S**N
Good box with a few significant shortcomings.
This Android tv box is a solid option, though it is not without its flaws. It is not my first, and I suppose I should be considered an Android enthusiast, but it is the best media box I've used. I'll try to break down why I like it and what it could do better, being thorough and as reasonably concise as possible.Pros:-The AMLogic S912 chipset is up to date and very capable - smooth video playback, including 4K, and very good at 3D rendering (games).-2GB RAM and 16GB storage is sufficient for most uses.-microSD slot for storage expansion. My 64GB card works flawlessly with this.-The stock firmware seems smooth, and much less buggy than some I've seen (see below). Minimal pre-installed software - no bloat.-Beelink, while not a high-end brand, does offer s decent amount of support as well as firmware updates, while lesser brands never reach a stable state.-This box is very compact, and neither flashy nor bad looking.-HDMI cable included.-Includes Google Play Store, for literally thousands (millions?) of app choices.-Runs Kodi well (or SPMC, a Kodi fork specifically tailored to Android).-Supports HDR, HEVC.-Rooted. If you don't know what that means, you don't need to worry about it. (Not the same as "unlocked" or jail-broken, which are generally marketing terms not relevant to Android media boxes.)Cons:-A little pricey. You DO get what you pay for, but a cheaper S905 or S905X-based box will suffice for most people, especially if mainly using Kodi.-Very *WEAK* Wifi. My old boxes had no trouble in the same location, while this one would only reach 1/2 or 1/4 max speed. Kind of a big deal!-Surprisingly bad remote control - no playback control buttons (no play/pause, stop, fast forward, rewind). Button presses often do not register.-No 4K Netflix - I think only boxes with Android TV are supported (Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi Mi Box, Nexus player, maybe a few others.)-Kodi is not pre-installed. Not hard to do, but Kodi is the main app for most people buying Android boxes.-While Beelink's support is better than many brands, their website is not great, and their English is poor. Poor forum setup, but helpful users.Other thoughts, etc.:-I didn't spend much time troubleshooting the wifi, since a quick search yielded lots of similar complaints. Fortunately I had a spare old Sysco router laying around, so I put it in bridge mode, set it behind my TV, and plugged the GT1 box into it. Wifi problem solved (er, bypassed).-I prefer the older style interface of SPMC to the current Kodi interface. You lose nothing by going with SPMC instead - same addons, etc.-The stock launcher is not the worst I've seen but is far from the best. I use Nova Launcher on most Android devices, for its configurability.-There are at least a couple of custom/third party ROMs available for this box, if you are so inclined. I installed TWRP with a fairly complete version of Android TV (versus the stock regular Android, which is more tailored to phones and tablets). Installation is not difficult.-There is plenty of chatter online about these boxes getting pretty hot, due to the beefy SoC and lack of a real heatsink, in an unvented box. No problems here, yet.-Only 2 USB ports. Not a deal breaker, but many boxes have 3. Only USB 2 compliant, no USB 3.0.-No manual, or even a decent quick-start guide. Not a problem for many of us, but some people are more easily intimidated or inexperienced.-No video playback problems encountered (yet), unlike my last box, which was a buggy-as-hel1 Rockchip-based box that stuttered all the time.-I've only had this a few days and have encountered a few frustrating things, but will be keeping it. I wasn't sure whether to give it 3 of 4 stars, since the issues I've encountered are not unsubstantial, but I've been able to work around the weak wifi and crumby remote, with a spare router and a Logitech Harmony remote. These workarounds work but are definitely not ideal. Logitech supports the box but not fully.-I understand there are multiple versions of this box, with two different wifi chipsets. I have no idea if the others are still available (I think they're older?), or if they're any better.Overall, this is a big upgrade over my last box, a generic Rockchip box stuck on Android 4.4, which never got a single firmware update. If you are sure you want an S912 box this is a solid option, but if you will mainly be streaming video a cheaper S905X box is probably worth considering, including the Beelink ones available here. Not THE best box, but I'm both picky and somewhat demanding, and I'll stick with this for a while. My other main option was the Nvidia Shiled, which is excellent but nearly 3X the price.
R**S
All things considered, a good box
I'm glad I got this opportunity to review this box. I've got a lot to say so here we go. First, my rating is an "everything considered rating" The box itself I love (at least the first one I got). I did have a problem with the remote since the power button on the remote stopped working. I called Amazon and the rep I got gave me very good service. We quickly realized that the company is in China and at least at that time weren't answering their phone. So he sent me a replacement. I discovered that it was indeed the remote that was faulty after only a few weeks of regular use. I did attempt to use the box as well but it seemed curiously slower than my original and a bit quirky so I decided to keep my original box and just exchange the remote.Second, the box, which by the way, I was given an option to return for a full refund instead of the exchange, is great! I did look into getting a refund and using the money to buy a different one but I could not really see one that really seemed better all things considered. I would have kept it even with the power button problem. It works for me but I get a feeling that with these it may be a "hit and miss" type experience. If you are considering getting one of these I would recommend it but with the following caveats: 1. The remote which comes with it is insufficient. If you want to use the box at all you will need to get a usb mouse, a keyboard remote, or an app to use your android phone or tablet to act as a remote, otherwise it is impossible to navigate in apps as standard as Hulu, Netflix or Amazon Video. By the way Hulu and Netflix will work BUT NOT AT HIGH RESOLUTION!Lastly, I decided to spend the time to write this because if I was someone looking for an Android Box I would hope someone would give me a head's up on these issues so I could make an informed decision. I hope this helps someone. Blessings.
E**A
Un buen producto
Recibido en buena condición, en un empaque muy bien presentado y con todo lo necesario para ponerle a funcionar. De inicio le instalé una tarjeta micro sd de 64 GB y un Hub USB 3.0, con lo que ahora además de un hardware poderoso, tengo espacio de sobra para aplicaciones y la posibilidad de agregar un disco duro, además del gamepad. Muy buen funcionamiento en sentido general. Como punto negativo está el control remoto, aunque bonito y algo minimalista presenta problemas al muy frecuentemente hacer doble click no intencional al pulsar sobre cualquier letra del teclado virtual, haciendo que algo ya lento y tedioso de por sí, se haga aun más engorroso. Por lo anterior me veré en la necesidad de adquirir un teclado inalámbrico usb. Otro punto que sería un éxito, estaría en agregar botones mínimos para control multimedia como avance rápido, pausa y retroceso. Eché de menos una salida de audio optica. A pesar de estos puntos negativos lo considero un buen producto, muy versátil, capaz de convertir mi vieja tv led en una smarth tv con todas las de la ley y con muchas ventajas sobre las prestaciones que traen de normas las smarth tv's. Puedo abiertamente recomendar este producto con muy buena relación calidad precio.
T**S
Very fast. I would recommend this if you are cutting the cord.
I may be writing this to soon but if I have issues in the future I will type a update. It's a very fast box I got it to replace a box with a outdated operating system. I cut the cord and use this as a media device. I had a fast box a RKM that worked flawlessly for about four and a half months then wouldn't boot up it was a hardware problem. I'm pretty sure it over heated. If I would have ordered a cooler fan I have no doubt it would still be working. I highly recommend ordering a cooler fan for this box because some of the issues I read about under the one star reviews come about from over heating. It's worth investing 20 dollars in a fan to protect your box. I owned five TV boxes and only had two fast ones this Beelink and my RKM. I highly recommend this box. any box or anything you purchase it's always wise to pay for the extended warranty.
Trustpilot
1 day ago
3 days ago