This is my 3rd media player purchase from KDLINKS. Previous ones being A200 and A300. Have gone for the subsequent versions due to certain improvements being done in the respective hardware. Like A300 supported 4K which A200 did not, and A400 supports 10 bit as well, which A300 does not. But having said this, one thing which is common to all three players is the world class playback performance, which comes guaranteed with their product. If you are looking for a media player which will play without hiccups and be a perfect companion to your home theater setup, look no further.
I cannot say enough about the performance, which amply justifies the price, making it the best value for money product. Having used couple of other brands of media players before, I can honestly say KDLinks is perhaps the only one which delivers everything stated on the specs.
The excellent support from Eric is the icing on the cake as in my entire history of purchases, I've not come across a vendor so customer centric, to not only to give an immediate response to your email queries, but also resolve them to your best satisfaction. He will leave no stone unturned to ensure that you are thoroughly happy with your purchase. I am really happy to use their product and have gifted some of them to my friends and family and planning to buy more of it in future.
Update (13 Sept 2018): Device still works great, no issues.
Update (8 July 2017): Installed a Seagate 10tb hard drive in this device and it works with no issues.
Initial Review (13 June 2017): While not perfect, this is a great device. Bottom-line: With a little creativity this device allows you to create a homemade kaleidescape Movie Server at a fraction of the cost. HD picture quality is preserved and i've verified that the sound can output Dolby Atmos and DTS X. There are 70+ positive reviews for this device so I won't repeat what's already been said in other posts. Removed one star for the following:
1) The included Kodi is version 16 (not current) but it still gets the job done as a movie media manager. Recommend selecting a different (the default leaves a lot to be desired) Kodi appearance skin.
2) No instructions on how to use the included file app to transfer files from an external drive to the kdlinks internal drive. Through trial and error i figured it out.
3) The fast forward, rewind buttons on the remote don't control the movie. You have to click the ok button and then use the fast forward, rewind buttons that are on the digital media player.
4) PLEX picture quality is degraded because PLEX recognizes the unit as cloud client and not a media server.
5) The included android operating system is not the most current, but still gets the job done as a movie media manager.
This is an amazing electronics product KDLINKS A400, I am impressed!!. I love KDLinks products. In the past I have owned HD700 and I am still using it and it is running fine for over last 4 years now. I wanted an upgraded hardware to play 4K contents, high bit-rate videos and new audio formats and this is worth the upgrade.
The design and the user interface is excellent in this. You throw any media file format at it, it plays it. The box itself looks very pretty (nice quality), remote control is good as well. I played Bluray and 3D Bluray backups from my NAS (RAW backup with blu-ray folder structure and ISOs). It quickly recognizes the contents from the backup and plays them very smoothly on projector or TV. I have had other hardware/computers with Kodi/XBMC and other software in it but always had troubling playing 3D (most hardware/software won't play backups in 3D MVC format as in Bluray discs). A400 does wonderful job with any types of media. A400 is very fast in responding to user inputs. The HD audio decoding also is amazing. The movies sound much better with this in my home theater speakers. It also comes with Kodi, Youtube and other apps, which are added bonus.
Other than network streaming, you also have options to locally install your own hard disk, USB drives and SD cards. What else we want?? I would highly recommend this product. Thank you KDLinks.
First and foremost, this is well worth the extra cost over the A300. Spend the money and get this one.
Secondly, if you are a music person or an audiophile, this media player is what you need. I use the A400 primarily for music. I have a 2TB hard drive in it and I use it to store all of my flac files (both 16 bit and 24 bit). The audio that comes out is crystal clear and pure sounding. It is an improvement over the A300, which in my opinion was already great. On the A400, in my setup, the HDMI 2.0 is the star of the show with this media player. HDMI 2.0 has some audio upgrades that meant a whole lot to me and my setup. If you have any 24 bit flac files, the music literally sounds lifelike (if you have a decent receiver and speakers). The music on the A300 sounded good, but no ways as good as the A400. The audio on the A400 is unreal.
I've done some video with the receiver and while I'm not a big video guy, I noticed an improvement over the A300 as well. The video is definitely smoother and when streaming video, I have not had any buffering yet, so I think the Wi-Fi reception is a lot better with the A400. I will be attempting more video stuff in the future once I upgrade to a 4K TV to get the most out of this media player. Right now, I'm still on 1080p.
