A roundup of the most popular TV box models of 2018

Toward the end of the year, Gearbest put together a list of its most popular TV box models and lowered their prices a little in the process.
I'm sharing the list here because some of these models are genuinely interesting.

Let's get started. I'll include the specs and a few photos.

Mecool M8S PRO W, price: $29.99,

SoC: Amlogic S905W quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, up to 1.5 GHz,
Mali-450MP graphics at 750 MHz
RAM: 2 GB DDR3
Storage: 16 GB eMMC flash + microSD cards up to 32 GB
Video and audio output: HDMI 2.0a output (up to 3840x2160@60 Hz, Rec. 2020) with HDR, AV port (composite + stereo audio)
Network interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz, MIMO 1x1, Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps), no Bluetooth
USB: 2 USB 2.0 ports:
Power: 5 V / 2 A
Dimensions (L x W x H): 120 x 120 x 21 mm

A budget version with an Amlogic S905W processor and minimal hardware—that's why the price is so low. It does have 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash storage, though. Note that there's also a TV box with the same specs but voice control; this one doesn't have voice control.
In short, it's suitable for undemanding users or secondary uses (the kitchen, a summer house): watching movies, YouTube, and so on.


Even so, this TV box has all the external ports you need.


Video demo.




Tanix TX9 Pro, price: $53.99

Almost the complete opposite of the previous model.
Operating system: Android 7.1.2.
Processor: Amlogic S912 Octa core (8 cores), ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit.
Graphics: ARM Mali-T820MP3, 750 MHz (DVFS).
RAM: 3 GB.
Storage: 32 GB eMMC 5.0.
Supports microSD cards.
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n/ac. Supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
Ethernet: 10/100M/1000M RGMII.
Bluetooth 4.1

As you can see, this one has a noticeably more powerful processor, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of flash storage. Overall, it's a much more interesting model, but unfortunately it's also more expensive.


It's a shame it doesn't also have USB 3.0; then it would be a complete package. Otherwise, everything is great.




LAKE I Home Cloud TV Box, $48.99
A TV box that's clearly been overlooked despite its merits. For its low price, it supports installing a hard drive and OpenWRT, and AFR works too.
Specifications.
CPU — Realtek RTD1295
Number of cores — 4 (ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.4 GHz)
Graphics — Mali-T820MP3 GPU
RAM — 2 GB
Flash storage — 16 GB
Wi-Fi: 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth — BT 4.0
LAN — 1000 Mb Ethernet
Ports: 1xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB 3.0, S/PDIF, 2xHDMI, RJ45, SD (128 GB), SATA
Supports hardware decoding of UHD 4K 60 fps, including many formats such as H.265 10-bit, H.264, and AVS+
Operating system — Android 6.0
Dimensions — 132x124x27 mm

For less than $50, you get a pretty good processor, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of flash storage, gigabit Ethernet, AFR, a SATA port, 2 external antennas, and the ability to record video from the HDMI input. I'm even thinking of buying one myself while it's on sale.
In my opinion, this is a very good model for the money. It's strange that it's been undeservedly forgotten. There's a review of it on the blog — link.


Yes, among other things, it even has USB 3.0.


Video about this box.





Beelink GT1 Ultimate, $65.56
Another model based on the S912.
CPU — Amlogic S912
Number of cores — 8
Graphics — Mali-T820MP3
RAM — 3 GB DDR4
Flash storage — 32 GB
Wi-Fi: 2.4 / 5 GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
LAN — Ethernet 10/100M/1000M
Video output — HDMI 2.0 with HDR, CEC and HDCP 2.2 support, and 4K*2K @ 60Hz resolution
Ports: 2xUSB 2.0, Optical S/PDIF, RJ45, microSD card
Operating system — Android 7.1
Dimensions — 96 x 96 x 16 mm

There's not much to say here: S912 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of flash storage, gigabit Ethernet, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and so on. there’s a review on the blog where you can find out more — link.





