet cable and connected it via Wi-Fi. There was really no difference in performance.

Important: Fixed-line Internet required: Plus, Netia, Orange and selected ISP providers (full list available at polsatbox.pl). The minimum speed is 8 Mbps for HD channels and 25 Mbps for 4K channels per decoder.

After updating the Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder and restarting it, the word “androidTV” appeared, which is the newest and – in our opinion – the most interesting function of this equipment, which gives easy access to the Google Play store, including, among others: video services, e.g. Polsat Box Go, MAX, Disney+ or YouTube. To use the decoder, login is required, so if someone does not have an account, they would have to create one on Gmail, powered by Google. However, if we don’t have it, no problem, because we can skip it and come back to it in the future.

I decided to connect immediately and the biggest problem I had was getting through two-step verification. We had the option set for the notification to be sent to the phone, but for some reason, such a message was not displayed. It is worth connecting the phone to the same Wi-Fi network to which the decoder is connected.

Decoder functions

After connecting to your Google account, you can start using amenities such as a voice assistant and the ability to install many applications. Of course, to use them, you need to create an account.

After selecting the applications that we want to be installed in our decoder, the capabilities of this decoder are displayed. The great advantage of this decoder is the use of Dolby Atmos technology. As a result, the Polsat 4K soundbox provides users with clear and deep immersive Dolby Atmos sound, designed by Bang & Olufsen acoustic engineers, coming from as many as four built-in speakers.

The decoder also has a built-in Chromecast, which allows you to send photos, videos and music from your phone to the TV. After reviewing these options, the operator update appeared, which took several seconds.

Then a new window about the satellite dish appeared. This is also an interesting option for people who do not have a “platter”, because all you need to do is select the option that the Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder is not connected, and all TV channels are installed anyway. After confirmation, the “Polsat Box” start screen was displayed, with the live channel displayed in the background, and below you could select recommended programs and series. In the left part of the screen, options appeared: “search”, i.e. the basic search engine, “to watch”, “TV channels”, “Polsat Box Go”, “Disney+”, “Shop”, “TV program”, “Recordings ”, “Applications”, “Settings” and “Subscriber Zone”. All you had to do was press the “back” button on the remote control (the button above the volume control) and you could use the TV program.

In this case, for new users, we recommend selecting the “TV channels” option and confirming with the “OK” button. After selecting this option, tiles with all the channels proposed by Polsat Box will be displayed in the default order.

Possibilities of the Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder

The Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder has non-linear functions such as “CatchUp” (watching specific programs even 7 days after broadcast), TimeShift (stopping and rewinding specific programs up to 3 hours) and reStart (watching specific programs from the beginning, up to 3 hours back) .

In practice, most programs have a curled arrow option, which means that you can undo selected productions that are broadcast on Polsat Box. This is also a great option for people who missed their favorite show. Undoing a program is very simple. We click the EPG button on the remote control (above the channel change buttons), use the arrows (those around the “OK” button) to select the program we want and then select the “play from the beginning” option. After the video ends, you can choose the “continue watching” option, i.e. continue the broadcast with a delay, or cancel it and return to what is currently broadcast live.

The first thing that catches the eye is the better quality of even old productions, thanks to the maximum 4K video quality, which gives an excellent viewing experience. Thanks to it, you can see even more details, dynamics, colors and shades. However, it all also depends on the capabilities of the TV and the Internet, if we decided to connect the decoder to the network instead of a satellite dish!

A special function has been prepared for people who are going away, are late, or fall asleep in front of the TV. The Polsat Soundbox 4K decoder includes cloud recording options. You cannot record all programs, but the vast majority, such as series, can. Users who do not have time to watch the latest episode have the “record episode” option, while people who are often on the road or work different shifts and are afraid of missing more than one program can use the “record season” option .

For shorter trips, e.g. to the kitchen for tea, the pause button is useful. Thanks to it, you won’t miss any moment of the movie. After pausing and finishing the series, the easiest option to return to watching a given channel “live” is to switch and turn it back on, then all these options are reset.

The decoder also has a voice or text search engine. If we want to use the first one, we select the appropriate option on the decoder and speak to the remote control with a built-in microphone. We search for TV series using the magnifying glass on the right. It is worth noting that at the head of the remote control (above the play/pause button) there is a microphone button. This technology is compatible with Google and this way we can quickly check, for example, what the weather is like.

Summary

The Polsat Box decoder is not compact. It has dimensions of 165 x 165 x 65 mm and weighs about 1 kilogram. However, in this device we have a small home cinema, which allows you to create a small cinema and multimedia entertainment in your apartment, controlled by one remote control. In addition, Android TV functions allow you to enjoy access to the network without having to spend money on more expensive TVs with such functions, which compensates for the additional PLN 30 per month to the selected package.