Qintex R33 is a new TV-Stick of the brand Qintaix of which today we present its review, it is a small device which is based on the SoC Quad Core of Rockchip RK3328, a chip that we have already tested in several reviews and that it works correctly as a multimedia player of any 4K file. In its configuration it basically highlights its external antenna on the rest of specifications that are within the average that we find in the equipment with this SoC. Let’s see how this small Android PC performs in the detailed review that you can read below.
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SPECIFICATIONS
| Model | QINTEX R33 |
| CPU | Rockchip RK3328 Quad core Cortex-A53 1.51 GHz |
| GPU | Mali-450MP2 |
| OS | Android 7.1.2 (64bit) |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR3 |
| Storage | 16 GB eMMc |
| WiFi | WiFi ac – 2.4/5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 |
| Ports | 1x USB 3.0 microSD reader HDMI 2.0a microUSB OTG microUSB charge |
| Others | Status Led Reset button |
| Content | USB OTG cable microUSB to USB HDMI cable 5V 2A DC adapter (10W) Manual Measures: 3,9 x 1.5 x 0,4 inches Weight: 3 oz |
CONTENT DESCRIPTION
Package content
The Qintex R33 TV-Stick comes with a cardboard box with the name of the brand on top. Inside the box we find the main device in an upper compartment, the rest of the accessories we have in a lower area, we have an extender HDMI cable, microUSB OTG cables and charging, manual and a 5V / 2A adapter.
Product Details
The box of the Qintex R33 is made of plastic and we have a hood that covers the HDMI 2.0a connector, on one side we have the small Wifi antenna that we can rotate to put it vertically.
In one of its sides we have the microUSB charging port (the other microUSB port also serves for charging), next to it we have the microSD card reader and at one end the reset button accompanied by a blue status LED.
On the back we have a microUSB 2.0 OTG port to connect peripherals and a USB 3.0 Type-A connector where we can connect external units with more speed.
CONNECTING THE DEVICE
Connection and desktops
After connect the QINTEX R33 to the power source and this boots directly, we have a launcher based on squares where we have access to Google Play, Kodi, browser, settings and different subcategories. In the lower part we have a row where we can add optional shortcuts with our apps. We can change the default launcher by installing another. The resolution of the system is 700p and it is something that can be seen in the image quality of the Android environment and streaming apps.
- Boot time: 22 seconds
As we have verified, we have a navigation bar and notification bar that automatically hides perfectly, something that is practical if we want to use a mouse to manage the system, for example.
In the installed applications of series are the classic ones, we have Wifidisplay and Happycast that allows us to share the screen of our mobile, RKMC (Kodi), Chrome, File Exprorer, WirelessUpdate to update and Youtube in Android TV version.
Within the language settings we have all the classic Android languages, we can change to another language without problems.
User Experience
The Qintex R33 TV-Stick runs fine in Android thanks to the Rockchip RK3328 Quad core processor moves without problems the demanding apps and the Android environment with native 720p resolution. In this model we have 2 GB of RAM a correct number to move the most common apps, from the shortcut bar we have the multitasking function that allows us to easily change between running apps.
Android Settings
Installed in the QINTEX R33 we have the classic lateral settings of Android 7.1 where we have specific options for the TV-Box such as screen resolution and audio settings.
If we click on the Settings app we get to the Classic Settings of Android we have some options more than in the previous settings but they are quite limited and it seems that some menus have been cut that would have allowed us to fine-tune the system.
Android System
In the Qintex R33 we have Android 7.1.2 installed, a system still quite current. The kernel as we see is specifically version 3.10.104 and the compilation has a date of 2018-05-23. With this version we have made the review that you can read in the following pages.
Brand Support
The web of the Himedia brand has a download section where we can download the updates of the system, although we lack the IMG files to recover the TV-Stick from a PC in case of problem.
Storage and RAM
The TV-Stick QINTEX R33 includes 16 GB of eMMc storage memory, from this storage memory we have actually available about 10 GB, a figure enough to install a good number of apps. As a device with Rockchip SoC this has a single partition in the storage memory which facilitates the management of our files.
