Creative X-Fi Sonic Carrier is a High-end Android based Speaker and Video System

Android started as a mobile operating system for smartphones, but over the years we’ve seen it being used in tablets, mini PCs, cars, printers, wearables, and many other product categories. Creative X-Fi Sonic is a “speaker system” with video outputs that runs Android, in a similar way to Xiaomi TV bar, but with much higher capabilities. X-Fi sonic carrier key features and specifications: 7 processors with 14 cores 15.2 high-resolution audio system in a 11.2.4 (front.sub.height) speaker configuration with Dolby Atmos technology. Creative EAX 15.2 Dimensional Audio processing algorithms 800 watts RMS total system power. Video playback engine supporting 4K (60fps) Video I/O – 1x HDMI 2.0a output, 3x HDMI 2.0a inputs Audio Inputs – 2x analog inputs, 2x digital optical inputs, 2x microphone inputs Streaming protocols – AirPlay and Google Cast for audio, Miracast, Chromecast, and DLNA. Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a zero-latency speaker-to-speaker […]

MeegoPad T09 Cherry Trail mini PC Features a USB Type C Port with DisplayPort, Data & Power Capabilities

MeegoPad T01 was one of the first Intel based TV Stick, having launched months before Intel’s own Compute Stick, and over the last couple of years, the company has introduced a dozen of Intel Bay Trail and Cherry Trail mini PCs and TV Sticks. MeegoPad has now unveiled three new Cherry Trail devices with MeegoPad T09, MeegoPad T10, and T05 Pro. While the last two models look more of the same with MeegoPad T10  mini PC, and MeegoPad T05 Pro TV stick powered by Intel Atom x5 processors with 2 to 4GB RAM, and 32 to 128 GB storage, I find MeegoPad T09 more interesting with a thin form factor with an Ethernet port, and a USB type C connector that supports data at USB 2.0 speeds, DisplayPort over USB-C, and USB Power Delivery. MeegoPad T09 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 or x5-Z8500 quad core processor with Intel 12EU […]

MeLE Star Cloud PCG60 Plus Cherry Trail Mini PC Comes with HDMI and VGA Outputs, Gigabit Ethernet and More

Most Cherry Trail mini PCs on the market features only one video interface, usually HDMI, and only support 10/100M Ethernet. After introducing MeLE PCG03 Plus a few months ago, MeLE is about to launch a new Cherry Trail mini PC called Start Cloud PCG60 Plus that includes both HDMI and VGA video output, two USB 2.0, but also faster networking thanks to Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ac. MeLE Star Cloud PCG60 specifications (highlights in bold show improvements over MeLE PCG03 Plus): SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 “Bay Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.84 GHz (Turbo) with Intel HD Gen8 graphics System Memory – 2 GB DDR3L Storage – 32 GB eMMC + micro SD card slot up to 128 GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4, and VGA Audio I/F – HDMI, 3.5mm earphone jack Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB […]

Amlogic S905X Processor Specifications

[Update September 2016: Removed Video Input Unit and Gigabit Ethernet MAC, since the latest documents have removed them] A few weeks ago, I wrote about the upcoming Amlogic S905M quad core Cortex A53 processor support 4K VP9 and 10-bit HEVC, but the silicon manufacturer seems to struggle with sticking with a name, as after the initial S908 part, they moved to S905M, before hopefully settling on Amlogic S905X, for which I received more information include a block diagram, and more detailed specifications. These are most of the specifications currently available for Amlogic S905X processor with highlights in bold: CPU Sub-system –  Quad core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU up to 1.5GHz (DVFS) with Neon and Crypto extensions 3D Graphics Processing Unit – Penta-core ARM Mali-450 GPU up to 750MHz+ (DVFS) with two geometry/vertex processors, three pixel processors supporting OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 and OpenVG 1.1. 2.5D Graphics Processor – Fast bitblt engine with […]

How to Stream Video from Zidoo X9 / Tronsmart Pavo M9’s HDMI Input

Zidoo X9 and Tronsmart Pavo M9 are TV boxes based on Mstar MSO9180D1R processor and featuring an HDMI input port that can be used for record video from an external source. Danman got a Pavo M9, and managed to successfully hack it to stream the HDMI input to the network using VLC and ffmpeg. One of his first task was to check out the hardware, and while the board has a different name (HDMI_4K_V1.2 vs MSO9810D1R-TF-V1.2), the board layout appears identical to Zidoo X9 board, so the instructions below should also work on Zidoo’s device. After doing some tests with VLC server on a Linux computer and running ffmpeg for Android in M9, as well as analyzing the recording app (ZidooRecorder.apk), and finding the app’s source code released by Zidoo (with some NDA protected binaries), he try to adapt the app to stream content instead, and called it ZidoStreamer. Eventually […]

Unboxing and Teardown of Ugoos UT4 Android TV Box with a Cooling Fan

Most Android TV box ship with simple heatsink, which may lead to performance degradation due to throttling if you push your device a little too hard, and Ugoos UT3s was one of the few Android TV boxes to feature a fan. The company now have a new model model with Ugoos UT4 powered by Rockchip RK3368 octa-core processor, and they’ve sent me an early sample for review. Today, I’ll start by taking pictures of the device, and taking it apart to check the hardware and how cooling is implemented, before reviewed the unit in a few weeks. Ugoos UT4 specifications Before this, since I’ve only shortly mention Ugoos UT4 in Rockchip RK3368 TV boxes list, I’ll go through the specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3368 octa core Cortex A53 processor with PowerVR G6110 GPU up to 700 MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB eMMC + micro SD slot […]

Maxsun MS-GTX960 Nvidia GTX960 Graphics Card Unboxing and Installation

When I wrote an article about H.265 and VP9 video encoding, I noticed only the second generation Maxwell Nvidia Graphics would support H.265 decoding (up to 500 fps) and HDMI 2.0 output, a few weeks after purchasing a first generation Nvidia GTX750 GPU… So when GearBest contacted me about Graphics cards reviews I said I would be interesting in HDMI 2.0 and H.265 capable graphics card, which I meant I had to get a card with Nvidia GM20x chip with the cheapest being GTX960. So the company agreed to send me Maxsun MS-GTX960 graphics card matching my requirements for $240.04. I won’t use it for gaming at all, but instead I plan to use the card to evaluate Kodi 16.x 4K H.265 and VP9 support and compare video performance to the cheap and low power Amlogic S905 TV boxes on the market, as well as try out H.265 video encoding, […]

Amlogic S905X and S912 Processors To Support 4K VP9, HDMI 2.0a, Built-in DAC and More

I had heard some news that Amlogic S912 was delayed, and even possibly canceled, while talks about a new S908 processor surfaced recently with support for VP9 up to 4K resolution. We now have some more details as I’ve received some more information about Amlogic product roadmap, and S908 should be renamed S905M [Update: The name will apparently be changed to S905X now, the saga continues…] Amlogic S905 Amlogic S908 / S905M / S905X Amlogic S912 CPU Quad core Cortex A53 @ up to 2.0 GHz Quad core Cortex A53 @ up to 1.5/2.0 GHz Octa core Cortex A53 @ up to 2.0 GHz GPU Penta-core Mali-450 up to 750 MHz High perf gaming GPU Memory 16/32-bit DDR3, LPDDR2/3 Up to 2GB, DDR2133 16/32-bit DDR3/4, LPDDR2/3 Up to 2GB, DDR2400 Storage NAND Flash@BCH60 eMMC 5.0, SD, Nor Flash Video Decoding 4Kp60 10-bit HEVC, 4Kp30 H.264 4Kp60 10-bit HEVC, VP9 4Kp30 […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC