Dune hd solo 4k file names in Cyrillic. What is interesting about players and what unites them

Today, mobile devices are increasingly used to watch videos, as well as for many other popular tasks. However, fans of high-quality content continue to focus on stationary media players, since only these solutions can provide support for the most advanced media content formats, not to mention coordinated work with TVs, projectors and multi-channel sound. After a massive shift to Full HD and a relatively short surge in interest in 3D, the media industry is trying to get consumers interested in new technologies, particularly 4K, that will help them sell new camcorders, TVs, players, discs and subscription services. At the same time, the real current state of affairs can again be described by the usual chicken and egg analogy using the example of the emergence of content and devices for its use. Moreover, the latter include both players and televisions, which is even more complicated. In any case, when considering this issue, one must be aware that the devices that can be purchased today may not be suitable for the content released tomorrow, and it is impossible to do anything about it. Here, “not suitable” means not only the player’s inability to decode a certain format of content, but also its display not in maximum quality on the TV. One of the understandable reasons for this state of affairs is the delay between the adoption of the standard, the appearance of chips with its implementation and the creation of products for the end consumer on them. The situation is further complicated by the fact that it is at least difficult to assess the need for support for certain technologies or specifications for you personally by reading articles, viewing illustrations and communicating in forums. So, in our opinion, when choosing a media player today, it is better to focus on the current needs for its capabilities than to try to predict the development of technology. However, everyone copes with another traditional “problem” of choosing between a bird in the hands and a pie in the sky in their own way.

The Dune HD brand has been known in this market segment for a very long time. The first products bearing this name were introduced almost ten years ago. Since then, the company's solutions often appear in publications on specialized websites, and are also among the most discussed in forums. The last model that was tested in our laboratory two whole years ago was the compact Dune HD Connect. Since then, attention has been paid mainly to devices based on the Android operating system, which literally flooded the market due to their low cost and declared capabilities.

And finally, at the end of last year, a new product was announced - the Dune HD Solo 4K player. As the name suggests, the key feature of the model is support for 4K video. And what exactly does the manufacturer mean by this and how else this device differs, we will try to understand this material.

In addition, from a hardware point of view, the model may be interesting with a built-in DVB-T2 tuner, a bay for a 2.5″ hard drive and a wireless controller with support for the 802.11ac protocol. The built-in software, in addition to implementing the basic capabilities of the media player, supports various online services, the BD menu, as well as the installation of custom plug-ins that expand its capabilities almost unlimitedly.

As for comparing the new product with other Dune HD models, perhaps the Dune HD TV-303D looks closest. The main differences of Solo 4K are:

• support for video decoding with H.265 codec;
• support for 4K resolution in files and HDMI output;
• faster wireless controller;
• built-in digital TV tuner;
• standard possibility of wall mounting;
• Full menu support for BD images.

Contents of delivery

The player, unlike its predecessors, has packaging that is more appropriate for its status and price segment. It is made of thick, hard cardboard and is well designed. In particular, there are photographs of the model, a list of key features, technical specifications and other useful information.

In our case, everything was in English, despite the official local version of the sample provided. The box is relatively compact - about 20x20x10 centimeters. Weight is approximately 1.2 kg.

Inside, on the “top floor”, under the user manual (in English) and connection instructions (in several languages, including Russian), the player itself is located in a special insert. Below it, in one large pile, the remaining elements of the delivery kit are collected: an external power supply (12 V 1.5 A) with replaceable plugs for different types of sockets, a remote control and a pair of AAA batteries for it, two removable Wi-Fi antennas, one and a half meters HDMI cable, special cable for analog video and audio output, remote IR receiver for remote control with cable, brackets for wall mounting.

As we can see, the set is quite rich. Noteworthy is the presence of an HDMI cable, which relieves the user of worrying about purchasing a high-quality option, which is especially important for 4K and 3D. And it will be easier for the manufacturer in terms of reducing the number of problems for buyers related to this issue. We also note that it comes with a cable for connecting composite video and audio, although, of course, this type of operation does not at all correspond to the level of the player. But as a backup connection method, for example, at the dacha or at a party, it may well be useful. The last interesting element is the wall mounting brackets. It's a little strange that the distance between the holes is 96 mm, and not the usual VESA 100 mm. However, TVs with large diagonals still do not use this standard. So we are talking specifically about installing it on the wall behind the TV or next to it. In this case, a remote sensor for the remote control will be useful.

Please note that some of the components described in the documentation are indicated as optional, since the configuration may depend on the region. But in any case, the minimum composition required for work will, of course, be present in the box.

At the time of writing this article, electronic versions of documentation directly for this player model, as well as firmware updates, were not available on the manufacturer’s website. However, new versions today are still installed from the device itself via the Internet, and documentation for this type of equipment is no longer as significant as before.

The warranty is provided by the serial number stitched into the player, so there is no separate coupon from the manufacturer. As for the term, it is, as usual, one year. When purchasing from an official Russian representative office, you can purchase a service package extended to two or three years for an additional fee.

Appearance

The company classifies the Dune HD Solo 4K player as a Compact series. Of course, it is far from the HDMI stick format, but given the capabilities and configuration, its 131x124x37 mm dimensions deserve the “compact” rating. The top and ends of the body are made of black plastic.

At the same time, the lid has a matte coarse-grained texture, and the side parts are glossy. Note the presence of the company logo at the top and ventilation slots along the contour of the lid. To be honest, even in this version, the use of gloss does not seem very practical to us. The bottom of the player, which probably also serves as part of the cooling system, is metal.

There is one USB 2.0 port installed on the front end, and the name of the device is also given. The front panel also hides a two-color status LED and a remote control signal receiver. There is no display in the device. Almost all other connectors and ports are located behind the rear panel. It has a relatively small area where it is difficult to find free space.

