Beelink MINI MX Amlogic S905 Android media player has similar features, and costs about the same as K1 Plus TV box I reviewed last week, so it would be interesting to compare both. While specifications are similar there are some differences. For example, MINI MX lacks AV output, and only features two USB ports against four for K1 Plus, but it supports Gigabit Ethernet which could be an advantage while playing high bitrate 4K videos, as well a Bluetooth 4.0. I’ve already provided pictures and torn down MINI MX, so today is time for the full review and a comparison with K1 plus.
First Boot, Settings and First Impressions
I connected my USB 3.0 hard drive to one of the USB port, and a USB hub to tghe other port with a USB webcam, a USB keyboard, and two RF dongles for a gamepad and an air mouse. I also inserted the usual HDMI, optical audio and Ethernet cables, and connected the 5V/3A power supply. The boot usually takes a little over 50 seconds, only a little slower than K1 Plus (48 seconds).
I think I’ve seen this launcher before, although don’t quite remember on which device exactly. It includes 6 large icons, with 4 of those (Online Video, Recommend, Music, and Local) being some folders for apps, and My Apps providing access to all installed app, and Settings to the usual Amlogic settings app. There are also customizable shortcuts on the bottom of the screen, and status icons and date & time on the top.
The list of pre-installed app is pretty standard, except APP4TV app linking to some streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu, and KodiMate which will install some add-ons for Kodi. More on this latter.
The settings app is exactly the same as on K1 Plus, except for the add accessory option to add Bluetooth devices. Apart from that, the list of the main options remain the same:
- Network – WiFi, Ethernet, and VPN configuration
- Display
- Screen resolution: Auto, 480p-60Hz, 576p-50Hz, 720p 50/60Hz, 1080i 50/60Hz, 1080p 24/50/60Hz, 4K2K 24/25/30/50/60Hz or SMPTE
- Screen position
- Screen rotation (middle port, force land, original)
- Sound – System sound (On/Off), and Digital sounds (Auto detection, PCM, HDMI or SPDIF)
- Preferences – HDMI CEC (But not working: “This remote device does not support CEC”), and Play back settings with “HDMI self-adaption” On/Off.
- Remote & accessories – Add accessories for Bluetooth
WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth all worked OK, and I could set video output to 4k2k 60Hz. However, the same problem (as in K1 Plus) occur, with the video output sometimes falling back to 1080p50.
More Settings will lead you to Android 5.x Android settings with all standard options including Bluetooth, Printing, Language & input, etc… The internal storage is comprised of a unified partition (wrongly reported as being 8GB large), and with around 4.25GB free space, just like one KI Plus
Going int to “About Mediabox” section shows MINI MX “model number” running Android 5.1.1 on top of Linux kernel 3.14.29, and the firmware build was s905_102L1. You can also go to a System update menu in this section, and the good news is that it’s working, and I got the firmware updated to s905_103L1, while NOT getting my data and apps wiped out. But unfortunately it was only released after I finished testing, so I did not test Dec 4 firmware in details. Nevertheless that’s a big plus against K1 Plus here. The firmware is also rooted by default.
I could use the provided infrared remote control up to 10 meters, but it’s quite directional, so you have to make sure you point it to the device, especially once you start getting over 5 meters away. There’s no IR learning function in this remote, and HDMI-CEC is not working either. I did not use the remote control very long, and fully switch to MeLE F10 Deluxe for the rest of the review, especially since the status bar can be shown and hidden easily.
I could install most apps required for the review from the Google Play Store, except Antutu Video Tester, which I normally side-load anyway. Applications that require telephony / SMS, GPS or limited to specific country can’t be installed, and that’s fine. I also installed Riptide GP2 from Amazon Underground since I got it for free over there.
If you want to see some details about the settings I did not cover here, you can watch the user interface walk-though video.
The device can be cleanly powered on and off with the remote control. Standby mode is not implemented, which mean you’ll need to wait 50 seconds or so each time you boot the device. There’s no power button on the unit.
I’ve also done some powered measurements with in power on and idle states both with a USB hard drive connected and without:
- Power off – 1.0 Watt
- Idle – 2.2 Watts
- Power off + HDD – 1.0 Watt
- Idle + HDD – 3.3 Watts
MINI MX seems to consume a little less than K1 Plus in power off mode (1.3W), and much lower in idle mode, where I could not K41 Plus to get below 6 Watts in idle mode. It’s not perfect though, as there’s still some residual power used in power off mode, and the best device will just show 0 or 0.1 Watt while powered off.
Beelink MINI MX stays quite cool, as I measured 39°C and 44°C on the top and bottom of the case after running Antutu 5.7.1, and after playing Riptide GP2 for about 15 minutes (although not with maxed out graphics settings), the maximum temperature went up a little to 45°C and 48°C.
The firmware is stable, but feels sluggish at times, where I may have to wait 1, 2 or 3 seconds before I can move the mouse pointer, and it miay take 5 to 8 seconds to go back the launcher after exiting an application.
Video Playback on Beelink MINI MX
Kodi 15.2 is pre-installed in the device without add-ons, and this time I had no problem with an incorrect resolution being reported, even when settings the resolution to 4K 60 Hz.
As mentioned before I noticed an app called KodiMate in the firmware, so I started it.
Lots of plugins for Kodi apparently. So I clicked on AllPlugins and it downloaded some files, and installed Kodi add-ons, including the infamous Navi-X or 1 Channel add-ons, which are banned on Kodi forums.
I guess they’ve done that to avoid getting caught at the customs, as the box is shipped without any piracy add-ons, but the user can easily install them at home.
One Kodi developer informed me that Kodi was not ready for Amlogic S905, but I still gave it a try in case Netxeon or their partners worked on Kodi. Unless otherwise noted, all videos are played over Ethernet from a SAMBA share.
I started with Linaro media samples, Elecard H.265 samples, and low resolution VP9 video, and I was pleasantly surprised not to get the letterbox issues as in K1 Plus.
- H.264 codec / MP4 container (Big Buck Bunny) – 480p/720p/1080p – OK
- MPEG2 codec / MPG container – 480p/720p/1080p – OK
- MPEG4 codec, AVI container 480p/720p/1080p – OK
- VC1 codec (WMV) – 1080p – 480p/720p/1080p – OK
- Real Media (RMVB), 720p / 5Mbps – OK
- WebM / VP8 480p/720p/1080p – OK
- H.265 codec / MPEG TS container – 360p and 720p OK, 1080p some massive audio delay or AV sync issue, and not very smooth
- WebM / VP9 (no audio in video) – OK
Not too bad actually, although H.265 hardware decode does not seem implemented. But then I tested with audio video samples in Kodi, and MX Player, and things started to get bad in Kodi for some reasons, and DTS and Dolby are not supported by the system, except if you use audio pass-through.
| Video | PCM Output (Kodi) |
PCM Output |
HDMI Pass-through (MX Player) |
S/PDIF Pass-through (MX player) |
| AC3 / Dolby Digital 5.1 | Audio OK, video not smooth | No audio | OK (Dolby D 5.1) | OK (Dolby D 5.1) |
| E-AC-3 / Dolby Digital+ 5.1 | Audio OK, video not smooth | No audio | OK (Dolby D 5.1) | OK (Dolby D 5.1) |
| Dolby Digital+ 7.1 | OK | No audio, and slowmo video | No audio | Audio Formats Not Supported over S/PDIF |
| TrueHD 5.1 | Audio OK, video in slow motion | No audio | OK (TrueHD 5.1) | |
| TrueHD 7.1 | Audio OK, video in slow motion | No audio | OK (TrueHD 7.1) | |
| Dolby Atmos 7.1 | Audio OK, video not smooth | No audio | Continuous beep and Dolby D 5.1 shows in AVR | |
| DTS HD Master | Audio OK, video not smooth | No audio | DTS 5.1 only | DTS 5.1 |
| DTS HD High Resolution | Audio OK, video not smooth | No audio | DTS 5.1 only | DTS 5.1 |
I still tried 2 4K videos in Kodi 15.2:
- Beauty_3840x2160_120fps_420_8bit_HEVC_MP4.mp4 (H.265) – Plays at 3 to 4 fps
- big_buck_bunny_4k_H264_30fps.mp4 – Starts in slow motion, and then play with massive artifacts
I wanted to show it in video, but I shot the video about an upgrade to 103L1 firmware which also includes Kodi 16.0 Beta. The artifacts are gone, but Kodi is crashed/exited for both videos.
So I’ve just switched to ES File Explorer + MX Player for the remainder of the test, starting with 4K videos:
- HD.Club-4K-Chimei-inn-60mbps.mp4 – OK from USB HDD, but buffering a lot from network.
- sintel-2010-4k.mkv – OK, but no audio.
- Beauty_3840x2160_120fps_420_8bit_HEVC_MP4.mp4 (H.265) – OK
- Bosphorus_3840x2160_120fps_420_8bit_HEVC_MP4.mp4 (H.265) – OK
- Jockey_3840x2160_120fps_420_8bit_HEVC_TS.ts (H.265) – OK from USB HDD, but gets stuck while streaming from network
- MHD_2013_2160p_ShowReel_R_9000f_24fps_RMN_QP23_10b.mkv (10-bit HEVC) – OK
- phfx_4KHD_VP9TestFootage.webm (VP9) – Will stop after a few seconds while playing from SAMBA share
- BT.2020.20140602.ts (Rec.2020 compliant video) – OK from USB HDD, but stopping after a short while while playing from network.
- big_buck_bunny_4k_H264_30fps.mp4 – OK
- big_buck_bunny_4k_H264_60fps.mp4 – Audio/video synchronization issues, and the video is not very smooth
- Fifa_WorldCup2014_Uruguay-Colombia_4K-x265.mp4 (4K, H.265, 60 fps) – OK, but no audio.
- Samsung_UHD_Dubai_10-bit_HEVC_51.4Mbps.ts (10-bit HEVC / MPEG-4 AAC) – Very good USB HDD, but won’t play at all from network (Black screen only)
- Astra-11479_V_22000-Canal+ UHD Demo 42.6 Mbps bitrate.ts (10-bit H.265 from DVB-S2 stream) – Plays fine most of the time OK, but it will freeze and the same exact point every time for several seconds. (tested on USB drive only).
The results are very similar between Video Player – as tested with K1 Plus -, and MX player. I’m a little disappointed that the Gigabit Ethernet connection does not improve playback from the SAMBA share, so there must be a another bottleneck.
I’ve also tested some other videos with various bitrates
- ED_HD.avi – Not very smooth at all, and no audio
- big_buck_bunny_1080p_surround.avi (1080p H.264 – 12 Mbps) – Video OK, but no audio
- h264_1080p_hp_4.1_40mbps_birds.mkv (40 Mbps) – OK, but the video buffered once
- hddvd_demo_17.5Mbps_1080p_VC1.mkv (17.5Mbps) – Could be smoother, and no audio
- Jellyfish-120-Mbps.mkv (120 Mbps video without audio) – Not 100% smooth, but no buffering while playing from network… Same results on USB drive
The last one is interesting… That 120 Mbps video is the video with the higher rate in my video test files, but the network can cope fine, although video decoding not being optimal. The videos is a 1080p H.264 video at 24 fps without audio.
