[bushjasen]

MXQ S85 and EM6Q-MXQ are two main Full HD H.265 Android media players based on Amlogic S805 currently selling on Chinese online stores. I’m lucky enough to have received both, and I’ve already completed the review for EM6Q-MXQ, so today I’ll complete MXQ S85 review and compare both devices. I’ve already taken picture of the device, accessories, and checked out the board’s components in my unboxing post, so in this post, I’ll focus on the user interface, evaluate performance, and test most hardware features of this media player.

Gearbest provided the sample for review, so if you are interested in purchasing you could do so on their site for $47.99 (with MXQBCM coupon), or for $45.99 (with MXQCM coupon) for the version without Bluetooth from http://goo.gl/QsztjQ.


MXQ S85 is actually a pretty good device and performance considering the price (<$50). Wi-Fi and Ethernet are pretty decent, video codecs/containers is quite good in XBMC, and H.265 can be played in MX Player, but not yet in XBMC. The firmware is pretty stable, and I did not come across massive slowdowns like in EM6Q-MXQ.
PRO:
The firmware is stable, relatively smooth to operate, and only hung when trying to play 4K videos
Good XBMC support.
HEVC/H.265 hardware video decoding support. Working in MX Player, but not with XBMC (yet)
Very good price/performance ratio.
Good Wi-Fi, and decent Ethernet performance
Video Output – Supports 1080p24/50/60 (but no 25/30 Hz), and composite output (NTSC/PAL).
CONS:
Despite having a power button, power off is not perfect (no clean power off)
Bluetooth Low Energy (mostly used for wearables) is not currently supported.
OTA firmware upgrade is not working
USB / NTFS storage performance is disappointing.
USB webcam did not work reliably for me in either Skype and Hangouts.
“App xxx not responding” message may appear while loading large apps such as games.


Read more about MXQ S85 Android TV Box (Amlogic S805) Review : http://goo.gl/DTCJDq

[xronin]

I just received an MXQ S85. How can I tell if it has Bluetooth or not?

edit: never mind: Settings - Bluetooth - switch ON

[Hedda]

HEVC/H.265 hardware video decoding support. Working in MX Player, but not with XBMC (yet)

Can you guys please try this test build and report here http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=206333 ?

[movie78]

How does this device compare to MINIX?

[bushjasen]

I just received an MXQ S85. How can I tell if it has Bluetooth or not?

edit: never mind: Settings - Bluetooth - switch ON

yes..
Settings - Bluetooth - switch ON
But if buy no WiFi Bluetooth, It is useless...

---

HEVC/H.265 hardware video decoding support. Working in MX Player, but not with XBMC (yet)

Can you guys please try this test build and report here http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=206333 ?

WE WILL TRY ...

[hdmkv]

bushjasen, in your review (I assume it's yours on CNX site), when you write the following, what do you mean?

TrueHD 5.1 & 7.1 – OK
DTS-MA – OK

This box passes (bitstreams) TrueHD and DTS-MA? I didn't think S805 (or even S802) players could (yet anyway)? Maybe the S812 can, as advertised by Xtreamer here (not that I'd touch anything Xtreamer with a 10ft pole; they make Sybas/Cloud Media look like Apple).

[djezmoney]

All,

I'm having issue with my MXQ box. The issue is that Kodi is filling my storage space quick. Kodi wont open, i have to delete that app and start all over but week later it fills my storage space again. I have no issue with the cache but i have issue with the Data part. it used to be 1GB but now it saying 4.67GB. Any idea why this is happening. Please see image

[wrxtasy]

Questions to the OP (if you would really like to make it a comprehensive review)

24p capable TV required....

1) With the Android GUI set at 24Hz is there a hiccup every 41 seconds in video playback using Kodi or MXPlayer when viewing H264 video. The Android GUI set at 60Hz will result in the famous 3:2 pulldown judder some users are susceptible too.

2) How about H265 content and perfect 24p (23.976fps) playback ?

3) Is Netflix playing in HD with perfect video sync when the Android GUI is set to 24Hz ?

4) How about de-interlacing ?

The AMlogic S805 has a very good VPU that produces very good quality Motion Adaptive Edge deinterlacing. It should video sync perfectly to 25i sources when the GUI is running at 50Hz.

SPMC (Kodi) and Kodi Isengard support dynamic refresh rate switching on AMLogic SoC equipped devices.
At the present time any Android device should be able to install these releases easily, otherwise user should forget it as this will become another poorly supported Android box.

The reason I ask is, I have been recently playing around with a AMlogic equipped S805 device and it has the ability to:

• play Netflix HD perfectly 24p synced.
  
  
• install versions of Kodi Helix or Isengard or SPMC are easily in Android. SPMC plays some, but not all HEVC test files I have. Isengard presently is not HEVC decode reliable, it reverts to ff-hevc decoding.
  
  
• install Ubuntu easily for near perfectly 24p synced playback of all 23.976fps H264 & HEVC content I have.

[schnurbi]

My MXQ Played back everything nicely up until just before alpha 1 of isengard. I think the last one working was 20150214 or 20150117 nightly.
since then, every build is stuttery in playback.

H264 as well as HEVC. in the nightly build back then the HEVC was flawless, as long as it was an MP4, not an mkv.

[wrxtasy]

Give SPMC a go, either Kodi v14.2.0 (more reliable)

http://spmc.semperpax.com/

or

Kodi 15 Beta1
www.semperpax.be/owncloud/public.php?service=shorty_relay&id=Za7c7uitXV

For dynamic on the fly frame rate switching to 24,50 and 60Hz TV refresh rates you need to in a Terminal Emulator app:

Code:

su
chmod 666 sys/class/display/mode

[hyperman]

My MXQ Played back everything nicely up until just before alpha 1 of isengard. I think the last one working was 20150214 or 20150117 nightly.
since then, every build is stuttery in playback.

H264 as well as HEVC. in the nightly build back then the HEVC was flawless, as long as it was an MP4, not an mkv.

So what device running alpha 1 isengard nicely?

[hyperman]

Is there a video review that talk about H.265 performance in this device?
I searched for a video review but it did not talk that much about H.265

[bushjasen]

Is there a video review that talk about H.265 performance in this device?
I searched for a video review but it did not talk that much about H.265

There is a video review for MXQ S85:

[hyperman]

Thank you but, no oral presentation?

[MicMack]

djezmoney - I have seen that exact same problem on the Amazon Fire TV, and have yet to hear an explanation, let alone a cure. A question - are you using Android apps as well? I noticed that I had no problems until I stupidly bought an Amazon app, and then Kodi started loading up so it was only useable for about 1 week then had to be reinstalled. Maybe it;s the same thing with yours if you are using Android apps through playstore purchases? Kodi is treated like an empty space to store THEIR content?