Never change your original intention!

I remember 10 years ago, when I went to an Internet cafe to rent a night in order to download a movie, the downloaded movie would be circulated among several dormitories within a few days. At that time, a 1080P video lost almost all the PCs on the floor, and I could clearly remember the feeling that life was worse than death! With the continuous progress of display technology and hardware, 2010 also became the "first year of 1080P popularization". When HDMI became the standard configuration of notebook and monitor, PT also began to become popular. With more and more audiovisual fans joining, the good ratio also made the PT site constraint mechanism more effective, and the speed of resource download more guaranteed. Since then, some high-definition websites and high-definition players have mushroomed, and Egrid is one of them.

From the very beginning of its establishment, Egrid has been working silently in the high-definition broadcasting industry, and has been fighting every decade! From REALTEK to SIGMA, they have also handed over many excellent works to players. In recent years, when the whole industry has focused on online and ignored the local playing ability, Egrid has timely launched a front-end product for high-definition - A9 intelligent Blu ray player! Compared with the Android based IPTV box on the market at present, A9 emphasizes the strong ability to play full format audio and video locally; 10bit color depth output brings richer color presentation; Support HDR/HDR10 true 4K@60Hz Point to point video output, more perfectly adapted to the current various display devices to obtain the best picture; H. 265/HEVC true 4K hard decoding, up to 200Mbps code stream makes playback more smooth; It supports full format Blu ray discs, including 3D movie playback, so that you can really experience the effects of the cinema at home; Convenient subtitle, one button switch of audio track, subtitle network retrieval and built-in or external ASS special effect subtitle customization functions make it easy to understand blockbusters; It is the first company in the industry to have dual certification of DTS and DOLBY, which perfectly supports Dolby Panorama and Atmos/DTS: X new generation audio track source code output, and maintains support for True, DTS-HD Master audio track and earlier generation audio source code. It can be said that A9 is a very powerful fever product both locally and online, and it is also the most perfect appearance of Egre in the fever consumer market after accumulating strength.

Appearance: Big Mac in the box world

The price of 2680 yuan is naturally expensive for most users! Therefore, A9 is much more luxurious than ordinary boxes in terms of design and style, and the volume of handle packaging is much larger than that of similar products. The packaging box with black gold tone and heavy atmosphere has a king returning style, which seems to show users that it is a good product. There are functions, interfaces, features and other introductions on the four sides of the product packaging. Because A9's main built-in hard disk plays locally, and the internal hard disk extraction box supports all 3.5-inch standard SATA hard disks on the market, the product and packaging should be larger.

In addition to A9 host, the following accessories are available when unpacking: 12V 2A output high-power high-quality power adapter is equipped to ensure continuous and stable power supply for this built-in 3.5-inch hard disk player; Ergonomic self-learning remote control can copy some functions of other remote controls to this remote control, so that one remote control can complete the operation of two devices, generally copying the remote control of TV; One HDMI cable supporting 4Kx2K HD resolution and 3D HD visual effect; Three color AV cable and remote control battery.

The packaging is not bad. The A9 machine's all aluminum body coupled with a large white LED display screen also absolutely meets the standards of high-end machines. In addition to adding face value to the whole box, it supports information display such as time, broadcast market, resolution, and network status. The remote control reception window and standby indicator are arranged on both sides.

A9 mark in the upper left corner

A9 three-dimensional logo with top coating treatment, simple and elegant

Built in 3.5-inch standard hard disk, heat dissipation is also a problem that cannot be ignored when the volume increases, A9 In addition to the active cooling fan on the left side of the machine, there are two cooling ports at the bottom, which makes it easier for the internal and external air to circulate interactively. The CPU temperature is about 35 ℃ (room temperature 20 ℃) according to the system monitoring information during the playback of the high-definition film, and it has not exceeded 40 ℃ during the running of rabbits. This active cooling fan is very powerful, and the noise is also well controlled, If you don't get close enough to hear the sound, you don't need to worry about the player's heat dissipation.