The power supply connector has a built-in compact switch. We have not seen this option before, so there are certain doubts about the reliability and convenience of this element. However, it is unlikely that it will be used often. Nearby we see a second USB 2.0 port. Since drives will usually be connected to it, and they have cables, dense placement here will not be a hindrance.

Next comes a wired gigabit network port with a pair of indicators. The second option for connecting the player to the network is the built-in wireless controller. It has a pair of detachable antennas, so if you work with cable, you don't have to install them.

The main connection option to audio-video equipment is the HDMI port. Additionally, there is also the simplest option - a combined port in the form of a 3.5 mm minijack for outputting composite video, stereo sound and S/PDIF.

With a hidden installation, you can ensure the operation of the standard remote control using an external IR receiver. The picture is completed by a standard input for a digital TV antenna.

In the minimum version - power, HDMI and network - there should be no problems with the connection. But if you need something more, you will probably need to carefully consider this issue to conveniently place all the necessary cables.

At the bottom of the player there are four large rubber feet, as well as a special slot for installing a 2.5″ hard drive. It is designed for models with a thickness of no more than 7 mm, which is the majority today. Of course, working with SSD is also supported. The mount allows you to change the drive relatively quickly, but you will need to turn the case over and unscrew a couple of screws with large heads. So it will not be possible to carry out this operation for the purpose of quickly changing the drive.

Overall, the model makes a very good impression with its appearance and workmanship. It is not at all like the “plastic boxes” of nameless manufacturers. The weight of the player with the disc installed is about 500 g.

This can also be said about the included remote control, which is very similar to the model used for Dune HD Connect. It has a plastic body, is large in size and fits comfortably in the hand. There are quite a lot of buttons on the remote control, but their grouping makes it easy to get used to the basic operations without peeking.

Compared to the previous model, the location of some functions has changed. The buttons are not backlit in this model. The only remark concerns the texture of the top panel. If it gets dirty, it can be difficult to clean. I would also like to have the ability to link the remote control to a specific player and learn how to control the TV.

Specifications and capabilities

The player uses the Sigma Designs SMP8758 SoC, which can hardly be called a new product. This solution was first shown back in 2014, but at the moment there is not a wide variety of products on the market, to put it mildly. In fact, the media player model in question is the only device. Probably this situation is another consequence of the uncertainty with the parameters of new video formats. To be fair, it is worth noting that there are other video processor manufacturers on the market that support certain 4K options, so this chip is certainly not completely unique. However, if we talk only about Sigma Designs products, then the SMP8758/8759 are the first solutions officially designed for 4K operation from this company.

As with most similar devices, the capabilities of the media player are determined to a large extent by this particular chip. It is almost impossible to change anything significant with subsequent firmware updates for this class of products. Therefore, we will immediately indicate a couple of parameters that cause the most active discussions in specialized forums - 4Kp30 and HDMI 1.4b. Note that the manufacturer does not make any secret of them. So if you vitally need 4Kp50/60 and/or HDMI 2.0 (and you know exactly why), then the player discussed in the article will not suit you. In our opinion, there is no point in discussing at length the question of whether these characteristics are mandatory today or even tomorrow in this publication.

Following tradition, we also indicate that the RAM capacity is 1 GB, and the flash drive has a capacity of 4 GB.

Now we will describe those new formats with the general name “4K” that the chip is able to cope with and note controversial and impossible options. Perhaps this is the most significant part of the article, since this is what distinguishes the model from other players. Here we will talk about official data, and in one of the following sections we will talk about real work experience.

The first improved feature, noted right in the device's name, concerns video resolution. The player is capable of decoding files with the H.265/HEVC codec with 4K resolution (3840×2160) and frame rates up to 30 fps (23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30). In some cases, files can be played back at higher frame rates (50, 59.94, 60), but there are no guarantees here and, in addition, the HDMI video output mode in 4K is still limited to 30 fps.

There is no official support for the described resolutions and number of frames per second for the H.264/AVC codec on the chip. However, the developers say that many such files can still be played by the device.

The second new feature implemented in the chip concerns working with 10-bit color representation. It is described in the Main 10 Profile for the H.265 codec. The device does not support H.264 High 10 Profile for the previous generation codec.

Thus, if you plan to actively use new formats, you should pay attention to the details of file encoding parameters. In particular, many demonstration videos from manufacturers of video and photographic equipment may not fit into the designated characteristics. The optimal (maximum) choice for this model would be 4K video with the H.265 codec and frame rates up to 30fps inclusive. The presence of 10-bit color coding is optional.

We will not examine the hardware base in more detail in terms of the names of the chips and the volume of memory chips, but will focus on the characteristics that are of practical importance.

To connect audio-video equipment, the device provides a standard HDMI and a mini-jack with composite video and analog stereo audio. This combination will allow you to get both high quality and broad digital connection capabilities, as well as work with very outdated equipment. The HDMI version limitation in this case means that you won't be able to get 50 and 60 fps for 4K formats (but you can for 1080p). But today we would not consider this significant for most consumers.

Of course, support for digital audio output via HDMI is implemented. In addition, you can get S/PDIF instead of the left analog output by changing the setting in the menu.

The player is equipped with a pair of USB 2.0 ports. You can connect local media content media to them, which can use the file systems FAT, EXT2/3/4, NTFS, exFAT, HFS+ (all options except the last one are both read and write). There is also a SATA port for installing a 2.5″ hard drive or SSD with a thickness of up to 7 mm.

For network connection, a gigabit wired network port or a built-in dual-band wireless adapter based on the RTL8812AU chip is used, connected to the USB 2.0 bus of the main processor, with support for 802.11n/ac and a maximum connection speed of 867 Mbps (at 5 GHz, with an appropriate router).

The player is controlled by a standard IR remote control. The main receiver is installed on the front panel. Additionally, you can use a remote sensor if the player is installed hidden.

