Transform a low cost S912 TV Box into a killer TV Box DIY

[xanadu89897]

I am new here so forgive if I step on toes. I do not support boxes, just giving steps to properly load custom firmware on boxes that fit the hardware compatibilities of the GT1 and others.

If you don't know how to obtain the required utilities, apps, and firmware, then you should not be in my thread.

NOTE: This is for 90% of the S912 chip (2GB version) Android TV boxes, and WILL NOT work on 3GB boxes.

Rant: Hardware is hardware, but design is critical. Both hardware layout and driver support. All in all one box is about good as the other if hardware is the same.

Good luck to you in your future attempts in trying to flash a Beelink "SIGNED" Rom unto your unbranded box. Hopefully your high expectations won't be short lived.

If what you said is true then why would people buy branded boxes such as Xiaomi's Mi Box with S905X which their developers paid for their rights in attaining 4K Netflix certification and Widevine licensing with the price passed on to their customers by having their boxes sold close to 2X more expensive than vanilla unbranded X96 boxes like yours?or brands like Tanix/Beelink/Tronsmart who spent for ROM development only be stolen by competitors overnight that sells cheap hardwares with half cooked ROMs? Just flash them and they'll turn into high performance boxes.

Prior to Android 5 Lollipop years back, I would have agreed with you when security was still weak and most developers distributed their ROMs either "UNSIGNED" or with public released generic Google keys.
This is no longer the case from Android 6 Marshmallow onwards. Due to numerous complaints made by developers about ROM thefts with similar situations mentioned above to Google, manufacturers are locking up their stock ROMs installed in their boxes to prevent people from simply flashing other ROMs into them unless SIGNED with the correct keys by the manufacturer itself.

I wish you the best in attempting to flash the SIGNED Beelink GT1 rom. You still have 1 in the millionth chance like striking the lottery!

[X92-2GB]

I'm not sure just jpw helpful this is going to be in it's current format.

On one hand you say "If you don't know how to obtain the required utilities, apps, and firmware, then you should not be in my thread."

Then on the other, "I donno if it is me or whatever, seems like not many threads on simple and direct instruction. I had to read 5 differing threads to weed out to simplest terms."

These statements contradict each other because in order to follow the guide, a user has tp read multiple sources in order to get the right downloads.

So it would be more helpful to all if at least links are provided to all the sources so that all the useful tips can be more easily followed.

Done! Thank you for your input.

[X92-2GB]

Good luck to you in your future attempts in trying to flash a Beelink "SIGNED" Rom unto your unbranded box. Hopefully your high expectations won't be short lived.

If what you said is true then why would people buy branded boxes such as Xiaomi's Mi Box with S905X which their developers paid for their rights in attaining 4K Netflix certification and Widevine licensing with the price passed on to their customers by having their boxes sold close to 2X more expensive than vanilla unbranded X96 boxes like yours?or brands like Tanix/Beelink/Tronsmart who spent for ROM development only be stolen by competitors overnight that sells cheap hardwares with half cooked ROMs? Just flash them and they'll turn into high performance boxes.

Prior to Android 5 Lollipop years back, I would have agreed with you when security was still weak and most developers distributed their ROMs either "UNSIGNED" or with public released generic Google keys.
This is no longer the case from Android 6 Marshmallow onwards. Due to numerous complaints made by developers about ROM thefts with similar situations mentioned above to Google, manufacturers are locking up their stock ROMs installed in their boxes to prevent people from simply flashing other ROMs into them unless SIGNED with the correct keys by the manufacturer itself.

I wish you the best in attempting to flash the SIGNED Beelink GT1 rom. You still have 1 in the millionth chance like striking the lottery!

Maybe you have read too fast or jumping to conclusions. At least read my instructions, no original signed ROM is used. Plus anyone able to flash a signed rom on their own is not doing bad, until they pass it off as a factory box in selling it.

I have converted a Net gear RT-314 into a a better and more robust router using a factory firmware, never sold with the customisation, so personally the matter is about private use, and as long as you don't use it to make money or use it to circumvent IPTV rights.

[X92-2GB]

I updated my original opening page, and to update my parcel shipment status, weather has delayed shipments to me. JFK is behind and another shipment in the states was held back 3 days, coming from Texas. So JFK is on pending for in route sorting and distribution.

[X92-2GB]

Seems that EMS / China held for 3 days, and finally shipped it out Saturday. NY USPS hub should give scan info by Wednesday since Monday is a holiday.

will have to split my thread opening page. Since every additional link I add, when edited, sends my thread in hold for mods to review. Eventually when I have all my box tweaks and improvements done, I will combine my split up pages into one, using my opening page as a complete source. This way any replies will not confuse the layout.

[X92-2GB]

To keep away from irritating the mods any further with my one too many links thread.... i made this addition for reference and will integrate it to my main page once things are completed.

AMPAK WiFi Chips, WTF! Larger numbers don't mean better, just confusing that's all.

