mini pc News - Page 105 of 150 - CNX Software

November 19, 2015November 19, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 25 Comments

GeekBox is a Hackable Android and Linux TV Box Powered by Rockchip RK3368 SoC

There are many Android TV boxes on the market based on Rockchip RK3368 processor, while I’m not aware of any development board based on the latest Rockchip octa-core processor, and Linux support is basically inexistent. One device may fill both gaps: GeekBox. This TV box can run both Android and Ubuntu Linux, while it’s easily disassembled to access expansion headers. The hardware specifications are a little higher-end than most Rockchip RK3368 TV boxes we’ve seen so far: SoC – Rockchip RK3368 octa core Cortex A53 processor @ 1.2 GHz with PowerVR G6110 GPU System Memory – 2GB LPDDR3@1600Mbps Storage – 16GB Samsung eMMC v5.0 flash + micro SD slot Video Output / Display I/F HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60Hz with CEC support Display + touchscreen headers Audio Output – HDMI Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n + 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO @ 867 Mbps (AP6354 module), Bluetooth 4.1 USB […]

November 18, 2015December 27, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

MX HD23 Allwinner H3 Android Mini PC Includes an HD Camera

When Android TV boxes started to take off around 2013, a few model would include a camera and sit on top of the TV such as MK818. However I’ve seen less model in that form factor since then, until I came across MX HD23 Android TV Box powered by Allwinner H3 quad core processor and featuring a HD webcam for videoconferencing. Beside the camera, MX HD23 specifications are pretty standard: SoC – Allwinner H3 quad core ARM Cortex A7 @ 1.2 GHz with quad core Mali-400MP2 @ 600 MHz System Memory – 1 GB DDR3 Storage – 8 GB eMMC + micro SD slot up to 32GB Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Video Output – HDMI up to 4K2K @ 30Hz, 3.5mm AV jack Audio Output – HDMI, and 3.5mm stereo audio jack Camera – 2.0 MP front-facing camera with two microphones (up to 5 meter range) and swivel arm. […]

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

ASUS Chromebit CS10 Chrome OS TV Stick Launched for $85

Soon after Google and various partners announced Rockchip RK3288-C based Chromebooks in March of this year, Asus teased us with a Chrome OS stick called Chromebit to sell for less than $100, and also based on Rockchip RK3288 processor. After a few months wait, the company has now launched Chromebit CS10 for just $85. Chromebit CS10 have basically stayed the same: SoC – Rockchip RK3288-C quad core Cortex A17 processor with ARM Mali-T764 GPU. System Memory – 2 GB DDR3L Storage – 16 GB eMMC Video Output – HDMI Connectivity – Dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 2×2 (MIMO) a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB 2.0 host port, 1x micro USB OTG port Power – 5V via micro USB port Dimensions – 123 x 31 x 17 mm Weight – 75 grams The Chrome OS stick is fanless, but the company warns to use it with “reasonable ambient airflow and temperatures […]

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 101 Comments

List of Amlogic S905 TV Boxes and Sticks

Rockchip RK3368 TV boxes looked promising at the end of the summer, but ended up being disappointing, not because of their expected lower performance compared to RK3288, but simply because they could not deliver on their main selling point: 4K H.265 / H.264 video playback, and the sheer number of issues with the first devices selling for nearly the same price as equivalent Rockchip RK3288 devices. Rockchip RK3368 will soon have a worthy competitor with Amlogic S905, which won’t deliver amazing benchmark scores, but looks promising for its 4K 10-bit HEVC video playback, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, and historically Amlogic delivers better video playback than Rockchip. The first Amlogic S905 TV boxes should start shipping by the end of the month, and prices are starting very low, just over $40, thanks to competition between the many manufacturers launching devices based on the new Amlogic SoC. That’s why I’ve decided […]

November 11, 2015May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

Giveaway Week Winners (November 2015)

The third giveaway week, and the second in 2015, on CNX Software is now complete. I’ve just sent the packages this morning, including 4 Android TV boxes, 2 Linux media players, and a development board to the winners from Europe, North America, and for the first time, Oceania. The winners were selected randomly from the list of people who comments, and without any further due, here are the results: let’s go through the winners and their country of residence, with links to the original individual winner announcements: Zidoo X6 Pro – Marko, Slovenia ARNU Box Mach Q Pure Linux – Xavier, Belgium M-195 TV box – Fran, Spain A80 OptimusBoard development board – Gil, Portugal M8S TV box – Roel, Belgium Tronfy Telos MXIV – Treb “winners are grinners”, Australia Popcorn Hour VTEN – ax, USA While last time, people living in Canadians were the luckiest, this giveaway was kind to people […]

November 9, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

Ugoos AM1 TV Box and Some Amlogic S905 Benchmarks

A few TV boxes based on Amlogic S905 processor are currently up for pre-order such as MXQ Pro and Beelink MINI MX mini PCs with 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, and which are due to ship later this month. Ugoos is also working on their own AM1 TV box and AM2 TV stick based on Amlogic S905 processor, with some better specs, and today released a few more details about Ugoos AM1. Ugoos AM1 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 (Samsung); 4GB version likely later on Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 Audio – HDMI, optical S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100/1000M Ethernet (Realtek RTL8211F), 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 (AP6335 module) USB – 3x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – IR receiver Power Supply – […]

November 7, 2015November 9, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 244 Comments

Giveaway Week – Tronfy MXIV Telos Android Lollipop TV Box with Amlogic S812 Processor

After Eny M8S yesterday, I’m now giving away another Amlogic S812 quad core TV Box with Tronfy MXIV Telos. Noticeable differences are that it runs Android 5.1 instead of Android 4.4, and features more storage (16GB), 802.11ac WiFi, and Gigabit Ethernet. So on paper Tronfy MX4 Telos appears to be a great improvement over products like M8S with better hardware, and a more recent Android firmware. While Tronfy MVIX Telos review did confirm the hardware was pretty good with good networking performance and a fast internal storage, the firmware was not quite ready for prime time, with disastrous Kodi support, and a settings app that would keep on crashing. There’s not much you can do about the latter without a newer firmware, but you might try out some other versions of Kodi to improve video playback. You can find more photos on the unboxing and teardown post. To enter the […]

November 6, 2015November 8, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 245 Comments

Giveaway Week – Eny M8S Android TV Box

Today, I’m going to give away Eny M8S, an Android media player based on Amlogic S812 processor with 2GB RAM and 8GB NAND flash that runs Android 4.4, and supports H.265 video playback up to 3840×2160 at 30 fps. How does the device perform? Well, I don’t really know because I postponed the review due to many problems including HDMI going on and off, lack of Google Play Store, some power issues, and eventually the box refused to boot. When I finally got a new firmware, I did upgrade it, but so many months had passed, that I postponed the review indefinitely… Having said that, I tested its 4K capabilities later on, and again before this giveaway to reset the box to factory settings, and it booted fine… The box is not abandoned, as the company released a new firmware at the beginning of this month, so the lucky winner […]