Video




X96 Mini TV Box, price $30.99
A basic TV box based on the budget S905W.

SoC: Amlogic S905W quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.5 GHz
Video adapter: five-core Mali-450MP GPU clocked at 750 MHz
System memory: — 2 GB DDR3
Internal storage: 16 GB eMMC flash + microSD card
Video and audio output: HDMI 2.0a output with HDR, AV port
Video Codecs: 4K @ 30fps H.265 MP-10@L5.1, 4K @ 30fps VP9 Profile-2, MPEG1 / 2/4, H.264, HD AVC / VC-1, RM / RMVB, Xvid / DivX3 / 4/5/6, RealVideo8 / 9/10
Network interfaces: 10 / 100M Ethernet, 802.11 b / g / n Wi-Fi (no Bluetooth)
USB: 2 USB 2.0 ports: 1x host, 1x device (OTG)
Power supply: 5V / 2A
Dimensions: 82 x 82 x 17 mm

Essentially, this model is very similar to the Mecool shown earlier. The difference is minimal and mostly comes down to the appearance. It also lacks 5 GHz and Bluetooth. Overall, its only advantages are the price and a decent amount of RAM and flash storage.


It even has the same set of ports, except that there’s an input for connecting an external IR receiver. The receiver itself isn’t included, though.


Video




Xiaomi Mi Box S, price $59.99
A new model from a well-known manufacturer. I don’t have much information on it yet, so here’s a brief overview:
Processor - Amlogic S905X
Video: Mali-450
Android 8.1
2GB RAM + 8GB ROM
HDMI2.0
2.4G + 5.8G WiFi
BT4.2



The only real downside is probably the small number of ports.




EACHLINK H6 Mini, price $38.99
I’ve already reviewed this TV box. It’s a decent device, though it does have a few shortcomings — review.

CPU — AllWinner H6 Quad-core Cortex-A53
Number of cores — 4
Graphics — ARM Mali-T720 MP2
RAM — 3GB DDR4
Flash storage — 32GB
WiFi: 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
LAN — Ethernet 10/100M
Video output — HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support
Ports: 1xUSB2.0, 1xUSB 3.0, S/PDIF, RJ45, AV, microSD card
Operating system — Android 7.0 64bit
Dimensions — 96 x 96 x 19 mm

It uses a rather uncommon processor made by Alwinner, but otherwise the box works perfectly well. In my opinion, the only things it really lacks are gigabit Ethernet or 5 GHz WiFi.



A decent selection of ports. One unusual but convenient feature is that it’s powered via a MicroUSB connector, so you’re not tied to the included power supply and can use a proper one without any extra hassle.




MECOOL KM9, price $59.99. I definitely recommend it. I bought four for friends while they were still $50.
A new model based on the Amlogic S905X2, without voice control
Amlogic S905X2 processor, quad-core ARM Cortex-A53
Mali-G31 MP2 GPU
4 GB LPDDR4 + 32 GB ROM
Supports 4K Ultra HD
Supports H.265 decoding
Dual-band 2.4 + 5 GHz Wi-Fi

This TV box has a new processor, and there are very few reviews so far, so it's hard to say anything specific. But 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of flash storage, and 5 GHz Wi-Fi are already pretty good. It's a shame the network port is only 100 Mbps.


It doesn't have a huge number of ports, but at least they didn't forget USB 3.0, so there shouldn't be any problems watching high-bitrate video.



Xiaomi Mi TV Box, price depends on the warehouse - $64.55
I reviewed a similar TV box before. It's an interesting model, but unfortunately the manufacturer really skimped on the number of ports, even though it gets top marks in every other respect.




Yes, it's all very modest here :)


Video


That's all for now. There are nine interesting models here, though I had some others in mind too, but unfortunately they're no longer available for sale. For example, the Zidoo based on the H6 processor, as well as a model with a ZTE processor. Oh well...