Instabox Fantasy A8 | Android TV Box | Unboxing & Review

[@cerebralcortechreviews1426]

Roberto I love your vids. they are so relaxing and intelligent

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Thanks my friend 👍👍

[@jesperalstrup2985]

Another great review.What RF remote are you using???

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Jesper Alstrup The wireless remote that you have seen on the video is this one goo.gl/aW4bdm RJ

[@AlbinoServin]

Hola Roberto! Entre este TVbox y el minix H8+ cual me recomendás? Lo quiero mas que nada para ver peliculas, algunos juegos y y de ves en cuando conectar un disco duro

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Albino Servin Olá Albino, o melhor será o Minix X8 H Plus, que quando atualizado te dará uma melhor experiência e online updates. Saludos :) RJ

[@AlbinoServin]

Ok, muchas gracias por responder.

[@AndrewCarrranza]

Great video, What's your opinion on what's the better buy, the MINIX NEO X8-H Plus or the Fantasy A8? Thanks

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Andrew Carrranza Hi Andrew, dificult to say, both are great machines. It will be in the end a matter of personal choice. As you could see on both reviews they are really strong machines with no probs at all. RJ

[@MrCarlRhodes]

Roberto, your videos are always very informative. They have helped a lot in making the purchase of my present android box, the choice of a launcher, and my remote(s). What app do you use for your bench marking the boxes.

[@jrlightfoot23B]

Do you know of a good android pc sticks, which does not get to hot when used, some of the seem to get a bit hot

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

john robert lightfoot Hi john i havent tried any stick so i cant tell. Sorry about that. RJ

[@fancypants2007]

Hi Roberto, Is this any better than the Instabox Phantom that you also reviewed? There is a big price difference, and there is no obvious improvement in the more expensive version.

[@omribromberg2586]

Hey I've been watching your channel for awhile now and I enjoy every second of it keep on doing the great work. I saw all of your Android TV box reviews and I must say I didn't find what I was looking for I will be glad if you will help me with this. I need a box that will play bluray remuxes and support for TrueHD sound and possibly HDMI in as well for my cable TV. I heard about the Xtreamer prodigy 4k but a few friends of mine has it and they say it's not at all as advertised, hope we will see your review on it. Anyway I will be glad if you can help me with my problem. One of the best channels I've seen in a while.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

***** Hi Omri, thanks for the feedback!! Regarding passtrough on audio i have no way of testing with acurate results just because i dont own a audio system that is capable of that. Regarding Blue Rays almost any machine that has the Rockchip 3288, Amlogic S812 or Intel Z3735F will play just fine. Regarding the Prodigy i havent tried yet so i cant tell. it seems nice but only testing to say for sure. Sorry that at this moment i cant give you any more info on your questions. All the Best. RJ

[@Capturing-Memories]

Roberto Jorge If you do a lot of testing I guess it's time to shop for an audio receiver, it doesn't have to be Atmos but Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD master is a must, you can pick one up from craigslist for less than $100. By the way does it support HDMI 2.0 the new version of HDMI?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

James Bordon Hi James, im considering but still havent decided on one, will look into it. The HDMI is 1.4. RJ

[@gasparruiz5551]

thank you very much for your comments, greetings

[@rudygarcia3398]

which box would you perfer Minix NEO Z64 or the Fantasy A8. Thanks

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Rudy Garcia Hi Rudy, in terms of performance they are great, the only difference that i see its in app launching that the Z64 is a bit more responsive. Other than that both machines perform great!! Hope it helps. RJ

[@peterbrooks898]

Hi Roberto gr8 write ups on the fantasy a8 it mentions only to use there own version of kodi to upgrade as there are certain tweets that instabox do Is this correct or will the version 14.2 from the kodi site do Many thanks

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Peter Brooks Hi Peter, i always install the latest version of Kodi available to download at the official Kodi website (at the time of each recording off course) on all machines that i test and if by some reason it doesnt work i tell. In this case the latest version worked great. All the Best. RJ

[@gypa3]

do you recommend it better than the minix neo x8-h plus

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+Ali Ghandour Hi Ali, humm though question because they are 2 strong machines, but Minix has the advantage of OTA and a huge community. Both work great though. RJ

[@MegaEtoni]

