People that ask these sorts of questions. Do you ever actually use that feature or are you just trying to find out if the box has teh latest whizz bang technology? I Just plug the box into my telly and watch streams. What are you going to be doing with it that requires these fairly obscure and specific features?

I have this box (picked it up from the previus GB sale which came to around £26). Most of the boxes from that batch including mine had wifi issues (it shows a signal but nothing is transmitted) and therefore I use only LAN. Apart from that it's a pretty good box coupled to an air mouse. GearBest gave me a 40% refund for the wifi issue, it was cheaper to accept that than send it back to China for a full refund! You always take a chance with Chinese products, win some lose some etc.

If you watch Netflix don't even consider one of these as Netflix delivers only a 480p stream to any box that's not in it's officially 'approved' list. The Amazon devices are in this list so you'd get significantly better quality on Netflix on that vs this box.
However, Kodi on this box works perfectly once you get a proper build onto it (it ships with many broken streams). Amazon Video works fine but you won't be able to use the Now TV app on this box (or any box!) as Now TV in their infinite wisdom have disabled HDMI casting onto a screen from any box (well, apart from their own boxes).

You have full access to Google Play. Playback from a NAS in Full HD, or from a USB or microSD card, works perfectly. Alll catch up TV apps work; Youtube, Modbro etc work perfectly. Quite a neat box for the price but be ready for WiFi issues (perhaps they've sorted out this batch as this appears to run Android 5.1 and not 4.4 which I have, which implies a new batch?).
And forget about Netflix.

HDMI-CEC isn't obscure. Most people won't recognise it by name but it's the dark magic that allows your TV to automatically switch to the Sky box HDMI Input when you turn it on. It can also turn your devices to standby automatically when you turn off the TV, and like the poster said, means you can use the pause / play etc buttons on the TV remote.

With most modern TVs and say, a Fire TV Stick, you'll notice you can even use the arrow keys on the TV remote to operate the Fire TV.

The 4K is maybe more obscure for now, as besides Netflix and Amazon there isn't much 4K content about, unless you're making it yourself. One day though, they'll crack the protection and all the 4K stuff will be on the torrent sites and this feature suddenly becomes very important if you've got a 4K TV.

If you just "plug it into the telly and watch streams" they're probably on the lower end of the quality scale, but, if you're happy with it and it works, don't let anyone tell you you need to spend more money or make anything more complicated.

This is the exact one I have. It's a great!

I have weak wifi as well, I have tried to upgrade to the new fixed wifi image, but cannot do it via OTA update or SD card flashing.

Going to try and flash with usb cable.

got mine couple of days back. WiFi seems to be fluctuating/disconnecting often. Also the language changes back to Chinese everyone it turns on or comes back from sleep. anyone seeing this issue? :disappointed:

Yup agree with your comment on PIA. Brilliant VPN provider. They just pulled out of Russia as their offices there were raided, with Putin's goons looking for server logs - they couldn't find any.

Never had any issues with PIA over the past 2 years. Can pick and choose servers from a large and expanding list of countries, connections on PCs, Android and iOS devices are instant and stable, and customer service has never been a problem. I believe PIA accepts payments in weird formats, including Starbucks cards, for total anonymity. Haven't tried that one yet but will probably do next time during renewal.

Yes.get a VPN & put it on your router (if your router supports this). I like PrivateInternetAccess as they keep no logs.
I suspect that most people wouldn't bother, especially as you are not uploading anything (unlike if you torrenting).

Got mine today really pleased with it...wifi fine.

Any advice of whether to get a VPN?

Can anyone recommend where else I can get this?

DAMN! I was going to purchase this, but the GearBest voucher codes:8% - GB0419has now expired.

This is what I love about t'internet. Never really understood HDMI-CEC, and now I've just found out that my Samsung TV remote can control the Amazon Firestick! Brilliant...many thanks for that!