A9 is positioned at fever level, but the rich interface does not abandon any user: the AC color difference interface can be reserved to support composite video, coaxial audio and RCA stereo audio output; Gigabit adaptive wired network interface and wireless network are two network connection modes. The 2.4G wireless network supports 802.11a/b/g/n protocol without 5G is a pity; Dual USB interface, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0. In addition to supporting external hard disk, USB flash disk and other storage devices, it also supports the access and control of wired/wireless mouse and keyboard, making it easier to operate; An HDMI 2.0a HD output interface (one more would be great), which makes it easy to play large bitstream 4K video with>30Hz. It is very smooth to watch 2060P 60Hz in the experience; In addition, a power switch is integrated for the RST button for forced upgrade, and the bottom left corner is also equipped with an OPT output interface for optical fiber audio output.

A9 focuses on local high-definition video playback, and old users who want to enjoy high-definition Blu ray original disks are basically familiar with the structure of this built-in hard disk. A9 can be equipped with a 3.5-inch standard SATA hard disk, and the side extraction hard disk also makes the replacement easier and faster. It can be done in 3 seconds!

The special metal extraction rack with built-in NSS patented technology is equipped with a metal lock tongue, which makes the replacement easier and greatly extends the life of the extraction, and better protects the hard disk and player.

The A9 remote control is longer than normal, so it can't be used up and down with a small hand. But this is an infrared remote control with learning function and a full digital keyboard. You can copy some key functions of the TV remote control to the A9, so you don't have to hold two remote controls when watching videos.

The support of Android based A9 for the 2.4G wireless mouse and keyboard also surprised me. With the continuous updating and improvement of the apk for TV, it better supports the operation of the remote control. Of course, the mouse and keyboard are also very comfortable to use. The optimized input method is as easy to use as a mobile phone, greatly improving the user experience. Although the A9 remote control is slightly longer, its design conforms to ergonomics, and its overall grip and button touch are very good. The remote control buttons with reasonable layout and convex processing are also more suitable for blind operation at night.

Installation: convenient, fast, easy and pleasant

In addition to the popular online play function through the network, APP and plug-ins, A9 also supports the SAMBA/NFS LAN sharing function, so that when watching videos or browsing files, you don't have to copy and plug storage devices back and forth. However, if you want to watch high-definition video with large bitstream, you will often suffer from many constraints! The local reading ability of the built-in 2T~8T GPT format super large hard disk is particularly important. It is necessary to prepare a large capacity 3.5-inch hard disk for A9. What I have prepared is a 2T video disk.

The slot customized for the 3.5-inch standard SATA hard disk is installed smoothly. Just insert the hard disk gently and push it to the end. The whole process is completed in 3 seconds without tools.

After installation and startup, A9 The player will automatically adjust to the appropriate resolution through the display device settings for output, but when I started to connect to the 1080P TV with HDMI, A9 could successfully match the resolution. When I switched to the 4K TV, I needed to manually set the resolution. When I switched back to the 1080P with the A9 in the 4K setting, something embarrassing happened. The current 4K output caused no signal on the display device, The 4K TV has to be lowered to 1080P for normal reading, so automatic adjustment is not easy to use in some cases. In addition, in the process of resolution switching, if there is no TV display, A9 will automatically return to the original resolution after 15 seconds. Generally, 1080P, 1080Pi or 2060P (4K) are selected for HDMI connected devices, 480P or 576P is enough for picture tube TV connected by two-color composite wire. There are more than 24Hz~60Hz frame rate options. The higher the resolution, the better. For example, my TV's 4K 30Hz display is not as smooth as 1080P 60Hz display.

In terms of audio, Egrid is the first in the industry to have DTS and DOLBY certification, which perfectly supports Dolby Panorama and Atmos/DTS: X new generation audio track source code output, and maintain support for True, DTS-HD Master audio track and earlier generation audio source code. The setting page is also simple and clear. HDMI is selected for those connected to power amplifier equipment through HDMI HD cable, optical fiber or coaxial connection is selected, and stereo is selected for those connected with red and white analog audio.

