In previous reviews, we got acquainted with three media players from the Vinga brand: Vinga 021, Vinga 031, and Vinga 041. These are very interesting products with their own advantages and features, but they all share the use of Android 5 or Android 6 versions, which are becoming outdated. However, this brand also offers options with a more up-to-date OS on board.

Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81) occupies the second-lowest position in the manufacturer's media player hierarchy and is offered at an average price of $59. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is based on an inexpensive 4-core Rockchip RK3328 processor, which works in tandem with only 1 GB of RAM. A pleasant bonus is the support for Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The graphics are handled by the Mali-450 MP2 chip. Let's study this device in more detail and determine the feasibility of its purchase.

Specification 

Model

Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81)

Processor

Rockchip RK3328 (4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.5 GHz)

Graphics Adapter

ARM Mali-450 @ 750 MHz

RAM

1 GB LPDDR3 (SK hynix H9CCNNN8JTML)

Internal Storage

8 GB eMMC (Samsung KLM8G1WEMB-B031)

External Interfaces

1 x HDMI 2.0a

1 x USB 2.0

1 x USB 3.0

1 x RJ45

1 x Audio Port (AV)

1 x Power Connector

Card Reader

microSD

Networking Capabilities

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 / 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 (AMPAK AP6330)

Power Supply

Input: 100~240 V AC at 50/60 Hz

Output: 5 V DC, 3 A

Color

Black

Dimensions

85 x 85 x 20 mm

Operating System

Android 7.1.2 Nougat

Manufacturer's Website

Vinga 

Device Page 

Purchase Page 

Packaging and Delivery Set

The media player comes in a small cardboard package without printing. On the back, there is a sticker with a description of the main technical specifications and a list of the delivery set.

In the box, besides the device itself, we found a short manual, a power adapter, an HDMI cable, and a compact remote control. Unfortunately, batteries for the remote will need to be purchased separately.

Appearance

The Vinga VMP-012-81 is a fairly compact device, so it won't take up much space near a TV or monitor. The case is entirely made of two types of plastic: the sides are glossy, while the top and bottom are rough to the touch. The plastic itself is very thin and easily bends. The sides scratch easily, so be careful when connecting devices and cables to the media player if you want to keep it in a presentable condition. However, we had no complaints about the build quality: the system board does not wobble, and the bottom removable panel does not creak.

The front side and one of the sides are completely devoid of any elements, except for the ventilation slots inside the case.

On the back side, there is an RJ45 socket, a power connector, HDMI, and an AV audio output. On the right side, there are two USB ports, one of which is USB 3.0, and a card reader supporting the microSD format.

Notably, there is a light indicator that glows blue during operation or red in standby mode.

The back side is also notable for several ventilation holes, a sticker with the device's serial number, and four rubber feet under which the screws for disassembling the case are hidden.

Removing the bottom cover, we found a blue printed circuit board on which all the key components of the media player are soldered.

On its back side, the "heart" of the Vinga 012 - the 4-core Rockchip RK3328 processor, which is covered with a heatsink to prevent overheating, immediately catches the eye.

Support for wireless interfaces Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 is implemented using the AMPAK AP6330 adapter.

The storage is an 8 GB chip Samsung KLM8G1WEMB-B031.

The 1 GB RAM is implemented based on the SK hynix H9CCNNN8JTML chip.

The power subsystem is implemented using Rockchip RK805. 

Player Connection, Control

Connecting Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81) to a TV or monitor is very simple: just connect the power and HDMI cable. Since there is no power on/off button on the body, these functions can only be performed using the remote control.

By the way, we didn't like it very much - not on the level of the previously reviewed multifunctional remotes, although the device's price is much lower, so it's all logical. It is made of pleasant-to-touch but inexpensive plastic, which can be easily pressed with some effort. In addition, you'll have to put up with its creaking (or maybe we were just unlucky with the test sample).

The remote's functionality is as simple as possible, and the button with the mouse image does not turn it into a virtual mouse, as one would like, but simply brings up a pointer on the screen that can be moved using the arrows on the remote of the same color.

Hardware Platform and Functionality

Vinga 012 is built on a SoC processor Rockchip RK3328, although the CPU-Z program mistakenly indicates the use of Rockchip RK3066. It combines four ARM Cortex-A53 cores operating at up to 1.5 GHz. Graphics are handled by Mali-450 MP2 with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0.

The media player easily recognizes external drives connected to it, whether it's a regular flash drive, memory card, or external hard drive. The platform supports many modern codecs, including H.265, and allows playing video with 4K resolution. In addition, there is support for HDMI and hardware decoding of multichannel audio.

The operating system used is Android 7.1.2 Nougat with a custom launcher installed on top. The menu is quite convenient and functional. A pleasant bonus is the presence of Russian and Ukrainian localization, although there are minor translation flaws in places.

As tradition dictates, there is a range of pre-installed programs. For example, right out of the box, there are several services for watching online videos: Divan.TV, OLL.TV, MEGOGO.NET, Ланет.TV, and apps for IP-TV. MX Player is traditionally used for watching video files. For audio, there is only a basic AOSP app, so if necessary, additional players should be installed.

As with other previously reviewed solutions from Vinga, there is a pre-installed multimedia shell KODI. Additional software can be easily downloaded from the Play Market or APK files from external devices or over the network.

The settings menu is completely standard, and anyone who has ever used a smartphone or other Android device will have no trouble figuring it out.

Performance 

Since Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81) belongs to the category of budget media players and is equipped with only 1 GB of RAM, its performance is extremely modest. The processor's power is sufficient for minimally comfortable work with the shell, but you'll have to settle for slow switching between apps, sometimes with jerks. Acceptable performance in games is also not to be expected.

However, with its main task, playing video and audio from external sources, Vinga 012 copes quite confidently:

The network modules worked stably, although the Wi-Fi reception speed was relatively low (3 - 7 Mbps). This may be due to a busy airwave during testing. You can watch online videos even at this speed, but for movies or online broadcasts in high quality, it's better to use a wired connection.

Conclusions

During testing, the media player Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81) performed exactly as expected. It is a relatively affordable solution with basic functionality for not very demanding users. For less than $60, you get the ability to add smart features to your regular TV, including browsing the internet. For example, you can watch online videos from all available services and media files from external sources, as well as install apps from the Play Market store, as the OS used is familiar to many Android 7.1.

But, of course, the savings did not go unnoticed, so the manufacturer had to make some compromises. In particular, a not very productive 4-core processor and only 1 GB of RAM are used. Therefore, if you are used to instant app launches and web page transitions, you will be disappointed. This media player also performs poorly with games. However, we did not encounter any problems with video, even when it comes to 4K format. Among other compromises, we mention the simple bundled remote with basic functionality and the prone-to-scratches case of the console.

Thus, when purchasing Vinga 012 (VMP-012-81), you should clearly understand that it is a budget media player designed for video enthusiasts. It is easy to connect memory cards, an external USB drive, or a Miracast-compatible smartphone to view multimedia information on a large screen. It also allows you to access the network and watch online videos, but it cannot turn your TV into a full-fledged gaming center. This is the fate of more expensive and productive models.

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Author: Kostyantyn Shorokhov 
Translation: Liliya Masyuk