Which blu ray player to choose: TOP 15 best 4K UltraHD Blu-ray players

TOP 15 best 4K UltraHD Blu-ray players

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Best 4k Blu-ray Players from Samsung

The players of the South Korean giant have good quality, decent functionality and at the same time have an affordable price, like most other products. Unfortunately, at the moment Samsung has refused to develop and release new models. What can now be found on sale are devices announced two or three years ago. It is worth saying that the lack of new products does not at all affect the products’ performance of their direct function - playing discs with high-resolution content.

Samsung UBD-M8500

An excellent solution, which by the standards of the price market for Blu-ray players is considered an inexpensive device. Moreover, the device has a built-in Tizen operating system, on which Samsung runs a huge range of electronics and household appliances. Support for external high-capacity hard drives is possible, which makes the device more versatile, although the quality is inferior to special editions on disks. Although there is no 3D playback functionality, user-recorded discs with a decoded signal are successfully transmitted to a TV with the appropriate technology. True, branded 3D will not be reproduced.

Samsung UBD-M8500

Options:

• decoding: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD;
• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio;
• Disc support: BD, all CD/DVD;
• formats: AVCHD, FLAC, MKV, MP4.

pros

• smart TV based on Tizen;
• control from a smartphone;
• affordable price.

Minuses

• does not reproduce licensed 3D.

The average cost is 19,390 rubles.

Samsung UBD-M9500

The older version from the South Korean company has expanded support for formats, the list of which also includes the good old DivX. Including it in the general list in the presence of more advanced technologies is a nod to old movie fans, in order to allow them to play an existing collection on the device without using archaic technology. Unfortunately, the SmartTV function in this model is not supported in Russia, but the player performs its main task - playing high-quality discs - well.

Samsung UBD-M9500

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, coaxial audio;
• disc support: BD, DVD-R/RW;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, MP4, DivX.

pros

• high quality output signal;
• reliable design;
• 2 HDMI second generation connectors.

Minuses

• Smart TV is not supported in Russia.

Player Samsung UBD-M9500

Budget models up to 5000 rubles

If you don’t have enough money or just want to learn more about media players for 4K format, then budget models will be the right solution. They are affordable and have a fairly large selection. Let's look at the most popular options.

Google Chromecast 2018

The media player is small in size and is one of the very functional devices.
With its help, you can easily expand the capabilities that your TV has. This media player is connected to the TV using HDMI. Many people like the fact that they can control the device directly through a smartphone using a special application. The advantages of the device include simple settings, attractive appearance, no delays during operation and wide functionality. At the same time, the media player model does not have a hard drive, it may not work with all applications, and the user does not have the ability to independently adjust the screen resolution.

Invin w6 16gb

A fairly simple media player that can be used for basic tasks.
The device has a variety of codecs and supports all formats. There is only 2 GB of RAM, but this model works very quickly. To store the necessary programs or movies, you can use the internal memory of 16 GB. The advantages of this model include an affordable price, the presence of LAN, Wi-Fi, HDMI connectors and quick response to commands. Users note that the media player does not have its own cooling system, and the HDMI cable that is included in the kit is not long enough. Overall, it’s a pretty good model for regularly watching movies in 4K format.

Iconbit movie one

A small device with the Android operating system.
The media player has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. Additionally, the amount of memory can be increased by using flash drives. The player is capable of supporting almost all formats. The advantages of this model include the presence of a remote control, the attractive appearance of the device, and the ability to independently update the existing software if necessary. Additionally, the media player has a LAN connector. Due to the fact that the device has a low cost, there are very serious disadvantages. These include insufficiently high-quality technical characteristics, a small amount of memory, and the Wi-Fi connection is unstable.

Best UHD Blu-ray Players from LG

LG produces some of the most budget-friendly solutions in players equipped with a violet laser for reading blue-ray. Unfortunately, the situation with sales in Russia is as ambiguous as that of Samsung: the consumer market is being replaced by online streaming services, as a result of which players are becoming clearly niche.

LG UP970

The main feature of this device is support for Dolby Vision technology. The Dolby Labs laboratory, which developed this standard, laid the groundwork for the future, because in order to implement the technology, televisions must have the appropriate parameters. The result will be high clarity, contrast and brightness of the picture, which, coupled with a good audio system, can create a cinema effect. Otherwise, LG is a classic average player, the pros of which are good support for formats, but the disadvantages are the presence of only YouTube and Netflix among the built-in streaming services.

LG UP970

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, Wi-Fi;
• disc support: BD, BD 3D, DVD-R/RW;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, MP4, DivX, FLAC, MPEG-2.4.

pros

• Dolby Vision technology;
• good format support;
• simple utilitarian design.

Minuses

• little variety in Smart TV.

The average cost is 23,469 rubles.

LG UBK90

Next year's model, which replaced the UP970. The older model has support for both proprietary Dolby Vision, which LG successfully implements thanks to its connections with technology developers, and the more widespread HDR+. One way or another, the picture turns out to be very vibrant and rich, allowing you to convey all the nuances of a file recorded on a large disk. When viewing standard Full HD, upscaling is applied to the image, using all the power of the TV connected to the player.

LG UBK90

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio;
• Disc support: BD, DVD-R/RW, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, MP4, DivX, FLAC, MPEG-2.4.

pros

• support for HDR+ and Dolby Vision;
• affordable price;
• good implementation of upscaling.

Minuses

• low distribution in Russia.

On a note! Upscaling is scaling an image with fewer pixels to 4K size. This allows you to make even quite old videos in Full HD more detailed.

The average cost is 13,958 rubles.

The best Blu-ray UHD players from Sony

Sony engineers know a lot about high technology, in particular, high-quality video, as well as players and televisions designed to play it. However, the range of Blu-ray players is not that wide - mainly due to the same situation with the specifics of the consumer audience.

Sony UBP-X500

Junior model in the line. Of the technologies for playing “heavy” video, only HDR 10. The reduced functionality does not contain either Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos. In fact, this is a device with basic functionality, which is enough to reproduce the standard. The audience is undemanding users who are just getting started with UHD or simply want to spend less money.

Sony UBP-X500

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI;
• Disc support: BD, DVD-R/RW, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, MP4, DivX, FLAC, MPEG-2.4.

pros

• low price;
• good implementation of the basic set of functions;
• compact size.

Minuses

• reduced functionality compared to older models.

The average cost is 16,440 rubles.

Sony UBP-X700

The main trump card of the model is the Dolby Atmos sound reproduction technology. It splits the audio track into several channels, without losing the quality of the original signal, which allows you to get truly amazing sound on a good speaker system or home theater. The picture does not lag behind the audio, and for their improved playback there are 2 HDMI connectors 2.0 and 1.4, through which video and audio signals can be supplied separately.

Sony UBP-X700

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio;
• Disc support: BD, DVD-R/RW, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, FLAC, MPEG-2.4, AAC, SACD.

pros

• convenient navigation;
• good support for audio formats;
• separate HDMI outputs for audio and video.

Minuses

• Subtitles look bad in mkv files.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player Sony UBP-X700

Sony UBP-X800

Stylish appearance - the user will pay attention to it when he first gets acquainted with the flagship player. The rectangular design looks elegant and expensive, without bothering you even in a prominent place. Everything is fine with the decoding equipment: all current formats and technologies for surround sound and clear video are present. Unfortunately, as with most other players, there are problems with disc compatibility: while BDs can be read without problems, DVDs may have problems.

Sony UBP-X800

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, DLNA;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, DVD-R/RW, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, FLAC, MPEG-2.4, AAC, SACD, DVD-Audio.

pros

• stylish appearance;
• excellent audio signal;
• impressive picture.

Minuses

• no Russian support.