The A9 Hi3798 maintains full format audio track support, and has the transmission capability of up to 7.1 channels. If you have power amplifiers, you must choose source code (RAW) output, so that you can experience more three-dimensional live sound effects! When the source code output is turned off, the LPCM decoding format that has no special requirements for the device will be used to transmit audio, which perfectly solves the problem of downward compatibility with next-generation audio! After the audio source code output is turned on, check DTS, DTS-HDMA/DTS: X, Dolby Di, Dolby HD/Atm, EAC3, etc. in the "Power Amplifier Compatibility" according to the support of your device, so that the audio setting is completed.

The player supports wired and wireless network connections, and provides gigabit wired and 2.4GHz wireless rate support. After the wired network is plugged in, click the Connect button to automatically connect to the network, while the wireless network is connected through conventional settings. It is recommended to give priority to the wired network if there is an installation environment at home, which is more stable and faster. As a player with fever level, I can't understand why A9 does not support 5G.

The connection to this device is completed. It is tedious to say, but it takes only minutes to operate. After some preparations are ready, you will see the network display on the screen when you start up. A9 gives priority to supporting wired connection, so the wired mode will be used for both wired and wireless access. This may also be a deliberate priority based on the transmission speed and stability of both. There is no 5G. If you want to have a smooth online experience, please pull and plug in the network cable for me.

Eg-UI 2.0： The system is easy to use and the details are most impressive

EgUI, which is optimized based on Android 5.1.1, is designed for high-definition player users. The simple and generous UI design looks a bit original. The flat icon beautification and frosted glass special effects add a bit of international style to EgUI, which forms a sharp contrast with the "gorgeous" operating interface of Android box, I think most people may prefer the simple and beautiful design of EgUI: easy control, simple vision, complete functions and small occupation are what we want!

The design style of the main and secondary screens looks simple and clear. Whether you choose remote control or key mouse operation, you can quickly and accurately locate. The main screen is dominated by common options, and the secondary screen is a user-defined menu. You can add APP shortcuts through the "+" in the lower right corner, and adjust the order of items from left to right, so as to ensure that users can quickly reach the designated location.

Bluetooth, wireless, external storage and wired network port access are displayed in the upper right corner of the UI, so that users can easily master the device status.

With the fade in and fade out effect of ground glass, the main screen will fade out the background when there is no operation, and it will be clearly displayed when there is an operation instruction, which I like very much.

Multiple texture backgrounds are customized

A9 automatically detects the insertion of an external storage device. When it detects the insertion of a storage device, it will intelligently prompt the user to select an internal installation package, photos, or browse all files.

An external drive letter will be added to all files, and the USB device can be safely ejected by one button. You can safely remove the disk or USB storage device by pressing the remote control button. It is very user-friendly, and the design details like this are very impressive.

EgUI also has its own set for file migration! Because this experience article uses a lot of materials, there are more than 100 light screen shots, so in the process of moving internal storage to an external USB flash drive, you can select all files and then copy and paste them. It is very simple and easy to use. The UI seems simple, but it is actually very practical and powerful.

For an A9 that focuses on local HD video playback, apart from local playback and online playback, how can it do without NFS? A9 can share samba and NFS in the LAN through network protocols, automatically scan servers in the LAN, and enjoy the smooth feeling brought by high code rate through settings.

In addition, the settings for video playback are also very user-friendly, which can be changed if there are special requirements for the settings.

Users who often watch Blu ray may also be more concerned about subtitles. At present, most of the excellent films are overseas. In order to present better viewing effects, it is particularly important to support common ASS subtitles, and support custom adding special effect subtitles to the font to obtain the best display effect. Users can switch subtitles by pressing the remote "subtitle" shortcut button or the options in the menu, and there is also a humanized prompt. If there is no suitable subtitle for a movie, users can search online and match and download it. For example, small plug-ins such as Shooter can easily find a match with the movie source, External subtitles in SRT, ASS, SSA and other text formats can be adjusted in size and font.

