The Zidoo X5 is a media player based around AmLogic S905 SoC and left us with a general impression that it delivers exactly what we would expect from a budget H.265/4K@60Hz media player.

The player supports HDMI2.0 and up to 4K @ 60hz AVC/HEVC playback content with 7.1 pass-through capability.Of course, you should always keep the player updated with the latest available firmware installed and also use the proper video playback app. Both the default player and included ZDMC (KODI 16.1) worked very well with various video formats and we confirmed that they can output Dolby Digital or DTS sound.

Specifically, the H.264 format was not problem for the X5

The 4K H264/H265 formats were playable in the Zidoo X5, especially when we used the included ZDMC (KODI 16.1). This player delivered a high-quality playback along with and the popular KODI add-ons. In addition, we would like to see the default video player to better handle external SRT subs (especially Greek). The workaround for proper display of the specific subs was to same them using the UTF8 format but again, we could not handle their size/position/etc.

We liked the overall Zidoo interface/ ZIUI and especially the included Explorer app.The device also does come with a great smartphone remote app, and an easy-to-use IR remote with extras (learning capability, configurable keys).

To sum up, the Zidoo X5 player is on the lower end in terms of hardware specs , but for it's current price, it is a very attractive option, considering the improvements that the latest firmware update brought to the player.

We liked

• Great price (~70$)
• Great stock file manager with external microSD/USB writing support
• Supports HDMI2.0, up to 4K @ 60Hz & HDMI-CEC function
• Supports 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) & Bluetooth 4.0 connecting protocols
• Based at Android 5.1.1 Lollipop transforms your TV to a complete Android box
• Includes 2x USB2.0 devices and microSDHC/SDXC slots
• Supports Auto frame rate output function (24Hz) with both stock video player or the ZDMC (KODI)
• Very Good H264 / H265 playback with ZDMC (and stock video player)
• High picture quality with 2K, 4K, HD content
• Can output DTS-HD MA (7.1) and Dolby Digital 7.1 channels with included ZDMC (KODI)
• Great power control over software (auto off)
  
  

Could change:

• Only 10/100M Lan, competitors offer 1Gbit Lan
• Only 1GB RAM / 8 GB internal Storage, competitors offer 2GB RAM
  
• No USB3.0 port(s)
• No 802.11ac support
• No proper (Greek) subtitle support from stock video player (easily fixable via included KODI)
• Stock player doesn't support DVD/Blu-Ray ISO playback (easily fixable via included KODI)
• No "fake" Wifi option under settings, needed for some apps in order to work when LAN is used