Last time we got acquainted with the Vinga 021 Android TV-box, which turned out to be quite an interesting, well-localized, and functional solution. For a very reasonable price, it can turn your monitor, TV, or projector into a true multimedia entertainment center. This time, we got our hands on a similar device under the same brand name - Vinga 031 (VMP-031-162).

The device is based on the 8-core Rockchip RK3368 processor, which works in tandem with 2 GB of RAM under the control of the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS. It supports 4K Ultra HD video and online broadcasting, including popular domestic services and IP-TV. How is it better or worse than the previously reviewed model, and is it worth overpaying? We will try to provide comprehensive answers to these and other questions.

Specification

Model

Vinga 031 (VMP-031-162)

Processor

Rockchip RK3368 (8 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.5 GHz)

Graphics Adapter

IT PowerVR G6110

RAM

2 GB LPDDR3 (MIRA P3P4GF4BLF)

Internal Storage

16 GB eMMC (SK hynix H26M52103FMR)

External Interfaces

1 x micro-HDMI 2.0a

1 x micro-USB 2.0 (OTG)

2 x USB 2.0

1 x RJ45

2 x audio ports (S/PDIF and AV)

1 x power connector

Card Reader

SD / SDHC / SDXC / MMC

Networking Capabilities

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 (AMPAK AP6330), Gigabit Ethernet (Realtek RTL8211E)

Power Supply

Input: 100~240 V AC at 50/60 Hz

Output: 5 V DC, 3 A

Color

Black

Dimensions

208 x 140 x 66 mm

Weight

454 g

Operating System

Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Warranty

12 months

Manufacturer's Website

Vinga

Device Page 

Supply and Package Contents

Vinga 031 comes in a familiar small package. It is made of dense light brown cardboard without bright printing but with good informativeness, allowing you to get acquainted with the key characteristics of the device.

The package includes the following components:

Appearance, Element Placement

Visually, Vinga 031 very much resembles a wireless router, thanks to the similar shape of the case and the presence of an external Wi-Fi antenna. In terms of size, it is slightly larger than the Vinga 021 (208 x 140 x 66 mm versus 208 x 127 x 51 mm), but it weighs less (454 g versus 500 g). The overall styling is reminiscent of the previously reviewed model - black color and broken geometric lines. The main material of the construction is high-quality plastic. The top cover has a combined texture with a partially glossy, partially rough surface resembling metal. The bottom and sides are also rough, but the edging of the top panel is glossy. Traditionally, all gloss is easily scratched with careless handling.

The front edge of the case is devoid of any elements. However, on the opposite side, there is a whole array of interfaces for all occasions. In addition to the network adapter connector, there are the following input-output ports: RJ45 network interface, USB 2.0 ports, S/PDIF, micro-HDMI, micro-USB 2.0 (OTG), and AV.

Additionally, on the side edges, you can find a card reader, another USB 2.0 port, and ventilation holes.

On the top edge of the device, there is a shaped power button with an LED indicator. It lights up red when the media player is off and blue when it is on.

To prevent Vinga 031 from slipping on furniture surfaces and leaving scratches, the manufacturer has provided special rubber feet on the bottom of the gadget. There is also a sticker with technical information.

After removing the bottom panel, access to the media player's hardware platform is opened.

 

The system board is made on blue-colored textolite and has a fairly high density of component placement, among which the following should be highlighted:

There are no particular remarks regarding the build quality of Vinga 031 and the rigidity level of the case. Only when pressing on the central part of the top cover does the power button activate. In all other respects, everything is in order.

Connecting the player, control

The algorithm for connecting to a TV, monitor, or projector is very simple - just connect the power and HDMI cable. The media player's power on/off is done via a button on the case. However, it should be noted that the wires themselves are quite short. Network access can be obtained via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

The included remote control deserves special attention. To start with, it is worth noting that most media players come with simple remotes that have only a few buttons and very modest capabilities (control of basic elements, volume, menu, back, home, and action selection). Therefore, many users immediately purchase more functional and convenient devices. In our case, we immediately have a 4-in-1 solution: remote, keyboard, air mouse. The connection is made via a wireless channel using the included USB receiver, and the power source is a built-in battery (a charging cable is included in the package). A few words about each component.

For text input, the device is equipped with a Qwerty keyboard, which is much better than a virtual counterpart. The keys are quite compact, but the distance between them is sufficient for comfortable typing. The symbols are printed with a color division for main and functional buttons. There is also a Cyrillic layout, which can also be considered a plus. Overall, the keyboard is quite convenient, but it will take some time to get used to it. For example, holding the [Back/Home] key for a long time returns to the home screen, and the running program does not close but remains in the background for quick access.

Thanks to internal sensors, mouse functions can be emulated, which in some cases significantly eases the user's life. Especially when the program was optimized for touch control and does not "understand" button actions. Perhaps the air mouse is the main and most convenient tool for interacting with the media player: whether surfing the internet or simple games. Interestingly, cursor control is only possible when the keyboard is at the bottom.