The device is equipped with a built-in digital TV tuner (Silicon Labs Si2141 + Si2168) supporting DVB-T/T2 and DVB-C standards, which allows you to implement the function of a digital set-top box when working with previous generations of TVs. Note that the device only works with open channels.

Power is supplied from an external 12 V unit. There is a switch at the input connector, but to completely disconnect from the network you will need to unplug the power supply itself from the outlet.

The player has an active cooling system with a low-speed fan manufactured by ADDA. Blowing occurs through the left side of the grille on the top panel of the player body. In real operation, the fan does not manifest itself in any way in terms of noise and it is almost impossible to guess its presence. According to the manufacturer, in the current firmware version it operates at a constant speed (about a third of the maximum). The implementation of automatic control depending on temperature is planned in updated firmware.

European versions of the player also contain a Z-Wave home automation system protocol controller chip and the corresponding software for it. It is expected that after the necessary certification, this solution will be implemented for devices supplied to our market.

The player was tested with firmware version 160523_0237_r11. The device can independently detect the presence of updates and prompt the user to install them.

Connection and setup

To start working with the player, in most cases it will be enough to connect the power and HDMI, but to unlock the network capabilities, of course, you will also need to connect to your home local network. Optionally, you can install a hard drive, which can be useful if you do not have a network drive or plan to work mainly with a local media library. USB ports can be used in the same way. They can also connect keyboards and mice for more convenient text entry and navigation in certain applications. We have not forgotten about the use of external optical drives, which support CD, DVD and BD formats. This scheme will only work with unencrypted disks.

When you turn it on for the first time or after a reset, the user is asked to specify the basic parameters of the player, including the interface language (Russian, of course, is in the list), TV standard, video output mode, network connection, time zone and others.

Next you are greeted by the familiar interface of players produced under the Dune HD brand. Apparently, the firmware differs little from previously released models in its basic capabilities. But there are still several new functions here.

First, let's go through the standard settings of the player. There are a total of ten icons on the corresponding interface page. In “General” you can change the interface language, set a timeout for turning on the screen saver, and also reset the settings. The player can synchronize time via the Internet, so usually you just need to select a time zone and, if necessary, turn on daylight saving time.

In the list of video output parameters, in addition to the main (mode), there is an option that allows you to enable automatic switching of the output frame rate depending on the file being played, as well as several HDMI service settings (in particular, color depth, color space, 3D). In most cases, after the initial setup wizard, you won’t have to change anything here.

But the same cannot be said about the audio output. Depending on the system configuration (TV only, previous generation receiver, modern receiver, etc.), you can flexibly select the parameters for decoding, mixing and outputting audio tracks.

In the network settings, noteworthy is the presence of a built-in PPPoE client and the ability to organize an access point to your local network based on the player. It can work in any of the two ranges, and when setting up you will need to specify a specific channel number. The connection can be made either through NAT technology or in bridge mode.

You can install additional applications on devices from this manufacturer, which significantly expands their capabilities. Some modules are integrated into the firmware, while others can be downloaded from the official Dune Store catalog or from third-party developer sites. At the same time, the programs are able to integrate into the system, including creating their own settings pages in the standard interface. Also in the Apps group, you can disable unused icons for easier home screen navigation.

The player, like its predecessors, has ample opportunities to change the appearance of the interface. In the “Design” group of parameters, you can, in particular, set the desired theme, select the type of folder lists, and turn off animation. So if you already use players from this manufacturer, you can easily make the interface design the same.

The “Playback” section is responsible for selecting languages, encodings, subtitles, remembering positions and other viewing mode options. Several viewing-related options have been placed in another menu in the “Other” group. In particular, we are talking about encodings for file names on different sources, starting playback from a menu from disk image folders.

There are also parameters for buffering duration, which is used to improve the smoothness of video display, control of the fan and sleep mode, setting up the firmware update system, creating a system drive, managing installed plugins and others.

The last page - “Information” - contains the firmware version, serial number of the player and other service data.

In general, we did not encounter any difficulties in connecting and setting up the player. Even beginners will be able to do these operations. And those users who have experience with such equipment will be able to flexibly customize it to suit their needs, including the implementation of a beautiful design of the file directory.

Playing media files

If we talk about working with files, the player in question is capable of working with a wide range of sources, including a hard drive installed inside the case, external USB drives (including optical ones), network resources with access via the SMB and NFS protocols. All of them can be presented in a single menu section of the interface start page. At the same time, for external drives, icons appear automatically when they appear; network resources can be configured in advance or you can use Explorer. After “opening” the source, you can not only run files from it, but also perform additional operations, including copying and moving data, as well as checking reading speed. In addition, the device implements UPnP/DLNA services (client and server), but given the controversial versatility and compatibility, we would not rely heavily on them.

For media players that support high-definition video, the speed of receiving data from different media and sources is of great importance. So, as a first test, we evaluated the capabilities of Dune HD Solo 4K using the test reading function built into the firmware. Note that in the general case it may give slightly inflated results, since when actually viewing video content, computing resources are also spent on the video player. However, the times when the bitrate of a video comfortably viewed over the network did not exceed 20 Mbit/s are long gone. Today, we would name a value of 100-150 Mbit/s as a new requirement. Formally, such content is not currently available on a large scale, but given current trends, it is likely that such options may become popular among consumers in the near future.

A SanDisk SSD drive was used as an internal and external drive in this test (in the second case, via a USB adapter). The role of external storage of the media library was performed by a NAS from Synology. The wireless connection was tested with the Asus RT-AC68U router. The distance between the devices was about four meters of line of sight. Please note that the results are presented in megabytes per second, while video bitrate and network connections typically use a different unit - megabits per second.

