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

[P.X]

Hi.

Finish the tests. Factory reset, only one app installed --> NETFLIX.

Tried to run NETFLIX and only black screen.

Tried after run youtube and worked fine.

Tried after run Google Play (Movies) and only play the sound... no picture of the movies.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Reboot and run Netflix seems to work. Netflix seems temperamental !

[benh]

Hi Magendanz,

Thanks for your work on this ROM, it really makes this box much better.

At one stage I had my box stuck on the Nexus logo. As I didn't have a usb cable I was trying to flash using the bootcardmaker, but was just getting an Android with a red circle with an X no matter which ROM I tried.

I found a solution in this thread, which was to change the name of the .img file to something simpler.

It might help some people if you add a line to the "Notes" section of your first post along the lines of:

If the BootCardMaker finishes successfully but the box won't boot, try changing the .img file name to something short like m8s.img and create the card again.

Thanks
Ben

Done. Thanks for the suggestion!

[grimmie]

I posted this on the Stock and Nano thread, but I'll repost here...

If you experienced a hang at the logo screen, you might try refreshing your download for the OTA update. I made some tweaks to the updater script late Monday night, providing more user-friendly environment checks, fixing an innocuous result ("Unknown error []"), and substituting a new package_extract_file() syntax that I found the OEM using in their script. When they switched to the new updater binary, they could have deprecated the old method that I'd been using, which might explain why logo, boot and recovery partitions wouldn't get updated. (These updater binaries are notorious for failing silently.)

Or even better (and always recommended, if you have the cable), flash the burn package with USB Burning Tool.

Buy the cable just few dollars available on Amazon

[Rafaluke]

Reboot and run Netflix seems to work. Netflix seems temperamental !

Tried, no luck. I think I will try to reload the ROM...

[Ozman]

Some good news for those with the Bad Batch Box. I used Bootcard maker to install the latest ROM from page 1, (October 1). Installed fine via paperclip method.

(1) I can now reboot into TWRP but I'm stumped how I enter commands from the first screen. The remote is unresponsive as is a usb keyboard. As the TV monitor is not a touchscreen, I don't know what to do next.

(2) I inserted my LibreElec used previously with this ROM (Sept version) but it didn't boot with the 1 October rom. Do I need to do anything extra to activate dual boot?

[Sossy]

Some good news for those with the Bad Batch Box. I used Bootcard maker to install the latest ROM from page 1, (October 1). Installed fine via paperclip method.

(1) I can now reboot into TWRP but I'm stumped how I enter commands from the first screen. The remote is unresponsive as is a usb keyboard. As the TV monitor is not a touchscreen, I don't know what to do next.

(2) I inserted my LibreElec used previously with this ROM (Sept version) but it didn't boot with the 1 October rom. Do I need to do anything extra to activate dual boot?

Maybe a USB mouse?

Also, so is ATV working fine on your box? Can you remind us again which firmware yours came with, and what EMMC chips it has?

[wrxtasy]

If I'm running 20170815.182813.V0321 and there doesn't seem to be any apparent problems is there any real need to update the box with your most recent ROM?
Thanks!

Have you opened the box up and looked at the eMMC chip ?
You may have one with problematic 5.1 Samsung eMMC (see post #1) which means you are going to be stuck on the Firmware you currently use. - forever.
So no bug fixes for you in the future.

If that is the case consider getting a refund from the seller - because you WILL run into problems going forward.

There is no point even trying to fix these problematic eMMC boxes - to everyone - GET A REFUND !

[Ozman]

Maybe a USB mouse?

Also, so is ATV working fine on your box? Can you remind us again which firmware yours came with, and what EMMC chips it has?

(1) Great suggestion about the usb mouse! Lucky I'm a hoarder so I had one in the attic.

(2) Details of my box are at http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-...594#post675594

[Sossy]

I am pleased to report that I have flashed the 20171001 to my device (that has the bad-batch chips) using the NAND mask Rom method.
I have a box that had 20170815 firmware originally with the SEC713 chips.
It was bricked trying to do an ATV install using the OTA method, I was then able to restore to original firmware using the NAND mask ROM method

As per below, I then tried installing the ATV ROM using the NAND mask ROM method.
This box is now happily running ATV, even though I thought it never could. I have been testing it for the past half hour, running Netflix, Youtube, Kodi, Google Play and messing around with the settings.
It is ROCK SOLID so far!!

