2016-09-27, 20:28
I didn't feel this box deserved its own thread, not in its present state, so posting here...
Overall Verdict: D
Overview:
This is an initial review of Beelink's AMLogic S912-based media player, the GT1. It's just $57 at GearBest. Thanks to GearBest for reaching out and sending me a GT1 unit for review. I was curious to see how this would fare vs. S905-based media players.
A/V Performance:
Poor at this point (no other way to put it). I didn't test my full suite of a/v test files as performance was disappointing even with the initial few I did try out. So below is to provide a decent sense of playback quality, or lack of it I should say. I only tested under Android, via SPMC. @kszaq, at LibreELEC forum, has said he has "no plans to build for S912". I'm not sure if trying his S905 LibreELEC build makes sense on S912-based GT1. If yes, let me know guys. And, reason I used SPMC was that Beelink had preinstalled official Kodi 16.1, which I don't believe has optimizations for AMLogic SoC, and worse, was crammed full of banned add-ons (bad Beelink, they should know better!). Debated with myself if I should stop right there, but I was nonetheless curious to check out SPMC on a S912 box (as GT1 is the only one I have at the moment).
Audio Test Results
Video Test Results
General Performance:
At least one thing that Beelink's GT1 has going for it is its fairly snappy performance, with no lags navigating main UI (Android launcher) and SPMC with large movie/TV libraries. The supplied remote is cheap-feeling, and has limited range and responsiveness (must be pointed directly at box, standing no more than about 10 feet away).
GT1 unit itself has a nice, small form factor, fitting in the palm of your hands. It's lightweight, and looks like a shinier, smaller Amazon Fire TV box (whose design, form factor many Chinese Android TV box manufacturers have emulated).
Wrap-Up:
In its present form, under Android, with its present latest firmware (dated 9/9/2016, via OTA), Beelink's GT1 obviously isn't recommended. Even with SPMC, this box falls (very) sort for even a half-way serious A/V enthusiast. Unless the f/w is drastically improved by Beelink (won't happen, as their support is poor), or some developer(s) decide to build LibreELEC builds optimized for AML S912, I don't see any rays of light for this box. Wonder how other S912 boxes will fare?! Minix NEO U9-H at least should be solid.
Beelink GT1 (AML S912): A/V Performance Review
(September 27, 2016)
(September 27, 2016)
Overall Verdict: D
- A/V performance: D
- User experience: C- (box is snappy w/o lags, but sports a dated and clunky UI)
- Value for money: B (assuming you're just attaching directly to a TV, and don't care about framerates)
- Support: D
watch gallery
Overview:
This is an initial review of Beelink's AMLogic S912-based media player, the GT1. It's just $57 at GearBest. Thanks to GearBest for reaching out and sending me a GT1 unit for review. I was curious to see how this would fare vs. S905-based media players.
A/V Performance:
Poor at this point (no other way to put it). I didn't test my full suite of a/v test files as performance was disappointing even with the initial few I did try out. So below is to provide a decent sense of playback quality, or lack of it I should say. I only tested under Android, via SPMC. @kszaq, at LibreELEC forum, has said he has "no plans to build for S912". I'm not sure if trying his S905 LibreELEC build makes sense on S912-based GT1. If yes, let me know guys. And, reason I used SPMC was that Beelink had preinstalled official Kodi 16.1, which I don't believe has optimizations for AMLogic SoC, and worse, was crammed full of banned add-ons (bad Beelink, they should know better!). Debated with myself if I should stop right there, but I was nonetheless curious to check out SPMC on a S912 box (as GT1 is the only one I have at the moment).
Audio Test Results
- AAC 5.1 = Pass; all channels mapped correctly, no issues
- Dolby Digital 5.1 = pass
- Dolby Digital+ 5.1/7.1 = Fail; no audio and Safari.m2ts stutters badly
- Dolby TrueHD 5.1/7.1 = Fail; audio output as PCM 2.0
- Dolby ATMOS = Fail; audio output as PCM 2.0
- DTS 5.1 = Fail; no audio
- DTS-HD HRA 5.1/7.1 = Fail; no audio
- DTS-HD MA 5.1/7.1 = Fail; no audio
- DTS:X = Fail, no audio
- LPCM 5.1 = Pass
- LPCM 7.1 = Partial fail, as output in 5.1
Video Test Results
-
> Note that GT1 plays all videos at 60.000fps (same resolution as UI)
> See photo gallery above for the 4K window-boxed issue
- Birds bitrate clips = Perfect playback of all, up to available 90Mbps
- Jellyfish bitrate clips = Perfect playback of H.264 up to 200Mbps, and of HEVC up to 180Mbps
- MPEG2 480i 29.970 (NTSC) = Pass
- MPEG2 576i 25.000 (PAL) = Plays, but at 60fps
- MPEG2 720p 4:2:0 59.940 (20mbps) = Pass, no audio as DTS-HD MA track
- MPEG2 1080i 4:2:0 29.970 (35mbps) = Pass, no audio as DTS-HD MA track
- MPEG2 1080i 4:2:2 29.970 (27mbps) = Green pixellated mess, but all AML players I've tested have same issue
- H.264 23.976 1080p = Plays, but at 60fps
- H.264 24.000 1080p = Plays, but at 60fps
- H.264 29.970 1080i = Pass
- H.264 29.970, 60.000 1080p = Pass
- H.264 25.000, 50.000 1080p = Plays, but at 60fps
- VC-1 23.976 1080p = Plays, but at 60fps
- VC-1 29.970 1080i = Fail, no playback
- 3D MVC MKV = Plays in 2D mode
- 3D MVC ISO = Plays in 2D mode
- 4K H.264 29.970fps Costa Rica = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K HEVC 29.970fps Chimei Inn = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K 10bit HEVC 50fps EAC3 7.1 Silent by Dolby = Plays in weird window-boxed mode, with major audio drop-outs
- 4K HDR HEVC 10-bit BT.2020 24fps Life of Pi Sample = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K 10-bit HEVC BT.2020 29.970fps Samsung = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K 10-bit HEVC 59.940fps BT.2020 Chinese sample = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K DolbyVision HEVC 10-bit 23.976fps LG Trailer = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
- 4K VP9 = Plays, but in weird window-boxed mode
General Performance:
At least one thing that Beelink's GT1 has going for it is its fairly snappy performance, with no lags navigating main UI (Android launcher) and SPMC with large movie/TV libraries. The supplied remote is cheap-feeling, and has limited range and responsiveness (must be pointed directly at box, standing no more than about 10 feet away).
GT1 unit itself has a nice, small form factor, fitting in the palm of your hands. It's lightweight, and looks like a shinier, smaller Amazon Fire TV box (whose design, form factor many Chinese Android TV box manufacturers have emulated).
Wrap-Up:
In its present form, under Android, with its present latest firmware (dated 9/9/2016, via OTA), Beelink's GT1 obviously isn't recommended. Even with SPMC, this box falls (very) sort for even a half-way serious A/V enthusiast. Unless the f/w is drastically improved by Beelink (won't happen, as their support is poor), or some developer(s) decide to build LibreELEC builds optimized for AML S912, I don't see any rays of light for this box. Wonder how other S912 boxes will fare?! Minix NEO U9-H at least should be solid.
