Product Introduction
Great Harmony Electronics Industrial launched their latest Unuiga T96 Android TV Box series, based on the Amlogic s915 SoC that comes with three types of configurations. The basic one is equipped with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM and the Pro, and the Pro Plus version with 3GB DDR3 RAM and 32GB eMMC. Suitable for high-level users in need of additional system resources when running Applications and playing games.
The new T96 Pro Plus features a powerful Octa-Core ARM 64-bit Processor running under the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow Operating system. With the new Mali-T820MP3 GPU, the device offers improved 3D graphics acceleration, an advanced video engine, and HDR Support, capable of playing 4Kx2K in ultra HD quality videos at 30-60 fps.
Additional hardware specifications this high-level model has to offer are 1 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 32GB EMMC internal Flash, x1, Micro SD Card Slot, x2 USB Ports, x1 USB Host, x1 Digital Audio output (SPDIF), 1x AV Port, HDMI 2.0a interface, Bluetooth 4.1 and Dual Band (2.4G/5.8G) 802.11AC/b/g/n WiFi support. For readers interested in buying a sample, The T96 basic edition (2GB/16GB) is currently available in the TinyDeal store link listed below:
Unuiga T96 Pro Plus (3GB/32GB)
Model Types Configurations:
- T96 (2GB RAM /16GB ROM)
- T96 Pro (3GB RAM /16GB ROM)
- T96 PRO Plus (3GB RAM / 32GB ROM)
T96 PRO Plus Main Highlights:
- CPU: OCTA-Core 64-bit Amlogic S912 ARM Cortex A53 1.5GHz
- GPU: Mali T820MP3 750MHz
- 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM
- Pre-installed Kodi 16.1
- Micro SD Card slot supports up to 64GB
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- Language: Multi-Language
| Model | T96 Pro+ |
| Dimensions | 128 x 128 x 20 mm |
| CPU | Amlogic S912 Octa-Core ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit @ 1.5GHz |
| GPU | Mali-T820MP3 GPU@750 MHz |
| RAM | DDR3 3GB |
| ROM | Onboard eMMC Flash 32GB |
| Bluetooth | Version 4.1 |
| Expand Memory | Micro SD Card ( support 4 – 64 GB) |
| Ethernet | 1000 Mbps LAN |
| Wi-Fi | IEEE 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2.4 G/5.8 G |
| Video/Picture Decoding | Amlogic Video Engine(AVE) with dedicated hardware decoders and encoders
Supports multiple “secured” video decoding sessions and simultaneous decoding and encoding Video/Picture Decoding -VP9 Profile-2 up to 4K*2K@60fps -H.265 HEVC MP-10@L5.1 up to 4K*2K@60fps -H.264 AVC HP@L5.1 up to 4K*2K@30fps -H.264 MVC up to 1080P@60fps -MPEG-4 ASP@L5 up to 1080P@60fps(ISO-14496) -WMV/VC-1 SP/MP/AP up to 1080P@60fps -AVS-P16(AVS+) /AVS-P2 JiZhun Profile up to 1080P@60fps -MPEG2 MP/HL up to 1080P@60fps -MPEG1 MP/HL up to 1080P@60fps -RealVideo 8/9/10 up to 1080P@60fps Low latency 1080P H.264 60fps encoder HDR10 and HLG HDR Video Processing Supports: *.mkv,*.mpg,*.wmv,*.mpeg,*.dat,*.avi,*.mov,*.iso,*.mp4,*.rm and *.jpg file formats Video/Picture Encoding: -Independent JPEG and H.264 encoder with configurable performance/bit-rate -JPEG image encoding -H.264 video encoding up to 1080P@60fps with low latency |
| Audio Format | Low-power Media-CPU with DSP audio processing Supports MP3, AAC,WMA, RM,FLAC, and Ogg and is programmable with 7.1/5.1 down-mixing Built-in stereo audio DAC Built-in SPDIF/IEC958 and PCM serial digital audio input/output Supports concurrent dual audio stereo channel output with a combination of analog+PCMo or I2S+PCM |
| USB 2.0 | 2xUSB: USB Host Port + USB Device |
| DC-in | 1x DC-in Jack |
| HD | 1x HD 2.0a (4Kx2K UHD Output) |
| AV | 1x AV Port |
| SPDIF | 1x Digital Audio output |
| RJ45 | 1x RJ45 |
| SD Card Slot | 1x Micro SD Card |
| Adapter | 5V / 2A |
| OS | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Language | Multi-language |
| Miracast/DLNA | Support |
| Humidity | 5°C–35°C，30%–90% |
T96 Package
Unboxing All Items
T96 Pro Package Contents
Design and Build Quality
We’re both good. The unit’s top surface comes with a Diamond pattern look style and also the case is plastic made that looked solid. At the bottom of the unit, you have many vent holes that are used to cool the unit. After playing with the unit for a few day’s general impression is that the case doesn’t heat much, which is a good indication that all the extra heat gets out properly and cool the PCB inside. In the perimeter of the case, the company added a transparent plastic for the LED illumination to be visible when the unit is turned on or off.