Source	Reading speed
Standard drive, EXT4	57 MB/s
USB storage, NTFS	25 MB/s
USB storage, EXT4	27 MB/s
USB storage, exFAT	24 MB/s
USB storage, HFS+	25 MB/s
NAS (SMB), wired network	24 MB/s
NAS (NFS), wired network	39 MB/s
NAS (SMB), Wi-Fi 802.11ac (5 GHz)	8.1 MB/s
NAS (NFS), Wi-Fi 802.11ac (5 GHz)	18 MB/s
NAS (SMB), Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4 GHz)	6.5 MB/s
NAS (NFS), Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4 GHz)	9.9 MB/s

As can be seen from the results, the model is capable of working with all modern video formats, including obviously artificially created videos with a very high bitrate. Moreover, in most cases there will be a significant supply

Although we always recommend using a wired network connection when it comes to non-mobile devices, the presence of a dual-band wireless adapter with a pair of antennas in this model can be useful for those who forgot to lay a network cable from the router to the TV location. Note, however, that good Wi-Fi results can only be obtained if you have the “right” router.

While watching, the user has access to such popular operations as selecting an audio track, turning on subtitles, changing the picture format, adjusting the synchronization of audio and video, quick navigation, displaying content parameters and others.

Please note that the TV screen illustrations in the article were captured using a capture card that only supports modes up to 1080p inclusive, which is why it is shown in the screenshots. We did not take pictures of the 4K TV screen.

A formal set of supported containers, formats and codecs meets modern requirements. In particular, in the list of containers you can find MKV, M2TS, MOV and MP4, and video codecs - MPEG2, MPEG4, VC1, H.264, H.265 and H.265 Hi10p. Work with BD and DVD images in the form of ISO files or folders is also implemented. Note that the model in question supports working with disk menus in this case.

For 3D video, you can use both the original MVC and the popular Side-by-side and Top-Bottom. There are no comments regarding the implementation of working with audio tracks. Compatible formats include MP3, AAC, AC3, DTS and others. There is also support for outputting multi-channel audio tracks to the receiver in their original form (including HD modifications of Dolby Digital and DTS, as well as LPCM).

They didn’t forget to implement work with subtitles in the video player, which can be either embedded in a video file or presented as separate files.

We tested the device in this scenario with a pair of Full HD TVs and one 4K (). To check the correct output of audio tracks, an Onkyo receiver was used. Video files were played both from local storage devices (built-in disk and USB hard drive) and from a network storage device.

We did not encounter any difficulties with Full HD and smaller formats. In particular, the device played the most popular “maximum” versions in the form of BD images without any comments, as well as numerous recoded versions.

Testing the 4K format, as we wrote earlier, is not the easiest task due to the lack of precise specifications and the presence of numerous “makeshift” options. In some ways, this situation is reminiscent of the times of the spread of the MKV format, which, due to its versatility and flexibility, often caused difficulties on hardware media players.

The test confirmed the main characteristics declared by the manufacturer. All files with 4K resolution and the H.265 codec (including those with a profile for 10-bit color) were reproduced successfully if the number of frames in them did not exceed 30fps. We were also able to view a few samples at a higher frame rate, but this option is not guaranteed.

As for H.264, we were able to watch many 4K videos (in particular, from modern cameras and video cameras, demos from TV manufacturers and others, including those with a high (about 100 Mbit/s) bitrate). But here too the limit on fps is no more than 30. And also only 8-bit color.

Subjective impressions of getting to know 4K are quite controversial. From a distance of three to four meters on a 55″ TV, it is very difficult to find a significant difference in image detail. Especially when we are talking about movies with obvious graininess of the picture. In our opinion, there is no comparison with the “wow effect” of switching from DVD to BD in this case.

If necessary, the player can also be used to view photos and listen to music. Although not its main purpose, audio lovers may be interested in support for lossless compression formats (FLAC, WavPack, APE and ALAC) in combination with digital output via HDMI or S/PDIF.

The device also supports a wide range of network protocols (including multicast, Apple HLS and DASH), which may be interesting for implementing additional plugins or specialized services. In particular, it is quite possible to organize viewing of open IPTV channels from your Internet provider, but solving this problem will require an individual approach.

Digital TV tuner

To be honest, the presence of a digital tuner in this model somewhat surprised us. It is very difficult to imagine an HD video lover with a modern TV or projector (even if we don’t talk about 4K) who might be interested in watching open digital broadcast channels on this player.

Of course, it may well be that in other countries the situation with DVB is different from ours, where at the time of writing, two multiplexes of ten channels each in SD format were available. Moreover, half of them are designed for 4:3 format, which is quite sad.

The software module built into the firmware provides the basic capabilities of a digital receiver - searching (scanning) for available channels, navigating through the channel list (icons are loaded automatically), broadcasting, watching a TV program, teletext, controlling scaling and deinterlacing modes, and others.

With the drive installed, you can also record video to the disc by pressing the corresponding button on the remote control. Scheduled recording is not provided in the current firmware.

The VXP video processor can slightly improve the quality of the on-air picture, but you shouldn’t expect miracles from it on such a source.

As for the quality of reception, let's say that testing took place in Moscow inside an apartment in the immediate vicinity of the Ostankino TV tower (a couple of houses away, without direct visibility), and reception was carried out using a homemade Kharchenko zigzag antenna without a reflector. There were no comments regarding the sensitivity of the tuner under these conditions.

Additional functions

One of the additional functions of the device is the built-in SMB and FTP servers, which allow you to remotely work with the player’s local storage devices (both built-in and connected via USB). To test the speed of network access to the internal drive, we used the same solid-state drive formatted in EXT4. During the test, the player was in a standby state. The table below shows the results for the SMB protocol and three network connection options.

Despite the gigabit network controller, the speed of working with a disk over a cable is only one and a half times higher than the capabilities of a 100 Mbit/s network. As for the wireless connection, of course, everything is completely sad here. Considering these results, in our opinion, there is no particular point in using an internal drive if you have a network drive. However, if you work with the drive using the FTP protocol, the results will be approximately twice as high - about 30 MB/s for both reading and writing.