The average cost is 22,990 rubles.

Media player Dune HD Ultra 4K

Until recently, “sources” meant components that reproduce only media of a certain type. But digital media technologies have not only erased the very concept of “media”, but also made the border between audio and video players very arbitrary. It was precisely this “limitless” source that came to us for testing.

The Russian company Dune HD has taken a bold step by placing at the top of its lineup a device that combines the characteristics of its best 4K video players with the functionality of an advanced audiophile-level music system. The idea itself is certainly tempting and correct from the point of view of those who do not want to disperse funds to purchase different sources. Ultra 4K is a player with first-class video parameters, and the audio content in it is so serious that, as a rule, it is found only in more expensive network players and DACs. Unprecedented attention was paid to the musical qualities of the Ultra - even at the stage of fine-tuning the player, the manufacturer resorted to testing it with independent hearing experts. Therefore, Ultra 4K can be viewed as a strategic product designed to raise the reputation of the Dune HD brand to an even higher level among both “theater-goers” and music lovers. And in this context, the price of the device, in my opinion, is even underestimated.

The audio path is based on one of the world's best converter chips - the flagship 32-bit Saber ES9038PRO DAC from ESS, the dynamic range of which reaches 140 dB.

Judge for yourself. The audio path is based on one of the world's best converter chips - the flagship 32-bit Saber ES9038PRO DAC from ESS, the dynamic range of which reaches 140 dB. In front of it is the XMOS audio processor, which provides audio data reception via USB, its verification and reclocking. The architecture of the entire digital audio path supports PCM in Hi-Res formats and direct transmission of single-bit DSD streams for maximum quality. And the ES9038PRO itself also contains several basic final digital filtering algorithms.

The analog part produces a signal both in the usual linear form and in balanced form. For it, as for the built-in headphone amplifier, a selected base is used: Vishay resistors, WIMA capacitors and Nichicon electrolytes. The power supply is provided by two R-type transformers, high-speed Schottky diodes in rectifiers and low-noise voltage regulators. In this case, the digital and analog circuits of the player receive clean energy separately from each other and independently of the video section. Now we take into account the presence of S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs and see that in the form of Ultra 4K we get not only a player, but also a full-fledged professional-quality DAC.

The storage can be expanded with a “mounted” drive using the SATA connector located on the rear wall (the corresponding cable with power is included).

At the level of other hardware, the player is also very good. The design is simple and clean - all external parts of the device are brushed, anodized black and well fitted. Since the body is assembled from fairly thick metal fragments, the base is strong and vibration-proof. This design is also distinguished by its ability to dissipate heat well, so the player did not require fan cooling.

Under the front cover, decorated with a full-width glass insert, there is access to a slot for a 3.5-inch HDD with a capacity of up to 10 TB (or more - depending on the file system of the hard drive, and in this regard there are practically no restrictions, since “Ultra” supports FAT /FAT32, ExFAT, NTFS, EXT2/EXT3/EXT4, HFS/HFS+ and BTRFS). The storage can be expanded with a “mounted” drive using the SATA connector located on the rear wall (the corresponding cable with power is included).

The Ultra video platform is completely identical to that used in the Max 4K media player, which was created for the most serious home theater systems. This part is based on the Realtek RT1295 chip with a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex A53 and Mali-T820 GPU, has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of its own Flash memory, and runs Android 7.1 operating system.

The USB and HDMI interfaces are also identical. The first offers two Type A 2.0 ports, one 3.0 and another high-speed USB Type C. The second supports HDMI 2.0a specifications, has one input and two outputs - separately for audio and separately for the full signal. Supports 4K ultra-high definition video output at up to 60 frames per second, 10-bit color depth and BT.2020 encoding.

Of course, in Ultra 4K we also find a “Dune” control system with unusually wide and convenient capabilities for systematizing and searching for any content (including from streaming sources and among TV channels rebroadcast via the Network). Since its operation is described in detail in the review of the Max 4K model, I will just recall a few key points. The main advantages of the shell created by Dune HD programmers include hybridity. The system allows the installation of popular streaming applications written for Android-TV and alternative software players for Android, as well as programs and numerous Linux plugins created in the Dune HD user community.

The second plus, which not all competitors have, is a customizable screen interface, pleasing with speed and smoothness of operation, optimized in addition for working with a regular and “gyroscopic” remote control (both are included).

Finally, the device can be fully controlled without a remote control or connection to a TV panel, but directly from a smartphone through the Dune Control mobile applications, downloaded from Google Play or the App Store.

The network part of the Ultra 4K includes dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz) and an Ethernet port with transfer speeds up to 1 Gb/s. Almost all protocols are supported that may be useful for organizing a home network and accessing audio and video content on connected computers, servers, smartphones and network storage. The screenshots just show how simply this part is organized in Dune Control. We go to “Sources”, where the connected drives and HDDs are displayed, and through the “Network Browser” we get access to all the resources available in the local segment.

The only hitch I had was when accessing a music server with an extensive library (more than 1000 folders). Although network sharing in Ultra 4K works very quickly, and the contents of storage spaces are displayed almost instantly, the application's control interface does not have options for quickly jumping to any part of the list of artists, albums or folders, so you have to “go” to what you are looking for each time by sequential scrolling. I hope the developers will add tools to their software to simplify navigation through large collections. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt to add a display of the enabled DAC mode in the settings menu and a more complete list of parameters for the file being played in the standard player. I won’t say that this is very important for the end user, but such tools will simplify installation and configuration.

I won’t dwell on the multi-format nature of the video path, Widevine DRM L1 support, which allows you to watch high-definition movies from online cinemas, as well as full support for disk menus - video streaming from different sources, all images in DVD and BluRay discs, everything The device reproduced 4K/HDR test videos with the same high quality as Max 4K. If you are interested in details about the displayed “picture”, you will find them in this review. And the answers to all questions about support for surround systems and 3D formats are in the table at the end of the text.

And here we will focus on the sound. In order for the signal from the system core to be sent not along the standard path, where it can be cut by the Android system mixer, but straight to XMOS/ESS and its outputs, the appropriate source should be enabled in the player settings.

I immediately noticed how well the edges of the range were worked out. The top is transparent and elegant, the overall atmosphere is not at all “chemical” and is rich in small nuances.

The standard software has wide file compatibility. It played all two-channel FLAC (including in the OGA container), WAV, OGG, APE, AIFF, DSD 64/128/256 and partially ALAC and AAC (hiccups occurred on rare files with variable bitrates). Moreover, when using the XMOS/ESS path, I considered the standard player preferable - the alternative HiBy, which often demonstrates cleaner sound in the standard Android environment, here did not show any advantages in either expressiveness or fidelity.

At the balanced output, the Ultra 4K sound is not muddied in any way; path noise is practically indistinguishable in it. I immediately noticed how well the edges of the range were worked out. The top is transparent and elegant, the overall atmosphere is not at all “chemical” and is rich in small nuances, and this is also evident on uncompressed files of standard quality. The bass is presented with a believable structure - it is not limited from below, not “slowed down” and is completely linear. In principle, the above is already enough to conclude: before us is a source equivalent to any music players and converters costing more than 100,000 rubles. Moreover, its sound signature can also be finely corrected if you play a little with the DAC filters - some modes make the stereo image even more detailed and sharply defined, while others introduce more plasticity. By the way, our test system was best suited to a setup with a smooth decay and a linear phase response. It provided the best combination of tonal clarity and “visibility” of stereo space.

Before us is a source equivalent to any music players and converters costing more than 100,000 rubles.

