Rockchip RK3368 TV boxes looked promising at the end of the summer, but ended up being disappointing, not because of their expected lower performance compared to RK3288, but simply because they could not deliver on their main selling point: 4K H.265 / H.264 video playback, and the sheer number of issues with the first devices selling for nearly the same price as equivalent Rockchip RK3288 devices. Rockchip RK3368 will soon have a worthy competitor with Amlogic S905, which won’t deliver amazing benchmark scores, but looks promising for its 4K 10-bit HEVC video playback, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, and historically Amlogic delivers better video playback than Rockchip. The first Amlogic S905 TV boxes should start shipping by the end of the month, and prices are starting very low, just over $40, thanks to competition between the many manufacturers launching devices based on the new Amlogic SoC.
That’s why I’ve decided to make a list of Amlogic S905 Android 5.1 TV boxes and sticks:
- Geniatech ATV495 TV Box – TV box with 2GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2x USB 2.0 host ports and HDMI 2.0 and AV. Price: TBD
- Geniatech ATV1950 STB – TV box with 2GB RAM, 16 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, 4x USB 2.0 host ports, HDMI 2.0, and dual tuner (ATSC/DVB-T/DVB-T2/ISDBT). Price: TBD
- Ugoos AM1 – TV box with 2GB RAM, 16 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0, 3x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: TBD
- Ugoos AM2 – Largish TV stick/dongle with 1GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth, 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB port, and HDMI 2.0 & AV outputs. Price: TBD
- MXQ Pro TV Box – TV box with 1GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth, 4x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 & AV outputs. Price: $50 and up
- Beelink MINI MX – TV box with 1GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth, 2x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: $42.99.
- Guleek A8 Android TV Stick -> TV stick with 2GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth, 1x USB 2.0 host port, 2x micro USB ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: TBD
- Eny EM95 -> TV box with 1 or 2GB RAM, 8 or 16 GB flash, Fast or Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, 3x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 and AV output. Price: $56.99 with 1GB/8GB configuration.
- Acemax G9C – TV box with 2GB RAM, 8GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 & AV ports. Price: TBD
- Venz K1 Plus – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 4x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 and AV outputs. Price: $42.99. Venz K1 Plus Hybrid is another version with DVB-S2, DVB-T2, ISDB-T, DTMB, or ATSC tuner.
- MXQ Plus – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, a few USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 and AV outputs. Price: TBD.
- Venz K5 – TV box with 2 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, a few USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: TBD.
- MXV Plus (MXV+) – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, 3x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: $62.99.
- Xiaomi 3 Mi Box – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 4 GB flash, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1, 1x USB 2.0 host port, and HDMI 2.0 and AV ports. Price: $71.79. Please note: Chinese interface only!
- Eweat M8V – TV box with 1 or 2 GB RAM, 8 or 16 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, 3x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 & AV ports. Price: $78.78.
- Measy B4TS – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, 3x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0. Price: $66.29.
- Quintex S905 – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and optional Bluetooth 4.0, 2x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 and AV output ports. Price: $78.
- M9+ (M9 Plus) – TV box with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash, Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, 4x USB 2.0 host ports, and HDMI 2.0 and AV output ports. Price: $54.99.
Most of the devices come with 1GB RAM and 8GB flash, and price disparity is rather large. In this category the best values appear to be Beelink MINI MX and K1 Plus TV boxes at $43 both. The only TV stick, Guleek U8, is not for sale yet. Two TV boxes stand out in terms of specifications with 2GB RAM, 16GB flash, Gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11ac, namely Ugoos AM1 and Geniatech ATV1950, with the latter also including a dual tuner, but they are not for sale yet.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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But from this list none of this companies are licensed for HDCP so there is no point of having HDCP 2.2 capable HW when no HDCP key loaded on it? No DRM….
So many s905 products…
Do you know if there are trustable brands among them ?
For example, is there some brands which :
– update their firmware more than 2 months after product launch,
– have a reputation of products breaking within a few months,
– etc…
Buiyng 1GB of RAM devices in 2016 makes no sense to me, better spend 20$-30$ extra and get something with 2GB of RAM. Also with prices of RK3288 going down and Lollipop arriving on it, it is still the best option if you don’t mind spending 20$ extra on top of an Amlogic 905 device or Rockchip RK3368 device. The big problem that RK3288 has and always had is that it micro stutters when playing movies or streaming content from internet and in some cases it can be quite annoying. Also even though the chip is almost 2 years old… Read more »
wow~~ ZIDOO S905 product coming soon.