Ola Roberto Can you please tell me which box outputs REAL FULL 4K ??? So if I am watching a 4k movie I want to watch in REAL FULL 4K and no at 1080P. YOUR ANSWER WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED M8 Big thanks from Liverpool Toni

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

toni karemanaj Olá Toni :) i would go for the X8H Plus for that, check the review on the channel at kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKa9fHqZh89lY7M Hope it helps. RJ

[@tariqkhan-rk7gz]

Hi I've been looking around for boxes did get a q android box with a optical connection but the surround not work when I connected it to my av system 5.1 which had Dolby dts etc so now I sent it back but need a box with optical and can u suggest any advice as does the box need to say it has 5.1 sound or is the optical connection enough as don't know why my first box not work q box hope u can help hear from u soon thanks in advance

[@gasparruiz5551]

George, good afternoon, a question, I see that there is a model instabox fantasy 4Gb of ram, I want to ask you if you know where I can purchase this model and if you can watch TV channels in Mexico, thank you very much.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+Gaspar Ruiz Hi Gaspar, yep that is the model that i have tested on this video. Its hard to find it right now, i would suggest taking a look on amazon or ebay but will not be easy. Regarding tv channels is something that i dont test unfortunately so you will need another source of knowledge for that!! All the Best RJ

[@seaco33]

Hi Roberto Your videos are really helpful I am new to Android boxes I was using an Acer Revo PC to use Kodi, I want to change to Androd but there are seemingly so many boxes about now. I was going for a Minix Neo Z64 but after seeing this review I'm really confused could you help me decide which box if either to go with, I want it mainly for Kodi but I'm presuming the better the box can play games the better it would play a film, 4K would make it more future proof but not essential? Any help really appreciated Lee

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Lee Seacombe Hi Lee, glad that the videos are helpful. Regarding the 2 boxes that you mention are just great as you could see both reviews. Regarding 4K the Instabox is capable and the Z64 although it plays 4K does not have a native output. So bottom line is that i believe that you will be happy with either. Just chose the one that you prefer :) All the best. RJ

[@seaco33]

Roberto Jorge Thank you Roberto helpful comments but out of all the boxes you've reviewed which one would you buy?

[@martinarnaud1266]

I saw your video on the himedia Q10 pro. If it was up to you. Would you buy that box?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+martin “bobafett” Arnaud Hey Martin, it always come to: What im going to do with it? :) Sound complicated but its not. Do you need a internal HDD? Will you use DTS-HD, TRUE HD and all other sound outputs / passtrough 5.1 and 7.1 then its a great machine. If you are not going to use those features than there are certainly other boxes that can play 10 Bit movies out there at half the price. Hope it helps RJ

[@martinarnaud1266]

you are very help. and thanks for your information im going to buy the himedia q10 pro. again thank thank. and keep up the great work.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+martin “bobafett” Arnaud Hey MArtin, glad i could help. Enjoy your new toy!! 😀 RJ

[@humairapatel2334]

Hi Rj u review so many android box, can u plz tell me so far u test so many box which ur best 3 box u think is best ? Thanks

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Salim Patel Hi Salim, the final video is coming :) You will have to wait a bit more before i reveal what i find most important to chose a box. In the mean time the best i can advise is make a list of things that you need on a box and check the individual reviews to see witch one has everything you need. All the Best. RJ

[@BillMan2002]

What is the remote control code for a universal remote? Need to buy one. Lost mine and locked out

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

William Mickelson Hi William, i would consider a wireless remote instead of a universal one. Its cheap and will give a great experience besides not needing any codes and being able to be used on Android, Windows, OSX etc. RJ

[@hiteshastan]

Hey RJ, Thanks for all review. Can you review one best Air mouse and Keyboard remote which can be use with Android TV Box.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Hitesh Dhimmar Hi Hitesh, any wireless remote has a great performance compared to any ir remote. At this moment i dont have plans for remote control review by its own but will think about that without any promises :). All the Best. RJ

[@bahhaziz]

does the manufacturer/vendor update the android on this machine?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+bahhaziz As far as i know it does not. Sorry. RJ

[@bahhaziz]

+Roberto Jorge (Tech Reviews) thanks for the answer

[@humairapatel2334]

but atlist can u tell me which box it's good for watch movies live tv and play game can u give me 3 best of the best box name ?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Salim Patel Hi Salim, that answer will be in my last video for early 2015 so you will need to wait about a month :) The best is to check the individual reviews kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKa9fHqZh89lY7M and select the one that you personally prefer. Hope it helps. RJ

[@philroach8376]

what was the brand name of that universal remote ?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Phil Roach Hi Phil, here you go goo.gl/ifcJ70

[@TerenceKearns]

Another great video. My feedback would be that you tend to repeat yourself too much. Cheers.

