Before the National Day holiday, I was busy preparing for my wedding, and of course, I couldn’t miss out on shopping for home appliances (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.). While browsing through TVs, I noticed that each one displayed a 4K logo, and every smart TV came with Wi-Fi capabilities. The development of smart TVs has brought many challenges to the TV box industry. Currently, major ISPs offer IPTV services and TV boxes with broadband installation, but true 4K TV boxes equipped with the RK3399 chip are few and far between.
After searching for a “TV box” thousands of times, I suddenly found the “Huishibao RK3399 Smart TV Box” in the midst of the lights. I was fortunate enough to apply for the Huishibao RK3399 Smart TV Box from HD Fan, and I was amazed by its “powerful configuration” at first sight. After further understanding, it was dubbed the “Performance Monster” by the editor. This is a high-end smart TV box with comprehensive upgrades and full functionality.
Let’s experience it together.
Part 1 First Impressions – Aesthetic Appeal
The pure black packaging seems to be a standard for high-tech products, appearing both high-end and subtly mysterious, sparking curiosity. The outer packaging of the Huishibao RK3399 Smart TV Box is a combination of black and gold, with the logo and product model designed diagonally, and the golden 4K in the lower right corner indicates its support for 4K resolution.
The back of the packaging is simple and clear. In my opinion, it would be reasonable to include manufacturer information or product barcodes and QR codes here.
The top and bottom of the packaging box feature a minimalist Android robot, indicating that this TV box supports Android TV.
An interesting point is that unlike other boxes, the RK3399’s outer packaging adopts a pull-out design, with the golden Android TV text visible on the side. Opening the Huishibao RK3399 HD 4K network set-top box, we still couldn’t see its true appearance; there was another black box inside.
After opening the packaging, the color combination of the machine body is visually striking. It also adopts a pure black design with silver edging, prominently displaying the large 4K label, once again showcasing its powerful performance supporting 4K resolution. The bottom features the model number R99, and this appearance reminds me of its advertising slogan: “Clearly, you can see the beauty, but you must also see the capability.” The box is surrounded by sponge padding to protect it from collisions.
A family photo is essential: the Huishibao RK3399 HD 4K network set-top box, power adapter, remote control (with ** signal interface), HDMI high-definition data cable, Type-C data cable, product qualification certificate, and quick start guide.
The Huishibao RK3399 HD 4K network set-top box has a cubic shape that aligns with China’s “Heavenly Square and Earthly Round” and “Simplicity is Beauty” design philosophy. The overall structure is made of aluminum alloy, with an appropriate thickness. The surface features a skin-like matte finish, and the edges are bordered with bright metal, creating a clear and aesthetically pleasing outline.
The center of the back of the R99 is equipped with a rubber base to ensure that the box can be placed steadily in various locations. Additionally, the surrounding area is designed with ventilation holes, fully considering the heating issues of electronic products during prolonged use. This ensures smoother operation and extends its lifespan.
The front design of the R99 TV box is relatively simple, with a power indicator light at the corner that lights up blue when powered on.
The side interfaces of the R99 include: TF card slot, TYPE-C interface, USB 2.0 interface, and USB 3.0 interface.
The back interfaces of the R99 include: Gigabit Ethernet port, optical audio port, HDMI 2.0 port, and power port. In total, the R99 has a rich array of interfaces, suitable for various home applications, particularly noting that it no longer supports the three-phase AV interface, but now includes Type-C and optical audio support, allowing external audio devices to be connected for enhanced sound quality.
The back of the R99 features an infrared receiver.
The R99 remote control continues the classic design consistent with the main unit. The R99 uses a 2.4G wireless remote control that supports 360-degree coverage. The oval surface design of the remote is based on the shape of a human hand and has a matte texture, making it very comfortable to hold. The details reflect quality, and a truly great brand pays attention to user-friendly service.
The R99 comes with an HDMI high-definition data cable.
The R99 comes with a Type-C data cable.
The R99 comes with a power data cable.
The R99 quick start guide helps everyone quickly understand how to use this “performance monster”.
The introduction is very detailed, so I won’t elaborate further.
Compared to the Lanjing Magic Cube, the R99 appears more refined and delicate, with an overall body that is lightweight and compact. The shell is smooth and textured, featuring a seamless design that eliminates the need for four clumsy antennas, using an internal structure instead.
Due to its compact size, the R99 adopts side and back interface designs. Compared to the Lanjing Magic Cube, the R99 follows the development of the times, supporting Type-C, optical audio interfaces, and TF card expansion, while eliminating V interface support. In comparison, the R99 belongs to the latest generation of products.
Part 2 Performance Overview – Performance Monster
It is widely recognized as a performance monster, with the biggest highlight being the RK3399 chip. As far as this chip is concerned, it is currently very powerful. The RK3399 adopts a Big.Little architecture, featuring dual Cortex-A72 big cores and four Cortex-A53 small cores, essentially a six-core structure. The GPU is Mali-T860 MP4, with overall GPU performance improved by 45% compared to the previous generation. Additionally, it supports DDR3 LPDDR3 LPDDR4 memory, H.264/H.265/VP9 4K 10bit@60fps video decoding capabilities, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, Type-C, and even PCI-e interfaces, paired with a configuration of 4GB RAM and 32GB storage. This configuration outshines the Lanjing Magic Cube I am using and the newly purchased Sharp 4K TV at home, with luxurious performance specifications that attract the attention of many enthusiasts.
In the scoring system of Shafa Guanjia, the device performance score reached 19879 points, which is quite high.
The results from the AnTuTu benchmarking software are also exciting, reaching an absolute performance monster level that can outperform many TV boxes on the market. As an ordinary network TV box, the hardware may seem excessive, but considering the requirements of a high-definition player, it can be considered upper tier.
Part 2 User Experience – All You Need
The R99 boots up very quickly, and within seconds, you can see its simple main interface. The main UI is very straightforward, adopting a Windows 8-style page design with horizontal operation as the main focus. The main interface lists the primary functions of the box: video, music, settings, application management, folder management, browser, etc., with corresponding third-party application shortcuts available below, customizable as needed.
This video briefly showcases the main interface and functional options of the R99, meeting the basic needs for watching live TV online.
This video specifically uses high-definition images to demonstrate the R99’s resolution capabilities.
This video tests the R99’s ability to decode and process high-definition sources by playing the Blu-ray HD sources “Baahubali” and “Fast and Furious”.
[Conclusion]
The R99 is undoubtedly among the upper tier of mainstream products in terms of performance, supporting gigabit wired connections, wireless support for the 802.11ac fifth-generation standard, and Bluetooth connectivity. It also supports TF cards, TYPE-C, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0, offering a rich array of interfaces. Coupled with a 64-bit six-core CPU, 4GB of memory, and 32GB of flash storage, it absolutely outperforms the TV box I am currently using.
For impatient TV fans, you can fast forward, rewind, or jump directly according to your preferences. Additionally, games, weather forecasts, news flashes, flight inquiries, stock browsing, etc., are closely related to people’s daily lives, enhancing the quality of life and happiness index. It is suggested that future products could support voice control features, allowing users to request movies, TV shows, and variety programs through voice commands, avoiding the hassle of searching through countless options.
For smart TV/box news, you can follow the Smart TV News Network Shafa Guanjia (http://www.shafa.com/), the most influential website for TV boxes and smart TVs in the country, providing information, communication, and Q&A regarding TV boxes, smart TVs, and smart TV software.
