R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV, the new Android TV media player

Don't be fooled by the name of the new R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV, which is very similar to the R_volution PlayerPro 8K already reviewed in our pages (read the review by clicking on the product reference). This is a truly different offering from the French company Archisoft. R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV: Key Upgrades Summary. The PlayerPro 8K TV is a two-in-one device. In addition to its role as a media player, it also functions as an Android TV box. As such, it provides access to all streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Premiere Video, Apple TV, and Canal+. All this in Ultra HD, 4K, HDR10, and Dolby Vision HDR (all profiles are supported). Compared to the PlayerPro 8K, the memory is doubled: 64GB of flash memory and 8GB of RAM (versus 32GB and 4GB). Also noteworthy is the presence of an additional secondary S928X processor to support the main Amlogic S928X chip, plus an AI model (Picture Quality and Super Resolution) and a sophisticated linear power supply based on a massive toroidal transformer. On the hardware side, the R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV features a second HDMI 2.1a Audio Only output and two HDMI inputs (with a switch function).

R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV, main specifications££££

For the rest, we find the specifications of the R_volution PlayerPro 8K. First, a dual bay for 3.5" 64TB SATA hard drives for a total storage capacity of 128TB at the time of writing. There is also a sophisticated linear power supply based on a massive toroidal transformer and a high-performance 24MHz TCXO internal clock (a perfect multiple of 48kHz for audio and 24Hz for video). Thus, the image and sound quality are favorably affected, both for playing 4K Blu-ray ISO and 4K MKV files, as well as for content from streaming services.

R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV and R_video, a 100% digital audio-video experience

The R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV offers the possibility of storing rips of your movies/series or music discs on the player's hard drive(s) or on the R_volution NAS (network video server), to then enjoy them completely digitally using a dedicated application, R_video. This application, graphically superb with animated backgrounds, displays the movie poster, all associated technical information, its distribution, etc. The application also allows you to browse your library of titles via various filters (title, actor, director, categories, release date, length, etc.), to automatically group and manage sagas (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Game of Thrones, etc.), to launch a trailer, and more. All with unprecedented speed. In terms of image quality, the R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV boasts cutting-edge technology. Its Amlogic S928X-K/J SoC (based on a Quad Core ARM A55 processor clocked at 2 GHz + a Quad Core ARM A76 chip clocked at 1.9 GHz + an additional core dedicated to system needs) combined with the secondary S905X4-K chip, delivers enormous raw power. The R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV is therefore perfectly equipped to handle an Ultra HD 8K 60 Hz signal up to HDR Dolby Vision. Furthermore, AV1 compatibility allows you to enjoy suitable content available on YouTube. Of course, HDR10 and HDR10+ are supported, and VS10 mode (an exclusive algorithm developed by Dolby Laboratories for 12-bit processing of HDR signals), which can be activated on demand for SDR signals to convert them to HDR and vice versa, offers a further image enhancement. Upscaling, Ultra HD, and 8K are also included. It should also be noted that it supports DTS:X Pro and Dolby Atmos, plus audio decoding of all major sound formats (FLAC, AC-4, HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, AIFF, multichannel WAV, etc.), all of which can be converted on the fly to 5.1/7.1 PCM via Dolby MS12. [] R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV, multiroom experience

Good news: with multiple R_volution players, the R_Share function allows for a multiroom setup to enjoy content in several rooms of a home. While it's possible to simultaneously stream up to four 1080p quality signals, streaming is limited to two 4K Ultra HD streams and one 8K stream. And to top it all off, the upcoming R_Sync feature will perfectly and automatically synchronize content between different players, allowing you to resume playback exactly where you left off when moving from room to room.

R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV, connectivity

As already mentioned, the connectivity includes two HDMI 2.1a CEC inputs/outputs (switch function), one optical output, one coaxial output, one stereo RCA output, one front USB 2.0 port, three USB 3.0 ports (one of which is USB-C), and one Ethernet port.

R_video, better than the benchmark Zappiti? The R_video application is also available (at a price of €5.99/month or €50/year, free for owners of an R_volution player): subtitle downloads, various pictograms to define and label content, posters of films signed by R_video (the R_volution database contains approximately 18,000 posters at the time of writing), parental controls, user interface customization, playback of a film soundtrack while browsing, management of 24 Hz and 23.976 Hz signals…

Availability and indicative price still unknown.

Key features of the R_volution PlayerPro 8K TV: • Type: Media player + Android TV box • Processor: Amlogic S928X-K/J (Quad Core ARM A55 at 2.0 GHz + Quad Core ARM A76 clocked at 1.9 GHz + additional core for system needs) + secondary S905X4-K chip • RAM: 8 GB • Storage: 64 GB • Codec compatibility: AC3, DTS:X Pro, MPEG, AAC, HEAAC, LPCM, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, MQA, VSELP, FLAC, APE Ogg/Vorbis (up to 192 kHz/24 bits), [abc]HEVC[/abc], [abc]VP9[/abc], Iso 3D [abc]BD[/abc], Iso BD, BDMV, [abc]MKV[/abc], M4A, Mpeg-TS, Mpeg-PS, [abc]M2TS[/abc], [abc]Vob[/abc], [abc]AVI[/abc], Mov [abc]MP4[/abc], QT, [abc]WMV[/abc], Iso DVD, Video [abc]TS[/abc], [abc]SACD[/abc] Iso, [abc]AVC-HD[/abc]

• Compatibility [abc]DSD[/abc]: yes

• Certification [abc]Hi-Res Audio[/abc]: yes

• Inputs: 3 USB 3.0 ports (one Low Noise), 1 USB 2.0 port and 1 Ethernet port, 2 HDMI 2.1a inputs; • Outputs: 2 HDMI CEC 2.1a outputs, 1 optical output, 1 coaxial output, 1 stereo RCA output; • Gapless function: yes; • Other: Upscaling, Ultra HD/8K, full auto-framerate function (23.976/24/50/59.94/60 Hz), Widevine L1 DRM, dual SATA HDD bays 3.5"

• Multiroom function: R_Share

• Rec2020 compatibility: yes

• HDR10 compatibility

• HDR Dolby Vision compatibility

• HDR10+ compatibility

• Dolby Atmos compatibility

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.2

• Application: R_Video

• UPnP (DLNA) gateway function: yes

• Power consumption (On/Standby): 43 W/0.02 W

• Dimensions (W x D x H): 430 x 343 x 110 mm

• Weight: 10 kg