Just like Video Player, MX Player can’t handle Blu-ray ISO files reporting “can’t play this link”. My two 1080i video samples could play fine, and the two hi10p video had the usual issues, and MX Player lacks support for subtitles:
- [Commie] Steins;Gate – NCED [BD 720p AAC] [10bit] [C706859E].mkv – Audio OK, some video artifacts, and no subtitles
- [1080p][16_REF_L5.1][mp3_2.0]Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu BD OP.mkv – Audio OK, more artifacts, and no subtitles
Although LG 42UB820T UHD television does not support 3D, I’ve still tested some stereoscopic 3D videos check decoding:
- bbb_sunflower_1080p_60fps_stereo_abl.mp4 (1080p Over/Under) – OK
- bbb_sunflower_2160p_60fps_stereo_abl.mp4 (2160p Over/Under) – MX Player exits immediately
- Turbo_Film-DreamWorks_trailer_VO_3D.mp4 (1080p SBS) – OK
I’ve also tested some longer movies, or video clips, and MX Player does not support IFO files, but I had no troubles with VOB, MKV, AVI, MP4 and MKV video, except for the lack of DTS/Dolby support with PCM output, as I did not get audio at all when these codecs were used.
Previously I also tested a 2-hour video in Kodi 15.2, and it plays all the way without issues, except that there was some stutter when the camera was panning, probably due to the lack of automatic frame rate switching support.
MINI MX got 891 points in Antutu Video Tester 3.0, or a little lower than the 906 point in KI Plus, but still without many unsupported videos.
I’ve also included the result from DRM Info, which shows Widewine nor PlayReady are installed, and the former may be any issue for some video streaming apps such as Netflix.
If you want the video samples used in my reviews, please visit “Where to get video, audio and images samples” post and comments section.
Network Performance (Wi-Fi and Ethernet)
MINI MX could transfer a 278MB file @ 1.5MB/s on average between the flash and a network share (SAMBA), which makes the device only of the worst performer.
Gigabit Ethernet, tested with a large file, was much better in both direction (flash to SAMBA, and SAMBA to flash) with an average transfer rate of 15.7 MB/s, one of the best in all devices I’ve tested.
However since with Gigabit Ethernet, this test is also impacted by the internal storage read and write speeds, it’s always good to test raw performance with iperf. I’m using a full duplex transfer for 1 minutes with the command line “iperf -t 60 -c server_ip -d“. But most of the time, it seems to kill Ethernet connectivity, so the test would not complete, and I was unable to browse the web anymore. So I rebooted, and it went a little further but full duplex is not handled very well with an excellent 894 Mbit/sec in one direction, but only 16 Mbit/sec in the other.
You can also check iperf output:
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Client connecting to 192.168.0.110, TCP port 5001 TCP window size: 187 KByte (default) ------------------------------------------------------------ [ 7] local 192.168.0.104 port 36813 connected with 192.168.0.110 port 5001 [ 7] 0.0-60.0 sec 6.25 GBytes 894 Mbits/sec [ 5] 0.0-2204.7 sec 121 MBytes 462 Kbits/sec |
There’s again a problem with the timings showing 2204.7 seconds instead of 60 seconds.
Miscellaneous Tests
Bluetooth
Contrary to Videostrong KI Plus, Beelink MINI MX does support Bluetooth, and it worked pretty well, as I could transfer photos over Bluetooth with my smartphone, listen to YouTube music videos via a Bluetooth headset, and pair No.1 D3 smart watch with the device. Since the firmware is rooted, I could also successfully use a PS3 Bluetooth game controller with Sixaxis.
Storage
The same “10 MB free space bug” found in Amlogic Android Lollipop SDK also occurred here with the NTFS & exFAT partitions on my USB hard drive. My FAT32 micro SD card could be mounted fine, and I got access to all the space..
| File System | Read | Write |
| NTFS | OK | No (10 MB free space) |
| EXT-4 | Not mounted | Not mounted |
| exFAT | OK | No (10 MB free space) |
| BTRFS | Not mounted | Not mounted |
| FAT32 | OK | OK |
That means I had to skip USB storage benchmarks, and only ran A1 SD bench app on the internal. with the app reporting 27.62MB/s read speed and 15.95 MB/s write speed. A pretty decent results for a low cost TV box.
And that makes me scratch my head as to why I regularly experience some slowdowns, and it may take over 5 seconds to get back to the home screen…
Gaming
In my last review I said I had never seen Candy Crush Saga on any devices, except the lower end ones based on single or dual core Mali-400 GPU, but for some reasons, I had some serious stability problems with the game on the platform. As I ran the game, the volume was a little high, so I tried to lower it, but the system would not react at all, and the game exited, or crashed, 4 times. So I tried to reboot, and could finally start to play, but I had some moments where the pointer should be stuck, the audio would cut, and finally the game exited…
Somehow Beach Buggy Racing was much better, even with the graphics quality set to the maximum “high resolution”. It played quite smoothly, but with some very short freezes (<0.5 second) from time to time.
Riptide GP2 was also interesting, and while it was very playable with default settings, it would just exit/crash when I tried to set the quality settings to the maximum, 100% reproducible. So I set it to one bar less, and the game could run for a while, before exiting as I tried to play… So I went back to default setting and I could play 4 to 5 races for about 15 minutes. When I exited the app manually, it took 8 to 9 seconds to go back to the launcher.
Beelink MINI MX Benchmarks
CPU-Z still detects a quad core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 2.02 GHz with a Mali-450MP GPU, with the board being called “p200”.
The Antutu 5.7.1 score was 28,390 points or about the same as K1 Plus.
Conclusion
While the firmware is mostly stable, I did experience some slow downs that didn’t seem related to a slow flash, and games were somewhat unstable for some reasons. This review also confirmed that Kodi 15 nor 16 is ready for Amlogic S905, but that does not stop manufacturer from pre-loading their half-baked version, so I had to test video with MX Player, which was much better, and similar to K1 Plus. Gigabit Ethernet performance was pretty good, but somehow it did not help with videos played from the network, while WiFi performance was very poor. So while MINI MX has potential, Beelink/Netxeon still have some work to do to make it a usable device.
PROS
- Recent Android 5.1 OS firmware
- Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 2160p 60Hz; 24/25/30/50/60 Hz refresh rates supported
- Good 4K H.265 (10-bit) and H.264 video playback in MX Player (USB HDD only, not from network)
- Good Gigabit Ethernet performance
- Dolby 5.1 and DTS audio pass-through is working.
- Proper power handling
- OTA firmware update is working.
- Built-in Bluetooth works fine
- Very good price/performance ratio, provided issues are fixed
CONS
- The firmware experiences slowdowns at times, and it may take 5 to 9 seconds to go back to the launcher after exiting an app.
- Pre-installed Kodi 15.2 (102L1 firmware) or 16.0 Beta (103L1 firmware) are not really usable
- HDMI – Dolby Digital 7.1+, TrueHD / Atmos, DTS HD audio pass-through not working; CEC not working; Video output resolution set in settings is not always used at next power on.
- Gigabit Ethernet does not seem to help with playing videos over SAMBA
- Missing DTS and Dolby support for PCM output
- No DRM installed, even Widewine Level 3 required for SD playback on relevant apps.
- Poor WiFi performance
- Stability issues with games including Candy Crush Saga
- USB hard drive partitions (NTFS / exFAT) reported as having 10MB free only, basically rendering the partitions read-only.
Both Beelink MINI MX and Videostrong K1 Plus have issues, many of them overlap in both devices as their firmware is based on the same Amlogic SDK, and the products are been rushed to market. I can’t really recommend any device right now, but working OTA firmware updates for MINI MX does bring some peace of mind. You’d also have to consider whether you need Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth (lacking on K1 Plus, but present on MINI MX), or AV output and more USB ports as found on K1 Plus. I understand two issues – DRM and DTS & Dolby support – can’t be fixed with firmware upgrades, so I’d wait if you need either or both.
I’d like to thanks GearBest again for providing Beelink MINI MX sample for review. If you’d like to go ahead and purchase the device, you could do from their shop for $40.89 including shipping. You can also find the TV box on some other e-retailed such as GeekBuying ($44.99), eBay, Amazon US ($55), and others.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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Would you mind testing latest kodi nightlies on this (and future/past S905), please. I’ve merged a bunch of aml fixes.
S905 firmwares are still quite shaky nowaday, hard to find a proper baseline…
You can contact me directly at koying_at_kodi_dot_tv
Thanks
I’ve got a Mini MX sample from Beelink factory and have been talking with them about a lot of these issues.
As for 103l1 it should fix the storage misreporting – have asked beelink for a list of other change notes.
There are some issues with Wifi for which they are talking to their design team about – may need hardware changes.
HDMI-CEC does work perfectly on my LG TV – So something specific to your setup not working.
(Although enabling it changed the whole UI to chinese – that was fun to get out of…)
I removed their KODI and am running a 16 nightly build, after fixing AML video dev permissions it plays fine with the amlogic codecs – however auto frame rate switching is not working, but if switched manually on the mini mx it plays fine.
(Which is most likely why video would appear not to be smooth)
I was able to play quite high bitrate videos (50+mbps) with DTS audio over samba via ethernet without issue.
DTS passthrough from Kodi is also working for me. (Unable to test DTS HD/Atmos/etc as my amp is too old) but do experience very occasional brief dropouts only on passthrough.
As for the box slow down, largely due to 1gb of ram and using zram in my opinion
Thank you for your honest and detailed reviews. My main source of news for this technology the past years. Keep up the good work!
As for the S905 boxes I have high hopes that software will mature and it becomes a cheap and stable 4K platform.
so glad to see and read your review, I’m waiting for mine to arrive still but am concerned, due to no widevine am I correct in thinking netflix won’t work!?! this is big problem for me if so… is it easy fix in update for them if thats the case?! I stupidly ordered this box at a point not knowing it was so new.. then learning about it all & drm, maybe I should have ordered something with an older processor… hmm..
Hi!
Why do the S905 (or for that matter all AML based boxes) don’t allow Dolby/DTS HD formats (X or Atmos)? is it a license issue? is it solvable in software?
S905 is capable of HD audio passthrough, so it’s a firmware thing.
A very imprtant thing to consider when buying one of the bazillion AML device on the market is the support history from the vendor.
If you go el cheapo on ebay, you’re guaranteed to get no firmware support at all…
I’ve got this box, when I try and update to the new firmware it unzips then it says “Your system was damaged, wireless update is disabled!”
I’ve tried factory reset but its still not working.
Tried using ota update app manually selecting and now I’m getting:
Finding update package…
Opening update package…
— Secure Check…
Secure check failed.
Installation aborted.
OTA failed! Please power off the device to keep it in this state and file a bug report!
Formatting /data…
E:format_volume failed to unmount “/data”
Formatting /cache…
Data wipe failed.
Recovery is listening adb sideload…
Waiting adb sideload command…
E:Cannot load volume /misc!
Sigh.
@TheLegendOfMart
Maybe you’ll need to do a USB update. I can’t find the firmware for download yet.
Or maybe ask your seller for a link to the original firmware in order to reinstall it.
@cnxsoft
I think it’s my own fault. I edited the build.prop and digging around in the zip file the update script checks the hash of all the files. I removed the build.prop check and secure check completes but because its a modified zip it fails.
I did back up the build.prop but the data partition got wiped. I need to get the original build.prop from somewhere now 🙁
@Koying
I’m quite busy with hardware reviews right now. So I won’t try on MINI MX. But I might try on other Amlogic S905 devices which I should review soon.
