Xtreamer Prodigy 4K Android Media Streamer & Recorder Comes with a 3.5″ SATA Bay

Last month, we discovered Zidoo X9 Android TV box powered by Mstar MSO9810 quad core processor, and featuring an HDMI input for PVR function. There’s now an alternative with Xtreamer Prodigy 4K based on the same Mstar processor, but adding an internal SATA bay for 3.5″ Hard drives. Xtreamer Prodigy 4K specifications: SoC – Mstar MSO9180D1R quad core Cortex A9 processor up to 1.5GHz with octa-core ARM Mali-450MP6 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + 3.5″ SATA bay up to 3TB + multicard slot Video Output / Input – HDMI output up to 4K @ 30HZ, HDMI input with PVR and Time Shifting support up to 4K @ 30 Hz Audio I/O – HDMI Out and In, and optical S/PDIF Video Codecs & Containers – H.264, H.265, MPG/MPEG/MP4, TS, M2ts, AVI, BD-ISO, 3D-MVC, DVD-ISO, WMV, FLV, F4V, MKV, Xvid, DAT, VOB, AVS, 3GP, WebM, OGM, […]

Unboxing of BuyForSure 4KH 2160p/H.265 Android Media Player Powered by HiSilicon Hi3798M SoC

BuyForSure (BFS) is a company that sells various item on Aliexpress and Ebay, and then might also be involved in some product development (TBC). A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an inexpensive HiSilicon Hi3798M based TV box (quad core Cortex A7) supporting 2160 (4K UHD) video output and decoding, HEVC/H.265 video decoding, and featuring a USB 3.0 port. The company asked me if I wanted to receive a sample, and I accepted because few companies promote HiSilicon and MStar based products for oversea markets. So they send me their BFS 4KH TV box, my first HiSilicon device, and early next year, I’m likely to receive Zidoo X9 based on Mstar MSO9180 from another company, so that’s another story… Today, I’ll start by taking pictures of the media player and its board, and in several days I’ll post a review showing what this $50+ box is capable of (or […]

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra Could Feature a 12.9″ Display, a 64-Bit ARM Processor, 6 GB RAM, and More

That’s only a leak, but if true, the upcoming Sony Xperia Tablet Ultra would be a real beast with a 12.9″ IPS TRILIMINOS touchscreen display with 3840 x 2400 resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit Octa core processor @ 2.86 GHz coupled with 6GB LPDDR4 RAM, and 64GB internal storage. Sony’s tablet ould also come with an HDMI 1.4 input port allowing 4K recording up to 30 fps, which looks like an odd feature for a tablet. The battery capacity would be rather large as well as 12,100 mAh, yet thickness only 8.6 mm, which might be possible due to the massive screen. It would most probably run Android 5.0 Lollipop. Via Mike Cane and Padnews. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011. […]

Hisilicon Hi3798M Quad Core Android TV Box with USB 3.0, and 4K / HEVC Support Sells for $53

I’ve been informed about a quad core Cortex A7 TV box supporting 2160p output, H.265 codec and featuring a USB 3.0 port, that’s currently selling for just $52.99 on Aliexpress including shipping, as well as Ebay for $62 from the same seller. Only “quad core ARM cortex A7” was listed in the specs, and the exact processor was not mentioned, but I could see marketing material about “Q3 quad core” used, and a quick search redirected me to Himedia Q3 Quad Core also powered by an Hisilicon processor, but a different device. So I decided to contact the seller (“Buyforsure”) who quickly replied it was indeed powered by Hisilicon Hi3798M processor. The model is called BFS 4KH on Aliexpress/Ebay, but that name has probably been made up by the seller, so it will also be found under other name. Nevertheless here are the specifications of this low cost 4K TV […]

Allwinner H3 is a Quad Core SoC for Sub $50 4K H.265 Media Players

Allwinner launched their H-series processors (Homlet) for home entertainment with Allwinner H8 octa-core processor, supporting HEVC up to 1080p, which will find its way into media players selling between $50 and $80. The company has now added Allwinner H3 quad core processor, selling for just $6, which will be available in $35 to $50 OTT TV box later this month, and include support for 4K UHD H.265/HEVC video playback. Key features of Allwinner H3: CPU –  Quad core Cortex A7 GPU – Mali-400MP2 up to 600 MHz Memory I/F LPDDR2, LPDDR3, DDR3, DDR3L SDRAM 8-bit SLC, MLC, TLC, EF NAND with 64-bit ECC SD, eMMC, tSD, fSD, and efSD Video Decoding – H.265/HEVC and H.264 up to 4K@30 fps, H.264 BP/MP/HP, VP8, MPEG1/2, MPEG4 SP/ASP GMC, H.263 including Sorenson Spark, WM9/VC1, JPEG/MJEPG up to 1080p60 Encoding – H.264 up to 1080p30 Video Output – HDMI with HDCP, CEC, 3D function, […]

Unboxing of MINIX NEO X8-H Plus Quad Core Android Media Hub

MINIX NEO X8-H Plus is an update to the popular NEO X8-H, replacing Amlogic S802 by Amlogic S812 processor, which adds HEVC/H.265 hardware video decoding up to 4K UHD (2160p),  as well as Gigabit Ethernet. The new version also supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi. GearBest agreed to send me one sample for review. First. I’ll post picture of the device, and the board, before writing a full review in a few days. MINIX NEO X-8H Plus Unboxing Pictures and Video The company sent me the box by DHL, and which I got within a few days together with a document reading “Inbound Charges Invoice” in order to pay import taxes to my local government, and the courier’s service charge. Th device comes in the usual black, gray and green package from MINIX, customize with NEO X8-H Plus module, and highlighting support for H.265/HEVC 2160p, and Dolby Digital Plus. The media player, or […]

Zidoo X9 Android Media Player Features an HDMI Input Port with PVR & Time Shifting Functions

I’ve recently tested two Android TV boxes with an HDMI input, namely HPH NT-V6 and M-195, and with the firmware they had at the time of review, the HDMI input just acts as a dumb HDMI input port, and there was nothing much I could do with it. Now comes Zidoo X9, another Android TV box powered nby Mstar MSO9810 that also comes with an HDMI input port, but this time, they’ve implemented a PVR function, so if you have a low end satellite, cable, or terrestrial receiver, you can connect it to Zidoo X9 and record programs, which makes it much more useful. Zidoo X9 specifications: SoC – Mstar MSO9180D1R quad core Cortex A9 processor up to 1.5GHz with octa-core ARM Mali-450MP6 GPU Mali-450MP (2 or 4) GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot Video Output / Input –  HDMI output […]

CX-S806 Android Media Player with 4K UHD, H.265 Codec Support Goes for $63 and Up

CX-S806 is one of the first Android TV boxes powered by Amlogic S812, providing both 4K UHD video output, and H.265 codec support. It started selling for about $80 with 2GB RAM at the end of October, but now you can get the 1GB RAM version for $62.90, and the 2GB version for $73.10, both prices including shipping from an Aliexpress seller with excellent feedback, albeit from only 22 sales. As a reminder, I’ll list the full specs again: SoC – Amlogic S812 quad core cortex A9r4 @ 2.0 GHz with octa-core Mali-450MP6 GPU up to 600+ MHz System Memory – 1 to 2 GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB flash. No SD card slot Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 (AP6330 wireless module) Video Output – HDMI 1.4b up to 2160p @ 30 Hz (Summary says HDMI 2.0, specs 1.4b), 3.5mm AV jack (composite + […]