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

  • So, has anyone had some ideas how to proceed to install/boot LE on this device using a USB memory stick?

    After you have the SD Card prepared with LE.

    Add a Fake Zip File (Anything a text file and zip it)

    Use the Update app in Android and point it to the Fake Zip as the update file.

    See what happens.

  • After you have the SD Card prepared with LE.

    Add a Fake Zip File (Anything a text file and zip it)

    Use the Update app in Android and point it to the Fake Zip as the update file.

    See what happens.

    Did you mean I can just simply create an empty fake ZIP file by just using the touch utility?

    Edited once, last by Habibie: UPDATE: The fake ZIP file I created using the [b]touch[/b] utility and then ZIP it works. Now, my KM8 P boots with LE, but the remote control does not work. Does anyone have any idea how I can make it to work? (January 29, 2018 at 5:14 PM).

  • I am using Alfawise H96pro plus 3gb RAM/3gb flash. Bought it last year, was one of the first, being totally aware that libreelec was a dream then for S912, well...

    My version is with the green PCB.

    I am using it with:

    - AlfaWise H96 PRO+ 3/16Gb - 3/32Gb - 3/64Gb - SCV7A 7.1.2 (DDR3/DDR4 and 9377 Wifi Chipset - Superceleron`s latest Android 7.1.2 firmware

    - LibreELEC-S912.arm-8.2-8.2.2.3.img - @kszaq`s build + gxm_q200_3g.dtb

    What can I say? All is flawless. On Android with FTMC (Kodi`s Jarvis fork done by Superceleron) the box get`s to 90°C. With Libreelec it`s significantly better, max hitting 80 (when I do scan for library update). I am booting from a 4gb class6 card but using Android`s storage (thanks to kzsaq`s guide). And I am lazy but if I remove the heatsink and re-apply some proper thermal paste I can get the temps down, but it`s not bothering me at all - normal operating temp under LibreElec 60-80°C.

    Don`t have a 4k TV, but it nails everything down, even DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD which I pass trough to my receiver for decoding.

    I have also a Raspberry Pi3 and I decided to stay with LibreElec on my S912. HDMI CEC works, so I am using my TV`s remote.

    The only issue I have is that when I power off the device, I cannot get it on with the remote. And that`s f*cked up, because when I shutdown my S912 librebox, the HDMI still connected to my receiver and CEC works, so next time, when i power on my TV (through google home mini via chromecast stiched to the receiver) I do not get sound from the TV through the receiver because of the CEC. :)

    It only works when I either power on the S912 box by re-insert the PS into it, or remove the HDMI from the box, to kind of "release" CEC hi jack.

    I did not try with other dtb.img`s but since I ve read it`s a u-boot problem - it wont be ever fixed. It works on Android - that`s what most of the people claim, tested it, works for me, though it`s a "fake" power off only shutting the HDMI, that`s what I read.

    BUT!

    Still it makes for a great box, so I would recommend it. Only bad thing is that... you never know what you get, mine is from the first, recent H96 owners have blue PCBs, or other RAM or Flash, so you know the stories with cheap Chinese box, they put whatever they have, so it`s a lucky show.

    But in reality it smashes the RPi3 in performance. Hooked up to 1GB eth, has wifi 5G, which for me was pretty useless even though I beam with a WRT1900ACS...

    Decided to share for the "undecided" :)

  • Another 2 cents on the H96Pro+...

    - Original package cooling is crap. It HAS to be modded.

    - L3 certified. Even in original Android - forget about HD streaming from Amazon, Netflix and such.

    - If you flash another ROM, u-boot will be tampered - most probably LE will note wake up from power off.

    In LE most annoying things are:

    - remote power on from complete power off (IMHO - still has something to do with dtb)

    - Cannot catch up with S905/S905X devices on Amazon/Netflix even on 720p (libhybris hacks fro MALI drivers)

    So,

    don't buy it for LE (still) unless you accept the above. :)

    P.S. velqn

    Tested today automatic subitles download - worked. Both Archive and RAR support addons were installed and enabled. ;)

  • Absolutely agree with @ChimeyJimmey


    Probably I should mention other relevant info for the "undecided" that want to explore S912 and LibreELEC as it can be a painful experience. First take into consideration all the limitation as per the post above.

    Second, when you get your chineese box (if you get one) you will have to flash it, else you can forget about LE. Now flashing is the funny part, you will need for sure to buy an USB m a l e to USB m a l e cable and use USB burning tool to flash it.

    And now back to the crappieness of the box. My box has 2 USB ports that are visible on the box. But guess what, you can not use them for ROM flashing. So you have to tear open your box and boom, there is a hidden USB port.

    Why bother writing this? Because after I opened my box for the first time, it never got back to how it used to be, but don`t care. Now the interesting part -> this boxes tend to go very hot because of S912 (a lot of cores and bla bla), so people are modding them like hell.

    You can check here - I guess most of the hardware mods can be applied to many of the Chineese boxes.

    So why I put this together? Just to illustrate that LibreELEC is a bumpy road on S912, but when you get it working, then it`s a pleasure.

    p.s. I still can not fix the damn power off/on, so annoying but I have to live with that. Wonder if we cannot extract the dtb.img from the crappy original Android firmware that comes with those boxes. For H96+ pro there is a stock 7.1 Android. Anybody let me know if I can do something.