In the memory aspect we have 2 GB of DDR3 RAM that behave normally, of this amount we are still available about 1.1 GB at boot, we can load several apps without noticing slowdowns in the system.
We check the memory and internal storage testing the hardware that is integrated in this device, we used the SD bench app as usual. The results of the QINTEX R33, quite good results in reading although somewhat low in writing..
Consumption and temperatures
In the terms of power consumption the QINTEX R33 with the RK3328 SoC shows results within the range of other devices, even putting the SoC to the brim with games with 3D graphics only 5.5 W peak is reached.
We pass a performance test where we can see how we have a loss of only 10%, the low consumption of the SoC RK3328 of this TV-Stick does not generate much heat.
The temperature in the certer are quite high but we have not noticed any loss of performance running intensive applications, normally the CPU works at maximum of 1.51 GHz.
Google Play and Amazon App Store
We enter the Google Play store where we have no problems installing the most common apps and download them automatically into the internal memory, we can use Amazon appstore as a alternative.
Root
We checked that the QINTEX R33 system checked that we have root, something that allows us certain options and do not affect the services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video as we will see in our review in the corresponding section.
Power Off / Standby / Power On
When pressing the power off icon in the QINTEX R33 the system gives us the option to turn it off completely, but we must bear in mind that we will have to reconnect to the current to turn it on.
TEST BENCH
Video and audio connections.
Integrated into the QINTEX R33, we have the Rockchip RK3328 SoC, a product that supports HDMI 2.0a video output, which allows maximum resolution up to 4K@60fps and also supports 10bit color and HDR content. We can change the size of the mouse pointer and the captions of several streaming services following our turorial.
In this system, there is no automatic refresh rate option, which would be interesting since it avoids reproducing content with the annoying Judder effect. Within the classic screen settings we find control of brightness, contrast and sharpness, if we notice the dark scenes in our TV models we can fix it with this tutorial.
DLNA and Miracast
Installed in the QINTEX R33 system we have the apps Miracast and Happycast that allow us to play content with a LG G6 Smartphone, an app that gives us correct results but can be variable depending on the device.
We can use the DLNA service to access the multimedia content that we have in our device easily using an app like BubbleUPnP from an Android mobile or from a PC with Windows file explorer.
Webcam
We test the TV-Stick for videoconferencing with the QINTEX R33 we use the simple webcam Logitech C170, in this case, the app does not seem to work due to a firmware problem.
NETWORK CONNECTIONS
Wi-Fi and Ethernet
Installed in the QINTEX R33 we have a ac Wireless Wi-Fi Adapter and Gigabit Ethernet chip, with which we have connected with an ASUS RT-AC1200G+ Router, a mid range device. We test the network using streaming using the iPerf measurement tool with which we have the maximum connection speed in each adapter. Connected by Wifi 2.4Ghz we have achieved a speed of about 17 Mbps, through the 5GHz Wifi network we reach up to 191 Mbps. As we see the 2.4GHz network has given us performance problems and to connect the 5GHz network we need to connect by entering the name of the network manually, a bit peculiar in this regard.
During the Wi-Fi coverage tests with the device located at a distance of about 16 ft as always and with a wall in between we verified that we have connection without cuts, the signal reaches a level of about 44 dBm a low result, a correct result for an external antenna and that stays fairly stable.
Bluetooth
The Qintex R33 has a Bluetooth 4.0 adapter that works normally and we have been able to connect compatible devices without much inconvenience.
CONTROL SYSTEMS
Remote control app
By default in the QINTEX R33 we can use the alternative CetusPlay to control it from our mobile or tablet, we only need to install the server in our TV-Stick and the client app in or desired device.
Gamepad and games
You can play games on the QINTEX R33 connecting a Gamepad with cable or bluetooth that work without problems, we can use this control in the games with this type of support, in general we will not have problems with conventional PC control. We can use them in games with this type of support, in general we will not have problems with conventional PC controls. With the Mali-450MP2 GPU that incorporates this SoC we have basic performance we can’t play titles like PUBG Mobile.
