X9T, just a TV box based on the Amlogic S912

The Amlogic S912 SoC has been around for quite a while, but companies are still making new models based on this processor. As I’ve already mentioned in my smartphone reviews, most devices are basically "construction kits"—just combinations of the same "building blocks".
And this is another such kit, this time branded X9T. Let’s take a look, take it apart, run some tests, draw some conclusions, and fill in the table.


I’ll try to keep today’s review as short as possible. I probably won’t compare it with other TV boxes this time, partly because that would take a while and partly because there isn’t much point.

Specifications:
CPU — Amlogic S912
Number of cores — 8
Graphics — Mali-T820MP3
RAM — 2 GB DDR3
Flash memory — 16 GB
Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
LAN — 1000 Mbit
Ports: 2×USB 2.0, HDMI, RJ45, S/PDIF, microSD card
Operating system — Android 6.0
Dimensions — 103 x 103 x 25 mm

The box is made of sturdy cardboard, though that didn’t stop the postal service from denting it during delivery.


The package includes:
1. X9T TV box
2. Remote control
3. Power supply
4. HDMI cable.
5. Manual



The manual is very basic: pictures, a little text, and a brief “what to do if everything breaks” section.
The remote is radio-controlled rather than IR, which can be handy if you place the TV box behind the TV.
I didn’t take the power supply apart, but I’ve come across this model several times before, including with Tanix TV boxes, I think. It works great, doesn’t overheat, and easily handles a hard drive plus an HDMI-to-VGA converter.


There’s nothing new about this TV box’s design: it’s the same old black square box.


The dimensions are familiar too, although it’s a little taller than the more common models.


The front panel has an indicator that displays the current time. The back has the usual selection of ports: S/PDIF, a pair of USB ports, LAN, HDMI, and the power connector. There’s a reset button hole between S/PDIF and USB.
There’s a memory card slot on the right side. The card sits deep inside when inserted and is almost invisible. The bottom has four soft rubber feet.


The display glows a comfortable green—not too bright, and not irritating, at least. It only shows the current time.


There are no ventilation holes on the bottom, but the sides have fairly large gaps. So if you want to modify it, you can simply drill some holes in the bottom; I don’t think anything more is needed.


To access the internals, peel off all four feet and remove the four self-tapping screws.




On first startup, you’re asked to choose a language and time zone and connect to the internet. Since the remote is radio-based, there’s no pairing step. It’s all very straightforward.


A very familiar interface, nothing new. What I didn’t like was the smooth transition effect as you move between icons, which makes the interface feel a bit sluggish.


The settings menu has the usual multiple levels. By default, you get access to the main, simplified interface, where you can choose the most essential options.


Interestingly, given the arrival of boxes running Android 8.x, this one already has the relatively old version 6.0 installed. There’s not much difference, really; it’s just a little odd.


From the first menu, you can go to the second level, which has additional settings for video output and controls.


From the second level, you get to the familiar “white Android menu.” There’s not much to do here, except perhaps check how much RAM and flash storage are installed and how much is in use.


The information from CPU-Z won’t tell us anything new, since this SoC has been around for a long time.


As usual, the tests are under the spoiler. You can check the summary in the final table; the only thing of interest here is probably the temperature readings under load.


WiFi performed pretty well: it connected to my router quickly and maintained a good connection, especially considering the surrounding conditions. Still, in my opinion, using WiFi when there's a gigabit network card available isn't quite right, although of course a lot depends on how you use it.


The actual data transfer speed wasn't very high. The best I saw a couple of meters from the router was 35 Mbps; elsewhere in the large room, speeds ranged from 10 to 25 Mbps.


The manufacturer doesn't seem to have put much effort into the software bundle, installing only the bare minimum.


Google Play with its store and paid movies, an inconvenient file manager, Miracast, and a few other odds and ends.


It doesn't even have the ubiquitous Kodi or YouTube, which seems to be everywhere these days, from watches to vacuum cleaners. So I had to open the app store and install it myself.
For some reason, it downloaded the version of the YouTube app I like least, at least in terms of usability.
Overall, YouTube works fine, but some videos have dropped frames, even though the processor temperature was around 65–68 degrees. The maximum resolution is Full HD, but 1080p at 60 fps worked just fine. During the test viewing session, the temperature did gradually rise to 73–75 and then stopped climbing.