I couldnt be happier, and hopefully this gives someone else hope that the boxes with the bad batch of EMMC's can be salvaged

Note, method for NAND mask ROM is below, and attached is a photo of the pins that need to be shorted on the back of the PCB board


From 2nd October...
Hi Magendanz. Do you still think it would be worth trying to flash an ATV rom onto the defective chips, using the Mask ROM method?
If you think there is some chance it may work differently to the burning tool, I might be willing to try it on my box

I am keen to get ATV working, and if I cant use my current box, I will just get another one anyway

---

• 
  #749.1
  Magendanz commented
  10-03-2017, 03:24
  Any time you short pins it's not without risk, so I appreciate you volunteering, Sossy. You'll need to queue up M8S_PRO+-V0619_TVStock-20171001.img in USB Burning Tool and hit Start. Then, with the back of the board exposed, connect the USB OTG cable. Finally, you'll need to short the pins highlighted in my diagram so that you hear the WorldCup driver recognize the device in Mask ROM mode and the flash should start automatically.
  
  My hope is that the flash in Mask ROM mode will model closer what occurred in the factory, since that's the version that was successfully baked into the device even with the

[tantrums]

I am pleased to report that I have flashed the 20171001 to my device (that has the bad-batch chips) using the NAND mask Rom method.
I have a box that had 20170815 firmware originally with the SEC713 chips.
It was bricked trying to do an ATV install using the OTA method, I was then able to restore to original firmware using the NAND mask ROM method

As per below, I then tried installing the ATV ROM using the NAND mask ROM method.
This box is now happily running ATV, even though I thought it never could. I have been testing it for the past half hour, running Netflix, Youtube, Kodi, Google Play and messing around with the settings.
It is ROCK SOLID so far!!

I couldnt be happier, and hopefully this gives someone else hope that the boxes with the bad batch of EMMC's can be salvaged

Note, method for NAND mask ROM is below, and attached is a photo of the pins that need to be shorted on the back of the PCB board


From 2nd October...
Hi Magendanz. Do you still think it would be worth trying to flash an ATV rom onto the defective chips, using the Mask ROM method?
If you think there is some chance it may work differently to the burning tool, I might be willing to try it on my box

I am keen to get ATV working, and if I cant use my current box, I will just get another one anyway

---

• 
  #749.1
  Magendanz commented
  10-03-2017, 03:24
  Any time you short pins it's not without risk, so I appreciate you volunteering, Sossy. You'll need to queue up M8S_PRO+-V0619_TVStock-20171001.img in USB Burning Tool and hit Start. Then, with the back of the board exposed, connect the USB OTG cable. Finally, you'll need to short the pins highlighted in my diagram so that you hear the WorldCup driver recognize the device in Mask ROM mode and the flash should start automatically.
  
  My hope is that the flash in Mask ROM mode will model closer what occurred in the factory, since that's the version that was successfully baked into the device even with the

This is a very good news Sossy. My box is just 2 weeks old and I have the same firmware and chip as you and now still not trying this ATV version because of the risk of being bricked.

I also wanted to ask if it's possible for me to install xposed installer on this ATV ROM version or the Stock Nexus ROM?

[dstojic]

Hi everyone,

today i got my M8S fom Banggood with 2017.0914.183646.V0619 FW. I pressume that is not faulty box with Samsung eMMC. I´m little confused because reset button is missing. Is there any way to start Libreelec from SD card? Can i flash Magendanz FW as local update through updater app with OTA update zip file from post #1? What´my options with that box?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, you should be fine as these new boxes without the reset switch all have had Kingston eMMC chipsets.

As for flashing, using the preferred burn packages with USB Burning Tool is now problematic, unless you want to open the case and short the PCB contacts where the switch used to be. You can do OTA updates, but please remember to do a data wipe (factory reset). This is especially important when first installing the custom ROM.

[WetWilly]

Having a (more) interesting issue with my SEC 652 box - I apparently can't get into NAND mask ROM mode. As soon as I plug the USB cable in, the flash process starts in the USB Burning Tool - regardless of whether the pins are shorted.

If I put a micro SD card in, the same thing happens - it attempts the firmware update even without pressing the reset buttton while powering on. It also wont boot LibreELEC from the card, either.

[dstojic]

Thanks for fast replay Magendanz. Maybe i´m offtopic- what about Libreelec from SD card. Is any way to start LE without reset button?

[wrxtasy]

Thanks for fast replay Magendanz. Maybe i´m offtopic- what about Libreelec from SD card. Is any way to start LE without reset button?

With the freshly flashed LE on the SD card and the correct dtb.img also on the card.
In a Android Terminal App type "reboot update" to get LibreELEC up and running.

Then in LibreELEC Kodi's - Power Menu - select "Reboot from Internal" to reboot into Android again.

[dstojic]

With the freshly flashed LE on the SD card and the correct dtb.img also on the card.
In a Android Terminal App type "reboot update" to get LibreELEC up and running.

Then in LibreELEC Kodi's - Power Menu - select "Reboot from Internal" to reboot into Android again.

Thanks wrxtasy. I supposed that my card is not prepared well and LE did not boot. I got Mecool logo and android did not boot too. I think that with well prepared SD card is possible boot LE on box without reset switch. I try again.