So what is the diff... Oddly enough, just minor changes, as their pin outs, are for the most part, pin for pin compatible for chip swapping. You can literally change out from a/b/g/n BT 4.0 to ac BT 4.1 FM if you are willing to. If your main board has the test point provisions intact with the required traces for line out and antenna connections.

So far I have figured out, what the difference is between AP6255 and AP6377, and as simple as it is, one chip is older than the other and does have the built in support for BT 4.1. Who is the winner? The AP6255 by a hair, as it was introduced when BT 4.1 was a standard. Thus the similarities on the retail packaging specs, but differing part number and firmware. Thus the reasons why many boxes show BT 4.0 and 5.8Ghz when actually at the introduction of the new product the AP6377 was available at cut cost to blow them out. To save money the packaging was never updated. Plus the flaw of a typo showing 5.8Ghz was never corrected to 5.0Ghz, made for a wee bit more head scratching.

Now to bake your noodle... Yes, you can have ac 2x2 867mbps on ac Wifi with BT 4.1, if you are inclined to swap the AP6255 / AP6377 chip for the AP6356. If your boards have the extra trace for the antenna connection.

Another thing with the chip swap, is finding a firmware with the proper driver and adding the files into your existing firmware. That can be done, just very time consuming, but can be worth while considering your doubling your bandwidth for wifi games and media serving.

Bummer, after downloading an Android 6.0.1 rockchip box Y8 firmware... i realised the rock chip has 64bit firmware, while the S912 Android 6.0.1 tv boxes have 32bit. A mix won't work well at all. So the only option that will work is libreelec firmware. As it does support the chip without having to search for patching the driver. Only waiting for newer designs, with S912 and AP6356 chips on Android 7.1, for a wifi patch to be made.

I guess if I wanted the best performance, libreelec and the AP6356 mod on a S912 box would be in order. So far S912 boxes exist with the 2x2 Wifi chip on Marshmallow or Nugat as an option for hardware upgrading.

The X92 has plenty of areas to upgrade, unfortunately no markings to give away what the unpopulated areas are used for.

Example, the underside has a provision for a standard BT module. Though I think it would require one of the USB ports to be inactive on the 4 port hub, as it seems to share a serial data path. Also under and around the heat sink is round test points for JTAG, and OTG. You could solder headers for connections if testing and recovering from bricking.

As for the USB hub chip, I have no data on it, so once I get a clean number from the chip in my box, I can then look into a possible 4 port USB3.0 hub chip swap. If there is a pin for pin compatible chip, the swap is a wee easier than the wifi chip.

All in all my low cost X92 box can be an interesting modders delight, though not all boxes have so many hidden options on their boards. Only one S912 box has a board that has provisions for a HDD controller and header.

[X92-2GB]

I recently got a new 7200 RPM hybrid drive and ESATAP cable, as I wanted my USB 3.0 port open for use on my WRT1900AC/V2 router I got as a factory refurbishment. I figure I will only be connecting my X92 TV box directly to my router on the gigabit LAN. It's the only way to keep bandwidth split between 2.4ghz and 5ghz without slowing down streaming between two wireless devices. The router is very effective at maintaining the highest speeds between storage shared on the router and the two bands. If i were to put both of my wireless devices on the 5ghz band, bandwidth would be cut dramatically and limit my maximum from 100mbps down to about 50mbps when both devices are active. I can load balance and prioritise devices but splitting to two bands seems best for now. At least I am off G and running N for all wireless devices.

It looks like, when I get my x92 up and running, the USB or hardware upgrades i plan on will be mute unless I want to have more storage than what the router can handle. So far peeps are running 5GB and higher drives, which makes the max on the X92 seem wimpy. Donno maybe I can do the USB 3.0 port mod and add a Blue Ray player to load my DVDs DVDs to cut on storage. May put my 60GB of music on a 64GB sd card for music streaming on the X92.

[X92-2GB]

Drum roll... about a week after purchasing my X92 from China and a severe weather set back, NY is finally shipping it out to me. Tracking History

January 17, 2018, 2:16 pm
Processed Through Facility
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Your item has been processed through our facility in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) at 2:16 pm on January 17, 2018.

[X92-2GB]

While awaiting my X92 delivery, i had stumbled a upon a good, but still needs some work GT1 7.1.2 build. The caveat of the Nugat 64bit build is... no su support, no HD Netflix (Just SD), pretty much the same speed as 6.0.1 and larger foot print, that requires repartitioning. Though the latest 7.1.2 build does have a patch to remove safetynet by using majisk.

The developer will be moving on to the Z6 platform, as it has better options, to make the move from 6.0.1 32bit to 7.1.2 64bit more worth while.

My impressions about 2gb and 3gb variants were right about 7.1.2 requiring more storage, being 64bit. A 64 bit OS has a larger foot print, and does not show any speed improvement, mostly because the hardware is not optimised for the best throughput, and android is not a good 64bit platform. Thus libreelec will always be top dog for such TV boxes.