Slightly misleading earlier comment. S905 has no issue playing 10bit x265 & AC3 via Kodi. Haven't specifically "tested" DTS but cannot recall any issues with any audio media playback & I have played lots. Other players such as MXplayer requires simple codec loading for DTS & AC3 support. Support for x265 via MXP is generally OK but MXP doesn't like 10bit so revert to Kodi.
Edit: just ran a DTS-encoded file through Kodi on my S905-based Mini MX and no issues; Kodi OSD even stated DTS.

YThe audio DTS and AC3 and 10bit 2x265 was what I was wondering about.

​I missed this myself and I asked the original question....
however, the answer, being completely honest, has baffled me as I'm not even remotely tech minded....
I have a Web Os LG 4k TV is there a step by step guide I could follow.?
many thanks!

Not my area of knowledge, but the "AV out" in example boxes is intended for a 4-way 3.5mm jack that converts to three separate RCA/phonos individually carrying audio L, audio R, and CVBS video (CVBS = Composite Video, Blanking and Sync), example cable http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHORT-15cm-3-5mm-4-Pole-Jack-3-RCA-Cable-Triple-Phono-Composite-AV-Lead-Camera-/251172653068 wired as here http://i.stack.imgur.com/QTkwY.jpg for the RPi. I believe this to be different to RGB designed to drive the Red, Green and Blue guns of CRT TV's directly. But yes, please research.

Thanks for your efforts Andy, though I'm not familiar with the 'AV' output socket. I was talking about component out with the separate red, green and blue phono sockets. Need to research this av socket a bit I think (doesn't look like a 'composite' socket going by those images).

AV out? Better-spec'd box than OP at around £28 was mentioned in post 76 here, and I think one of the other Beelink S905 boxes has AV out.
Edit:
summary of S905 with AV:
£28.51 huge spec http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_359008.html but would benefit from ROM/firmware reflash mentioned in this post
£42 Beelink M18 with 2GB/16GB http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_282314.html
£19 ex-UK A95X with 1GB/8GB http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122021438445
£27.49 ex-UK T95N with 2GB/8GB http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172227950754

Hmm.... so I just received delivery of a Beelink MiniMXIII this morning... it's my first android tv box and I'm a bit disappointed...

How are you supposed to use iplayer and netflix on these boxes? - the remote control navigates fine through the system menus, and kodi works fine, but in iplayer or netflix, you can't select anything?

Long shot, but does anyone know of a box similar to this that can run kodi AND has component out?.

had 2 of these boxes both suffer from wifi issues, widely known there is a new rom though that supposedly fixes it, well in some cases it has. The better box is the Beelink Mini MX Ver 1.0 has 2,4 and 5 ghz wifi and a better rom

I bet many many people with Samsung and LG smart tv's missed your comment....but i didn't...you got me interested.
So I browsed the Samsung app store on my 2015 Tizen OS Samsung TV and you are quite right the IPTV app is there.
Free 7 day trial then €5.50 for full version.
Fire it up and it shows your TV Mac address and a URL, open the URL and there is a tool to convert M3U playlists of streams to a compatible txt file and upload to your TV.

10mins googling later and I have a file full of all uk channels (including the kind of channels people are using Kodi plugins for....:stuck_out_tongue:)

Fire up the app and the channel list is there and the streams load almost instantly. Brilliant. Owe you one

price higher now thanks to the brexit plonkers :smiley:

Works well on my box.

I own one of these, pretty good for the price, 4k quality is crap though

I saw some mention of wireless in there, maybe that's what it is - A Wireless.

If anyone is interested I found the issue. I have an F-10 Pro Airmouse that \i got for my Minix box which I use to set up boxes (and use with my Minix) and it was that. It is trying to play the sound through the remote (which has an IP phone function). Unplugged that and used the basic remote that came with it and voila, sound. Can't see how to disable the sound going to the remote though which is weird.

'Dude', you're making out like netflix is unwatchable saying "If you watch Netflix don't even consider one of these"... I was merely pointing out that a lot of people only pay for the basic package and only get 480p anyway... and yes it does matter what you pay - if you pay £5.99, you ONLY get SD, even on approved devices... My point was saying that my GF didn't even notice it wasn't HD.