But an even better soundstage was achieved when using unbalanced outputs (naturally, from the XMOS/ESS path, and not from the standard outputs on the right side of the rear panel). At the same time, there was no weakening of the dynamics, nor a feeling of a more “closed” mid-range. Ultra 4K still sounded great, combining pedantry and emotionality in approximately equal proportions. I will say that for complex, multifaceted music, this connection seemed even better to me than a balanced one. There the sound is presented in excellent form, and here – with revealed content, with genuine depth and mood.

Since the DAC in Ultra 4K can be switched to an adjustable output mode, I also tested the player in a “short” system - connected directly to the terminal (balanced). This, however, did not provide any particularly obvious advantages. The sound turned out to be the same as two paragraphs above, well, maybe a little more glamorous, with a touch of some synthetic purity. Everything seems to be in place: full-blooded dynamics, clear timbres, expressive virtual images and a sea of ​​sound information... Despite the fact that the Linn Klimax pre-amplifier excluded from the circuit as a volume control is still much cooler than the algorithms built into the ESS chip.

In conclusion, briefly about working from different sources. Here Ultra 4K once again confirmed the reputation of a device that was carefully designed at an engineering level. With an external disk transport (Linn Ikemi, connected via coaxial) - an excellent result, which is fully explained by the high class of the DAC used in Ultra 4K. But audio files of the same CD quality on Ultra never sounded worse! Moreover, there was not much difference between the methods of their delivery - from a local HDD or from a network drive, from a laptop turned on in music server mode, or from a USB flash drive inserted into the front panel. It appears that the XMOS digital receiver, which feeds all internal and network media, effectively processes and removes jitter not only in Hi-Res presentation, but also in standard 16/44.1. In view of this, you stop regretting the absence of a USB Type-B input, which would seem quite appropriate for a functional DAC.

Indeed, why connect some potentially “dirty” PC directly to the player if the library of audio files on it can be played with no less quality via the network or directly from storage? At the same time, “Ultra” will not only provide the highest quality of the analog output signal in its class, but will also allow you to control the entire process as from a single center.

SYSTEM

• TV Sony KDL-65X9005C (4K/60/HDR)
• OPPO Reno smartphone
• Laptop Apple MacBook Air A1465
• CD player Linn Ikemi
• Linn Klimax Kontrol preamplifier
• Linn Klimax 500 Twin Chakra Power Amplifier
• Speaker systems Dynaudio Special 25
• Cables: digital LAN InAkustik Exzellenz CAT6, 75 Ohm Audioquest VDM-3
• interconnects XLR Accuphase Super Refined Cable ASLC-10
• interconnect RCA Accuphase Super Refined Cable SL-10G
• acoustic Furutech Alpha S-25
• power Furutech Power Reference, Furutech FP-α3 and InAkustik AC-1502

Dune HD Ultra 4K

Manufacturer: Dune HD (Hong Kong)

www.dune.ru

4K support: yes (3840 x 2160 @60 10bit) || SD/HD > 4K conversion: yes || Chipset: Realtek RTD1295 || Processor: ARM 4-core Cortex A53 || Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): Mali-T820 || Memory (RAM/Flash): 2 GB/16 GB || Operating system: Android 7.1 || HDD bays: 3.5” + SATA port || Video file formats: MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV, BDMV, DVD-ISO, VIDEO_TS || Video codecs: MPEG2, MPEG4, XVID, WMV9, VC1, H.264, H.265, H.265 10-bit || Audio file formats: MP3, MPA, M4A, AAC, WAV, WMA, WMA Pro, FLAC, Ogg/Vorbis, WavPack, APE, ALAC, DSD64/128/256, AC3, Dolby True HD, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS HD HRA , DTS: X, EAC3, Multichannel PCM) || Playlist formats: M3U, PLS || 3D support: yes (MVC, Side-by-side, Top/Bottom) || File systems: FAT/FAT32, ExFAT, NTFS, EXT2/EXT3/EXT4, HFS/HFS+, BTRFS || Network card: Ethernet 1 Gbit/s, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz) || Network protocols: SMB, NFS client, DLNA, FTP client || Outputs: HDMI 2.0a and HDMI audio, Composite Video, XLR, 2 pairs RCA, Phones 6.3 mm, optical TOSLink and digital coaxial || Inputs: HDMI, LAN, AES/EBU, TOSLink optical and digital coaxial || USB interface: Type A 2.0 (3 pcs) and 3.0 (1 pc), Type C || IR: connector for external IR receiver and four ports for transmitters || Power consumption: up to 45 W (full configuration) || Finish: Black || Dimensions: 430 x 72 x 310 mm || Weight: 10 kg || Price: 99,990 rub.

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Tags: DuneDune HD Ultra 4K

The best Blu-ray UHD players Panasonic

Panasonic was one of the first to release Blu-ray players for the new 4K Ultra HD standard. The company's equipment is poorly represented in Russia, but its characteristics force lovers of high-quality content to shell out a lot of money for perfect devices.

DMP-UB900

The player came out controversial. On the one hand, there is excellent picture quality and equally advanced sound. The latter provides a 7.1 output on RCA connectors, which will please fans of analog sound. Smart TV works fine, no freezes or errors were detected. On the other hand, Atmos audio is not reproduced except from BD media. There are also incompatibility with codecs.

DMP-UB900

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, DLNA;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, FLAC, AAC, DivX, WMA.

pros

• analog output 7.1;
• excellent quality of the output video signal;
• availability of DLNA.

Minuses

• quite high price.

The average cost is 50,341 rubles.

Panasonic DP-UB9000

The flagship model, information about which Panasonic kept secret for a long time. The company abandoned its previous decision and decided to support the device not only with HDR+, but also with Dolby Vision. There are no complaints about video playback, but I would like to draw your attention to audio. The player is a full-fledged playback device, has its own DAC, isolated dual and 7.1 output for implementing a multi-channel system. The almost complete absence of interference makes the player an audiophile's dream.

Panasonic DP-UB9000

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, DLNA;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, MKV, FLAC, AAC, DivX, WMA.

pros

• separate high-quality DAC;
• all sound channels are isolated;
• high reliability.

Minuses

• is expensive even in foreign currency.

The average cost is 94,030 rubles.

The best player from Cambridge Audio

You shouldn't expect a variety of models here - this is the only device in the range of players with support for Ultra HD Blu-Ray. It’s worth taking a closer look at, if only because you can actually buy it in Russian online stores, although you’ll have to look for it.

Cambridge Audio CXUHD

The player does not have a separate DAC - according to the developers, this will reduce the number and strength of interference vibrations for both the video signal and audio. The device runs on a Mediatek chip and fully supports Dolby Vision technology. There are no built-in applications; the device is designed to connect to a local network or media device that receives content from the Internet. Codec support is average, but in terms of disc reception, the player can easily reproduce any format, including 3D and all media of previous generations.

Cambridge Audio CXUHD

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, RS-232;
• disc support: BD, BD 3D, DVD, CD;
• formats: WMA, AAC, WAV, MKV, AVCHD, H-264, MPEG-2.4.

pros

• support for most audio formats;
• reads all types of discs without problems;
• high-quality assembly.

Minuses

• no internal DAC.

On a note! A DAC is a digital-to-analog converter, an element that converts a digital signal into currents of a certain voltage, which are supplied to the audio system. It is he who is responsible for the quality, richness and “liveness” of the sound, so valued by audiophiles.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player Cambridge

Zappiti One 4k HDR media player review: quality worthy of respect

The French company Zappiti , which specializes in the production of modern multimedia systems, is notable primarily for the fact that at one time it was developing software for one of the market leaders - the Dune HD . Later, the company released its first network media players, which were also developed based on Dune HD Base 3D and Dune HD Solo - Zappiti Player and Zappiti Player Mini , respectively.

