REVIEW: Mecool KM6 Deluxe with Amlogic S905X4 SoC and Google Certification

Mecool KM6 Deluxe Specs

Unboxing

The small Android TV-Stick Mecool KM6 Deluxe comes in a cardboard box with a image of the device in the top, inside we found the TV-Stick, Bluetooth  remote, Manual, HDMI cable and a DC 5V 2A adapter.

Description

The design of the new Mecool KM6 Deluxe is quite simple, clean and will not clash in our living room. It has a square box made of white plastic and a top cover in imitation wood with the logo of the brand. On the front we have a blue status LED, we can not disable it so if it bothers we will have to cover it. On the sides we have the rest of connectors with a part USB ports one of them 3.0, SPDIF, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, microSD and AV jack. The remote control is Bluetooth and includes microphone for Google Assistant.

When we open it on the motherboard we can see the Wifi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0 chip (AP6275S) which has two internal wifi antennas. The cooling system is an aluminum heatsink glued to the processor, very basic. We discovered the upgrade button on the audio jack in case we need to do a reset, although Mecool does not usually publish the IMG files needed to use it.

• Remote Control: Basic BT Remote with mic / Compatible with keyboard and mouse / App control for Android TV.
• Reset: The reset button is located inside the audio jack, use a toothpick or paper clip.

SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE

Environment and Android system

We connect the Mecool KM6 Deluxe to the power supply and it starts automatically. We will go through a configuration wizard where we can connect it with the Google Home app to our network of home devices, we can adjust the Wi-Fi and define which apps will be installed by default. Once the configuration is finished we get to the new Android TV launcher based on rows with tabs of the contents or shortcuts to the installed apps. By default the system comes with some rows that can be disabled, it is possible to leave only the apps row. The overall performance is very good, we can move smoothly and quickly between menus.

• Launcher: We can change de the launcher / Android UI rendering at 1080p.
• Multitasking and access: Multitasking NOT available / Notifications the upper  icon.
• Languages and Google Play: All the international Android languajes / Google Play for Android TV installed.
• Check our Android TV User Manual to install classic Android Apps, prevent screen rotation and much more.

System

We check the system data and the options it includes as far as root is concerned, we also observe what ignition systems this device allows us. This TV-Box will theoretically have updates via OTA to correct possible failures.

• On/Off Controls: Only Sleep mode / Reset button.
• System version and root: Android TV 10 (32 bit) / NO rooted / NO root menu / CPU r2P0 (S905X4) / Model M6.
• Support: Mecool OTA support / IMG firmware NOT available, only OTA update.

Network, storage, RAM and ports

The TV-Box Mecool KM6 Deluxe has integrated 4 GB DDR4 RAM and for storage we have in this version of 64 GB eMMC that we can expand with a USB or SD memory. It has a USB 3.0 port for connecting external drives (read only) or peripherals. In the network section it has a wireless adapter Wifi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0 (AP6275S) that as we can see in the test results gives good figures and the Gigabit Ethernet adapter also behaves normally.

/7

• Storage: Total 64GB  – Free 58GB / Expandable with a USB external memory.
• RAM: Total 4GB – Free 3GB / DDR.
• Network: Good speed with internal wifi antenna / Range 42dBm, ok. / Bluetooth YES.
• Read/Write Ports: USB 3.0 135/40 MB/s / On external USB drives it is only possible to read data.
  
• We recommend reading our Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks if we are going to use files from our network PC.

Mecool KM6 Deluxe Benchmarks

In terms of performance the Mecool KM6 Deluxe has the new SoC Amlogic S905X4 Quad Core with ARM Cortex-A55 processors and in the graphics section a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU which is in the mid-range. This SoC is a variant of the previous S905X3 with a slight increase in speed, this increase in frequency is reflected in the results of the three with a slightly better figures. Overall, in terms of power we are looking at a product very similar to the S905X3.

• CPU performance: Min 500 MHz / Working  1.2 GHz / Max 2 GHz
• Check our Amlogic S905X4 SoC Comparison against all SoCs in the sector for more details.

As for games we can run PUBG in medium/low quality and also cloud gaming services like NVIDIA GForce Now or Google Stadia. In the emulators section we can get at most run some Wii titles, but we will not have problems with 2D games of classic consoles with emulators like Retroarch or using KODI, the full OS EmuELEC still can not run from an SD card because is a very modern SoC.

• Games and emulators: NOT possible to play titles such as PUBG /  YES Vulkan support / Basic emulators in RetroArch or KODI.
• Controls: Compatible with Bluetooth or USB Gamepads.

