Mecool KM6 Amlogic S905X4 Android TV box plays 4K AV1 videos, supports WiFi 6

Mecool KM6 Deluxe Amlogic S905X4 TV Box

We’ve heard about Amlogic S905X4 processor for 4K TV boxes with AV1 support for about year, and while we’ve written about upcoming S905X4 TV boxes such as SDMC DV8919, none of them have launched so far, as silicon design and/or software development have taken a bit longer than expected, and we’re now far from the Q4 2019 launch date shown on the roadmap. But we may not have to wait much longer, as I have been offered a review sample – which sadly, I may have to refuse due to local import regulations – for Mecool KM6 TV box based on Amlogic S905X4 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor coupled with up to 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi 6 connectivity, and running Android 10 on Android TV (Android 10.0 ATV). The company will sell two models with Mecool KM6 Deluxe and Classic editions with the following specifications: SoC – Amlogic […]

Intel NUC 9 Extreme “Ghost Canyon” Kit – NUC9i9QNX Review

NUC9i9QNX Review

I’ve previously written about Intel’s (relatively) new NUC 9 range of mini PCs and now I am following up with my experiences of having bought one. Whilst I’ll cover some performance metrics from both Windows and Ubuntu I’ll also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using either OS together with a comparison of gaming, thermals, and power usage as well as a brief look at overclocking potential and implications together with highlighting the issues encountered. NUC9i9QNX Hardware Overview The model I purchased and will be reviewing here is the NUC9i9QNX from Intel’s Ghost Canyon lineup and is formally known as the Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit – NUC9i9QNX. It contains a “Compute Element” with an i9-9980HK which is an eight-core 16-thread 2.40 GHz processor boosting to 5.00 GHz with Intel’s UHD Graphics 630. The full specifications of the NUC9i9QNX include: The NUC9i9QNX is sold as a kit which essentially means […]

ASROCK 4X4 BOX-4800U Industrial Mini PC is Powered by AMD Ryzen 7 4800U Processor

ASROCK 4X4 BOX-4800U Mini PC

AMD announced the 15W Ryzen 4000-U series processor family last January. In June, the first mini PC with the new processor was announced, and ASUS PN50 which is now expected to become available in October a choice of Ryzen 3 to Ryzen 7 4000-U series processors. ASUS is now joined by another Taiwanese company with ASROCK 4X4 BOX-4800U industrial mini PC just being announced with AMD Ryzen 7 4800-U octa-core processor, and up to 64GB RAM, SATA and M.2 NVMe/SATA storage, and up to four 4K video outputs. ASROCK 4X4 BOX-4800U mini PC specifications: SoC – AMD Ryzen 7 4800U octa-core / 16-thread processor @ up to 1.8 GHz / 4.2 GHz (boost) with 12MB cache, AMD Raden Vega 8 graphics; 12 to 25W TDP (default: 15W) System Memory – 2x 260-pin SO-DIMM sockets for up to 64GB DDR4-3200 dual-channel RAM Storage 1x M.2 KEY M, 2242/2260/2280 socket with PCIe […]

Amlogic S905X3-B SoC Powers Android 9.0 TV Boxes with Dolby Audio License

AX95-DB TV Box

Amlogic S905X3 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor has been found in various TV boxes and single board computers such as ODROID-C4 for about a year.  But I’ve just been informed some new TV models come with Amlogic S905X3-B processor adding a Dolby Audio license. AX95 DB is one of those with the S905X3-B Android 9.0 TV box equipped with 4GB RAM, up to 128GB storage, HDMI 2.1 output up to 4Kp60, as well as Fast Ethernet, and USB 3.0/2.0 ports. AX95 DB specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X3-B quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor @ 2.0 GHz with Arm Mali-G31MP2 GPU, Dolby audio license System Memory – 4GB DDR3 Storage – 64GB flash (32GB or 128GB optional), MicroSD card slt up to 32GB Video & Audio Output HDMI 2.1 up to 4K @ 60Hz or 8K @ 24Hz 3.5mm AV jack for composite video and stereo audio Optical S/PDIF with Dobly Digital audio support Video […]

