Because 'you' can easily install 3rd party ROMs on this device by simply side-loading a apk to unlock the device, this makes this a great deal for people that like to tinker.
They even encourage it:
"Ready to Root
As any Android power-user knows, the best way to get the most out of your device is to root it. Rooting opens up all sorts of options including expanded access to Google Play and the ability to install custom ROMs. Mad Catz provides a short step-by-step guide to rooting, and our tech support team is ready to help. The best part – rooting won't void your warranty."
It is using the Tegra 4 SOC making this a very powerful system. It can easily run HL2/Portal and high-end (Android) games. It also has 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a micro SD card slot that lets you expand the memory to 128 GB. It even has a USB 3.0 Port for fast access to external HDs.
Spec wise, the Chinese Android TV boxes can't come close to this for its price.
As is, it is a fairly high-end Android TV box running Android 4.2.2 (poor mans NVIDIA SHIELD TV), price wise it is still pretty good even if it wasn't hackable. You would be looking at £20+ just for the game controller.
All comments (72)
chantelle310
16 Aug 161#1
Great box when you root and install CM12. Well worth buying for people who want something similar to a shield but for half the cost
Always would recommend this over m8/m8+ boxes etc bought one to review and compare with the shield and was pleasantly surprised.
The controller is better also.
pinguy to chantelle310
16 Aug 16#2
It is only £10 more then the Nexus Player. As it is pretty simple to run CM12 on it I thought at £60 this was a great deal (+ the included game controller is a huge bonus). Spec wise it blows the Nexus Player out of the water.
Even if people don't want to mess around with it. I can't think of a better system for its price to run Kodi on.
chantelle310
16 Aug 16#3
Yes your absolutely right to go for this. As a stock device you get great performance also. Only the bottom bar of soft keys doesn't ever dissappear.
If you root it and install a play store app called hide all soft keys then they go. So you don't even need to install a rom.
Ive tested this even with the moonlight and streamed games like ark and wwe 2K directly to it from my PC and it's hardly dropped any frames! Very good box.
I'm guessing due to being 4K ready, would this play x265 and VP9/10 decoding?
pinguy to M0nk3h
16 Aug 162#6
Due to the age of the Tegra4 I would rule out it supporting hardware VP9 decoding. It might (and this is a big might) be able to do software decoding of VP9, but honestly don't know.
x265 it might be able to do. I need to find the Tegra 4 spec sheet to see what hardware decoding it can do.
The Tegra 4 SOC is still a very powerful CPU. Not much can touch it performance wise. Only issue is due to its age is some of the newer codecs won't have hardware decoding. But because it is a very powerful CPU it will be able to handle the newer (unsupported) codecs via software. Just don't expect them to run at 4K (h.264 will run like a champ on this).
Gaming wise there isn't much that is going to touch this. THIS IS a very high-end gaming CPU/GPU. But due to its age some of the newer codecs like VP9 (that hardly any SOC can support anyway) will have to be decoded via software.
roadie
16 Aug 16#8
What's the benefit of hacking!
pinguy to roadie
16 Aug 161#12
Having a up-to-date firmware for one. As it stands the most up-to-date officially Android version you can run on this is 4.4.2
Unofficially you can run Android 5.1.1
There are huge benefits to being able to hack a device and being able to run unofficially firmwares.
Being able to run unofficially firmwares means as long as the community is happy to keep the device updated and supported. There will always be updates for it. Long after the company has officially stop supporting the device.
hackerace
16 Aug 16#10
Firestick is great plug n play for kodi,handles evrything fine apart from gaming and true controller.would this be better?
pinguy to hackerace
16 Aug 16#11
I highly doubt that the firestick has hardware HEVC & VP9 support for Kodi. So in that regard it is the same as this when it comes to hardware video decoding. The huge difference is the Tegra 4 SOC can run PS3 level graphics. This device can run native versions of Half Life 2 and Portal.
As a gaming Android TV box, only the NVIDIA SHIELD TV with its Tegra X1 SOC can beat this.
So yes. This is leaps and bonds better than the Amazon TV stick.
skykid3 to hackerace
16 Aug 16#15
isn't the firestick WIFI only?
I would only use WIFI for streaming movies as the last resort ethernet is the first choice everytime!
polly69
16 Aug 16#13
Does anyone have some links to the FW and other hacks for it.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
Android TV Mad Catz M.O.J.O: http://forum.xda-developers.com/mad-catz-mojo/development/rom-android-tv-mad-catz-m-o-j-o-t3003219
Because 'you' can easily install 3rd party ROMs on this device by simply side-loading a apk to unlock the device, this makes this a great deal for people that like to tinker.
They even encourage it:
"Ready to Root
As any Android power-user knows, the best way to get the most out of your device is to root it. Rooting opens up all sorts of options including expanded access to Google Play and the ability to install custom ROMs. Mad Catz provides a short step-by-step guide to rooting, and our tech support team is ready to help. The best part – rooting won't void your warranty."
It is using the Tegra 4 SOC making this a very powerful system. It can easily run HL2/Portal and high-end (Android) games. It also has 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a micro SD card slot that lets you expand the memory to 128 GB. It even has a USB 3.0 Port for fast access to external HDs.
Half-Life 2 Tegra 4 Frame-Rate Tests: https://youtu.be/aPyrpBpC3QM
Its hackability is what makes this device shine.
Spec wise, the Chinese Android TV boxes can't come close to this for its price.
As is, it is a fairly high-end Android TV box running Android 4.2.2 (poor mans NVIDIA SHIELD TV), price wise it is still pretty good even if it wasn't hackable. You would be looking at £20+ just for the game controller.
All comments (72)
Always would recommend this over m8/m8+ boxes etc bought one to review and compare with the shield and was pleasantly surprised.
The controller is better also.
Even if people don't want to mess around with it. I can't think of a better system for its price to run Kodi on.
If you root it and install a play store app called hide all soft keys then they go. So you don't even need to install a rom.
Ive tested this even with the moonlight and streamed games like ark and wwe 2K directly to it from my PC and it's hardly dropped any frames! Very good box.
https://youtu.be/bb7fmUo4Xro
x265 it might be able to do. I need to find the Tegra 4 spec sheet to see what hardware decoding it can do.
Here it does say it supports HDR, so that is a + http://www.nvidia.com/object/tegra-4-processor.html
The Tegra 4 SOC is still a very powerful CPU. Not much can touch it performance wise. Only issue is due to its age is some of the newer codecs won't have hardware decoding. But because it is a very powerful CPU it will be able to handle the newer (unsupported) codecs via software. Just don't expect them to run at 4K (h.264 will run like a champ on this).
Gaming wise there isn't much that is going to touch this. THIS IS a very high-end gaming CPU/GPU. But due to its age some of the newer codecs like VP9 (that hardly any SOC can support anyway) will have to be decoded via software.
Unofficially you can run Android 5.1.1
There are huge benefits to being able to hack a device and being able to run unofficially firmwares.
Being able to run unofficially firmwares means as long as the community is happy to keep the device updated and supported. There will always be updates for it. Long after the company has officially stop supporting the device.
As a gaming Android TV box, only the NVIDIA SHIELD TV with its Tegra X1 SOC can beat this.
So yes. This is leaps and bonds better than the Amazon TV stick.
I would only use WIFI for streaming movies as the last resort ethernet is the first choice everytime!
Thanks
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mad-catz-mojo/development/rom-android-tv-mad-catz-m-o-j-o-t3003219
https://youtu.be/bb7fmUo4Xro
But the XDA forum has good info: http://forum.xda-developers.com/mad-catz-mojo