MX9 and MXQ Pro are two cheap TV Boxes available to buy in the market to turn your TV into smart tv. The products promise resolutions up to 4K and are alternatives more in front of media centers like Chromecast, from Google, Fire TV Stick Lite, from Amazon, or even Apple TV. It is possible to find the set-top box options with prices starting from $30, bringing the Android system with support for several applications available at the Play Store. Compare the products and find out which one is best for you.
MXQ Pro vs MX9
| Specifications | MXQ Pro | MX9 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | from $30 | from $32 |
| Maximum resolution | 4K at 60 Hz | 4K at 60 Hz |
| Processor | Rockchip RK3329 or Armlogic S905W | Rockchip RK3329 |
| RAM | 1 or 2 GB DDR3 | 1 GB DDR3 |
| Storage | 8 or 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Operating system | Android 7.1 (can be found with other versions) | Android 10.1 |
| Ports and interfaces | 4x USB, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, card reader, AV, SPDIF and Wi-Fi | 4x USB, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, card reader, AV, SPDIF and Wi-Fi |
Design
In terms of design, the two models are very similar. The square format reminds the general Apple TV shapes, but it promises to be more functional due to a large number of ports and interfaces available.
In terms of interfaces, the two TV Box offer HDMI 2.0 for 4K and HDR videos, plus four USB ports, an SD card reader, RJ-45 for connection via Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi, and AV and SPDIF outputs. There is also remote control and Wi-Fi connectivity, but without Bluetooth.
Specifications
MXQ Pro and MX9 are two TV boxes supporting 4K resolution, but with some important technical differences. MXQ Pro, for example, can be found in more than one version: there are options with Rockchip RK3329 quad-core processor, with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and 16 GB of storage, or Armlogic S905W CPU, also quad-core, but with 1 GB of memory and 8 GB of ROM.
On the MX9 side, the TV Box can be found with the same Rockchip RK3329. The model also has 1 GB of DDR3 RAM and 8 GB of data capacity. After all, 8 or 16 GB is little storage for 4K media, which is why both devices allow the use of external disks through USB ports.
System
The two TV Boxes run with Android but vary in version, according to the model. Anyway, content like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Globoplay must be available, as it happens on Android phones and even TVs with Android TV.
In the case of MXQ Pro, we found options for sale that have Android 7.1, an operating system edition released by Google in August 2016. However, there is not much consistency in the ads – especially of Chinese origin – and you can find sellers with slightly more recent options.
With Android 7.1, you can access the Play Store and find a wide variety of games, apps, and services. Streaming platforms, games, emulators, and IPTV apps should be compatible, but eventually, older Android editions may end up losing access to these features.
On the MX9 side, the news is better: there are models with very old versions of Android, but there are also ads that promise access to Android 10, from 2019. Much more recently, the system should guarantee many years of stress-free access to apps and games available on the Play Store.
Features and content
The offer of content and the set of features depends directly on the Android system available in both. In principle, both in MXQ Pro and MX9 the consumer should find the same offer of games, apps, content, and services available in the Play Store.
However, one detail that varies from one to the other is the support for HEVC video decompression offered in MXQ Pro (which is not included in some versions of MX9). This capability allows the device to read files with this compression, common in 4K materials.
About 4K content, there is also a caveat: both MXQ Pro and MX9 play videos with resolution only from media stored in the devices, and not by streaming. This means that content from Netflix, Globoplay, or Amazon Prime Video will be played only in Full HD.
Both offer integrated Chromecast to mirror the mobile’s screen and make it possible to expand the storage space for media using memory cards or external disks and pen drives via USB. The Bluetooth standard is not supported in either box.
Price and availability
The two products appear easily in the market and it is possible to find the MX9 with prices that start at $32. MXQ Pro versions appear for $30 but may approach the range of $40 depending on the seller, amount of storage, and processor.
- Buy MXQ Pro
