Videostrong K1 Plus Amlogic S905 Android TV Box Unboxing and Teardown

Many Amlogic S905 TV boxes have been announced, and thanks to Videostrong, I’ve received my first Amlogic S905 device for review with their K1 Plus media player (aka KI Plus). Today, I’ll start by listing the specifications, before taking a few pictures of the device and its board. with the full review following up in a few days.

Videostrong K1 Plus Specifications

K1 Plus is one of the entry level models with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage by default:

• SoC –  Amlogic S905 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with  penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz
• System Memory – 1GB DDR3
• Storage – 8GB NAND flash (4 to 32GB optional) + micro SD card slot
• Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60Hz with HDCP 2.2 support, and 3.5mm AV jack
• Audio – HDMI, AV (stereo), optical S/PDIF
• Video Codecs – 10-bit H.265 up to 4K60, MPEG/VC-1/AVS+/H.265 up to 4K30
• Connectivity – Fast Ethernet (Gigabit optional), 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth 4.0
• USB – 4x USB 2.0 host ports
• Misc
  • Power button and LED, IR receiver
  • Optional DRM: Playready, Verimatrix, Widewine (Probably not available right now)
• Power Supply –  DC 12V/1A
• Dimensions – 109.5 x 130.7 x 30 mm
• Weight – 180 grams

The device runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Videostrong K1 Plus Unboxing

I received the device by DHL in a retail package with the markings “KI Plus” and “Quad-core Android DVB” on the top, as well as specifications on the bottom.

The device looks exactly the same as Videostrong’a previous models, such as K1 with S805, and comes with an IR remote control with IR learning function, a 12V/1A power adapter, an HDMI cable, and a user’s manual in English.

There’s again mention of “Android DVB” simply because there are optional DVB-T/T2, ATSC, and ISDB-T tuners for the device according to the user’s manual. The company also plans to send me a DVB-S2 version in a few weeks.

A closer look at the TV box shows the  four USB ports and micro SD slot on the side, and all other connectors on the rear panel: CVBS/ LR audio jack, Ethernet (RJ45), HDMI 2.0 output, optical S/PDIF and the power jack.

You could also watch the unboxing video below.

Videostrong K1 Plus Teardown

On the back of the case, we’ll notice the device can be wall-mounted, and I’ve marked the location of the two screws you need to loosen in order to open the case.
The MAC address suffix D0:76:58 show on the sticker does not appear to look up to anything.

Once you have removed the screws, it’s relatively easy to pop up the top part of the case with a sharp and strong plastic tool.
We’ll need to loosen two more screws to completely take out the board.

Amlogic S905 processor is quite tiny, and is covered by a small heatsink. SKHynix H27UCG8T2ETR NAND flash provides 8GB storage, while two Nanya NT5CB256M16DP-EK DDR3 chips are used for the memory (1GB). GL852G USB 2.0 hub controller gives the board its 4 USB ports, and a module based on Realtek RTL8189ETV provides 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity. Pulse H1102NL transform confirms I’ve received a model with Fast Ethernet.

The board name is K1_S905_REV2.0. Three connectors are soldered in the side of the board. The 26-pin black header is most likely for digital tuners, and the two other 3-pin and 4-pin headers have Tx & Rx markings on the back of the board, so one of them is likely to be used for the serial console.

The recovery / firmware update button (K1) can also be seen on the back of the board.

I’d like to thanks Videostrong for sending a sample. If you are interested in purchasing the board in quantities, you may want to contact the company via their Alibaba product page. K1 Plus, also named Ki Plus on some websites, is available on retail sites starting at just $42.99 shipped on GearBest, GeekBuying, eBay, Amazon US, Aliexpress and others.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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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