Since 2015, Zappiti has been producing its own media players, which have received their own new platform and proprietary design. The company's latest developments are three models of media players Zappiti Mini 4K HDR , Zappiti One 4K HDR and Zappiti Duo 4K HDR , which are powered by a Realtek RTD1295 and differ mainly in the ability to connect one or two SATA hard drives.

The new Zappiti have set a completely new standard for home entertainment systems. They support most digital audio and video formats, including the most advanced one billion color HEVC video codec (10-bit color encoding), all modern 3D video standards with 3D subtitles, and HDMI 2.0a, 4K 60p, HDR, DTS:X features for creating the ultimate home cinema experience.

Today we will talk about the Zappiti One 4K HDR media player, which is in the middle of the model range and is the best choice for purchase both in price and in terms of its technical characteristics.

As we have already said, the media player is powered by the already well-proven Realtek RTD1295 (ZIDOO X8/9/10, MeLE V9), which, in addition to supporting modern multimedia capabilities, is interesting because it runs not only Android 6.0 OS but also OpenWRT for use as a router or network storage. Thanks to its architecture, the 64-bit quad-core ARM A53 (compared to the dual-core ARM Cortex A7/32-bit previously) offers much more noticeable power, and also has more memory: 1 MB L2 cache versus 512 KB for the previous generation. The amount of DDR3 RAM and eMMC module is 2 and 16 GB, respectively. Network capabilities include a gigabit Ethernet network and dual-band WIFI with a dual external antenna. Also, the media player has an internal 3.5 SATA HDD bay with NAS function support. Zappiti One 4k HDR is cooled using a passive cooling system, which ensures complete silent operation.

Technical characteristics of the Zappiti One 4K HDR media player:

All Zappiti devices are positioned precisely as classic “large” media players, which, unlike most tiny Chinese TV boxes, not only have a large beautiful body that will look harmonious on a stand next to other multimedia equipment, but also have rich communication capabilities, allowing you to connect all home theater devices into a single system.

Design/Ergonomics

The Zappiti One 4k HDR comes in a large cardboard box, with beautiful color printing and a top plastic handle for easy carrying.

The media player inside the box is securely packed and secured in polyethylene foam inserts. All accessories are packed in a separate box. The packaging, as expected from a self-respecting brand, is high-quality and reliable.

The Zappiti One 4k HDR package includes:

• Media player Zappiti One 4k HDR
• Remote control
• AC power supply with a set of replaceable power plugs
• HDMI cable
• USB to USB Type-C cable
• LAN cable
• User manual, in English and French.

Remote control

If the media player is always on the shelf and you will only look at it, then the remote control is the thing that you will constantly hold in your hand, so it should be as convenient and ergonomic as possible.

The branded remote control is large and multifunctional, so it deserves a separate discussion. The first thing that catches your eye is the dimensions. It is large and weighty, thanks to the well-designed oval shape of the case, it is very comfortable to hold in your hand. Rubber buttons with soft pressing. A large number of buttons indicates the rich functionality of the remote control. There is a button to turn the media player on and off, buttons to zoom the image, change the screen size, turn off the logo backlight on the case, control the 3D function, control video playback, customizable colored buttons for quick access to applications, access to Explorer, menu, mouse simulation (not aero), volume control, subtitles and audio tracks...

At the bottom there is a row of programmable buttons. They can be configured to control, for example, a TV.

Procedure for setting up programmable buttons:

1. Press and hold the LEARN button until the ON button glows red (not flashing).
2. Take and point the TV remote control at the Zappiti remote, press and hold a button on it, such as “add volume,” until the ON button on the Zappiti remote starts flashing red.
3. On the Zappiti remote control, press the button (eg Vol+) you want to program.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for all other buttons.
5. To exit programming mode, press the LEARN button once.

The remote control is powered by two AA batteries, which are not included in the kit. The use of elements of this standard size in the remote control allows you to extend its operation for the maximum time.

The ergonomics of the remote control are all right; your hand quickly gets used to its shape and you no longer want to let go of it. The transmitter power is sufficient; you don’t need to accurately point the remote control towards the media player; it works reliably from signals reflected from walls and at a considerable distance (within the room).

The built-in backlight of all buttons turns on whenever you press it and stays on for about 5 seconds. The pale yellow color of the backlight is not very pleasing to the eye, but still, with so many buttons and functions, you can’t do without it in the dark. At the same time, when the media player worked with our favorite mini keyboard iPazzPort KP - 810, some problems arose and commands were not executed correctly.

A power supply with a system of removable plugs designed to connect to the networks of most developed countries. There is a latch on the body of the unit, by pressing which you can remove/replace the supplied plug.

It was not possible to disassemble the power supply, but judging by its weight and output characteristics, it is of sufficient quality. Output voltage 12V current up to 2A. There were no problems with it during operation or testing of the media player; its power supply is sufficient to operate the media player with a built-in HDD and external gadgets connected via USB.

The quality of the supplied cables is quite good. HDMI cable is 120 cm long, plastic braided, quite rigid. USB - USB Type-C cable 1.5 m long is useful for connecting modern devices that support high-speed data transfer mode. Using a LAN cable, you can connect the media player to the router.

The kit also comes with a small user manual that describes the main elements and functions of the media player. This manual can be downloaded in PDF format from the manufacturer's website.

The Zappiti One 4k HDR media player is assembled in an aluminum case consisting of two parts - a lower base with front and rear panels and a top cover, which fit together with high precision. Milled and painted black aluminum of decent thickness is used, which not only gives the media player a solid appearance, but also serves as a good heat sink for the passive cooling system. There are no controls on the front panel other than a large round indicator with a window in the form of the Zappiti logo, which also hides the remote control receiver.

On the left side there are: a USB 2.0 port, a reset button and a card reader for SD/MMC cards. There are also large ventilation slots on the case to remove hot air.

The main elements and connectors are concentrated on the rear panel: two external non-removable WiFi antennas, power switch, two USB 2.0 ports, analog AV output (tulips), coaxial output, USB Type-C port, USB 3.0 port, LAN port 1000M, HDMI output , HDMI input, optical SPDIF and DC 12V power port.

There are also ventilation holes in the back in the form of fan blades, but there is no fan inside - a silent passive cooling system is used. We will talk about its effectiveness below.

The power connector is located very close to the bottom of the external WiFi antenna and when you turn it, it noticeably catches the plug.

On the right side there is a door and a compartment for installing a SATA 3.5″ hard drive with a maximum capacity of up to 16 TB.

Through the completely transparent window with the logo on the front panel, the insides of the media player are visible, which looks a little strange. It would be more logical to use a matte or translucent material.

In the dark, the logo is illuminated in blue. The illumination is not uniform, again, due to the lack of any light diffuser. The glow of the logo can be turned off by command from the remote control.

On the bottom there is a sticker with the MAC addresses of the LAN and WiFi modules, a Zappiti token needed to activate the firmware and the serial number of the media player. There is also a row of ventilation holes and four rubber feet.

Now let's unscrew a few screws from the bottom and look inside the media player.

Inside, half of the volume of the case is occupied by the HDD compartment, under which there are ventilation holes on the case. And this is very useful, because in addition to the overheating processor, the HDD is another source of heat that needs to be removed.

The main board is attached to the lower base on mounting posts, which provide the necessary distance between the board and the case for cooling.

The Realtek RTD1295 processor is located in the center and covered with a small aluminum heatsink.

To connect individual elements, high-quality connectors are used, which are additionally sealed with sealant for reliability.

All external connectors are securely soldered and do not wobble.

The unidentified E-con EG24A036S chip is apparently a surge protector.

HDMI ports are fully protected.

