I’ve already written about portable displays with products such as Gechic On-Lap Monitors which sells for $200 and AOC USB Portable monitors are also popular, and somewhat cheaper than I expected at $120 and $199 for a 15.6″ display at respectively 1366×768 and 1920×1080 resolution, although if you live outside the US, shipping and import fees deposit bring the price much higher. A search for “portable display” on Aliexpress only showed some smaller 3.5 to 7″ displays, but I’ve been tipped about a 15.6″ portable DVD player selling for $114.53 on Chinavasion that could be used as an external display too thanks to its HDMI input. Specifications of this portable DVD player: SoC – Mediatek Solution Display – 15.6″ TFT LED Screen with 270 degree swivel; 1366×768 resolution; 16:9 aspect ratio Disc support – DVD, CD, EVD, VCD, CD-RW, DVD-R. Hitachi lens Video Output – AV Video Input – HDMI, […]
Ugoos UT3+ Rockchip RK3288 TV Box Supports HDMI Input with PiP and DVR Functions
Ugoos has been working on four new TV box models for the end of year, and one of them is Ugoos UT3+, an Android 4.4 TV box powered by Rockchip RK3288 processor that includes an HDMI input. While it’s not the first RK3288 mini PC with an HDMI input, AFAIC it is the first that supports both picture-in-picture (PiP), and video recording function (DVR), which are also supported by Zidoo X9, but with an Mstar processor. Ugoos UT3+ specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core Cortex A17 @ 1.8 GHz with ARM Mali-T764 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 (1GB optional) Storage – 16GB NAND Flash (Options: 8, 32 or 64GB) + micro SD slot up to 32 GB Connectivity – 100/1000M Ethernet, dual band WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz) and 802.11ac with external Wi-Fi antenna Video I/F Output – HDMI 1..4 output up to 4k2k @ 30 fps Input – […]
Review of WeTek Core Android Lollipop Media Player
EThe first devices based on Amlogic S812 processors started shipping by the end of 2014, but in the third quarter of 2015, there’s been a few new device released as some companies ported Android 5.x Lollipop to the platform. I reviewed two of these. Mygica ATV1900AC had potential but the number of bugs was disappointing, while Tronfy MXIV Telos was almost a disaster. Today, I’m going to report my test results with WeTek Core Android 5.1 TV box, also powered by Amlogic S812, more exactly S812-H, which includes DTS and Dolby licenses. I’ve already listed the specs, and torn down WeTek Core in two previous posts, so I’ll focus on the firmware in this review. Initial Setup and OTA Firmware Update First of all, I’d like to mention that I got an early WeTek Core sample, and while the hardware is frozen, the firmware is still being developed before the […]
$48 MXQ Pro TV Box Features Amlogic S905 Processor with Support for 4K, 10-bit HEVC Videos
Amlogic S905 is the only low cost SoC on the market that can offer a future proof TV Box with HDMI 2.0 output compliant with HDCP 2.2, 10-bit HEVC video playback up to 2160p60, and DTS & Dolby audio pass-through. I had also been told the SoC was cheap, going for $4.50 per unit in largish quantities, and now MXQ Pro, one of the first Amlogic S905 TV Box, is available for pre-order for just $55 on GeekBuying. MXQ Pro specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB NAND flash + SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0, AV Video Codec – 4K@60 Hz video decoding 10-bit HEVC and AVS+ codec support; H.264 up to 4K 30 Hz Audio – HDMI, AV, coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth […]
Zidoo X6 Pro Android TV Box Review
Zidoo X6 Pro is a 64-bit ARM Android TV Boxes based on Rockchip RK3368 processor, promising support for HDMI 2.0 and video decoding up to 4K2K @ 60Hz. While the others I’ve tried so far, such as Beelink i68, are pre-loaded with some version of Kodi 14.2, X6 Pro comes with a modified version of Kodi 15.1. I published pictures of the Zidoo X6 Pro TV box and board a few days ago, and today I’ll review the box’ features, performance, and capabilities. First Boot, Settings and First Impressions I’ve connected a USB hard drive to one of the two USB ports, as well as a USB hub with two RF dongles for Tronsmart Mars G01 gamepad and MeLE F10 Deluxe air mouse, a USB keyboard, and a USB webcam. I’ve also inserted an Ethernet cable, an HDMI cable, an optical audio cable, a Class 10 micro SD card, as […]
Zidoo X6 Pro Unboxing and Teardown
There are so many Rockchip RK3368 TV boxes on the market that it’s difficult for products to stand out. But Zidoo X6 Pro might be one of these products bringing a little more, as beside frequent firmware updates, Zidoo’s RK3368 TV box may be the first to officially run Kodi 15.x, while most others manufacturers have decided to stick with Kodi 14.2 in their latest firmware, and the company also released Kodi source code modifications for 7.1 audio pass-through, 3D MVC support, and hardware video decoding in compliance with Kodi’s GPL license. As usual, I’ll start by taking some pictures of the device and board, before writing a full review in the next few days. Zidoo X6 Pro Unboxing I got the following package via DHL, which somehow decided to take my picture as I received the parcel… The package includes some of the key features of the device include […]
Skreens are Configurable Picture-in-Picture HDMI Splitters (Crowdfunding)
Some HDMI splitters support picture-in-picture (PiP) to display of the video input full screen, and the others in small windows, and the ones I checked just cost under $30 on Amazon here, there, and over there. People who only use them as splitters are satisfied, but the ones who tried the PiP function are disappointed, as the other inputs, usually 3, are only shown in small windows on one of the corner of the TV, and not that useful. If you want more customizable PiP, Skreens could be what you are looking for, as the HDMI inputs can be resized and positioned via a mobile app. There are basically two models named by their number of inputs: NexusTwo, and NexusFour, with Pro versions bringing the total to 4 models. Skreens NexusTwo specifications: Chip(s) – Xilinx Kintex-7 Field Programmable Gate array with Dual ARM Cortex-A9 @ >1 GHz with NEON (Over […]
Hisilicon HI3798C V200 64-bit ARM Processor Supports HDMI 2.0, 10-bit HEVC, USB 3.0, SATA and More
There have been several Cortex A53 processors announced or released on the market such as Rockchip RK3368, Allwinner A64, or Amlogic S905, but in many cases I can read comments complaining about the lack of high speed interface, incomplete code support, or a weak GPU. Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 offers better features than its competitor, as beside four Cortex A53 cores, it includes a Mali-720 GPU, supports HDMI 2.0 output up to 4K at 60 HZ, 10-bit HEVC / H.265 and VP9 video decoding at 3840×2160 resolution at 60 fps, and integrates SATA and USB 3.0 interfaces. Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 key features and specifications: CPU – Quad core Cortex A53 processor (15K DMIPS) GPU – ARM Mali-T720 supporting OpenGL ES 3.1/2.0, OpenVG1.1, EGL, and Imprex 2.0 PQ engine Memory I/F – DDR3 or DDR4 Video Engine (VPU) Codecs – HEVC, H.264, VP9, VC1, MPEG2 Decoder – 10-bit up to 4Kp60 Encoder – […]