Victor CIobanu

Back-end Developer

Front-end Developer

Programmer

Internet of Things

Victor CIobanu

Back-end Developer

Front-end Developer

Programmer

Internet of Things

Blog Post

Turning your tv into a media center with Rikomagic MK 802 III

November 23, 2012 Primit pe mail

Interested into transforming your tv into a fully fledged media station (smart tv) ? Complete with skype, facebook, email, web-browsing , live streaming, movie watching all for under 100 $ ?
Rikomagic MK 802 III is the product you need :)
Turning your tv into a Smart Tv with Rikomagic MK 802 III

Well to be completely honest you will need a couple more things, but we will get to that later.
I got my Rikomagic MK 802 III (full specs here) of aliexpress.com for about 100$ including shipping (I chose Fedex). The product arrived in about 10 days, since there was a 3 day customs delay. (customs delay and fedex term explained here)

Stuff you need in order to transform your tv into a Smart-Tv :

0. Tv with HDMI port, preferably a 1080p but 720p works fine too.
watching psy on cnn

1. Rikomagic MK 802 III – this product runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) tablet version and has a super small size factor;
it includes : 1 micro usb port (used for pc sync or powering the device); 1 full size usb (used for connecting other devices to it, that includes a usb hub) ; 1 micro sd slot (for memory expansion up to 32 GB; 1 HDMI port (used to connect the device to the tv)
Rikomagic MK 802 III

2. Keyboard and mouse (I got RC11 Sensor Remote, Fly air of the same seller). This particular remote (actually its a 2.4g wireless keyboard and an accelerometer based mouse) can be used by pointing it to the screen and clicking, making it super easy to use. You can even use a normal wifi keyboard and mouse (even a wired one) but that might put some strain on the charger – I’ll discuss that later.
RC11 Sensor Remote

3. Wifi router/bridge/ap (any brand will do, even sharing a wired connection wirelessly with your laptop (creating a peer-to-peer ap) will work.

With these 4 (two if you already have the Tv and the Wi-fi) you can already enjoy web-browsing, watching live streams (I’m a big fan of Twitch tv …use to be a pretty good Starcraft player)

HOWEVER I took it a bit further :)

turn your tv into a media center with Rikomagic MK 802 III

4. A simple usb hub (mine has 4 ports)

5. A webcam (I use a Logitech 920, but others might work)

6. An SSD hardisk with an SATA to Mini USB connector. I chose an SSD drive since it’s super fast, super quiet (no moving parts) and draws only about 3 Watts of power.

7. An USB to LAN adaptor (sold by the same aliexpress merchant for only 5$). If you want to have 100MB speed.
An USB to LAN adaptor

8. An wall to usb charger rated at 1 AMP. Important since most usb ports offer only 500mA, and pluging so many devices in the hub, will cause the Rikomagic MK 802 III to receive less power and either freeze for 5-20 seconds of create artefacts on the screen. This happened to me whenever I try to record video captured by the Logitech 920 webcam to the SSD drive. So having a decent usb charger is a must; I use an old iPhone charger for this.

9. A 3g/HSPDA/EDGE usb modem (stick)

All the products named above work seamlessly with the Rikomagic MK 802 III. No drivers on any setting required, just plug and play.

Things you can achieve with the items enumerated above :

Transform your Rikomagic MK 802 III into an ip/dvr based security camera With the proper android app, you can either live stream your video feed to the internet (you might need to forward some ports on your router) or record everything on the SSD drive

Transform your Rikomagic MK 802 III into a wireless hotspot Android has embedded the option, to share your wired connection (point 7) wirelessly. Chances are you can even run professional routing software on it, or create a captive portal hotspot.

Transform your Rikomagic MK 802 III into a 3g hotspot Similar to what i described above only this time you would use the 3G usb modem.

Use Rikomagic MK 802 III as a network sorage device Pretty straight forward, attach the SSD drive , install the proper app and you are all set.

Use Rikomagic MK 802 III with Skype for conference calls, or board meeting or anything that requires a bigger screen and super fast deployment.

All of the above scenarios work, and has been tested by me. I do not mention any of the apps I use since this article is more about hardware that you can use on your Rikomagic MK 802 III and less about promoting certain Android apps.

However if you have a question do not hesitate to ask me !

