I was expecting the new Zappiti Mini PC's based on the powerful Realtek RTD1295 SoC to arrive just in time for CES 2017 and I have to say that I'm impressed.

Zappiti did not rush into this, as there are several interesting RTD1295 devices on the market already. But they did launched the best Realtek RTD1195 device last year and although the bar is set quite high for the new devices, from the looks of it Zappiti seem to have nailed it. Again.

When compared to the previous Zappiti product line the new Zappiti 4K HDR mini PC's are much better. The main differences are : quad core CPU (instead of dual core), twice the RAM size and 10GB more of ROM size, HDMI 2.0 instead of just 1.4, faster network connectivity and much more supported file formats.

But that doesn't stop here: Zappiti 4K HDR devices come with a switch function (has dual 1000m ethernet ports - WAN and LAN), and HDMI In and Out, and a range of USB ports (2.0, 3.0, Type C even). With single bay or dual-bay HDD you can use the device as a NAS or to store all your movies in... many choices and combinations, right at your fingertips.

Zappiti 4K HDR (common details)

• SoC: Realtek RTD1295
• CPU: 64bit, Quad Core Cortex-A53
• GPU: T820 MP3
• RAM: 2GB DDR3
• ROM: 16GB eMMC
• LAN: Gigabit
• Wi-fi: 2.4G/5.8G 802.11ac dual-band
• OS: Android 6.0 + Openwrt

16GB ROM 2GB RAM 3 GPU 4 CPU Zappiti Mini 4K HDR OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Realtek RTD1295    Rating 4 - 1	Zappiti Mini 4K HDR Zappiti Mini 4K HDR (model: ZAP005) is the smallest of the new Realtek RTD1295 devices from Zappiti and comes with 4 USB 2.0 ports, 3 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB type-C, external SATA port, HDMI 2.0 (in and out), Gigabit Ethernet (WAN and LAN), Optical, CVBS, Coaxial outputs. It has the same firmware as the other two devices - and no fans!
16GB ROM 2GB RAM 3 GPU 4 CPU Zappiti One 4K HDR OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Realtek RTD1295    Rating 4 - 1	Zappiti One 4K HDR Zappiti One 4K HDR has one internal 3.5'' HDD slot but one less USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports.
16GB ROM 2GB RAM 3 GPU 4 CPU Zappiti Duo 4K HDR OS Wi-Fi LAN Gbit CHIPSET Realtek RTD1295    Rating 4 - 1	Zappiti Duo 4K HDR Zappiti Duo 4K HDR (model ZAP006) is the fully-packed version - you get two 3.5'' HDD bays, 2 USB 2.0 ports in front and another two in the back, dual Ethernet (WAN+LAN), dual HDMI (in and out), USB 3.0 port and USB type-C and Optical, CVBS, Coaxial outputs Zappiti has a multi-room function, so you could use the Zappiti Duo 4K HDR's HDD's to run on 4 other Zappiti devices in your home.

Zappiti 4K HDR UI

The UI is now running at 1080P and the years of work Zappiti invested in their polished interface and media center tools are now starting to pay off.
In fact, Zappiti did wonders with the previous Realtek SoC, so having a more capable SoC to build on was probably like a breath of fresh air.
There are many features that come with a true media center like Zappiti 4K HDR - like the Zappiti Media Center V4 which takes care of adding every bit of information available on web about your movies (cover art, actors, director, release date, even subtitles). These details can be edited further from a smartphone or tablet, and of course you can use those to control the mini PC or to send content to it.

The new Zappiti 4K HDR device range might burn a bigger hole in the wallet as any other currently available Android TV boxes, but then again the Zappiti players are in their own class, so if you have the budget and you're in the market for a great media center type of device you should at least consider it.