PERFORMANCE TEST
SOC
Within the Qintex R33 we have as core the Rockchip RK3328 SoC that includes four processors ARM Cortex-A53 of 64bits and a GPU Mali-450MP2. A correct SoC for a basic use, this processor works between 408 Mhz and 1.51 GHz depending on the performance needs of the system. In the performance tests as we can see we have figures that indicate the basic character of this SOC. In general we can use it to run any simple app or play multimedia without problems.
Benchmarks
Antutu
With this famous test we get an idea of the general performance of the device and we can compare it with others. Since this tests changes a lot of scale we can not use it in our graphics.
A new benchmark in SoC testing that offers fairly reliable numbers of CPU’s working in a single core or multiple cores ate the same time, it also has a section of GPU computing that gives us an overall result of the processing capacity.
3Dmark
The graphical performance test par excellence with a fairly solid continuity in the results which helps us to compare the performance of GPU’s historically.
PCMark
This benchmark tests the device in various scenarios of image processing, web browsing and other everyday uses of our device, the results are useful to check if you defend well in these areas.
VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST
Video format test
In video playback tests the Qintex R33 with the Rockchip RK3328 SoC in this model has out-of-the-ordinary results compared to other devices with the same SoC. It is possible to reproduce the most common files without major problems at native resolution in a fluid way with 8-bit color files with 4K@60fps resolution encoded compressed with the h.265 or VP9 codec, but we have compatibility problems with HDR modes and files 10 bit color. It seems to be a problem of firmware since we have the same results in KODI or MX Player. This firmware comes standard with the one version of KODI called RKMC that does not go very well, we recommend installing the Google Play version. Although the Android environment is rendered at 720p video files if reproduced at its native resolution up to 4K.
- This model is compatible with LibreELEC as we have checked using our LibreELEC a quick installation guide.
All network adapters work perfectly and even the remote command is perfectly mapped.
Test results
| H.264 Format | Result |
| BBB – H.264 8bit – Simple@L1 – 1080p@25fps – 7 Mbps | Correct |
| Samsung Oceanic Life – H.264 8bit – High@L5.1 – 1080p@30fps – 40 Mbps | Correct |
| Timelapse – H.264 8bit – High@L5.1 – 4K@24fps – 43 Mbps | Correct |
| Anime – H.264 10bit – High 10@L5.1 – 1080p@24fps – 10 Mbps | Frameskip |
| H.265 Format | |
| Tears of steel – HVEC 8bit – Main@L6.2@Main – 1080p@24fps – 17 Mbps | Correct |
| Samsung UHD Dubai – HVEC 10bit – Main 10@L5.2@Main – 4K@24fps – 51 Mbps | Frameskip |
| Jellyfish – HVEC 10bit – Main 10@L6.1@High – 4K@30fps – 392 Mbps | Frameskip |
| Anime – HVEC 10bit – Main 10@L4@Main – 1080p@24fps – 21 Mbps | Frameskip |
| HDR Format | |
| Life of Pi HDR10 – HVEC 10bit – Main 10@L5.1@High – 4K@24fps – 45 Mbps | Frameskip |
| LG Demo – Dolby Vision – HVEC 12bit – Main 10@L5@Main – 4K@24fps – 30 Mbps | Frameskip |
| Planet Earth II – HDR HLG 10bit – Main 10@L5@High – 4K@25fps – 31 Mbps | Frameskip |
| The world in HDR – VP9 Profile 2 10bit – 4K@60fps – 20 Mbps | No compatible |
| Peru 8K HDR – VP9 Profile 2 10bit – 8K@60fps – 20 Mbps | No compatible |
The MKV, Blu-ray ISO and BDRemux formats are only containers, inside we can have different codecs, resolutions, audio channels, chapters or subtitles. To play the Blu-ray format menus we need KODI or a compatible program.