@asht
I’ve been told that for DRM, something needs to be done at the factory, so once the product ships it can’t be changed. I’m pretty sure that’s true for Widewine L1 (used for Full HD and 4K streaming), but I’m not quite sure about L3 (up to 720p). I have not tried Netflix here (it’s a pain to set it up), but it’s likely it won’t work.
@Oren
Kodi goes around the Dolby/DTS licenses, so it’s a firmware issue. For most other apps, it’s a license issue.
@TheLegendOfMart
That’s mine, but for firmware s905_103L1
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45842273/MINI_MX/build.prop
I can see
ro.vendor.sw.version=s905_103L1
maybe change it to
ro.vendor.sw.version=s905_102L1
and see if the firmware update can go through.
@cnxsoft
Thank you so much. I will try and edit my original build.prop first I think I see what I changed.
@TheLegendOfMart
I’ve got 103l1 for the mini mx in the usb burning tool format if needed.
@Whiterat
I would really appreciate the files just in case I can’t get this working.
Man this box is really messed up, can’t even load play store now to install root and build prop editor.
Whatever you do DO NOT mess with any system files or you will end up in a world of pain.
@TheLegendOfMart
103L1 Minix MX Image (for USB Burning Tool):
https://mega.nz/#!i0oVSYCQ
@Whiterat
how did you fixe the permissions please
thank’s for the review.
I ordered that box without knowing the issues it have. some will be fixed by firmwware update but sadly some need hardware change or factory fix.
But what i learned form that is to never hurry to buy new thinks. i will wait for review before to decide.
Yeah I’m stuck now I cant load Play Store even if I delete cache, it just loads and crashes instantly. Tried uninstalling updates and it just crashes when I click install on an app.
I would really appreciate the usb burn tool files Whiterat.
@TheLegendOfMart
My comment is “awaiting moderation” presumably because it has a link in it….
103L1 Minix MX Image (for USB Burning Tool):
“hxxps : // mega . nz / #!i0oVSYCQ”
Thanks but it’s asking for a decryption key.
Ah sorry – “!bQrAHUlqDFQ7hTSiBaT8JG4KL6tWTApJO2P4GoUvA-M” (without quotes)
Thank you so much, been trying to sort this for 4-5 hours now.
Good detailed review. Have the S905 myself, decent box but I would concur it has iffy game performance with the Mali 450. Just 1Gb ram doesn’t help either so I wouldn’t expect any miracles in this department. I had issues with supplied Kodi 15.2, streaming among others but since installing the firmware upgrade & Kodi 16 these have been ironed out and now working. Be patient on the restart after firmware upgrade it does stick on that Mini Mx logo for a while.
I would say Beelink were eager to get it to market early and let the early adopters face some bugs (like many other Android boxes), but I’ve seen very positive improvements since the new firmware install so happy here.
Does the Mini MX even have an OTG port because I’ve tried both USB ports and it’s not showing up at all.
Language switching is known issue (at least for me) even on m8 devices. Happens only on LG afaik and it switches to Korean, not Chineese. Happens when auto switch language on box is enabled.
@TheLegendOfMart
Yeah, USB-A on the side is for OTG – Flashed mine with it ok.
(Windows 10 with Burning tool 2.0.5.15)
@Stane1983
Ah sorry my mistake – That’d make sense.
On these boxes the auto language switch is enabled by default and you cannot disable until you’ve enabled cec and the language has already changed at that point.
Just tried latest nightly on 103l1 and still about the same as my first post (which is pretty good).
Aml codecs in use, passthrough still working (albeit with intermittent drop outs) and no auto framerate switching.
Changing digital_raw makes no difference to the dropouts.
is it possible to unpack the .img file in windows?
It works! Thank you so much.
I tried everything last night and I couldn’t get it showing up, had another go this morning and it flashed first time!
I see they still haven’t fixed the notification bar being on top of all the apps though 🙁
@TheLegendOfMart
Just click on the double down arrows in the status bar. I think both the status and notification bars will be hidden.
What down arrows?
All I see is a black bar along the top with ethernet icon and time, if i drag it down it is the standard lollipop notification tray.
Hello!
You could not send the link to the firmware as well as the program for the firmware and write as you flashed the device ?
@TheLegendOfMart
Actually I don’t see the notifications bar, only the status bar.
If you look at start of the video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRO4NF7phg, you can see the status bar at the bottom, and the icon just on the right of the power icon and on the left of the back button.
@cnxsoft
I flashed the full firmware linked above and I don’t see the status bar only the notifications bar. I have wiped and erased I don’t know how many times.
@number 63
With aml tools no, unless you do some reverse engineering with usb burning tool. Binary that pack/unpack .img file is part of amlogic sdk and runs only on Linux machines. Does not include source code.
Also bought this beelink mini MX from Gearbest thinking the S905 would be the answer to 4K goodness. Really disappointed so far.
First of all, trying to use a remote without a keyboard is impossible. It also did not work with my Bluetooth keyboard which works fine with Nexus 5, Hudl2. It did pair it OK, but nothing after that.
I tried big buck bunny, 4K, 60fps and it was mostly unwatchable. Glitchy dropped frames. Audio ahead. Pointless.
Kodi 16 was dead when clicking on video add ons. Not tried the nightly builds yet.
I tried a Philips UHD demo. Which seemed better. Initially, I tried both on a micro SD card and both the Philips UHD demo and BB Bunny were unplayable from a SDXC 80 Mbps card. Switching to a USB 2.0, only the Philips UHD Demo file was acceptable. Not as perfect as the 4K TV directly, but acceptable. I wonder if anyone has tried a better rated HDMI cable suitable for 4K? Possibly the HDMI cable is also a piece of junk for 4K? Also the two other issues. 1GB ram feels like a huge bottleneck. And the WIFI is awful. Only, 2.4GHz network and doesn’t even connect to my router, when every other device is fine.
On the plus side…I am sure it will play 1080p fine…but not what I bought this for. I guess I will have to pay twice and go for the Nvidia Shield TV. Are there any other suggestions that can compete with the Shield, because this was a painful lesson of pay cheap, get junk! Do Gearbest do refunds?
@Kasam
Don’t use Kodi on Amlogic S905 devices for now (unless maybe daily builds with some tweaks as explained by @
@Whiterat ). Video Player and MX Player handle video pretty well, again as long as you have an AV receiver, and don’t need DTS / Dolby down-mixing.
Forgot to mention, YouTube app has a hard limit of 1080p? Anyone know why?
VP9 codec issue? How do I even get a VP9 codec on Android or get the YouTube app in 4K?
I managed to use browser as desktop and YouTube desktop site to pick 4K. But super glitchy and won’t go full screen.
@Kasam
It could be yes. I’ve read YouTube only uses VP9 for 4K videos, and since S905 does not support VP9… I though the YouTube app had a limit to 720p…
In theory you might be able to software decode VP9 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-FudbJhRlA), but it will be super slow and basically unwatchable, if it even works.
Mini Mx Firmware 103L1:
USB image package：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTroe5h password：wd1g
USB Flash Tool：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1o65Zrqa password：jw5v
SD image：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1c0ukerQ password：yt2a
For the wifi performance, we have optimized it in the mass production batch..
Other bugs,we’ll fix them step by step by OTA.
What does mass production batch mean? How can we identify if we have a box from mass production. I bought it from Gearbest.
@Gabe
Mass production means production of large amounts of same devices. Production of samples (small amounts) for existing and potential customers is another thing.
If you bought your product from online store it came from MP batch for sure.
@Whiterat
I’m using an Onkyo receiver, and it’s asking for a 5-digit code for configuration. A code which I can find from the list @ http://www.onkyo.com/manual/txnr636/adv/en/075.html, but none of the Android TV box brands is listed…
HDMI-CEC works fine between the receiver and my LG TV however, and I can use the AV receiver remote control to control both the TV and receier, and in theory, I could control inputs too, but I’ve never been able to make it work with any device.
So I’ve been tried to study about HDMI CEC in Android to find the code. I can see some debug output:
But nothing with 5-digit. I can’t find anything in the CEC specs @ https://xtreamerdev.googlecode.com/files/CEC_Specs.pdf with regards to that 5-digit code either.
@oman
Would you know what that 5-digit CEC code might be for your box?
@oman
You said : [For the wifi performance, we have optimized it in the mass production batch..]. if that mean that the box’s that you will produce will have a modification to optimize wifi.
Question : what will be the solution for the people who bought a box on presale (for example Gearbest) ?
For DTS and DRM : will you offer an online service (a paid update) that will add DRM and DTS on SDK ?
@cnxsoft
For at least M8 devices you can try code 10362. This is vendor(0x1b8e)+device(0x0cec) converted to decimal. Thats only combination that gives me 5 digit code from cec driver of m8 kernel and it’s hardcoded.
@Stane1983
Thanks. But no luck, and I have still the same “This remote device does not support CEC” message in my box, after typing the code in the AV receiver.
The latest HDMI 2.0 driver has the same values:
I also tried “07054” (=0x1b8e), but no luck..
@oman
Could you please tell us starting from what serial number or other code of the box is the wifi better?
has anyone manager to download the links on baidu for sd card?
@oman cannot download sd card link as need an account because of size? can you upload to an engish site?
I’ve uploaded it to Mega:
https://mega.nz/#F!gYllUJZT!ImP51gNI-QfcQsJVIJ02Jg
I’ve got my box today. WIFI is OK on my box, I’ve tested with speedtest app: I get around 30 Mbps download & 40 Mbps upload speed. The date code(if it’s relevant) on the sticker of my box is 15.11.17(1) . I’ve tested CEC briefly & it works on Samsung H5500 series TV.
@gabe , thank you gabe have you tested kodi etc for video quality and speed etc
I figured out how to get the nav bar but pressing the down arrows doesn’t hide the notification bar.
It’s annoying having it floating above all apps.
Hello, I just got this unit yesterday. Setting up the whole system was no problem (got similar one from other vendor), but using SPDIF passthrough for the audio signal, I was not able to get it to work. Everytime I try to play a file (with DD or DTS audio), there’s a strange sound coming out of the speakers (hissing, continous beep etc.). It happens also when trying to send the signal through HDMI into the TV speakers. Thanks for any help, much appreciated.
@awakened
All I had to do was to set the correct output in Settings->sounds->Digital sounds, and both DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 worked with HDMI or S/PDIF pass-through. If you’ve already done that then there may be a compatibility issue with your receiver.
@cnxsoft
Strange, I have another box with the same HW specs working without this issue, the only difference is Android version.
Compare Amlogic S905 and Allwinner H3.
Beelink X2 TV Box and Beelink MINI MX
@Andrei
Allwinner H3 is comparable to Amlogic S805 in terms of performance, plus 4K (limited to 30 fps).
You can check an Allwinner H3 TV box review @ http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/08/04/zidoo-x1-review/
For S805 there was Customization tool from Amlogic which worked under Windows. But it doesn’t work with S905.
Just to clear out, right now the problem is gone after a sytem update, which was run automatically by the device itself the next time I turned it on. Still don’t know, what was the real cause, though.
Is there any TV box with 4K@ 60fps, smooth and 3GB+ of RAM and minimum 16GB or 32GB internal Storage?
1GB/8GB limits are crippling IMO.
@Kasam
Nvidia SHIELD Android TV.
Otherwise you need to get yourself a computer with an Nvidia GTX960 graphics card.
Has anyone successfully got DTS/HD or Dolby TrueHD passthrough working via HDMI in Kodi on this box? I am able to force dd 5.1 but for the life of me can’t passthrough the rest.
Any news on an openelec for the mini mx?
@Kasam
Nagrace HPH NT-V6
4GB RAM & 32GB ROM
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Nagrace-HPH-TV-BOX-of-RK3288-4G-32G-with-wireless-airmouse-2-4-G-remote-controller/1494386_2048811107.html
Without airmouse
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/HPH-RK3288-tv-box-NT-V6B-4G-32G-Storage-with-HDMI-2-0-With-AP6335-free/1494386_1999602114.html
$10 discount coupon – PROMHPH321WW – Put in order message and email seller on Aliexpress with it and your countries tax requirements.
You also get 2 free gifts with any order.
another advert mmm no thanks
So no news on openelec for the mini mx
@Number 63
Not yet. I’m sure I’ll be informed once/if there is a port, and write about it on CNX.
@Dave
I tried, no success…. i thought i could replace my xtreamer mk1, but no way : DD or DTS 5.1 is not working with kodi in passthrough.
MX player does not play the video smoothly… but plays DD 5.1… so basically unusable…
Very very disapointed…
@Dave
I tried, no success…. i thought i could replace my xtreamer mk1, but no way : DD or DTS 5.1 is not working with kodi in passthrough.
MX player does not play the video smoothly… but plays DD 5.1… so basically unusable…
Very very disapointed…
@fred
Moreo ver, no sleep mode in idle…. so it stays powered on…
@fred
Thanks for confirming. It is quite dissapointing that this is the case. I have a 3 year old Xtreamer Prodigy Black which this unit replaced and that had no problems dealing with HD Audio passthrough. In saying that, the higher bit-rate blu-ray rips have started to struggle on it so I’ve sacraficed HD Audio for totally playable video in Kodi on this new box. Hopefully an update to the device/Kodi will address this issue. Not holding my breath though 🙁
@Dave
@fred
Which version of Kodi have you been using? If you’ve used the one pre-installed, it might be worth trying one of the daily builds.
@cnxsoft
I’ve been using the pre-installed Kodi. How does one go about installing one of the daily builds on this box? Sorry.. complete noob! 🙂
@cnxsoft
I tried the 15.2 installed, jarvis ans spmc (13.3 i think…). No success.
gonna try the vidonxbmc to check…but i’m really doubtful.
@fred
@Dave
The daily build are available @ http://mirrors.kodi.tv/nightlies/android/arm/
Try the latest apk.
Vidon not working either. Except for dts sound surprisingly. But the video is stuttered… So exit vidon.
Perhaps i’ll give a try on the nightlies but for rel, i’m quite sure that android is not made for xbmc yet… Tonight i had to switch back to my xtreamer mk1 which is so old but plays almost everyhting i have without any problem…
So i think my xtreamer won’t be replaced unfortunately…
@Fred
Thanks for commenting ont he Vidon solution as I came across that the other day and wasn’t sure.
@cnxsoft
Is it easy to install apk’s to this system? Do we putty in to the device.. or?
@Dave
Yes, copy it on the system, and click on it to install it.
You may have to enabled unknown sources, but it will tell you if you need to do so, when you install it.
Any feedback about kodi nightly build and beelink mini mx ?
@cnxsoft I propose to add brand’s support services in your review ( if a brand have a website, forum and section to announce new firmware with changelog…)
I tried the nightly… No more luck.
The only waynto have 5.1 volume is really es explorer+mx player. But it is not really easy to control with the remote….
there is two new s905 device from beelink :
Beelink MX64 TV Box Android 5.1 (Bluetooth 4.0 2G 8G eMMC 2.4G / 5.8G WiFi 1000Mbps LAN ) 62$
Beelink M18 TV Box Android 5.1 (Bluetooth 4.0 2G 16G eMMC 2.4GHz / 5.8GHz WiFi 1000Mbps LAN) 69$
they have 2Go + eMMC but nothing is said about DRM or Dolby and DTS.
I ordered the mini mx one, now i understand what mini mean 🙂 and it’s the first time i hate a box before receiving it
Mini mx not so bad , issue with speed could be down to firmware and the cpu is set to hotplug, change it to performance and its much better , but when openelec comes should be a lot lot better.
@hxm
I agree. And that basically means that no effort will be made on firmware enhancement… beelink will just release new models every few months…
Beelink have already released 3 firmware updates for the mini mx, they are normally good with updates for their boxes. And no i dont work for beelink lol
What will be your feeling if you paid for a new car and in the first month they released a new version fixing all the issue discovered in the first one.
We paid for an unfinished product. The issue with Wifi can’t be fixed by firmware update.
@Number 63
Let’s face it. The three firmwares were correcting huge bugs… but there will be one more release, with no correction of very important things (like going to sleep ! how come the box has to stay awake in idle always…) It is not a phone wainting for a call, just a box for TV. And moreover there will not be any new functionnality…. nothing. But to be fair, Beelink is like a lot of other brands… those who are releasing a new product every few months so no way to follow firmwares for everyone…
Look the example of the wifi batch which will be corrected in the line of the process of fabrication : aka hardware correction on the next model or next rev of the model, so the early customers are abandonned… they bought so basically they don’t care really about them. what is important is the new customers who will buy the new box ! on the adverstisement saying 4K, audio passthrough, quad core (but not using hardware acceleration… etc….)
@hxm
Exactly what i’m saying. But as I said and to be honest, Beelink is not the only brand doing this… only few (and more expensive in fact) brands are really following their firmwares…
But wait and see… even if i don’t have much hope 🙁
Majority of android software is built on phone stuff so no surpise it has things like keybad etc in it. But thats life and for me im waiting for openelec so all these issues you bring up dont really affect me anyway. Majority of stuff in firmware is cross comatible anyway across s905 so firmware alterations or improvements in 1 will be passed to another. But its simple really , dont buy a mini mx wait 6 month for the new mx64 then have the same issue. By the way just because a company release a new product doesnt mean they abandon the one previously look at the m8 box it still gets firmware updates now some 2 year later so your theory is flawed.
The consumer will put everything in its place. If they do not correct deficiencies – not buy Fail! We could put the firmware source (SDK).
@oman
If you’ve got some input into the firmware dev team at beelink, could you please ask them to enable the xpad.ko module in the kernel build in the next release? I was able to build it myself and enable it due to the mini mx being rooted out of the box (hooray!), but it would be nice if that wasn’t required. This was needed to allow a Logitech F310 gamepad to work when plugged in to either of the USB ports. Presumably other would appreciate a couple of the related USB gamepad modules being enabled as well.
@Andrei
The DRM and Dolby can be fixed in the SDK. But where to found that modified SDK for s905…
@Joel Squire
Hi,
can you please, explain us how you did that?
Cause i’m trying to use my Xbox 360 wired USB controller, which is supposed to work out-of-the box on Lollipop, but on the Mini Mx, it doesn’t work!
I hope Beelink will enable pads controller support but for now, i hope you can help us do it ourselves.
Thank you.
I am not a developer Beelink MINI MX.
I have no SDK.
May dear cnxsoft will help to get the SDK developers Beelink MINI MX.
@Gee
Follow the instructions from earlier here to build the kernel.
Then run
make ARCH=arm64 menuconfig and enable the xbox controller module (it’s under Device Drivers/Input Device Support/Joysticks and Gamepads), and re-run make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- This will create drivers/input/joystick/xpad.ko. You need to transfer this file to your Mini MX. I used SSHDroid and WinSCP. Then, I ssh’ed into the Mini MX as root, chdir’ed to where I transferred xpad.ko to, and ran insmod xpad.ko
The hardest part was guessing that this was needed at all, after much staring at the logs and plugging and unplugging the gamepad. So at least you don’t need to do that 😉
If anyone more versed in Android modding could walk me through how to make this permanent now, I would appreciate it. As it is, I have to log in and insmod the module after each reboot of the Mini MX. I tried remounting /system read/write and adding the insmod to one of the init.rc files, but the change didn’t stick.
init.rc is in initramfs which is part of boot.img, so you have to modify it to make it stick. Or you could use init.d or an apk that runs scripts on startup(for insmod command)
@Joel Squire
Thank you very much.
Infortunaly, i’m not a linux guy and i think i need linux box installed to compile all that stuff!
It seems a bit complicated for me now but i will try cause i really want to learn.
Do you mind, send here, your xpad.ko if it’s compatible with the last firmware 103L1 get from OTA, please?
So anybody can transfer and run the install part of your instructions.
I think it will be helpful for all people like me without a linux enough skills to build a linux kernel.
Thanks you very much for your work and help.
Any chance we can review both the Beelink MX64 and M18 please? I just purchased the M18 Amlogic S905 this morning because I saw it on sale and it had many of the specs I wanted. However, after reading this I’m not so sure it was a good decision even though its a different model from the MINI. Would be nice to see what an expert who knows how to test stuff thinks about it and if its worth the $65 paid for it. Thanks
@Gee
Sure, try this.
So I managed to get TWRP installed but it looks like the firmware is 32 bit instead of 64 bit since it will only install 32 bit Xposed Framework
Standby mode works with CEC.
@Joel Squire
Thank you very much! You make my day…better…my year!
Following your instructions, I have just copied your file xpad.ko to a folder on my internal memory (/sdcard/myfolder/) via a usbkey.
Installed and launch a Terminal Emulator app and type theses commands:
su
insmod /sdcard/myfloder/xpad.ko
I plugged my Xbox 360 Wired controller and It works like a charm with my games: Riptide GP2, Soul Calibur, Shadow Gun, Modern Combat 5, NFS Most Wanted…
To make a bit permanent, i use a workaround: i just use the app Kernel Adiutor, which i already using to change my cpu governor to performance. I have a init.d emulation feature. I was able to create and edit a script putting the insmod command.
Infortunally, like you, it don’t apply automatically on boot, but i can just click to execute it, each time i want to use my pad. It’s better than opening a terminal and typing commands every time!
Thank you very much and Happy New year !
I tried to install the nightly Kodi build (.apk) but after attempting to install it says “App not installed”. I am not an Android expert so maybe I am doing something wrong?
Hi, great review. Have ordered one of these from Gearbest to replace an MXQ-85, this will be a small upgrade. As this unit runs Lollipop I’m planning to use an external DAC. Has anyone tried this successfully and is the volume controllable? This unit does not have an AV output and I will be stuck for getting audio into my amplifier without taking this approach.
Also does hardware acceleration with the Kodi amcodec now work properly? I have issues with this on the MXQ (blank screen) and have to use an old version of XBMC which works around this problem.
Hi,
I received my box today.
it updated to the last firmware. Kodi jarvis is working but when I launch kodimate to get kodi addon it did not work. i always get this message “please check your network and try again”
Any help please
MINI MX 103L1 firmware (no changelog)
SD Card Upgrade Download Link -> http://www.mediafire.com/download/717tu2c2k2hdr6d/s905_103L1_sdcard.zip
PC Upgrade Download Link -> http://www.mediafire.com/download/x2zq6vz9bu1bzei/s905_103L1.img
Openelec build is available for this device!!
http://amlinuxmedia.com/forum/index.php?topic=13.0
@freekwe
Hopefully they can iron out all the kinks
cnxsoft – MINI MX 104L1 has already. – Who has?
zRam used?
