I've tried many Android sticks and set-top boxes. From the original MK802 through the Pivos, UG802, Tronsmart, and even the original Midnight G-Box-none have offered the functionality of the G-Box Midnight MX2.It's not the fastest device out there but it stands apart in two main areas.
First, it's very stable with no crashes or force-closes. Many of these devices come with flaky ROMs which forces you to find a better one to flash. Not this one. Everything works fine out of the box, including WiFi, and updates are supposed to come directly from the manufacturer.
Second, it has a custom build of XBMC which actually works! All these devices advertise compatibility with XBMC but while it might work, performance is poor. This is the first Android device I've used that actually plays 1080P video over a network without any problems.
It also offers HDMI audio passthrough to your digital receiver, something other devices fail at. Menus are pretty responsive and it even handles graphics heavy skins with aplomb. I'm very impressed with the XBMC performance of this device.
Android in general also works fine. Netflix, Youtube, Spotify all worked fine. I don't like the launcher it comes with but you can easily change it for one of your liking.
As an added bonus it also comes with a serviceable remote.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this box for it's very stable ROM and it's custom build of XBMC that actually works.
As far as stability, nothing out there could beat a Jailbroken Apple TV. Although Android Boxes were close, every single one of them had at least one glitch or bug. Even Apple TVs have their problems, such as going into the Apple Bootloop Of Death, where the only way you could get it back up and running would be to re-jailbreak it (If a Jailbreak was available at the time).
Cue in the GBOX Midnight MX2. After getting a chance to test out and play with this unit, it really blew me away. I threw everything I could at it.
Here are the tests I conducted:
-10GB Videos at 1080PPlayed them with zero issues from SD Card and USB Drives.
-XBMC Faster and Smoother than the Apple TV, All Addons working great.
-Boot Time Less than 45 seconds. Blazing fast.
-Wifi signal much improved over the Original Midnight and Slav Boxes. Connected it to 3 TVs around my home at distances between 10-80 feet and signal strength was great every time.
-User Interface is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. 3D Launcher is amazing. Made to work well with supplied remote. Navigating through the different categories of the homescreen works seamlessly. I caught myself many times just playing on the Android Homescreen just for how cool it looks. No lag whatsoever. All other Android Boxes out there basically look a tablet on your TV Screen, but it's hard to navigate through the menus or Homescreen. The MX2 User Interface makes it feel very natural to use on a TV.
-Overall Stability is by far better than any Android Box out there or Apple TV. The 4.2 Jellybean is so smooth and buttery.
This is what an Android TV Box should have been from the beginning. The guys at Matricom really outdid themselves on this one. The Midnight MX2 has just raised the bar for Set-Top Boxes, Apple TVs and Smart TVs.
I plan on purchasing many more of the MX2 for all the rooms in my home and recommend it to anyone who is looking for an all around great Media Center Experience in their home.
Get a Midnight MX2 and you will be blown away just like I was!!!
Buy G-Box Midnight MX2 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Dual Core XBMC Streaming Mini HTPC TV Box Player Now
First Impressions..Upon opening the box you will notice an item the size of an apple TV.. This unit has 4 USB ports, an Ethernet, a SD Card Slot, a HDMI port, a mini to composite and a digital Coax ( You need an adapter ). In the box is a power cord, a remote, and an AV cable.
Upon Powering up the device I notice that it is much quicker than the previous G-Box ( Due to the fact that it has a Faster Processor, More memory and a better video Card ). This box already had XBMC installed on it ( Which must be a custom XBMC version ). While playing through XBMC I notice that the files load faster, the skins download faster and are as responsive as XBMC would be on a full computer system. The Iphone APP "XBMC REMOTE" was easy to setup and works flawlessly with this box and I would recommend using it!!
Video Streaming with Hard Drive Connected : The Video playback on this box is LIGHT YEARS ahead of the old box. It is smooth, the audio is in sync. This again must be due to the faster processor, the larger memory, and the better video card!!
Video Streaming over network WIRED : The Video playback over Ethernet was flawless No audio sync issues or lag in video playback
Video Streaming over network Wireless : Although I would never recommend doing video streaming over wireless, I would have to say that with this device it wasn't that bad.. It took longer to load items using wireless, but that's normal compared to a Wired network. I was happy with the video playback and sync using WIFI, but as a rule I would always recommend WIRED if possible.
Overall comments :
1. Great Box with expandability to add 4 harddrives, or 3 harddrives and a Keyboard/mouse Combo
2. Has WIFI and Ethernet Connections to connect to you existing network or stand alone as just a player
3. Has a remote , however would recommend using the XBMC remote app or keyboard as it is so much quicker to use
4. Fast enough to play and handle any 1080p sources.
I would recommend this box to anyone looking for a great way to play their Video's.
Thanks for reading & if you get one you will enjoy it as I do!!The G-Box is a great device! (Disregard all the negative comments that you see here)
PROS:
-3D 1080p Movies works great using a Samsung Smart Tv & XBMC's add-on I had no buffering issues
XBMC + add-on works better than any other Android box or stick we've tested.
_ Both Wifi and Ethernet works without any issues. Its actually a speedy device.
CONS:
The standard remote that comes with the g-Box isn't the best however you will be able to navigate with no issues using the 3D launcher. (make it default)
I have ordered more than several G-boxes. 2 times out of 10 you may get a faulty box. Some of them my have a hardware or software issue. I have returned two with
no issues. They will send you another one. The standard 2-3 day shipping will be reimburse.
_ Response time needs to be a little bit quicker when contacting the company via email.
TIPS
_ Make sure to get a high speed 1.4 HDMI
Make sure to change the time and date upon arrival to your correct time zone.
_ Make sure to purchase one of the available mini keyboard such as a FAVI that uses the 2.4ghz frequency. In my own experience they have a concrete range with little
to any connection failure.
this g-box mx2 is almost flawless and is near perfect, stable, sleek and powerful! xbmc is perfect and doesn't crash ever for me a++++ matricom!the g-box mx2 is a leader in this market and I see them shooting for the stars keep up the good work and churning out great products. I would suggest the 1channel app from Google play store and navi x app from Google play store along with the TV portal app from amazon app store also large number of repository's are available from xbmc hub and xbmc.org for the excellent custom xbmc build that comes pre installed on this great box
Save 18% Off
No comments:
Post a Comment