Thanks for the list! 🙂 cannot locate some of them in the wild though.. like Quintex. is it a sticker brand?
Well 1GB boxed are pretty cheap but then again as RAD said we are almost in 2016 and 2GB while not a must for casual stuff is kinda needed by the new Android ( btw is it me or is Android using more and more RAM ? )
@mirror you are moderator at zidoo forum and now we should believe to you and to buy zidoo products. That company is joke without any support
@kusta If you are patient enough, I’m sure there will be some companies with HDCP 2.2.. 🙂 @nobe Beelink is fairly known, they are the designer/manufacturers of many devices, often sold under another brand. I’m also not sure who is making MXP Pro, but if it is the same as MXQ S85, then it should be pretty decent. I should receive a few S905 boxes by the end of the month and December, so I’ll find out about the performance. Ugoos devices should have decent support too. More companies will launch S905 products soon, but I can’t mention them yet.… Read more »
Apparently there are some other issues (which I can’t talk about, and I’ve just learned about them now), so it’s better to wait a little longer before buying an Amlogic S905 device if you want to enjoy all the features. Maybe mid December will be OK.
are the issues hw or software?
@memeka
One of the issues won’t be fixable after the product is shipped.
damn, I ordered a beelink i68 2 days ago…
But when I only use 1080p there should be no problems, right?
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
So if s905 has hw issue
Can you recommend best box/chip for good old 1080p AVC ? Don’t think I can wait for all those 4k chips to secure.
I would be very happy to hear new information about AMLogic S912 and about devices that use it.
Damn, I’ve ordered a Beelink Mini MX a few days ago. Is the isssue about that S905 doesn’t work with EMMC yet or something worse that will leave our devices without firmware updates, because of chipset problem? Or thermal throtting problem that plagued an Amlogic soc(s802 if I remember correctly)? Probably it won’t run up to 2GHz like in the specs!?
Yes, Amlogic had best stable 4K HW playout, we did extensive study and went for S8xx.
S8xx => S905 upgrade is only interesting for 10bit HEVC (if/when it works?)
Problem is they want to completely lock down the box to get silly HDCP 2.2 cert. Makes it totally uninteresting as OEM product for us.
We will go for first fab that provides COMPLETE open source firmware and working 10 bit HEVC.
Thanks for the lost.
next time, it would be better to write all the details in a table, which simplifies the ability to compare the specifications of all the models.
not lost… list!
@Tim
With the latest Kodi 15.2 with Zidoo patchsets, RK3368 support has significantly improved.
There’s a wide range of perceptions and needs among people when it comes to video playback. While some people are happy with stereo audio and a few skipped frames, others will notice the frame dropped every X seconds when a 23.976 fps video is played at 24 Hz, and needs Dolby Atmos pass-through to work with there AV receiver.
Usually, I find Amlogic video codec support and quality to be better, but Rockchip video playback is still acceptable to many people.
@Gabe
If you just play local files, the issue won’t affect you.
I’ve also been told the Dolby and DTS version of S905 SoC will ship at the end of the month.
@Tony
Maybe have a look at products based on Amlogic S805. MXQ S85 worked well last year when I reviewed it (http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/10/11/amlogic-s805-review-android-mxq-s85/), and it seems to be getting some firmware updates too with the last one in July… (http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/beelink-aml-devices-s82-m8-round-mxiii-etc/19234-official-stock-firmware-beelink-s805-soc-mxq-mk808-plus-mk809-plus-user-feedback?p=522398#post522398).
You may want to read the comments in my review, because some people still had issues with the device.
@Ron
Amlogic S912 has been delayed.
hmm… not sure it’s a hw issue given that there are so many boxes out there already.
and @Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) was very cryptical 🙂 my feeling is that it’s probably HDCP certification – currently prob there is no key, but maybe amlogic will get the certification later on (december), and start loading the keys in the newer products. I am not familiar with the process tho`, who should get the certification – amlogic or the vendors?
good news
@Teiko
Amlogic S8XX have good support ,but best video playback are hisilicon SoC 😉
eMMC is ok with S905 now
@memeka
Each company that need hdcp need to become hdcp license adopter which is 25k usd yearly and nobody from this companies will pay that money.