Firmware 104L1 is available.
@mbake5
Any changelog ?
@Whiterat
Hi,
You say, you flashed your with the OTG port. But how do you get an male to male OTG type A cable?
I have done the 104L1 update and it don’t boot and it stays stuck on the boot animation!
I hope i can flash the 103L1 img file with Amlogic USB Burning Tool but I can’t figure out how to make an OTG male to male cable!
Thank you for help
@Fred
It just says minor bug fixes. I noticed power off allows reboot and suspend. The interface seems quicker.
@Gee
I had the same question. I think any USB male a to male a cable will work but hopefully someone can confirm. That is a relatively uncommon cable but you can find it.
@mbake5
Yes, an male to male USB cable will do. Sometimes it’s included for devices with a full-size USB OTG port.
Thanks guys,
but unfortunately, a male to male usb cable i made doesn’t work.
i have linked wire by wire (red, green, white and black) from 2 usb males full-size connectors.
(I guess, maybe it don’t require the fifth pin that need to be shorted on a micro-usb connector to make OTG)
When plugged, the device seems powered (the front red light is on) but nothing happen on the PC.
Then i tried to plug it, pressing the recovery button hole… nothing!
I can’t understand why it fails to boot after the last OTA update and i’m desperate if i can’t figure out how to flash with an OTG cable.
Cant’ you use the SD card for flashing ? (asking never done it actually, but i read that it is possible… perhaps not on boot though)
I was also stuck at boot after the upgrade but managed to restore it using the SD card flashing method.
-Extract the _sdcard.zip folder contents to the root of a micro sdcard and insert the sdcard in your Mini MX
-Unplug the device
-Press and hold the recovery button on the bottom and plug in your device..hold until update starts
I didn’t lose any data in the process and after recovering I was able to do the upgrade to 104L1 without issues
Thanks for you suggestion but i already tried to flash with the sd card putting the 3 files from the rar provided here.
But it fails and return me to the recovery screen like this screenshot http://postimg.org/image/5moenlua7/
I can’t understand what the update messed up in my box.
I just hope my last chance to recover it is to flash via OTG but i need a male to male cable scheme!
I was able to install firmware via USB flash drive. At first it wouldn’t mount because of the size of the USB drive. It needs to be 32GB or less to mount. I partitioned the USB drive to less than 32GB and formatted with FAT32 filesystem. I copied the 3 files to the root of the partition and then at the recovery screen pick “Apply update from EXT”. Select the zip file and the upgrade will complete.
ok thanks for the hints, my SD Card is 16GB, i will try to make a 4GB partition
But how do you navigate throw the recovery to pick “Apply update from EXT”?
I connected a PC keyboard, i can move to highlight but can’t select with the Enter key!
I tried with a mouse but it doesn’t seem to work too.
Progress…I just used another mouse and i could try to flash picking the zip from the recovery menu.
But the flash fails, saying that it can’t apply a old build over a newer!
So i guess i need a 104L1 build to reflash it via SD Card…
Maybe someone, can provide me the l04L1 firmware in a SD Card package?
Thanks
Hi! I tried the OTA update, by after the package was downloaded, i got the message, that my system is damaged. I’m downloading the USB img file from http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s905/beelink-ac/548647-mini-mx-major-update%EF%BC%8Cthrough-ota-upgrading but have not a clue, hot to install this firmware. Any ideas ? 😛
You could install OpenELEC.
The stock firmware (104L1) has some minor video stuttering problems during playback using the latest Kodi nightly build. It is most noticeable during fast panning scenes. The built in MoviePlayer doesn’t seem to have that issue but all other players that I tested do have that problem including Kodi.
OpenELEC playback is perfect. Boot time is about 15 sec and uses very little memory since the install package is around 100MB.
Hi,
Use Openelec file (http://amlinuxmedia.com/downloads/alex/OpenELEC-MiniMX.arm64-7.0-devel-20160109002102-r21816-g767dc42.zip) to update via recovery sdcard.
When done, use 103L1 zip to flash via recovery from sdcard.
Then update to 104L1 online.
It work for me.
Hi,
Is it possible to flash openelec and the stock firmware sidebyside ? (So we can choose witch image to load on boot)
It doesn’t have dual boot capabilities like a WeTek. But if you don’t like OpenELEC then can you reload the stock firmware. OpenELEC is perfect if you intend for the device to only be a media center. If you want to install apps and browse the internet, etc. then you will need to use Android (stock firmware).
Thank you @mbake5 for your feedback
Good suggestion, but I use my box more for gaming/youtube/gmusic less for videos.
So i thought maybe i can install it then flash back to the stock firmware, as a workaround to my old over new firmware flash pb.
But I have seen on the forum, that on one of the last build of Openelec, after install, there is no more access to the recovery menu! Bad news if i flash this, maybe i never can’t revert back to stock!
I installed the latest build of OpenELEC and the recovery menu works fine. I was able to go from 103L1 -> 104L1 -> OpenELEC 20160109 -> 103L1. Now that I verified I can switch back and forth I will go back to OE.
Thank you very much, all of you, guys!
I just flashed Openelec via SDCard methos, then i flashed stock 103L1 firmware and it worked!!!
I made the 104L1 upgrade again and it works too!
Thanks! With that update/boot issue and your help here, i have learned a lot about this box, recovery methods and OTG cable!
“that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”
Hi guys. When i’m trying to perform OTA update, I got a message, that my system is damaged, and update failed. Is there anyone who encountered this kind of problem ? Is there any other way to perform an update ? Current firmware has terrible Wi-Fi signal strength, so I urge this update :/
@baro7
I was only able to get my firmware updated successfully by booting into the recovery bootloader and starting the upgrade from there, with the firmware image written to an sdcard. There’s an app on the app store that will force the boot into recovery mode.
Damn :/ I tried that. Update is starting automatically. But after 1-2 minutes, i got an error:
Formatting /data…
E:format_volume failed to unmount “/data”
Formatting /cache…
Data wipe failed.
Recovery is listening adb sideload…
Waiting adb sideload command…
E:Cannot load volume /misc!
I got no idea :/
@cnxsoft
Got the same issue :/ How did you managed this situation ?
If someone who has a working OTA update could post the u-boot env serverip value they have, I’d appreciate it.
Also, we need a better forum for discussing this stuff…
I don’t think everyone knows how to update this device. Here are some methods:
If you want to flash firmware from Android (easiest method):
Don’t use ‘Update&Backup’ Android app to update. It doesn’t work. Go to Settings…More Settings…About MediaBox…System Update. I don’t have Android anymore so I am going off of memory.
If you want to flash firmware via Recovery mode and SD card then:
Extract zip file to root of SD card (the following three files should be on the root of the card: a different zip file, factory_update_param.aml, and recovery.img. Make sure SD card is 32GB or less…FAT32 filesystem works…not sure about other filesystem types) -> Insert SD card -> Use toothpick to press button on bottom of device. Keep button depressed and plug power cord into device. Once the logo disappears then release button -> Device will automatically read SD card and update.
If you want to flash firmware via Recovery mode and USB flash drive then:
Extract zip file to root of USB flash drive (the following three files should be on the root of the drive: a different zip file, factory_update_param.aml, and recovery.img. Make sure flash drive is partitioned to 32GB or less…FAT32 filesystem works) -> Insert USB drive -> Use toothpick to press button on bottom of device. Keep button depressed and plug power cord into device. Once the logo disappears then release button. Pick ‘Install from EXT’ -> udisk -> Select
zip file. The update will proceed.
If you want to flash firmware from Windows then:
Download and install ‘AMlogic USB burning tool’. Load .img file into burning tool. Connect Mini MX (use USB port on side) to Windows via USB Male A to Male A cable. Power on Mini MX and start firmware upgrade from burning tool.
My god, I’m very happy that i refused the update….
Whatever, it does not bring anything really interesting in fact…
@mbake5
I did exactly what You described. I tried 1st, 2nd & 4th solution – all of them failed.
Main problem seems to be here:
Formatting /data…
E:format_volume failed to unmount “/data”
Formatting /cache…
Data wipe failed.
Someone has the same issue couple of posts earlier, with previous firmware version. I’m wondering, if he managed that somehow.
Can you wipe from the recovery mode? If not maybe you can flash to OpenELEC and then back to 103L1 like Gee did.
No, I can’t – the same problem. Hm, sounds like a plan, I try this definitely. Is there any tutorial I can refer to ? How to go back to Android from OpenELEC ?
hi,
That was exactly my problem a couple of days before.
To resume, here is everything i did to solve it (!!! this method will reset data !!!):
– get the Full build of Openelec (i used 20160109 build) http://amlinuxmedia.com/forum/index.php?topic=13.0
– extract the 3 files to usbkey (somebody advise here to better use partition under 32GB)
– plug the usbkey, mouse and hdmi
– plug the power, pressing the recovery button/hole with a touchpick
– it will fails to flash and bring you to the recovery screen
– on the menu choose “Apply update from EXT” and choose the zip of Openelec
– It will flash, then you can reboot from the menu
Let openelec starts, then just shutdown.
– get the SD Card package of the 103L1 firmware ( .rar file: https://mega.nz/#F!gYllUJZT!ImP51gNI-QfcQsJVIJ02Jg)
– extract the 3 files to usbkey (don’t forget to delete previous Openelec files)
– plug the usbkey, mouse and hdmi
– plug the power, pressing the recovery button/hole with a touchpick
– it will fails to flash again and bring you to the recovery screen
– on the menu choose “Apply update from EXT” and choose the p200-ota-20151127.zip
– It will flash, then you can reboot from the menu
It will start and then you can go to setting, “more setting”, About and check for the new firmware.
Then make the 104L1 update and this time, everything is OK!
Good luck, guys!
@Whiterat
Mini MX Software update，Firmware Version: S905_104L1
Based versions: s905_103L1
Updated content：
1.Default open wifi；
2.Solve the problem of time synchronization；
3.Using a 12-key remote control under the condition of Recovery mode；
4.The Power button of remote control pop-up menu (sleep, shutdown and restart)；
5.Support customization bt MAC address；
6.Solve the LED light in the sleep and shutdown state display of purple;
7.Wifi signal improved;
8.Storage holding public version modification;
9.Airplay support ios9;
10.Optimize the UI refresh rate;
11.Solve the problem of DMP function can not be used;
12.Optimization of DDR parameters, solving the problem of individual board crashes;
13.Solve the problem of low probability screen play black;
14.Solve the problem of network picture stuck;
15.Solve the problem of online video not synchronized to the audio;
16.Solve the problem of OMX play dropped frames;
17.Solve the problem of individual TS video broadcast shaking;
18.Solve the problem of playing 4k 265 files screen crashed when is set to 4: 3pan scan and 4: 3combined format;
19.Solve the problem of playing 4K 264 30fps files dropped frames;
20.Solve the problem of special live sources get stuck;
21.Solve the problem of HDMI spread through DD + video without sound;
22.Solve the problem of broadcasting 100s_80Mbps.mp4 images continuously get stuck;
23.Solve the CVBS output under the condition of standby wake black screen problem;
24.Solve the low probability problem of factory reset black screen after boot video for the first time;
25.Solve the problem of wrong UI screen after boot;
26.Solve the problem of black screen when CVBS output under the condition of standby wake;
27.The keep mode has increased a lower state limit setting of temperature control;
28.Compatible Nand&Emmc with same code;
29.Solve the problem of when high bit rate video 32 times fast forward and rewind operation results in menu bar get stuck;
30.Solve the music player problem founded by Monkey Test.