54 Comments
  • kefta 1:05 pm November 25, 2012

    Hi, interesting, I have an MK802II but had problem with Skype video, the video sent is received green/pink on the other end.
    Did you check that ?
    thanks

    • Victor Ciobanu 7:21 pm November 28, 2012

      Yes, this happens to me when i use a phillips web cam (640X480). My suggestion would be to try with a different web-cam. I would recommend any logitech cam, since the generic android driver is 100% compatible with them. (tested with logitech c270 and c320)

      • vinch 8:58 pm December 19, 2012

        and with C525 (I have tested last week).
        Thanks for all the info by the way.

  • stephen christensen 11:19 pm November 28, 2012

    Hi there i updated my 802 to the latest version form rikomajic.com because skype would not run at all. Skype now runs fine – i have tried 2 web cameras logitech and genius both run fine for 15seconds then i get a red and green tint through the picture any ideas?

    • Victor Ciobanu 8:08 am December 6, 2012

      How are you powering your device (mk802) ? are you using a stadard usb plug (either tv or laptop port) ? if that is the case you might want to try powering your device (mk802) with a typical phone charger (i use an 1 AMP iphone charger).
      Most usb ports offer 500 mili-amps, that is great for powering a web-cam or an mk802, but not that great for powering both. (essentially the webcam leaves the mk without enough power rendering it/the gpu unstable). I had the same issues when i was using the tv’s usb port, now my mk802 III runs without any problems.

  • Berthold 5:18 pm December 7, 2012

    What about Bluetooth? Can I use a bluetooth keyboard without additional hardware in the MK802 III?

    Thanks

    • Victor Ciobanu 7:40 am December 11, 2012

      I tried with a blootooth adaptor; it did not work. The bt dongle looked like it was working, (led blinking) but no new menu was shown in the settings menu.

      • Berthold 12:19 pm December 11, 2012

        I have seen, there is a new model MK802 IIIs with Bluetooth inside.

  • FORMERxZOMBIE 12:51 am December 10, 2012

    Hey ^^

    You said you could install heatsink(s) without cutting the case?
    Which size(s) should the sink(s) be?

    Andahhh…
    Sleep well =3

    • FORMERxZOMBIE 3:13 pm November 5, 2014

      Heey ^^

      Long time no speak :)

      Quick question;
      could you remove my name in the last post?

      Thanks in advance!
      -TryingToBeMoreKindaAnonymous?! ;)

      • Victor Ciobanu 2:09 am November 7, 2014

        done mate :)

  • Joop Klijn 1:53 pm December 19, 2012

    I bought a Rikomagic mk802iii through ebay from a chinese vendor.

    It has firmware on it with date november 29th.

    Everything seemed to work OK except WiFi.
    When set ‘enabled’ it just did not ‘see’ my network, even when sitting right next to the access point.

    I took all security out of my accesspoint (so made it an ‘open’ system, and
    using the + sign I entered my SSID manually.
    No result. It just says ‘Not in range’.
    My laptop , tablet and smartphone see the WiFi signal without any problem.

    After some correspondence with the chinese vendor they sent me a replacement.

    But unfortunately that one does exactly the same: ‘Not in range’.

    Any suggestions?

    • Victor Ciobanu 2:15 pm December 19, 2012

      Yes i have a couple : your problem could be related to the wifi router itself, but before i start making any recommendations and you start messing with the settings :P , please tell me what router model you have.
      I would recommend as a first step just as a prof of concept to share your laptop wifi connection wirelesly and try to connect to that (just to make sure there is no other issue) (google share laptop wifi)

      • Joop Klijn 1:53 pm December 20, 2012

        I have a 4=port modem/router without wireless, an an Asus type WL300g accesspoint connected to one of the 4 ethernet ports.
        Normally I operate the accesspoint with WPA2 security, but in the efforts to pursuade the mk802iii to see the AP I temporarily made it ‘open’.
        So far, I had not had any problem with connecting to the AP, including my Android tablet and many visitors with Android phones.
        Rather than following your laptop-wifi-share suggestion, I hooked up an old router with wifi (11b) that I remembered I had.
        And that one the mini PC connected to without problem.

        So it seems that returning/exchanging the mini PC was not necessary at all.

        But it still leaves me with the puzzle why it does not want to see the Asus AP.

        Although it would seem that I (we) are about to solve my connection problem, I have another question that I would like to submit.