Really looking forward to a review of the geniatech or Venz atsc products. The devil really is in the details for these devices. All I really want is something that can do 1080p decoding consistently and change channels on ATSC sources quickly, and have a decent interface to do it in. Kodi I find is way to oriented towards having a media library — which isn’t how most people watch TV, most people I imagine are like me, they watch something new most of the time and on occasion rewatch something. Kodi goes so deep in to making things pretty… Read more »
Forgive my ignorance, but what is HDCP needed on a media playback device? Is it required for HD/4k Netflix?
Perhaps an ATSC/NTSC tuner box when in an area that does encrypted playback or premium channels?
But for most of these boxes they don’t have a tuner and so why do we care about HDCP?
all the current “tv boxes” run only the tablet version of netflix. they cannot run the android tv netflix version (HD/4k capable) that requires a higher level of DRM. so i think this is the issue here.
@Eamonn
I think this calls for some online poll. Are many people watching videos directly from their web browser (in Android)? Usually performance is quite poor, so using a dedicated app for streaming should offer better performance.
yes, Netflix 4k need HDCP 2.2 player and HDCP 2.2 TV.
“Apparently there are some other issues (which I can’t talk about, and I’ve just learned about them now), ..” That implies everyone that’s bought one has potentially bought a brick, why as a review site would you be so cagey about such an issue, are you bound by some NDA’s or threats no more review boxes from companies or something ? It’s information such as this that is the very reason people read your site (which is generally very informative btw). However, it’d be great if you could compile a league table of such boxes, maybe taking into account a… Read more »
“wow~~ ZIDOO S905 product coming soon.”
@mirror – Does this mean Zidoo now prefers the Amlogic SoC over the Rockchip? (which still seems to still have the usual video playback issues despite custom Kodi revisions).
Is there a link to where we can read about upcoming model or was that just one off teaser stunt ?
If he would tell the problem, then maybe nobody would buy these s905 boxes & they have to clear stock of faulty boxes(out with the old, in with the new.)
@FatMatt
It’s just one contact working with Amlogic boxes told me about that particular issue, and told me before hand not to talk about it publicly. I could have just taken the easy route and kept silent, or as I did, inform people that waiting one month or so might be a good thing.
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) I am probably in the minority, but I use the browser to stream mp4s from a VPS that grabs files automatically. My connection speed is sufficient to stream 720p (and HEVC 1080p) but it is bothersome to have to download a file entirely prior to watching it (ala torrent). I am interested in the browser performance going forward because I believe that VP9 and maybe HEVC will nullify the need for external players, but only once browser playback is sufficiently good to supplant the existing methods. Think, wouldn’t it be nice to have a native HTML5 interface… Read more »
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) I’m beginning to think the hardware issue is lack of a license for DTS/Dolby and an enabled version will follow … getting warm ? (this will of course lead to market confusion, same happened with the S8xx series)
Any idea how long the S912 has been delayed ?
@FatMatt
I don’t know exactly how long S912 has been delayed, but considering nobody is showing any Amlogic S912 boxes, it must be several months away.
Tronsmart Vega S95 with 2G/16G, AP6335(support 2.4G/5G, AC), Gigabit Lan, and SATA.
Has anyone seen a price mention on a 2gb RAM unit yet? Especially with that release of Linux and uboot source code, these might be worth investigating closer.
10moons D6_64 (1GB/8GB) for $64 @ http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10moons-D6-64-Android-TV-Box-Amlogic-S905-Android-5-1-Quad-core-ARM-Cortex-A53/32537437741.html
S905 MXR (aka MXQ NB01) with 1GB/8GB for $88.88 + shipping @ http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MXQ-Android-TV-Box-Quad-Core-Amlogic-S905-1G-RAM-8G-ROM-Smart-TV-Box-KODI/32536633799.html
MX Pro II -> http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Amlogic-S905-Quad-core-Cortex-A9-1g-8g-android-5-1-1-tv-box-support-kodi/32540012894.html
MINIX NEO U1 -> http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/11/27/minix-neo-u1-android-media-hub-combines-amlogic-s905-processor-with-2gb-ram-802-11ac-wifi/
Good specs but $129.90.
