Minix Neo Z83-4U Ubuntu Edition Mini PC TV Box review
5. 4K video and HD audio tests
Review Pages
2. Unboxing, main unit
3. Booting up
4. CPU tests
5. 4K video and HD audio tests
6. Summary
The Minix Neo Z83-4U has two digital A/V ports that can drive two independent displays either with DisplayPort or HDMI. Both outputs support Ultra HD / 4K resolutions, along with the Quick Sync Video and Clear Video HD technologies.
For our audio adn video tests we used the following setup:
- TV: Samsung 75NU7000 (4K) with the latest firmware installed
- A/V Receiver: Yamaha RX-V775 (7.2 capable) with the latest firmware installed
The audio and video files we used for the tests are available at the KODI Wiki. We also used the latest K Lite Codec pack and the Kodi platform.
According to the Neo Z83-4U's specs, the HD graphics chip supports full H.263, MPEG4, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP8, VP9, MVC, MPEG2, VC1, JPEG hardware decoding and HD Audio. We connected the device to our A/V receiver using an HDMI cable. Below you see the HD audio results:
HD audio tests |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD Audio | K Lite Codec | Kodi 18.1 (directSound) | Kodi (WASAPI) | LibreElec (8.2.5) |
LPCM 5.1
|
PCM 7.1 | PCM 2.0 (no sound) | PCM 5.1 | PCM 5.1 |
LPCM 7.1
|
PCM 7.1 (151 frames dropped) | PCM 2.0 | PCM 7.1 | PCM 7.1 |
AAC 5.1
|
PCM 7.1 | PCM 7.1 | PCM 5.1 | PCM 5.1 |
AAC 7.1
|
PCM 7.1 | PCM 7.1 | PCM 7.1 | PCM 7.1 |
Dolby AC3 5.1 |
Digital 5.1 | Digital 5.1 | Digital 5.1 | Digital 5.1 |
Dolby Digital
Plus 5.1 |
Digital+ 7.1 (179 frames dropped) |
PCM 2.0 | Digital+ 7.1 (some frame skipping) |
Digital+ 7.1 (some frame skipping) |
Dolby Digital
Plus 7.1 |
Digital+ 7.1 (21 frames dropped) |
|||
Dolby True HD 5.1
|
PCM 7.1 | PCM 2.0 video-no sound-video freezes | No Sound |
|
Dolby True HD 7.1
|
PCM 7.1 | |||
Dobly True HD 7.1 Atmos
|
PCM 7.1 | |||
DTS-HD HRA 5.1 |
5.1 (sound skips every 3 sec) |
no sound |
||
DTS-HD HRA 7.1 |
DTS 5.1 | |||
DTS-HD MA 5.1 |
(no sound) | |||
DTS-HD MA 7.1 |
PCM 2.0 | |||
DTS:X 7.1 |
DTS 5.1 | |||
In order to get 5.1 surround sound from the Minix Z83-4U, you need to install Windows and use the latest KLiteCodec. The Intel chipset doesn't allow 7.1 passthrough and only in PCM mode you will get Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround sound.
The latest Kodi 18 doesn't seem to work well, neither in DirectSound / Wasapi modes nor the LibreElec 8.2.5. Under Linux things are worse since the default HDMI outputs only up to 4.0 surround sound in the PCM format.
4K Tests x264 (AVC)
| Test Clips | Latest Kodi 18.2 Ubuntu |
|---|---|
| 4K 10-bit H.264 video sample @ up to 160 Mbps | Not 100% smooth, frame drops |
| 4K-HD.Club-2013-Taipei 101 Fireworks Trailer (AVC, High@L5.1, 29.970fps, 2 Channels AAC, 100mbps bitrate) | Yes |
| 4k_QHD_RoastDuck_30p (AVC, High@L5.1, 29.970fps, 2 Channels AAC) | Yes |
| big_buck_bunny_4k_H264_30fps (AVC, High@L5.1, 30 FPS, 2 Channels Mp3) | Yes |
big_buck_bunny_4k_H264_60fps |
Yes |
| Ducks Take Off [2160p a 243 Mbps] | Yes |
| linkin_park_ultra-hd (H264, 50-60fps) | Yes, some skipping frames |
| NoiseRed-25fps-SlowMotion-120mbs (AVC, High@L5.1, variable FPS) | Yes |
| Ducks Take Off [2160p a 243 Mbps] | Yes |
Sony_Alpha_7R_II_video-test-4K (H264, up to 30fps) |
Yes |
| Snow Monkeys in Japan 5K Retina 60p (Ultra HD) (2160p 30fps) | Yes |
| BluRay 1080p AVC DTS-HD MA 7.1 x264 file (AVC, High@L4.1, 6 000 Kbps, DTS-HD MA 8 Channels) | Yes, sound only in PCM 4.0 channels |
| [1080p][16_REF_L5.1][FLAC_5.1]Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu BD OP | Yes |
The HD Graphics chip of the Minix Neo Z83-4U can reproduce the most H.264 video files we tested. However, playback of 10bit files was not smooth, even with even at the low bitrate files.
4K Tests x265 (HEVC - 8 Bit)
| Test Clips | Latest Kodi 18.2 Ubuntu |
|---|---|
Astra-11112_H_22000-Fashion TV UHD Demo 42.6 Mbps bitrate (8Bit HEVC) |
Yes |
| Beauty_3840x2160_120fps_420_8bit_HEVC_MP4 | Yes |
| DivX-HEVC-UHD-4k_QHD_RoastDuck_30p | Yes |
Fifa_WorldCup2014_Uruguay-Colombia (8Bit HEVC) |
Yes |
| Hispasat-10730_V_30000-Hispasat 4K HEVC 65.3 Mbps bitrate (8Bit HEVC) | Yes |
| Sintel_4k_27qp_24fps_1aud_9subs (8Bit HEVC) | Yes |
| LG Demo DolbyVision Comparison | Yes |
The TV box faced no issues with the H.265 8bit video files, but it failed to reproduce 10bit files (chipset limitation). Playback of 4K VP9 files was also problematic.
Overall, the performance of the Minix Neo Z83-4U was the same we had experienced with the Neo Z83-4 model. Using it with the Kodi 17.0 will give you hours of entertainment.
Review Pages
2. Unboxing, main unit
3. Booting up
4. CPU tests
5. 4K video and HD audio tests
6. Summary
