We tried: H96Max TV smart TV for pennies with minor flaws

The H96Max will be a great help for those with older TVs.

Introductory

Time travel. I know it's impossible, but lately, or rather in the last 1-2 years, I've been a part of it frequently. I can't even explain what happened, why it's happening, maybe I'm getting old, who knows. The point is that lately old memories have been appearing in front of me incredibly clearly. I close my eyes and I'm there. At the age of 18-20-30. The experience is almost tangible. This can be like when we die, when the movie of our life is playing in front of us.

Well, I'm not going to die yet, but it's still interesting what the brain is capable of. I don't know where these memories come from, especially when they're so sharp, like I'm watching a fullfullfullHD movie.

Why am I telling you this now?

Because I recently experienced an old memory. I was sitting in the store (the HOC store, because I had one a long time ago), and one of my customers was just leaving, wanting to buy an HTPC from me. At that time, I was an expert in this, I knew every professional computer case, every quiet fan, a lot of liquid cooling, and of course traditional, but already heat pipe, CPU cooling.

We chose a cheap Antec case, it was like a big amplifier, but it was still a computer case. At today's prices, I think the case alone would have cost about 60-80 thousand forints. It needed some pretty powerful hardware, a powerful VGA, so that you could even play games. We agreed that the processor would be liquid-cooled, so we had to choose the right cooling system, the right size heat sink, and the pump. So it wasn't an easy story.

I won't even say how much it ended up costing, but at the time it was probably about three months' average salary.

This introduction was important so that you would understand the significance of the fact that I am now holding a device about the size of an 8-centimeter pendrive, which can be purchased for under 8 thousand forints, and in terms of power and knowledge, it is about as capable as the brutal PC that I intended to build to order sometime in 2007.

It's hard to comprehend this development, especially since I have this thing in my hands, but I'm still not completely satisfied with it. Why will soon become clear to you, but first let's get to the specifications!

H96Max – what can it do?

Well, we don't know exactly what kind of processor is running in the gadget. According to the available information, it has four ARM Cortex A53 cores, along with a Mali-G31 with OPenGL ES3.2 support.

The hardware is actually only important in that we learned that even if we don't get crazy powerful cores, at least there are four of them instead of two. The Mali-G31 isn't crazy either, but it will definitely be enough for basic tasks. It's also important that the H96Max stick can be purchased with 8 or 16 GB of memory.

It is also important that the system memory is 2 GB, and from this amount you can get not only 1080p, but also 4K resolution. That is, it could be, because the H96Max only knows 1080p. True, there is 4K support, so there will be no problem playing 4K materials, but they will only appear in 1080p.

The other specifications are much more important, I'll go through them one by one and describe exactly what they mean! If you're not interested in dry data, skip to the experiences section!

Video Decoder

A video decoder is a circuit or software algorithm that converts compressed video files (such as H.263, H.264) back into playable video.

• Supports multi-formats: The device can decode various video encoding formats, which means it can play different types of video files.
• H.263 BP up to 1080p@60fps
  • H.263 is an older video compression standard that was mainly used for video conferencing and mobile phone video.
  • BP (Baseline Profile): The basic version that requires less computing power.
  • 1080p@60fps: The decoder is capable of decoding Full HD (1920 × 1080) resolution videos at 60 frames per second, ensuring smooth and continuous playback.

Video Encoder

A video encoder converts raw video into a compressed format to reduce file size or make data transfer easier.

• H.264 BP / MP / HP
  • H.264 is an advanced video compression standard that is widely used for streaming, Blu-ray discs, and online videos.
  • BP (Baseline Profile): Simpler, mainly for video calls.
  • MP (Main Profile): A balanced version used in both TV broadcasts and online streaming.
  • HP (High Profile): The highest quality version used for Blu-ray discs and professional videos.
• H.264 supports I/P frame, and only supports single reference frame
  • I frame (Intra frame): Complete image (keyframe), which can be interpreted independently.
  • P frame (Predicted frame): Stores only the changes from previous frames, thus taking up less space.
  • Only supports single reference frame: The encoder can only use a single reference frame for predictions, which is faster but may result in less compression efficiency.
• MJPEG/JPEG baseline
  • MJPEG (Motion JPEG): A simple video format in which each frame is a separate JPEG image. Used by older cameras and security systems.
  • JPEG baseline: The basic JPEG image compression standard, widely used for digital photographs.
• Maximum 16-megapixel (4096 × 4096) resolution for H.264 encoding
  • The video encoder can process images with resolutions up to 4096 × 4096 pixels in H.264 format. This means it can compress videos up to 16 megapixels.
• H.264 encoding capability: 1080p@60fps
  • The device is capable of recording videos in Full HD (1920 × 1080) resolution at 60 frames per second using H.264 compression.

JPEG decoder

A JPEG decoder is a hardware or software unit that converts compressed JPEG images back into a displayable form.