Mini MX Major Update，Through “FOTA” Upgrading
1.Wifi signal enhancement,wifi the throughput test data showed
2.Test environment:Living Room
3.Test distance:Eight meters
4.Data: As shown
Users can upgrade online
USB–brush machine file：
Chained address：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1hqQHDhq password：lskd
Card–brush machine file：
Chained address：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1pJW9cgF password：colz
@fred
Mini MX Software update，Firmware Version: S905_104L1
Based versions: s905_103L1
Updated content：
1.Default open wifi；
2.Solve the problem of time synchronization；
3.Using a 12-key remote control under the condition of Recovery mode；
4.The Power button of remote control pop-up menu (sleep, shutdown and restart)；
5.Support customization bt MAC address；
6.Solve the LED light in the sleep and shutdown state display of purple;
7.Wifi signal improved;
8.Storage holding public version modification;
9.Airplay support ios9;
10.Optimize the UI refresh rate;
11.Solve the problem of DMP function can not be used;
12.Optimization of DDR parameters, solving the problem of individual board crashes;
13.Solve the problem of low probability screen play black;
14.Solve the problem of network picture stuck;
15.Solve the problem of online video not synchronized to the audio;
16.Solve the problem of OMX play dropped frames;
17.Solve the problem of individual TS video broadcast shaking;
18.Solve the problem of playing 4k 265 files screen crashed when is set to 4: 3pan scan and 4: 3combined format;
19.Solve the problem of playing 4K 264 30fps files dropped frames;
20.Solve the problem of special live sources get stuck;
21.Solve the problem of HDMI spread through DD + video without sound;
22.Solve the problem of broadcasting 100s_80Mbps.mp4 images continuously get stuck;
23.Solve the CVBS output under the condition of standby wake black screen problem;
24.Solve the low probability problem of factory reset black screen after boot video for the first time;
25.Solve the problem of wrong UI screen after boot;
26.Solve the problem of black screen when CVBS output under the condition of standby wake;
27.The keep mode has increased a lower state limit setting of temperature control;
28.Compatible Nand&Emmc with same code;
29.Solve the problem of when high bit rate video 32 times fast forward and rewind operation results in menu bar get stuck;
30.Solve the music player problem founded by Monkey Test.
Mini MX Major Update，Through “FOTA” Upgrading
1.Wifi signal enhancement,wifi the throughput test data showed
2.Test environment:Living Room
3.Test distance:Eight meters
4.Data: As shown
Users can upgrade online
How to upgrade to the latest version of it?
The following settings:Settings—-More setting—-About devices—-System Update
USB–brush machine file：
Chained address：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1hqQHDhq password：lskd
Card–brush machine file：
Chained address：http://pan.baidu.com/s/1pJW9cgF password：colz
included zRams in Firmware Version: S905_104L1?
@Andre
yes，MX Mini system which comes with memory compression technology！
@Eric
Thanks for the changelog. Shame HD Audio Passthrough in Kodi is still an issue :/
Thank you,
i also had the update error and could only via the OTG the 103L1 new install. Can I now the 104L1 just about installing and my settings are retained? Or do I need to take the card-file.
I have no more faith in the update function 🙁
edit: the download of pan.paidu …card-file is down …usb file is very slowly and aborts. I try tomorrow again.
Can some check if he has the pvr clients ? On mine with stck firmware 104 and all plugin downloaded from kodi mate, there no pvr client at all on kodi ?
Please help
Have a S905_104L1_sdcard downlod found and over recovery install. In freaktab has a nice user to dropbox uploaded.
Finally done 🙂
@mbake5
same problem here, did you managed to update kodi ?
Yes, I uninstalled the version of Kodi that came with the box and installed the most recent nightly build of Kodi. It worked without issues.
@Gee
Thx a LOT! It works like a charm now. WiFi strength is ok now. Thx for help!
@Gee
Thanks. Used your methods but after flashing OpenElec I flashed 104L1 right away. Since it’s already downloaded. Worked fine.
Hi so basically, to sum up, we shoudl’nt apply the ota, but downloading the 104 and apply through sd card directly on 103l1 is ok ? But is it worth ? 104l1 vs 103l1 is really useful ?
thanks.
To me, its finally worth the money I spent on this device 🙂
Hi,
I noticed that with spmc I got on video\acceleration information ( multi threaded software decoding; libstagefright; MediaCodec). And with kodi I got (allow hardware acceleration amcodec; MediaCodec ).
On SPMC it’s software decoding not using amlogic hardware acceleration.
If someone installed nightly build of kodi beta, can he check if he has software or hardware acceleration and post feedback
Kodi Rc 1 is out how can update beta?
Unfortunately i have an error when i do OTA update “Check Faild! Check your OTA servier argent” 🙁
Any idea….
Firm :104L./KODI beta 3git
@azozoh
I don’t think MINI MX supports OTA updates.
So you can try to download and install it manually using the apk on kodi.org. Backup the Kodi version on your device first, in case Kodi 16 RC1 does not work well with it.
@cnxsoft
Thaks 🙂 I’ll try it …:)
And wiat next update mx ….
Hi,
Mini mx has the ota update for firmware.
to update applications you can use google palystore…but for kodi the rc1 is not published on playstore nore all the night release.
i tried to update kodi to the last 16 rc1 by downloading the apk from kodi.tv but i got error and the instalation abort 🙁
Has someone did succed on that update ?
@cnxsoft
And what is Kodi mate ?
@azozoh
I’ve explained it in the review (I wrote it KodiMate without space). It’s just an app that installs add-ons.
thak you withot space 😉
It’s an addon …i see,
But where can find to install it…i uninstall i think its an useless app unfortunately…
@azozoh
It’s not that useful, as you can find other add-ons installer apps on the web.
But if you really want kodimate apk, check out http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/rk3688-devices-aa/beelink-rk3368/535190-occasional-global-stuttering?p=542825#post542825
Thanx 🙂
@hxm
Yes, i did it yesterday. I had to uninstall the 16b3 before though.
It didn’t work as update
regards
I read:
9.Airplay support ios9
How is this working, I’ve not been able to stream anything from mi Ipdat to the Mini Mx.
Maybe it’s not on stock firmware and an app is needed?
Thanks
hi guys, may be someone will be interesting my experience, the link to the files is in the description of the video
Replacement launcher, change the boot animation, change kodi.
https://youtu.be/RFwiJsKCGNk
@Agratam
Thank’s for your feedback.
Question : After the installation of kodi 16 RC1, Did KodiMate worked for you to installed the extra addons ?
regards
@pseudobacon
How did you get TWRP & Xposed installed on it?
Can you send me the link for the files please?
105L1 firmware. It should work OTA, but in case they’ve also provided the images for:
USB update: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1hrpTh5q password：ckcl
burning tool: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kUkxk2b password：arqn
Changelog:
1.Make wifi MAC address customization;
2.Update Kodi for the official website of the Kodi 16 BETA5, to solve the problem of Kodi 4K video playback;
3.Solve the problem of screen broken when played a part of 4k video sources;
4.Support HLS V5 libplayer;
5.Solve the problem of the probability occurrence of picture frame problem when continuously testing UHD video playback;
6.Solve the problem of MXplayer stuck and progress bar abnormal when playing local video;
7.Solve the problem of mpeg2 dash video can’t play;
8.Solve the problem of screen stuck when playing rtspH265 video;
9.Solve the problem of playing some of the online video is not synchronized;
10.Solve the problem of screen black when playing some of H265 video;
11.Solve the problem of occasionally flash full screen stripes when switching channels;
12.Solve the problem of HDMI Passthrough play TRUE-HD audio track video silent and screen stuck;
13.GPU optimized;
14.Support Google Widevine L3;
15.Solve the problem of some online video play pause after a period of time can’t restore play;
16.Solve the problem of connecting the mobile hard disk to display the total storage space is only 10M;
17.Solve the problem of restart and serious stuck after running long time game;
18.Solve the first broadcast truehd audio broadcast other video again hdmi passthrough silent problem;
19.Solve the problem of WiFi transmit picture too slow;
20.Solve the CVBS video broadcast and then switch to HDMI video down to the upper left corner but exit back to normal;
21.Solve the problem of 4K H264 video broadcast images randomly flashing;
22.Solve the udp streaming multicast embedded dvdsubtitle dolby sound ts stream cannot display subtitles problem;
23.Solve the problem of unable to play HLS MP4 stream;
24.Solve the problem of screen blackout after network adaptive video seek;
25.Solve the problem of no subtitles when stream HLS V5 under .vtt format;
26.Solve the probability of occurrence of a black boot that need to plug HDMI line recovery problem;
27.Solve the problem of no output or output screen flashing after the standby wake up;
28.Solve the switch from HDMI to CVBS restart and then cut back to HDMI output appears the problem of the white image;
29.Solve the problem of no output after standby awakening even pull plug HDMI line;
30.Solve the problem of stuck on the boot image;
Source: http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s905/beelink-ac/553194-mini-mx-software-update%EF%BC%8Cfirmware-version-s905_105l1
Hi, someone tried OTA from 102L1 to 105L1 straight ? I don’t want to manage a boot loop problem…
Hi all, i buyed Plater MX64 http://www.amazon.it/Plater-Lollipop-Quad-core-Bluetooth-Doube-sided/dp/B019DC8A7K
but i think that hw is the same of Minix. Could i try to upgrade firmware with openelec procedure and after 105L1 ?
@Armando Basile
No, that won’t work. Openelec for the Mini MX won’t work on that device.
@Mark Baker
Do you know if is possible to use 105L1 firmware for this device Plater MX64 ?
unfortunately my usb game controller don’t work:(
Hi,
To make your pad controller, you need the module: xpad.ko
See, Joel Squire’s posts and mine, in this thread, to know how install this module.
It works very well with my Xbox 360 controller.
Thanks and all credits to Joel Squire!
@hxm
Sorry for the late answer. Yes KodiMate is still working when updating Kodi
@Gee
And please share mx complied xpad.ko 🙂
THX
thank’s for your feedback
Have a look at Joel Squire posts, please.
He has done a great job, compiling the module and sharing it with useful instructions.
He shared it in this thread
http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/12/04/beelink-mini-mx-review/#comment-520723
I finally, make it apply automatically on boot using the init.d script emulation of this app: Kernel Adiutor.
@Gee
THX :9 i will try it …
It will be good in the next update 😉
If you’re talking about the xpad module, i think yes.
I use the same file with updates 103L1, 104L1 and now 105L1!