Another interesting solution is the built-in access module for Yandex.Disk via the WebDAV protocol. It allows you to watch videos directly from it without downloading it first. On the Internet you can find options for similar modules for working with other cloud storages.

We also note the presence of file manager functions in the player interface, although it is not required for the network scenario.

The basic package of the player comes with more than 20 plugins preinstalled. In the official Dune Store you can find a dozen and a half programs, grouped by topic (TV, Video, Music and Radio, Social Networks, Applications).

You can also download design options for the device interface from it. After installation, new icons appear in the corresponding group of the main menu. In addition, many modules created by independent developers will be compatible with this model.

As another useful technology in certain situations, we note the ability to control the player over the network using a proprietary API based on HTTP. This, in particular, can be used in automation systems and smart homes.

The use of processor cores with ARM architecture in the SoC allows the player to run the Android operating system. To use it, the manufacturer plans to implement a dual boot function, accessible directly from the management interface. However, at the time of testing, the image was not available. In our opinion, this function is not required for this model. It would be more logical to pay more attention to core scenarios and, by abandoning Android, reduce the cost. But apparently this decision is influenced by the fashion for “smart” products.

Conclusion

We have written about the quality and functions of the software of Dune HD products more than once, and the new product here did not surprise us in any way. More interesting is the question of the “4K” in the device name and the associated capabilities for users.

Selling media set-top boxes during a transition period when standards are just being formed and specifications for new types of content are being agreed upon is always difficult. A situation may well arise that a player is just entering the market, but can no longer meet certain requirements. And, unfortunately, it is no longer possible to fix anything with firmware updates. In addition, today we are seeing another important trend - a significant expansion of online video viewing services. In particular, Amazon and Netflix's 4K offerings are more diverse than those available on Ultra BD.

In these difficult conditions, Dune HD finally decided to release a new media player model. When assessing its capabilities, first of all, you should decide what exactly you want from a 4K player right now and what kind of content we are talking about. At the same time, there is little point in relying on demo videos available on the Internet. It is not easy to predict the development of formats, especially when so many media companies are involved in this process, each with its own interests. In our opinion, if we talk about films and TV series, the chances that they will remain compatible with the processor installed in the player are quite high. It is unlikely that high frame rates will be used en masse for them, but the player can cope with the rest (including 10-bit color). However, in certain cases (in particular, for sports broadcasts), versions with 50/60 fps will probably be chosen, and the use of the H.265 codec will ensure decent image quality at a relatively low bitrate. The latter is especially important for streaming services. In this case, the player in question, unfortunately, may remain out of business. In a certain sense, the device’s serious competitors are its own media players built into 4K TVs. They often do a good job with the manufacturer's demo videos, but still the program's capabilities are noticeably limited compared to external network media players.

Considering the above, it turns out that Dune expects to fall into a relatively narrow niche for those consumers who want to get acquainted with 4K on a TV and have already bought the appropriate equipment. At the same time, it can hardly be called universal precisely from the point of view of existing 4K variations. In addition, judging by the price set for the Dune HD Solo 4K (about 25,000), it is clearly positioned in the upper segment, which does not allow us to talk about mass demand. However, the latter may well be considered a familiar scheme for skimming the cream off fashionable technologies, not to mention the fact that the remaining elements of a home theater of this level are not cheap. It turns out that the solution turned out to be, on the one hand, expensive and not universal (in terms of 4K), and on the other hand, there are not so many models on the market with similar capabilities.

Perhaps the company could consider improving the entry-level model slightly by replacing the processor and not adding a digital tuner and a full BD menu, which would allow for a more affordable product while maintaining the same 4K capabilities.

It would seem that in the era of all kinds of “smart” TVs, media players are no longer needed.

Nevertheless, many users lack the functionality of smart TVs, and this is quite understandable: TVs do not recognize all container codecs, cannot work with some online services, cannot mark already watched episodes of TV series - and so on and so forth. > Therefore, even now media players remain in great demand, and there are more than a hundred different models on the market. Until recently, I used the iconBIT FullHD 3D media player. A good machine, although not without glitches: it periodically froze when selecting a file to view and had to be restarted by removing the power - it no longer responded to the remote control or button. Well, when the machine died completely, I decided to see what was going on in the market from this series now. Dune HD Solo lite- media player with support for ULTRA HD 4K and H.265 (HEVC), 3D and support for a full menu of Blu-ray images.

