I was after a quality Android TV box with an optical audio out connection to replace my old Beelink Android TV box. The problem was that there are heaps of cheap Chinese media streamers out there with the coax spdif connection that are fine for the average person. But I needed an optical out Toslink connection for my 5.1 home theatre receiver.
Now both coax and optical SPDIF is digital and will pass through 5.1 surround sound to a receiver, but I only had one spare Toslink optical connection on my amplifier. So the quest was on to review 4 of the best Android media streamers with an optical output connection.
The other option is that it has to have certified Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. Being certified means that they will always run and be updated. Some of the cheap Chinese Android TV boxes are full of malware, and Netflix will stop working after the next update.
If you would like the best value for money Android box with optical output, then the Android T9 has to be it. It has the latest hardware at a great price. If you would like to learn more about these media streamers, then read on.
Table of Contents
Top 4 Android TV Box Supporting Dolby Digital Optical Out
Our #1 Pick – What I use
The top-of-the-range MeCool Android TV box is a new breed of portable media players that are small and square. I like that they pack so many features into such a small form factor. This smart TV box is very new with Android 11 and works excellently.
The specifications are as follows. Android 11.0, which can be upgraded to 12.0. The MECOOL KM2 Plus has 4GB ram and 32GB of upgradable storage. This Smart TV Box with Netflix Certified, Google Assistant, Dolby Atmos, TV Box 4K Support AV1, 2.4G/5G, Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 5.0 with Amlogic S905X4.
Most importantly, it has optical spdif and AV outputs. This makes sure all of your audio outputs are covered.
If you are looking to stream 4k video from either online or from your local NAS storage, then the 1000mbps network connection and the 5Ghz WiFi will do the job nicely.
Packed with 32GB of fast DDR4 memory, which is expandable with a micro SD card, you will have plenty of room to load up your favorite apps from the Google App store. The 4GB of RAM is plenty enough, which means you will never run out of program RAM no matter how many apps you have loaded up.
The extra RAM will help games, movies, and TV shows run faster and smoothly. This is not a gaming machine, but it is more than capable of running any game that you would normally run on your phone. It would be best to get a Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse combo for that.
It is loaded with the latest Android 11 (upgradeable to 12.0) operating system, which will give you many years’ worth of automatic security updates and bug fixes.
I like that it has support DLNA for Android OS and AirPlay for IOS systems so you can stream to your whole house.
Mecool is a certified Google/Netflix partner, which means you will always have working apps on your device. Don’t purchase a non-certified device like some older Chinese Android movie boxes as these can come loaded with malware and will stop functioning after a few years.
Best of all it has a small 110 to 240-volt power supply so as long as you have a wall adapter, you can take it anywhere in the world from Australia to the UK, to the good old USA.
Honorable mention my older Beelink GT1 Android box with optical output review –
Beelink originally made it into our review but the recent upgrade to its hardware meant that it dropped support for optical spdif. As it is now harder to come by we have had to update our review.
They can still be found cheaply online and they are a very good Android TV box. So if you would like the full review, then read on.
The Beelink Gt1 is a very compact, feature-filled Android TV box. It is packed with quality features like 3GB ram and the latest Amlogic 912 8-core CPU. Its hardware outputs are great, like fast 1000 Mbps Ethernet, optical SPDIF sound, HDMI, and 2x USB for hard drives or wireless keyboards.
I like that there is no external Wifi antenna, so it makes it a really clean install say if you need to mount it behind a wall-mounted TV. Did I mention this unit is tiny, as it fits in the palm of my hand.
It comes with the older 7.1 Android operating system with regular updates from the manufacturer. This device is also equipped with an update and backup manager called QodiMate, which makes it very easy to update the software when there is a new version released for the GT1.
The remote has a nice feature that it can also learn the codes for your TV, so you can turn both devices on with the one remote. You just need the number IR code for your TV. I still prefer a home theatre keyboard to use this Android TV box such as the i8 Rii backlit wireless keyboard shown below.
In fact this older model is what we took on our last cruise ship trip as we wanted to connect it to the ship’s cabin TY. This way, we can stay up to date with the latest TV shows via our Travel Router for cruise ships.
Updating the Kodi software was simple enough from the Android store. I first had to uninstall the Beelink Qodi version by going to settings and then applications and pressing stop on the Qodi software. From there, you can then uninstall the old Qodi version and install the newer ones from the Android app store. From now on it should auto-update.
After using this Beelink TV box for over a month, it is now part of our home theater movie hardware. It will play anything we throw at it up to 4k video files. It’s a great replacement for the aging WDTV box.
What is an Android TV box?
