[hdmkv]

Updated March 2, 2016.
Note: Below needs updating in light of latest firmwares. Only the grades have been updated based on my last re-evaluation here. Hope to update this post shortly.

Overall grade:

• HiMedia H8 Octa: B
  With firmware HMD-1.0.9 2016-01-07.10005411-10.142431 (download link)
  
• Zidoo X6 Pro: C+
  With firmware v.1.0.33 (download link) (Have not yet tested this firmware; below based on v.1.0.30)
  
• Verdict: Not quite ready for primetime at this point:
  - For 3D, nope; needs work (some macroblocking, playback freezing, audio synch issues)
  - For 2D, fairly reliable, but no 23.976 yet (24.00 only)
  - Good progress by both Zidoo & HiMedia (especially former), but hamstrung by Rockchip
  
• Grades based on my impressions of video playback primarily, with audio just as important, any annoying issues/bugs present, and snappiness of boxes. Box design, UI, apps (besides Kodi), games, etc. all low priorities.
  

Background:

• Requested & received both players from manufacturers for review. Each wanted me to do a dedicated review obviously of their box, but decided on this combo/comparative review for Kodi and 3D enthusiasts instead (myself included). Also, both media players share the same chip: Rockchip's RK3368, custom Kodi (leveraging Zidoo's work) implementation, and have similar issues.
  
• Equipment I'm using & testing with, in my home theater setting:
  - Epson 5025UB 3D projector with Da-Lite High Power 133" 16:9 screen
  - Denon AVR-X2100W A/V receiver (no ATMOS)
  - All media on Synology 1812+ NAS, CAT5E wired
  
• My Epson 5025UB displays which framerate it's receiving (via its 'Info.' tab), but I've learned it isn't fully reliable. With 2D, I need to sometimes play/stop/play to get actual framerate to show. With 3D ISO's, all 23.976 movies show as 24.00, even though 23.976 is likely being displayed at its proper framerate.
  

Physical Player:

• Both appear well-built, with Zidoo X6 about 60% the size of HiMedia H8. See photo above
  
• X6 is lighter and seems a bit more slick
  
• Neither overheats after 2-3 hours of use, but venting seems better on H8
  
• HiMedia's remote is larger & easier to use than Zidoo's, but as H8's remote is idential to HiMedia's own Q5, one controls the other (so had to unplug my Q5 while testing H8). Range and IR sensitivity is mediocre with both, but as I use Harmony Ultimate with Hub, this is a non-issue.
  

User Interface (Android Launcher) & Navigation:

• Zidoo's UI is slicker; HiMedia's is almost exactly like Q5's, so serviceable (yet nice & simple) (see screenshots below)
  
• Both have working OTA updating capabilities, in addition to local (like via USB stick)
  
• In the Android display settings, X6 has a 1920x1080p-24 setting; H8 lacks this. But I selected 'Auto' for both players
  
• Both use Android 5 (Lollipop) OS
  

Positives:

• Both Zidoo and HiMedia have complied with GPL rules and shared their custom Kodi codes on GitHub
  
• Both are developing firmwares and trying to make improvements
  
• Both have closed beta testing set-ups in place, but Zidoo now seems to be bypassing and releasing beta firmwares publically (too quickly IMHO)
  
• Zidoo has consolidated storage, so most of the 16GB is available to users; HiMedia has partitioned storage
  

Video Test Clips:

• Birds: H8 only up to 70Mbps smoothly (but better with latest firmware); X6 did 90Mbps smoothly (don't have higher bitrate Birds test clips)
  
• Jellyfish: H8 only up to 70Mbps smoothly (but better with latest firmware); X6 did 120Mbps smoothly
  
• DTS-HD MA 5.1 & & 7.1: Passthrough works in both; but, occasional nasty pops, crackles in HD audio with some videos
  
• Dolby TrueHD 5.1 & 7.1: Same as above
  
• Dolby ATMOS: Same as above, but I don't have an ATMOS system, so passed as TrueHD 7.1 fine
  
• LPCM 5.1 & 7.1: Both output this as 2.0
  
• 1080p/23.976: Both output this as 24.00
  
• 1080p/24: Both output this at proper 24.00
  
• 1080p/29.970: Plays, but test clip gets immediately frozen; my Epson shows 60.00
  
• 1080p/59.940: Same as above
  
• MVC MKV: H8 plays as full, frame-packed with HD audio; X6 plays as frame-packed, but w/o audio (only tested one MVC MKV rip)
  
• 3D ISO: H8 plays as full, frame-packed with HD audio; X6 plays as frame-packed, but some w/o audio & w/artifacts (see below)
  
• VC-1 23.976 BD rip to MKV: Both play at 24.00, but micro-stutters & lip-synch issues present, especially when you skip ahead
  
• VC-1 29.970 BD rip to MKV: H8 plays at 60.00; X6 at 30.00. But, pixellated streaks, micro-stutters & lip-synch issues with X6; perfect with H8
  
• Overall video PQ is very good in both players... that is (big caveat) when issues noted don't crop up to ruin the experience
  

Annoying Issues:

• Both have pretty severe lip-synch issues with 3D ISO's (H.264/MVC) & VC-1; also occasional crash if you try to skip ahead in VC-1 video (more so on X6)
  
• Neither player can do 23.976, rather rendering at 24.00
  
• Both players have some macroblocking & pixellation
  
• Both have some random, but nasty crackles & pops in HD audio (my poor speakers)
  
• Both have 3D ISO stutters (due to bandwidth or headroom likely) & microstutters (due to improper framerate)
  
• Both have some ghosting with 3D, although worse in X6
  

Player Photos:

UI/Settings Photos: