Beelink R68 ii is company’s new offering with good specs and aluminum chassis.
We had previously tested GT1 model from the same company (you can find it here ) with very good results.
Let’s check this one below.
Packaging – Specifications
Beelink R68 ii arrived in small black box (but a tall one) that included the media box itself, the remote controller, the power adapter and an HDMI cable.
Regarding specs, R68 ii is sporting very capable hardware.
The relatively new S912 octa-core processor from Amlogic alongside Mali-T820 promises fast response and 4K decoding, while 2GB RAM / 32GB ROM make sure that you will find a responsive GUI with space for many apps of your choosing.
I/Os are also very good with HDMI 2.0, 3 x USB 2.0, Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF out and SD slot (up to 32GB).
Wireless connectivity is among the best out there with dual band Wi-Fi AC and BT4.0.
The external Wi-Fi antenna promises better signal reception and performance compared to the smaller ones that are usually positioned inside the housing.
Android 6.0 is the operating system of choice.
Media Player – Remote
Beelink R68ii is among the best we ever tested in terms of design and build quality.
Square design with matte black/grey finish on the aluminum chassis provides an almost premium feel.
At the back we find the folded (but not detachable) Wi-Fi antenna alongside with the majority of I/O ports. Two USB ports and the SD card slot are located at the right side but since there is an existing USB port at the back cable management should be very easy.
When in use there is a small led that will not distract the viewer.
Remote (identical to the one found in the company’s GT1 model) is quite small and simplistic since there are no numeric buttons.
Grip is nice and using it to browse the menus and selecting options is quite easy and comfortable.
Overall, R68 ii is among the best looking media boxes out there.
Menus – Settings
After a minute long boot, the main screen appears.
It is the same as the one found at Beelink GT1 model.
Big icons beautifully designed are there for all the popular options and apps (KODI, Play Store, Web browser, File manager and settings) while a very nice clock/weather widget adds a nice touch to the left side.
There is only one “main” page since the other two are used for favorites.
Settings menu is very nice, media player oriented (the classic grey one found in almost all media boxes), providing all the basic options that you will need.
Classic android menu is also there for extra options.
There are OTA options but we didn’t receive one during our tests. Don’t be afraid though because Beelink is a company of big reputation.
Testing
As expected, audio files (mp3/FLAC) proved to be an easy task for Beelink.
In video playback things were a little more interesting.
KODI (16.1) handled all the 1080p files (BLU RAY backups and remixes) with ease.
H.264/H.265/VC1 codecs were supported with hardware acceleration.
Motion was also very good @ 23.976 but don’t expect auto frame rate switch. You will have to do it manually.
4K playback was nice, with the majority of files having good playback. We must mention though that in order to get the best results in terms of 4K decoding one of the latest beta versions of KODI (rc3 or later) must be installed.
Codec compatibility was also great (H264/H265/Vp9/HEVC).
Audio bit streaming was typical for a S912 unit.
KODI could bit stream anything except HD Audio..
ATMOS and TrueHD was transmitted as multichannel PCM. DTS HD Master Audio gave DTS core.
No issues with PCM and DD/DTS.
Down mixing to stereo was perfect.
Wired LAN performed great with perfect streaming of Full BLU RAY high bit rate backups.
Wi-Fi was also great (AC mode) in 5 GHz network.
If your AC router is in the same room, chances are that 1080p of medium bit rate is very possible.
Overall, video file compatibility/performance is very good.
Android
Android 6.0 operating system is here in all its glory.
YouTube, Play Store, Gmail and all available applications and games can be installed for your entertainment.
Light gaming is possible (you will probably need a gamepad) but don’t expect heavy 3D gaming. Asphalt 8 had very decent frame rates though.
There is ~27GB free space left for you after the initial boot. Enough space for you to install many applications and games.
Summary
Beelink R68 ii is a media box with premium build quality and design that will serve the average user very well.
Very good equipped (32GB ROM, 3 x USB ports and Wi-Fi AC are hard to find gathered in one box these days)
Strangely though , all of the above come at a regular price (less than 80$) so if you are searching for a quality media box with premium looks, the Beelink R68 ii must be on your shortlist.
We would like to thank www.gearbest.com for sending the player in exchange of an unbiased presentation.
- If this review helped you towards making your decision, we would appreciate if you made your order through the previous affiliate link(s). This way we will be able to review more products in the future.