[X92-2GB]

For another update...

January 19, 2018, 8:38 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
STAMFORD CT DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in STAMFORD CT DISTRIBUTION CENTER on January 19, 2018 at 8:38 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

January 19, 2018, 1:00 am
Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
WESTBOROUGH,MA 1581

What is funny about this... Is that it is going the wrong way. Ha!

Well I checked the seller's feedback, as he has a number of H96 pro plus units sold about the same time I bought my x92. He had a douché bag leave bad feed back. As far as i know USPS has been hammered in NY and surrounding areas. Thus the redirection, and at odd occasions sending to the wrong address. Just had this week, a package go to the wrong location in Texas, just because of USPS system glitch. All sorted out, and delivered a day late, as the postmaster redirected after delivery error was found when sorting.

IMO if you login to your USPS tools online, and you have a properly addressed package with your address is the destination, there is no way a miss labeled shipment would be tracked in your tools. So he probably freaked in seeing his box go north and away from the normal route. Geezo!

[X92-2GB]

Hi everybody! I did not go poof, yet.

Had an issue... The tracking number was mixed up from over 250 items being sold on the first 2 days of being placed on Ebah. I found out my tracking number was for someone else, that bought a week before me. So i am awaiting my shipment from DHL, as the tracking number was converted to USPS tracking today, and is being sorted and dispatched by Friday eve.

Funny thing is I have watched the feedback drop on the seller's account. Peeps are so fast at placing feedback with the oddest replies. They just don't understand what it is like for a small biz sending out 250 + items in a few days time. For myself I probably would have the same trouble. Also with how Ebah messaging goes, way too many messages by Ebah on offers and what not, makes for a bit of confusion when sorting issues.

Ebah does not make it easy for sellers who do their own shipping through global resources. Ebah should add DHL and EMS to assist Asian country based sellers. This way tracking numbers won't be mixed up with buyer info, as they do with manual entry.

I should have the X92 box by Tuesday.

[bajann]

Don't rush you will received item...I don't know why you don't make order from geekbaying - gearbest you make homework you know everything about that device and you can buy I think price was about 40usd- 55usd for that model

[X92-2GB]

ARGH! IT WAS A SCAM!!! So there goes my build with one of the best low cost tv main boards made in 2016.

Have no fear, I found another deal for a Sunvell T95Z Plus 3GB/32GB DDR3 TV box.

I know it's going to be a big ? about build quality as it has Android 7.1.2 build as it's firmware base.

Hopefully, I can load Android 6.0.1 as my base to setup the perfect box.

Since nobody has this box here on the forum, I will have to search and do some custom work for this firmware change up. Which I never planned on, so things are going to be slow, especially waiting for this box to ship from China as well. At least this seller has a rating and has been selling these boxes without issues.

will update my starting page to reflect my current box, so there will be a major change on how things go, as i cant root 7.1.2 safely, which is one reason 6.0.1 is the best. Heck, even 4.4 is awsome on my tablet... took a few years to figure it out to be trouble free. Yep peeps who upgraded to LP and MM were not so happy they did. Hopefully I can speak the goodness of 6.0.1 on these 1 year old boxes.

[clarkss12]

ARGH! IT WAS A SCAM!!! So there goes my build with one of the best low cost tv main boards made in 2016.

Have no fear, I found another deal for a Sunvell T95Z Plus 3GB/32GB DDR3 TV box.

I know it's going to be a big ? about build quality as it has Android 7.1.2 build as it's firmware base.

Hopefully, I can load Android 6.0.1 as my base to setup the perfect box.

Since nobody has this box here on the forum, I will have to search and do some custom work for this firmware change up. Which I never planned on, so things are going to be slow, especially waiting for this box to ship from China as well. At least this seller has a rating and has been selling these boxes without issues.

will update my starting page to reflect my current box, so there will be a major change on how things go, as i cant root 7.1.2 safely, which is one reason 6.0.1 is the best. Heck, even 4.4 is awsome on my tablet... took a few years to figure it out to be trouble free. Yep peeps who upgraded to LP and MM were not so happy they did. Hopefully I can speak the goodness of 6.0.1 on these 1 year old boxes.

What was the scam?

[X92-2GB]

What was the scam?

Did not ship, used previous item shipping info. The last package was a drop ship from another personal purchase that did not have tracking until released by DHL

EBAH closed the account a week before, and refunded me once i placed my refund request, due to a no ship.

Luckily I found another box, but i was hoping for an X92 and Android 6.0 because I know how to tweak 6.0 proper, and add L1 DRM. Found out long ago with my 4.4 stock Samsung build with picking S5 libs. Android 7.0 is a bugger to get proper on being minimal and tweaks, as my tools and xposed won't work.

If this ends up a dead end, I will save and wait for the T95V Pro, as it has the best wifi chip, the AP6356. 2x2 ac, which is 2x the through put.