Audio format test
In the QINTEX R33 we have the Rockchip RK3328 SoC Quad Core that as we know it is NOT licensed for the use of audio pass through for DD and DTS. For the sound tests we use our Yamaha RXV-577 AV receiver and we naturally check that in the device we have audio pass through for DTS and DD5.1 although in some 7.1 formats we have noticed audio errors, although it is much better in this respect than other RK3328 that we had tested.
Test results
| Formato audio | PCM* | HDMI | Optical |
| Dolby Digital 5.1 | Correct | Correct | – |
| Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 | Correct | Correct | – |
| Dolby True HD 7.1 | Correct | Cuts | – |
| Dolby Atmos 7.1 | Correct | Correct * | – |
| DTS 5.1 | Correct | Correct | – |
| DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 | Correct | Correct | – |
| DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1 | Correct | Cure | – |
| DTS-X 7.1 | Correct | Correct * | – |
- PCM – Stereo downmix from DD or DTS
- Core – Only the core of the format Dolby / DTS is played
- * Our AV receiver does not support these native formats but we check that it does downmix fine
WEB NAVIGATION AND STREAMING
Navigation
We perform performance tests on the QINTEX R33 using the default browser where we have no problems with multiple tabs open using the 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. The content that is reproduced in HTML5 does not have major problems installing a browser compatible with Android TV from its app store.
DRM
At the level of DRM certificates needed for some payment Streaming apps we have Google Widevine L1 installed by default, something that allows us to see Google Play Movies without problems but that we can’t use to see Netflix HD because the firmware is not ready. It seems that Himedia is getting the Netflix certificate and soon we will have news about a version using Android TV on this type of hardware.
Youtube and streaming apps
We installed some of the most common Streaming apps to watch TV online that we downloaded from the Play Store, we don’t have problems. This TV-Stick can play Youtube up to 720p without any problems with the version installed from Google Play.
Streaming services with subscription
We do our battery test as usual on the most popular streaming services to verified if can work correctly, the power of this device is more than enough to see any type of content on this services, although as we know we are limited on the streaming quality for the restrictions of each company. In this model we have a basic support for streaming apps without certificates.
- NOTE: We remind that these TV-Stick do not have official support for these streaming apps, the compatibility with these services can vary depends of any new limitations imposed for this companies. The tests are perform with the indicated firmware and the version of the streaming app at the date of the review.
| Streaming service | Video | Audio | Performance |
| Netflix | SD (480p) | Stereo | Correct |
| Amazon Prime Video | SD (480p) | Stereo | Correct |
| HBO nordic | FullHD (1080p) | Stereo | Correct |
- You can consult our guides where we explain in detail all the most known streaming services, what are their limitations in each platform and how to configure them to see content in HD or 4K quality if possible.
- Guide for Netflix on Android, inside you can found a solution for Error 0013 and installation method on rooted devices
- Guide for Amazon Prime video on Android
CONCLUSIONS
Qintex R33
Pros
- Compact
- Stable firmware
- Android 7
- USB 3.0
- Good wifi 5GHz speed
Cons
- 2.4GHz Wifi with low performance
- Video with 10bit of color incompatible
Opinion
After testing the Qintex R33 we can say that we are facing the classic TV-Stick, we have decent specifications but as always in this format we have connection limitations. It should be noted its small size, general stability, the inclusion of 2GB of RAM, Wifi ac and Android 7 system that leaves it in good place for a general use in a basic use if we need a team of small dimensions.
On the other hand, the Qintex R33 is a device that has certain performance deficiencies in the 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi band and 10bit color video playback, maybe they are solvable aspects with a firmware update but for now, as we have seen, they are weak points, if they are important points for us, there are other better options. In short a device of very small size but with things to improve.
- You can compare this device with our Recommended Android TV models
WHERE TO BUY
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Qintex R33
Pros
- Compact
- Stable firmware
- Android 7
- USB 3.0
- Good wifi 5GHz speed
Cons
- 2.4GHz Wifi with low performance
- Video with 10bit of color incompatible