The channel Technozon is known worldwide for its honest reviews of 4K players for TVs. The author finds interesting and affordable solutions that meet all user wishes for movie watching and gaming. Exceptions are also made – reviews of unworthy solutions are conducted. Example: HK1 X3 TV box on Amlogic S905X3.
As usual, we present the channel links at the end of our review.
The autumn 2019 novelty attracted attention with its unusual design, technical specifications, and price. Moreover, Chinese sellers offer to buy the TV box in various configurations. In particular, they offer multimedia remotes working via IrDa or Wi-Fi.
HK1 X3 TV Box on Amlogic S905X3
| Brand | LIHETUN |
| Chip | Amlogic S905X3 |
| Processor | 4-core ARM Cortex A55 (1.9GHz) |
| Video Adapter | ARM Mali-G31MP |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 (2133MHz) |
| Storage | 32/64/128 GB eMMC |
| Storage Expansion | Yes, microSD up to 64 GB |
| Wired Network | Yes, RJ-45 (1Gbps) |
| Wireless Network | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz/5GHz (2×2 MIMO) |
| Operating System | Android 9.0 |
| Interfaces | HDMI 2.1, AV-out, 1xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB 3.0, RJ-45, DC |
| Video Format Support | VP9-2 up to 8Kx4K@24, H.265 HEVC MP-10@L5.1 up to 8Kx4K@24, H.264 AVC HP@L5.1 up to 4Kx2K@30fps |
| Price | $35-60 |
In appearance, the device indeed looks unusual, which attracts attention. The body is shaped like a disc, with interfaces spread along the circumference. It even has an LCD display. An interesting style, coloring, and shape.
The main menu of the device and ease of setup with control are always a priority for the user. Here, the manufacturer didn’t even bother to make a panel. Status bar, curtains – they are completely absent. Moreover, installing a custom solution from Google Play is impossible. In the video review, Bubble tries to “attach” Material Notification Shade, hoping to fix the situation with a third-party app. But alas, the hardware simply does not understand what is wanted from it. Additionally, the manufacturer does not provide Root access to the user.
Throttling is a separate story. The Amlogic S905X3 chip with the new Cortex A55 processor demonstrates excellent performance. But on other TV boxes. The HK1 X3, even during a 30-minute test, shows terrible results – 68%. The device heats up to 75 degrees Celsius. The problem can be fixed by installing additional active cooling – the reader might say. And they would be wrong. Installing a fan will not give a positive result.
Network operation looks quite strange. The wireless interface test at 5 GHz showed low results. Upload – 42 Mbps, download – 40 Mbps. The situation improves only with a wired connection: 820 Mbps upload and 660 Mbps download.
Additionally, the HK1 X3 TV box on Amlogic S905X3 does not support 5.1 sound or auto frame rate. The conclusion here is one – do not buy this TV box under any circumstances. It’s money down the drain. In the price range of $40-60, you can find more interesting solutions. Recently, we reviewed the “Top 5 TV boxes from China from $50 to $100” – take the advice, you won’t regret it.
