REVIEW: Tanix TX3 a new low-cost TV-Box with the Amlogic S905X3 SoC

PRODUCT DETAILS

Unboxing Tanix TX3

The Tanix TX3 S905X3 comes in a standard cardboard box with a image of the device in the top, inside we found the TV-Box, IR remote, HDMI cable 4K@60fps compatible, Manual and a DC 5V 2A adapter.

Description

The Tanix TX3 S905X3 is made of plastic and has a box design identical to the previous model. On the front we have an LED display that indicates the time, on the sides and in the back area we have all the connectors in a classic configuration. This model includes a simple IR remote control that allows us to perform basic functions in apps like KODI but is limited for more complex ones.

In the rear area the update button in case it is necessary to update the firmware. On the motherboard we can see the Wifi chip a/b/g/n Dual Band + Bluetooth 4.0 (SP6330) and that has an internal wifi antenna. The basic version with 2GB only mounts Wifi b/g/n without Bluetooth.

• Remote Control: Basic IR Remote / NO microphone / We can choose other alternatives.
• Alternate control: Does not have its own control app / We can try Cetusplay in our smartphone.

SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE

Environment and Android system

Connecting the power adapter at the Tanix TX3 S905X3 boots automatically, we arrive at the ALICE UX launcher that Tanix usually installs, it is valid for use with the default remote and has a lower row that we can customize with the icons of the apps we want. The installed apps include Miracast and TVCenter, which is a version of KODI full of movies and tv-shows addons. The performance of Android 9 is very good at the desktop level or with heavy apps and works stable and without forced app closures.

If we are going to play and make intensive use of this model we recommend buying the variant with 4GB of RAM, if we want to adjust our budget and we are only going to use it as a media player we may have enough with the 2GB model.

• Launcher: As an alternative we have Pixel launcher to use mouse or Ugoos for IR control / Android UI rendering at 1080p.
• Multitasking and access: Multitasking only available from lower bar / Have lower Android bar and upper bar.
• Languages and Google Play: All the international Android classics / Google Play installed.

• On/Off Controls: If we keep press the power button we have reset and power off option / Configurable in settings.
• System version and root: Android 9 Pie (32 bit) / The system IS root by default / YES root menu.
• Support: Tanix have a site but no active support / Firmware available / Custom firmware not available yet.

Network, storage, RAM and ports

The Tanix TX3 S905X3 TV-Box has eMMC memory for internal storage and DDR3 RAM, it has two USB 3.0 port and SD card reader. In the network section it has a wireless adapter Wifi a/b/g/n Dual Band + Bluetooth 4.0 (SP6330) and Gigabit 10/100 port. As we can see in the tests the results are low, we have a Wi-Fi speed limited to 2.4G ranges even if we connect with 5G.

• Storage: Total 32GB  – Free 29GB / NTFS + exFAT compatible / Expandable with a USB memory stick.
• RAM: Total 4GB – Free 3GB / DDR3.
• Network: Basic speed with one internal wifi antennas / Range 46dBm, low. / Bluetooth OK.
• We recommend reading our Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks if we are going to use files from our network PC.

Power and performance

At the power level the Tanix TX3 S905X3 it has with the Amlogic S905X3 Quad Core SoC with ARM Cortex-A55 processors and in the graphic section a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU that is in the mid-range. This SoC is manufactured in 12nm, has a fairly controlled consumption and temperatures are low if we demand performance in powerful games or resource demanding applications.

• Check our Amlogic S905X3 SoC Comparison against all SoCs in the sector for more details.

• Consumption: Off 0.6W / Standby 2.3W / Basic use 3.6W / Maximum 5.4W
• Thermals: Minimum 38ºC / Maximum 69ºC / Maintains performance up to 92% / Heat zone on the top / Noise 0db
• Games and emulators: IS possible to play titles such as PUBG with low settings / Emulators up to Wii / NO Vulkan support.
• Controls: Compatible with Gamepads by cable or bluetooth.

VIDEO AND AUDIO TEST

Video playback test

In the video playback aspect, the Tanix TX3 S905X3 features the Amlogic S905X3 SoC and a VPU Advanced Video Engine Gen10 compatible with most modern video formats such as h.265 and VP9 with 4K HDR native resolution or even 8K@60fps support, don’t have video quality settings. We can use players like KODI or PLEX without the slightest problem, the system comes by default with a version of KODI full of addons that we recommend uninstalling. At the audio level we can play DD and DTS sound up to 5.1 through the HDMI port. Check our Amlogic S905X3 SoC Comparison against all SoCs to see more details about A/V aspects of this SoC.

• Video Settings: Image quality settings / RGB and SDR / HDMI-CEC available, see manual / Automatic refresh rate with root + AFRd.
• Audio Settings: HDMI up to 5.1 audio / Stereo Jack.
• Media sharing: Chromecast NO / Miracast YES / DLNA with BlubblePnP / Airplay NO.
• LibreELEC: This model will be 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 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.

Audio test results

• 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 / DTS base system
  * Our AV receiver does not support these native formats but we verify that it is played back to 7.1

Streaming services

In our usual tests with streaming services we see how the most popular services work. The Tanix TX3 S905X3 presents the classic configuration without certifications which limits us in quality in several streaming services, luckily if it is compatible with most services even if they are in its most basic quality of SD video

• DRM: Google Widevine L3
• Certification: No
• Tutorial: 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

Opinion

Once we have tested in depth the Tanix TX3 S905X3 we can say that we are facing the classic low-cost that assembles this brand with some positive points and others negative regarding the competition. In this TV-Box we have the S905X3 that improves its Cortex-A55 CPU cores and updates its VPU with VP9 video support up to 8K. The GPU allows us to play powerful titles like PUBG although if we are going to play we recommend the 4GB model over the 2GB model to do it without problems.

As for WiFi connectivity, the Tanix TX3 S905X3 has a fairly low performance in the 5G network with its Dual Band Wifi a/b/g/n adapter and only mounts an internal antenna. In addition, the range is also not the best, the Ethernet adapter is only 10/100 and we have a very basic IR control, some classic points of hardware trimming in the cheap Box models. On the other hand we have Android bars and root selector in the system, something that is appreciated.

In short, the Tanix TX3 S905X3 is a correct low-cost TV-Box that does not stand out, a model that serves as a conventional media player but is not very powerful in their network hardware.

Where to buy

• Consult our recommended models to see other alternatives.

Add-ons

Tanix TX3 S905X3

0.00

6.3

DESIGN

7.0/10

HARDWARE

6.0/10

CONNECTIVITY

5.5/10

SUPPORT

6.5/10

PRICE

6.5/10

Pros

• Cheap
• Compact
• Stable Android 9
• Fast
• Android bars

Cons

• Poor Wifi 5G
• Ethernet 10/100