In pursuit of the lowest price, you can always find a solution in a Chinese store. After all, sellers expect this – that there will be a buyer demanding the price. But, in most cases, the future owner faces disappointment. Because a good product simply cannot cost so little. A prime example of economy is the TV BOX H96 Mini H8. The review was published by the Technozon channel.
By the way, on the popular platform AliExpress, the H96 Mini H8 console can be found with different descriptions. Some list Rockchip RK3328A, others Rockchip RK3228A, and even Amlogic S905X3. In fact, all devices are equipped with the Rockchip RK3229A chip. It seems that sellers do not even pay attention to the modifications of controllers they sell. And this should be the first warning for buyers before clicking the “buy” button.
TV BOX H96 Mini H8: specifications
| Chipset | Rockchip RK3229A |
| Processor | 4x ARM Cortex-A7MP |
| Video adapter | Mali400 MP2 |
| RAM | 1/2/4 GB DDR3 |
| Internal storage | 8/16/32 GB eMMC |
| Storage expansion | No |
| Memory card support | No |
| Wired network | Yes, 100 Mbps |
| Wireless network | 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 |
| Update support | Yes (claimed, not functional) |
| Interfaces | 2x USB 2.0, AV, HDMI, DC |
| External antennas | No |
| Digital panel | Yes |
| Network capabilities | DLNA |
| Price | $20-40 |
And immediately, the second mistake of sellers – the declared technical specifications for the TV BOX H96 Mini H8 concerning the version with 4 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. In reality, such a gadget does not exist. At least, when searching on AliExpress for the query 4/32, these models are found, but the desired model is absent from the purchase options.
TV BOX H96 Mini H8: review
The simple plastic box, costing 20 US dollars, can play FullHD videos from YouTube and IPTV. And it can also transmit Dolby TrueHD sound to audio equipment. And that’s all.
The 4K label on the box and the device case most likely refers to the TV box H96 Mini H8 model. Since it is impossible to play videos in Ultra HD on this device. Not from the network, nor from external storage. It’s probably a kind of challenge from the manufacturer.
The wireless module is also non-functional. On 5 GHz, the device operates with a reception and transmission speed within 30 Mbps. And on 2.4 GHz – up to 10 Mbps. Even the wired interface does not boast high performance – up to 50 Mbps.
It’s unclear why sellers include bright pictures of popular games on TV screens in the product description. Since the TV BOX H96 Mini H8 even struggles with old children’s games. Moreover, the throttling test already indicates the device’s inability to work under load. The orange graph recommends owners never launch resource-intensive applications.
Such a TV box should definitely not be purchased. That’s a fact. And the positive reviews on AliExpress are quite puzzling. Happy users recommend the seller and are pleased with their purchase. It seems that people do not fully understand what a TV box should do. Or, annoyed users, in their reviews, try to spite other buyers. Anyway, it’s better to buy a budget TV box from the list of reliable and efficient devices.