The advanced settings of the underlying system are suitable for advanced users.

Featured applications: KODI、 Poster wall is A9 bonus

XBMC, also known as KODI, is the world's top video player software!

A9 has built-in Vidon XBMC application that has been specially optimized, adjusted and deeply adapted, and has realized such special practical functions as full function Blu ray navigation, 4K H265 hard decoding, full format audio source code output, etc. This set of open source media player supports a large number of plug-ins and functions, and has a high reputation among global high-definition players. Therefore, it is natural for such an old brand high-definition device manufacturer as Egree to marry with it!

KODI's powerful local and local area network broadcast functions and the panoramic display of the carousel poster wall are very good for users. But for me, I can feel the uniqueness of the application, but it still needs time to adapt to its interactive interface.

In addition to the local playback function, KODI's massive plug-ins are also the most exciting! But English has not been very good. I basically ignore these English plug-ins. To install them, I have to install some practical Chinese plug-ins.

In addition to online search, local installation of HDPfans Chinese plug-in library with good online reviews can also be used to integrate the functional plug-ins frequently used by users, such as HDP Live, Douyu, Baidu Cloud, and more plug-in content can be obtained through updates in the future.

First download the zip installation package to the local disk, and then open the KODI plug-in function

Select the zip file to install, and find the installation package on the local disk

After installation, you can see the rich plug-in content integrated in it. You can install whichever you like directly

For example, the frequently used Baidu Cloud can log in to your account to download and view resources.

The movie library function is provided in the movie, which is different from the general list. Instead, the source, score and poster of the movie are automatically matched in the list. Here are a few screenshots. Although the experience is good, I still feel that the function of A9's built-in poster wall is not as powerful as that described below.

Original disk hard disk accelerated playback screen

Caption control, which can also be automatically adapted by downloading, to provide a variety of subtitles for users to choose

Although Kodi's function is really powerful, I also made a lot of detours when adding resources. When manually adding the target disk of the movie library, I kept wandering between the playlist and adding videos, which wasted a lot of time. In fact, when the system retrieves the disk information (for example, my disk is sata1), I directly enter the updated movie, Kodi will automatically search for video files to generate a list. If there is a Blu ray video in the target disk, it will pop out of the Blu ray navigation interface, which will be understood by everyone.

Adaptation key mouse and touch screen control

Audio output control

Support multi device remote control

Music playback settings

Special settings for the visually and hearing impaired

Blu ray and DVD area codes and navigation

Video playback settings

If you think your skin is not beautiful, it doesn't matter! Support customization of skin

Kodi's feature settings are extremely rich, which also proves that it is powerful. In the above long description, only a few of its commonly used settings are explained. You can download an Android version for more functions to experience.

The poster wall is a unique feature of Eg UI. For videos stored arbitrarily in local disks, mobile hard disks, USB flash drives, and network shared folders, the system will automatically search for and download posters and related movie information of movies, and intelligently classify movies. The whole process is automatically completed without manual intervention.

Enter the storage device to be browsed in the "video" on the home page, the system will conduct a full search for the target storage device and establish a poster wall database, and automatically match and present the cloud cover posters. Users can move the operation focus to the posters to view the movie information or play, and support the type, region The age and other conditions are combined to screen their favorite films.

Personally, the player is more comfortable to use than Kodi. The player is equipped with timing, chapter selection, subtitles, and image quality enhancement, and is more convenient to use.

The exquisite poster wall has brought me a good experience, and the automatic classification function of the poster wall is also more helpful to screen and watch movies quickly. However, during the experience, it is understandable that the system has made a small range of misclassification and poster matching in the classification process due to the cloud based intelligent recognition and the difference in video types, Manual adjustment can be carried out if perfection is sought, but this is only a small probability event, mainly because this problem occurs in some short videos without obvious marks, which do not appear in regular films.