It uses a NAND flash memory chip from Samsung KLMAG2WEPD-B031 1 GB PP024-083E F1706 RAM chips

In general, the board is assembled very carefully, the soldering is clean, there are no traces of flux. In a word, there are no complaints about the board; everything is done at an extremely high level.

Software and shell

When you turn on the media player and briefly boot, the desktop of the proprietary Zappiti interface appears, on which three large icons are located in the center to launch the media center, explorer and application menu. In the upper left corner there are two icons for launching the settings menu and the task killer. In the upper right corner there are connection status indicator icons and a clock. At the bottom there is a button (plus sign) for adding favorite applications. The interface is not completely Russified, although this does not create any problems - everything is already intuitive.

The application menu initially contains a minimum number of installed programs. These are, first of all, the branded Zappiti Media Center and Zappiti Explorer and several additional applications: Miracast, Google Play, Aptoide TV, HDMI Recorder, Happy cast, Clean Master, Media Browser, Google Chrome. All other necessary applications can be easily installed from the Google Play store (where all applications are available without restrictions) or from downloaded APK files locally.

The settings menu is standard for Android 6.0, but contains some additional items, for example for setting up HDMI CEC functions and an HDMI standard switch.

Zappiti Explorer

Zappiti Explorer application is a proprietary local and network file manager. Despite its apparent simplicity, it offers many options accessible via the menu key on the remote control, such as Select, Select All, Copy, Cut, Paste, Edit, Repeat modes playback, shuffle mode and transition functions for the slide show mode, which, by the way, can be musical.

Zappiti Media Center

Zappiti Media Center is the main trump card of this media player, it is thanks to it that the Zappiti brand has become popular in the market. This application is a powerful cataloger of all media content available locally and online. The program scans internal memory and network folders, searches for and processes available media files. Also, the program searches the Internet and its own databases for information about found files, covers, descriptions, etc. The result is a very beautiful and convenient catalog with bright posters and covers, which can be customized to suit your needs.

To take advantage of all the delights of Zappiti, you need to create an account in the system and link it to the Zappiti token indicated on the sticker at the bottom of the media player. This ensures the protection of Zappiti's proprietary software. The Zappiti Media Center V4 home page offers access to multiple accounts. You can create a specific account for each family member, and each user can take advantage of their own settings, which are saved locally and in the cloud.

In addition to the covers, additional information about the video content is pulled up, such as actors, directors, duration, release date, and technical information.

Movies and TV series are sorted automatically into categories, which can be disabled and relinked manually using the editing panel. The category editing panel allows you to edit categories in the order you choose and create custom categories by selecting a name and choosing an icon from 180 options.

Unlike the previous Zappiti Player 4K model, the Zappiti 4K HDR media center interface is displayed in 1080p resolution. The clarity of the cover output is thus significantly improved.

The operation of the media center can be controlled using a smartphone or tablet by installing the official Zappiti Media Control application from the Play Market. Using this application, you can both control the media player and view videos from your collection on your smartphone.

OpenWRT

This media player supports the OpenWRT system with the LuCI web interface and NAS settings, thanks to which the media player, for example, can download torrents using the built-in Transmission module. You can control the download from your phone using the Transmission Remote application. To get to OpenWRT, you must enter the address 127.0.0.1 in the media player browser. and create a new login password.

HDMI In

The second HDMI input on the media player, marked in, allows you to view and record data from external sources. Recording parameters and resolution are configured by the user directly in the HDMI in tab. It is possible to record the input image normally or output and record the picture in picture PiP (Picture-in-picture).

Media player testing

System information from the AIDA64 application:

Initially, the media player has 9.31 GB of internal memory, of which 672 MB is occupied by applications and other files. As you can see, more than 6 GB is occupied by the system, with 16 GB of internal memory.

On average, 555 MB of 2 GB of RAM is used.

ROOT access is installed initially, this is a plus!

The speed of RAM and built-in memory is an important indicator on which the overall speed of the system and the ease of use of the set-top box depend.

According to the test results, the operating speed of the RAM is 3264.92 MB/s , the internal memory is reading 87.77 MB/s and writing 21.52 MB/s . The result is not bad, about the same as, for example, the recently tested Zidoo X7 set-top box, but which, by the way, costs almost four (!) times less.

See our comparative table of test results for some consoles:

The classic synthetic Antutu showed a result of 36831 points, which is slightly less than the results of TV boxes on the Amlogic S912 SoC.

But here you need to take into account that for media players and TV boxes, the results of synthetic tests are not so relevant, because this is, first of all, not a computer, but a media content player, and it is important to evaluate the device’s ability to reproduce a variety of audio/video content.

Other test results

Playing media content

Zappiti One 4k HDR media player has very good multimedia compatibility. The player is compatible with most modern video formats, such as MKV (2D and 3D MVC), BD Iso (2D and 3D MVC) with playlist support (BD Lite), DVD Iso 2D (with menu support), Mov, MP4, M2TS, TS, AVI, etc. BDiso, BD3diso images are readable, but without menus and playlists. There is also support for the most commonly used codecs, such as DivX (from version 4), Xvid, Mpeg2, AVC / H.264, as well as HEVC, H265 up to 10 bits with 4K resolution. Most subtitle formats are available, including PGS, Sub, IDX, SRT and others, with the ability to change encoding type, vertical position, size or color. As the name suggests, Zappiti One 4k HDR is compatible with HDR technology, that is, High Dynamic Range, which enhances the dynamics of the image. This function only works when the TV connected to the Zappiti player is compatible with this function. However, there is an HDR OFF option in the stock video player settings, which allows you to enjoy HDR content on a TV without HDR support.

When playing all test videos on the stock video player, including such heavy ones as Sony 4K HDR Camp , as expected, no problems arose. The media player hardware supports almost all necessary codecs.

Regarding audio playback, the media player is compatible with the most common multi-channel audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD , with the latest multi-format audio formats Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Also supports most uncompressed audio formats including Wav, Flac, Alac or AIFF up to 192 kHz/ 32 bit. To play music, it is convenient to use Zappiti Explorer, which supports album covers and thumbnails. Just place the Jpeg file in the folder. While playing an audio file, you can continue browsing through folders. You can start playing all audio files, including subfolders. Unfortunately, playlist files are not currently supported. The media player has a high-quality digital audio output with a coaxial system and can be connected to an external audiophile DAC for listening with the highest quality playback.

Antutu video tester result :

Problem with decoding one WMV format.

The installed YouTube for Android TV application works without any problems.

YouTube allows you to view videos with resolutions up to 1080p.

The media player supports the AFR (autoframerate) function - this is the ability of the media player to automatically switch the output resolution and frame rate in accordance with the parameters of the content being played. Switching occurs only in the stock player, and a dark screen and a message about switching appear for a moment.

The installed popular application - on-line cinema HD Videobox works flawlessly.

Watching TV channels using the Torrent Stream Controller application - without any comments.

Checking WiFi operation

WiFi operates in two bands 2.4 and 5 GHz, which in combination with two external antennas gives very good speed and stability of the wireless connection.

Cable speed:

WiFi speed:

Signal level from the router located on the floor below, behind the reinforced concrete floor :

WiFi signal reception is very good, two external antennas provide excellent connection speed, sufficient for viewing any content over the network.

Heat

The media player is cooled using a passive cooling system, that is, without a fan. This solution is very beneficial in terms of absolute noiselessness but places increased demands on the quality of components and design of the console. In our screenshots you can see the processor temperature in various modes. At rest, the temperature remains at 55-60°C, and under load it rises to 80°C, which is a good indicator. No throttling was noticed. When an HDD is installed inside and heavy video is viewed from it, the temperature rises by an average of several degrees. The aluminum case with ventilation holes and well-optimized software contribute to the correct temperature conditions for the media player.

conclusions

Zappiti One 4k HDR media player is a quality product from a serious European brand with a rich history. Excellent build quality, complete silence, unique and convenient proprietary software, convenient control panel, good WiFi reception, rich functionality and almost complete absence of problems in operation are the strengths of this media player.

