SZ Tomato / Eny (E)M8 is an Android TV box powered by Amlogic S802 quad core processor, with 2GB RAM and 16 GB flash, but Stane1983 has been working on an XBMC Linux port for the device, and has released a beta version on Freaktab a few days ago. The firmware file (MX_LINUX-K200-update.zip) is available, and just need to be copied to an SD card to perform the update. The version is Gotham 13.1. This will completely replace you Android installation, and only works on M8 TV box, as the bootloader is not compatible with other S802 hardware, and the firmware only support AP6330 Wi-Fi module. If you decide not to keep using XBMC Linux, you can revert to Android, but reflashing the firmware via the SD card. This is a beta version, so expects some bugs. The list of known bugs is as follows: Bootlogo and splashscreens (booting up/shutting […]
Amlogic S802 TV Boxes Are Getting Cheaper: Meet $72 MX3 (M82) TV Box
When Android media players based on Amlogic S802 first launched a little over 3 months ago, they all sold for over $100. Since then various products have come to market, with prices slowly edging lower. But none comes as cheap as MX3 (aka M82), whose name is probably inspired from Gbox Midnight MX2, as it sells for $72.22 on GearBest including shipping. [Update: It can be found for $70 on DealExtreme] Let’s go through the specifications: SoC – AMLogic S802 quad core ARM Cortex A9r4 at 2.0GHz with ARM Mali-450MP6 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 4 GB NAND Flash + micro SD card slot Video and Audio Output – HDMI and AV Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports + micro USB OTG Misc – IR Sensor, Power LED, power button, and recovery/update switch via AV jack Power Supply – […]
Eweat EW802 Android TV Box (Amlogic S802) Supports External SATA Drives, Features Dual Wi-Fi Antennas
Amlogic S802 does not support SATA natively, so few Android media players based on this quad core SoC comes with SATA hard drive or SSD support. Zoomtak T8 is one of them, but there’s now another options with Eweat EW802, except than having an internal bay for 2.5″ hard drives, it just features an external SATA connector capable of handling both 2.5″ and 3.5″ drives, and comes with better specs including dual Wi-Fi antennas, 2GB RAM, and 16GB flash. Eweat EW802 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S802 quad core cortex A9r4 @ 2 GHz with Mali-450MP6 GPU (N.B: It could also be S802-H due to Dolby abd DTS hardware decoding claim). System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB NAND flash + micro SD slot + SATA connector Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with two external antennas, and Bluetooth 4.0 Video Output – HDMI 1.4a and AV […]
Eny Technology Introduces EM6Q-MXQ Android STB Based on Amlogic S805 SoC
In the last few months, we’ve seen a few Amlogic S802 powered Android media players such as Tronsmart Vega S89, SZTomato/Eny M8, and MINIX NEO X8(-H), which have the fastest Cortex A9 processor on the market with a relatively powerful octa core Mali-450MP6 GPU, as well as 4K decoding and output capabilities. But if you’d like something a little more affordable, don’t care about 4K, and would do with a quad core SoC that’s not quite as powerful, but more power efficient, and still supports HEVC, you may consider one of the upcoming devices based on Amlogic S805. Eny Technology is one of the first company to announce an S805 media player with their EM6Q-MXQ. You can check S802 / S805 / S812 comparison for details. The enclosure and remote control both look pretty familiar, and the hardware specifications are quite similar to GBox Midnight MX2, except for the Amlogic […]
How to Use an Android TV Box as a Wi-Fi Access Point
Today, I’ve come across another potential use case for Android TV boxes with Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Let’s say you are in a room with Ethernet, but there’s no Wi-Fi signal or the signal is too weak, and want to use your smartphone to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. If you don’t have one of these small (openWRT) Wi-Fi router with you, but instead brought an Android mini PC, you can configure the “Portable Hotspot” function to transform it into a secure Wi-Fi access point. Assuming you’ve connect an Ethernet cable, and powered the device, first make sure Ethernet is enabled\, and Wi-Fi is disabled in the Settings menu. To click on Settings->More.. in the Wireless & Networks section, and select “Tethering & portable hotspot” or simply “Portable hotspot” depending on your firmware. In the next menu, click on Portable Wi-Fi hotspot to enabled it, then “Set up Wi-Fi Hospot” […]
Zoomtak T8 Android TV Box Powered by Amlogic S802 Features a 2.5″ SATA Bay, an Aluminum Enclosure
There are now several Android TV boxes powered by Amlogic S802 such as Tronsmart Vega S89, SZTomato/Eny M8, and Minix Neo X8, and Zoomtak T8 hardware specifications are quite similar to these three devices, except it happens to feature an internal 2.5″ SATA bay placed under the board, and the body is made of aluminum. Zoomtak T8 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S802 quad core cortex A9r4 @ 2 GHz with Mali-450MP6 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB NAND flash + SD/MMC/MS card reader + 2.5″ SATA bay Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with external antenna. Video Output – HDMI 1.4a, composite output, and component output Audio Output – HDMI, stereo RCA, and optical S/PDIF Video Container Formats – DAT, MPEG, MPE, MPG, TS/TP, VOB, ISO, AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, FLV, MKV, M2TS, MTS, M4V, WMV, ASF, RM/RMVB, etc… Audio Formats – MP2, MP3, WMA, WAV, […]
Giveaway Week – Tronsmart Prometheus Android STB
The last product for this giveaway week will be Tronsmart Prometheus, and Android TV Box with hardware specifications very similar to Gbox Midnight MX2, namely an Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB flash, HDMI and AV output, optical S/PDIF output, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity and 3 USB ports. My first review had Prometheus run Android 4.1 firmware, but since a firmware update meant it was one of the first Android media player that could run Android 4.2 and XBMC, I also decided to write an updated review, in which I found the firmware to be responsive and stable, XBMC to work as expected except for a few videos (RMVB, MPEG-2) and more critically audio/video sync issues, but these have been fixed in a subsequent firmware update. To enter the draw simply leave a comment below. I can’t find the HDMI cable, so it won’t be included in the […]
Geniatech Announces Dragon Board Industrial SBCs Powered by Amlogic Dual and Quad Core Processors
Not to be confused these DragonBoards, Geniatech has announced two industrial single board boards, namely Dragon Board I and Dragon Board II, respectively powered by Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core Cortex A9 SOC, and S801/S802/M805 quad core Cortex A9r4 SoC, and targeting applications such as digital signage player, and display applications for the hospitality industry. Let’s go through the specifications of both boards: SoC Dragon Board I (DB I) – Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core ARM Cortex A9 @ 1.5GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU Dragon Board II (DB II) – Amlogic S802 quad core ARM Cortex A9r4 @ 2GHz with Mali-450MP6 GPU System Memory DB I – 1GB (1600Mbps data rate) DB II – 2GB (1600Mbps data rate) Storage – 4GB NAND flash (up to 32GB as option), micro SD card slot, SATA interface Video I/O Common – HDMI output, LVDS, and CVBS. DB I only – VGA DB II only – HDMI input […]