WeTek has been working not on one, but two four new devices recently. I’ve already covered WeTek Play 2S (previously known as WeTek Play+) based on Amlogic S905 Rev. C , running Android 5.1 or OpenELEC, and featuring digital TV tuners (ATSC, DVB-S2, DVB-T2/C), which should become available in Q2 2016. The company has unveiled another model called WeTek Hub with features closer to the ones found in other Amlogic S905 TV boxes I’ve reviewed so far, except it is based on Amlogic S905-H revision C, comes with Widewine and Microsoft PlayReady DRM, and supports both Android 5.1.1 and OpenELEC.
WeTek Hub specifications:
- SoC – Amlogic S905-H revision C quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz
- System Memory – 1 GB DDR3
- Storage – 8 GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot
- Video & Audio Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60Hz with HDCP 2.2 support
- Video & Audio Playback – 10-bit H.265, H.264 up to 4K @ 60 Hz, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD pass-through
- Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0
- USB – 1x USB 2.0 host port
- DRM – Microsoft Playready and Widewine Level 1, HDCP
- Misc – IR receiver + external IR support
- Power Supply – TBD
- Dimensions – 71 x 71 x 20 mm
The device is said to dual boot Android 5.1.1 and OpenELEC, with Ubuntu Linux likely supported by the community. Amlogic S905-H has the advantage of having DTS and Dolby licenses so audio should work in all apps, and revision C of the silicon fixes freezes and artifacts with some 4K 10-bit H.265 video streams (e.g. DVB-S2). The DRM will allow for full HD video streaming in apps like Netflix. The device is also really small, for example I know have MXQ-4K on my desk, another TV box based on Amlogic S905 processor that measures 117 x 117 x 27 mm, and does not really feel big either.
WeTek Hub will ship with a power adapter, an HDMI cable, a remote control, an IR extension cable, a plastic bit for firmware update, and a warranty card. The IR extension cable will allow you to place the box behind the TV (mounting bracket are also provided or available), or hidden in your cabinet. Price is rumored to be between $70 and $90, and the device will start selling at the end of April.
Beside WeTek Play 2S and WeTek Hub, the company will soon launch WeTek Streamer and WeTek Streamer 4K featuring WeTek IPTV application (Stalker, Xtream Codes) and respectively powered by Amlogic S805 and S905.
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.
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