Pivos XIOS DS Media Play! Android Media Player Review

The Pivos XIOS DS Media Play! currently costs $102.99 on Newegg and is lacking on availability in the UK as I couldn’t really find it at any reputable retailers. For $100 though there is a lot of performance and functionality for the money. The XIOS DS allows you to turn a TV into an Android Smart Device for a small cost. It is also low power and relatively intuitive to use, while XBMC support is welcomed for people who want only a media player and don’t need the added functionality of Android ICS.

I won’t go too much into every little detail because I have already covered most of it in the review. Instead I will summarise my thoughts into some easy to digest pros and cons. If you have any more specific questions then please do ask in the comments and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you have any complex questions then be sure to head on over to the Pivos forums for expert support.

Pros

• XBMC Support
• Does all Media Player functions well
• Abundant Connectivity options
• Abundant Storage Options (USB, MicroSD, network storage..etc)
• Low power consumption (up to 6W)
• Included HDMI cable
• Compact and neutral design
• Affordable at $100
• Easy to deconstruct
• Generally comfortable at playing back 1080p
• Excellent support forums
• Good customer service

 Cons

• Wi-Fi is sluggish, bad Antenna placement – needs to be moved to the front
• Lacking availability in the UK
• Bundled remote lacks range and build quality
• The Android ICS implementation is not totally stable
• Lacking in the Hardware department for an Android and XBMC device
• Requires a lot of technical knowledge and patience to tweak and tune to your liking
• XBMC still buggy and in beta

The XIOS DS from Pivos is a far from perfect creation, but in as much as that might be seen as a downfall it is actually the device’s biggest advantage. For the technical and knowledgeable the device can be tweaked tuned and optimised to suit a wide variety of needs and give a variety of outcomes. Given the rather basic hardware it has, this device is capable of being a great media player, whether Android and XBMC is the best software implementation for this, well I think it – you should choose one or the other. If you’re a bit of a tech junkie and want to get into all this Smart TV “stuff” then the Pivos XIOS DS is a great place to start.

However, if you are a bit of an average user when it comes to Android devices, XBMC and smart TVs and aren’t willing to learn the tricks of the trade, then I’d stay away from the Pivos XIOS DS as it can really become quite complex and frustrating. You become tempted to use it like an Android tablet or smartphone and it really isn’t designed for that. This is a media player aimed at enthusiasts, developers, modders, content junkies and people who just like to fiddle around, others should purchase with caution.

eTeknix says: The Pivos XIOS DS is hardly a unique creation as we have seen many Android media players before this, but what it does offer is a cost effective and quite exciting way to get into the world of media players. Yes you can get cheaper Android/Linux systems (like Raspberry Pi, Via APC etc) but none of these are purpose built to be media players. This Pivos XIOS DS will happily turn your 720/1080p HDMI TV into a Smart TV and/or media player and with a little bit of tweaking you can easily find an optimal software implementation to suit your needs.

Thanks to Pivos for providing this review sample.