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+--- Thread: Budget AMLogic S9xx Media Player Options (/showthread.php?tid=255686)
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RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - andrewilley - 2017-03-20
(2017-03-20, 11:22)noggin Wrote: I think that will depend on how the LEDs are driven and whether there is support for them in LE or not. You could get lucky and find they don't light up...
That would probably be too lucky... I've seen some tear-downs of this box anyway, and the edge strip is just a plastic tube that push-fits onto two LEDs mounted on the mobo, so I could very easily just wrap some black insulating tape around the LEDs with no lasting damage to the hardware.
USB tuners/etc are not an issue, would be using this just for LAN-based media streaming. As long as HDMI and optical outputs work perfectly for AC3/DTS/etc, and dynamic resolution and frame-rate switching work, that's all I need. I would use LibreELEC from an SD Card to start with, so I could still boot back to manufacturer's spec, but once I know it works would probably flash it.
So getting back to my main question, it sounds like I would probably be better going for the more recent S905X version with 2GB/8GB (instead of older 2GB/16GB version). Someone said the 'X' variant didn't support gigabit ethernet, but the specs for this QBOX indicate LAN support as 10/100/1000. I will have to wait and see, it won't be an issue for any regular HD material either way.
My media database is already saved as an SQL database on my NAS (which is also where my media files are located) as I've been testing Kodi with my PC to see if it like it. I will need to remotely access the device's file system to update Kodi files such as advancedsettings.xml, mediasources.xml, passwords.xml, etc. so I assume I can do that via a network share from my PC with the appropriate login credentials, rather than needing to use SSH? Not the end of the world if I can't though, WinSCP is an easy enough way to do it, or PuTTY if I'm feeling masochistic.
Andre
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - noggin - 2017-03-20
(2017-03-20, 12:45)andrewilley Wrote: So getting back to my main question, it sounds like I would probably be better going for the more recent S905X version with 2GB/8GB (instead of older 2GB/16GB version). Someone said the 'X' variant didn't support gigabit ethernet, but the specs for this QBOX indicate LAN support as 10/100/1000. I will have to wait and see, it won't be an issue for any regular HD material either way.
Either the SoC is an S905 and the X is s typo, the LAN is 10/100 and the 10/100/1000 is a typo, or they have implemented the GigE lan using a USB 2.0->GigE off-SoC chip (unusual) which will be faster than the 100Mbs on-board NIC, but won't run at full GigE speeds.
AIUI the spec is clear - S905 = 1000Mbs, S905X = 100Mbs network connectivity on-chip.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - mcaron1234 - 2017-03-20
I am very close to buying a SCISHION V88 PRO (S905X) for 29USD on ebay for dedicated LE use. The box will be playing only local network NAS stored files, most of which are just 720/1080P H.264. But I have a few 10-Bit H.264 encodes. I believe this cheap box will fit my needs, but I'd like a little bit a reassurances before I pull the trigger. Is there another similarly cheap box that I should consider? Preferably one that I can install LE to the internal NAND rather than uSD.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - andrewilley - 2017-03-21
(2017-03-20, 13:07)noggin Wrote: AIUI the spec is clear - S905 = 1000Mbs, S905X = 100Mbs network connectivity on-chip.
Thanks, that's the general impression I was getting from other posts too - and the gigabit Ethernet advertising was the main thing pushing me towards the QBOX. So I've gone back and found another player that is about 30% cheaper and which is on the 'tested' list for LibreELEC, which will take some of the guesswork out of the situation (I've ordered a Mini M8S II, which is S905X 2GB/8GB).
I think I'll need to upgrade to Kodi 17.1 RC once I get it set up, as that's the format the current database on my NAS was built using, and I think all access to the same database needs to be from identical versions of Kodi. I wonder how that works when you update the app when a new version is released, do you have to build a new database or does it update it for you?
Andre
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - nickr - 2017-03-21
17.0 and 17.1 are compatible in terms of database versions (version will go up in Kodi 18).
http://kodi.wiki/view/Database_version
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - andrewilley - 2017-03-21
Thanks everyone for all the help. I think the S905X unit that I've ordered will come with Kodi 16 out of the box so I'll need to update that to a 17.x version (and/or LibreELEC with 17) to be compatible with my existing 17.1 RC database (DB version 107) on my NAS. Nightlies are listed as version 108, so I assume they are part of the Kodi 18 fork and probably best to avoid for now, unless I update everything to DB 108 anyway.
Incidentally, how does that work, when I upgrade the first instance of Kodi to a version which uses DB 108, will that automatically upgrade the SQL database on my NAS from 107 to 108, or will it create a new empty 108 database and I'll need to use Export/Import data?