  • p.s. I still can not fix the damn power off/on, so annoying but I have to live with that. Wonder if we cannot extract the dtb.img from the crappy original Android firmware that comes with those boxes. For H96+ pro there is a stock 7.1 Android. Anybody let me know if I can do something.

    This has been said 100s times: powering on is a matter of proper bootloader implementation, not dtb!

  • Appreciate the posts ChimeyJimmey and velqn. I'm definitely gonna purchase an s912 box but trying to find one that will have minimal issues after installing LE

    The Meecool M8S PRO L seems to tick all the boxes but the user experiences with LE and this specific box are few and far between. Can anyone confirm if it will power on via the remote?

  • Yet,

    an S905 box with a "wrong" dtb behaves just like that.

    Once the dtb is replaced with a "proper" one - power on from remote works again... :)

    Please give some more details: type of box, working dtb, not working dtb, run from SD/internal and maybe we can figure something out. ;)

  • There are more users of an Alfawise H96pro+ with the Power ON issue, include myself! :(

    See here!

    I have an Alfawise H96pro+ with 2/16GB using [8.2.2.3] LibreELEC 8.2 for S912 and these gxm_q200_2g.dtb from here!

    Im starting LE from a micro-SD-card, because sometimes I'm using also Android!

    This is when I'm looking LiveTV with UHD with HLG-HDR (channel TravelXP 4K). UHD with HLG-HDR don't work with Libreelec, only with Android!

    Note:

    I've found some differences between shutdown under Android and under Libreelec, if i was measuring the current consumption:

    Shutdown from Android, the current is significant lower then 10mA (I can't measure that with my USB device)

    Shutdown from Libreelec, the current is apprx. 50mA

    If I make a shutdown from Android, then I can start the box with my remote control, but nothing if I do that from Libreelec.

    Paul

    Sorry for my english, thats not my first language! ;)

    Edited 4 times, last by Paul69 (January 30, 2018 at 3:32 PM).

  • Hi there, so this is a solution: from Kodi under LibreELEC, just shutdown - > reboot from internal. This will boot into Android where you can safely power off. Next time you power on -> LibreELEC SD card is in your box -> and voilla, you have it :)

    Okay, some further test with my own H96pro + 3/32:

    - Power the device by plugin the power supply

    - boot LibreELEC via sd card

    - LibreELEC -> reboot to internal memory

    - Box boots Android

    - Power off Android - Tv turns off (via CEC), receiver though stays on. If I use the TV`s remote it`s better, both TV+receiver power off

    - H96 box is not really down, you can ping it, connect to it, I guess it`just shuts the HDMI. There is the Power Off option, but after that it`s a dead man, only hard unplug/plug power supply brings it back.

    - Power on Android via the box - Android shines

    - Restart Android

    - Tv turns off, receiver turns off

    - Wait 10 seconds

    - Tv starts, receiver starts, and then LibreELEC

    Well, not so bad at all but honestly I preffer to plug/unplug it every time, probably that`d be easier:)

    I had this issue on my box since forever, i.e. since it came to me with the very first crappy "original" alfawise crap Android 6 firmware.

    Edited 2 times, last by velqn (January 30, 2018 at 11:52 PM).

  • Following any potential resolution of H96 Pro + being able to power on. I am happy to test - have a new box with 8.90.3 from USB now. Thank you.

    Assuming no resolution, which box is similar but able to power on properly?

    Edited once, last by sabre6 (January 31, 2018 at 6:37 PM).

  • Hi everyone,

    I have a Panasonic TX-50CX700E (4K non HDR) with LE on a RPI3 and a NAS to watch movies in 1080p. It works well but I would like to take full advantage of my TV and watch 4K movies.

    I tried to download several 4K HDR movies and launch them directly on the TV. Results: most of them were not working, I could only see a frame from time to time. And only one worked but the file had faded colors compared to the same movie in 1080p (normal?).

    Why my TV cannot properly read a 4K MKV file with the included media center?

    With a product like the ODROID C2, could I read all 4K MKV movies (HDR or non HDR)?

    Is it a good idea to invest and will I see a real difference?

    How a 4K HDR movie will render on my TV?

    Is the ODROID C2 is the best option for me?

    Thank you a lot for your help :)

  • No look at the Chart in Post #1 - the S905 in the ODROID C2 does not support HDR. S905's are SDR boxes only.

    Best bang for the buck for 4K HDR LE Kodi is something like the Gigabit (1000M) LAN - KM8 Pro (S912) any other sort of Gigabit AMLogic S912 box.

    You really need Gigabit LAN for high bitrate 4K HDR REMUX's

  • S905 SDR boxes cannot convert HDR > SDR for viewing on a SDR only TV. The picture result is washed out colors.

    S905X / S905D / S912's can do HDR > SDR conversion and colors look good on a SDR TV.

  • I have 2 Xgody TX3 PRO boxes, took them apart to verify they have amlogic 905w soc chip, 1 Gig RAM. I have tried both toothpick method & "reboot update" from the command line in android, neither will boot from the sd mem card or either USB slot. I'm using the default dtb that comes with the image distribution. Has anyone had luck getting this box to boot LE from a mem card or USB? Thanks.

    Problem fixed. I was using the default dtb that came with the distribution. Once I replaced it with gxl_p212_1g.dtb all is well.