hdmi News - Page 20 of 22 - CNX Software

February 15, 2015February 16, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 37 Comments

EZCap 280 Records Videos up to 1080p via HDMI or Component

The recent release of Mstar 9810 based media players with video recording capabilities via HDMI input such as Zidoo X9 and Egreat A9, as made me wonder about standalone 1080p HDMI recording boxes, so I’ve had a look, and several products are available, but EZCap 280 seems one of the most affordable and popular, and beside HDMI input, it can also take component input. Some of EZCap 280 specifications: Video / Audio Input HDMI 1.4 Component video connector with YPbPr and stereo audio; 3.5mm jacks for LINE IN and Microphone Video / Audio Output – HDMI, and LINE OUT Recording Format – MPEG4 AVI with AAC stereo audio. Up to 18 Mbps @ 1080p30. Input Standards Supported – 720×480@60Hz, 720×576@50hz, 720p50/60, 1080i50/60, 1080p24/25/30 USB – 1x USB 2.0 Host port for USB mass storage connection. Misc – LED, REC button Dimensions – 11 cm x 7.4 cm x 2.5 cm […]

February 11, 2015February 22, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

Review of Zidoo X9 Android Media Player and Video Recorder

Zidoo X9 is quite a unique product on the market, as it’s the only low cost Android platform that I know of that features an HDMI input port with recording capabilities. The hardware is actually based on Kaiboer F5, with some modifications, but the latter focuses on the Chinese market, while Zidoo X9 targets oversea markets with an English firmware by default. I took pictures of Zidoo X9 and its board about a month ago, but a busy schedule and some initial issues with Google Play Store delayed the review. Finally, I’ve completed testing of the device, and ready to share my findings about performance, stability, and features in this review. OTA Firmware Update I’ve had to go through two firmware updates before carrying on with the review, and this part is working great, and they even include a detailed changelog with each release, which they also publish on their […]

February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

Onkyo TX-NR636 AV Receiver Setup and Audio Pass-through with OpenELEC / Kodi

Following up on my LG 42U820T 4K TV review, I’ll know checkout the second item purchased for my reviews thanks to the help of my readers, with Onkyo TX-NR636 7.2 channel AV receiver combined with Pioneer S-11 speaker set. As this is my first AV receiver, I still have a lot to learn, I can’t really comment on audio quality (except it sounds much better than my TV speakers, and is more powerful), so I won’t do a full review, but I’ll show some details about the receiver, explain how to it setup with speakers, show how to setup OpenELEC / Kodi for HDMI audio pass-through, and test it with various Dolby and DTS video files. Onkyo TX-NR636 Specifications But before all that, I’ll list some of the specifications of this cool AV receiver. Amplified Rated Output Power: 95 watts minimum continuous power per channel, 8 ohm loads, 2 channels driven […]

January 25, 2015January 9, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

All HDMI 2.0 Implementations Are not Equal

One of the key changes between HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 is support for up to 4K @ 60Hz instead of just 4K @ 30Hz, and at first, I thought an HDMI 2.0 capable device would be compatible with HDMI 2.0 TV, and it did not need to look into details. I was wrong. There’s a nice table in Wikipedia that explains the main differences between HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 and older versions. Other features include YCbCr 4:2:0 (That’s the important bit), Rec. 2020 color space, 32 channel audio, 21:9 aspect ratio, and more. By the way, there’s no such thing as an HDMI 2.0 cable (Source: straight from the horse’s mouth), so if you have a cable that support 4K30, it will work with 4K60 as well. Does HDMI 2.0 require new cables? No, HDMI 2.0 features will work with existing HDMI cables. Higher bandwidth features, such as […]

January 24, 2015January 24, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 44 Comments

LG 42UB820T 4K UHD TV Review

After several people often asked me about audio pass-through, and 4K video support on mini PCs, with some suggesting adding a donation button to my website, I decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for an AV Receiver and a 4K TV by asking for donations and selling some samples I used for review. Thanks to the great help of my readers, I managed to get enough money to buy LG 42UB820T on Lazada for 19,610 Baht including shipping (~$600) via 10% coupon I got in a newsletter, as well Onkyo TX-NR636 7.2 channel receiver in a local shop in Chiang Mai (Sahapanich). I’m still waiting for the speakers, so I’ll start by reviewing the TV. This model is sold as 42UB820V in Europe, and 42UB8200 in Hong Kong and probably other markets. I spent a lot of time studying about 4K TV and AV receiver features, and […]

January 20, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Independent Dual Display Support on Firefly-RK3288 Development Board (Video)

From time to time, I’m being asked which platform can support dual independent displays, and although I noticed Mele A1000 (Allwinner A10) did support dual displays in Linux, I never really investigated how well it handles it, so I normally recommend to have a look at x86 platforms with AMD or Intel processor that specifically claim support for dual independent display. But today, I’ve noticed a developer working for T-Chip posted a nice demo on T-Firefly forums with two displays connected via HDMI and VGA. The demo shows Firefly-RK3288 development board running Android with two displays in three configurations: Display Mirroring – The same content is shown on both display. Especially useful for digital signage application, where one board can drive two displays with the same content Extended Desktop – The user interface is extended on both monitors. It’s like having a single large monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio […]

January 9, 2015December 15, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 57 Comments

AV Receiver and 4K UHD TV Crowdfunding for Better Reviews on CNX Software

I’ve written a fair amount of reviews, mostly of Android mini PCs and development boards, and I intend to continue, but there are currently a few things I’m unable to test: S/PDIF and HDMI pass-through, and 4K video output, 3D videos, and HDMI-CEC. The main reason is that the AV receiver and TVs required to test this are rather expensive, and these are not something I really need personally, since I seldom watch movies myself, I purchased a new Full HD TV last year, and I don’t expect to access 4K content for a few more years. Yet it would be interesting to prospective buyers to find out if advertized features such as audio pass-though of 5.1 & 7.1 codec does work, and whether 4K output (listed and real), HDMI-CEC, 3D videos and other features not supported by my current Panasonic can work properly. It would also be fun for […]

January 7, 2015January 22, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Unboxing of Zidoo X9 Android HDMI Video Recorder and Media Player

Zidoo X9 Android media player is powered by Mstar MSO9180 quad core Cortex A9 processor, supports 4K video output and decoding, H.265 codec, a USB 3.0 port for (hopefully) fast external storage, and in HDMI input port that allows you to record video from another HDMI input device to a USB mass storage device, or micro SD card. GearBest sent me one of the first sample, so let’s have a look at the device itself, and its boards, because getting to the full review next week. Zidoo X9 Pictures I received the parcel the exact same day, GearBest provided the tracking number, together with some invoice for custom duty, DHL duty handling fee, and VAT. The large black package has a few scratches, and makes it clear the device is called X9. Some of the main features are also mentioned on the package: 4K, 3D video, quad core, Bluetooth 4.0, […]