Performance wise, this media player is fast. I'm able to scroll through the menus quickly. I noticed improvement in that area over the A300 as well.
Overall, for the purpose I bought this media player for, I am satisfied on a level that I didn't think was possible. It is just that good. Seriously.
I have been a long-time fan of KDLINKS products, having purchased and used every player they have produced. I stick with their products because they continually do one thing extremely well: play video files! Recently I upgraded my home theater to a 4K projector with a new Atmos enabled sound system. This meant my KDLinks HD720 needed to be replaced as it topped out at 1080p. It's also important to note that I had previously tried and returned an A300 because of the lack of 24p support across the board.
This unit is a keeper. It handles 4K60 HDR as well as Atmos and every other resolution and sound format I can find. It's not perfect, but it gets 5 stars for being top in its class. Here are some more key points you should know; some good, some bad:
1) You can install a hard drive. I took the drive out of my HD720, popped it in and that was all I needed to do!
2) It connects and streams from your home network extremely well.
3) It boots very quickly.
4) It uses an Android interface which I'm not particularly fond of as it clearly was designed for mobile devices. But, you might like it!
5) Because it uses Android, it's problematic to copy files from a Mac over your network to its hard drive. In the end, I used a Window's computer when I needed to do this. So far, this is its biggest downside. But, if you, like me, principally store you library on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, then you won't have a problem.
6) Gigabit LAN for pushing those massive videos from here to there.
7) Firmware upgrades and developer support. I had a problem with a file that had a weird aspect ratio. The player always stretched it vertically to fill the screen. Eric, the support person, put me in touch with the newest firmware that fixed it.
8) You have your choice of using two media players, Kodi or the "native" player. I prefer the native player as it's a simple directory tree structure and I've found Kodi to be massive overkill.
9) You can load any Android app you want on it. It comes with Netflix and I'm sure you can load other media sources, games, etc. I found the Netflix app wasn't nearly as good as those found on smart TVs, Rokus or the Apple TV. But here's my point: I only use this as a player for my personal library.
10) The remote lacks dedicated, easy to use fast forward and rewind buttons. Another reviewer gave this unit 1 star for this serious oversight. But, play with remote a while and you'll see that the left button triggers a rewind and the right button triggers a fast forward. The center button brings up a menu for more precise control. Also, the remote is a learning remote, so I programmed it to also control my audio equipment's volume and power. A nice touch.
11) The documentation is essentially non-existent. I can understand the choice to not include paper documentation with the product as functionality is so closely dependent of software updates. But, KDLinks should get a dedicated webpage and keep a version of the docs up to date. There are still some poorly named menu options that I just don't have a clue as to what they do.
In summary, it's not perfect... it's just better than all the rest!
Feature Product
- Newest TOP Quality High End Android 5.1 4K H.265 Quad Core CPU, 8 Core GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB Built In Storage; HDMI 2.0 with 4K @60fps, H.265 4K Hardware Decoding, Support 10 Bit and HDR. Support: Google Play Store, SKYPE, Youtube, Netflix, and more. Current Best Hardware Media Player for Local File Playback Ability.
- 802.11AC, Dual-Band 2.4Ghz/5Ghz WIFI Support, with BlueTooth 4.0; & Super Fast GIGABIT 1000M LAN for the Best Local Network Streaming Performance, Data Transfer Rate is Around 20-30MB/s
- Come with DOLBY DTS Official License, Support DOLBY TureHD and DTS-HD MA, 7.1 Audio; Support DOLBY ATMOS and DTS+
- Tool Free Aluminum Shell with HDD Bay, Support Almost All 3.5" Hard Drives Up To 8TB. A400 has 1 USB 3.0 Port, 2 USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 Year KDLINKS Manufacture Warranty, Worry Free When Buying from Us. Your Media Player Investment Is Protected. Fast Email Support, All Emails Will Be Replied In 24 Hours, No exception Even Over Holidays
Description
If you are looking for a High End 4K Android Media Player with outstanding hardware decoding ability and support for Android apps, the A400 is definitely your best choice!
The A400 is the first, and currently the best 4K Android solution in 2017 for app support combined with strong local file playback capability. It provides support for most of the latest video file formats. The A400's chipset is the very latest in technology and provides unprecedented levels of performance. It is totally different from almost all other Android media players.