Joel Squire, who compiled it, may know and explain better
Unless they upgrade the kernel version (which seems unlikely unless without an android version update as well), the module I compiled should continue working across updates. Hopefully they’ll build this module in an a future release, it’s just one flag that they have to change :/
Unless they upgrade the kernel version (which seems unlikely without an android version update as well), the module I compiled should continue working across updates. Hopefully they’ll build this module in an a future release, it’s just one flag that they have to change :/
Been running this box for a couple of weeks now as a slight upgrade to the MXQ 85 I had previously. I wasn’t at all impressed with Android Lollipop running on this, it didn’t seem to run as smooth as the older MXQ box which had the s805 with the 4.4 version of android. I was getting stutters and lag in android switching between menus. Also some other issues like not being able to run Kodi minimised in the background, the volume control in Kodi would not work with my external DAC, 100% or mute only. Decided to ditch Android and use Openelec. Now Kodi runs smoothly and stable, there are no issues, even the volume control now functions how I want with my external DAC. So my view is this is a great media player if you run Openelec on it.
Hey Joel, that is some impressive work you’ve done there! I think I am facing a somewhat similar problem right now. I am using a HannsG 231HPB multitouch display which does not work with the Mini MX. It seems that the hid-multitouch module is not implemented into the kernel. Do you think I can compile my own hid-multitouch module and ssh’ed, chdir’ed and insmod’ed similar the way you did it?
Thanks!
@Luttwich
Seems like it should work. I took a quick look at he module code, and it looks like it’s standalone. Give it a try!
I have been using this player for past few weeks. I wanted to run it in portrait mode. I tried to change ro.sf.hwrotation=90 in build.prop. But it was not working. Does the stock rom support screen rotation? Please excuse me, if it is not right forum to ask this question.
Thanks!
Excellent review – learned much from it.
I have MX Plus box. I was using PlayOn XMBC to play videos (because it is able to passthrough DTS-MA & E-AC3 unlike MX Player). I was under the impression that box is supposed to output 720p video resolution when I play a 720p media (allowing TV to upscale). Instead, I get the output matching resolution that I have configured in Android->Settings->Display (seems weird). I tried setting it to “Auto” but then it always falls to 720p, even when I play 4K media.
Is there a way to configure this to output the original resolution of the media?
Thanks a lot.
@Bandu
Usually, you set the resolution to the maximum / optimal for your TV / receiver, then the TV box just output to that resolution either upscaling or downscaling. So once you’ve set a resolution, I have not seen the apps change the output resolution, however if you have enabled automatic frame rate then refresh rate will be update accordingly.
Is there any reason you prefer upscaling being done by the TV instead of the box?
@cnxsoft
Thanks for the quick reply!
I was under the impression that my expensive TV can do a better job of upscaling :). I could be wrong.
So, as you advised, I have tried to set Display Resolution to 4K (and also 1080p) but when I wake up the box from sleep, it has automatically fallen back to 720p (even if ‘auto adjust’ setting is off).
Could there be something else causing this issue?
Thanks!
@Bandu
I have the same problem, as many Amlogic S905 are buggy when it comes to video output selection… I don’t have a solution, except waiting for a firmware upgrade.
@cnxsoft
Thanks for clarifying that. I was scratching my head until hair falls off. I shall too wait then.
To make sure I understood this correctly:
Regardless of the player I use (MXPlayer or VidOn), it will produce the video in the same resolution that is set under Android-Settings-Display-Resolution (except frame rate switching done by player). Correct?
Next Q: I am using a USB hard disk to store my media. When I set the box to OFF (standby mode), USB disk continue to rotate. Is there a way to turn the disk off (I am assuming continue running will reduce my disk’s life time)? Or shouldn’t I worry about it?
@Bandu
That’s my experience about video output.
A device properly implemented should turn off the device in power off mode. Sadly not all of them are doing this properly, but during my testing my HDD was off when it turned K1 Plus off.
hi,
is it possible to have dual boot so we can launch openelec from sdcard with that box ?
thank’s
When will s905_106L1……..
Hello Guys!
Received my Mini mx last week and the software is buggy, also after last update.
But the box itself is beautiful and Kodi 16 Jarvis final version works fine 🙂
But, I tried to unroot the box because I can’t use it with my IPTV providers ITV app.
I bought the box for watching IPTV via that app and for Kodi.
Unrooted with a app from Playstore, but
that unfortunatly bricked my device…
Thanks to this forum I’ve managed to get it working again 🙂
Nothing worked, SD-card update, USB burning tool etc.
So I tried to install Open-Elec, that worked with the SD card update method.
After that tried to install S905_105L1 and yesssss, it works again!
Now waiting for S905_106L
hi guys, does anybody knows what kind of IR receiver stays inside?
I set my Harmony600 succesfuly to replace the bundled remote, hurray, i’m happy.
But I would like to set zhe play/pasue etc. buttons to work also (which are not in the remote originaly), so I tried MS mediaplayer setting and tested with KODI addon Keymapper, but it seems it cannot see any command.
So, is it possible to select any remote device to send any command it can interpret?
ALso a 106L pretty waited:) I’ve heard Tronsmart updated their S905 device with a fancy changelog.
When will be published the next firmware? Do you know ?
Is there any chinese website where we can see?
I am interested to buy beelink minimx 2gb+16gb version, but i am afraid because of the problems mentioned in review. I read in your posts that with OTA updates some of them are solved. How is your minimx kodi and android experience with the latest update (which is it? – 105L?) and what are the basic problems remaining?
When I try to add a Google account (or when I open GooglePlay app), I get an error “can’t establish a reliable connection”. Anyone knows how to get around this issue? My network connection is working and this problem is only when accessing Google – it looks like. Thanks!
I bought the 1gb+8gb version recently. I succesfully replaced the provided remote (broken 🙁 ) with another one based on NEC IR protocol (WDTV live remote control). I followed this guide (http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/aml872mx/tronsmart-ab/firmware-roms-tools-ab/9997-prometheus-universal-remote-setup-for-any-amlogic-board-with-ir).
After the first run, I successfully installed the proposed latest software android release. Then, I had no problem to access the Google PlayStore and installed new applications (latest Kodi 16 release). The device is already rooted when delivered, so you do not need to install any other apps. I installed ssh server on it, and it runs pretty well.
I also tested Linux/OpenElec/Kodi 6.1RC2 installed over a MicroSD card (Android install is kept untouched). It runs very well too with HEVC/H.264 1080p video playing and also PVR (TvHeadEnd client).
Hi roor, can you explain how you did to run openelec from sdcard without erasing android.
I have managed to solve the issue by performing a factory reset. (If anyone else having the same issue).
@hxm
Hi hxm,
Just follow the instructions here: http://www.futeko.com/newforum/index.php?topic=638.0
For more information, you may register and read the developer forum thread dedicated to OpenElec over MiniMX :
http://amlinuxmedia.com/forum/index.php?topic=13.0
@roor
Hi, do you think I can use the minimx OE image to MX64 too, or I have to find other image file?
@junkpod
I don’t think so. Even if SoC is identical, there are many differences between MX64 and MiniMx. Wifi specs are different, USB-OTG, 2GB RAM, may be Gigabit PHY is different… I don’t know if there is one available OE image for MX64. You may have a try getting the DTD file from the android image and replacing on OE image.
Have you tried Avdshare Video Converter which can Convert all PS3 unsupported MP4 to PS3 supported video formats with the highest converting speed.
Can I turn off WIFI and Bluetooth for this box? (this is quite important for me). If yes how?
In that case playing 1080p from DOK is flawless?
Guys! Update s905_106l Is out now!
I succesfully update the box via OTA
@SvD
Hi, from which version ? I’m still with the original factory version, as i don’t want to brick it…and moreover, there’s not really enhancements… Passthrough does not work with kodi, autoframerate, etc….
@fred
From version s905_105l
@tomer
You can see WiFi and Bluetooth settings @ https://youtu.be/6wRO4NF7phg?t=6m43s
There’s a slider to turn on and off the options. But if you don’t trust the firmware, you could also unsolder the Wirelesss module -> http://www.cnx-software.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Netxeon_S95_V2.0_Board_Large.jpg
I’ve not tried DOK.
@SvD
did you receive it from OTA ?
I haven’t seen it.
@Knoxx Yes I did receive it from OTA. When I plugged in the poweradapter, there was a pop-up:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=1AB826D3FF90E739!9596&authkey=!AOTkR9rhZB3KKjc&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg
oups … I missed the OTA sentence. I’ll try to force the update.
Any changelog ?
It only says: minor bugfixes
The new firmware has Kodi 16.0 stable version, nice!
i cant make work extendedInfo script on Kodi 16.0, i have an error:
“ERROR: CAddonInstallJob[script.extendedinfo]: The dependency on xbmc.python version 2.0.0 could not be satisfied.”
@cnxsoft
Thanks for your answer.
Where exactly is the wireless module? Is the Bluetooth there too? And is it straightforward to open the box and to remove it?
@tomer
It’s the AP6212 module (small green PCB) on the right of the PCB in the picture, that you’d need to unsolder with a soldering iron and solder pump (“solder sucker”) or/and unsolder wire. That’s the most difficult part. AP6212 has both Bluetooth and WiFi.
Opening the box is rather easy, and I briefly explain how to open it in the teardown post @ http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/11/23/mini-mx-4k-android-media-player-unboxing-and-teardown/.
@cnxsoft
Thanks! As I’m not interested in taking out the module in working condition, can I just cut the voltage to the unit or damage it in an easier way?
@tomer
You could try. You’d need to locate the voltage pins with a multi-meter.
@cnxsoft
Can you explain how? I guess I have to do this when the box is connected to the main….
@tomer
Connect one lead to GND, and check all signals around the module. Anything with 5V, 3.3 V, or 1.8V needs to be unsoldered. Now I think just unsoldering the module would be easier. It can always be soldered back later if somehow you need WiFi or Bluetooth.
@cnxsoft
Thanks again. I guess I’ll go for unsoldering. Btw do you have a guide comparing different boxes? I consider also
the Tronsmart MXIII or Ms8+ for wired FHD only via OE. Anyway unsoldering the wireless units for them would be the same?
@tomer
Yes removing the wireless module will do the same on all devices.
Got one of those
Started it, hooked to wifi, downloaded update, reboot, stuck for ever on boot logo.
Is this box dead forever or can I resurrect it still? The firmware links pasted above are dead. Is there an official support email for this box anyone knows?
@Tony See my earlier post, this should work.
@roor
Hi Roor, i tried to boot from SD on Openlec, following your post link, but no way. It is booting on Mini MX and i can see the SD Card in the file manager. But no way to boot from it… is there anythintg special to boot on it ?
I used linux and disk image writer to restore the img on the SD card.
Firmware 106L1 @ https://www.mediafire.com/?3nhuuo4be2sza7r
This requires flashing with USB burning tool. It looks like it is for MINI MX Ver 1.0 with 2GB RAM, 16GB storage. Not sure whether it would work on the model reviewed here.
Changelog:
1. Minor bugfixes.
2. Kodi 16.0 final.
More details @ http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s905/beelink-ac/564876-mini-mx-software-update%EF%BC%8Cfirmware-version-s905_106l1
@fred
I got the same issue as i explained in the post [http://www.futeko.com/newforum/index.php?PHPSESSID=07cc4878237faeae5cfe39f996f81443&topic=638.msg4357#msg4357]
try to launche update & restore, choose any zip file and clicke on update, after the reboot, i choose to reboot on bootloader. after that the arlinuxmedia will be launched correctly. (probably going to bootloader made the box able to boot from and SDCARD).
How is the performance if I boot OPENELEC from microSD? Is it enough for FHD playing?
@hxm
Hi,
thank you for your answer. But just a small question : what zip file i use ? I’m still on the original firmware, and i don’t update because i’m afraid of the reboot loop issue a lot of people had… So what zip file can i use ?