Andre
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - nickr - 2017-03-21
It will automatically upgrade the existing database, and the databases will then start diverging (ie watch something on Kodi 17/17.1 and it won't update in the Kodi 18 database.)
I recommend keeping with 17/17.1 until you are ready to move your whole setup to 18. There are likely to be more database updates before 18 is released. Jarvis-->Krypton went from 99 to 107. 18 is really experimental/testing at this stage. Although experimenters and testers are welcomed, you should not be running it on the system your whole household depends on.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - clarkss12 - 2017-03-22
One added benefit of these inexpensive Amlogic SoC based boxes, is the ability run Linux. Thanks to Balbes150 for porting Ubuntu 16.0.4 to these boxes, it makes a very nice, and inexpensive Linux computer. It works the same as LibreELEC, by running from a microSD card. Great for learning Linux, without dual booting your main Windows PC.
Best of all worlds, Android, LibreELEC and Linux, all on a very inexpensive piece of hardware.
Link to Balbes port, if interested.
https://forum.armbian.com/index.php?/topic/2419-armbian-for-amlogic-s905-and-s905x/
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - albertstroh77 - 2017-03-22
How does Kodi run on the Ubuntu you linked? Your overall opinion of this distro? This is the first I've heard of it and I'll have to check it out. But my socks are blown off now that I have LibreElec dialed in.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - clarkss12 - 2017-03-22
(2017-03-22, 19:04)albertstroh77 Wrote: How does Kodi run on the Ubuntu you linked? Your overall opinion of this distro? This is the first I've heard of it and I'll have to check it out. But my socks are blown off now that I have LibreElec dialed in.
Kodi does not run very well at all on these devices using the Ubuntu Port. But for the price of a fast microSD card, well worth having a true Linux distribution to play and learn with. Chrome browser runs very well on it, and YouTube plays decent.
But, yes, LibreELEC is a fantastic media player. When I am lounging on the couch, I use the Ubuntu port to "serf" the web.
Edit, just download the img, and burn to a microSD card using something like Rufus. Pop it into the box and it boots up (don't remember if you have to depress the reset button for first installation).
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - albertstroh77 - 2017-03-23
Good to know, thanks. It would definitely be worth the price of a card to have a full distro also.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - chaosengine - 2017-03-24
can someone please help me find an S905 2gb ram android box here in UK. I don't mind ordering from abroad.
All I can find is S905(x). Looking to use solely for libreelec. was looking at the Beelink MiniMXIII but everywhere I go its now S905x.
Open to suggestions!
many thanks
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - trogggy - 2017-03-24
(2017-03-24, 17:55)chaosengine Wrote: can someone please help me find an S905 2gb ram android box here in UK. I don't mind ordering from abroad.Stick 'Beelink Mini MXIII Android 5.1' in ebay uk's search box and you get a couple of responses.
All I can find is S905(x). Looking to use solely for libreelec. was looking at the Beelink MiniMXIII but everywhere I go its now S905x.
Open to suggestions!
many thanks
If it's running 5.1 it's not an s905x.
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - andrewilley - 2017-03-24
(2017-03-24, 17:55)chaosengine Wrote: All I can find is S905(x). Looking to use solely for libreelec. was looking at the Beelink MiniMXIII but everywhere I go its now S905x.
I just bought an S905X box (a Mini M8S II) but while I was looking around and comparing prices last week there seemed to be just as many S905/2GB/16GB/Android5 units as there were S905X/2GB/8GB/Android6 boxes. I opted for the S905X as a more recent and better spec processor, and the lack of some storage and also the lack of gigabit ethernet seemed less important to me. It works perfectly with LibreELEC by the way, really easy to install and it just worked immediately.
Andre
RE: Budget AMLogic S905/S905X/S912 Media Player Options - chaosengine - 2017-03-24
(2017-03-24, 18:05)trogggy Wrote:That's exactly what I did. I found a couple like you say and e-mailed the seller via ebay. they say S905 in the listing, but they confirm they are actually s905x via message and have been "upgraded". Annoyingly, the listing shows S905, then the description images show S905x.(2017-03-24, 17:55)chaosengine Wrote: can someone please help me find an S905 2gb ram android box here in UK. I don't mind ordering from abroad.Stick 'Beelink Mini MXIII Android 5.1' in ebay uk's search box and you get a couple of responses.
All I can find is S905(x). Looking to use solely for libreelec. was looking at the Beelink MiniMXIII but everywhere I go its now S905x.
Open to suggestions!
many thanks
If it's running 5.1 it's not an s905x.
Seems a LOT more S905x than 'older' S905 around.