X96Q is a new Android Box that we present today its analysis or review, a device that has the new SoC Allwinner H313, a cut down version of the previous Allwinner H616, in this SoC only reach 1.34 GHz and HD resolution in the environment of Android apps.
This TV-Box has several hardware versions that differ in their internal storage and RAM but all with the Android 10 system, a valid product for FullHD multimedia content in general. Let’s see in our review how this device behaves and how it defends itself against its rivals.
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PRODUCT DETAILS
Unboxing
The small Android TV-Box X96Q comes in a generic cardboard box with a image of the device in the top, inside we found the TV-Box, IR remote, HDMI cable 4K@60fps compatible, Manual and a DC 5V 2A adapter.
Description
On the front of the small X96Q we have a LED that lights up when connected. We have all the connections available on the sides and the rear area, it stands out without a doubt for its small dimensions as we have compared with the control. This box includes a basic IR remote control that allows you to use some functions of the TV-Box directly.
- Remote Control: Basic IR Remote / NO microphone / We can choose other alternatives.
- Alternate control: Does not have its own control app / We can try Cetusplay in our smartphone.
On the motherboard we can see the Wifi bgn – No BT (XR819) chip which has an internal wifi antenna. The cooling system is an aluminum plate and silicone rubber attached to the processor, very basic. Inside the audio jack hole we have the update button useful in case we need to update the firmware.
SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE
Environment and Android system
We connect the X96Q and it starts automatically, we have a custom launcher based on squares where we can modify only the lower row. This is valid for use with the remote control included, in the upper zone we have a clock and the indication of the network connected. In the installed apps we can highlight AirScreen, Miracast, KD Player (KODI), Netflix and Prime Video. We check that the performance of Android 10 is basic if we demand speed in the load apps, in normal use we can say that it is enough. Unfortunately we have Google Play Android TV version which limits the compatibility of many apps and only annoys us.
- Launcher: As an alternative we have Pixel launcher to use mouse / Android UI rendering at 720p.
- Multitasking and access: Multitasking NOT available / NO lower or upper Android bar.
- Languages and Google Play: All the international Android classics / Google Play for Android TV installed.
- On/Off Controls: NO configurable in settings.
- System version and root: Android 10 (32 bit) / NO root by default / NO root menu / Build 20200809 / Model X96Q.
- Support: X96Q don’t have a site with firmware / NO firmware available / Custom firmware not available yet.
Network, storage, RAM and ports
This new Android TV-Box X96Q has eMMC memory for internal storage and DDR3 RAM, it has two USB 3.0 port and SD card reader. In the network section it has a wireless adapter Wifi b/g/n Dual – No BT (XR819) and Ethernet 10/100 port. As we can see in the tests the results are very poor, the wifi does not reach decent speed figures and the adapter never connects good speed in 5G.
- Storage: Total 16GB – Free 9GB / NTFS + exFAT compatible / Expandable with a USB or SD external memory.
- RAM: Total 2GB – Free 1GB / DDR3.
- Network: Low speed with one internal wifi antenna / Range 42dBm, low. / Bluetooth NO.
- We recommend reading our Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks if we are going to use files from our network PC.
| USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 | microSD | SATA | |
| Read / Write | 21/17 MB/s | 101/37 MB/s | 20/19 MB/s | – |
Power and performance
In terms of performance the mini TV-Box X96Q has the SoC Allwinner H313 Quad Core with ARM Cortex-A53 processors at 1.34 GHz and in the graphics section a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU that is in the medium range. This SoC is manufactured in 28 nm, as we have seen the cooling system is basic and the temperatures are high, the processor scales correctly the speeds, it maintains the performance correctly. In general we have enough power for streaming or KODI apps.
- CPU performance: Min 500 MHz / Working 1 GHz / Max 1.34 GHz
- Check our Allwinner H6 SoC Comparison against all SoCs in the sector for more details.
- Thermals: Min. 51ºC / Working 62 ºC / Max.79ºC / Maintains performance up to 87% / Heat zone on the top / Noise 0db
- Consumption: Off 0.1W / Min 2.3W / Working 3.4W / Max. 3.8W
- Games and emulators: NO possible to play titles such as PUBG even with low settings / Emulators up to Wii / NO Vulkan support.
- Controls: Compatible with Gamepads with cable.
VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST
Video playback test
The little X96Q features an Allwinner H313 SoC that on the one hand has the Allwinner Phoenix 3.0 VE Engine that allows us to decode H.265 / VP9 and on the other hand we have the Smartcolor 3.0 DE Engine that is responsible for controlling HDR modes such as HLG and HDR10, although Dolby Vision is missing. It does not have an app for video quality settings, but the image quality is good. We can use players like KODI or PLEX without the slightest problem, the system comes by default with a version of KODI full of addons that we recommend uninstalling. At the audio level we can play DD and DTS sound up to 5.1 through the HDMI port. Check our Allwinner H6 SoC Comparison against all SoCs to see more details about A/V aspects of this SoC.
- Video Settings: Image quality settings / RGB and SDR / HDMI-CEC available, see manual / Automatic refresh rate with root + AFRd.
- Audio Settings: HDMI and SPDIF up to 5.1 audio / Stereo Jack.
- Media sharing: GoogleCast No* / Miracast YES* / DLNA with BlubblePnP / Airplay YES* / *With Airscreen.
- LibreELEC: This model is NOT compatible with LibreELEC or CoreELEC.
- Tutorials: Install add-on in KODI / Judder effect, how to fix it / Multi-channel audio guide / Correct dark video playback in Android.
- We recommend reading the Setup Guide of our TV to get the best picture quality.
Video results
| Formats | Result |
| h.264 / 1080i / 8bit | OK |
| h.264 / 1080p / 4K / 8bit | OK |
| h.264 / 1080p / 10bit (anime) | Frameskip (SW) |
| h.265 / 1080p / 8bit | OK |
| h.265 / 1080p / 10bit (anime) | OK |
| h.265 / 4K@24fps / 8bit | OK |
| h.265 / 4K@60fps / 10bit HDR | OK |
| VP9 P1 / 4K@24fps / 8bit | Frameskip |
| VP9 P2 / 4K@60fps / 10bit HDR | Frameskip (SW) |
| VP9 P2 / 8K@60fps / 10bit HDR | Frameskip (SW) |
| AV1 / 4K@24fps / 10bit | Frameskip (SW) |
| Max. Bitrate | 65 Mbps = 8 MB/s. |
- The maximum bitrate depends on the port used to connect or the limitations of SAMBA Networks.
- SW = does not have hardware acceleration and may have have some frameskip in very heavy files.
Audio test results
| Formats | DD / DTS 5.1 | DD+ / DTS MA | DD True / DTS HR | DD Atmos / DTS X |
| HDMI | OK / OK | OK / Core | Core | Core* |
| Optical | – | – | – | – |
- PCM – Stereo only doing downmix from DD or DTS
- Core – Only the core of the format is played back with what we passed to the Dolby / DTS base system
* Our AV receiver does not support these native formats but we verify that it is played back to 7.1
Streaming services
In our usual tests with streaming services we see how the most popular services work. The X96Q presents the classic configuration with basic certifications which limits us in quality in several streaming services, in addition to bringing installed Google Play Services from Android TV also limits us to Android TV apps and gives us problems.
- DRM: Google Widevine L3 / Microsoft Playready
- Audio certification: No
- Tutorials: Change the size of the captions and the mouse pointer on Android / Install Addons in KODI in a simple way
| Streaming service | Video / Audio | Result | Manual |
| Youtube | FullHD (1080p) / Stereo | OK, problems with 4K. | – |
| Google Play Movies | HD (720p) / Stereo | OK. | – |
| Netflix | SD+ (540p) / Stereo | OK, installing the apk with mouse | Netflix on Android |
| HBO | – | Not working. | HBO on Android |
| Amazon Prime Video | SD (480p) / Stereo | OK. | Amazon Prime video on Android |
| DAZN | – | Not working. | – |
| IPTV | FullHD (1080p) / Stereo | OK | – |
CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS
Score
X96Q
0.00
Pros
- Small
- Cheap
- Some DRM
Cons
- No android navigation bars
- Google Play from Android TV
- Wifi only 2.4 GHz
- Hot with demanding apps
- Youtube only up to 1080p
Opinion
After testing the mini TV-Box X96Q with the new SoC Allwinner H313 we can say that it mounts enough hardware for multimedia use up to 1080p, using players like KODI or for IPTV streaming. The installed Android 10 system behaves normally even if it does not stand out for its speed, we do not have forced shutdowns although the environment is rendered only at 720p. The system comes with Google Play in its version of Android TV which imposes a limits the application compatibility.