Saying the difference between SD and HD is the difference between night and day is a slight exaggeration... It's certainly something to be aware of, but not everyone needs to rule out one of these if they're happy with 480p.

very tempted

I did not mention AC3 at all. I said no audio from music or movies. Even mp3 files stored on my NAS. Tried VLC as well in case there was a codec issue or something Nada, butkiss, Zilch.

so you're playing x265 through Kodi fine? Does it do audio-passthrough via hdmi? if so, that's great.

Given the £ has just tanked, perhaps the price needs to be updated?

I believe you can flash openelec onto these, amlinux****ru/image/devel seems to have some openelec 6 images for it. I've got a minix, wetek play, mxv, gonna buy one of these, worth it just for the footy on a Saturday.

I'm assuming this box is badly supported? I have a Minix and one major reason for buying a well known name is its well supported plus there is at least one forum where you can discuss any issues.

GFexit mate.

does it transmit audio via bluetooth?

Does it run Crysis?

Seems an unusual situation. I have a number of S905-based boxes and each without exception will play AC3 effortlessly via various versions of Kodi. MXplayer required its separate codec to enable AC3 and is still my preferred player even though it stuggles with X265 content and fails miserably at 10bit X265 so I just revert to Kodi for most x265.

Normally pay with PayPal however didn't do so on this occasion (to my regret). With regards to the partial refund, they offered me a variety of options in getting a full refund (in which I would have to pay postal cost of sending unit back to far east), new box (which I didn't want) or a partial refund in terms of store credit. I choose the latter and even they balls that up so they had to send it to me via PayPal

Dude, it doesn't matter how much you pay - if your device is not on their pre approved list you will only be served an SD stream:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/why-android-and-other-devices-cant-stream-hd-netflix/

I have the £7.49 standard subscription and the difference in quality between the M8S and one of my Fire TV devices is night and day.

​CEC working. There are only issues with DTS and other 5.1 and up sound files through SPDIF.
HDMI sound is fine.

The latest Sony tvs run on Android OS thus you just have to go on to the play store and download kodi as you would do on an android phone. There are currently no Lg tvs that run on android tv.

*edit
just been tinkering and got ac3 to work :smiley:
use MX Player and look at the instructions in this link:-
http://www.phonearena.com/news/How-to-restore-full-audio-codec-support-AC3-DTS-in-MX-Player-Androids-best-video-playback-app_id64435
the link for the codec file doesn't work in the article, but just google AIO 1.7.32 codec package

You got a partial refund only?! How much was that? Why didnt you start a dispute on paypal (assuming you paid with them).

RE: Netflix...

I can't find any statistics on subscriber figures, but I'd imagine most people only subscribe to the Netflix Basic package at £5.99p/m... This is a SD, 480p service on any device...

As a perfect example of 'HD snobbery', my girlfriend insisted that "netflix is great HD quality" (we have netflix basic)... I made sure she knew the difference between 480p, 720p and 1080p etc, and she argued "of course I do, I'm not stupid"... Then I proved that what we were watching was only 480p (with the Example Short 23.976 test video)... She argued that was just that video... so I googled for the details:

'Basic' membership: £5.99/month. One screen at a time; includes standard definition (SD) streaming only.
'Standard' membership: £7.49/month. Stream to two screens simultaneously; includes HD streaming.
'Premium' membership: £8.99/month. Stream to four screens at a time; includes streaming at 4K resolution.

She shut up about it after that, but of course, wouldn't admit she was wrong...

Whats this used for even?

I have no clue :neutral_face:

Bought this box via a previous deal when it was £26. Worked fine for 2 weeks and then died completely. Geatbest customer service is quite poor. Had to upload a video of it not working to YouTube and then go back and forth to get partial refund. Also what has been mentioned about the WiFi being poor is true. Only managed to get signal via the ethernet cable.