        Wondering how I could use the 802iii without the built-in wifi, I
        tried a mini WiFi USB dongle I happen to have, plugged into the USB hub I use.
        No luck, so I think it requires a driver.
        The dongle is a Realtek 8188C, and I found a linux/android driverfile for it.
        But I don’t know how to install a driver into the 802iii.
        Rather than the Windows driver file I have for that dongle (just double click setup.exe) the linux/android file more or less seems a toolkit for programmers.

        • Victor Ciobanu 2:42 pm December 20, 2012

          Hey,

          So, now that i know what gear you are using and also that you are not a complete beginner with tech stuff :P here are my suggestions.
          1. Try to put the WL300g closer to the MK802. for example if i keep in behind my tv, i get no signal even thou my router is 10m away (the reason being that the tv is a super good shield) so either bring the WL300g closer or try to use a HDMI cable so that you can put the MK802 in front of the tv.
          2. If that does not work at all, and you feel up to it, I would suggest updating to the lastest firmware for the WL300g. (i was so fed up with my wl500 interface/issues that i did this to it :P http://i.imgur.com/yY4sS.png you could also try dd-wrt if your router has a minimum of 4Mb)
          3. USB wi-fi dongles will not work with the device for the simple reason that it already has a wifi card integrated and i don’t think that android would know how to manage having 2 of them. (unless you are willing to somehow disable the one on board / you would need root access on the mk802 to do that)
          4. another suggestion i have is to use a decent power adapter to ‘power’ the mk802 . a phone charger with an usb port, rated at 1 amp would do. keep in mind that regular usb only gives about 500 mili-amps and plugging a device in the mk means that you are asking for another 500mili amps from the same port/ one of the devices will fail, either the mk802 or the device that you are pluging in the mk802.
          5. try to get your hands on a LAN-USB card (about 5$). mine works perfectly up to 50m with cat5 cable, connected to a regular trendnet switch. the improvements in speed are worth it. (30Mbps to 50Mbps up/down)

  • Hipi 6:37 am December 20, 2012

    I used non powered usb hub connect with wireless mouse, portable hard drive, usb ethernet. None of them work. Do I have to power MK802iii with wall adapter? Do I have to update to new firmware? Which one? Please help. I appreciate that.

    • Victor Ciobanu 2:46 pm December 20, 2012

      I’d change the hub first then try alternative products (no bluetooth devices/dongles). No portable ‘complex’ hardrives just hard-drives with simple sata-mini usb interfaces. yes you need more power for the mk when you are adding devices to it’s hub. use a 1 amp minimum rated usb wall charger.

  • Hipi 6:41 am December 20, 2012

    Btw, what webcam to use for skype?

    • Victor Ciobanu 2:43 pm December 20, 2012

      For me anything that Logitech (not endorsing their products!)has works.

  • Asif Pasha 9:32 pm December 22, 2012

    Hi there, I was wondering what kind of video formats does it support? does it play all famous video formats and video codecs? i went through the manufacturers website, even there i couldn’t find MKV in its supported video format list.
    I am planning to buy MK 802 III but my main concern is supported video formats.

    Regards,

    • Victor Ciobanu 2:53 am December 31, 2012

      as long as you have the proper codecs for that, yes, it supports major audio/video codecs. with mx player and the mxplayer codecs, you actually get both hardware and software rendering. stop thinking at the device as a standalone thing, and start thinking about it as a micro pc (if that helps). it’s all in the software. the cpu power is decent enough to render full 1080p video.

  • Michelle Garth 9:38 pm December 22, 2012

    I bought the mk 802 iii. Hiwever the audio is not working. I have an HD TV (TOSHIBA). My parents have a bit newer tv, and it is working there. Is there somthing I can do?

    • Victor Ciobanu 2:51 am December 31, 2012

      yes there is. but an usb hub and a simple usb sound card. use a set of speakers connected to the usb audio card, and all should be ok. (i know it does not answer your question, but it is a viable solution)

    • Michael 6:12 pm April 22, 2013

      Could it be that your using a DVI-adapter? You will loose the sound then…Unfortunately no real way around this, unless you get a MK8** version with analog sound output.

