The Amlogic S805 is a legacy 32-bit quad-core processor commonly found in older Android TV boxes like the MXQ S85 and M201. While official Android updates for these devices typically capped at version 4.4.2, various community-driven firmware projects provide more modern capabilities, such as running the latest Kodi or lightweight Linux distributions. Recommended Custom Firmware Projects
If you are looking for "good" options to repurpose or update an S805 device, these projects are highly regarded in the community:
LibreELEC (Kodi-focused): Best for turning the box into a dedicated media center.
Latest Stable: Legacy v9.2 LTS builds (Kodi 18.9) are actively maintained for S805 devices.
Features: Includes experimental driver support for various Wi-Fi chips (e.g., RTL8723AS) and optimizations for the S805's limited 512MB–1GB RAM.
Resource: Check the LibreELEC S805 Forum for specific images.
Armbian (Linux-focused): Ideal for using the device as a low-power server (e.g., Pi-hole, file server).
Versions: Supports kernels ranging from 3.10 to mainline 5.x.
Caveats: Mainline kernels often lack HDMI support for S805, making them "headless" only. Legacy 3.10 kernels are better for full multimedia support.
Resource: Explore the Armbian S805 Community Thread for the latest community-provided .dtb files.
AlexELEC: A specialized fork designed to breathe life into older boxes by focusing on Kodi 18 performance. Key Technical Considerations
Updating firmware on this aging hardware requires attention to specific hardware variants:
The Amlogic S805 is a quad-core processor commonly used in older or budget-friendly Android TV boxes (like the MXQ S805) and media players. Since this chipset is now largely considered outdated by manufacturers, finding and installing firmware often involves using community-developed custom ROMs to keep the device functional for modern streaming needs. Core Features of Amlogic S805 Firmware
Firmware for the S805 platform manages hardware-level functions to ensure smooth 1080p playback and system stability.
Kernel & Bootloader: Manages core OS functions and initial startup. A stable bootloader is essential for flashing new ROMs or performing system recoveries.
Codec Support: Critical for enabling high-quality media playback, including support for HEVC/H.265, VP9, and FLAC. amlogic s805 firmware
Thermal Management: Integrated regulation prevents overheating during long video playback, which is vital for the fanless designs typical of S805 boxes.
Device Tree Files (DTB): Hardware-specific descriptions that ensure the kernel correctly loads drivers for your specific box model. Recommended Firmware Options
Depending on your technical comfort and usage, several types of firmware are available for S805 devices: Recommended Firmware Key Benefits Casual Streamer Stock OEM Firmware
Plug-and-play and highly stable, though rarely updated by manufacturers. Home Theater Fan CoreELEC / LibreELEC
Extremely fast and optimized specifically for Kodi; uses very low system resources. Power User Custom Android ROM
Provides root access and often supports newer Android versions (e.g., Android 7.1 or 9 builds). Developer Open-Source Builds
Weekly or nightly builds featuring the latest kernel tweaks and debugging tools. How to Update or Flash Your Device
Before updating, it is critical to back up your current firmware and verify the exact compatibility with your device model to avoid "bricking" (rendering it unusable).
Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates: Navigate to Settings > About > System Update. While rare for older S805 models, some brands still push occasional security patches this way. Manual Flashing (USB/SD Card):
Download the firmware (usually a .zip or .rar file) from a trusted source like the LibreELEC forums or XDA Developers.
Unzip and copy the update files to the root directory of a MicroSD card or USB drive.
Insert the media into the box, press the hidden reset button (often inside the AV port) with a toothpick, and power the device on to enter recovery mode.
Amlogic USB Burning Tool: For more advanced recovery, connect the box directly to a PC and use this official Amlogic utility to flash image files directly to the device's internal memory. Performance Optimization Tips
Storage: Firmware typically performs better on devices with eMMC flash storage compared to older NAND flash due to faster read/write speeds.
Maintenance: Regularly clear the system cache under Settings > Storage and uninstall unused apps to free up limited RAM. The Amlogic S805 is a legacy 32-bit quad-core
Hardware: Ensure the box is kept in a well-ventilated area to support the passive cooling required by the S805 processor.
Here’s a short, engaging story built around the Amlogic S805 and its firmware ecosystem.
Title: The Ghost in the Dongle
In the dusty back room of "Pixel Perfect Repairs," old tech went to die. But for Mira, a 19-year-old firmware hobbyist, it was a playground. Her latest patient was a forgotten TV box—a no-name brick powered by an Amlogic S805. The label was worn off, the remote was lost, and the owner just wanted his photos recovered.
The box wouldn't boot. It just blinked a single, angry red LED.
Standard tools failed. The usual Amlogic USB Burning Tool refused to recognize the device. The short-pin trick on the NAND chip? Nothing. Desperate, Mira dug into the S805's secret heart: the BootROM. Using a logic analyzer, she found a UART debug header hidden under a blob of glue.