Add one more: INPHIC SPOT i7 > http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Inphic-Spot-i5-Android-TV-Box-with-KODI-Fully-loaded-Amlogic-S805-Quad-core-Android-4/1561112_32549747464.html
Black Friday $44.50 Free shipping. S905, 1GB RAM, 8GB eMMC, Gigabit ethernet, OTA updates…
What about the Xiaomi Mi Box TV3? it has S905 soc and looks interesting
Sunvell T95 for $50.91:
http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_268277.html
Eweat W9 (1G/8G/Metal case + LCD – $84.99) -> http://www.geekbuying.com/item/EWEAT-W9-Amlogic-S905-4K-TV-BOX-Android-5-1-Lollipop-1G-8G-2-4G-5G-WIFI-Bluetooth-KODI-1000M-LAN-HDMI2-0-H-265-KODI-359610.html
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Vega S95 Telos is out -> http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/12/01/tronsmart-vega-s95-4k-android-tv-box-features-an-external-sata-port/
$99.99, or $89.99 after $10 coupon.
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Any updates about the Amlogic S905 issues?
Are they real or found out to not be a problems?
Thanks
@Ido
It’s real an it’s mentioned in the review @ http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/11/28/k1-plus-amlogic-s905-tv-box-review/
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) I read your review on K1-Plus with Amlogic s905 and see that you mentioned the following issues as realted to the s905 (If I understand correctly): * Letterboxed when watching some high resolution movies while using Kodi. (Letterbox issue means that the frame is seen in only part of the screen, correct?) * No Audio with DTS and Dolby (only when setting to PCM output but not when setting to pass-through). * Any other issue that I missed and related to s905? Do you expect these issues also with other s905 devices or they might be related… Read more »
@Ido
You forgot the DRM issue 😉
But if you are mainly going to use Kodi this won’t affect you. Nor will the lack of DTS (since this is handled directly by Kodi).
I’d recommend some Intel mini PC for Kodi @ 1080p instead, but if you really want to go with ARM/Android and 4K video, some Amlogic S812-H devices might be more mature (e.g. MINIX NEO X8-H Plus). If you really want 4K @ 60 fps, then you’ll need to get an Amlogic S905 box, but for Kodi support you’ll need to be patient.
MX Plus I (No led display) $49:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MX-Plus-I-Android-TV-Box-Quad-Core-Amlogic-S905-1G-8G-ROM-Smart-TV-Box/32558916813.html
MX Plus II(led display) $51:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MX-Plus-II-Android-TV-Box-Quad-Core-Amlogic-S905-1G-8G-ROM-SmartTV-Box-KODI/32557914557.html
Probox2 Z -> http://probox2.com/probox2-z-android-5-1-extreme-media-player/
$66.50 for the box only, and $90.25 with PROBOX2 Remote+ air mouse/game controller.
MX Plus 2gb $63.68:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pcs-MX-Plus-Android-TV-Box-Quad-Core-Amlogic-S905-2G-8G-ROM-Smart-TV-Box/32561125219.html
Voxlink M9+(TVPP0068) 1GB $57.88:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Voxlink-Amlogic-S905-Quad-Core-Android-5-1-4K-TV-BOX-1GB-8GB-LAN-WiFi/32564740175.html
MXQ Pro 1GB $19,99
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/MXQ-Pro-Amlogic-S905-4K-Ultimate-HD-KODI-Android-5-1-Lollipop-TV-Box-Quad-Core-2-0GHz-H-265-Hardware-Decoding-WIFI-Miracast-DLNA—Black-356045.html?utm_source=shareasal
@F3RDI
It must have been a flash sale (seckill), as the price is back to $49.99.
MRX 2gb RAM $63.62:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Superior-Quality-S905-MRX-Android-5-1-4K-FULL-HD-Smart-TV-Box-64-Bit-Amlogic/32568934536.html
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
They informed me it was wrongly edited. I got refunded. Not complaining, got a coupon for compensation. Purchased a Miracast dongle for $1,- 🙂
I found also some great prices at:
http://m.gearbest.com/s905-_gear/
Sunvell T95 with front panel display for $41.99 @ http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_268277.html
MX64 2GB RAM, 8GB flash, dual band WIFI $70:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mx64-Amlogic-S905-Android-5-1-TV-BOX-4K-1080P-2G-Onboard-eMMC-Flash-8G-1000M/32575451224.html
Beelink M18, 2GB RAM, 16 GB eMMC ~$70:
http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_282314.html
Beelink MX64 ~$65:
http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_282317.html
Rikomagic MK06 -> http://www.rikomagic.com/en/product/showpro_id_78_pid_20.html
For $75.69 @ http://www.banggood.com/RKM-MK06-Android-5_1-Gigabit-LAN-Amlogic-S905-Quad-Core-1GB8GB-BT-4_0-Kodi-TV-Box-Android-Mini-PC-p-1023053.html
Use GBM18 or GBMX64 for the two boxes above to lower prices to $65.99 & $59.99.