Specifications Media processor: Sigma Designs SMP8758
Operating system: Linux
Memory: 1024 MB
Flash memory: 4096 MB
Net: LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps
WiFi: built-in 802.11 b/g/n module
Ports: 2 × USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, Ethernet, audio stereo, audio coaxial, video composite
Memory cards: No
Audio formats: AC3 (Dolby Digital), Dolby True HD, LPCM (Multichannel), MPEG/MP3/MPA, AAC (Multichannel), WMA/WMAPro, APE (Multichannel), FLAC (Multichannel), WAV Pack (WV), ALAC (Apple Lossless ), Ogg, WAV, SACD
Video codecs: MPEG2, MPEG4, Xvid, WMV9, VC-1, H264, H.265 (HEVC) Hi10p
Video containers: MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV, ISO, BDMV, VIDEO_TS
Images: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
Subtitles: SRT (external), SUB (MicroDVD) (external), text (MKV), SSA/ASS (MKV, external), VobSub (MP4, MKV, external SUB/IDX), PGS (Blu-ray, TS, MKV)
File systems: EXT2, EXT3, FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, HFS/HFS+ (read only)
Playlists: M3U,PLS
3D Video Modes: Side-by-side, Top-to-bottom, MVC
BR/DVD drive: absent
HDD: absent
Dimensions: 40 × 134 × 134 mm
Weight: 1.03 kg
Price: 15,990 rubles Well, the characteristics seem to be comprehensive, let's see how it works. Contents of delivery A box made of high-quality white cardboard, which lists the main characteristics of the device.
Delivery set: media player, external power adapter, remote control, HDMI cable, audio/video cable (tulips), "Quick Start" and "User Guide" brochures.
Appearance and features The design here is very simple, the device is really small: two ordinary packs of cigarettes placed on top completely hide the box.
However, I’m sorry, I can’t demonstrate this due to the lack of at least one pack of cigarettes at home.
But I can demonstrate with two cigars - no problem.
By the way, the media player supports external Wi-Fi dongles, including 5 GHz. The included remote control is of a standard size and without any design frills (thank God, because sometimes, you know, it’s impossible to use). The set of buttons is common both for Dune and for most other players. Device operation When you first launch the media player, you are prompted to select the interface language, video resolution, and network connection type. The main window of the media player is implemented in the form traditional for most media players and game consoles: large icons located horizontally and scrolled horizontally.
The main function of this media player is video playback. Well, let's see how he plays this video. Section "Sources". The network browser icon appears here (if the network is connected), and icons for devices connected via USB also appear here (if they are connected).
Various network protocols are supported.
Devices in a networked environment.
If you access a network device using a login-password, the media player requests it: data is entered from the remote control using the on-screen keyboard.
Shared folders on a network storage device.
If you are allowed into a network device without a login password, and then require a login password for each shared folder, then using the menu button on the network device you can immediately set up a connection under a specific user - the media player will save this.
Network folder with movies. The display type can be changed.



The Pop Up button calls up the menu: play, add to favorites, mark, and all sorts of tools for working with the file. For Blu-ray images, there are two options here: play as a Blu-ray disc, showing the disc menu, or show a list of files (the main movie file is shown at the top of the list) and start viewing a specific file.
Lite playback menu.
During playback, you can scroll the timing bar by half a second and by a second.
Navigation by timing using numeric keys also works: "0" - the beginning of the film, "1" - 10% of the timing, "2" - 20% and so on. Playing a Blu-ray disc.
Playback menu.
Jump to a specific time stamp.
Image settings.
Launching the Blu-ray image as a disc - a menu appears with all the data.


When playing an image as a disc, the playback mode changes slightly - it becomes exactly the same as when playing from a Blu-ray player.

You can jump to chapters and increase playback speed.
Scrolling along the timing bar is not available here, but you can go to an arbitrary timestamp.
Blu-ray disc menu.
The DVD structure also plays like a regular disc.
The right arrow displays a shortened playback menu.

But what was missing here was the automatic marking of viewed files (for TV series, a similar function is very relevant, and I had it in iconBIT). However, here you can manually mark the last viewed file - well, at least that way.

I ran all sorts of container test videos - everything played as expected and with the appropriate capabilities (similar to those already shown above). Of particular interest was the playback of 4K videos. (Not that this will be very relevant in the near future, but still.) Yes, it reproduces absolutely normally.



I also tried to play a video with 3D - no problems, everything works. View images.
Listening to audio files, including losless.

Special service "My Collection". It can scan connected devices and network drives (to do this, the necessary network drives must be connected in the network browser through the menu), pull up information about films from movie databases, put up posters, sort by genre, and so on. Here .
In my case, this feature was not useful: I scanned the folder with files and the folder with disk images - this application did not find a single movie there. But I don’t really need it. Application "Movies" - all sorts of films from IMDB, divided by genre.
Installed applications. When I try to add, they write that there is nothing else.
You can connect social networks. (Question: why?)
The Gismeteo application sits lonely in the news and weather, and nothing more can be added there yet.

Music and radio.
By the way, the radio worked completely fine, it even showed all the local radio stations. Well, you could listen to all sorts of Russian radio stations.

Video services.
Ivi.ru.
I added the YouTube application and it worked.
Online TV channels.
Dozhd has connected, but in order for broadcasts and programs to become available, you need to link the device on the Dozhd website.






There is also a Dune HD RC mobile application for Dune players - it is made for iOS and Android (for Android, for some reason, it is currently not available on Google Play - hopefully, temporarily). Using this application, you can control the media player even from another room, and enter search queries using the on-screen keyboard. Also for Android there is another way to remotely control the media player. Observations during operation and conclusions I haven’t used this media player that much yet, but during the testing period there were no freezes or sudden shutdowns of applications. (iconBIT always freezes when browsing network folders at least once every one or two weeks.) I liked almost everything: the software is convenient, there are many possibilities, it works better with networks than iconBIT. At first, I didn’t like the fact that you can’t use an arrow to move from the beginning of a long list of files straight to the end, and that scrolling doesn’t speed up when scrolling through the list of files for a long time (iconBIT has this, it’s convenient). However, here, using the program paging buttons, you can scroll the list not by file, but by page, so this is not a problem. I was especially pleased that here it is now again possible to view an image (not compressed) of a Blu-ray disc with a full menu as a regular Blu-ray disc in the player.

Once upon a time this function was available in Dune, then, as far as I understand, the copyright holders forced it to be removed, and now they have enabled this function again. By the way, playback with the root menu and the “My Collection” function are provided as if by subscription, but when you purchase this player, both of these subscriptions are free for life. Well, the only thing I didn’t like was that the media player does not independently mark viewed files. However, this can be done manually. The price seems quite reasonable - I bought iconBIT for about the same money, but Dune has noticeably more features and better software.

Yes, this is not a new thing at all, but it has not lost its relevance.

Get acquainted with its capabilities and think about whether you need the Dune HD Solo 4K media player, which will go on sale only in February 2016.

And so Dune HD Base 3D is packaged in a full-size metal case in the style of Hi-End equipment.

