[noggin]

Please do some self reading....

• All AMLogic S905 devices including WeTek's, MINIX U1, ODROID C2 + others
  
• MINIX U9
  
• Xiaomi Mi Box
  
• nVIDIA Shield
  
• Amazon FireTV2 running MrMC or SPMC (Kodi versions) or Kodi Krypton (AFTV can actually Resolution switch)
  
• HiMedia Q5/Q10 Pro
  
• Zidoo X9S (New device so possible issues.)
  
• Intel Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake / Skylake

Is a little bit confusing... does it means that all the hw on the list DOES play x265@1080p?

x265 is NOT a codec - it's a software library used to encode content in H265/HEVC format. All of the devices listed above will decode 8-bit - and I believe 10-bit - H265/HEVC content (i.e. stuff encoded using the x265 encoder library) at 2160p (i.e. 4K) and will have no problems with 1080p.

(Some devices will output 10-bit as 8-bit - i.e. they have 10-bit compatible decoders but don't have a 10-bit output path. Others will play 2160/60p content but can only output it at 2160/30p or 1080/60p over HDMI - mainly the Intel devices - as they don't all have an HDMI 2.0 port, and so are limited to HDMI 1.4 formats)

All of the above devices will play your content. To be honest, depending on the encoder tools used (not all H265/HEVC content is the same), a Raspberry Pi 3 will decode a lot of 1080p24 H265/HEVC stuff, though an ODroid C2 or similar S905 box will be more suitable (and cope with 1080p50 or 1080p60 H265/HEVC should you need it)

[noggin]

Please do some self reading....

Q. What about devices for 4K HEVC (H265) video playback over HDMI 2.0 to my non HDR capable 4K TV ?
NOTE: 99% of devices running the Android OS cannot Automatically Resolution Switch from 1080p to 4K like you will get with Linux/LibreELEC Kodi devices.
Sharper video is produced when upscaling SD/HD video to 4K using a 4K TV's upscaling Hardware, instead of the media players.

• Intel Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake / Skylake

From...

START HERE - Pick the Right Kodi Box (updated March 2017)

wrxtasy - it's probably important to point out that not ALL Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake / Skylake based devices have HDMI 2.0 outputs - it's an option and based on a separate DP->HDMI converter on the motherboard which is optional. (The Intel CPU+GPU Includes HDMI 1.4 and DP 1.2 on-board - so some devices will only have HDMI 1.4 and/or DP outputs which can't do 2160/60p over HDMI. Though DP 1.2 can carry 2160/60p it will require an active, not passive, converter to convert to HDMI 2.0 - just as those with on-board converters do)

Also - I think Sky Lake is 8-bit only for HEVC, only Apollo Lake and Kaby Lake are 10-bit compatible for acceleration.

[wrxtasy]

Thx.

I think I will drop Skylake from the list - because really when we are talking about 4K HEVC we are referring to 10bit Hardware decoding, and also put a note in for Intel Hardware that users need to check individual Intel threads regarding D/P & HDMI.

Its impossible to cover every combo.

[noggin]

Thx.

I think I will drop Skylake from the list - because really when we are talking about 4K HEVC we are referring to 10bit Hardware decoding, and also put a note in for Intel Hardware that users need to check individual Intel threads regarding D/P & HDMI.

Its impossible to cover every combo.

Yep - bottom line is that Kaby Lake and Apollo Lake CPU/GPUs don't have built-in HDMI 2.0 (unlike other ARM SoCs on your list). They have to use a separate Displayport to HDMI 2.0 conversion chip to implement it - either on-board or off-board.