4k News - Page 67 of 85 - CNX Software

June 15, 2016August 3, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 26 Comments

H.265, H.264 and VP9 4K Video Playback with Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 TV Box (Video)

VP9 is starting to become a first class citizen as more and more ARM SoC, such as Amlogic S905X and Hisilicon Hi3798C V200, are getting 4K VP9 hardware video decoding support. I’ve already tested 4K VP9 in Amlogic S905X based NEXBOX A5, and today I’ll report my results with Sunhed S3 TV box based on the new Hisilicon processor. I won’t do a full review yet, as just like NEXBOX A5, it’s still an engineering sample, and the firmware is not quite ready for public release. For example, Google Play is working, but I could not install YouTube, and Kodi 16.0 (likely a custom version) would not start, even after clearing the cache and data. Anyway, I tested 4K VP9, as well as 4K H.265 and H.264 since the last two codec are also here to stay. I first tried to play over SAMBA through the Gigabit Ethernet connection, but […]

June 13, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

EWEAT R9 Android Media Players and Recorders Feature Realtek RTD1295 Processor with HDMI 2.0, SATA, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and More

Eweat has now introduced three TV box models based on Realtek RTD1295 64-bit processor with Eweat R9, Eweat R9 mini, and Eweat R9 Plus, bringing some competition to the upcoming Zidoo X9s TV box, with respectively an external SATA port, no SATA, and an internal SATA bay. All three devices share most of the same specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1295 quad core Cortex A53 processor with ARM Mali-T820 MP3 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage R9 Mini – 8 GB eMMC + SD card reader R9 – 16 GB eMMC + SATA 3.5 connector for external drive + SD card reader R9 Plus – 16 GB eMMC + internal 3.5″ SATA 3.0 bay + SD card reader Video I/O – HDMI 2.0a output, HDMI 2.0 input, and AV Audio I/O – HDMI, AV, optical S/PDIF output Video Playback – HDR, 10-bit HEVC/H.265 up to 4K @ 60fps, H.264 up […]

June 12, 2016June 13, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Mini Review of Popcorn Hour A500 Media Player

Last month I received Popcorn Hour A500 high-end media player powered by Sigma Designs SMP8758 dual core Cortex A9 processor, and in the firtst part of the review I posted the specifications, and pictures of the devices and its internals. Today, I’ll write a short review of the device, as it’s basically an update of Popcorn Hour VTEN which I reviewed last year with a faster processor, more memory, and an internal SATA bay for 2.5″ and 3.5″ drives. User Interface, Remote Control, Internal HDD, and Technical Support The user interface is basically the same as on VTEN with two home screens to select: Media or Music. The performance is a little better, but if you want to find out more about the user interface, I propose you watch the video I shot for Popcorn Hour VTEN During the first boot, Music Home was selected, and I soon got asked whether […]

June 11, 2016June 11, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Unboxing and Teardown of ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit Pure Linux TV Box based on Amlogic S905 SoC

While there are plenty of Amlogic S905 TV boxes, the vast majority is running Android, and albeit there’s been people successfully installing Linux or OpenELEC on such device, if you’d just like a TV box running Linux with 4K video playback without hassle, there’s almost no option. ARNU Box (previously ARMADA) has delivered such Linux TV boxes in the past, with products such as ARNU Box Mach 10 Pure Linux based on Amlogic S812 and running Linux based EmbER OS with Kodi 15, and I’ve now received the updated version simply called ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit Pure Linux with Amlogic S905 processor instead. ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit specifications SoC – Amlogic S905 quad core Cortex A53 @ 2 GHz with ARM Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 (Up to 4k@60fps) Audio Output – […]

June 11, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

MX4 TV Box Based on Rockchip RK3229 Processor Is Selling for $25 (Promo)

There are a few Rockchip RK3229 based Android TV boxes selling for around $30, which are mostly interesting to play high bitrate 4K 10-bit H.265 or 10-bit H.264 videos, and there’s currently a promotion that shaves about $5 off the normal price of MX4 TV Box, bringing the price down to $24.99 shipped. MX4 TV box specifications are basically the same as MQX-4K, even up to the location of connectors, but with a different wireless module: SoC – Rockchip RK3229 quad core ARM Cortex A7 processor @ 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-400MP2 System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB NAND flash + SD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K2K @ 60 fps, and 3.5mm AV output (composite) Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100Mbps Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi + Bluetooth 2.1 (Realtek RTL8703) USB – 4x USB 2.0 […]

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments

$33 Mini M8S TV Box Comes with 2GB RAM, Amlogic S905 Processor

While there are many Amlogic S905 TV Boxes below $40, many of them only come with 1GB RAM, and if you want to get a model with 2GB RAM, you’d need to pay a little more. Mini M8S appears to be a pretty good deal, as it includes 2GB, and sells for $32.97 including shipping on eBay. Mini M8S specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB flash + micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 Audio – HDMI, optical S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – IR receiver Power Supply – DC 5V/2A Dimensions – 110 x 110 x 17.5 mm Weight – 162 grams The device runs Android 5.1, and looks exactly the same […]

June 5, 2016June 27, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 35 Comments

Beelink BT7 Review – Windows 10 mini PC Based on Intel Atom x7-Z8700 Processor

Beelink BT7 mini PC powered by Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor offers an interesting alternative to the fanless Voyo V3 mini PC, as it is actively cooled by a small fan, supports (Gigabit) Ethernet, and comes with three full USB 3.0 ports. There are three versions with either 64, 128 (64+64) or 320 (64+256) GB stortage, and I got Beelink BT7 128GB to play with. Since I’ve already checkout the hardware, I’ll focus on the performance and stability of the device on Windows 10 in the second part of the review. Setup and System Information I placed the mini PC on my desk, made use of the three USB 3.0 ports with a USB keyboard, a USB mouse, and a Seagate USB 3.0 hard drive, and connected Ethernet, HDMI and the power cable. However, if you happen to own a TV or monitor that supports VESA mounts, you can use the […]

June 4, 2016June 4, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments

$35 R-Box Rockchip RK3229 4K Android 5.1 TV Box Comes with 2GB RAM

While Rockchip RK3229 SoC has a pretty weak processor (4x Cortex A7) and GPU (Mali-400MP2), its media capabilities are very good for the price, as it can handle 4K video playback of 10-bit H.265 @ 60 fps, as well as 10-bit H.264 @ 30 fps reasonably well based on my experience with Zidoo X1 II. However ,so far all RK3229 devices I’ve seen ship with 1GB RAM, which may be fine for video playback with Kodi using the default skin, but may be a limiting factor if you have higher requirements. R-BOX fills the void in the market by being the first RK3229 TV box with 2GB RAM for just $35 including shipping. R-BOX specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3229 quad core ARM Cortex A7 processor @ 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-400MP2 System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 […]