Blade: The Over-the-top Set-top Box

Combining Technology, Aesthetics, and Practicality

Blade, designed by Joonyoung Park, is a USB-powered dongle with an embedded user interface that creates a streaming video/audio experience on a big screen TV. However, it goes beyond being a simple streaming dongle. Blade is a combination of technology, aesthetics, and practicality that sets it apart from other solutions in the market.

Blade's design is inspired by elements that enhance the user experience. The solid base provides a weighted heft, ensuring the device won't tip. The white plastic body of the device has a luminous translucence, reminiscent of English bone china. The tapered structure with algorithmically smoothed curves creates a distinctive and visually appealing design. The black cap at the top adds a touch of solidity and satisfaction. Together, these design elements create a feeling of calm, interest, and harmony.

One of Blade's unique properties is its focus on user experience optimization while maintaining a low cost and high aesthetics. Unlike other streaming solutions that prioritize cost over user experience, Blade offers a premium user experience without sacrificing affordability. It addresses common issues such as Wi-Fi connectivity problems, excessive cabling, and poor user interface responsiveness. Blade's direct-printed, dual-band Wi-Fi antenna and unified HDMI-MHL implementation simplify the connection process and decrease buffering frequency. Placing the device in front of the TV enhances remote control effectiveness and responsiveness.

Blade's design principles also prioritize cost-effectiveness. The plastic physical parts of the device can be assembled by snapping them together, reducing manufacturing costs without compromising the user experience. The result is a dongle-based solution that is both competitively priced and visually appealing.

Technical specifications of Blade include a Broadcom BCM7250 SoC, 4MB SPI NOR Flash, 256MB NAND Flash, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM, 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, NAGRA OpenTV 5.1.2 operating system, and NAGRA Gravity 1.4 Beta user interface. It supports various video and audio formats, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVC, HEVC, Dolby AC-3, and MPEG-1 Layer 1 and 2.

The Blade project started in May 2014 in Mountain View, CA, and Seoul, Korea, and was completed in September 2014. It was refined for commercial purposes and showcased at the International Broadcasters Consortium (IBC) in 2015. Blade received the prestigious Silver A' Design Award in the Digital and Electronic Device Design category in 2016.

Blade is a testament to the power of combining technology, aesthetics, and practicality to create a unique and compelling design. It offers a superior streaming experience, enhanced user interface responsiveness, and a visually appealing design, all at an affordable price point.