Key Features
- 4K H.265 Hardware Decoding with Super STRONG 4 core CPU, 8 core GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB Built In Storage; Best Hardware In the Market
- HDMI 2.0 with 4K @60fps, H.265 4K Hardware Decoding, Support 10 Bit and HDR (Most Others Players Can't Support 10 Bit)
- Supports Dolby ATMOS, DTS+, Dolby Digital 5.1/7.1, TrueHD 5.1/7.1, DTS-HD MA and DTS-HD.
- 802.11AC, Dual-Band 2.4Ghz/5Ghz WIFI Support, with BlueTooth 4.0
- GIGABIT 1000M LAN, speed is around 20-30MB/s, fastest in current media player market
- Android OS 5.1; Support for Most Android Apps, including Netflix, Youtube, SKYPE etc
- Outstanding H.264/H.265 local media file playback, with support for most popular video/picture/music formats, including BD 2D/3D ISO, VOB, etc.
- Video Outputs: RCA & HDMI
Your media player investment will be well protected by our warranty coverage. Any hardware issue in 1 year, we will do no hassle replacement for you on our cost. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed
Important Note:Google recently changed their Google Play Store App, so if you can't log into Google Play Store, please go to kdlinks.com A400 page, download our latest firmware which can easily resolve login issue.
Mostly love it. I got it for what it's designed for. To play nearly every media format out there including BD 3D ISO's. But there in lies a problem. Does it do native frame packing 3d playback, well sort of. The builtin media player recognizes it and displays it but its like playing a game that wasn't made for 3d. Shadows/effects/clouds are very strange and not properly rendered. I ripped my entire 3d BD collection(about 100 movies) and all had the same problem no matter what software used. I then ripped them to SBS or OU and let my TV do the conversion and it was perfect. Great quality.
Haven't tried the 4k/h.265 playback yet as I'm using this on a 120hz/3d/47" LG. I did buy a 8TB WD Red for it and they're very happy together. The remote 'works'. A week or so after I bought it the google playstore did a update and I can no longer install netflix. Major bummer. Haven't been able to install Amazon for video either. I'm really hoping the maker's put out a newer Android update as one by one newer software isn't giving support. I managed to manually install an older version of netflix that works but the remote doesn't properly navigate(have to switch to mouse mode and even then won't always scroll). Probably going to order a different remote for it soon.
All in all it is a pretty awesome device. A few kinks for sure but overall pretty good. I've only had a couple, out of thousands, of files it couldn't play. As I stated, compatible software is really getting harder to find which is a shame considering the amazing hardware specs under the hood(it really does have a hood BTW). I've only briefly used KODI. I'm sure internet streaming its supposed to be awesome but the default media player actually works a bit better for me.
I tried the SAMBA with a WIFI computer and it's pretty cool. Just a tip, if you use SAMBA make sure to enable passwords for security. I've read some scary stories about those who didn't.
Just hoping they get some updates out there at some point to catch up with google play store.
Update 3/9/2019. Kodi Leia 18.1 sometimes crashes Kodi and has to reboot. Had to downgrade to Kyrpton 17.6.
Been using Aeon Nox Silvo as my skin for awhile now, and its my favorite skin.
Update 9/28/2018. Unit still works amazing. I now have a 6tb and a 8tb external hard drive attached to the usb ports. I do not have any internal drives, just because the external WD drives are much cheaper.
Update 6/17/2017. The subtitle download has been broken for a couple weeks. Kdlinks say they are working on it. But the subtitle download server that they use sucks big time. Better off manually downloading the subtitle.
I have updated Kodi to 17.3 Kyrpton. No issues that I have seen, seems to load faster. But I only use this box for personal movies.
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Previously I was using a Roku 2 with Plex to stream from my local computer. Was getting annoyed from the buffering issues when starting a movie, fast forwarding, etc. And most annoying was the ever so often buffering in the middle of a movie playback. I was on a wired lan line, streaming from my local computer.
So I finally purchased this after seeing previous Kdlinks models before and passed on them because of the reviews or probably I was not ready yet to invest more money, as I thought my Roku/Plex setup was livable.
The A400 is great. I have a usb 3.0 external 6tb drive attached and there is no buffering from start of play, ff, rw, whatever.
The speed of transfer from my computer to the network attached Kdlinks external drive is around 10Mb/s on a wired line, not that fast but livable to me. An internal drive should be somewhat faster.