Testing Hercules OTT Realtek RTD1395 4K Android STB Development Board

Realtek RTD1395 Development Board

This is a guest post by Promwad, a software and hardware product development company with DTV & STB development expertise and know-how. Recently, they received a package from Realtek, their partner in Taiwan. There was a Realtek RTD1395 development board inside – Hercules 32-bit OTT – with 2 GB RAM and pre-installed Android 9 OS. Promwad team tested what it’s capable of and how it can be used by hardware and software engineers who design new TV set-top boxes and develop embedded software. Hercules OTT board is an Android IPTV box that plays videos of any formats with a maximum resolution of 4K. Streaming services such as Youtube, Netflix, etc. are supported via Dash and HLS. Also, the board supports other Android apps, including audio/video calls and conferencing. Realtek introduced RTD1395-based boards back in 2018. IP and cable TV operators used them in their subscriber devices. The RTD1395 chip with […]

Zidoo Z10 Pro & Z9X Realtek RTD1619DR 4K Android Media Players Launched for $229 and up

ZIDOO Z10Pro 4K Media Player Remote Control

We previously wrote about some upcoming Realtek RTD1619 media players targeting the videophone and audiophile crowd, and expected them to launch very soon with models from Zidoo and Dune HD. Zidoo has now launched two models with the awaited Zidoo Z9X and a new, higher-end Zidoo Z10 Pro which can be purchased on Aliexpress for respectively $229 and $349 with free shipping. Zidoo Z9X Specifications Key features and specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1619DR hexa-core Cortex-A55 processor with Arm Mali-G51 MP3 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR4 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash, SATA 3.0 external port (on side) Video Output HDMI 2.0a up to 4Kp60 with HDR, 12Bit, YCbCr 4:4:4 color range, audio passthrough support 3.5mm AV jack with composite Video Input – HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60, 48khz PCM audio Video Decoding – HDR, HDR10 +, Dolby Vision, 10-bit HEVC/H.265 up to 4K @ 60fps, VP9 up to 4K @ […]

AMD Ryzen Embedded SBC Review with Ubuntu 20.04

AMD Ryzen Embedded Ubuntu 20.04

Last June, we reviewed DFI GHF51 Ryzen Embedded R1606G SBC with Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC. We had to send back the board to Taiwan, as the company wanted to double-check some of the issues we reported, and we got the board to review it with Ubuntu 20.04. So I downloaded Ubuntu 20.04.1 ISO flashed it to a USB flash drive, and could install it on the eMMC flash drive without issue. I selected to keep Windows 10, so I have a dual-boot system on a 32GB eMMC flash. Yes, I do like a challenge! 🙂 DFI GHF51 Ubuntu 20.04 System Info We can check some of the information from the system in the terminal:

So I have a 7.9GB partition to play with Ubuntu 20.04.1, but I could do all tests without issues, although I had to remove Phoronix benchmark program and data after completing the benchmark. Features Testing […]

Beelink GT-R Review – An AMD Ryzen 5 Mini PC Tested with Windows 10 and Ubuntu 20.04

Beelink GT-R Review

Whilst Windows mini PCs have traditionally used Intel processors similar small form factor (SFF) devices using AMD based processors have recently been announced and Beelink is amongst the first manufacturers to deliver one with their newly released GT-R mini PC. Available as a barebones device and in various configurations Beelink sent a fully configured model for review. Hardware overview The Beelink GT-R is a slightly larger mini PC physically consisting of a 168 mm x 120 mm x 39 mm (6.61 x 4.72 x 1.54 inches) rectangular metal case with a plastic top. It is an actively cooled mini PC that uses a (previous generation) Zen+ microarchitecture 12 nm Ryzen 5 3550H mobile processor which is a quad-core 8-thread 2.1 GHz processor boosting to 3.7 GHz with Radeon Vega 8 Graphics. The front panel has a power button, two 3.0 USB ports, a headphone jack, and a Type-C USB port […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC