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Dynalink Android TV Box Review – (Read Before You Buy)

/ Android TV Box

Dynalink Android TV Box

This article was updated following V2.01.03 update.

This Dynalink Android TV Box Review was written by Troy from TROYPOINT after using the Android TV Box on a regular basis for three days.

In addition to the review, you will also find multiple tips and tricks below that will allow you to supercharge your Dynalink Android TV Box.

This streaming device was purchased by TROYPOINT and this is not a sponsored post. This is an unbiased review and you will see that I point out both the good and bad regarding this Android TV Box.

The new Dynalink Android TV Box is taking the streaming world by storm for a few reasons.

The first was its introductory price point at $29.99 during the 2020 holiday season.

As of this update, it is now selling for full price of $49.95.

Second, is the fact that this fairly unknown Taiwanese company is taking on giants such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Chromecast with Google TV, TiVo Stream 4K, and Roku.

And third, we usually don’t see a licensed version of Android TV running 4K on these less expensive boxes.  What we usually get is stock Android with a launcher that allows for use on a television.

Family using Dynalink Android TV Box

Yes, there is a big difference between Android TV and stock Android.

Learn About Android TV vs. Stock Android

Is this $50 Android TV Box really that good?  Keep reading and find out!

Dynalink Android TV Box

The Dynalink Android TV Box runs true Android TV plus the proper licensing for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Chromecast which is a huge plus.

Android TV on Dynalink Android TV Box

This streaming box supports 4K Ultra HD and HDR resolution which provides clear and smooth video.

Ultra 4K and HDR

The Dynalink Android TV Box comes with a Quad-core CPU, 3+2-core GPU, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and eMMC 8GB Flash storage.

The included remote control provides the following buttons, power, mute, back, Google Assistant, home, volume control, Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play.


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Dynalink Android TV Box Remote

The Google Assistant button allows users to search by voice or control smart home devices throughout the home.

Google Play Store is available on this device which provides access to all of the most popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, YouTube, Peacock TV, Disney+, HBO Max, and many more.

Google Play on Dynalink Android TV Box

It’s important to point out that the Google Play Store installed on this device isn’t the same one that you get with Android phones and tablets.  This is Android TV Google Play Store and provides access to applications that are optimized for the television experience.  But, we can always sideload apps that aren’t available through the official app store.

Dynalink Android TV Box Update

Dynalink released an update on January 26th, 2021 which addressed the following items.

  • Fix the auto power on the issue.
  • Update NETFLIX ver7.3.2 to Ver7.3.3
  • Fix 4K UHD play issue on Amazon prime video App.
  • Fix Amazon prime video App can’t upgrade.
  • Implement some Wi-Fi patches to improve Wi-Fi quality.
  • Upgrade some security patches.
  • The default setting of CEC- Auto power off is enabled now.
  • Remove Erase & Format option.
  • Implement some patches to improve Video and Audio quality when playing.

Unfortunately, Dynalink went backwards with the 8th item on the list, Remove Erase & Format option.  This has taken away the option to expand internal storage so we can install apps onto external storage.

Due to the low amount of internal storage, this is a bad decision on Dynalink’s part.

 

Links Mentioned in Video

OTG Cable

SanDisk 256GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive

OTG Cable Tricks

Important! Dynalink released an update V2.01.03 which took away the option to expand internal storage.  USB storage still works but you can’t install applications onto the USB device anymore.

Previously, we were able to expand internal storage with a 16GB USB drive or smaller.

Photo of connecting USB hub with Ethernet Adapter and USB drive.



OTG Cable

 

Dynalink Android TV Box Download Speeds

I used Analiti Speed Test App for the following tests.

I have 1 GB Fiber download speed plan through my Internet Service Provider.

During the WiFi tests, I am connected to the 5Ghz band on my Asus AC3100 Router.  This router resides in the same room as my Dynalink Android TV Box (approximately 20 feet away from wireless router).

Since the Dynalink Android TV Box doesn’t come with an Ethernet port, I have connected my UGREEN USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter by way of and OTG cable.

I’m using IPVanish VPN as my VPN on Chicago Server 04 (chi-a04).

Dynalink Android TV Box WiFi Speed
WiFi Speeds!

Ethernet (UGREEN USB Gigabit Ethernet Adapter)

IPVanish VPN On: Download = 99 Mbps & Upload = 79 Mbps

VPN Off: Download = 310 Mbps & Upload = 125 Mbps

WiFi

IPVanish VPN On: Download = 86 Mbps & Upload = 64 Mbps

VPN Off: Download = 350 Mbps & Upload = 122 Mbps

Side-loading Applications on the Dynalink Android TV Box

I used the TROYPOINT App with the Rapid App Installer and sideloaded some of the most popular APKs and my favorite IPTV service.

It tried Syncler, Cinema HD, and Kodi for some on-demand movies and TV shows.

I then switched to TiviMate for live channels through my favorite IPTV provider.

No problems whatsoever with the applications and service that I tested above.

Important note:  Syncler, Kodi, and TiViMate are available for install through Google Play Store on the Dynalink Android TV Box.

The Amlogic S905Y2 processor does an excellent job playing HD quality video, including 4K content.

troypoint rapid app installer

Get the Free TROYPOINT Rapid App with Rapid App Installer

Gaming

I paired my Bluetooth game controller with the Dynalink Android TV Box and tested some of the more popular games.

I didn’t experience any lag and the game performance was excellent on this Android TV Box.

I’m looking forward to installing Retroarch on this system and playing some of my favorite old-school classics!

MECOOL KM3 Gaming

The ability to expand internal storage (mentioned above) should appeal to gamers if they run out of space to hold all of their games.

One game can quickly reduce your storage by 1 to 2 GB or more.

What’s In The Box?

What's in the Dynalink Android TV Box Package?

  • Dynalink Android TV Box Streaming Player
  • Bluetooth Remote
  • 2 AAA Batteries
  • High Speed HDMI Cable
  • 5V Micro USB Power Adapter

Dynalink Android TV Box Specs

  • CPU: Amlogic S905Y2 Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53
  • GPU: ARM Mali-G31
  • Memory: 2GB DDR3 RAM
  • Internal Storage: 8GB eMMC Flash Storage
  • HDMI 2.1
  • WiFi 5Ghz & 2.4Ghz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth 4.2
  • Android 10 (Android TV)
  • Non rooted
  • 4K Ultra HD and HDR
  • Dolby Audio & AAC
  • Box Dimensions: 2.7 x 2.7 x 0.5 in/70 x 70 x13 mm
  • Box Weight: 1.8 oz/51g
  • Voice Remote Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.6 x 0.7 in/150 x 40 x17 mm
  • Voice Remote Weight: 1.9 oz/55g

What I Like

  • Powerful WiFi chip
  • OTG cable works for connecting external devices via micro USB power port – Note:  does not work to expand internal storage
  • Android TV (Android 10)
  • Can sideload apps
  • No bloatware
  • Supports 4K
  • Netflix and Amazon Prime Video HD supported
  • Bluetooth Remote

What I Dislike

  • Can’t expand internal storage
  • Remote can’t control television
  • High price (no longer discounted at $29.99)
  • No USB ports
  • No Ethernet port
  • No Dolby vision

Dynalink Android TV Box Summary

The Dynalink Android TV Box sold for $29.99 during the holiday season of 2020.

At that time, I recommended purchasing this device due to the price and ability to expand internal storage with small USB drives.

Personally, I wouldn’t purchase this device at full price which is $49.95.  Instead, I would purchase the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K will soon be receiving the update that the new Firesticks come with, and I think it’s a better choice than the Dynalink at the $49.95 price point.

If Dynalink provides an update to expand internal storage, I may change my opinion on this.

Due to the numerous amount of awesome applications and games available, it’s extremely important to have more than 3GB to install applications in my opinion.

Some of you may only require the use of a few applications on your system and if that is the case, this might be a great option for you.

If you are picky about video quality and you demand Dolby Vision then this won’t be for you.  I personally don’t get too hung up on video quality and never have.  Typical 4K and 1080p is good enough for me.

I was blown away at the download speeds I got through WiFi with my VPN on and off.  There is really no need for me to use the USB Ethernet adapter that I connected with an OTG cable.  But, if you do require Ethernet, you can easily do this with an inexpensive OTG cable.

I’m happy to see that Dynalink is using barebones Android TV as opposed to a modified version which Chromecast with Google TV has.  The Chromecast device caters to those who are subscribed to multiple streaming services which I don’t like.

Click Here to Purchase the Dynalink Android TV Box

 

Please check back on a frequent basis as I will be updating this page with new tutorials centered around the Dynalink Android TV Box.

I rate the Dynalink Android TV Box 3.5 stars out of 5.

This page includes affiliate links where TROYPOINT may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Many times, you will receive a discount due to the special arrangements made for our visitors. I will never promote something that I personally don't use or recommend. Purchasing through my links directly supports TROYPOINT which keeps the content and tools coming. Thank you! Learn more on my Affiliate Disclaimer page.

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About The Author

Troy is a 20-year technology professional and Internet security expert. He started TROYPOINT.com in 2009 which provides home technology tutorials, news, and reviews, focusing on cord-cutting. Troy has enjoyed this hobby since 2002 when he modded the original Xbox and installed XBMC (now Kodi) so he could stream movies on his home network.

72 thoughts on “Dynalink Android TV Box Review – (Read Before You Buy)”

    1. Bill

      These are the same box but without the Walmart-specific stuff in them and a different remote.

      But the Onn box is $20.

      Reply
    2. Luis Molina

      Yes, that’s my question to, how does this compare to the ONN tv box,
      from walmart, it looks every thing similar.

      Reply
    1. Carl

      I have had and have every Fire device made and bought the Dongle version about two years ago for $30 based on Troy’s recommendation, and it easily outperforms the FS. Simply due to speed of processor and wifi chip stuff — twice the download speeds of even the Cube (with or without IPVanish vpn turned on).

      Reply
  3. Andrew

    Thank you Troy,
    Dynalink box is awesome! Great picture, fast processing, absolutely no buffering issues like I had on Firetv. What you get for $29.99 is incredible. So impressed that I purchased a second unit. Appreciate your reviews….

    Reply
  4. Rich

    Have the Dynalink. Installed IPVanish, Universal Saphire, and KODI with The Crew, Covenant, Exodus Redux, and Numbers. Works great. Better than the FireTVstick 4k. Operates cool. Two minor complaints: the power cord is very short so I used the FireTVstick power cord (and HDMI cable). Second, the volume control is not as smooth (fairly coarse) as the FireTVstick’s. Overall a great buy.

    Reply
  5. Tim Humphrey

    So far the box is great but I cannot install downloader or filelinked or even troypoint….how do I get around this

    Reply
  7. Forney Johnso

    Thanks Troy! Another gem of a device. I now have 1 KM1 Mecool which performs very well and the Dynalink which also works quite nicely. For the $29.99 price, you can not go wrong. The wifi blows away my old Fire TV box and no more quirky Fire TV remotes which has always been a pain.
    Btw, the Rapid App installer is really helpful also.

    Reply
  14. Mike

    Hi Troy:
    You mention that bloatware can be disabled or removed. Is there any special app needed to perform this? I know Firestick is loaded down with so much bloatware that cannot be removed or disabled, except for apps we install. Is this item the same, in that pre-installed bloatware cannot be removed or disabled? And, I have the Firestick OTG cable with a 16 GB sandisk…will these work on this Dynalink stick or do I need to purchase new adapters? Thanks for all you do for us, Troy.

    Reply
    1. Troy

      Hello Mike, you can go into those installed System apps through settings and just click the disable button for the ones you don’t use. If it can’t be uninstalled, they provide the disable button for you.

      Reply
  15. Brian

    Troy,
    In the last couple of months my fire stick had slowed down a bunch! I have watched and searched all of the content about how to speed it up. I got so frustrated that I bought a brand new stick to test. It was as slow as the other one. IDK what happened but I went from 60+ Mbps to 3-7! Have you experienced this on the fire stick? What to do? Ethernet connection was the same. My service is for 200 Mbps so speed isn’t the issue. Please help. I don’t know where else to ask this question. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Troy

      Hi Brian, there may be something wrong with your router or cable modem. First, I would suggest unplugging power to your router and cable modem for 10 minutes and then plug back in. Is your router close enough to your Fire TV devices so they are getting a good WiFi connection? Test other computers or devices and see what speeds you are getting on those to eliminate what the problem is. I doubt that it is the Firestick.

      Reply
  18. Glockstr

    Hi Troy, as always, thanks for the great (thorough) review re: the Dynalink device. I’m using the Nvidia Shield TV (about 6 months) right now but if I wasn’t I’d snap up 2 of these $29 Dynamos right now. Secondly, I appreciate the reporting of download speeds both with VPN connected and not. Suggestion, very few of us are able to have a gigabyte connection so a more realistic benchmark would be with a 50 – 100 megabit connection, I’m pretty sure the results would differ significantly…

    Reply
    1. Troy

      Thanks for your comment. On my old connection of 200 Mbps I was still getting 50 to 60 download speeds on Fire TV Stick 4K which I still get on this connection. The main determining factor of dl speeds on these devices are the processors. The stronger the processor, the faster the download speed and each has its max. So, it isn’t like a percentage loss based on Internet when it is above 100 Mbps. I consistently get 90 Mbps on my SHIELD and that is the same as I previously got with my 200 plan as well.

      Reply
    1. Troy

      Hello Phil, no the Downloader app isn’t on the TROYPOINT app as we use the Downloader app to install the TROYPOINT App :) You can install Downloader directly through Google Play Store on this device.

      Reply
    1. Troy

      Hi Ron, I haven’t done this yet but I’m sure you can. It supports Blutooth so you can connect remotes, keyboards, etc. that way. Or use an OTG cable and plug in a USB device.

      Reply
  24. Tom

    very good report and this tv box sounds great and I think will be better then FS as it’s independent and you don’t have to have any account with if you don’t want to and probably no big brother. I have a android Amlogic S905X3 4GB RAM X3 Quad Core ARM Cortex A55 Mali G31 GPU. And it works well but made in China. So lets hope the more of these new tv boxes come on the market from countries like Taiwan and it’s a proper android tv os too. Keep us up to date with other boxes similar to this.

    Reply
  26. Craig Wilson

    Help! I had the gt King pro.. it unfortunately broke due to kids lol. I loved it, fast, responsive etc. However in your vast experience, should I buy the amazon 4k stick?. Better option?

    Cheers,

    Craig

    Reply
    1. Troy

      Hi Craig, the King Pro is great but not Android TV. I’m getting away from the generic boxes running stock Android. I wouldn’t say that the Firestick 4K is better than the King. It certainly isn’t as powerful. It all depends on the user interface that you prefer. I like Android TV better than Fire OS but that’s just me.

      Reply
      1. Tom

        So then it does have one USB port, you should say that in your review. I suspected that it had a micro USB port, just wanted to be sure that you knew something that I didn’t. You could say in your “Dislikes”, only has one USB port for connecting power, wish it had more. Thanks.

        Reply
        1. Troy

          Tom, I show that it does have a micro USB port as I illustrate how to use it above with images. This is a micro USB port used for the power cord that we can split and use with OTG cable. There is no regular USB port on the device. I want to make sure that people understand this. You need an OTG cable like I show in the pictures above to make this work.

          Reply
  31. Bob R

    Does the Dynalink remote support a soundbar? Some of these remotes only control TV volume and that’s useless to me. I am currently using Firestick 4K and like it overall but it sometimes likes to buffer even on items stored on local network harddrive.

    Reply
      1. Bob R

        So it’s not programmable. Bummer. I like my FireTV because it will turn on and off the TV and soundbar as well as control my soundbar volume.

        Reply
  32. DENISE SMITH

    Thinking of buying that unit, but in your opinion, Is it better than the T95z plus? Looking for something with similar or better specs, doesn’t overheat, freeze up, and easy to update firmware. Those are the problems I’m having with this unit.

    Reply
  34. Joy Gellatly

    Great review of this product! You make what would have been an otherwise overlooked product interesting to me. I will have to check one of these out. Thank you very much for the in-depth review.

    Reply
  35. Bill

    While this sounds awesome, I havelearned mylesson about buying cheap boxes from Wlmrt. I got the first generation Mi Box. After the sale, the company DID NOT keep up with updating to the latest version. I ended up getting Chromecast with Google TV instead. I KNOW the os will stay updated.

    Reply
  37. John c

    Thanks for the review,@$ 29.99 this seems like a potent box for streaming.Just curious why do you list no ethernet port as a negative,when the WiFi speeds were as good as Ethernet speeds?

    Reply
    1. Troy

      Hello John, keep in mind that my router is in same room as my Dynalink Android TV Box. This isn’t the case for everyone so they may get better speeds with a wired connection.

      Reply
      1. Jack

        Troy, I just ordered the Dynalink box. Getting rid of the bloatware was reason enough. Is there an upper limit of addressable memory on a thumb drive? I have a Sandisk 3.0, 64 GB thumb drive. Is it too large. I’ve had issues connecting USBs on other streaming devices. Thanks

        Reply
  39. Dave

    Regards to updates; their website indicates a menu setting that manually checks for updates, but nothing about whether automatic or not.

    Reply
  40. Rob Colburn

    Thanks for the info,Troy. I have been disappointed with the wifi on firestick due to the fact that living in a rural setting, I only get 10mbps from my provider. (Cant get router closer to tv, either) Thats cut down further w/vpn usage. This might help.

    Reply

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