Have you noticed that digital products equipped with ARM architecture chips are becoming increasingly popular? In fact, the average person may not quite understand the difference between ARM and X86 architecture chips. Simply put, computers generally use X86 architecture due to its strong performance, but it also consumes a lot of power, making it suitable for the PC field. On the other hand, ARM architecture is different because of its low power consumption. Over the past few years, its performance has continuously improved, and we can even see many ARM-based chips capable of running Windows desktop operating systems. Common devices in our daily lives, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and players, are developed based on ARM architecture chips.
Now, let’s focus on the current video players and smart devices for watching TV on the market. These products typically also use ARM architecture mobile chips. Currently, the strongest platform is the domestic chip, Rockchip RK3588. However, strictly speaking, today’s smart TVs and smart devices are quite commercialized, often bombarded with ads upon startup, and the hardware specifications of the chips used are not high, leading to frequent stuttering. Recently, I specifically purchased an 8K video player equipped with the powerful Rockchip RK3588 chip, the Yingtai K8 new model. This device not only improves the viewing experience by eliminating annoying ads but also, with the flagship RK3588 chip, may offer more functionalities in the future, such as support for Windows or HarmonyOS.
The Yingtai K8 player is a compact device capable of supporting 8K video playback. Upon first receiving it, I expected it to be large, but it turns out the entire unit is only the size of a palm, very compact. The body is entirely black with a diamond-patterned surface design, and its square shape doesn’t take up too much desk space, making it look great on any surface.
Included is a 2.4g wireless remote control and a power adapter. Additionally, the official package includes an 8K HDMI cable. Currently, 4K players are still mainstream, so 8K video cables are not very common. This is my first encounter with an 8K HDMI cable, which looks very sturdy and thick, capable of supporting a maximum resolution of 7680*4320P video transmission.
The included 2.4G wireless remote control features a variety of buttons, including a voice button and mouse button, with blue backlighting for easy operation at night.
Regarding interfaces, they are located on the back and left side of the unit. The back features a gigabit network port, an HDMI port supporting 8K output, an optical port, and a power port. The two included gain antennas can enhance signal reception.
On the left side of the unit, there is one USB3.0 and one USB2.0 port, where the USB2.0 can be used to connect the remote control, and the USB3.0 port can connect external hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.
Both sides of the unit are designed with large heat dissipation holes to help the player cool down better. Good heat dissipation helps the machine run more stably over long periods.
In terms of configuration, the Yingtai K8 is equipped with the Rockchip RK3588 8K flagship SoC, which is currently the most powerful ARM architecture chip in smart TV devices. It integrates four Cortex-A76 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores, along with a separate NEON co-processor, enabling support for 8K video encoding and decoding. Additionally, the new Yingtai K8 set-top box comes with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, a combination that is rare in similar products, which mostly feature 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. In comparison, the hardware configuration of the Yingtai K8 is truly impressive.
Let’s run a benchmark; the AnTuTu TV version scores 230,000. Such performance is quite strong, enabling smooth gameplay for large 3D games.
The Yingtai K8 also supports the fastest WiFi 6 available today, utilizing two 5DB antennas on the back to enhance the signal. It supports dual-band WiFi at 2.4g/5g. In practical tests, when separated by one room from the router, the 5G signal was full, and the network was very stable. If you want to enhance stability, you can connect to the gigabit network port on the back.
After powering on, you can see a hidden display screen on the front that shows the current time. The Yingtai K8 also features a blue breathing light strip around the unit, which looks very nice and adds a high-tech feel when lit up.
Upon startup, the system of the Yingtai K8 is impressive, with no ads, based on the latest Android 12 native system. It is very clean, and with the powerful hardware support, the boot speed is only 3 seconds, and the overall system runs extremely smoothly, without the sluggishness typical of ordinary smart TV devices.
The following image shows the system UI interface. On the home page, users can customize their favorite applications and place frequently used software for quick access. In fact, compared to the cumbersome interfaces of various manufacturers, such a simple desktop is what users prefer—clean, ad-free, and easy to find software quickly.
Thanks to the powerful Rockchip RK3588, this 8K video player supports 8K@60Fps, 4K@120Fps, and fully complies with the BT.2020 standard with 10-bit color depth, offering 1.07 billion colors—64 times that of the 8-bit color depth of standard BD. This can be considered the most advanced video player currently available.
We connected it to a 4K monitor to play 8K content. From the test video clips, it can be seen that thanks to the image enhancement optimization technology of the Yingtai K8, it not only supports 8K decoding and encoding but also achieves 8K resolution video output. However, since 8K monitors are not yet widespread, we could only test it on a 4K monitor. The actual playback of 8K clips is clearer and richer in color compared to 4K video sources. This is because it can use powerful algorithms to optimize ordinary images, better presenting colors and contrast, making the visuals closer to reality.
Typically, images displayed at 8K resolution have more natural and transparent colors. In the future, 8K content will become increasingly popular, and even 8K online football events will gradually enter ordinary households. With the Yingtai K8 video player paired with an 8K TV, we can expect a more stunning visual experience.
In terms of the system, it is very open and flexible; you can install any software you like, either through a USB drive or from the system’s built-in app store. Moreover, the system natively supports multi-screen interaction, allowing you to cast to the TV from your smartphone.
To summarize, I must say that the Yingtai K8 video player, equipped with the currently strongest Rockchip RK3588 chip, is indeed very powerful in terms of performance. The overall system runs smoothly, and the most crucial aspect is that it supports 8K video encoding and decoding. 8K video is clearer than 4K films and can achieve extremely detailed effects on larger screens, redefining the future. If you are looking for an ad-free 8K video player, the Yingtai K8 is undoubtedly a perfect choice for you.