Video on demand is the replacement for the new generation of TV viewers. Our lives are so busy that we want to watch movies, sports, and TV shows when we want, whenever we want.
The rise of on-demand movies and TV from companies like Amazon and Netflix means we can watch our favorite shows when it suits us. This is where the Android TV box comes into play.
If you are stuck with an older LCD TV it is most probably not a smart TV. This means you will have trouble viewing your downloaded content on the TV unless you have access to a media streamer or an Android TV box.
Google has made its Android operating system available for use with very powerful media players to play back online and downloaded video content. This operating system is very similar to the Android mobile phone software so it will be familiar to most people who use Google products.
Android media player app
At the time of writing the latest version of the Android media player app is 12. Many of the apps you can find for your smartphone are available for the media player.
Qodi is what we use the most for streaming our video files. But you can use any of your favorite movie players. Just be sure to log in using a Google account so you can download files and apps.
Plex is also cool to be able to stream files from another computer.
The hardware inside TV boxes
The hardware inside these Android TV boxes usually consists of quad and octa-core CPU processors with 1-4 GB of ram and 8-64GB of onboard storage. Depending on the make and model. The following CPU configuration is very popular in a lot of Android Kodi TV boxes in 2018. Anyone will easily play 4k video files.
S905: AMLogic Quad-Core Low-end processor
S912: AmLogic Octacore Improved performance compared to the S905 and a good low-to-mid range CPU.
RK3328: Rockchip Good low-to-mid range.
RK3399: From Rockchip it is a very High-Performance CPU
NVIDIA Tegra X1: High Performance
The standard features found on most midrange models will be
- Ethernet cable connection 100-1000mbs connection
- USB ports for expansion
- SD card for expanding internal storage.
- Optical or Coax cable s/pdif sound output
- 5V power input
- Headphone out jack
- Wifi and Bluetooth wireless capabilities
Depending on what you need your TV box to do will depend on the features and hardware required. For example, if you would like to connect a whole heap of USB peripherals, like flash drives. HDDs and wireless keyboards, then the MeCool Deluxe Plus is your best choice.
No optical out on the Nvidia Shield, what to do?
If your computer, Nvidia Shield, DVD player, or Android TV box doesn’t have an optical out connection, you can always add in an HDMI audio extractor box, such as the J-Tech one shown.
Essentially, it takes the HDMI audio signal from the HDMI input and converts it to a 2-channel analog stereo output or a 5.1-channel audio output via the optical Toslink connection.
This is the cheapest way to get an Nvidia Shield optical out. The HDMI will still transmit video to the TV or projector but the surround sound will be captured and sent to the receiver or soundbar.
Android TV box freezing on startup
Now I haven’t had this issue, but I have helped my neighbor fix his Android TV box freezing on startup. It is usually a failed update or a stuck program glitching.
Try unplugging the Android TV box from the mains power first. After that, you will need to do a clean wipe or firmware rollback. This will wipe all of your settings.
Each Android TV box is different for a reset so check your user manual for the procedure. The way that worked for me was to press and hold the power on button at the same time as the back button.
Next, you will get the splash screen followed by the Recovery mode. Release the remote buttons as soon as you reach recovery mode. In the recovery mode, you can choose to Reboot the device and see if the problem is fixed. In case a reboot doesn’t fix the problem, select “Wipe data/Factory reset” Then, select Yes on the next confirmation page.
Conclusion
It is challenging to select an Android box with optical output, as there are not many good options available. There are plenty of coax digital 5.1 SPDIF android streamers in the market because these are cheaper to build. But if you are like me and only have spare Toslink connections on your amplifier, then the MeCool Delux will be a great performer.
To add an extra wow factor to your home theater why not install one of the best LED lights for behind TV.
Remember to keep your applications updated for trouble-free performance. Kodi is the leader in movie-viewing apps so stick with it and you will have heaps of fun viewing free TV shows and movies with all the fun plugins.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
Nice review.
Could you clarify which of the devices listed use IR remote and which are bluetooth?
It is important for me as i use universal remote to control my AV system which can learn only IR codes and has no Bluetooth capabilities.
Thanks.
HI All
I have bought this nice TV Box and hoped just to plug it in and use it. Unfortentyl it is not really working. During startup there is sound but as soon as it is working there is no sound coming from the box. What could be the reason for that?
Check that the device that you plug the Android TV box into can support the format you are trying to play.
EG: Some Older TVs can’t decode Dolby or DTS.
Check the audio settings on the google box that it is set to pass through or decode.
Check the audio settings on XBMC or whatever TV box software you are using that it can decode those audio files. Stereo, Pass-through or decode.