Hardware platform and functionality

 

Vinga 031 is built on a 28nm 64-bit SoC processor Rockchip RK3368, although the CPU-Z program mistakenly indicates the use of 40nm Rockchip RK3068. It combines eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores operating at up to 1.5 GHz. Graphics are handled by IT PowerVR G6110 with support for OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenGL 3.2, OpenCL 1.2, and Direct3D 9.0 L3. The RAM is 2 GB, and the internal storage is 16 GB (almost 12 GB is available to the user). The media player easily recognizes external drives connected to it - a regular flash drive, memory card, or external hard drive. The platform supports many modern codecs, including H.265, and allows playing video with 4K resolution. Additionally, there is support for HDMI and hardware decoding of multichannel sound.

 

The operating system used is Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, which is well-masked under a special shell. The menu is quite convenient and functional, although the visual component needs more work, especially when connected to a 4K TV, as the graphics part starts to scale unattractively. All this can be fixed with a software update. By the way, there is a good Ukrainian translation, although there are some minor shortcomings.

 

Right out of the box, a set of the most popular online streaming services is installed: Divan.TV, OLL.TV, MEGOGO.NET, Lanet.TV, and applications for IP-TV. The same goes for popular video players, particularly MX Player. For audio, there is only a basic AOSP application, so to expand capabilities, additional players need to be installed.

 

There is also the popular multimedia shell KODI (XBMC). So there is plenty of room to explore, and this pleasantly distinguishes Vinga 031 and Vinga 021 from other Chinese OEM solutions, which in many cases require self-flashing or adjustment to our realities. But it is worth remembering that all these services at least require registration and authorization, and to expand capabilities and access the entire library, a paid subscription is also necessary.

If desired, any applications from the Play Market or directly from APK files can be installed without any problems, providing access to all favorite video resources, including torrents, programs, and services. And all this without any additional manipulations.

 

The settings menu is convenient. It is adapted for TV and has everything necessary, and if desired, you can switch to classic mode. 

 

Interestingly, in some tests, Vinga 031 turned out to be slightly slower than Vinga 021, even though it uses an 8-core processor versus a 4-core one. However, its capabilities are sufficient for more or less comfortable shell operation, although not always. Many not too demanding applications function with slight lags. As for games, you can only count on something as simple as possible, with 2D graphics and no special effects.

Speaking of the main functions - video and music playback, Vinga 031 handles them perfectly, although it depends on the specific video. Also, the lack of hardware decoding of HEVC, which is present on Amlogic S905, is somewhat disappointing. For practical verification, we launched several video clips from an external hard drive:

It is noteworthy that many available set-top boxes simply do not recognize or "freeze" when connecting hard drives due to a lack of power. But here, everything is fine, allowing you to view heavy content without problems.

For some unclear reason, the YouTube app allows selecting a maximum resolution of only 1080p. But it works without any complaints.

The Wi-Fi data transfer speed reaches 18 Mbps for reception and up to 27 Mbps for transmission. The operation of wireless network modules is quite standard: everything connects quickly and maintains a good connection. If desired, you can always connect an Ethernet cable to the set-top box.

Under prolonged load, the Vinga 031 case noticeably heats up, especially on the base side. At the same time, the power supply unit only becomes warm.

Conclusions

We do not hide that before testing the media player Vinga 031 (VMP-031-162), we expected much more from it than from the previously reviewed Vinga 021. All thanks to the 8-core processor and the presence of an external Wi-Fi antenna. In practice, not everything went smoothly, as the Rockchip RK3368 in some tests turned out to be even slightly slower than the Amlogic S905, and it lacks support for hardware HEVC decoding. But if you don't look at the benchmark results, subjectively the performance of these devices is at the same level and allows for comfortable handling of basic functions, including 4K video playback. 

In all other respects, everything is more than good: a pleasant design, the presence of all necessary input-output ports for quick and convenient connection to TVs, monitors, or projectors, and comfortable work with external drives. Thanks to the high-quality power scheme, there will be no problems connecting external hard drives to the set-top box.

Like the Vinga 021, the Vinga 031 model pleases with good localization, the presence of pre-installed popular online streaming services for our region, video players, and even the KODI multimedia shell. That is, it is enough to connect it, and it is ready for full-fledged work without any additional manipulations.

A very pleasant bonus is the included remote control, which, in addition to basic capabilities, can offer a localized Qwerty keyboard and a gyroscopic mouse. As a rule, such solutions have to be purchased separately, and they are not cheap.

In conclusion, the Vinga 031 (VMP-031-162) is a solid Android player that perfectly handles the tasks set and allows for 4K video playback. If you want to save a little, consider the Vinga 021 model.

Advantages:

Features:

Author: Victor Yefimenko 
Translation: Yuriy Koval

We express our gratitude to BRAIN Computers, the official representative of Vinga, for providing the media player for testing.