• Supports JPEG encoding with the performance of 1080p@60fps
  • The decoder is capable of handling Full HD resolution images at 60 frames per second, which means fast and continuous image processing.
• Supports configurable picture resolutions
  • The decoder supports adjustable resolutions, so it can decode images of different sizes.
• Supports configurable quantization tables for the Y component, Cb component and Cr component respectively
  • Quantization tables can be set for each color channel:
    • Y (Luminance): The value of luminance, which carries the most important visual information.
    • Cb (Chrominance Blue) and Cr (Chrominance Red): Color content information that is of less importance to human vision.
  • This allows for different compression settings to find a balance between image quality and file size.
• Supports OSD front-end overlapping
  • OSD (On-Screen Display): Information displayed on the screen (such as date, time, channel number).
  • Front-end overlapping means that OSD elements (such as a security camera date stamp) can be placed directly on top of the decoded video, before final display.
• Supports the color-to-gray function
  • The decoder can convert color images to black and white (grayscale) format, which can be useful for security cameras or low-bandwidth data transmission, for example.

Compatible with HDCP 2.2 and HDCP 1.4

HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a copy protection technology used for the copyright-protected transmission of digital content (such as movies, series) over HDMI, DisplayPort, or other digital video connections.

• HDCP 2.2 is the newer version, designed primarily to protect 4K content.
• HDCP 1.4 is the previous version, still used for Full HD (1080p) content.
  If a device is compatible with both, it means it can play and stream both newer 4K and older 1080p HDCP-protected content.

Supports DDc and SCDc

• DDC (Display Data Channel): A communication channel between the computer and the display that allows the monitor to send information about itself (such as resolution, refresh rate) to the computer. This allows for automatic settings, such as selecting the appropriate resolution.
• SCDC (Status and Control Data Channel): This is part of HDMI 2.0 and is mainly used to support the newer 4K video. It helps ensure that the connection between the source (such as a computer or game console) and the display works properly, for example when sending a 4K 60 Hz signal.

Integrated CEC hardware engine

• CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is part of the HDMI standard that allows different HDMI devices to be controlled with a single remote control.
  For example, if a TV supports CEC, you can turn on a connected DVD player or game console using the TV remote. If a device has integrated CEC hardware, this feature is built into the hardware and not software emulation, resulting in more stable and faster operation.

Supports RGB/YUV444/YUV422/YUV420 output

These are different color coding methods for transmitting video signals:

• RGB: The highest quality color encoding, storing the Red, Green, and Blue components separately for each pixel. Commonly used in computer monitors.
• YUV444: A color-preserving format optimized for video. It provides the same color detail as RGB, but is more efficient for video.
• YUV422: A compressed format that reduces the amount of color data while retaining luminance information. This results in less bandwidth usage while still maintaining good image quality.
• YUV420: The most compressed format, used mainly for streaming and Blu-ray playback. Although it stores less color information, it is difficult for the human eye to perceive, making it most effective for high-definition videos.

If a device supports multiple color coding modes, it means it is compatible with different displays and devices.

Color depth: 8/10-bit

This means that the device supports both 8-bit and 10-bit color depth.

• 8-bit: Can display 16,7 million colors. This is the default color depth for most displays.
• 10-bit: Capable of displaying over 1 billion colors, resulting in more accurate color gradations and a more natural image, especially with HDR content.

If a display has 10-bit color support, it means it provides better image quality, especially when it comes to professional video editing and displaying HDR content.

Audio:

 MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3): The best known and most widely used lossy audio format. It provides excellent compression while maintaining acceptable sound quality.

 AAC (Advanced Audio Codec): Offers better sound quality at a smaller file size than MP3. Supported by most modern devices, such as Apple products and YouTube.

 WMA (Windows Media Audio): Microsoft's proprietary lossy audio format, supported by Windows Media Player and other Windows-based systems. It is less commonly used than MP3 or AAC.

 RM (RealMedia Audio – RealAudio): An older format used by RealPlayer. It is less common these days, but can still be found on some streaming platforms.

 FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec): A lossless format that compresses audio files without degrading sound quality. Ideal for audiophile listeners and archiving purposes, as the sound quality is equivalent to CD.

Let's jump into the experiences!

H96Max – What can it be used for?

After turning it on, basic settings. I set the language to Hungarian, set up wifi. Here, if possible, stay with WiFi5 connection, this will be needed for the AirScreen application, through which you can send the image of your phone screen, or even applications such as YouTube.

The good news is that the gadget runs Android TV. From this we can already assume that there will be no problem with Widevine L1 support. But if you think so, you are wrong, because there is no L1, only L3, which means that e.g. Netflix will not run in FHD resolution, only in HD. Bad news!

A few apps are installed by default, such as Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, the Google Play store, plus the Aptoid TV store, and to my great delight, Kodi!

For the test, I installed Disney+, MAX, and SkyShowTime. I don't have a subscription to any other streaming service, which is already a pretty big monthly expense.

I started testing with the pre-installed Netflix. Since I had previously logged into my Google account, Netflix offered to log into the app with the name and password saved to my profile. I approved it, Netflix started, but unfortunately I couldn't navigate the interface, no matter how hard I pressed the remote control.

