Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe Review – King Of The TV Box 

I’m a big proponent of TV boxes – also known as media boxes. More often than not, the native firmware and UI on modern smart TVs don’t quite cut it. They provide performances that cut your TV specifications short unless you have one of the leading TV brands. Even then, they still aren’t without their limitations. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity presented, I enjoy testing the latest TV box that becomes available. I received the Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe for the latest review and spent a few weeks with the device before reaching my verdict.

Who Are Mecool?

Mecool is a Chinese brand established over a decade ago as a subsidiary of Shenzhen Videostrong Technology Co. Ltd. It specialises in entertainment-related products, including TV boxes, sticks, projectors, and a few peripheral accessories. 

The brand aims to deliver quality entertainment products at cost-effective pricing to compete against higher-end brands. One of the critical deliverables for most buyers is its free shipping worldwide. 

Build and Design

The Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe design has a few distinct features. Unlike the conventional TV box, which features a rounded square with a matt black finish, the KM2 has a sharp square design—so sharp that you may not want to have it around kids’ reach, or they may get hurt. 

In addition, it ditches the black finish, opting for a mix of matte and glossy white touches. The base of the design has a matte finish. To add a premium touch, a plastic panel fitted to the top of the unit has a glossy white finish. This top panel also sports the Mecool logo in silver. 

The device is relatively small and lightweight. There aren’t many specifics regarding the weight, but it’s lighter than all the other TV boxes I could compare it against. In terms of its dimensions, it measures 110x110x20mm – a very diminutive frame. 

Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe Specifications

In many cases, TV boxes feature the Android TV OS. This is also true of the KM2 Plus Deluxe. This is a considerable advantage compared to TVs using their firmware, which often doesn’t have an app store, regular firmware or app updates. If an app is accidently removed, it becomes a nightmare to restore. This alone is one of the main reasons why TV boxes are much better, enabling all these features while opening up a host of apps to be used on your TV, including your favourite streaming services like Disney+, Crunchyroll, DStv and others, that aren’t natively installed. 

The Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe come pre-installed with Android TV OS 11. With version 14 launching a few months back, the firmware is three iterations back. However, that isn’t a significant issue, as, upon browsing the market, many other TV boxes are still on version 9 and 10 even four years after the release. 

In terms of ports, it checks all the boxes for the basics. It has IR, SPDIF, AV, HDMI, LAN, and DC power ports on one side of the unit. It also has x2 USB ports and a microSD card slot. Regarding other connectivity options, it also features Wi-Fi v6 and Bluetooth v5.0. It has 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage for apps and other downloads. 

Its certification includes HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG for the display, as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Regarding software certification, it includes Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and Chromecast support. It also includes Google Assistance, as with any Android TV OS-supported device, and Vstro Player natively installed.

Performance

First, installation is a breeze. Anyone can do it, even with the most basic experience. Simply plug the HDMI into the device and TV, plug in the DC power, and turn on the device. While you’re waiting, plug the batteries into the Bluetooth remote, follow the instructions on your TV, and sign in via your smartphone using the instructions. Within a few minutes, you’ll be good to go. 

After that, you can play around with the Android UI, install your favourite apps, sign in, and set up your home menu. You’re all set. You’ll probably never have to do anything else significant from that point onward unless you’re the type to play around, do testing, and install various apps to enhance the experience. 

One of the great features is that you can also plug in your accessories, such as a keyboard and mouse (whether wired or Bluetooth) and even connect your game controller to the device. I tested the Xbox Bluetooth controller, and it works efficiently, allowing you to play a few games here and there. 

What I noticed often with some TV boxes or media players is that their Wi-Fi isn’t always up to scratch. This is especially important these days, especially when you’re streaming 4K. Thankfully, the KM2 Plus Deluxe doesn’t fall short in this department. For the most part, it could match the Wi-Fi speeds I could test directly on the router, and it reached over 200Mbps during most of the testing I conducted. As such, you won’t have any issues streaming your favourite shows in the best resolution available. 

Despite all the great features and performance, it all comes down to the visual performance. And it looks great. Compared to the poor native TV apps, which tend to diminish visuals, the 4K support for almost all apps makes it worthwhile. And that’s even without testing the HDR and Dolby Vision support. Each further enhances the visuals and creates a much better experience with brighter colours, more contrast and higher resolution. 

The device also supports a host of codecs, so even if you’re watching from a portable drive, you’ll be assured that you won’t have many issues.

What Are The Limitations?

While no significant issues would jeopardise your viewing experience, a few points could be improved. 

The first of these is on the UI. It offers quite a lot of flexibility in installing apps and having the featured shows and “continue watching” options as shortcuts on the main menu. However, for some reason, it doesn’t do this for YouTube, the most used app. It supports this for Netflix, Prime Video, and even downloaded apps like Disney+ and Crunchyroll, making it easy to jump straight back to where you left off—just not YouTube. 

Another anomaly comes from the connectivity. The Wi-Fi stops working when plugging the Ethernet cable into the LAN port. It makes sense that the LAN becomes the main or only connectivity option, but this immediately turns off other Wi-Fi features, such as casting from your mobile or laptop to the TV box. This may be a limitation on the Amlogic S905X4-J chip or something a software update could fix. 

The last of these is the Bluetooth remote. While it can complete 99% of all other tasks, including voice-to-text from the microphone to assist with easier searching, it has one slight issue. When powering on the device using the remote, the TV doesn’t always turn on automatically, despite enabling the option to power via HDMI. The opposite also has issues: turning off your TV using its remote doesn’t always power down the KM2 unit. 

When I initially set this up and tested it, it worked without issues. However, after using the device for a few days, I noticed that this feature was no longer active. A quick restart and test, and it was working again, but then it failed on any subsequent tests. 

Is The Mecool KM2 Plus Deluxe Worth It?

The quick answer is yes. It’s almost always a worthwhile investment to pick up a TV box when you have a 4K TV. Not only are the features better when using a TV box, but they also offer better visuals overall and a more effortless experience. 

The unit costs just shy of R2,600. This is slightly pricier than many other TV boxes, often below the R2,000 mark. That said, most of those offer the basics without much thought. The KM2 Plus Deluxe offers 32G storage while most only offer around 2GB, and it has better Wi-Fi download speeds, certification, and extraordinary visuals. 

Also, read our review of the WINX Vibe Pure ANC.