NEXBOX A5 is one of the first Android 6.0 TV boxes based on Amlogic S905X processor capable of 4K H.265, H2.64 and VP9 video decoding. The company sent a sample for review, and I’ll start by taking pictures of the device and board in the first part of the review, before fully testing its performance and features in the second part.NEXBOX A5 Unboxing
I got the device in a black package with NEXBOX logo, and “Android 6.0 TV Box” text.
I received the TV box with the default cofiguration (2GB RAM / 16GB flash), but they also have a cheaper model with 1GB and 8GB flash.
Some of the new feature brought by this device has shown on the bottom of the package such as VP9, Android 6.0 and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support. I don’t think I’ll be able to test the latter, since my TV does not support HDR.
The device shipped with a 5V/2A power supply, an HDMI cable, and a IR remote control with IR learning function taking two AAA batteries for power.
The case is made of plastic, and we have ports on one side with tTwo USB ports and a micro SD slot, as well as on the rear panel: AV port (composite + stereo audio), Ethernet, HDMI 2.0a, optical S/PDIF, and the power jack.
NEXBOX A5 Teardown
I had to remove the four rubber pads, and loosen four screws to open this “OTT TV Box”.
There are two RAM chips on the bottom of the PCB, with hard-to-read part number, and that’s about it.
So I had to take out three more screws to get a clear view of the board. Most chip’s markings are hard to read, especially on the picture, but I still got most info.
First, Amlogic S905X is placed under a rather thin heatsink. Two more SKhynix H5TQ4G63AFR DDR3 RAM chips bring the total memory to 2GB, and a 8GB Samsung KLM8G1WEPD-B031 eMMC 5.0 flash is used for storage. So finally I did not get 16GB flash as shown on the package… Since Amlogic S905X SoC includes an 10/100M Ethernet PHY, there’s no need for an external chip, except LCZ3A1CPX magnetics for Ethernet, and wireless connectivity is achieved through a Realtek 8189ETV module for WiFi, and SV6051P might be used for Bluetooth (TBC). Other ICs include DIO2103 audio driver, and Prolific MA8061 USB hub controller. If you are interested in hacking the device, the 4 pins for the serial console appear to be on the top left corner close to the IR receiver and power LED.
That’s all for today. I’ll probably specifically test and write about 4K VP9 video support, before writing the second part of the review.
NEXBOX A5 is not yet available for sale, but distributors and resellers interested in purchasing the device in quantity can contact the company, and find more info on the product page.
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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