I thought this would be better, so I tried updating the app. It worked, but from then on it wouldn't start due to incompatibility. There's no downgrade option, but never mind, I'll delete it and reinstall it. Yes, but the Google Play store doesn't offer it for installation. No, no problem, I'll install it from the Aptoid store. But no, that didn't work either, because the oldest version 10.0.1.1 is also incompatible with the stick. Okay, factory reset, Netflix came back, I checked, it's some ancient 8.xx version, but at least it works.

Of course, there is also a solution for navigation on the interface, even if it is not very good. Fortunately, there is a virtual mouse function on the remote control, by turning it on I was able to start the movies, the playback and sound started without errors. It is true that you cannot scroll on the interface, so the available content to start is quite limited, but at least I was able to start something. As you can guess from the above, the resolution was not very sharp, but the movies ran.

Disney+ is here, no errors, the app works, the movies and sound are coming.

MAX was next. Interestingly, the interface loaded, but the movies didn't start. In other words, I started it but the "projection" didn't work, as if I had stopped the movie. Deleted the app, reinstalled it from the Aptoid store. It's not good, the version is old, it needs to be updated. The update doesn't work from Aptoid, but it does from Google Play. Success! The movies work, there's sound, this is great too!

Prime and SkyShowTime are flawless! Great!

YouTube works too, perfect!

I tried screen mirroring, it works flawlessly via the AirScreen app. For this, the phone and the H96Max stick must be on the same wifi network, if this is done, you will be able to launch the applications on your phone without any problems and the stick will run whatever you launched. You can also mirror the phone screen to the H96Max, of course with the usual limitations, meaning that you cannot send streaming videos, only audio will be transmitted.

According to the description, the H6Max also supports WiFi96, which is another great thing. There is also Bluetooth 5.0, which is interesting, and another good news, even though the H96Max is a cheap gadget, the remote control also supports Bluetooth connection in addition to infrared. I also tried Bluetooth with headphones and a game controller, it handled both, so it seems that there will be no problem with that either.

There was nothing else to try, let's sum it up!

H96Max – this is the final conclusion

Well, as I wrote at the beginning of the article, I'm not completely satisfied. I'm writing this despite the fact that for the money they ask for the H96Max, it's still a gift, because although using Netflix is ​​cumbersome and Widevine L1 is also missing, it's not lacking in power, and it can absolutely be used for making your TV smarter, playing simpler games, and mirroring your phone.

The bottom line is, if you want a cheap, basically functional, but not completely flawless, but very cheap TV smart TV, then go for it. The Android TV interface is still comfortable to use, it also supports Hungarian, and if you need it, it also supports vertical displays.

Considering the above, I still consider the H96Max a good buy, much better than it seemed when I first turned it on. It took me a few hours to get used to it, but you won't need to do that after reading this article!

Then the price is at the end!

You can pre-order the 2+8 GB version from a Chinese warehouse, BG6050 yes with coupon code the price is 7550 forints. Shipping is expected to start within a week (from the date of publication of the article). The price of the 2+16 GB version is not much higher, this BG6050 yes 7589 forints, so I think you should definitely choose this one!

Click on the link below to purchase:

H96Max TV stick with Android TV system

Similar articles on our site

Frequently asked questions about H96Max TV stick

Q: What is H96Max and what is it primarily used for? A: The H96Max is a flash drive-sized Android TV stick that is primarily used to make older televisions smarter. It is a device suitable for streaming services, gaming, and phone mirroring.

Q: What hardware does the H96Max include? A: The H96Max is equipped with four ARM Cortex A53 cores and a Mali-G31 OpenGL ES3.2 GPU. The system memory is 2GB and there is an option of 8GB or 16GB of storage.

Q: What resolution does H96Max support? A: Although H96Max can play 4K content, its output resolution is limited to 1080p (Full HD). It will automatically downconvert 4K content to 1080p.

Q: What streaming services does H96Max support? A: The device comes pre-installed with Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and other popular apps. Additional services such as Disney+, MAX, and SkyShowTime can also be installed.

Q: Does H1Max have Widevine L96 support? A: No, the H96Max only supports Widevine L3, which means that Netflix, for example, can only play content in HD quality (not Full HD).

Q: What wireless connections does the H96Max support? A: H96Max supports WiFi6 and Bluetooth 5.0. WiFi5 connection is recommended for screen mirroring.

Q: How does the remote control work for H96Max? A: The remote control of H96Max has dual connectivity: it can work with both infrared and Bluetooth. It also has a virtual mouse function.

Q: How much does the H96Max cost? A: The 2+8 GB version with coupon is around 7550 HUF, while the 2+16 GB version is around 7589 HUF when ordered from a Chinese warehouse.

Q: Does screen mirroring work with H96Max? A: Yes, screen mirroring via the AirScreen app works flawlessly as long as the phone and stick are on the same WiFi network.

Q: What operating system does the H96Max run? A: The H96Max runs the Android TV operating system, which is also available in Hungarian and supports vertical orientation displays.