Have since got an Fire stick and I installed Fire TV Guru on it. Works extremely well and would advise people to go down that route and avoid this deal.

not playing audio is the 'fault' of the file, not the box mostly... from memory, it's files with ac3 audio that don't play the sound

there's only one or 2 boxes that support ac3... I did send gearbest a message on one of the boxes pages on the site asking if it supported ac3 for this very reason, for which they replied that it did, but can I 'eck find the box or the reply to my question!

I found kodi's built in player had audio on some files, but not enough of them, so I switch over to my WDTV live box for USB files now

How is it academic? I have downloaded such files without issues. and with h265 these files are the same size as a good quality 1080p high bitrate file. They can't compress a file that I download....

Could anyone recommend an Android box that is as powerful, or more powerful than the Fire TV box 2, Want to play games, as well as video playback at 4k and H265. As up to date O.S as possible would be great.

Not asking for much, am I?

Cheers
Mike

If your buying from gear best make sure you select the eu warehouse from the menu and the U.K. Plug from the drop down. EU will get to you in a few days China warehouse will be two-three weeks

Well I just bought one.....thanks.

Best websites to look at for newbies?

HDMI-CEC is pretty useful, means you can use your own TV remote not the crappy remote these boxes ship with...

How is this box for running Plex?

Could I use this to power a reception screen, auto running a PowerPoint presentation ? Rather than an old pc tower.

Any ideas on how this would run emulators? would you be looking at PSX? or more 16bit console standards?

I agree with all the comments regarding the wifi on this box. It's useless.

Works fine on a ethernet cable though.

Unless you are going to hard-wire it, the 2.4 only wireless lets this box down.

I was under the impression that LG, along with Samsung (i can confirm my Samsung F series 6700 does) had IPTV as an app. IPTV will offer you the same 'functionality' as Kodi, but you will have to update the repository address manually.

I'll give it a wiggle then....or better still get the misses to give it a wiggle! :wink:

Yeah pretty much tried everything. As I said there is sound from notification picker so shows that the box is producing sound and that the tv is picking it up via HDMI but no other sound from music or movies. It's really strange. I've had a few boxes so kinda know whar I am doing with them. Shame really as it seemed a decent box otherwise, did seem a bit warm after being on for a few hours though, not like my Minix which stays cool and I never turn it off.

Do these boxes support all current main profiles of 4k HEVC?

Just I remember back in early MKV and AVI/DIVX/etc days for those generations of boxes there was lots of compatability issues....bitrate must be less than xx, profile 4.0 or lower and so on......then of course whether can decode DTS etc too.

Annoyingly I have a HTPC which doubles as plex server/nas that doesn't do hw decoding and cpu isn't powerful enough so they chug away at times....and only in the newer gfx cards support full hw decoding (none of which are low profile either)

edit : wow - these boxes still have issues passing through or decoding DTS audio - and passing through TrueHD/DTSHD - how many years will it take for something that is a comparative important feature

Hope you'll be pleased, I've taken a bit of time to get used to it but very happy for the money (bought mine from eBay though). Few posts/updates worth reading on the thread specific to that box. Kodi is definitely worth sorting out. Watch some YT vids on Exodus, Trakt, etc. Might be worth starting with a custom build (thread suggests Wookie but I'm sitting on the fence about it; I have it installed now). Check out tvaddons.

Are you powering on the TV then the box? I had this problem which seems to have gone away. I use the media box remote to turn it on and I don't then have the sound problem. Failing that, try turning the tv off/on (leave the box on) and I reckon it will pick it up ok!

Have just taken the plunge and purchased this one :smiley:

Excuse my ignorance but want to know what other purposes does this device serve apart from media streaming?

​It is a valid question else the boxes will soon be out of date etc.

People who "just plug it in" are more likely the ones who watch rubbish screeners. Too cheap to pay to go to the cinema, and too impatient to wait for a decent copy/bluray.