  • Hipi 7:05 am December 23, 2012

    Do you need any apps to turn logitech webcam on? I installed new firmware for mk802iii already. Powered usb hub is on, but can not see portable hard drive and ca not see webcam on skype. Please help. Thanks

  • Hipi 8:53 am December 24, 2012

    What skype version will work on mk802iii? Thanks

  • jmrp 3:02 am January 3, 2013

    Hi, i have a logitech webcam c270,with my mk802lll,with last firmware oficial 19.11.2012,but skype,dont recognize muy webcam.do i need to install antes aditional UVC drivers for android?

  • fpzk 3:47 pm January 10, 2013

    Very good test, but what about the 3G stick, can you explain which model and how to make it work ?
    Thanks

    • Victor Ciobanu 3:55 pm January 10, 2013

      I was able to test it against a 3G stick sucessfully (HUAWEI e173). Keep in mind you need to root your device and to install ppp app found on android market, in order to use 3G on the mk802.

  • Mircea 5:06 am January 15, 2013

    Thank you so much for your time writing this fantastic review.I have MK802 III with 4.1 and I’d like your advice regarding Logictech c270 webcam.The camera is working with ICS Webcam app but when I’d tried it with the latest skype but at the time of connection when the other person is accepting my call was giving me that the call is failed.I’ve seen that you managed to get it working,I’d really use your help.

    I have a powered hub with 1 amp wall charger.Also MK802 is powered by a wall charger with 3 amp.

    Thank you.

    • Victor Ciobanu 3:45 am January 16, 2013

      Hi Mircea,
      Have you tried upgrading to the latest firmware ? http://www.victorciobanu.com/how-to-root-your-mk802/
      When i tested with my c270 i used a regular hub (not powered), and the skype version that was on play store. The only time i experienced issues was either when i had a background app that was (could be) using the camera or when the device was running low on memory. I would suggest updating the mk802 first and then trying with a different model (I’ve been using the c920 for 2 months now without any kind of problems, both audio and video work seamless).
      I would suggest staying away from powered hubs as i have a friend that managed to destroy his mk with a powered hub and a usb hard-drive.

  • Mircea 4:32 pm January 23, 2013

    I’d like to thank you for your time and help. I rooted my device with the latest version from December 22.
    I noticed the problem is from my external usb sound card. When I connect the camera and start to record some audio is stuck. The same happen with Skype. After I took out the sound card both work well.
    Thanks again.

    • Victor Ciobanu 8:47 pm January 23, 2013

      Hey Mircea, glad you figured it out.
      Not that it matters any more, (but now that i know you are using an usb sound card it might) you are able to select the audio input/output from this tab http://i.imgur.com/fF5wN7p.jpg . Maybe that (having the audio card selected) was causing the issue with skype.
      You should be able to keep both plugged in.

  • Leonard 11:47 am January 31, 2013

    Sal Victor,

    ma intereseaza si p mine sa achizitionez o “jucarie” de genul asta. Ma tot uit la reviewuri si m-am convins tot mai mult…pana sa intru pe forumul lor.
    rikomagic.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
    Aici deja am fost putin intrigat de cat de multi se plangeau de freezes.
    Imi poti spune parerea ta, ca posesor al unui rikomagic? Ai intalnit des freezuri? Sa fie doar cazuri izolate?
    Si mai ceva, de unde l-ai achizitionat?
    Eu l-am gasit aici: -edited–the store was to ugly :)

    Mersi,
    Leo.

  • Victor Ciobanu 2:10 pm January 31, 2013

    sa fiu sincer, dupa ce l-am “rootat” nu am mai avut probleme cu instabilitatea. conteaza foarte mult daca ai sau nu widgets active care fac data pulling. daca sa zicem ii opresti wi-fi’ul poate sta pornit fara probleme (recordul meu este de 2 saptamani in care nu l-am restartat). daca iti lasi insa email widgets, meteo si ceva retele sociale, nu rezista mai mult de 3 zile. oricum, problemele mele sunt legate de software si managementul memoriei, ca si constructie este foarte ok. am fost atat de incantat incat mi-am mai comandat unul, versiunea 3s (cu bt). eu imi cumpar gadgeturile direct de pe aliexpres. (nu suport bisnitarii online/ofline) am platit cam 200 de ron pe fiecare (shipping included)
    NU AM AVUT NICIODATA FREEZE IN TIMP CE IL OPERAM . am uitat sa mentionez, la mine ingheaza cand uit de el (sta permanent online pt ca il alimentez dintr-un charger de iphone). in astea 3 luni nu am avut nici un freeze in timp ce il foloseam, doar lag cam 15-30 de secunde cand il lasam fara memorie si trebuia sa faca swap. aici e defapt problema la el, la modul cum isi aloca memoria.
    procesorul desi “vandut” la 1600, nu sare niciodata peste 1206. nu stiu daca nu am gasit eu aplicatia sa il solicite sau atat poate sa duca. cu playerul default ai probleme doar la mkv 1080p, in rest merge perfect. cu playerul mx player setat pe software, rendeaza mkv 1080p doar cu mici sarituri-fastforwarduri odata la 20 de minute. cu alte formate merge perfect. rom’ul lui este unul de tableta, nu exista aplicatii incompatibile cu el (nu am gasit pana acum). faptul ca poti sa folosesti telefonul mobil (android) pe post de touchscreen il scapa si de unicul neajuns.