[@kelvinmaule5496]

hi i will like to know if the A8 is selling still i try contact the website and nothing?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

kelvin maule Hi Kelvin, it still selling, check the links on the video desc at amazon. You will be able to find it there. RJ

[@huseyinkeskin]

Hello, Thanks for the review. I saw many reviews about android boxes. I have one at home and I' m facing with audio problems. I owned the device 3 monts ago and not fixed still. Are this audio problems on all android devices. Bacuase the manufacturer mentioned me that this audio problem is a capability/compatibility problem of android. But I think that this problem is an engineering problem. Do you or something other faces with audio problems during playback. The problem is that the audio is jittering and sometimes audio is muting and comes back some seconds later. I transfer video/audio direct over HDMI to my Hometheaters receiver. Even when I use bypass (RAW) mode nothing changes. I had no chance to test an other android device. As for information I used an other media player (non android) without any problems.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Huseyin Keskin Hi Huseyin, unfortunately Audio Pass trough is something that at this time i have no way of testing, i will try to aquire a device in the future for that purpose. But i receive a lot of feedback regarding thses machines and seems that audio pass trough is one of the most common probs across all brands. In my opinion this is not a problem of Android but more a problem of licenses to use the audio codecs. RJ

[@jamesrobertson132]

hi i just got this box and im lookin for the original rom that came with the unit i have the lubuntu installed but i want the android os i also tried a few others with same hardware (draco aw80 and others) but to no joy they didnt work right once loaded up... ive looked everywhere only place i found a copy(i hope) was from a china site and i couldnt understand it enough to get it so any help would be grateful a link to a direct dl or something again thanks send any info pm

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+james Robertson Hi James, if you have the Isntabox Fantasy A8 you should contact www.instabox.tv/ to try and get the original firmware so that you can make it as it was from factory. Hope it helps. RJ

[@jamesrobertson132]

Roberto Jorge thanks for the quick response yea the website wasnt that much help i emailed them over a week ago still waiting to hear from them but i did find a copy of the original android just after i posted this will see if it will take .... so again thanks anyway

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

james Robertson Thanks for the feedback and sharing with us. If you have success could you share here what is the image that you used to make it go to the original so that might help others? Thanks. RJ

[@jamesrobertson132]

came across the original android rom MengFan-A80-4.4-6335-20141219v1.7z its on yandex.disc there is also a few others that supposedly works like the draco but use at your own discretion im still having random lock ups but im starting to think its hardware related but still playing with it the link for the .IMG yadi.sk/d/7dDrUFnUjHPcR i dont know if its open or private but the original rom is there hope this helps others

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

james Robertson Hey James, thanks for sharing that info with the community. I appreciate in advance in case someone else needs it in the future. Thanks. All the Best. RJ

[@joeyggonzalez9563]

Is the MXQ good box for the money?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Joeguito Gold Hi, Joeguito, i havent tested the MXQ, but for the specs i would not get it. There are other budget boxes that have better preformance for the price. Just check some of the reviews and you will be able to get an idea. Heres the full playlist to be easier goo.gl/aqzNNX Hope it helps. RJ

[@ahnedalaraji]

thanks roberto for your review today i will buy one i still confused now for fast responsive and great update support which one the best and fast fantasy A8 or z64 4k not important for me thanks you the best android tv box review

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

***** Hi Ahmed, the bigest diference that i find in the 2 is that the Minix at this moment has OTA updates and the Instabox doenst, but they are 2 great machines and you will get support from both. RJ

[@ahnedalaraji]

thanks again which one faster you think for your test thanks

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

***** Both very fast and capable of doing anything that you trough at it. Its all a matter of personal choice really at the end. Just choose the one you like most. RJ

[@ahnedalaraji]

Roberto Jorge thanks for your help i thing minix z64 over for better update and supprt put less specs any way thanks again for your help

[@MegaEtoni]

Hi Roberto I tried to ask you from my wifes account about which is 4k future pruf ? Box with HDMI 1.4 OR HDMI 2.0 There are few boxes with HDMI 2.0 some expensive than others. Which one can play 4k from KZbin? Who is performing better from your experience ??? Thanks RESPECT Toni

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

toni karemanaj Hey Toni, just answered to your wife profile :) (im a bit late on the replys atm) . The Instabox was a great experience, Minix Z64, MK12, Beelink iONE, Xtreamer Wonder and a few others :) Its not easy but at the end its a matter of personal choice :) RJ

[@cuddles6938]

Roberto, can use some B footage of your kid playing a Android Mini box and some games, add some variety to the "product footage" :)

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

TekReview's Nop :) Until the end of the roadmap i will use the standard tests and look. When i finish it then probably will change for the 2016 version, lets see how it goes :)

[@rafaelwhitfield9037]

Roberto Jorge boas com base nas suas review eu comprei a minix neo z64 android e só tenho um problema - não encontro a play store

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Rafael Whitfield Oi Rafael, hehe!! Eu tambem ao principio fiquei baralhado mas é simples basta fazer o primeiro update e bam!! Vai ter a playstore instalada pelo sistema. É um sistema de segurança da Minix :) Abraço. RJ

[@rafaelwhitfield9037]

Roberto Jorge Obg salvou me Pk n ha em lado nenhum na net a dizer isso ! Agr tenho um novo problema - eu instalei um jogo na perfeição (clash of clans ) e dps fui instalar o minions e o asphalt8 e ambos têm a msm mensagem :" a problem occurred and the download could not be completed successfuly. Do you want to restart the download? An unstable network may cause problems when downloading." Se eu clicar yes levame para a wifi setings e eu uso estilo cabo (igual ao Roberto liga ao roter e outro a box) a net tá excelente e não sei o q fazer! Obg pela sua ajuda mais uma vez :-)

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Rafael Whitfield Oi Raphael, sem stress :) Em relação ao problema com os jogos é normal tambem porque estão programados para telemoveis e como são grandes então so permitem o download dos ficheiros extra atraves de wifi porque pensam que a conecção de cabo é o operador 3G. A solução e simplesmente configurar a ligação wifi temporariamente para fazer esses downloads e depois ja pode voltar a ligar por cabo :) Abraço. RJ

[@BillMan2002]

I lost remote and Bluetooth is off. what can I do to get replacement remote?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+William Mickelson Hi William, the best option is a wireless remote like this one goo.gl/KAEZfe you will have a much better experience than with any IR remote. Off course there are others just search around related keywords and you will find all types of remotes :) RJ

[@rgray318]

Does anyone know of a NVIDIA SHIELD TV vs Instabox Fantasy A8 comparison review? This looks like the nearest competitor to the SHIELD TV Box. Or is the SHIELD better?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

rgray318 Hi, the Shield is superior in several ways. In my case i would get the shield if i wanted to take advantage on the features as game stream from the PC to the shield. If all i wanted was a device capable of streaming videos and some android gamming than i prefer the android tv boxes that are much cheaper and for that purpose are great, you have many to choose from, being the instabox one nice choice. Check the full list of my reviews here, it might help kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGLZd4VspaikmJI All the best. RJ

[@rgray318]

Roberto Jorge Instabox is $170-180 though, that's not much cheaper. Will the Instabox do 4K at 60hz using HDMI 2.0? If not, then $170 is far too expensive. On Amazon it seems to suggest support upto 4Kx2K @30hz. If it has true HDMI 2.0, why isn't it doing 4Kx2K@60hz?

[@rgray318]

Roberto Jorge Oh and by the way, thanks for the reviews man, they are much appreciated. Thank you...