Beelink generally tend to have better support than 'generic' android boxes

the cost is above the £15 import vat duty rate.
is it worth paying the extra from an EU warehouse

Usually: price! The Mini MX typically offers twice the storage at 16GB, dual wifi and gigabit LAN (although I think Gearbest only sell the 1GB RAM version). If you need a greater featureset you could consider the MXQ Pro+ with 2GB/16GB, dual wifi, gigabit LAN, 4xUSB rather than 2xUSB, AV-out (so you can easier use it for audio-only output applications) and fullsize SDcard slot at currently £28.51, but it really screams for a simple firmware reflash. Info in previous HUKD post here and hardware page here: http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_359008.html

I have the M8S (non mini) and it works well, no issues.

What is it? and does it play tapes?
:disappointed:

Why that one ?

Thought this was the Mini MX but sadly not. Even with the newsletter discount applied, I still see near £24 not £22?

Sorry i meant the MINIMXIII : http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_349813.html

Great deal and great box. I have one myself very reliable.Easy to install kodi etc

What version of Android does this run? Next version of Kodi (17) requires Android 5.0 as a minimum so be careful - a lot of Android boxes will not support it (as they are locked at Android 4.x and cant be upgraded). ** edit ** just seen it says Android 5.1 in the spec, yay! May upgrade my box then

​I had the same problem on a similar box. It was down to a dodgy HDMI connection. A quick wiggle and press sorted it.

Hot ordered thanks

why is high quality 4k obsucre? it's advertised as 4k and being able to play this so I want to know it works.

if you don't know, hdmi-cec is the ability to control the device using your tv remote control, also not obsucre if you ask me. Maybe you didn't know the term....

After some reading online, seems it can play 10bit x265, but struggles with it in Kodi, and audio DTS and AC3 isn't supported, though saying that, audio pass through seems to work.
it also can't play x264 4k 60fps

I have this box and its not that great. It runs Kodi, but Wifi is useless.
Also I cant get HDMI-CEC to work.
Maybe there;s a firmware update to fix that?
So I often use my old Pi 2 instead as I like CEC control with the TV remote
So not a hearty recommendation from me....

Thanks OP have some heat, seems like a decent little box be good for my house hold :stuck_out_tongue:

I've got the Beelink MiniMXIII, bought as an "experiment" as I wasn't getting along well with Kodi on my PC/tablet with previous attempts - but Wookie, TV Addons, etc have changed my mind. It's a great wee box, had no problems (hard-wired it because I hate the new "Super Router" TalkTalk recently supplied me with, that's another story).

Wondering if there are any dedicated Beelink MiniMXIII threads out there? The Beelink appealed to me as apparently they have made OEM boxes for a while, and they're one of the few that supply updates.

+1 for beelink minimx iii

I have this box and it works well for me. I have it plugged in via LAN though, but the wifi does work. I would definitely recommend getting an airmouse as well as the included remote is fiddly. I don't use it as a pure streaming device. Netflix works well (not sure that an earlier comment about bitrates is true as the quality seems at least HD to me). I have this box, a Fire TV stick and multiple chromecasts. I have this box plugged into my living room TV which should tell you how it compares to the other devices!

Here's the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android-tv/android-sticks/mini-m8s-tv-box-review-amlogic-s905-2gb-t3347587 with suggestions for wifi issue fix, ROM updates, flashing procedure etc. Seems like a good box and an honest seller as there's one Russian dude who actually opened the box to check what's inside and took photos of the board and on board chips - it's all there, as advertised! :smiley: HEAT ADDED!

Sorry for sounding lazy is there a definitive up-to-date guide for setting up kodi with current plugins? I bought a box some time back, within 2 days of working phoenix and something else dropped and I couldn't find a reliable way to stream HD movies? Cheers!

I would also like to know which is the better box....this one or the beelink that is linked to on page 2

pay the extra £6 and get the beelink

A Google search on this subject drew a blank. Can you provide a link?

wouldn't get this at all, had one but got rid. WiFi doesn't work without flashing, cec doesn't work, audio pass through is broken, DTS doesn't work properly and others have sound problems.

s812 or s805 are still better than the s905 until their issues get fixed (which doesn't seem likely any time soon)

​thanks I wondered if there was a workaround anyone knew of..

​thanks so much for the reply, I had thought the same, I was just wondering if a workaround was available as I'm not particularly clued up on the functions...

