In-Depth Review: H96 Max RK3528 – A Budget 4K Streaming TV Box

The world of television has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with smart TVs becoming the new standard. However, for those who still have older, non-smart TVs, there’s an affordable solution that can bring their televisions up to date: The H96 Max RK3528 stands out as a budget Android TV box that aims to bring a range of exciting features to your living room. Priced at under 30$, this 4K streaming device boasts a brand-new chipset, runs on Android 13, and offers several noteworthy features. In this comprehensive review, we will take an in-depth look at the H96 Max, exploring its specifications, performance, and capabilities to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your home entertainment needs.

H96 Max RK3528 Features

Unboxing Experience

The unboxing experience is often the first impression a product leaves on its users, and the H96 Max rk3528 doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The packaging is sleek and inviting. Upon opening the box, you are greeted with several components. The contents of the box include an Instruction Manual, HDMI Cable, Power Adapter, Remote Control, and the star of the show itself H96 Max.

Design And Build Quality

The h96 Max RK3528 design is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. It is made entirely of plastic with a round and sleek form factor that sets it apart from the usual rectangular boxes. Also, It’s quite attractive, and it comes in the same colors as the other versions. I weighed this device, and it weighs 118g, slightly heavier than other versions. The front panel proudly displays the h96 Max logo and features an LED display that adds a touch of sophistication.

One of the standout features of the h96 Max rk3528 is its versatile connectivity options. The device is equipped with a wide array of ports, ensuring compatibility with various TV types and peripheral devices. The connectivity options include a Micro SD card slot, power socket, SPDIF audio port, AV port, HDMI output, a 100-megabit LAN port, and two USB ports (one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0). Right away, we can see that this device has some differences: the digital clock and an optical audio output, which the other versions, at least h96 Max v11 and v12, don’t have these elements.

The presence of ventilation at the bottom ensures optimal heat dissipation, preventing overheating during extended use. While it doesn’t feature non-slip rubber feet, the device manages to stay stable on various surfaces.

Software & User Experience

Setting up the h96 Max rk3528 TV Box is straightforward, even for those with minimal technical expertise. We’ll be testing this TV Box on the TV to see how it performs, the interface, and other technical details. I’ll be powering it on for you to see the boot time. Remember that the main purpose of this TV Box is to turn a regular TV into a smart TV. As mentioned earlier, it works on both CRT and LCD TVs with HDMI input, as well as monitors with HDMI input. The boot process is quite similar to that of the h96 Max v11 and v12—quite a nice startup animation. It was quite quick in just 34 seconds from a cold start; the boot-up was done.

The h96 Max TV Box stands out with its robust Android 13 operating system, delivering a more efficient and secure user experience. This updated OS enhances compatibility with the latest applications, ensuring users have access to a wide array of functionalities. It doesn’t have root access; it’s identifying that the device is not rooted.

The launcher itself boasts a clean and intuitive flat design, thoughtfully adapted to the TV screen environment, mirroring the layout of Android TV. Also, allows for extensive customization, you can replace app icons on the home screen with your favorites by long pressing on them. Additionally, the bottom row of icons can be populated with your preferred apps, with no limit to the number you can add. Also, you can change the background; there are several options available. This level of customization empowers users to tailor their interface to their preferences, creating a more comfortable and user-friendly experience.

Out of the box, the device comes pre-installed with popular apps such as Netflix, TikTok, and Prime Video, the APK Pure app store, Aptoide, Play Store, making it a convenient choice for streaming enthusiasts. Its user-friendly interface makes navigation a breeze, even for those who may not be tech-savvy. However, one notable absence is the navigation bar and status bar, which could enhance multitasking and navigation. Nevertheless, users can explore alternative applications to address this omission.

Performance & Streaming

The h96 Max rk3528 TV Box boasts an impressive set of specifications designed to deliver a seamless home entertainment experience. Let’s dive into the key specifications. Featuring a Rockchip RK3528 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2016 MHz, this TV Box offers improved processing power compared to its predecessors. Equipped with an ARM Mali-450 GPU, the TV Box excels in rendering graphics, making it suitable for gaming and high-definition video playback. Supporting a Full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels with 52/53 DPI, the h96 Max ensures crisp and detailed visuals with a 60Hz screen refresh rate, landscape mode, and OpenGL 2.0 support, all of which guarantee smooth playback of videos and games. This SoC clearly is for entry-level devices and is dedicated to the TV box sector. This powerful combination ensures seamless multitasking, smooth navigation, and flawless playback of media, even in the most demanding scenarios.

