[ROM] Mecool M8S PRO+ TVStock Nexus ROM (Android TV 7.1)

[P.X]

Can you share your correspondence with GB on priv msg? What do y think... Its any chance that GB will do the same in my case ?

This is what I wrote and replies

Gearbest Customer Support At09.doc

HTH

I don't think so that banggood or gearbest will agree somekind of "field claim". Off course if it is not a hardware problem.
It seems to me that every person who update wrong software in meaning of this store was broken the warranty rules.

The only hope for me and us is Magendaz (ROM developer) ... and maybe he find solution.

If you have time to explain it nicely to the gearbest service, please try ... maybe, mecool chinese developers will tell us how to fix it and provide simple turtorial.

As you can see my box was faulty from day 1 but broke irretrievably after I flashed it on Gearbest instructions.

Official FW causes same issues as every ROM.
Definitely HW issue that is made worse by Flash updating.

[beezo]

I was able to get my box to stop freezing (which was occurring from day one) by installing a larger heat sink I removed from an old video card I had lying around and also modding an 80 mm case fan to work via the usb port and mounting it on the top of the box. The heat sink slowed the freezing down...the fan eliminated it completely. Not sure if this will help anyone else, but it's worth a try if you have the parts lying around and can't return the box. Let me know if you're interested and I'll post a few pics. Also for what it's worth, I ordered a second box from another vendor once I realized this one was a dud and have had no issues with it whatsoever.

Finally, thanks Magendanz for all your hard work. The TV Rom definitely made the box work purchasing.

[grimmie]

A thought to buying from internet stores, pay through like paypal. Because if the retailer refuses to refund, and you know you have a case then you can file a dispute to paypal for a refund.

[grimmie]

Both superceleron and I are convinced that these problems stem from a bad batch of eMMC 5.1 chips, as evidenced by the fact that the problem only affects specific factory runs shipped in August which also fail on OEM firmware and even LibreELEC (although less frequently when run from the SD card). No firmware update is going to be able to solve that.

Note that I've also added a BIG RED WARNING to the OP on both my M8S Pro+ custom ROM topics.

It's real strange. All firmware didn't work for me except for the native 20170829, which until now never hanged. In fact when i reflashed the firmware back, the restart went smooth and no crash - not even once. But when it was all the other firmware before, whether it was stock or the ATV rom it just hangs and LE running out of SD card too. Oh I should also mention that the LE running out of SD card with 20170829 is also working smoothly - never crashed once in a couple of days I've used it.

Update: I just tested the 20170928 ROM on this 'only-good-on-stock-20170829' fw, and at first it went straight to being able to login. Thought like nice. But then it hanged and after rebooting once or twice i think this box just like the stock fw. there seems to be something about the 20170829 fw with this box.

While flashing the stock 20170829 from 20170928 ROM, got a scare. 98% fail. But 2nd time success. Now box smooth running again. Vow not to try anything funny and be happy with it just running LE+Kodi and the fw kodi.

Yeah, if you're intermittently failing the verification step, that's not good. I'd be wary.

[clarkss12]

I was able to get my box to stop freezing (which was occurring from day one) by installing a larger heat sink I removed from an old video card I had lying around and also modding an 80 mm case fan to work via the usb port and mounting it on the top of the box. The heat sink slowed the freezing down...the fan eliminated it completely. Not sure if this will help anyone else, but it's worth a try if you have the parts lying around and can't return the box. Let me know if you're interested and I'll post a few pics. Also for what it's worth, I ordered a second box from another vendor once I realized this one was a dud and have had no issues with it whatsoever.

Finally, thanks Magendanz for all your hard work. The TV Rom definitely made the box work purchasing.

Install cpu temp from the play store. In the settings, set it to always show the temp. Let us know your temps. thanks

[grimmie]

Kind of strange. If it is hardware, the stock firmware wouldn't have mattered in my case. Don't quite get it, because again im on stock and it is runnning fine with no hang or signs of it slow.

It depends. Let's say there are some blocks on the eMMC that can't be overwritten. If you write a different ROM, those blocks that didn't take will be a problem, but overwriting the original ROM with those failures would be fine. Since you were going to write the same data that's stuck in that block, you could handle the failure and even the checksum would be correct.

This is total speculation, of course, but I'm just trying to make sense of what we're seeing.

[leonkoum]

So, if we find this rom (2017.08.29) it is possible to brink box back to life?
So were can we find it?
My box to (greatbest August version) is brick.
its saws only ‘mecool’ home screen and nothing else

I made it from a partition dump a few days ago here: http://freaktab.com/node/674253

[leonkoum]

Tnx @Magendanz..
So with this rom and the known am logic USB tool (or with proper micro sd card) to be able to brink the box back in life...
Is anyone manage to?

[P.X]

So, if we find this rom (2017.08.29) it is possible to brink box back to life?
So were can we find it?
My box to (greatbest August version) is brick.
its saws only ‘mecool’ home screen and nothing else

It is possible - Worked for grimmie but not for me !!!

[leonkoum]

It is possible - Worked for grimmie but not for me !!!

So we must try again.....
What he do?
Any intrtaction and tools?

[grimmie]

So we must try again.....
What he do?
Any intrtaction and tools?

usb burning tool and that's it.

[Meiden]

So, with a slightly more awkward process I was able to create the following:

Nexus TVStock variant: M8S_PRO+-V0619_TVStock-20170928.img

Despite my inability to install TWRP recovery, I really like this V0619 ROM. It's fast, plays 4K@60fps in KODI smoothly, has a nicely laid out Settings menu with all the functions you need. Best of all, they've fixed the longstanding problem with the Action Bar on Android TV, so you can access features like VPN.

I'm holding off on an official update until I can really understand what's going on with TWRP and boot verification, but thought I'd share here for folks who don't care about that stuff.

Guest is it safe to flash this build if you were able to flash your last build without any issues? or should I keep 0827 version instead?

Is there an OTA package?

[DKAngel]

Guest is it safe to flash this build if you were able to flash your last build without any issues? or should I keep 0827 version instead?

Is there an OTA package?

yeah ota to install via twrp would be great as i for the life of me can not get my box to detect in windows at all and have relied on twrp to be able to install updates

I'm working at it now, but it's 3:47am and I just found one more thing I've got to fix. Probably tomorrow.

[Zahir]

Guest, you are great. Your work ethic and skills command the highest respect.

Thank you, but I'm now hitting the sack. Enjoy!

[Guest]

Changelog (20170930):

• Updated to latest M8S Pro+ OEM firmware (20170919.150557.V0619)
• Reverted to stock OEM recovery, due to new Android Verified Boot checks
• Underlying OEM firmware fixed the Action Bar bug in Android TV
• Underlying OEM firmware fixed the More Settings crash in Android TV
• Underlying OEM firmware updated to Android TV 7.1.2r11 (NHG47L)
• Reverted to older Android TV Remote service that works with no Bluetooth
• The Terminal app now shows only when enabled in Developer Options
• Restored default settings (e.g. animation scale, sound effects) from Nexus Player
• Latest build from Open GApps (20170930)

Download:

• TVStock Variant: BURN PACKAGE (971MB), OTA UPDATE (513MB ZIP file)
• Flash burn package with Amlogic USB Burning Tool v2.0.8 or BootcardMaker v2.0.0.2