    • Leonard 2:25 pm January 31, 2013

      Mersi de feedback.
      3S vreau sa iau si eu.
      Eu i-as alege pe cei ugly :) pt ca accepta si retur dc cumva nu as fi multumit.
      Da, aliexpress era celalalt ce l-am gasit si eu. M-au cam speriat cu free shippingul lor de 60zile si plata in avans :).

      Referitor la widget-uri nu am treaba sa am. Notificari standard de emails, poate fb.
      In schimb mi-am propus sa il folosesc ca si mediaplayer destul de mult. Asta ar fi scopul principal si as folosi mult reteaua (Wifi in cazul meu). O data la 3 zile nu ar fi o problema. Doar sa nu fie la fiecare film vazut de pe retea.

      Inteleg de la tine, din alte commenturi, ca pe parte de filme esti multumit, merg ok 720p/1080p chiar si de pe retea; fara freezuri de device. Gresesc?

      Ziceai de “dupa ce l-am rootat”. Inainte de root problemele cu instabilitatea erau f dese? Sau tot asa o data la 3 zile? :)

      Referitor la shutdown, face power off ca si un android normal? Sau dupa power off treb sa si scot alimentarea?

      Mersi!

      • Victor Ciobanu 2:51 pm January 31, 2013

        Sa le luam pe rand :)
        de pe aliexpres ti-i recomand pe acestia aliexpress.com/store/810525
        sunt relativ ok ca si vorbitori de limba engleza si iti trec ce suma vrei tu pe factura.
        plata este in avans cei drept insa nu dureaza 60 de zile. decide tu daca este ok :

        fedex.com/Tracking/Detail?trackNum=545950124097&clienttype=dotcomreg&totalPieceNum=&ascend_header=1&cntry_code=ro&pieceNum=&language=english&tracknumber_list=545950124097&mi=n

        (intarzierea a fost cauzata de incapacitatea vamesilor de a se lamuri ce este, am rezolvat telefonic )

        atentie la filmele vazute pe retea! placa de retea wifi, desi de 150 de mb nu duce mai mult de 30-40mb la o distanta de 10 metri de router. sa faci stream la un 1080p real de pe un desktop, pica din start. (vei avea intreruperi la fiecare 30 de secunde)

        pe cablu (usb-lan) se misca un pic mai bine dar tot nu e in teritoriu 1080p, plus ca streaming+decoding il sufoca un pic (apar artefacte video din cauza alimentari), si “streseaza” si alimentatorul (are nevoie de mai mult de 1 amper in cazul asta).

        720p este ok in abele variante. (ciudat este insa ca la youtube nu are nici o problema cu 1080p)

        inainte de root, erau mici probleme (restart, lag, ceda flash playerul – cand il foloseam pe vplay si ma trecea pe html5 player)

        Nu stie shutdown. nu are optiune pentru asa ceva.. ciudat, stiu, dar asa stau lucrurile.

        Overall sunt multumit de el (este singurul gadget din casa pe care il apreciaza si prietena)

        ————————————-
        Orice notificare left unchecked mai mult de 3 zile va duce la un eventual freeze. inclusiv email, fb. (vorbesc de scenariul cand uiti sa il mai folosesti cu zilele)

        Ca si media player este superb, atat timp cat esti in acelasi subnet ai acces la orice tip de shared file.

