UGoos AM6B+ - End-Game 4K Media Streamer (for me anyway, and anyone who cares about Dolby Vision playback)

[pat bateman]

I value it for multiroom, metadata, many endpoint support and remote access. I paid the fixed cost as it is very important to me for all my ripped CDs and music downloads stored on my Synology NAS. You can also connect Qobuz and Tidal streaming.

Tidal just announced on Monday, it’s terminating its integration with Plex. The cofounder of Plex implied it was Tidal’s decision, and employees have flat out said it was Tidals decision. It’s an odd decision considering Tidal could use all the subscribers it can get. Plex monthly is half the cost of Roon, and lifetime is 1/8 the cost, so hopefully the premium price for Roon will ensure Tidal integration stays.

 

[HomerJAU]

I'd quite like to know the answer to same question for the Ugoos AM6B+?

If using Kodi then SACD/DSF etc is converted to PCM.

I had it on my list to look at allowing passthrough in Kodi but since I don’t play SACD ISO, DFF, DSF etc I doubt I’ll do anything, as my SACDs have been converted to FLAC.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

If using Kodi then SACD/DSF etc is converted to PCM.

I had it on my list to look at allowing passthrough in Kodi but since I don’t play SACD ISO, DFF, DSF etc I doubt I’ll do anything, as my SACDs have been converted to FLAC.

I'm sure I can provide you some multi-channel dsd64 samples if you need them

 

[dabl]

Seconded on the interest in Kodi dsd passthrough and providing sample files HomerJAU.

That would be heroic feat indeed and celebrated around the world by the remaining freaks still clinging to the 'magic' of dsd

As I understand it, I the hurdle may be the HDMI interface on the AVR requiring some kind of officially supported secret handshake, ie from a device like a licensed blu-ray player. Due to that I believe the focus for such a way to do this on the pc side for example back in the day was some kind of driver to supplement or replace the one being used. No small feat to be sure. But I may be totally wrong or behind on this these days. Maybe the secret handshake is out there somewhere.

 

[steelydave]

It appears that the CoreElec team has now managed to get full Dolby Vision playback working on a number of other Amlogic chipsets: s905x2, s922x, s905x4:

(More information on their official forum post here.)

Homatics Box R Plus 352 / Dune HD R Plus 352 / Rocktek G2 53 / Nokia 8010 (s905x4-k)
Dune HD Premier 4K Pro (s905x4-k)
Ugoos X4Q Extra (s905x4-j)
Dune HD Pro Vision 4K (s905x4-j)
Tencent Aurora 4 Pro (s905x4-j)
Kinhank G1 (s905x4-j)
Amazon FireTV Cube 2nd gen (s922z)
Minix U22X-J (s922x-j)

I can't vouch for any of these boxes beyond saying I'm still thrilled with how CoreElec works on my AM6b+, but if you have one of these you might want to investigate installing or dual-booting CoreElec - it looks like some of them are cheaper than the AM6b+ too if you're thinking about dipping your toe into this water and money is an issue.

 

[bobtimms]

I have an AM6B+ also and its excellent - also the VS10 unofficial is great (for me anyway). I also ordered the Homatics Box as it has Android TV and is Netflix-Amazon-Apple certified and hopefully can replace my Shield. The AM6B+ has replaced my Zidoo - better picture for me anyway. Maybe because its true Display Led.

 

[paligap]

With my limited knowledge, at first glance, this unit looks similar to my Vero 4K+, which I use mostly to listen to music, but occasionally, I'll watch a concert. I'm sure there are differences, but I'll keep this unit in mind if I ever need a replacement.

 

[gorman]

Happy owner of three of these boxes. Two in use, one in storage.

Would definitely recommend.

 

[minimumtumbleweed]

Bought one today for $135... Let's hope it's worth it!

 

[ted_b]

Yes us AM6B+ w/ CoreElec ( CPM’s A10 in my case) users are quite active on the AVSforum thread

Thanks @steelydave for starting this thread here.

 

[HomerJAU]

You only need the CPM build to convert to/from DolbyVision. (For example I use it to play HDR10+ movies as DolbyVision as my TV does not play HDR+). Only about 50% of DolbyVision releases have FEL and sometimes that layer carries no significant data.

For Music and normal video use (including DolbyVision with FEL) just use latest CoreElec 21 NG version. This version plays HDR10+ using the core HDR10 layer).

 

[minimumtumbleweed]

Well, setting this device up is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. I'm a very tech-savvy person and love mucking around with settings and command lines as much as the next guy, but I can see how this would not be for everyone. My goal with this box was to create an ecosystem for ripped movies and music that everyone in my family can easily use. I think I have finally achieved that (mostly). The way that worked best for me was installing CoreElec on ceEMC as dual-boot, adding the plex4kodimod app, having the device boot directly into Plex, and then using my SHIELD as the server for Plex (I don't have a NAS, so this ended up being a cheap workaround, since I already have the SHIELD for all my other streaming). Configuring remotes was probably the biggest pain, but finally managed to get my universal remote to work with it so we'll see how many complaints I get from the family now.

 

[timothyemerson]

Well, setting this device up is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. I'm a very tech-savvy person and love mucking around with settings and command lines as much as the next guy, but I can see how this would not be for everyone. My goal with this box was to create an ecosystem for ripped movies and music that everyone in my family can easily use. I think I have finally achieved that (mostly). The way that worked best for me was installing CoreElec on ceEMC as dual-boot, adding the plex4kodimod app, having the device boot directly into Plex, and then using my SHIELD as the server for Plex (I don't have a NAS, so this ended up being a cheap workaround, since I already have the SHIELD for all my other streaming). Configuring remotes was probably the biggest pain, but finally managed to get my universal remote to work with it so we'll see how many complaints I get from the family now.

Good to hear more feedback on this machine. I'm still on the fence about purchasing another media player but this player and the BlueTooth remote are in my aliexpress cart awaiting a few more clicks. CoreElec install procedure kinda puts me off - the older I get, I just can't be bothered messing around with yet another device!