Operation
The T96 is very easy to operate like most Android TV Boxes out there. Basically, you only have a one-touch type power button to turn the unit on/off and the other functions can be operated via the IR Remote control that is also included in the package.
When you turn the unit on, a Blue color LED Light turns on indicating the unit is operational, and turns into Red vice versa when the device is fully shut down. As for USB Hosts, you only have only two which can be limiting for some users, unless an external USB Hub is used. One host is the standard type and the other has an OTG function, used for updating the device firmware via a PC.
T96 Pro | Full View
System & Software
The interface is pretty basic, based on Amlogic’s launcher with a tile-style layout that can be rearranged dynamically according to personal user preferences. Device ROM is Rooted and running under Android 6.0.1 OS that is more responsive and accessible with a few cosmetic changes in comparison to the previous android 5.0 lollipop OS.
T96 UI / Software
Hardware & Benchmark
Performance under Android OS was noticeable since the device is powered by a fast Octa-core (8 cores) CPU running in clock frequencies ranging from 100 MHz up to 1500 MHz (Peak). That said, everything worked smoothly and fast. The benchmark score with the T96 was high as expected from an Octa-core processor. The 3D Rank score ranked very high do the powerful Mali-T820MP3 that’s equipped with three shader cores that highly contribute both in playing games and when playing high-bit-rate video files with Kodi since the video decoding is mainly done through the GPU unit.
T96 AnuTuTu Benchmark Test Results
AIDA64 | Hardware & System Information
Kodi Support
Worked well as Amlogic hardware provides the best compatibility with Kodi software. The T96 Box came pre-installed containing Kodi 16.1 with all the popular add-ons for streaming video online. From 3GB of RAM, without loading additional residential apps in the background the user is left with approximately of ~1.8GB of free available memory under the Kodi environment.
T96 | Kodi 16.1 – Jarvis
Web Camera Support
The video conferencing feature maybe not be something many people are using, but for this review, I tested the T96 with two types of web cameras to see if they are identified under Android 6.0.1 OS. On both of my tests, I used a Logitech Pro 9000 and a Gsou A20 which is a low-cost generic brand of camera, sold mainly in China and can be found in various shops on the AliExpress platform.
The overall result for both cameras was good and they worked well testing with a few camera applications download from the google play store to make sure they are working properly under the android operating system, which they did.
Testing T96 with Webcams
Final Verdict
After playing with the T96 for a few days I was impressed with the performance of the S912 Hardware. What I was missing were an additional two USB Host ports that could be a nicer option if were added, saving the user the extra trouble of connecting the unit with an external USB Hub. If you are looking for a device with great Kodi support and lots of RAM, then the PRO Plus model will be a defiantly a good buy.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 3GB RAM
- Touch Power button
- Good Design & Build Quality
- High-Performance Hardware
- Good compatibility with Kodi
Cons
- No external WiFi Antenna
- Only two USB Host ports