As for hardware we have a basic bgn Wifi adapter without Bluetooth, in terms of power we can run the classic Android apps or games without performance problems, heavy games like PUBG better avoid them. The remote control included is also very simple and only works for basic apps. This is a hot TV-Box if we demand a lot of performance but in normal use we have no problems in this regard.
In short, the X96Q is a TV-Box for basic use up to 1080p and does not stand out in any special way. The only notable surprise is that we have received several OTA updates, although we have not noticed any improvements over the original firmware. You can consult other options with more interesting hardware.
Where to buy
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Add-ons
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X96Q
0.00
Pros
- Small
- Cheap
- Some DRM
Cons
- No android navigation bars
- Google Play from Android TV
- Wifi only 2.4 GHz
- Hot with demanding apps
- Youtube only up to 1080p
Can you guys help me please, some apps don’t show up in my apps menu after i install them, i can open them trough general settings but i can’t add them to the lower row, is there a way to fix it? The apps were all installed from this box’ google play (Radio FM, Vradio and Open browser) Redbull TV, IPTV pro and Spotify worked well so it must be something specific about those apps
Try installing an alternative launcher, like ATV launcher.
I am facing the same problem. Anyone manage to solve it?
Does it support below 720p video files too and what about the containers like .mkv .avi .mp4?
You can see the video test table.
Support all formats, use VLC or KODI.
I have a problem. When I play something from an external hard drive, I have no sound. In the upper left corner appears the volume sign with an x below it. What to do? Did I click on something wrong? How do I remedy the situation?
Use an external drive is irrelevant, this file will have an unsupported audio codec.
Read this: https://androidpctv.com/tutorial-basic-concepts-for-multichannel-audio-on-windows-and-android/
how scroll in Chrome?
Connect a mouse and scroll with the wheel.
I have bought this tv box 3 months ago with 64GB. everything work fine until I start download some karaoke song when it say not enough storage space. I check available storage and I still have 56GB, but the firmware had disable the usage of the storage.
I tried to enable it but it is highlighted in grey which means you can’t get in to enable.
Total in all my other apps download and installed only 4.4 GB, the balance of 56GB was unable to use. Please help
No idea, contact with your store.
Facing the same issue. Have your issue fixed or not?
chinse version always shipped with fake memory and storage capacity, it could be 1gb/8gb variant. After seeing your post i will come to conclude that out of 8gb storage capacity 3 to 4 gb were used by system and rest is abvailable for apk installation which in your case is now full.
Dear Sir. My X96Q tvbox hang and didn’t go to Home Screen. How to hard reset the tvbox? Pls assist. Thank you.
Reinstall a firmware using a pc, if we don’t have it published ask your shop for the file.
If don’t help open a dispute and claim your money back.
Does it support streaming of online sports on Google Chrome?
The world have millions of streaming options, no one can say yes to all.
I just got this box yesterday. I have no audio. Video is fine. Can you help?
Check your audio settings in the tv and box.
Do a factory reset.
Hi there . I bought the smart box. It’s was working normally, but now can not connect to wifi.( And I don’t have the cabe). I am in a aparthotel. When worked the network wifi was open. Now I need to put in need to login by the wifi, with my mobile works normally because I can entry in the login page, but from the smart box the login page is not showing. Appears connect but don’t show the login page from the hotel. There is anyone can help me.please.
Thanks
Alex
Create a hotspot with your phone and connect with the box.
This box sucks, it’s HORRIBLE. I have to click on the turn on/off button up to 30 times non-stop just to turn the thing on. Then, 9 times out of 10, when I click on “view” it goes to loading, updating system and when it comes to 100% it goes back to homescreen and I’ll have to turn the thing off, turn it on again with the 20-30 clicks, go again in view and the same thing happenes over and over again so I can’t even watch anything. I’ll have to do that up to 20 times just to be… Read more »
Yes, is horrible, but this behavior is not normal, open a dispute because is malfunctioning.
Our recommendations:
https://androidpctv.com/comparison-best-android-tv-mini-pc-buy-tv-box-android/
This box works with firmwares from H616 SOC. It works with firmware from tanix tx6s. Bootloader button is inside AV port and need be pushed by toothpick.
I installed Tanix H616 firmware in x96q max. But clock and wifi does not work. How to fix it?
You need to install your exact firmware, don’t play with the firmwares.
where to download x96q max stock rom?
Waist of money no apps are working
This is a bad box in this area. Download and install the app APK manually.