MECOOL M8S Pro + TV Box Amlogic S905X Android 7.1 2/16GB Fast Lan, WiFi 802.11b/g/n

[hansdampf]

Both devices, the Mecool M8S Pro Plus and the Mecool M8S Pro L, play Netflix in 1080p with DD+, and YouTube in 4k. See my video. The Plus does NOT get excessively hot, but the L does get hot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DogDnR7HrSE&t=22s

How is 4k with YouTube possible??
I have a M8s Pro+ with NANO Rom but 720p is maximum for me in the options ....Do i need a DRM/Widevine App or the YouTube-AndroidTV-version or something else?

[rahzel]

I'm running the same rom and I can select 4k in the youtube app downloaded from the playstore. I didn't do anything special.

That said, the one time that I actually tried playing a 4K video, the app froze. It can play 1440/60 no problem though.

My display is only 1080p so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

[clarkss12]

How is 4k with YouTube possible??
I have a M8s Pro+ with NANO Rom but 720p is maximum for me in the options ....Do i need a DRM/Widevine App or the YouTube-AndroidTV-version or something else?

I don't recall but, I think YouTube app came pre-installed. I just checked and I am running version number 2.010.04 from Aug. 28, 2017. It automatically plays the 4K videos, no settings required.

In this video, it shows the info for nerds that it is playing in 4k, it starts at the 5 minute mark. My box is connected to my Denon AVR, which in turn connects to my Samsung 65 inch Samsung TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHwhBrFiK4&t=22s

This video of YouTube running on my "L" version shows a better picture of YouTube running in 4k, and both the "+" and "L" models look and play the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlyEhjLuMo

[hansdampf]

I don't recall but, I think YouTube app came pre-installed. I just checked and I am running version number 2.010.04 from Aug. 28, 2017. It automatically plays the 4K videos, no settings required.

In this video, it shows the info for nerds that it is playing in 4k, it starts at the 5 minute mark. My box is connected to my Denon AVR, which in turn connects to my Samsung 65 inch Samsung TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHwhBrFiK4&t=22s

This video of YouTube running on my "L" version shows a better picture of YouTube running in 4k, and both the "+" and "L" models look and play the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlyEhjLuMo

Thanks found it at apkmirror. But do i need "arm", "arm64" or "x86" for my Mecool m8s pro+???

[clarkss12]

Thanks found it at apkmirror. But do i need "arm", "arm64" or "x86" for my Mecool m8s pro+???

arm

[steel120]

Magendanz ,Clarks12 and Gefattern:

Thanks for the Feedback

On the Reset I removed the case and looked for the reset button, however, the metal enclosure/mount is in place for the reset button, but no button appears to be dummy filler?
This is the M8S pro + warranty replacement sent to me by GB shipped from Brussels. My previous M8S pro + had the reset in same place but with reset button in place.

I loaded a Terminal Emulator apk, and tried SU Reboot

this worked. unit shut down and rebooted.

However, I understand from others that perhaps the correct command is "reboot update" but I am not sure what the update command processes?
If I use "reboot update" with sd card in place with libreelec, will it default and load from the sd card and run on the sd card. Sorry about question on LE here.

Noob on this stuff...

AS to the ATV Rom...Any clue if the unit I have listed specs above will work with the Magendanz ATV rom?

I have a fallback to the libreelec if I cannot use the ATV Rom provided the "reboot update" is the correct command.

Thanks to all Bob

[P.X]

I can't find the post I wanted to reply to any more, so here it goes.

I read you fitted 22x22x10 HS to the Pro+ and 28x28x10 to the Pro L.

Are those the biggest size that can be fitted or was that just the biggest on you had?

I'm holding off to order both boxes, and have no intention to do any other modification than bigger heat sink.

So i want to ask if in that case the heat issue is really disastrous on both boxes or should a bigger HS only fix the issue?

The Pro+ doesn't really need a bigger HS unless the std. one is badly glued. Even then you can just glue it down properly.

22x22x15 will fit but makes the lid fit with a small gap, not a bad thing to me.

The Pro L runs hot (85C) for me even with good glue. 28x28x16 will fit and lift the lid again. Gets it to about 80C+.
A fan on the std. HS is best if you live in a hot country - UK currently about 17C in my room and passive running with a lifted lid and slots in lid gives ~80C

See my vids for more info .....

[clarkss12]

Magendanz ,Clarks12 and Gefattern:

Thanks for the Feedback

On the Reset I removed the case and looked for the reset button, however, the metal enclosure/mount is in place for the reset button, but no button appears to be dummy filler?
This is the M8S pro + warranty replacement sent to me by GB shipped from Brussels. My previous M8S pro + had the reset in same place but with reset button in place.