Kodi does a decent job at organizing movie files. But I have to say, you have to do your research to make your movie collection how you want it, as there are many settings, different skins, addons to make it how you want it. My Kodi homescreen only shows Movies, Settings and Power as I use it mostly for movies. My preferred skin is Aeon Nox atm.
Some addons I recommend is "Missing Movies" addon. I loaded all my movies before I connected it to the A400. Kodi downloaded all the info from the net and applied it to most of the movies, (artwork, info, ratings, etc). But some movies were missing and Kodi does not tell you that they couldn't match those missing movies. So this addon finds those missing movies and then you can search for the missing movie and add it to your library.
Another addon I like is Last Played addon. On my skin Aeon Nox and in the Movies submenu there is an "In Progress" that never worked. Sometimes I watch a movie and cant finish it, so I want to go to that same movie. This addon will show me the movies that I didnt watch completely now. And I can resume where I left off. Otherwise I would have to look and try to remember what movie it was and scroll thru all my movies manually to find it.
One flaw I noticed is that if you use the mouse function on the Kdlinks homescreen you lose control of the remote arrow keys to go thru the homescreen menu. You will be stuck navigating the homescreen with the mouse function only, the submenus work though with the remote arrow keys. As I have a usb wireless keybd/mouse combo too, the use of any mouse function from either the factory remote or the usb combo will render the homescreen operable only by mouse input. At first I thought my usb combo was the problem, but the factory remote exhibited the same problem. Just dont use any mouse inputs on the bootup homescreen.
I highly recommend a usb wireless keybd/mouse combo. So much easier to type something long, and they are cheap about $15. Typing with the factory remote is slow, but hey if you dont mind it, its no problem. Fyi the one I bought is Aerb 2.4GHz Backlit Wireless Mini Keyboard W Mouse.
I am happy with my purchase and I will update my review if any new issues arrive.
Got this product to get 4K and Wireless-AC standard. The old model from this company still worked great so I trust them on this updated model. Yes it is more expensive than cheaper media players but will those players last several years? Maybe, maybe not. The build quality is solid and the software works great and so far has not given me any problems accessing my home PC to play movies. That really is my main use for this player. I also like the other features of the device like easy access internal hard drive bay and casting to the device and USB 3.0, which is nice to know in case I decide to make use of them in the future. One final thing, they’ve been really good about answering my emails about their products so for me their customer service makes this player worth it.
KDLinks have done it again!
Not only is the product amazing, their customer support is still as great as it was a few years ago.
The details of the A400 have been discussed elsewhere and in much greater and better detail.
I just want to let you know how good this is. The interface is butter smooth (remember when you first touched the screen on an iPhone?, it is better than that).
The team at KDLinks have done an amazing job and nothing else comes even close! Believe me, I have tried. This is what it should be, simple, intuitive and a little overbuilt to future proof you for all that is coming down the pike.
If you are teetering and can't decide please don't torture yourself. Just order it, you will thank me. As a physician, I advise people all day (and lot of nights), I wouldn't advice this if I hadn't personally used it and were not convinced that this was simply the best.
Go ye forth and enjoy the 4K videos and other formats as they were meant to be enjoyed.
I had a minor technical question and it was resolved right away.
So what price do you want to put on the peace of mind in knowing that after sales support is solid, reliable and timely? Like most, I simply don't have the time to wait around till some dubious resolution may or may not be offered.
Stop worrying and just buy with confidence.
DISCLAIMER: I have NOT been compensated by KDLinks in anyway to review this, I just want to pay back in a minor way for all the great products and support they provide.
I really do love this media player. I transferred a 3TB internal HDD (80% full) from a KDLINKS HD720 to the A400, connected power and HDMI, pressed power and the A400 recognized the drive and played the existing movies without problems. This media player was my first time to use Kodi, and to my delight it was easy to set up and shipped already upgraded to the newest version of Krypton 17.0. I notice no difference in audio or video quality playing from the internal HDD, USB or over the network. The A400 has played every file type I have without fail and without buffering with audio ranging from 2 channel stereo to 7.1 surround sound. KDLINKS media players have continued to improve with each version. Support for HDMI 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 and 3.0, Dolby Atmos to name a few, many more I have not yet explored. I would recommend this media player to everyone. The support from this company is top notch. Eric will answer your emails quickly and to the point. He knows the products inside and out so have no fear about getting help if you need it, he will take care of customers.
