Miami project: Bouygues Telecom presents its bbox on Android TV

Bouygues Telecom invited us this afternoon to discover a "secret project" on which a small team has been working recently.Its code name is Miami and it is in fact a decoder running Android TV.And the presentation we were able to attend was at the very least convincing.

Miami project is a small TV box that does not look like.With its 15 × 15 cm, it accommodates ideally under television or hides in an appropriate piece of furniture.Bouygues Telecom has great ambitions for her, since it is indeed a new generation TV box (and not the Internet box running Android TV.

On the material side first, it contains a processor with four marvell brand cores, an Armada 1500 Pro chip, slightly more powerful than a Snapdragon 400.It also has two GPU chips, one dedicated to 3D (living GC 4000 3D) and the other dedicated to 2D (living GC420).For the rest, it has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory that can be extended using an SD card, a USB key or a hard drive (you come back).Finally, in terms of connection, it is compatible with Bluetooth 4.0, wifi (up to standard N), has a single USB port, an HDMI 1 port.4, an optical outlet for sound, a TV antenna socket and a TNT HD tuner.And it also incorporates a chromecast function.

But what is the interior of this TV box is almost anecdotal compared to its software aspect.This is by far the most interesting aspect of the Miami project, since this box runs on Android TV.Bouygues Telecom claims to have worked "quickly and secretly with a small team and in collaboration with French start-ups".Google has also helped Bouygues Telecom for the software design of this box.The Miami project aims to create the ultimate TV decoder.Understand by this that it must be both capable of displaying classic television, but also at the same time VOD and catch -up television.And the least we can say is that the project is promising.

The Miami project home screen

This box has been designed to make the user experience as simple as possible.When the box is launched, the user will systematically arrive on conventional television, live.A simple pressure on the TV key on the remote control will however display a menu with four options: channels, services, apps and suggestions.Let's start with the channel menu, which very classically displays a mosaic of television channels.It is then possible to sort them with basic filters, to put some in favorites or to have information on the current program.

The service menu is a little more interesting since it allows you to search for content either in VOD or in catch -up television.The VOD service is by default that of Bouygues Telecom, Bbox VOD, but it is also possible to access all the emissions in catching up very simply, on all possible French channels.And this will involve partner applications developed by television channels.Bouygues Telecom is in discussion with them, and it has been explained to us that the vast majority of French television channels will be automatically integrated into the catch -up of this service menu.

VOD menu

The suggestion menu may be the most interesting on this box.This menu was developed by a French start-up, Spideo.This is an engine of suggestions intended to help the user to choose what he will look at.In addition to classic manual research, we find interesting filters."You will like" will offer a series of TV programs, replay or VOD programs based on user history.Better still, the "similar" filter will look for video content relating to what we are currently watching.During the presentation, we went to Public Senate and the "similar" search engine then offered political programs related to other channels, documentaries and films.In the event that it is VOD content (paying, therefore), it will be enough to click on it to buy it, without having to go through a dedicated menu.The interface is flexible and above all the least restrictive possible.From what we could see, it was very convincing.

The application menu.

The application menu, finally, includes all Android applications that can run on Android TV.Basically, it will contain the majority of Google's applications (YouTube, whose navigation has been designed for the remote control), but also Chrome and especially the Play Store.The Google application shop will only highlight content that makes sense on television.Concretely, the applications of catch -up television, video, media center but also of play.It will be possible to connect a USB or Bluetooth controller to the box to be able to play Android video games.There will certainly be limitations in terms of applications that can be installed on this TV, but we have not had any details on this subject.

Automatically, Miami project will find the applications related to the chain that we look at.

Finally, Android requires, it will be possible to transform his box into a media center.By default, the Miami project will integrate a media center to watch your countless vacation movies, but it will be possible to install any application (plex, for example) to find its favorite interface.It will also be possible to have your NAS recognized thanks to the DLNA, to connect a USB key or a hard drive to save or read video content.Last but not least, the Miami project will be launched with a dedicated application (IOS and Android compatible) which will serve as remote control, keyboard and virtual trackpad.Bluetooth keyboards and mouse will naturally be compatible with the case.

This TV box will be officially launched next October after a test phase carried out this summer by a few customers selected by Bouygues Telecom.We do not know exactly the price it will be sold.Bouygues Telecom intends to integrate it into a package (fiber?) At less than thirty euros.Will it be possible to buy it apart if you are not a Bouygues Telecom customer?Technically, this is possible and obviously during discussion within the operator.The managers of its development seemed rather enthusiastic about this idea, but Olivier Roussat, the CEO of Bouygues Telecom seemed much less hot.Bouygues Telecom has not yet finished working on this high promising box.

The logo (top left) and the name of the box (Miami project) are still temporary

Anyway, I was quite impressed by the Miami project.During this presentation, the fluidity was really there.The different channel mosaics and the content carousels were all displayed in a very fast and fluid way.The interface was so fast that it was often displayed before even video content.By scrolling in the menus, the interface executives were displayed before loading preview images.It's pretty good sign.

The menus seemed relatively understandable to me, in any case accessible to everyone.Not all TV boxes can boast.Finally, the main "defect" in my opinion of this box is that it is far too centered on conventional television than on the internet aspect.The remote control - which has only a handful of buttons - has a large TV button which systematically brings back to "live" television to never lose the user.I may say that because I am a nerd who does not like (and does not like) television with him, but I was seduced by the fact that we can find a lot of internet content on thisBox without going through 15,000 heavy menus.Bouygues Telecom has made this box appeal to Monsieur everyone, and Monsieur everyone loves classic television.It is a coherent choice, which may not appeal to a small minority.In any case, the Miami project augurs de very good on the TV boxes of the future: they will be efficient, with a fluid interface and will especially be for the first time capable of intelligently combining classic television, catch -up television and vod.

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