Choosing a S905 / S905X / S905D / S905W / S912 box guide

    Quote from TommyL

    I have tried MrMC...would you say that this is as good as LibreElec on Mecool S912?

    MrMc = KODI fork

    LibreELEC = OS & KODI

    My private and subjective opinion - MrMc running on Apple TV(4k) is better than every version of LE or KODI on android

    for watching music and video.

    If You need tons of plugins -> better use LE

    Quote from Tim_Taylor

    MrMc = KODI fork

    LibreELEC = OS & KODI

    My private and subjective opinion - MrMc running on Apple TV(4k) is better than every version of LE or KODI on android

    for watching music and video.

    If You need tons of plugins -> better use LE

    Thanks a lot! I will buy the full version of MrMc and give it a try then. I think the Apple TV is good to. User friendly, and everything just works :)

    Hello, i am looking to purchase an Android box to run standalone LibreELEC. what is a good box using the s905X chip and one using the s912 chip, is one better than the other, currently i don't have a 4K tv but might in the near future. i have messed around with a box called TV Box 4k UCD 3840x2160. there wasn't a brand on the box that is all it said on the box. if the box could also have 5G wifi that would be good. i removed the Android OS off of this box and did a standalone LibreELEC and it ran real solid. advise from the pros would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks!

    Rootz, thanks for the reply. is it a bad thing to flash the nand with LibreELEC as i did on my friends box yesterday. i was amazed how much smoother it ran on his box verses my ASUS Chromebox. i have no need for the Android side and would love for it to boot right into LibreELEC but i thought i read that people said not to flash or write to the nand?

    Thanks

    Quote from LilSnoop40

    Rootz, thanks for the reply. is it a bad thing to flash the nand with LibreELEC as i did on my friends box yesterday. i was amazed how much smoother it ran on his box verses my ASUS Chromebox. i have no need for the Android side and would love for it to boot right into LibreELEC but i thought i read that people said not to flash or write to the nand?

    Thanks

    All my box´s i flash directly on nand LibreElec.
    I don't want android of any my box´s.
    I just share that information because the owners of S905W don't have LibreElec builds for they box´s.
    I´ll never buy a W version because im happy with my X

    Ok, I received my MECOOL M8S PRO L and installed LibreELEC on the nand. watched a few shows and ran fine, only question i have is it seemed to run hot and from i have seen online this is a known issue. will this cause any play back issue, think i saw it up to 160 Fahrenheit? what is the highest safest temp this can run at?

    Thank you!

    With the KII Pro getting an upgrade to the S905D is there any difference between that and the KI Pro? I can't see any except for slight difference in Bluetooth standard.

    Is there any benefit to the S912 chipset or would it be better to stick to the s905x

    From what I’ve gathered the 912 is faster on paper but within libre it’s running modified drivers does this have any negative effects on its speed

    Hi there,

    I'm a very very long time Kodi /LibreELEC user on intel platform but very new to thiis Android/Amlogic business. I have always been using LibreELEC as a dedicated set-top box: Is it possible to the same on these Android boxes (mainly for for 10-bit 4k/HDR playback)

    I was going through this post and fond myself lost on H/W choice. I was looking for a not so expensive and with some future-proofing solution. Any of these good for my purpose?

    Android TV Box,VORKE Android 7.1.2 Amlogic S912 Octa: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

    MINIX NEO U9-H +MINIX NEO K1 , Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

    One of my main objective is use it as a dedicated Kodi/LibreElEC set-top box. Can this be done? Any advice or suggestions on H/W?

    -San

    Yes it can be done. S912 boxes work well for 4K HDR with HD Audio. I suggest one with Gigabit LAN (1000M).

    Be aware not all AMLogic Hardware is created equal. Dirt cheap means corners have to be cut both with hardware components, heatsinks, thermal management and remote controls. As an example take a look here at the MINIX U1 / U9 heatsink and thermal management vs generic AMLogic Boxes:

    START HERE - Pick the Right Kodi Box (updated December 2017)

    The AML S912 boxes run the hottest of the AML family due to all the processing cores packaged into the SoC.

    So with the U1/U9's massive heatsink, you find they run the coolest of the lot and consequently will be the most stable - but for that you have to pay $$

    However poor quality heatsink bonding on cheap AML boxes can be improved a bit with a some simply DIY.

    All you do is open up the device, carefully remove the heatsink and clean up the SoC and then follow these instructions to apply some proper thermal paste (using Cling Film wrap) to whatever the original heatsink was covering up:

    How to Apply Thermal Paste - iFixit

    You only need to apply tiny amounts, really no bigger than a match head in quantity. Be carfeful to not apply too much paste and have it spill over to nearby IC electrical components. Silver paste conducts electricity.

    I simply bought a 1.5g $5 Syringe of 30% Silver - Thermal paste the SoC (CPU) temp dropped between 15 - 20 Degrees C on a S905 Box.

    If you were buying any AMLogic box, the Wireless remotes to get would be something like the MINIX A2 lite or the $14 aftermarket Xiaomi Mi Box.

    You will then have one responsive snappy setup.

    The new MINIX A3 lite remote has annoying wake from sleep issues.

    Hi all,

    I was looking at buying one of the cheap s905X boxes out there and install LE on that box, and I actually did that and ended up with a fake ram box (which is going back).

    So I decided to go to the other extreme and buy a quality box.

    I'm looking at Wetek Play2 or Wetek Hub and I have some questions about them.

    I'm also considering the latest Amazon Fire TV 4K box.

    I saw that the Wetek boxes are very much recommended for LE, but at the same time, it seems like Wetek spent some time perfecting the Android OS and the experience.

    Are there any benefits on installing LE on a Wetek box? Or just installing Kodi inside is as good?

    What are the benefits of going with LE on a Wetek vs. going native Wetek + Kodi as an app?

    Is hardware decoding the same?

    I assume you lose Netflix 4K if you go with LE. Right?

    BTW, do these boxes also support Amazon Prime Video (at 4K)?

    Comparing these to Amazon Fire TV (which as far as I understand, doesn't support LE), what is the Kodi experience there, with regards to hardware decoding?

    What do you recommend?