Also, a big advantage of this media player is the manufacturer’s excellent user support. Zappiti programmers are constantly improving the software, fixing bugs and releasing new firmware releases. On the official website you can find almost all the information related to Zappiti media players, including instructions for use, configuration, software updates (images of all firmware) and even recovery after an unsuccessful update. There is also a huge database of questions and answers. Such care for users is impressive and indicates that the product is truly supported and developed.

But as you know, for everything good you have to pay. In the official Zappiti store, the Zappiti One 4k HDR model is currently on sale for 299.00 € with free shipping, which of course is not affordable for everyone. Only true connoisseurs of high-quality video with appropriate TV and owners of large collections of their favorite films will be able to fully appreciate the advantages of this media player.

HD-mediaplayers.ru recommends:

Best Blu-ray UHD Player Yamaha

Yamaha can be called a manufacturer that has extensive experience in creating, first of all, audio equipment. However, the video player turned out to be quite decent. This equipment is not officially sold on the Russian market, but it can be ordered with delivery from other regions.

YAMAHA BD-A1060

The older model was chosen as the best. Unlike the S681, this modification is equipped with a built-in DAC, which allows you to output sound from media or directly from the Internet, although the bitrate reaches significant values. The device provides full connectivity with streaming services and Miracfst. There is also a mode for playing CDs with uncompressed audio format.

YAMAHA BD-A1060

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, Wi-Fi, DLNA, HDMI, audio coaxial;
• disc support: BD, BD 3D, DVD, CD;
• formats: AAC, FLAC, WAV, MKV, AVCHD, DVD-Audio, SACD, HDCD.

pros

• advanced audio component;
• built-in DAC;
• omnivorousness of disk formats.

Minuses

• difficult to find in Russia.

The average cost is 69,990 rubles.

The best 4K Blu-ray players from Pioneer

Pioneer has been producing high-quality video and audio playback devices for all world markets for many years. The products are officially sold in Russia and are available for purchase, although the price of these products allows us to classify them as premium class equipment.

Pioneer UDP-LX500

After OPPO announced its departure from the segment of Blu-ray players for high-resolution video, the premium niche of devices that would not just transport a signal, but would have a powerful Hi-end converting filling, was vacant. Moreover, Pioneer products are more preferable for Russian users, since they are officially supplied to Russia. Moreover, the price even for the younger model is more than one hundred thousand rubles. On the other hand, the result turns out to be encouraging.

Pioneer UDP-LX500

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, RS-232, audio optical and coaxial.
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, MKV, AVCHD, VC-1, MPEG-2.4, SACD.

pros

• strict design;
• simple menu;
• high-quality output audio and video signal.

Minuses

• There is no built-in Wi-Fi adapter.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player Pioneer UDP-LX500

Pioneer UDP-LX800

The best player is not only from Pioneer, but outshines other manufacturers. According to many users, this is a worthy successor that keeps the quality bar set by OPPO. All components and elements are housed in shielded housings and mounted on a heavy steel sheet, which dampens possible vibrations. There are not so many connectors on the back, but the same RCA ones have gold-plated contact surfaces. In order to fully realize the capabilities of this player, you will need not only a TV and speakers of the most advanced level, but also special HDMI cables with maximum bandwidth.

Pioneer UDP-LX800

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, 2 HDMI, RS-232, audio optical and coaxial;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: WMA, FLAC, WAV, AVCHD, H.264, MPEG-2/4, SACD.

pros

• high quality output signal;
• balanced design without the slightest vibration;
• excellent technical performance.

Minuses

• high price.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player Pioneer UDP-LX800

Middle segment from 5,000 to 20,000 rubles

More expensive models of media players for viewing 4K content have better characteristics and do not have as many disadvantages as cheaper devices.

There is a huge selection of such equipment on the market, so choosing the right option will not be difficult.

Dune hd pro 4k

Many buyers call this media player model quite reliable.
The device also supports Ultra HD 4K. Due to the fact that the device runs on the Android operating system, it is possible to use not only all the basic capabilities of the common platform during operation, but also synchronize with other devices. The media player has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. If the user does not have enough memory to fully operate the device, then an additional flash drive can be connected. The advantages of the media player include the presence of an information display, which is located on the front panel. The device turns on quickly and responds well to commands, has advanced settings and an additional control panel. Disadvantages include many errors in the firmware and insufficient quality HDMI cable. Also, the device connects very poorly to other devices via Bluetooth.

Apple TV 4k 32gb

A fairly high-quality media player from a well-known company that develops digital electronics.
The device has 3 GB of RAM, so there are no problems loading content even if the user watches programs or movies in the highest resolution. In order to be able to store the necessary information, there is 32 GB of built-in memory. By synchronizing with other devices, the media player is able to create a common media space. The advantages of the model from a world-famous company include very high speed of operation and an attractive, carefully thought-out design. The device connects quickly, can be synchronized with other devices, and is very convenient to operate. At the same time, the media player does not support all formats and does not have a voice assistant in Russian, so it will be quite difficult to understand some aspects.

Xiaomi mi box international version

A modern media player from a well-known manufacturer can support different video formats.
There is no need to wait for the conversion to complete before you can start watching. The device has 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. The media player uses the Android operating system. An advantage is the presence of several outputs for connecting additional devices. It has an interesting design, compact size, and supports a variety of resolutions. Additionally, manufacturers offer a convenient remote control equipped with a microphone. The disadvantages of the media player include the fact that there is no slot for a memory card and a small amount of internal memory.

Best of the Best: OPPO UHD Blu-ray Players

OPPO players have become the standard of quality among those demanding users who do not recognize any sound and video other than those recorded on media. In this regard, the connection of Blu-Ray and 4K has become the peak of technology development, combining high quality with large volume.

OPPO UDP-203

The device is known for its reliability and workmanship. Traditionally, OPPO releases new models based on application and functionality. The younger model with index 3 is designed primarily for video playback. However, audio content is not “pushed into a corner” - it may not suit only those who already have better equipment. The omnivorous nature of formats and media adds to the device’s popularity.

OPPO UDP-203

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, HDMI, audio 7.1, audio optical and coaxial;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: WMA, FLAC, AAC, WAV, AVCHD, DVD-Audio.

pros

• a large list of formats;
• excellent output quality;
• remote control with automatic backlight.

Minuses

• problems with custom firmware.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player OPPO UDP-203

OPPO UDP-205

The most advanced player from OPPO. It has a high-quality DAC, all circuits are designed to minimize interference, powerful video is combined with equally impressive sound. In order to experience the benefits of this device, you need to connect it to the appropriate equipment. The device can be found on sale already with audiophile firmware, which significantly expands the capabilities of the device. Despite the high price, this OPPO player can be called the best in class.

OPPO UDP-205

Options:

• Internet access: yes;
• interfaces: Ethernet, RS-232, audio 5.1, 7.1, coaxial, optical, HDMI;
• Disc support: BD, BD 3D, all DVDs, all CDs;
• formats: AVCHD, DVD-Audio, SACD, Picture CD.

pros

• built-in DAC;
• high-quality decoding;
• possibility of installing custom firmware.

Minuses

• high price.

Ultra HD Blu-ray player OPPO UDP-205

Review of media players on the market for viewing 4K format

Today you can find a huge selection of media players on sale for watching your favorite movies and programs in 4K format.
In this article, we will look at which media players are considered the best in their price category, as well as the main advantages and disadvantages of this or that model. It is worth noting that each buyer will be able to choose the most suitable option for himself.

