TV box News - Page 51 of 108 - CNX Software

July 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Tencent and Skyworth Have Launched Rockchip RK3288 based miniStation Game Console in China

Tencent, the company behind the popular QQ chat program, and Skyworth a TV and audio visual manufacturer have worked together to launch a second version of miniStation game console powered by Rokchip RK3288 processor for $499 CNY ($75 US) in China.miniStation game console specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core ARM Cortex-A17 @ 1.8 GHz with Mali-T720 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC Flash, and micro SD card slot up to 128 GB Video & Audio Output – HDMI up to 4K resolution Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual band Wi-Fi USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Power Supply – 5V/2A The console runs TencentOS based on Android, and ships with an HDMI cable, a power cable, and a user’s manual. A bundle is a wireless gamepad is also offered for 100 RMB ($15) more. Supported (or re-loaded?) games include Nova 3, Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 5, […]

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

MXQ Pro (G9CX) Android 6.0 TV Box Review – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown

Most people probably don’t know Shenzhen Shiningworth Technology, but if you’ve ever bought a low cost Android TV box, it may have been made by them. Companies such as Eny Technology, Acemax, Shenzhen Tomato and other are relying on Shenzhen Shiningworth for some of their products, including the popular MXQ series (although other companies are also using MXQ “brand”), and in the past I often found their MAC address in products I reviewed. But this time, the company decided to send their latest product for review directly with MXQ Pro G9CX. I’ll write a two part review starting with specs and pictures, before testing the firmware and providing the second part of the review in a few weeks. G9CX Specifications Let’s start with the technical specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU up to 750MHz+ System Memory – 1GB DDR3 […]

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 37 Comments

LibreELEC 7.0 Ported to Amlogic S905 TV Boxes & ODROID-C2 Board

Most TV boxes are now sold pre-loaded with Android, but there’s still a fair amount of people who only want to play videos in their box, or only run Kodi, so they may prefer a Linux experience. Some companies provide ready-to-use solution such as ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit Pure Linux, but in some cases it’s also possible to side-load OpenELEC or LibreELEC, with the main advantage being that it is usually quite cheaper at the cost of being a bit more complicated. Thanks to a comment by Sabai, I discovered LibreELEC 7.0.0 had been (unofficially) ported to Amlogic S905 TV boxes, and tested one devices such as NEXBOX A95X (S905), WeTek Hub, Beelink S905 Mini MXIII, MXQ Pro 4K, and others. If you own an ODROID-C2 board, you can load another LibreELEC 7.0.0 image. If you are unsure whether your Android TV box is supported, you should first try […]

July 13, 2016July 30, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 52 Comments

Mini M8S II TV Box (Amlogic S905X) Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown

Amlogic S905X powered TV boxes have now hit the market, and compared to existing Amlogic S905 devices add VP9, and provided your TV can handle it, HDR (High Dynamic Range) support. GearBest sent me one of the cheapest S905X TV Box with Mini M8S II, and in the first part of the review, I’ll take some picture of the device, and tear it down, while the second part will be posted later, and focus on testing the firmware. MINI M8S II Unboxing The package was slightly damaged, but nothing to bad. The top reads “Mini TV Box” with some icons describing the main feaures like 4K & H.265/HEVC support, WiFi, and so on. I’ve recently realized that logos and trademarks may cause problems with customs in some countries, and the package does have several potentially problematic trademarks like HBO and Netflix, as well as logos for Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo…. In […]

July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

Ugoos UT3+ Android TV Box with HDMI Input, Rockchip RK3288 Processor Launched

Ugoos has finally announced the official release of Ugoos UT3+ TV Box based on Rockchip RK3288 quad core Cortex A19 processor with a much improved HDMI input function thanks to a Toshiba chip, and now supports DVR and PiP (Picture-in-picture) functions. Ugoos UT3+ specifications have not changed, but I’ll still reproduce them since it’s been 9 months since the device was unveiled: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core Cortex A17 @ 1.8 GHz with ARM Mali-T764 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB NAND Flash + micro SD slot up to 32 GB Connectivity – 100/1000M Ethernet, dual band WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz) and 802.11ac with external Wi-Fi antenna Video I/F Output – HDMI 1.4 output up to 4k2k @ 30 fps Input – HDMI input up to 1080p60 Audio I/F – HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, and optical S/PDIF USB – 3x USB host ports Power Supply – […]

July 9, 2016July 10, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit Pure Linux TV Box Review

In part 1 of ARNU Box Mach 10 64-bit Pure Linux review, I listed the specifications, and took some pictures of the Amlogic S905 based TV box, and its board. I’ve now completed testing of this Kodi Linux media player, going though setup and add-ons, and see how it works compared to ARNU Box Mach 10 Pure Linux based on Amlogic S812 processor. Setup, Cloudword and Configuration The setup part is basically the same as on the previous model, but I’ll go through it again. Please ignore the vertical white line on the TV in the photos below, as it’s just due to my 18 months old LG 42UB820T 4K UHD television being partially broken, and out of warranty. The boot will typically take 30 seconds, but the first time, you’ll go through ARNU Box Setup Wizard. You could skip it in theory, but it’s still a good idea to […]

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 39 Comments

Have US Customs Declared War on TV Boxes (and mini PCs)?

Customs are useful to make sure illegal or dangerous goods don’t reach customers, and they also “protect jobs” or “special interests” by applying tariffs to imports. If you’ve ever purchased goods out of your country or economic zone, the experience can range from flawless (no duties), to annoying (paying some taxes), up to really frustrating and depressing, if customs decide to have a closer look to your imported item. Most the time I don’t have any problems, especially since I try to be careful to stay below the limit (~$30 here) sometimes splitting my orders, a few times I have to pay custom duties and VAT, and once I got a call from UPS telling me my $100 mini PC was kept by customs (not sure why), and that the total cost to it get was unknown, but it will be at least $150 for handling and taxes, and sending […]

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 27 Comments

Mini M8S II Amlogic S905X Android TV Box with 2GB RAM Sells for $37

MINI M8S is a relatively popular Android TV box based on Amlogic S905 thanks to its low price ($33) and the inclusion of 2GB RAM. There’s now a new model simply called MINI M8S II with the same specifications, except the processor has been updated to Amlogic S905X, adding VP9 and HDR support, and selling for $36.99 on GearBest with coupon GBM8SII. Mini M8S II specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0b up to 4K @ 60 fps Audio – HDMI, optical S/PDIF Video Codecs – VP9 4K @ 60 fps, 10-bit H.265 4K @ 60 fps, H.264 4K @ 30 fps Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 host […]