With Torrent TV, I ran into the same problems as with other TV boxes: everything works fine at first, but after a few seconds the picture freezes. I only have this problem with this software, and it doesn't depend on whether I'm logged in or which TV box I'm using.


Lanet TV: 5 out of 5, everything works great.


Online TV: setting aside the software's awkward interface, everything is fine. No lagging or freezing.


Movies app: similarly awkward to use, but stable.


Support for various file formats and types.
1024x768_h265_AC3.mkv
2560x1600_AAC .mp4
3840x2160_AAC .mp4
4096x2160_AAC .mp4
gopro-hero-3-be-avc-high@l5.1-4096x2160-12p-aac-2ch.mp4
GraysPeak8HDR_Dolby AC3.mp4
LG 4K Paris_AAC.mp4
LG 4K Story-of-Earth_AAC.mp4
LG_Chess_HDR.mp4
Philips_UHD_supershopdemo_1.mp4
samsung-note-3-3840x2160-high@l5.1-AAC-2ch-2.mp4
4K HD.Club Changhong-Furano-100mbps.mp4
Sony_4K_HDR_Camp.mp4
Ducks.Take.Off.720p.QHD.CRF24.x264-CtrlHD.mkv (20 Mbps)
Ducks.Take.Off.1080p.QHD.CRF25.x264-CtrlHD.mkv (108 Mbps)
Ducks.Take.Off.2160p.QHD.CRF25.x264-CtrlHD.mkv (243 Mbps)
4K HD.Club TCL-super_car-Part-1-HEVC.mp4

Files 2–4 stuttered a little, but the real issue is that they run at 25 fps while the display refresh rate was set to 60 Hz.
Ducks.Take.Off.2160p.QHD.CRF25.x264-CtrlHD.mkv (243 Mbps) stuttered badly when played from a flash drive, and still stuttered a little after I copied it to internal storage.
There was also no audio in AC3 format.


Everything else played beautifully and smoothly, and the temperature stayed below 72–73 degrees. Actually, no—the picture seemed a little too dark.


hdr demo 60fps wildlife video — 1920x1080
hdr demo 60fps wildlife video — 2560x1440
hdr demo 60fps wildlife video — 3840x2160
Peru HDR 60FPS — 1920x1080
Peru HDR 60FPS — 2560x1440
Peru HDR 60FPS — 3840x2160
Peru HDR 60FPS — 7680x4320

Only the last file, at 8K resolution, failed to play. The test 6K file didn't work either; everything else played without a problem.


The pixel test in Full HD ran without a problem.


When connected to a device that supports 4K, the full list of available output resolutions appeared. But I should point out right away that some resolutions won't engage, or automatic selection won't start if Deep Color mode is enabled.
I also checked CEC while I was at it; it works.


After that, I had a bit of déjà vu: everything was just like on the recently featured EACHLINK H6 Mini. I can manually select anything I want.


But even with automatic selection enabled and AFR turned on, automatic switching still doesn't happen.


There's an obscure 4k2k-smpte mode, but in this mode the output simply switched to 24 Hz, and that was it. Actually, no—the resolution was higher than 4K.


Looking at the final results table, I can say it's pretty good—really pretty good.


In my opinion, this TV box is quite good, even though it's unbranded. Of course, there are a few caveats: YouTube was limited to Full HD, AFR turned out not to be automatic at all, and Wi-Fi isn't very fast. Otherwise, though, it worked reliably.
It comes with an air mouse remote, has a gigabit Ethernet port, and doesn't overheat too much. The overheating can easily be reduced significantly, if not eliminated altogether. It also handles various video files and online TV well.
What would I like to see? To start with, USB 3.0—at least one port. 5 GHz Wi-Fi wouldn't hurt either. Otherwise, it seems to have everything. Just note that although this TV box can output at 570p and 480p, you can't connect an analog TV to it. It also has no analog audio output, so keep that in mind when choosing.

In short, this is a TV box with nothing unnecessary, but that's just my opinion.

That's all from me. I hope this information was useful. As usual, I'll be glad to answer any questions—and perhaps someone can explain why I'm having so much trouble with Torrent TV?