MRX 2GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB eMMC Flash, Dual Band WiFi (2.4G+5G WIFI), 1000M LAN ~
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20151228184033&SearchText=MRX
That one is listed as Dual band Wifi (2.4 & 5GHz), are there any evidence supporting that claim ?
I haven’t found any other 1G/8G box being dual band on aliexpress and the wifi chip “8188” listed in the description (RTL8188) is not dual band as far as i can see.
@mdel
Difficult to know without having the device, or seeing a review.
Specs are often incorrect on websites.
Zoomtak T8H -> http://zoomtak-tvbox.en.alibaba.com/product/60386367958-801799253/Hot_sale_amlogic_s905_quad_core_tv_box_zoomtak_t8_plus_preinstalled_kodi_free_internet_tv_box_zoomtak_t8h_free_porn_video_movie.html
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJragRQygz0
Zoomtak T8V is coming later, also with Amlogic S905.
@mdel
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/T95-Amlogic-S905-4K-TV-BOX-Quad-Core-1G-8G-2-4G-5G-Dual-Band-WIFI-LAN-Bluetooth4-0-KODI-3D-H-265-OTG-361135.html cheaper but with bluetooth and dual band : AP6330
@Gabe
Word of warning about the T95.
Irrespective of what you read this box does:
1. Not have 1000MB LAN
2. Not have Bluetooth
3. Not support 5.0G Wifi
4. Usable RAM(807MB)
5. Usable Storage 4,7GB
If anyone is interested I can send you the details logs and dumps from the device.
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Word of warning about the T95.
Irrespective of what you read this box does:
1. Not have 1000MB LAN
2. Not have Bluetooth
3. Not support 5.0G Wifi
4. Usable RAM(807MB)
5. Usable Storage 4,7GB
If anyone is interested I can send you the details logs and dumps from the device.
Rikomagic MK06 (1GB RAM 8GB flash) for $67.90 @ http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_293172.html
@Eben
The front display can’t show time in 24Hour, i received mine from geekbuying and it also doesnt have bluetooth, so they are all the same..hdmi = 1.4 interface. Bunch of false specs.
@Bob yes I managed to get my seller to swap it for a beelink mx64. Just waiting for it to arrive.
@Bob
I’ve never seen HDMI 1.4 in any Amlogic S905 TV boxes, simply because HDMI 2.0 is built-in the processor itself. Are you sure they’ve not sent you an Amlogic S805 one?
Unuiga S905 TV box launched in Indiegogo with Charbax as partner: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/unuiga-s905-with-remix-os/x/1760545#
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) i’d like to get your thoughts on the prices of those boxes, the cheap ones. I’m quite surprised to see such price differences between s905 and s805 boxes (or other manufacturers generations), you still find most s805 around 50e+ when many s905 are 40e or less.. What’s up with the socs generations not getting obsolete and removed / sold out, or at least getting their prices dropped at some point ? Is it that the 30e/50e price range is so low that it cannot go down any further no matter the state of the market ? Or… Read more »
@mdel
I think Amlogic S805 are about $10 cheaper for the same features as Amlogic S905. You’re also right that wee could see some deals on Amlogic S805 devices when people are trying to get rid off of stock.
Since the price includes shipping, which could be around $10 for a $30 devices, there will probably be limited discount, unless at some point they just want to sell at any price, and $10 to $15 might possible during a clearance sale.
Doubt that this box really has S905 with 2GB RAM and 8GB ROM. If it is so, wonder how about the firmware update. If we can apply MX64 firmware into this box, then it will be a perfect buy.
For few cents less than $40, I think it’s still hard to resist though.
Note: Many of the sellers box/dongle are Transpeed brand.
MXV Amlogic S905 Android 5.1 TV Box 64bits 2.0GHz 2G 8G Wifi 4K HDMI Kodi 15.2 pre-installed H.265 Smart TV better than MXQ pro
http://s.aliexpress.com/MV3Yfqyq
MINI M8S with 2GB RAM/8GB flash for $38.99 with coupon MIM8S @ http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_334006.html
i’d be careful with “new product” descriptions on gearbest.
Take the example of the T95 box, listed with dual band wifi, Bluetooth and Gigabit, it didn’t have any of those specs.