She connected her laptop, fired up screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200, and saw the truth.
The bootloader wasn't corrupted. It was fighting back.
Garbled text scrolled by, then a clear message: [BL31]: trng: initializing... error. Trust zone violated. Fallback to legacy mode?
Someone—likely a cheap overseas factory—had flashed a hybrid firmware. It was a Frankenstein's monster: an Android TV kernel stitched onto a Linux OpenELEC (Kodi) rootfs, held together with duct tape and bad checksums. Every time the system tried to mount the system partition, the S805's Mali-450 GPU would throw a page fault, crashing the watchdog timer.
But then Mira noticed something odd. The crash dump contained readable ASCII—scraps of an old developer's diary.
"Day 34: The S805 has no hardware virtualization, but if I remap the IRQ table... I can hide a tiny microkernel in the video decoder's reserved memory. Nobody ever scans the video buffer. It's the perfect steganographic firmware vault."
Her heart raced. The "broken" box wasn't broken. It was possessed by an abandoned project—a secure enclave running parallel to the main OS, unknown to Android, unknown to the bootloader. The crash wasn't a bug; it was a decoy.
Carefully, Mira crafted a custom u-boot script for the S805. She bypassed the normal boot flow, halted the bootloader right after DDR init, and injected a tiny payload over Amlogic's proprietary USB protocol (the one undocumented in the public datasheets).
The terminal blinked.
[SECURE] Welcome back, architect. System integrity: 97%
Then, the box's LED turned green. The forgotten photos appeared on the screen—but so did something else: a hidden partition labeled Project_Chimera. Inside were design files for a mesh network radio, using the S805's I2S audio bus as a spread-spectrum transmitter.
The owner never got his photos. But Mira got a story—and the key to a ghost in the machine that no firmware update could ever erase.
Moral of the story: Never trust a cheap TV box. Its firmware might be hiding more than just bad drivers.
The Amlogic S805 is a legacy quad-core chipset (Cortex-A5) that powered many popular Android TV boxes like the MXQ S85 and original Fire TV Stick. While officially outdated, updating or changing its firmware can breathe new life into these devices, enabling hardware-accelerated H.265 video playback and newer media centers. Core Hardware Specifications
Understanding the hardware is critical before attempting a firmware flash, as installing the wrong image can permanently "brick" the device. CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A5 at 1.5GHz. GPU: Quad-core ARM Mali-450. Standard OS: Originally shipped with Android 4.4.2.
Video Support: Hardware decoding for H.265/HEVC up to 1080p @ 60fps. Popular Firmware Options
Depending on your goal—keeping Android or turning the box into a dedicated media server—there are several routes: Latest Armbian for S805 TV - Amlogic CPU Boxes
| Goal | Recommended Firmware Type | Difficulty | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Recover a bricked box | Stock Android 4.4.2 or 5.1.1 (Lollipop) | Medium | | Run Kodi/Jellyfin client | CoreELEC (based on Kodi) | Medium-Hard | | Lightweight desktop Linux | Armbian or LibreELEC (no GUI) | Hard | | Retro gaming | Lakka or RetroArch Android | Medium |
In the fast-paced world of technology, devices are often deemed "obsolete" within a few years. However, for the tinkerers and DIY tech enthusiasts, there is a certain charm in breathing new life into older hardware. If you have an aging Android TV box, a legacy Mini PC, or an old tablet gathering dust, there is a high chance it runs on the Amlogic S805 chipset.
While the S805 is a veteran in the chipset world, a custom firmware flash can transform it from a sluggish paperweight into a surprisingly capable media player.
In this post, we dive deep into the world of Amlogic S805 firmware—where to find it, how to flash it, and whether it is worth the effort in 2024.
The best thing you can do with an S805 is to turn it into a dedicated media player. Custom Linux-based Kodi distributions run lightning fast compared to bloated Android. The most famous fork for S805 is CoreELEC, though mainstream support for S805 has migrated to LibreELEC legacy builds.
| Type | Pros | Cons | |------|------|------| | Stock/OEM | Stable; matches your Wi-Fi/remote exactly | Buggy; outdated security; often bloated | | Custom (e.g., Magendanz, daivietpda) | Debloated; performance tweaks; root pre-installed | May have broken features (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) | | LibreELEC / CoreELEC | Turns S805 into a dedicated Kodi media center; very fast | No Android apps; Linux-only | | Armbian | Full Linux desktop/server; modern kernel | Requires SD card; no GPU acceleration for GUI |
Recommendation: If you need Android apps, search for a custom Android 5.1.1 ROM for your board. If you only use Kodi, switch to LibreELEC. Title: The Ghost in the Dongle In the