Thanks, bought one this is my first android tv box, been umming and arringover what to get for a while decided just get this and in time upgrade to a better one, no point waiting around there will always be a better spec the next week. For 20 quid whats to lose?.

Youtube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dot0wq3vxX8

Is this a better box tham a T8 android box? Had it for around 2 years now not sure how dated it is now

Tempted

Ive recently just bought the Beelink MiniMXIII. Is there a difference between the two?

Looks like wifi issue could be solved according to this review (on their site)

Great box

From Andrei Jun 20,2016

Pros:
- Wi-Fi streaming is good
- Plays 4K flawlessly
- It is rooted
- Update APK installed
- Easy interface
- Lightweight
- Remote is okay
- HDMI cable included

Cons:
- Could have come with batteries
- The remote built quality isn't so good

following on from the above comment re sony tv playing kodi..I wonder if my 4k lg TV will run Kodi? Anyone offer any assistance

my TV is hard wired to the router if this will make a difference?

Hi, 2 questions if anyone can help:

Can this play 10bit 4k 60fps via kodi?
Does hdmi-CEC work on this box so I can control it with my tv remote control?
Thanks

Don't bother if you want to use wifi as you'll get rubbish speeds

HDMI-CEC isn't obscure. Most people won't recognise it by name but it's the dark magic that allows your TV to automatically switch to the Sky box HDMI Input when you turn it on. It can also turn your devices to standby automatically when you turn off the TV, and like the poster said, means you can use the pause / play etc buttons on the TV remote.

With most modern TVs and say, a Fire TV Stick, you'll notice you can even use the arrow keys on the TV remote to operate the Fire TV.

The 4K is maybe more obscure for now, as besides Netflix and Amazon there isn't much 4K content about, unless you're making it yourself. One day though, they'll crack the protection and all the 4K stuff will be on the torrent sites and this feature suddenly becomes very important if you've got a 4K TV.

If you just "plug it into the telly and watch streams" they're probably on the lower end of the quality scale, but, if you're happy with it and it works, don't let anyone tell you you need to spend more money or make anything more complicated.

Hi Jinkz & everyone,

Sorry for asking directly. Can you share few links in which I can see using the box ?
As I have Smart TV & dont have any TV Subscription , will this be any use of me ?

Thanks

Excuse my ignorance but could anyone tell me if this seemingly excellent piece of kit will offer me anything extra as I already have a Sumvision Cyclone micro2+, a Fire TV stick and a Now TV box?
Thanks in advance.

wish these could run windows...

True observation. 10bit x265 capability is an absolute pre-requisite on my shopping list for this sort of tech.

This is the exact one I have. It's a great!

Reviews are not good on Amazon.co.uk. check again before buying.

Do these come with a remote ?

a lot for little money

Dunno about the remote control but 4k 10bit is definitely a big deal.

4k films are already big on torrent sites and I think all new gen 4k TVs will have some form of 10bit technology which apparently looks amazing. My only reason for buying this box would be to play back films stored on a HDD or network drive that are stored in the new (much smaller) x265 format some of those being 10bit and one day 4k when I get a new TV. (PS4 and my smart tv and bluray player have yet to support x265/hevc making a lot of my films unplayable on the TV without getting the laptop connected via HDMI). Really is a valid question tbh.

I've got this box, use it every day and works flawlessly. Highly recommend it and willing to answer any questions about it.

I've got one of these, its great but make sure you put a decent launcher on it like Nova or Apex, trying to use the bundled launcher is awful.

​I'd be interested in this too. Anyone?

Do you know if this can be powered by the USB port on a tele?

I only used it for Kodi. I didn't realise my Sony Android TV does Kodi fine so i'm using my TV instead.

How does it compare to this: http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_366028.html

With the discount code in its HUKD thread, its a slight bit cheaper

I presume this will play mkvs via USB?

I had one of these boxes and nice bit of kit

very good price for the spec

i get there news letter and get some `email` only offers. good savings

Silly price, great bit of kit for the money that

temporary email: http://www.10minutemail.com