Zidoo X9 Android Media Player Features an HDMI Input Port with PVR & Time Shifting Functions

I’ve recently tested two Android TV boxes with an HDMI input, namely HPH NT-V6 and M-195, and with the firmware they had at the time of review, the HDMI input just acts as a dumb HDMI input port, and there was nothing much I could do with it. Now comes Zidoo X9, another Android TV box powered nby Mstar MSO9810 that also comes with an HDMI input port, but this time, they’ve implemented a PVR function, so if you have a low end satellite, cable, or terrestrial receiver, you can connect it to Zidoo X9 and record programs, which makes it much more useful.

Zidoo X9 specifications:

SoC – Mstar MSO9180D1R quad core Cortex A9 processor up to 1.5GHz with ~~octa-core ARM Mali-450MP6 GPU~~ Mali-450MP (2 or 4) GPU
System Memory – 2GB DDR3
Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot
Video Output / Input – HDMI output up to 4K, HDMI input with PVR and Time Shifting support, and AV port (Composite + stereo audio)
Audio I/O – HDMI Out and In, AV, and optical S/PDIF
(Main) Video Codecs – H265, VC-1, WMV-HD, MPEG1/2/4 up to 4Kx2K, etc..
Audio Codec – MP3, AAC, AC3, DTS-HD Master, TrueHD 7.1 pass-through, etc…
Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, Dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (MT7632 module), Bluetooth 4.0. Dual external antennas.
USB – 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 host ports.
Misc – ON/OFF switch, reset pinhole, LCD display on front panel
Power Supply – N/A
Dimensions – 187 x 127 x 27 mm (aluminum enclosure)

It looks very similar to Kaiboer F5, but they’ve added dual bad Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, and I understand the firmware is completely different.

The device runs Android 4.4.2 with Google Play Store, a custom version of XBMC optimized for Mstar MSO9810, and an interesting user interface called ZIUI. If you are mainly interested in HDMI in function, jump to 5:49, where you’ll see the configuration menu for PVR function that allows to record in HD, VGA, FHD resolution and MP4 or TS container, and specific the starting date/time. H.264 is used to encode the video, and you can choose the recording path, for example on SD card or USB hard drive. Warning: If you are a member of the grammar/vocabulary police, this video may make you faint / feel unwell.

Zidoo X9 can be purchased for $169 on Amazon US, but I can’t find it anywhere else. You may be able to find more information on ZidooX9 product page, and ask questions on the Forums. [Update: GearBest sells the device for $119.99 including shipping with coupon ZDX9CN]

Thanks to Harley for the tip.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.