You can play Full HD (1080p) content from any media or over a network - you have a built-in WiFi 802.11n module at your disposal.

Also a gigabit network card, a bay for a 3.5″ hard drive with a hot-swap function, a slot for memory cards and 3 USB ports.

A silent fan is responsible for cooling the internal components. In terms of speed, Dune Base 3D is today the undisputed leader, easily outperforming products from other companies. Support for IP television Kartina.TV, Novoe TV and others.

I note that there are no problems when playing any 2D and 3D content. In particular, heavy MKV (10-20 GB), BluRay images (40-50 GB), BluRay 3D, MKV 3D.

Everything is smooth and orderly!

In all modes, rewind (x32) and time jump function work correctly. Firmware updates are carried out only through the online update mechanism built into the player via the Internet.

When a new firmware version appears, the player will automatically prompt you to update, or you can manually check for an available new firmware version in the corresponding section of the Settings menu.

Those who like to watch films in the original language will be pleased with the support for different types of subtitles (SUB, SRT, SSA, SMI, PGS, IDX), including external ones connected from files.

The manufacturer declares the ability to both decode HD Audio streams (True HD, DTS HD) in stereo and pass them through digitally without changes to an external receiver.

We are pleased with the rich set of network interfaces: the wired “mesh” is now Gigabit LAN, and the wireless Wi-Fi adapter is built into the case, so the user can only screw on the supplied antenna and work.

Dune has thoroughly redesigned the on-screen control menu. Many applications (torrent client, online radio, online cinemas, interface skins) can now be downloaded from the Dune Store branded free service. http://www.dune.ru/store/

Go to it directly from the player menu, select the applications you need and they are automatically downloaded and installed on the player. No registrations or complex settings, fast, clear and simple.

There is an Internet browser, although it is difficult to control it using the remote control. However, if you want to surf the Internet comfortably on your player, there is the Amiko Mini Keyboard Wireless WLK-100.

By the way, the keyboard works not only in the browser, but also simply in the player menu, that is, it can completely replace the standard remote control.

I was pleasantly surprised by the huge number of different Russian-language online cinemas (Megogo.Net, Tvigle, Videomore, TVZavr, HDSerials, Cinema HD and many others).

What are online cinemas?

Basically, these are huge online databases with films, TV series and cartoons in decent quality. Access to them is absolutely free, you don’t need to download anything, just select the movie you want and press Play; while watching, all the traditional functions like pause and rewind will be available.

If downloading movies from torrents (“the old fashioned way”) is still more familiar to you, then you shouldn’t be upset. Dune Base 3D has a built-in torrent client, as well as access to popular torrent servers directly from the player menu (Rutor.org, Rutracker.org, Opensharing.org, Kinozal.tv, HDReactor.org).

Note, the authorities seem to have stopped Rutor.org, pinned it down, bullied it, but you understand... but they, like a Phoenix, continue to work, fly to the address... rutor.info

So, connect an internal or external drive to the device and you can safely download your favorite films, TV series and cartoons. The player will download them independently, without the participation of your computer.

Separately, we note the tight integration of the IPTV service Kartina.TV. This means that the Dune HD media player will be able to replace a specialized IPTV set-top box from Kartina.TV. Today the operator offers more than 120 Russian-language channels including HDTV.

Movie buffs will appreciate the presence of 30 movie channels, sports fans will appreciate 14 sports channels, in addition, there are 15 more HDTV channels, and 5 channels for adults. To view, you need an Internet speed of 2 Mbps (for HD channels at least 8 Mbps).

However, on Dune HD Base 3D you can use almost ANY IP television service (Novoe TV, Teleprom TV, Sunduk TV, OZO TV, etc.).

CHARACTERISTICS

Media processor - Sigma Designs 8672/8673
Memory - 512 MB
Network – 10/100/1000 LAN
Wi-Fi - built-in 802.11n module
Ports – USB 2.0 x 3, HDMI 1.4, Ethernet, component (Y/Pb/Pr), composite (CVBS), analog 2.0 (stereo), optical (S/PDIF), coaxial (S/PDIF)
Memory cards - SD/SDHC
Audio formats – AC3 (Dolby Digital), EAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), Dolby True HD, DTS/DTS-WAV, DTS HD, DTS HD Master Audio, LPCM (Multichannel), MPEG/MP3/MPA, AAC (Multichannel), WMA /WMAPro, APE (Multichannel), FLAC (Multichannel), WAV Pack (WV), ALAC (Apple Lossless), Ogg/Vorbis
Video codecs - MPEG2, MPEG4, Xvid, WMV9, VC-1, H264
Video containers - MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV
Subtitles - SRT (external), SUB (MicroDVD) (external), text (MKV), SSA/ASS (MKV, external), VobSub (MP4, MKV, external SUB/IDX), PGS (Blu-ray, TS, MKV )
Images – JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
Playlists - M3U, PLS
3D video modes - Side-by-side, Top-to-bottom, MVC
BR/DVD drive - no
Hard drive – 3.5″ SATA HDD (support up to 3TB), including: SATA I, SATA II, SATA III
Dimensions – 430 x 252 x 55 mm
Weight - 2.4 kg

What can I say, it was done so correctly that there is no doubt that behind the development there are people who perfectly understand what the most sophisticated users of such systems want. A huge number of settings, support for everything that is possible to the maximum.

If it seems a little expensive, then there are cheaper ones... it’s perfect for the role of an Internet set-top box for working with various online services (IP-TV, online cinemas, browser, etc.).

However, there are still reasons to buy Dune HD Base 3D:

Perfectly complements your home audio-video system;
possibility of installing a 3.5-inch hard drive;
wide choice of settings;
3D support
maximum support for all video services (Megogo, oll.tv, divan.tv).