I loaded a Terminal Emulator apk, and tried SU Reboot

this worked. unit shut down and rebooted.

However, I understand from others that perhaps the correct command is "reboot update" but I am not sure what the update command processes?
If I use "reboot update" with sd card in place with libreelec, will it default and load from the sd card and run on the sd card. Sorry about question on LE here.

Noob on this stuff...

AS to the ATV Rom...Any clue if the unit I have listed specs above will work with the Magendanz ATV rom?

I have a fallback to the libreelec if I cannot use the ATV Rom provided the "reboot update" is the correct command.

Thanks to all Bob

You can safely install Magendanz's modded ROM. Also, you can install the LibreELEC onto the microSD card by using the "reboot Update" command, so you can dual boot.

[steel120]

Update: Terminal Emulator

I was able to be successful with the Terminal Emulator apk, launched the emulator and used the following commands to Reboot and Update.

Su
reboot update

Rebooted and with the Libreelec sd card inserted booted into Libreelec.

My new unit does not have a Reset button...

I can toggle back and forth between LE and the Native MeCool Android 7.1, from withing LE to exit, use the Power Menu Reboot from internal.

So now I just need to figure out if I can flash the ATV Rom with the hardware I have. Specifications are posted above for any comments on the ATV.

Thanks Bob

[Jancales]

The Pro+ doesn't really need a bigger HS unless the std. one is badly glued. Even then you can just glue it down properly.

22x22x15 will fit but makes the lid fit with a small gap, not a bad thing to me.

The Pro L runs hot (85C) for me even with good glue. 28x28x16 will fit and lift the lid again. Gets it to about 80C+.
A fan on the std. HS is best if you live in a hot country - UK currently about 17C in my room and passive running with a lifted lid and slots in lid gives ~80C

See my vids for more info .....

Wow, 80°C with lifted lid and ambient temperature of 17°C is just scary, never seen a box running hot like that and I'm gonna give this one a miss surely.

Have you tried a different firmware on these boxes, as I have had several boxes that ran hot on Android 7.1, but ran much cooler when I installed a Android 6.0 firmware.

It's also another reason to avoid ARM64 builds, as those tend to run hotter.

[zabba]

If anyone is interested in getting kodi to adjust frame rate to tv give jeff2900's frequency switcher addon on github a try. I was about to give up and invest in a new box until i added that, works a treat.

[fatalerror]

Hi, do you guys know if there is a way to use the remote in t9 mode like getting b when pressing 2 twice? I'm using the stock rom.

[psyko_chewbacca]

Hi, it seems I cannot make Youtube Cast working on this box, at least coming from my iPad (I don't have any other device to test). I am using the latest custom from from Guest with the TVStock package.

Is this a known issue? I know Google cast isn't working but I have not found a definitive answer if Youtube casting is supposed to be working.

Yes. The only thing that seems to work is when casting from the Chrome browser. We're not sure why.

[psyko_chewbacca]

Yes. The only thing that seems to work is when casting from the Chrome browser. We're not sure why.

Cool that explains it.

Is it an issue related to your custom ROM or is it regardless of the ROM used?

On a side note, how do I comment after you? I did not found that feature!

All Amlogic and Rockchip devices that we've tried have had this same problem. We're guessing they're missing some framework service that the Nexus Player, ADT-1, and NVIDIA Shield TV have...but that's just a theory. No one seems to know.

And on the commenting, that's a feature available to moderators and ROM developers who relentlessly hound said moderators until they give in and turn on the feature for their usergroup.

[Shimon]

I've got a quick question to the Widevine L1 gurus about a certain other Mecool box, similar in name to an Ep.7 Star Wars droid

How much of the Widevine stack is implemented in hardware? Cause OTA updating an older Marshmallow box to Android 7, leaves it at L3, whereas the newer, Nougat-loaded ones come with L1. Is it really impossible for the manufacturer to provide L1 to the older boxes?

Well, the Widevine L1 and HDCP keys are placed in TrustZone secure key storage at the factory. What version of the OS you're running is largely irrelevant, although you'll need some basic libraries to process the streams with DRM using the keys and a trusted execution environment (TEE) in which to do that processing.

The OEM could distribute the licensing binaries (lib and .ini) to generate the keys, and we could drop those files into the /license directory in USB Burning Tool so that we could write them to secure storage. They won't do that, though, because Google would go ballistic on them. The whole point of Widevine L1 is to put the keys on a system that's been locked down hard to prevent pirating the decrypted media. Frankly, I'm surprised they let them even install L1 keys in the factory without a locked bootloader.

http://www.programering.com/a/MDO1EjNwATQ.html