Understanding Blu-Ray technologies

The emergence of high-quality video media formats and technology designed for its playback was preceded by a long history. However, even today, not all people clearly understand the differences between certain types of recording discs and picture formats displayed on the TV screen.

Find out which is better, an Android TV or a smart TV, from our new article with the TOP-15 smart TV rating of 2021.

Features of Blu-Ray discs

Technologies that make it possible to place a large amount of information on a standard 12-centimeter disk began to be developed back in the early 2000s. Already in 2006, the first Blu-ray media was presented. Its key feature was that a special violet laser with a shorter wavelength was used for reading and writing. The parameters of the reading beam made it possible to encode information in the form of narrower tracks, which made it possible to place two or even three or four times more on the same segment. In the media niche where it was necessary to record several films in high quality on a disc, Blu-Ray discs eventually completely replaced their direct competitors - the HD DVD format.

Features of Blu-Ray discs

On a note! The size of a standard BD is 23 GB. Double-layer discs, which are the most popular, hold twice as much information. The largest media created using this technology held 320 GB - it was produced by TDK.

4K (HD Ultra) Picture

Unlike the designation of an image in television broadcasting, where the vertical scan is taken as the basis, the picture in a digital video signal from media players is designated along the horizontal side of the frame. So a 4K image is approximately 4 thousand pixels arranged horizontally. The most popular format, UHD, is 3840 by 2160 pixels. This gives a picture of extreme clarity, when the smallest element is still displayed in several pixels. Accordingly, the graininess of such an image is minimal, and the transmission of volume, depth and smoothness of movements is unparalleled. True, the film in Ultra HD resolution has a very large volume. This is where Blu-Ray discs, already firmly established in the consumer sector, came to the rescue.

Video - What is the difference between HD, 4K, 8K, DIY in 5

Review of the Dune Pro 4K II media player - rich possibilities!

I have had Dune media players literally from their very first model. By the way, the first model was not very successful, but it was a typical first pancake, because then they quickly began to produce excellent media players that were among the best on the market - in terms of characteristics, quality, omnivorousness, capabilities and software.

From time to time I switched to a media player from some other manufacturer like iNeXT, but then I still returned to the next new Dune model, because I was used to using the rich capabilities of Dune and I missed them with other media players.

Nowadays, media players (aka TV set-top boxes) on Android TV are very popular. Such consoles are usually inexpensive and quite convenient. And the most popular of these set-top boxes are Xiaomi Mi TV Box, Xiaomi Mi Box S and Mi TV Stick. Of course, they are enough for many users, but they do not know how to do what much more advanced players like Dune can do.

I myself recently used the Dune HD Solo Lite model (for some reason I never reviewed it), but I was planning to buy something more powerful and cooler, and then a new cool model Dune HD Pro 4K II

, and I decided to buy it and study it.

This is the world's first media player on the latest and most powerful RTD1619 processor with support for HDR10+ and YouTube 4K HDR, and it has so much... However, I will try to show all its main capabilities in the review.

Specifications

Model:

Dune HD Pro 4K II
Operating system:
Google Android 9.0 + DuneHD ecosystem (Linux)
Processor:
Realtek RTD1619, ARM 6-core Cortex A55
Graphics:
Mali-G51
Memory:
4 GB
Flash memory:
32 GB
Wireless:
Wi-Fi: 802.11/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) 2T2R, Bluetooth 4.2
Ports:
HDMI 2.0b output, HDMI 2.0 input, Ethernet 1 Gbit, 2 × USB 3.0, USB 2.0, SP/DIF, composite , A/V out, microSD card reader
Supports audio formats:
HD audio, MPEG/MP3/MPA, AAC, WMA/WMAPro, APE, FLAC, WAV, WAV Pack (WV), ALAC, OGG, SACD, AC3, DTS, DTS -WAV
Video container support:
MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV, ISO, BD
Video codec support:
MPEG2, MPEG4, Xvid, WMV9, VC-1, H264 , H.265 (HEVC) Hi10p
Image support:
JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
Subtitle support:
SRT (external), SUB (MicroDVD) (external), text (MKV), SSA/ASS (MKV, external), VobSub ( MP4, MKV, external SUB/IDX), PGS (Blu-ray, TS, MKV)
Support:
4Kp60, HDR, HDR10+, HDMI 2.0b, HD audio, BD4K, BD3D, Blu-ray menu
Dimensions:
188 × 27 × 128 mm
Weight:
510 g
Prices:
22 thousand on Yandex.Market, €299 on Spanish Amazon

The media player in terms of characteristics and capabilities, of course, is top-notch, although Dune has two more models: Max 4K for 50 thousand and Ultra 4K for 100 thousand, but these are already completely premium models, but this particular model, in my opinion, It just has the right price-quality ratio: top-end in everything, on the most powerful platform, supports all modern standards and playback technologies and costs only €246 - which is inexpensive. I recently bought a seemingly quite advanced media player for €160 (I haven’t written a review yet), so in comparison with this model it’s just heaven and earth.

What can this media player do?

I’ll change the usual format of reviews of media players a little and before the standard equipment items and so on I’ll briefly write about what it has and what it can do in general, because this is important:

• the most advanced and most powerful media processor RTD1619;
• proprietary Dune shell, developed for more than ten years;
• support for Android TV and applications for Android TV;
• HDR10+ support;
• VP9 Profile 2 and YouTube 4K HDR support;
• full support for 3D format;
• full playback of any Blu-ray images;
• support for the most advanced level of media content protection Widevine Level 1 DRM (that is, services like Netflix and YouTube will show everything in maximum quality);
• Dune HD mobile application (full control from a smartphone);
• excellent set of ports.

Contents of delivery

Packaging with an image of a media player, which indicates its main characteristics. The back of the box lists the full specifications.

Package contents: media player, quick guide, remote control, power adapter, power cable, HDMI cable, SATA cable, MiniJack - 3RCA cable, Wi-Fi antennas (2 pcs.), AAA batteries (4 pcs.).

The remote control is advanced, convenient and even trainable.

Appearance and features

Media player with installed antennas. On the front of the media player there is a small LCD display, which displays the time and any information about the operating mode of the media player.

On the right side there is a SATA port for connecting regular drives (3.5-inch, 2.5-inch, SSD), two USB 3.0 ports, and a USB 2.0 port.

On the back there is Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI Out, HDMI In, AV output, optical output, microSD slot, Reset button, power adapter input.

The bottom cover of the media player with ventilation holes.

Device operation

The initial setup is to select a language and confirm that the media player will automatically configure everything that is needed. Also, if there is new firmware available, the player will offer to install it.

For testing, I immediately connected an SSD drive via SATA and an external drive via USB to the media player.

After loading, the familiar Dune interface of the main icons appears: media content sources, Dune HD news, last watched (convenient for watching TV series, you can immediately see which episode you watched before), “My Collection”, films, TV, Dune HD applications, Android applications , favorites and settings.

I should immediately note that this interface has eleven color themes and can be flexibly customized. Here are a couple of theme options and types of settings.

Here, of course, it would be nice to immediately connect the media player to the local network. Either we connect with a cable, or we set up a Wi-Fi connection - this is done in Settings

—
Net
.

The player will show available networks, you will need to select the type of protection and enter a password.

I found a small bug here. For some reason, the player did not want to connect to my access point. It turned out that the network connection via cable was interfering with it. After I disconnected the cable, the player connected via Wi-Fi, and after connecting the cable back, I already had both types of connections. A flaw, yes.

Let's go to the sources. We are shown a drive connected via SATA, a network browser, a mounted network drive, built-in memory, and a connected external drive.

Open the connected external drive.