Included:

The media player itself, a quick guide, remote control, HDMI cable, AV cable (3RCA-3RCA), Ethernet cable, batteries for the remote control, power cable, replacement adapters for the power cable for the standards of different countries.

Well, if you are a really cool lover of high technology, then there is a new product for you, Media player Dune HD Solo 4K

The compact and powerful media player Dune HD SOLO 4K is an affordable solution with support for 4K Ultra HD video and the innovative HEVC (H.265) video codec.

SOLO 4K allows you to play almost any content from local and Internet sources in the highest quality. The built-in DVB-T/T2 tuner provides reception of digital terrestrial TV channels.

Supports the latest video encoding method with 10 bits per color component (instead of the usual 8 bits) when playing HEVC video. This provides more than 1 billion colors - 64 times more than usual.

Dune HD Solo 4K is equipped with two USB ports, internal 2.5 "SATA HDD with hot-swappable function, 1Gbit Ethernet, 802.11ac Dual-band 2T2R Wi-Fi.

The new model has the new ability to play Blu-Ray images not only with a simple “BD Lite” mechanism, but also with full Blu-Ray menu support, which is a unique feature for devices in this class. Both 2D and 3D Blu-ray content is supported.

A 1Gb Ethernet port is available for fast wired data transfer. This powerful network interface makes it possible to play heavy, high-bitrate content over wires and over the air.

The media player has two USB ports for connecting external storage devices and a 2.5 SATA HDD rack with hot-swappable support.

SOLO 4K implements a unique Dual Boot mechanism, which allows you to use both the well-known Linux OS with the classic full functionality of the Dune HD media player, and the Android OS for Android applications.

The new product both decodes 4K content and increases the resolution of any content to 4K. The built-in professional-grade “VXP” video processor ensures the highest picture quality.
The option of a built-in Z-Wave controller will also be available for creating smart home solutions.

So, which media player should you choose?

Good luck, Friends!

Media players as a separate device for playing video are gradually fading away - modern TVs are equipped with Smart TV functions, which are quite sufficient for the average user. However, there are still consumers who are not satisfied with players built into TVs or whose TVs do not have such functionality at all. Dune HD products are aimed specifically at them, in particular the new player - Solo 4K.

Equipment

The player comes in a bulky box made of thick white cardboard, in which you can also find a remote control, an HDMI cable, a power supply with interchangeable attachments for various types of sockets, two removable Wi-Fi antennas, a remote infrared sensor, an analog audio/video cable and mounting brackets devices on the wall.

Appearance

The player is small, about the size of a stack of 3-4 CDs. The body is made of black plastic, with a matte top edge and glossy edges. The side faces are free of any connectors; in front there is a USB 2.0 port for quickly connecting an external drive.
All other connectors are located at the rear. Here we see an antenna input for digital/terrestrial television, two connectors for connecting Wi-Fi antennas, an HDMI 1.4b video output and a connector in mini-jack format combined with an optical audio output, through which you can also receive an analog audio/video signal.
Here we see a connector for an external infrared sensor, an Ethernet port, another USB 2.0 and a power connector, above which there is a miniature switch.
At the bottom, under the metal cover, there is a compartment for connecting an external hard drive with a 2.5-inch form factor and up to 7 mm thick.

Remote control

The player comes with an updated version of the remote control, which the manufacturer previously used in conjunction with the miniature Dune HD Connect.
The remote control is light and compact and fits well in your hands. The buttons are generally located logically; those with similar functionality are arranged in separate blocks. They press easily and quite softly.


Iron

The player uses the new Sigma Designs SMP8758 chipset, which is based on a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor operating at 1.2 GHz and a Mali-400 MP4 video subsystem.
The player can connect to the network via Gigabit Ethernet or a wireless connection. Dune HD Solo 4K is equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz.
The player uses an active cooling system, but it works almost inaudibly - the noise of the fan can only be heard from a distance of half a meter in a quiet room. Plus in the settings there is an option to turn it off completely.

Menu

The main menu is designed in the form of a simple and convenient horizontal ribbon with a dozen main items. The manufacturer has added a new Silver theme, which is used by default. Of course, the user can switch to any other one, including the classic options, in which the menu looks like a window with five “tabs” at the top.
The main feed has “shortened” and “extended” options. In the second, thematic sections with applications are added to the main points. For example, in the “TV” section there are online services and DVB-T digital broadcasting.


The "Video" menu item contains only applications for watching online video. To run a file from an external drive or local network, you must use the “Sources” menu item.
It is worth noting that Dune HD has few of its own applications. But in the player menu there is an option to install software from third-party developers. In a number of sections there are links to “community applications” and here the choice turns out to be completely different (hundreds of video service clients in the “Video” section, dozens of IPTV clients for various providers in the “TV” section, system utilities such as torrent clients in applications and etc).
You can change the behavior in Settings file browser, select font encoding, types of transitions when playing slide shows and a lot of other things.
Using the context menu, you can not only add the necessary links to Favorites, but also perform operations with files.

Interface

The player's interface is responsive and smooth. Launching a video is very fast - almost instantaneous for MP4 files, about 2-3 seconds for MKV, up to 7-9 seconds for DVD-Video and Blu-ray images.
Separately, we note the full support for the Blu-ray disc menu, which has not been seen in similar media players for several years. Of course, Blu-ray 3D playback is supported, sending Dolby True HD and Dolby Atmos audio formats to an external decoder.
But, of course, the main advantage of the player is 4K video playback, as well as support for the H.265 codec and 10-bit video.

Performance

Its performance is also good - the player coped with a bitrate of 160 Mbit/s without any problems (there were simply no “heavier” files in the test collection.

Bottom line

After quite a long break, Dune HD has finally released a new model in its line of compact players, on a new powerful chipset with support for 4K video, the H.265 codec and display of Blu-ray discs in the menu.

There was a site with you website, write your comments on the review and wait for new ones. Bye.