To cater to diverse user needs, the TV BOX offers a choice between 2GB and 4GB of memory, enabling users to optimize their entertainment experience based on their requirements. Additionally, the device is available in three storage options: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of ROM. Whether you’re a casual user or a power consumer, this TV BOX is capable of delivering smooth experiences, whether it’s streaming videos, playing games, or multitasking between various applications.

So, The H96 Max RK3528 is more than capable of handling casual gaming. It ran Real Racing 3 smoothly, demonstrating its ability to manage moderately demanding games with ease. All this is evidenced by its 62,000 score on the Antutu benchmark, 118 Single-core, and 351 Multi-core on Geekbench.

Streaming Performance

Video Playback

H96 Max RK3528 supports 4K 60fps video output via HDMI 2.1 port which brings you high-definition viewing and fluent video playback, making it the highest resolution signal available for home movies to let you watch 4K movies smoothly, every detail of the screen is clear and with high color saturation and quality excellent picture, no lag or stuttering, that’s the strength of this device. When playing some 4k video samples from a USB Drive on a USB 3.0 port via the included Media player, it’s shown on 4k at 30-60 FPS with ultra-smooth, and High quality.

H96 Max Streaming Service

As it’s known, it’s not possible to watch paid services like Netflix and Amazon Prime in 4K because these applications require specific licensing, This means they don’t have the DRM support required to stream HD or 4K from Netflix or other streaming services. And this is where the strength of the Android TV OS is, which you cannot find in the Chinese TV box. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy Netflix and all other streaming services at a smooth 540p (Basic Quality). However, IPTV services remain one of the solutions that you will find on this TV box and support high resolutions, and there are also other programs similar to Netflix for free.

YouTube Quality

When you go to YouTube, you can play videos on 4K 30FPS, and this is the maximum limit to enjoy high quality but with freezing and smooth performance, although playing videos on 1080p will be more than enough. However, this box has a maximum refresh rate ranging from 40 to 60 fps on average in HD / FULL HD. Unfortunately, AV1 codec files did not play on this device.

Play Games

The graphics processing in the H96 Max RK3528 is based on the Mali-450, which offers good performance on medium games like Asphalt 9, and this is at a resolution of 1080p because at 4K the situation will be disastrous, as for powerful games like PUBG or Call of Duty you will be able to play with low settings, that is why I think that the rest of the games will not face any problems and the gameplay will be smooth for the best gaming experience. When you put this tv box under pressure its temperature can reach 75ºC or more, causing a performance little drop. But in normal use like watching movies, the temperature is acceptable between 55ºC – 65ºC I find that the cooling system is fine on this box because the body has a big number of ventilation holes, which provide the necessary cooling for the TV box. and you can make it even lower by using a cooling fan for this purpose.

Connectivity

The H96 Max RK3528 TV Box Equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi support, it offers both 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac frequencies. This dual-band capability not only improves the versatility of wireless connectivity but also promises faster data transmission speeds, enabling smoother streaming and online gaming experiences. What sets the H96 Max apart is its integration of Wi-Fi 6, a cutting-edge wireless technology that takes performance to the next level, making it ideal for bandwidth-intensive tasks and delivering a better streaming experience. Additionally, the device features a 100Mb LAN port, ensuring a reliable wired connection for users who prioritize stability. Complementing its advanced networking capabilities is Bluetooth 5.0, providing seamless connectivity with a wide range of compatible devices.

Summary and Verdict: Is It Worth It?

The H96 Max RK3528 TV Box is a budget-friendly Android TV box that offers decent performance for its price and represents an enticing proposition for anyone looking to elevate their home entertainment setup. Its sleek design, versatile connectivity options, and robust specifications make it a valuable addition to your living room. While it may not offer some of the premium features found in higher-end models, its affordability, and overall performance make it an excellent choice for those seeking an upgraded TV experience without breaking the bank.

It’s suitable for streaming 1080p content, browsing the internet, and playing back 1080p videos from USB drives. It may not be the ultimate choice for power users, but it offers good value for its price. So, If you’re looking for an affordable solution to elevate your home entertainment experience, this budget-friendly TV box could be the ideal choice for you. It’s available for purchase on the AliExpress store, making it accessible to a wide range of consumers seeking an outstanding entertainment solution without breaking the bank.