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

rgray318 But you have other machines other than the instabox on that list that i showed on the previous post :) Regarding 60hz humm i think that the instabox cant do it and its a bit expensive yes. The new Orion R64 has been released with lolipop 5.1 capable of 60hz 4K and at a much lower price, i will be receiving one soon to review but if you search on google you will see the specs and the price difference to the shield. RJ

[@rgray318]

Roberto Jorge Ok cool, so the Shield and Orion do 60hz? I look forward to the Orion review. Thanks RJ

[@rodrigopcrj]

Olá, Roberto! redundante dizer que seus reviews são ótimos! Estava decidido por este Instabox Fantasy A8, após assistir diversos dos seus reviews. Mas me deparei no ebay com um outro equipamento idêntico a este com o nome Maxone CX-X8... com 4GB RAM e 32GB... parece uma cópia, conheces?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Rodrigo Pereira Oi Rodrigo, não conhecia e fui agora ver. Sim parece um rebrand da mesma máquina. Nunca testei logo tenho algum receio em recomendar porque o firmware pode não estar bem integrado e depois suporte chapeu. A instabox funciona bem de origem, não há risco mas essa Maxone não sei não. RJ

[@rodrigopcrj]

Muito obrigado pela resposta, Roberto! Parabéns pelo seu canal!

[@erickfernandojc]

hola Roberto te felicitó por tú vídeo,soy de México y me recomendaron comprarme una android tv box para poder tener juegos y ver en strening y quisiera pedirte si me puedes ayudar a elegir uno bueno bonito y económico, muchas gracias y buen día

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

+Erick Fernando Juarez Camacho Olá Erick :) Sorry that i dont feel comfortable speaking Spanish, i understand but cant speak :) i would suggest watching this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/boLUo6Wva9GAeMU its a long video but where i explain all my tests and finally my favourite machines, from there you can take some ideas and see the individual review to see which one is your favourite. Hope it helps. Saludos!! RJ

[@veritasverdad2846]

Is this the highest specs Android TV box

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

king killa Hi, one of the highest ones!!

[@TerenceKearns]

king killa check out Tronsmart Orion R68 Meta. None one has done a youtube review yet. I saw them selling on ebay from China very cheaply. Only downside is it does not have SATA or USB3. It does have 802.11ac. Would be interesting to bench test. It may be more powerful than this A8. It is more recent.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Terence Kearns Hi Terence, R68 is coming soon, i have it here so in 1-2 weeks ill test it out. RJ

[@veritasverdad2846]

Roberto Jorge Awesome I still haven't bought a box yet. I'll wait for that review Is the software all the same between all the boxes

[@TerenceKearns]

Roberto Jorge Awesome. Looking forward to the review. I'm doing extensive research on the best way to drive shop display panels.

[@kelvinmaule5496]

thanks my friend.nice review i love the fantasy a8.i sent a question on the site and know reply as yet is there a phone number or some thing to contact then.i see the tronsmart draco aw80 is the same thing as well

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

kelvin maule I havent tried the Draco, it seems nice though. Hope you can get the Fantasy, its a great box. RJ

[@BillMan2002]

The Launcher Sucks, I don't like KK nor the googleTV, I want the launcher from the other one that has a Quad Core CPU. My 1080p playback I have no buffering issues with it on 60Hz and I get 58-61fps. That is with it streaming from my NAS hooked up to my router, streaming wireless to my Instabox Fantasy

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

William Mickelson Hi William, unfortunately those launchers are locked to their own machines. The playback is great!!

[@MrHD71]

Why do you keep reviewing android tv boxes all the time?

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

MrHD71 Actually your answer is in the channel roadmap for early 2015 here :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGmpkH2Cm7Vqqrs All the Best. RJ

[@rafaelwhitfield9037]

Roberto Jorge boas sei que não tem muito a haver com o assunto mas seria possível dizer me o mlhr addon no kodi para filmes pff ?

[@cuddles6938]

MrHD71 Because Roberto is the man! Android Boxes are the new thing now days, the old days they were crap. The RK3288 model has a GPU even better then the Galaxy S6 and they make great mini consoles and media players without spending $400 or more on a console or a new HTPC computer.

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

***** Hi Jamar, thanks for the feedback!! Obviously you don't follow the channel at least time enough to know :) around 95% of the items that you see here are my personal investment in the channel and the other 5% are sent to review and then returned. If you watch my reviews regarding the Android TV boxes you will see that those that work great i mention that and the ones that dont i also mention :) Heres a great example kzbin.info/www/bejne/emHXZ4qLoM9lqtk but there are more, just need to browse the reviews and check, so please have that in mind next time. All the best and great to have you here. RJ

[@RobertoJorgeTech]

Rafael Whitfield Oi Rafael, eu não uso addons :)

[@nataliaprina6209]

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