The Droid TV thread

ScottulusMaximus said:
Hey, @AVSupply!!!!!!!!! Work your magic;) It's finally here!!!!
Click to expand...

Firmware link removed due to issues :(

Let me know if they release a newer version?

ps - box recovered, so I'm ready when the new version is out :)
 
What's the latest version for the MX3 2Gb?
Your custom firmware
 
Volksieboi said:
just a heads up... was looking at the Minix neo x8H Plus or Z64.

but then...

http://androidpcreview.com/minix-ne...deck-with-their-new-amlogic-s905-tv-box/3692/
Click to expand...

Reviewed.

Conclusion

It’s quite difficult to find a device where both the hardware and software are very good. Most of the time, I’m given decent hardware with half-baked firmware, but I’ve also tested boxes with outstanding hardware and rather poor firmware (e.g. Mygica ATV1900AC), or on the contrary very good firmware, but hardware that could be better (e.g. WeTek Core). So I’m happy to report MINIX guys have managed to combined excellent hardware with very stable and responsive firmware that works (the vast majority of the time).

One the hardware side, you’ve got good (802.11n) and excellent (802.11ac) WiFi transfer rate, and Gigabit Ethernet works very well, even for streaming high bitrate videos, while the eMMC flash is the fastest I’ve tested in any devices, and whatever performance I get is sustainable thanks to the large heatsink in side the device keep everything cool and running smoothly over time.

One the software side, the system feel very responsive at all times, certainly helped with the good hardware, but most of advertised features just work out of the box, with Kodi for MINIX running well enough for be your primary media player / center, a first on the Amlogic S905 devices I tested. That’s not to say there aren’t any flaws, or bugs but there are not major, and I’m sure many will be fixed with upcoming firmware updates.

PROS

Recent stable and always responsive Android 5.1 OS firmware
Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 2160p 60Hz; 24/25/30/50/60 Hz refresh rates supported
Good Kodi support (XBMC 15.3 MINIX Edition) with smooth 4K H.265 (10-bit) and H.264 video playback
Dolby 5.1, Dolby+7.1, DTS and TrueHD audio pass-through are working (HDMI and S/PDIF).
Proper implementation of power handling with more feature possible as the MCU firmware is upgradeable and the included RTC.
3x USB ports + 1x micro USB port with USB OTG
Very good to outstanding network performance with Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi (802.11n / 802.11ac)
Fastest internal storage I’ve seen in any device tested so far
Decent platform for 3D games
Skype working fine with USB webcam
Working OTA firmware upgrade
Active support forums

CONS

HDMI – DTS HD pass-through not working yet; CEC not working; Video output resolution set in settings is not always used at next power on, and may fall back to 1080i50. I’ve also noticed the resolution switch to 2160p25 (instead of 2160p60), after playing some videos.
A few video playing OK in MX Player has issues in Kodi for MINIX.
Lack of DTS and Dolby support for PCM (downmix) output. Does not affect Kodi users, or people with an AV receiver.
DRM installed, but lacks Widewine Level 1 required for full HD and 4K video streaming in some apps (e.g. Netflix)
USB hard drive partitions (NTFS / exFAT) reported as having 10MB free only, basically rendering the partitions read-only. (likely bugs related to having multiple partitions on a single hard drive)
Some small UI issues – Mouse pointer looks quite small at 4K resolution, list of apps shown in chronological order instead of alphabetical
System may be stuck in standby mode (only happens once)
Potential USB port shutdown issue (only happened once when I disconnect a USB hub and all USB port turned off).
I could not login to Google Hangouts
Volume may be very low in Kodi (Workaround is to adjust volume in launcher first).

I also tested MINIX NEO A2 Lite air mouse in the review, and I really recommend it, this is an excellent input device, and IMHO better than MeLE F10 Deluxe due to larger keyboard keys, and a dedicated button to activate air mouse function.

I’ve seen some people ask whether they should upgrade their MINIX NEO X8-H Plus to NEO U1. In terms of performance, you won’t see much differences, and X8-H Plus should have higher 3D performance, but if you care about H.265 video playback at 4K @ 60 Hz, and really something that you can turn on/off with the remote control, then go ahead you won’t be disappointed.

MINIX NEO U1 sells for $129.99 on Amazon US, Amazon UK, DX.com, GearBest, GeekBuying and others, but I really recommend you spend $20 extra and get the bundle with MINIX NEO A2 Lite air mouse on these sites. The air mouse is also sold separately for $29.99 shipped.
 
Does anyone know of someone that can help me install all the needed kodi/xbmc add-ons? I am in cape town.
 
Quick question on the MX2. How robust is it? As a total newb to these things, I did an OpenElec installation on mine this year. I had step by step instructions that were really clear, detailed and totally accurate.

Never been happier as my MX2 had never been as stable. But it eventually began acting up last month so I figured I'd upgrade firmware and OpenElec. I must've done something terribly wrong in doing so and after trying various files and manual SD Card installs/upgrades - I seem to have gotten to a place where it hangs on (or just after) a OpenElec boot screen.

Does anyone have a FOOL PROOF way of getting the machine back onto an even footing? I'd need fail proof, detailed instruction... (eg. I never know exactly how long I need to hold the tooth pick in for, I can stand there for 2 minutes sometimes to no avail....).

Cheers and thanks in advance!
 
Also try EMBER Firmware as well. Its a tweaked version on OpenElec. It's been the most stable one for me on MX2.
 
Thanks Dualmeister. You have any links to it? If I wanted to do a fresh install, I'm correct in saying that I'd do 1) Firmware, and only thereafter 2) OpenElec or Ember?

Do you have a link to where I can get Ember info/instructions, etc?
 
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