You can use any Android TV box to watch movies on your TV, play some games as you would on a game console, and perform tasks such as checking email, browsing the web or editing documents like you’d do on your computer. However, this is not always as straightforward and/or user-friendly as it could be, so Jide Technology worked on Remix OS, a fork of Android, to make the experience more PC-like when needed. Recently they’ve also worked on improving gaming and a TV interface, and the company has now launched a new Kickstarter campaign for Remix IO Android mini PC based on Android 7.0 and including software improvements to create an all-in-one device acting as a TV box, mini PC, or game console.
Remix IO specifications:
- SoC – Rockchip RK3368 Octa-Core ARM Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.5GHz with Imagination PowerVR SGX6110 GPU
- System Memory – 2GB DDR3L
- Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + microSD card slot up to 128GB
- Video Output – HDMI 2.0 port up to 4K @ 60 Hz, VGA port
- Audio Output – HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack,
- Connectivity – Ethernet port, dual band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
- USB – 4x USB Type-A 2.0 host ports
- Misc – Power button, and 2x LEDs, cooling fan and heatsink
- Power Supply – 9V/2A power supply
It will ship with an IR + BT 4.0 remote control.
Remix IO will run the latest version of Remix OS upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat with a large collection of apps accessible from Google Play Store, TV and PC modes, muti-user support, and a gaming toolkit. Apps will have different behavior and look in TV and PC modes, for example, YouTube for Android TV app will be launched in TV mode, and the standard YouTube app in PC mode. The gaming toolkit allows users to to map touch controls to keyboard, mouse, and game controller inputs.
The company will also provide 2 sets of SDKs to backers with a vanilla AOSP SDK to port stock Android into Remix IO, and a Remix OS SDK to customize features and look, and also modify the kernel, for example to add support for extra hardware peripherals.
Jide has already raised over $250,000 for Remix IO, but the $99 early board pledge for the box is still available. After 4000 units, the price goes up to $109, and you can also pledge for rewards with multiple units to get a discount. Shipping adds $10, and delivery is planned for March 2017, except for the developer pledge, where backers should get Remix IO board in January 2017, before getting another Remix IO in March.
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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Now that’s a cooling solution to avoid throttling! But of course RK3368’s specs are a tad ‘optimistic’ – actually it’s 4x A53 @ 1.5GHz and 4x A53 @ 1.2 GHz (unless they overclocked the LITTLE cluster).
Edit: ok, I just checked their kickstarter and cannot help but laugh my ass off at the comparison to AppleTV:
‘our box – octa-core, appletv – dual core’. In reality the A8 in the appletv run circles around the of A53 in the Remix box for single-threaded scenarios and still edge them out for MT scenarios.
@blu
I don’t understand how the fan should work since there’s no ventilation possible with this case design. And it’s really funny that they compare their hardware to an Apple TV since there they could learn how to do heat dissipation right: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+TV+4th+Generation+Teardown/49046#s107487 (so most probably under load the Remix box gets loud and runs on the 1.2 GHz cluster only?)
Does anyone know which Wi-Fi they use? Looks like el cheapo RTL8732 (if so then also not remotely comparable to Apple’s Wi-Fi)
That’s just a cheap after market fan screwed to a heat sink.
As to heat remova,l Sky UK, on the Sky Q box claimed a blinder, when support told a customer, their boxes have breathable plastic!
Make of that what you will. ??
Geekbox is about a year here 🙂 Same specs, same price, but better hardware and software options.
For what this thing?
@tkaiser
No idea how ventilation works with this case. I guess users will have to learn to keep their Remix IO open-box ; )
xbox 360 controller in the pic – no xbox 360 controller shown playing games,only what i presume are bluetooth ones?
@zen
The controller is not included, but the box should support Bluetooth controllers. I’ve found RF controllers might be easier to use, as there’s normally no potential pairing issues.
Actually they have vents on top and bottom of the case. Also, they now have an upgraded version running RK3399 with 4GB RAM.