Choose any zip file not containig upgrade…the deal is to enter the recovery mode once and choose reboot in bootloader.
Other have rebooted the box into recovery by pressing the small button in the pin hole.
Good luck.
On sdcard openelec boot very quickly faster than loading android + you will have more free memory than on android…give it a try and give feedback.
With time you will notice that having only 1go of ram is not good. The v2 of that box have 2go.
I mean – how is the performance with micro SD OPENELEC compared to regular installation of OPENELEC?
@tomer why do you need to remove wifi and BT module?! What the hell are you doing?
@cnxsoft i’m trying to use my external USB DVD player to playback DVD movies with Kodi but Android is unable to mount the DVD player for some reason, do you have any idea. Here is the log:
[81832.871153@1] usb 2-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 25 using dwc_otg
[81832.996013@2] usb-storage 2-1.4:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[81832.997384@2] scsi30 : usb-storage 2-1.4:1.0
[81834.022377@2] scsi 30:0:0:0: CD-ROM TSSTcorp CDDVDW SE-S084C TS01 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
@int0x13
The DVD player is detected, so it’s probably because the file system driver is not compiled in the system.
In Linux, you can check with:
cat /proc/filesystems
and you should see “iso9660”. I think it should be the same in Android.
If it is missing, you may have to compile the module yourself.
@cnxsoft the DVD player is detected, but it’s not mounted, i tried to mount manually but failed.
Here is the output of the command:
http://pastebin.com/1WwHBysZ
iso9660 is in the list. So i guess it’s a matter of mounting the DVD player, but so far i dont find the solution. Thank you.
@int0x13
I refrain from using appliances which emit RF radiation. So I want to try to do it via hardware and software together.
Can I do this turn WIFI off when OE is booted from a microSD? e.g. by putting there something like a batch file?
@tomer
Actually just making sure the driver does not load should be OK, and you could also delete the Wifi firmware for even more piece of mind. I don’t know what kind of radiation a WiFi module emits when it’s powered on, but not in use.
@int0x13
maybe try those steps: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-x86/ib3oZgGqNEY
@cnxsoft, i tried all that, but the device sr0 does not exist. I need to compile some kernel module. First i need to setup the toolchain in order to do that. I need the modules called sr_mod.ko cdrom.ko for Arm64 architecture.
@cnxsoft
This sounds great – again how do you make sure the driver does not load @ delete the Wifi firmware? sorry for my unsavviness..
@tomer
Use lsmod to check the modules loaded
Then study which one may be related to your wifi module, and delete the corresponding .ko file.
The wifi firmware is normally located in /lib/firmware if I recall correctly.
I have almost a fully working ubuntu on this MiniMX :
– boot : ok
– shell : ok
– ubuntu mate : ok
– sound : ok
– wifi : ok
– bluetooth : ok
– kodi with hardware acceleration : ok (no 4k)
– cec : unknow
– ir remote : no
thanks for @cnxsoft blog, it helped a lot.
you can find most of the instructions here :
http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s905/beelink-ac/562425-lubuntu-possible-on-s905
I’ll push an sdcard image soon.
ir remote is now working 😉
@Koxx
You did a great job my friend. Can you help me to make work externa DVD player, i need some kernel module. You have the toolchain ready, maybe you can help me.
Into make menuconfig, i need this module:
“CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR=m”
I need those files:
cdrom.ko
sr_mod.ko
Thank you.
@int0x13
it’s very easy to recompile the kernel :p
4 command lines, and it’s over 🙂
I’ll test.
I still have some cleaning to do, then I’ll publish the ubuntu image.
to rebuild the kernel and install it :
odroid@odroid64:~/linux$ LOCALVERSION= make -j4
odroid@odroid64:~/linux$ sudo make modules_install
odroid@odroid64:~/linux$ sudo cp -f arch/arm64/boot/Image /media/boot/
odroid@odroid64:~/linux$ sync
odroid@odroid64:~/linux$ sudo reboot
I’ve just cleaned up and rebuilt with your module.
The full ubuntu will be available in 1h 😉
Ubuntu image for MiniMX is ready !
http://koxx3.mooo.com:8086/minimx_ubuntu.zip
1 – use win32image or dd to copy it on sdcard, and inserd sdcard in minimx
2 – unplug minimx power
3 – press reset button under the box and keep it pressed
4 – replug minix power, and wait until minimx first logo image disappear
5 – release the reset button
6 – wait for boot 😉
Hello,
A big thank you for the Ubuntu image.
you are welcome ! it is working on your minimx ?
To Koss, I can not tested before 1 week, I am not in my home.
@Koxx
My sd card is ready, before i try i just want to be sure, it’s not risky for the original firmware? It’s just a sdcard boot right? It wont erase the original firmware ? No brick risk?
On the original firmware, i wanted to say that i’ve extracted both sr_mod.ko and cd_rom.ko and i’ve installed them under /system/lib and insmod them. It’s feezing the system when i insmod sr_mod.ko.
So far no success to mount my USB DVD player. I will try with your Ubuntu image if there is no risk.
@int0x13
no worries, it doesn’t touch anything to the internal memory 😀
Ok then i will try now.
By the way here is the output of dmesg when i try to insmid sr_mod.ko module:
http://pastebin.com/WJPg1kDC
When you say:
“4 – replug minix power, and wait until minimx first logo image disappear”
Do you talk about the log with “Welcome Hi” and the bear or the next step with the “Mini MX” logo popup?
yeah, it’s working. I can see the bootlog. What is the root password? 🙂
Ok, found out the password is odroid in the meantime. I will check more in details. There is an X Daemon to enable a GUI interface?
First you have an issue with the process brcm_patchram_p it’s eating 100% cpu all the time. It’s dangerous because it will cause the device to heat up a lot.
@int0x13
I don’t have any trouble with bluetooth … weird.
You can use this to disable it at startup:
sudo systemctl disable bt-up
To start with graphical desktop after reboot :
sudo systemctl enable lightdm
Login/pwd : odroid / odroid
I create a new post here for more infos :
http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s905/beelink-ac/568654-ubuntu-for-sdcard
The 100% cpu process is this issue for me:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bluetooth-touch/+bug/1236247
Do you have the mini MX 1GB RAM or the 2GB ram version? I have the version 1GB of ram. Is it enough to run smoothly ubuntu?
I’ve tried to start firefox and it was not running (stuck at init), same for chrome. I will do more testing.
About my external DVD player. I dont know why but i cant see it with lsusb. (I can see it with LSUSB on stock firmware). Maybe my USB device is blacklisted, i will check.
@int0x13
yes, in fact, I have the same issue sometimes (didn’t notice).
it would be better to continue this discussion on freaktab forum (easier).
firefox is fixed in my new release (check freaktab).
for bluetooth, I don’t understand the fix.
Yes, I have the 1Gb. X11 isn’t smooth (depend of sdcard speed, and no yet X11 hardware accel).
there are many openelec image on the web:http://amlinux.ru/image/devel/
mini mx, k1 plus,M8,M8S, many many
dose it from amlinuxmedia.com?
has any one try? does it support usb tuer?
Openelec works great, better than kodi on android.
i used a usb stick to install it on the internal flashdrive.
U can also use a sd card.
There are some minor bugs, but its alot better then android.
– hdmi passthrough works, only DTS-hd does not work (yet)
Just create an account on http://amlinuxmedia.com/forum/index.php?topic=13.540 there is a whole topic about it.
Now 107L firmware is up by ota 🙂
But i don’t know what is the update …..
Firmware 107L1 (20160420) Changelog :
1. Optimization system
2. Minor bug fixes
Beelink is working on a forum (http://www.bee-link.com/forum.php)
THX 🙂
Does amlinux work on the new Beelink Mini MXIII too?
@Fossxplorer: I just got Mini MX III, Antutu 6.1.4 score 36,231. Details breakdown are significantly different from MX though. I don’t know how to interpret them, not sure if they are from different hardware, or different version of benchmark software.
@whoever
There’s a simple reason for the difference. I ran Antutu 5.x at the time, but since then Android 6.x has been released, and results are not comparable.
On OpenElec, DTS-HD and MA is fixed 😉
Hey guys,
I’ve switched my mediaboxes because of a problem with IPTV apps. I have a Minix Neo 8H and a Beelink Minix. With the Beelink I cannot use the providers IPTV app because the box is rooted. In the past I watched tv using a app on the mediabox in my bedroom but it does not work anymore. On the Minix-Neo the app still works, so I exchanged both boxes:
First my Minix-Neo was in the living room, it is in my bedroom now. The Beelink is now in the livingroom.
When the Minix-Neo was in the livingroom I had no problems but now I have this problem:
The Beelink has to be powered on when I want to watch tv by IPTV setupbox. This is my setup:
Home entertainment system > attached with HDMI cable to a HDMI switch > IPTV Box HDMI input 1 and Beelink Mini mx HDMI input 2> TV
With the Minix Neo I did not had to have switched the Beelink on, to watch tv. When I switch off the Beelink, I get a black screen now and the HDMI switch does not work anymore.
This is very strange, because the HDMI is not powered by a external power adapter.
Does someone know a solution? I need the switch because I have only 1 HDMI connection in the home entertainment system.
Thank you!
@SvD
Try to disable HDMI CEC in MINI MX.
Thanks, I tried but it does not have any effect. I also connected a Bluetooth-keyboard but it does not work with the Beelink. I had no problems on the Minix.
But I am still satisfied with the Beelink, Kodi works perfect and fast!
Guys any idea how I can screen cast to this box from either galaxy note 4 (Android) or lenovo x1 tablet (windows 10) ?
This box running stock firmware with kodi
If it helps I can try librelec
Cheers!
As always chinesa make sure specs looks good but nothing works as always. Gbit lan and only 19MB/s speed? :DDDDDD
Wifi only ~ 2MB/s??? WTFF??? Those cheap chinese boxes are shit, good for youtube only. Chinese factories should be closed if they cheat specs, and all those boxes always cheat.
hi, my minimx3 sometimes turns itself off after a few hours when not in use. Anyone know how to prevent it, i.e. keep it always on?
@eyal
Does it really power off automatically, or does the screen just becomes black?
Try to check screensaver mode and maybe DayDream in the settings.
I can’t tell if its the screen or its completly turned off, anyway there is no signal to the tv and clicking the mouse doesn’t turn it on. But I think I found a solution: I made it not to go to sleep at all. This is done from developr options. To enable it:
1. Go to “about” in settings
2. Tap on the “build” 7 times. You will see a message that you are a developer!
3. Go back to settings. You will see a new category – developer options.
4. In developer options, turn on “stay awake”.
Does the Mini MX III come rooted too?
My current ZRAM value is set at 500MB with a swappiness of 60%
I can disable zram or change the swappiness of my ZRAM but I cant seem to change the disk size.
I tried this in the terminal with su
swapoff /dev/block/zram0
echo 1 > /sys/block/zram0/reset
busybox echo 157286400 > /sys/block/zram0/disksize <- I want to lower it from 500mb to 150mb
mkswap /dev/block/zram0
swapon /dev/block/zram0
I checked the value of /sys/block/zram0/disksize and its still set at 500mb or nothing has changed.
I tried to edit the manually but its not saving at all.
Another update 108L1..will be ,or 107L1 is the last of the last?