        Interactivitatea dintre el si orice al device android este de invidiat (poti trimite orice poza, clip, melodie de pe telefon cu doar un click direct pe “tv” -same subnet sau direct wifi connection intre ele)

        Ce ti-as recomanda eu, desi e o recomandare scumpa, este sa il folosesti impreuna cu un hard SSD. Atunci straluceste. Poti renda orice fara nici o problema cu orice player doresti in orice conditie (20 de aplicatii deschise in background).

        Desi este 1080p cababil, este capabil la limita hardware’ului. Orice stres suplimentar vei pune pe wifi/lan, va duce la o degradare a experientei tale cu produsul.
        sa nu uit, telecomanda cu accelerometru este un moft; fereste-te de ea, nu ai nici un fel de acuratete cu pointerul. (iti ia cam 30 de secunde sa nimeresti butonul de full screen la un clip), iar butoanele “raman apasate” (retransmite aceiasi comanda/tasta daca misti imediat pointerul dupa ce tastezi). wifi mouse is the way to go

  • Txa 3:02 am February 2, 2013

    If i have an external powered usb hub, do you think i would need the wallcharger for the mk802III?

    • Victor Ciobanu 5:17 am February 2, 2013

      I would recommend against using the powered hub. I have a dutch friend who managed to brick his device (short-circuit) by using a powered hub and an external drive, both connected to the mk802. Using a ‘strong’ (min 1Amp) wall charger gives you (and me) some peace of mind, knowing that the power is coming in through the port it’s supposed to, and going out through the one it was designed to. Consider the fact that other manufacturers of the device http://i.imgur.com/Szk2I3t.png actually use a dedicated power adapter and not the micro usb to power it.

  • Leonard 11:18 am February 8, 2013

    Sal Victor,

    revin cu un mic update.
    Mi-am achizitionat si eu un IIIS. Ieri mi-a venit si am apucat aseara sa il testez.
    In 30min am reusit sa ii busesc sistemul. Am accesat reteaua si s-a blocat, dupa asteptat 5min am scos powerul si am repornit: stuck on boot.

    Deci o trebuit sa ii fac recovery dupa 30min cu ultimul lor soft. Acum se misca mult mai ok.

    Cum ti se parea calitatea imaginii? Mie momentan imi lasa impresia ca ii “fortata” imaginea pe un TV 1080p 101cm.
    Si la filme rulate de pe youtube in full screen mi se pare imaginea cam pixelata. Acelasi lucru mi se pare si la filmele de pe retea.
    Sa fie oare de la prelungitorul HDMI?
    Astazi o sa mai testez in sensul asta poate cu filme rulate si de pe laptop pe TV ca sa pot face o comparatie. Eram doar curios de parerea ta.

    Cu ultimul FW placa de retea Wi imi arata ca s-a connectat la 130mbs. Comparativ cu vechiul FW ce avea 40mbs si uneori chiar 5mbs.

    Tu ai zis ca ai schimbat romul. Se poate reveni apoi la romul original fara sa se observe ca ai folosit un rom custom?
    Trebuie sa ma decid in 10 zile dc il pastrez.

    Mersi.

    • Victor Ciobanu 11:22 pm February 11, 2013

      Leo, please take not that the mk802s has a reset button on the side, use that to reset it to factory default. It can save you a lot of hustle. Regarding resolution, yes, i did some testing (benchmarking) and the real resolution of the device is 1280X672 up-scaled to 1080p. However make sure that if you are using 1080p you are using the 60hz refresh rate. Also take into consideration the tv’s processing power (test the tv with a laptop that has a proper hd video card)
      I gave up long time ago on trying to have a stabe wifi connection (it ranges from 8mbps to 150mbps). Always make sure you are using a “real” wifi channel (1-6-11-13) and make sure there’s not a lot of “background noise” (lots of routers and devices on the same channel).
      You can reset to the original rom the mk802IIIs, i don’t think you can reset the 802mkIII.
      Hope this helps a bit.

  • Mike 10:24 pm February 11, 2013

    I have a MK802iii, everything works fine, however, the micro sd card does not work on the side slot. it does not recognize it. do I need to download an aps in order for it to work? if so, which ap?
    Thank you

  • Victor Ciobanu 11:13 pm February 11, 2013

    Hi, please don’t feel offended by my answer, but, are you sure you are putting the micro sd in the right position, and if so, are you sure you are pushing it all the way in ?

