Overview of the TV box MECOOL M8S PRO W
Registered:21/02/2018 Threads: 32 Posts: 31
Today we bring to your attention the review of the TV Box, a new product from Mecool. It's about the M8S Pro W model which runs on the Amlogic S905w processor, with 2 GB DDR4 RAM and 16GB of internal memory. The console is running a new operating system Android 7.1.
Package
As for packaging, the TV box packed in a simple white cardboard box, there is the inscription “android media player” in the front, on the backside, there are main features of the device itself. The package is the most common and typical for most low-priced TV consoles: TV Box, remote control, HDMI cable, power supply (5V, 2A) and user manual.
Design
The case of the M8S Pro W is made of plastic with rounded corners, as well as a number of holes for cooling the device. The appearance of the device has become very attractive thanks to a beautiful edging (red color). On the front, there are ventilation slots through which the IR receiver and LED are visible.
On the left side, there are two USB 2.0 ports and a microSD card slot. On the rear - Ethernet port on 100mb, port HDMI 2.0, AV port and DC jack.
The control panel that comes with the package has an interesting texture, it is comfortable and perfectly fits the hand. In addition to the standard buttons, there are four buttons that can be programmed to fit your needs.
Mecool M8S Pro Plus runs on Android 7.1, the default launcher MECOOL is installed. On the main screen, the main menu items are displayed, as well as the applications that are supposedly used most often.
By default, a number of applications are pre-installed: TV Center, YouTube, Chrome, etc. TV Center based on Kodi media player.
There is an upper pop-up notification panel. The settings menu is pushed to the right, which is typical for Android 7. However, it is also possible to use the standard control panel interface.
On the front side of the TV box, there are no USB ports and there is no power button, so the connection of a TV box in the socket outlet leads immediately to its launch. The loading takes about 30 seconds, 10 of which are playing a promo with the MEECOOL logo. With the red button on the remote controller, you can put the box into the standby mode.
The buttons are comfortable with a clear press. It has all the main media and Android buttons, as well as mouse mode, which is not very convenient. It is better to use an aerial mouse and control the device by gestures.
Hardware
A well-known Chinese manufacturer of TV boxes Mecool presents a budget TV-Box called Mecool M8S PRO W. The device works on the Amlogic S905W Quad Core chip (the cut-down version of S905X) capable of playing 4K video at 30 frames per second, so M8S Pro W is recommended for monitors or TVs with a resolution of 1080p or lower. For the TV box needs, 2 GB RAM is installed and 16 GB internal memory. Of the 16GB internal memory, more than 5 are used, so about 10GB are available to the user. In addition, to store more information, you can use the Micro SD card.
Wireless connection is provided by a fast dual-band 5G WIFI with support for a / b / g / n / ac standards, which is enough for streaming online video in FullHD and 4K.
Performance
The TV box was tested using Kodi 17.3, after setting in normal mode.
The video streamed from an external 1TB USB 3.0 hard drive connected directly to the MECOOL M8S Pro W. In general, the play was good. The most common formats worked without any problems, including 4K H.265 video.
Playing 1080p video through a wired and dual-band Wi-Fi was good. Only files with very high bitrates can cause buffering.
You can play almost all modern 3D games from the Play Market.
Conclusion
The multifunctional and inexpensive MECOOL M8S PRO TV box provides decent performance in both video playback and games.
The latest version of Android software provides great performance.