It's been a while since we got to announce a Dune HD product - if memory serves me the last device they announced was exactly two years ago, the SigmaDesigns SMP8758-based Dune HD Solo 4K.

Dune HD managed to stay away from the Android-based media centers far more than the other manufacturers, who abandoned the Linux-based "media players" years ago.
But now it looks like they are now ready to embrace Android ... sort of. They will keep the classic Linux-based Dune HD media center app they developed over the years, extending them with current the Android TV box functionality, so basically their clients will benefit from both.

Add that to the better-than-average hardware and top-notch software Dune HD is known for and you get some very interesting devices.

There are several new Dune HD Mini PC's, grouped in three distinct product lines:

• - Neo - entry-level models - using Amlogic S905X and S905D SoC's
• - Sky - models with satellite receiver - using Amlogic S905D
• - Pro - premium models, high-end video and audio quality - using Realtek RTD1295

One interesting feature is the Widevine Level 1 support, which is very rare in the Android TV box market, and will enable the Dune HD devices to run premium online video services (such as Netflix) in HD.
This feature alone could prove to be very important when compared with existing devices.

One other novelty is something called "Dune HD Android Playback Accelerator Technology", which "intellectually manages the resources of Android OS to minimize the influence of Android OS on the media playback engine and ensure smooth and high-quality video and audio playback".

There's an entire ecosystem that comes with the Dune HD devices, developed over the years and including all sorts of applications, plugins, extensions, GUI skins and other apps - but also the nice-looking movie collection - and all these will be available to the new devices as well.
The latest technologies are also embraced: 4Kp60, HDR, BT.2020, HDMI 2.0a.

By far the most interesting model is the Dune HD Pro 4K, but the others are also worth mentioning.
Here they are.

16GB ROM 2GB RAM 4 GPU 4 CPU Dune HD Pro 4K OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Realtek RTD1295    Rating 4 - 1	Dune HD Pro 4K This Realtek RTD1295-based Mini PC will most likely compete for the #1 spot on the top of the best media-oriented devices on the market. And for a good reason : it has 2 GB RAM, 16 GB flash memory, USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, external SATA port, micro SD card slot, 1 GBit Ethernet, 802.11ac Dual Band 2T2R Wi-Fi, HDMI 2.0a output, HDMI 2.0 input, optical S/PDIF outputs, A/V output and comes with a backlit remote control and front panel display. We know already all the bells and whistles that come with the Realtek RTD1295 SoC (which was announced here on MiniPcDB for the first time). When we add the Dune HD GUI and the Dune HD media center we get a device that gets the most out of the hardware and the software, and has an interface polished with the feedback received from almost one million users (yes, that many). MSRP : $200
16GB ROM 2GB RAM 5 GPU 4 CPU Dune HD Sky 4K Plus OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Amlogic S905D    Rating 4 - 1	Dune HD Sky 4K Plus Sky 4K Plus is using an Amlogic S905D SoC and combines an Android Smart TV box with a DVB-T/T2/C receiver and 4Kp60 HDR media player. It has a slot for CI/CI+ Conditional Access Modules and comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 1Gbit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and can accomodate an 2.5" SATA HDD. MSRP : $210
8GB ROM 1GB RAM 5 GPU 4 CPU Dune HD Neo 4K OS Wi-Fi LAN 100M CHIPSET Amlogic S905X    Rating 4 - 1	Dune HD Neo 4K The entry-level product line Neo uses S905X and S905D chipsets and some models also have DVB-T/T2/C tuners. Dune HD Neo 4K is the starter and comes with an Amlogic S905X SoC with 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM, two USB 2.0 ports, micro SD card slot, 100 Mbit/s Ethernet, 802.11ac Dual Band 2T2R Wi-Fi, HDMI 2.0a output, optical S/PDIF output, A/V output. MSRP : $100
8GB ROM 1GB RAM 5 GPU 4 CPU Dune HD Neo 4K T2 OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Amlogic S905D    Rating 4 - 1	Dune HD Neo 4K T2 As the name suggests, Neo 4K T2 has the same features as the Neo 4K device but it also benefits from a DVB-T/T2/C receiver. The SoC is also slightly different, S905X being replaced by S905D. MSRP : $125
16GB ROM 2GB RAM 5 GPU 4 CPU Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Amlogic S905D    Rating 4 - 1	Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus Finally, the Dune HD Neo 4K T2 Plus device has double the amount of RAM as the Neo 4K T2 and comes with 16GB flash (instead of 8). MSRP : $150

There was another model briefly published on web, named Dune HD Pro 4K Ultra, which announced a premium Realtek 1296 SoC, 4GB RAM, Dual HDD Bays, XLR, ESS DAC, HDMI In for a MSRP of .... $800.
This one resembles (maybe a bit too much) the Zidoo X20 Pro, which will also be one of the most interesting Mini PC's in 2018.

Interested in the new Dune HD product lines? Leave a comment.