    The thing is, the first time i used a sd card, i was very hard for me to properly “stick it in” (i kinda have sausage fingers) and it kept popping out. If you plug it in correctly you should hear a clicking sound.

    I always used the default file browser app, and the files on the card showed up correctly. I would suggest trying a different card. If indeed your card slot is not working (very unlikely as the quality of the mk802 is pretty good) and you really need to plug a card in, i would go for a usb hub and a usb card reader (i don’t see any reason for this combo not to work) .

    • Mike 11:38 pm February 11, 2013

      Thank you

  • Mike 11:36 pm February 11, 2013

    another problem has popped up. my MK802iii did connect to my wireless router, however, I can’t use the browser to surf the internet, any advise.

  • Victor Ciobanu 11:58 pm February 11, 2013

    Yes, keep in mind that the mk’s wifi antenna is really weeak. Try to move the router closer to the device (10 meters or less) and see if you can properly navigate then. If that doesn’t work (and you are 100% sure that the device is connected to the router) try using chrome browser (there’s an app icon on the main screen, click that and you will be taken to the installed programs, and run chrome from there). If that doesn’t work either as it should, consider either asking for a replacement or, “rooting” the device with the rom i provide here http://www.victorciobanu.com/how-to-root-your-mk802/ . Hope this helps…

    • Mike 12:40 am February 12, 2013

      Thank you for your time, as for the micro sd card that will not click in the slot, it kept coming out feels like there is a spring. I even tried to put it in the wrong way, it only goes in half way.
      As for the second problem. do you think if I use a “mifi 4g hot spot” it might work? cause I will use this only when I am traveling, and use the hotel’s TV. There wifi is usually very slow.

  • Mike 6:12 pm February 14, 2013

    Thank you for all your help, I returned the MK 802iii and bought the MK802iiis, and everything works beautifully.
    it also works with any wireless mouse. I see that you tested the air mouse, I somehow cannot get it to work.
    Thanks

    • Victor Ciobanu 8:25 pm February 14, 2013

      I never had any issues with the air mouse, it was just plug and play for me.
      Remember that you need to press the android button (green middle button) on the remote for the air mouse to work and that it’s not a good idea to try to type while the air mouse is on (blue led on the air mouse is on).
      If you try to type while the air mouse is on, you will get the “sticky key” issue. (last key press, will repeat as long as you move the air mouse).

      Hope this helps you a bit.

  • Deborah 11:28 pm March 26, 2013

    hi, thanks for all your patience and great answers. I have a question. I am using a Macmini in a different room than where I have installed the MK 802 III device. When I try to locate the network places it can find the server (Macmini), but only the connected printer, not all the files on the external hard disk connected to my Macmini. Any suggestions? And yes I have activated the file sharing option. (btw: I really enjoyed playing Angry Birds on my giant tv screen :)

    • Victor Ciobanu 9:07 am April 10, 2013

      Hi Deborah, I’ll be 100% honest with you, I’m a Mac noob however after a quick search i came up with the conclusion that filesharing should work out of the box. Make sure that the mk802 and the mac are on the same subnet (connected to the same router) also make sure that on the mk802 you scan for available devices (in the explorer window on the mk, go to network devices, go to options then scan). Reseting the router or connecting the Mac to the router directly using a cat5 cable could also help. If you however can’t access the files on the Mac from any kind of android device (mobile phone, tablet) then the problem lies with the Mac setup, and that’s where all my know-how ends :)

  • scott 5:03 pm April 3, 2013

    I was wanting to download a. product called rabbit. tv. Any advice, or is it possible ?

  • rob brassil 12:02 am April 12, 2013

    Hi Victor,

    I wonder do you think it is possible to use the Bluetooth capability to stream audio files played on riko to a wireless Bluetooth receiver?

    i want to connect riko wirelessly to an amp. I have a transmitter/receiver but guess the transmitter part is not needed because riko already has Bluetooth.

    If you have any suggestions I would be grateful!

    Thanks for all the info you have shared on your site. ????

  • myhero 8:12 pm May 2, 2013

    Great article, very informative.

    I’ve just received my MK 802IIIs.

    Can you please send me a list of the apps you use?

    I have an issue with my wi-fi and am not able to stream movies using XBMC, youtube is extremely slow.

    Did you have a similar issue / what could be causing this? I’ve read some posts on a forum that using a USB to LAN adapter did not solve the issue. Have you had success with this?

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