When you click on any film of any format, the player displays the cover, a frame from the film and a bunch of information that it itself pulls from the Internet. Moreover, he doesn’t care what the file is called (in this case it was called “30 GB”): he takes information about the name from the file itself and finds information for it on the Internet, where, among other things, he also finds trailers and additional materials , and actors, and filmmakers, and so on. And let me tell you, it looks very cool.

For TV series, by the way, the story is the same, only seasons and episodes are added.

To see how the playback was going, I started another movie - Aladdin, which is in 4K and with HDR.

Everything played perfectly.

The Dune player (and you can use any other one here) has advanced rewinding capabilities (accelerated, by different time periods, by chapters - for DVDs and Blu-ray discs), and it conveniently switches audio tracks and subtitles, and in addition, subtitles It is also flexibly configured.

Selecting an audio track.

Selecting subtitles.

Setting up subtitles. Please note that you can also search for subtitles on the Internet.

Next, I began to check how this player works with folders containing Blu-ray structures (I immediately transfer purchased discs to folders on the disk, because I simply don’t keep a Blu-ray player at home).

So, it works great. It can play like a disc (with menu and all extras), and can also play the movie itself.

Blu-ray disc menu.

Both discs and disc images are played perfectly, you can jump between chapters, time stamps, select audio tracks and subtitle tracks.

The DVD player also understands folders perfectly.

Movie DVD.

Playback from LAN

An important story for me and for many other users is playing media content from the home network, for example from shared NAS folders.

Go to Sources

-
Network browser
. Windows Samba servers, NFS and UPnP media devices are supported here.

Servers on the local network.

When you try to log into a secure server, the player asks for a login and password.

Shared folders on your home NAS. These are both NAS disk folders and disks connected to the NAS via USB 3.0 from two docking stations.

The contents of one of the shared folders.

There are probably a dozen types of information presentation here, here are a couple of them.

And here is the menu that appears when you click the Pop Up button. The “Customize sorting” item is especially useful here, where, for example, you can set sorting by date, that is, by the last added.

Moreover, note that if you press the Pop Up button on the movie, then in the menu there will be an item “Play via” and there, through the “Default Android Action”, you can assign any player for playback if for some reason you don’t like the built-in (and it’s very good in Dune, I don’t even want to change it in VLC, which I use in Android media players).

Now let’s answer the question of how certain network folders can be pinned in the player interface so that you don’t have to search for them through the browser every time. (I note that this is also important so that such folders can be included in the player’s compilation of your movie collections, and it has a really interesting feature.)

In fact, this is done quite simply. In the list of shared folders (connected to NAS drives), press the Pop Up button on the remote control on the desired folder, then select “Add as network folder” and give it a name that is convenient for you.

After this, these folders/drives will appear in “Sources” as separate icons.

Also, specific folders, of course, can be added to “Favorites”, but adding them as network folders, in my opinion, is more convenient. This is in addition to the fact that in this status they can be added to collections, and this is also very interesting (see below).

My collections

This player (like other Dune players) can create collections from your media content (movies, TV series, audio tracks, and so on).

What does it all look like? If you allow the player to add the contents of a connected device or network drive to your collection, then it indexes the content, after which it compiles a collection with detailed information on each movie, TV series, audio track, breaks it all into genres and sorts it according to various parameters.

Here, for example, is a connected disk with three films.

So he added these films, and for each of them we can both get a bunch of information, as I showed above, and play this film.

In the “My Collection” section you can view all the films that are currently available (you never know, maybe some drive was disconnected), and in “Collection Management” you can connect new drives, including network drives.

Here, for example, are network folders.

Menu to add to collection. Indexing is carried out in the background. You will need to delete the data - this can be done at any time.

Well, after adding - films from the collection. Broken down by genre and by connected services.

All genres.

Comedy.

Well, after connecting a network folder, a wide variety of information becomes available for each movie in the network folder.

Network services

Anything at all: Netflix, YouTube, Kartina.TV, Ivi and so on. This is in addition to the fact that there is a completely normal Google Play Market and any applications for Android TV are installed from it (I emphasize - specifically for Android TV).

In the “Android Applications” section, you can even launch the Android TV shell and work with it, as in a regular media player. It’s just not clear why this is needed, because the Dune shell is much more convenient and advanced. But here, as they say, any desire of the client: if you want the Andoid TV shell, please. Like any application from Google Play for Android TV.

I ran some important services - everything works fine, no problems.

Netflix.

YouTube shows videos up to 4K HDR 60 fps.

In Dune HD applications, music and radio are also very advanced.

Radio stations can be filtered.

You can choose languages.

You can listen to local radio stations, and note: with a Russian interface and explanations for radio stations in Russian.

Third Party Applications

Since Dune players are very popular and third-party applications can be created for them, a group of enthusiasts is developing these applications. One of the most famous such applications is “Home TV”, where there are several hundred IPTV channels from Rostelecom from various regions in excellent quality, and you can also choose a region there: for example, you came from Samara to Moscow, but miss the locals Samara news is not a problem, you turn on the corresponding region, you get local TV channels and even on federal channels you will have inserts with local news.

Well, and two more popular applications - “FREE TV - watching broadcasts and archives of popular TV channels” and “Kino-Pub - watching movies online in high quality.”

Next, I will show the advanced settings options and system data of this media player, and for those who do not need all this, move on to the conclusions.

Settings

There are a lot of interesting things in the settings.

Well, here you have access to regular Android settings - no problem either!

And, by the way, it is in these settings in “Remotes and Accessories” that you can connect, for example, wireless headphones, and then the sound will be output through them, I checked this.

Hardware data

Dune HD mobile application

Also a very interesting opportunity. You install the application on your smartphone (no matter whether it has an IR transmitter), it finds the media player and can control it.

And plus it becomes a very advanced remote control that works with various smartphones, I tested with several phones.

conclusions

This is a really cool media player, which, of course, is very different from those noticeably cheaper media players that I have reviewed lately. Its own advanced shell (I really like it), and it is highly customizable, support for the Android shell and Android applications, excellent performance, playback of any content, even the highest resolution, with high fps and HDR10+, support for third-party applications - literally everything is possible here.

I specifically tested the work via Wi-Fi: I was surprised that this media player over a wireless network not only supported Full HD in the heaviest version (62 GB), but also quietly reproduced 4K content without any brakes, and at the maximum size.

Everything works very quickly on this media player: it feels like you are dealing with an advanced computer. I specially took a video of what it all looks like.

There are no problems with heating here: even when playing 4K videos, the player’s temperature did not rise above 32 degrees.

Add to this an excellent built-in shell, support for any Android applications, support for third-party applications, flexible settings, excellent work with the local network and connected devices - and you will probably get one of the best media players on the market.

It was very cool, I'm really impressed. And, of course, I made this media player my main one: how can you part with such an advanced device? And I won’t part with him!

Voting for the best 4K UltraHD Blu-ray player

Which Blu-ray player would you choose or recommend?

OPPO UDP-205

8.43 % ( 7 )

OPPO UDP-203

1.20 % ( 1 )

Pioneer UDP-LX800

19.28 % ( 16 )

Pioneer UDP-LX500

8.43 % ( 7 )

YAMAHA BD-A1060

10.84 % ( 9 )

Cambridge Audio CXUHD

9.64 % ( 8 )

Panasonic DP-UB9000

4.82 % ( 4 )

DMP-UB900

3.61 % ( 3 )

Sony UBP-X800

7.23 % ( 6 )

Sony UBP-X700

10.84 % ( 9 )

Sony UBP-X500

2.41 % ( 2 )

LG UBK90

1.20 % ( 1 )

LG UP970

4.82 % ( 4 )

Samsung UBD-M9500

2.41 % ( 2 )