Actual experience: rich content

For the smart TV box, the focus is on online browsing, and A9 is no exception! The content of audio and video also affects the playability of the box. A9 is positioned for local playback at the fever level, but the built-in resources have also been carefully optimized. The music player and resource rich application market have been pre installed at the factory, and the APP with more user options is left to users to install themselves. Today's Android box VOD functions are very powerful. A9 itself is based on Android, so there is no difference in installing applications.

The built-in music player automatically recognizes the album and cover of songs

Built in application market interface

System safety protection

In fact, whether it is a TV box or a high-definition player like A9, it is necessary to install a video APP when you get it

Although there is no real identity in live TV, I think many users rely on this function. In HDP live TV, the HD channel occasionally gets stuck, but it is also caused by network and server problems. It is good to make do without charge, but the effect is very good.

Sports channel also has

You can't finish watching hundreds of channels, so you can collect your favorite channels.

Local channels are also available

Now webcast is also very popular, and all platforms optimize TV very well, and basically support high-definition broadcast, so watching live broadcast on TV has become a trend.

Just install a search engine and work on TV is not a problem

It's too out to surf with remote control. A9 fully supports keyboard and mouse operation, so plugging in the mouse and keyboard makes the player instantly change from a TV box to an Android computer, and the application expansion is more abundant.

Because A9 mainly focuses on the local HD playback capability, I selected more than ten movies with different formats and code streams for playback. There was no incompatibility. The decoding, audio and subtitles were normal.

It is not difficult to find out from the above live photos, A9 is very accurate in color, saturation and detail restoration during high-definition video playback, and the playback and acceleration experience are very smooth. A9's exclusive wide color gamut HDR/HDR10 10Bit color depth and rich color presentation absolutely cover most high-end display devices on the market at present, and the high dynamic range of HDR also brings users realistic visual effects.

2D to 3D operation can be carried out for 3D movies with left/right split screen or up/down split screen

In addition, Egrid A9 has adopted the new generation of 4K standard Hi3798C V200 chip of the UHD Alliance, added HiVXE2.0 video processing and Imprex 2.0 graphics processing, and is the first high-definition player to support 4K HDR/HDR 10 high dynamic processing technology. That is to say, A9 will become an unfashionable viewing partner for a long time in the future.

Test: powerful performance

The Hi3798C V200 quad core processor is used in the Egrid A9 HD player, The 64bit ARM Cortex-A53 central processor provides the main frequency of up to 2.0GHz. In conjunction with the Mali-T720 graphics processor, the Hisense four core 3798C V200 A53 64 bit central processor is used. The graphics chip uses the MaliTM-T720 processor. The HiVXE2.0 video processing and Imprex 2.0 graphics optimization engine are added. A variety of high-quality algorithms are applied to make the output picture more high-quality More colorful. 2GB DDR3 dual pass memory and 8G flash memory make A9's hardware strength stand out. Here's a brief summary of its hardware.

Ultra clear online video cannot be separated from high-speed network support. The wireless speed of A9 can reach 16MB/S, and the transmission is very stable. It is amazing that there is no instability in online video watching.

Return of the king!

A9's integrated alloy body and mirror stereoscopic logo design add a lot of color to the product. Both the exterior and UI of the product can show its ingenuity. Excellent hardware configuration and exquisite workmanship, coupled with a strong local resource playing experience, have given me a very good experience. The unique international UI, with the carefully optimized world's top audio and video software KODI and rich plug-in experience, also makes me feel happy! The smooth viewing brought by the powerful hardware and high dynamic range also made the former king once again carry the banner of the HD industry. Egrid completed a magnificent turn, and A9 also injected a stimulant into the depressed set-top box market, bringing a new choice to users who like HD video!

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