So unless you have third party “in hands” confirmations, don’t expect to get what you’ve been told.
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
This Mini M8S looks good. Gearbest also seems a better seller than an ‘unknown’ aliexpress seller (?)
@virtu yeah gearbest is a reliable seller, but i would not entirely trust their product descriptions, so if you suspect something’s fishy there’s a chance you won’t get what you were expecting, not on purpose but still.. Then aliexpress extensively protects buyers. There’s very little chance you’ll get scammed and loose your money. Moreover if you feel cheated by the product description you can ask for a partial refund and i always got satisfaction when it was justified. I’ll also take the occasion to say that the KI Plus S2 T2 price is dropping on gearbest, it’s currently at 67e.… Read more »
@mdel This Mini M8S from gearbest is really tempting and the price is very fishy 🙂 I never bought anything from gearbest yet, but I did some purchases from aliexpress with good to great results. IMHO we must read the item description thoroughly before purchase any items from Aliexpress though. In Aliexpress, sometimes the seller put attractive title but if we read the item’s detail description, we’ll find that it describes less specification about it – i.e. lower processor, RAM, etc. I find this Mini M8S in Aliexpress, cost $63.58 shipped from ShenZhen MaxStar Technology (might be a quite reputable… Read more »
@virtu
U4 Quad might be a good option for you -> http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/01/21/u4-quad-hybrid-android-set-top-box-supports-dvb-s2-dvb-t2tc-atsc-tuners/
I have not tested it yet, but people seem happy about it, See comments in http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/01/22/u4-quad-hybrid-android-tv-box-unboxing-and-teardown-with-dvb-t2-dvb-s2-and-atsc-tuners/
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Thanks for your suggestion. This U4 Quad seems a great box, unfortunately still out of my budget.
@virtu well i meant that you can’t really trust gearbest (or other non aliexpress websites) to give exact and reliable descriptions. Then if you buy on aliexpress you have to know what you’re buying (from blog reviews, forums..) and consider ALL the descriptions to be bogus or purely dishonest, that’s just the way it is. Those chinese sellers will use every stupid trick to make their product look more appealing no matter how false or ridiculous, so you’ve been warned and the joke is on you. As a matter of fact, i’m also looking for a cheap (~70e) and functional… Read more »
@virtu
to complete my post above, please take a look at the comment i have added on the k1 dvb (t2) review on cnxsoft :http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/01/30/videostrong-k1-is-a-quad-core-android-tv-box-with-a-dvb-t2-tuner/#comment-523949
@mdel Actually I’ve never bought a linux based DVB-S2 box, so my knowledge about DVB-S2 linux box is very limited. I’ve only read about dreambox, enigma, vu+ boxes without knowing the details. I’ve also never tried tvheadend, but I hope one day I can try to configure a box that serve tvheadend for some clients to stream S2/T2 channels. I’ve searched google about WeTek Play, it seems a box with very good support, but amlogic mx2 is certainly won’t fit latest video formats, i.e. H.265 and 4K. I think you’d better wait a stable openelec or linux for any S905… Read more »
M8S plus 2GB/16GB w AC wifi around $60 shipped. http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32630516720.html
@Dommels careful it’s a mobile link, i can’t really read it in my browser and aliexpress won’t detect i’m not on a mobile device. i believe it’s that one : http://www.aliexpress.com/item/M8S-Plus-Gigabit-HDMI-2-0-Android-5-1-TV-Box-2G-16G-Amlogic-S905/32628789219.html If the wifi chips is actually an AP6330 it has no 802.11/ac support, and $60 is pretty steep, s905 boxes are the cheapest at the moment, many of them at $35 not sure it’s worth spending double. I’m also still wondering what’s requiring 2G of ram on those boxes, if it’s used for video only 2G of ram is definitely not necessary, 4k included. So only necessary for games… Read more »
Vensmile MXQ box running Remix OS $53.99 shipped.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-Vensmile-MXQ-Remix-PC-Android-TV-BOX-Remix-2-0-OS-Amlogic-S905-Quad-Core/32612308601.html
Beelink MiniMXIII 2GB on presale @Gearbest for $43.75 with promo code GBMXI !
http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_349815.html
Megogo MXV apparently pre-loaded with apps or/and add-ons for Russia VOD and Live TV -> http://www.geekbuying.com/item/MEGOGO-MXV-Russia-Live-Channels-IPTV-Box-368595.html