This SoC is manufactured in 12nm, has a fairly low power consumption and although the cooling system is basic low temperatures in normal use. The processor manages the speeds correctly so as not to heat up excessively.

• Thermals: Min. 40ºC / Working 48 ºC / Max. 68ºC / Maintains performance up to 87% / Heat zone on the top / Noise 0db
• Consumption: Off 0.9W / Min 3.5W / Working 4.8W / Max. 5.6W

Mecool KM6 Deluxe VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST

Video playback test

We tested this TV-Box in its video playback aspect, the Mecool KM6 Deluxe is compatible with most modern video formats such as h.265, VP9 and AV1 with native 4K@120fps HDR resolution support and even supports 8K@60fps, this box not have a video quality settings app but this time have automatic refresh rate change, this options gives us some problems. In the base firmware of this new SoC S905X4 we do not find the settings for Dolby Vision, it is possible to lower the quality of this system to normal HDR10.

We can use players like KODI or PLEX without the slightest problem by installing them directly from the Android TV store. As for audio we can play DD up to 7.1 and DTS up to 5.1 through its HDMI port. The Chromecast system works but only with compatible apps like Youtube, with services like Netflix we can not use it.

• Video Settings:  NO image quality settings / RGB, SDR / HDMI-CEC available, see manual / Automatic refresh rate mostly works.
• Audio Settings: HDMI  7.1 / Stereo Jack.
• Color and HDR: 10Bit / RGB / HDR 10+, Dolby Vision
• Media sharing: GoogleCast Yes / Miracast No / DLNA with BlubblePnP / Airplay No.
• LibreELEC: This model is NOT compatible with LibreELEC or CoreELEC.
• Tutorials: Install add-on in KODI / Judder effect, how to fix it / Multi-channel audio guide / Correct dark video playback in Android.
• We recommend reading the Setup Guide of our TV to get the best picture quality.

Video and audio results

• The maximum bitrate depends on the port used to connect or the limitations of SAMBA Networks.
• SW = does not have hardware acceleration and may have have some frameskip in very heavy files.

• PCM – Stereo only doing downmix from DD or DTS
• Core – Only the core of the format is played back with what we passed to the Dolby or DTS base system / More info

Streaming services

We performed several tests on streaming services to check how the most popular services work. The Mecool KM6 Deluxe offers some compatibility with all current streaming services. As we have found Netflix is only compatible using a modified app, this means that we depend on this third party app and Netflix can ban at any time the app or even the device as has happened with other Box Mecool previously. We have Disney+ without sound problems and Amazon Prime video in good quality but we have to install the app manually because it does not appear in Google Play if we search for it.

• DRM: Google Widevine L1 / Playready
• Audio certification: Dolby
• Tutorials: Change the size of the captions and the mouse pointer on Android / Install Addons in KODI in a simple way

CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS

Score

Mecool KM6 Deluxe

0.00

7.2

Design

6.5/10

Hardware

8.5/10

Conectivity

8.5/10

Support

6.5/10

Price

6.0/10

Pros

• SoC S905X4 with AV1
• Wifi 6 and Ethernet Gigabit
• Some HD streaming services
• Bluetooth remote
• Android TV 10 stable and Chromecast

Cons

• High price
• Video/audio settings are missing
• No certified Netflix

Opinion about the Mecool KM6 Deluxe

After analyzing the Mecool KM6 Deluxe we can say that we are facing an interesting TV-Box that keeps the line of what we have already seen in other TV-Boxes of the brand. In this device we have the new Amlogic S905X4 SoC that has a little more power than the previous S905X3 and that as main attraction includes support for AV1 codec, a system that is beginning to be used in some streaming services and that still has years ahead. The included Bluetooth remote control gives us direct control, without complications and we can also use it with Google Assistant with good results.

In connectivity the Mecool KM6 Deluxe does its job well thanks to the Wifi 6 adapter with good speed, we also have Gigabit Ethernet for good stability. This small TV-Box does not heat up excessively playing video, in normal use or playing games. As a system we have Android TV 10, which is very stable, moves very smoothly and we can run any game or emulator compatible with Android TV.

The use of other apps such as IPTV players, PLEX or KODI to view local content in 4K HDR quality, we do have the classic limitations of this type of TV-Box where we do not have quality control or detailed image settings, this time we have a automatic refresh rate change setting, although it has given us some problems. As always we have limitations in Netflix that does not have certification.

In short, the new Mecool KM6 Deluxe is a TV-Box with good performance and Android TV 10, it should be noted that it does not have Netflix certification as if we found in other alternatives.

Where to buy the Mecool KM6 Deluxe