Time & date syncing problem on MXQ box

[Barneyboy48]

I am new to all of this, and I have to be honest I hadn't a clue what to buy as regards a streaming box. So on the advice of someone I have been discussing streaming with and to dip my toe in the water as it were, I went off to eBay like many others and bought an inexpensive MXQ box. On the box it came in it tells you it's a OTT TV Box, 4Xcpu 4Xgpu, (whatever that means!) and they cost around £24 to £30 all in.

I was so impressed with the operation of it, I bought another so I could have one in the lounge and another in the bedroom. They are both connected to my router via Ethernet cables.

The later one came with a different opening screen which was a little less, let's say, "up-to-date looking". I can't really pass judgement as I don't really know - that's just the impression I got.

Looking in the system detail via the settings menus for both devices, I see the following:

No. 1 Box.

Model No: S805
Android Version: 4.4.2
Build No: KOT49H.20160224 test-keys
Kernel version: 3.10.33
S8XXBOX@ubuntu01 #1
Tue Jan 54 09:54:42 CST 2016

No. 2 Box.

Model No: MXQ
Android Version: 4.4.2
Build No: KOT49H.20151225 test-keys
Ethernet MAC address: 08:08:00:00:0b:ca
Kernel version: 3.10.33
tiger@ubuntu-server #17
Tue Dec 22 18:14:10 CST 2015

I have no idea really what any of this means, but I'm sure someone will! There are references to the years 2015 and 2016 so I think I am probably thinking in the right direction regarding Box 1 being more up-to-date.

The only difference in content that I see apart from Model No., Build and Kernel information is that there is no Ethernet MAC address information given for Box 1.

My problem is that with Box 2, the system time and date is not and will not synch and be synched with the network. When I switch out of stand-by, (I never totally switch either box off), even now this morning the time in the right top corner is reading the wrong time and the date is Thursday, 21 April, (no year is displayed), as I write this post the date is Tuesday, 3 May.

The system is set to automatically use the network provided time and date. It is set to GMT+1 BST and 24-hour format.

Every other device that I have connected in my house, whether it be by Ethernet or Wi-Fi is reading the correct time and date, including the No. 1 box.

So can anyone tell me what the problem is and how, if it is possible, to fix it?

 

[Nigelar]

This seems to be a problem particularly with cheap android boxes. I fixed it for a neighbour last weekend by installing the "clock sync" app from the play store. You need to run it as soon as the box boots up, maybe everytime you power up. Make sure you set time manually to "today" before you download as you need current date set correctly to access google play store.

 

[Barneyboy48]

Hell that was quick!

Thanks for the speedy response - you must have fingers as fast as lightening!

I found the app you are talking about last night when I was briefly searching on my phone. I didn't have much to go on looking at it on the smaller screen but I downloaded to my box it anyway. I didn't set the system time (shown in the top right corner) before I did it. I didn't know that was necessary as I thought the app would sort all that out.

When I ran the app, it displayed the accurate time and the system time along side - both were different. So something wasn't doing as expected. It didn't seem to have any effect on the time/date shown in the right top corner.

I ended up uninstalling the app as I couldn't really see what it was supposed to be doing.

Also, if I need to reset the time every time I switch the device out of stand-by, why would I need to bother with the app, as I can reset the time manually within the system anyway. My problem, I think, is that the setting doesn't read automatically off the network.

Can you give me anymore information?

I have also had this one come through from someone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsphost.atomicclock

Is this basically the same thing?

 

[Nigelar]

To set the time using the app you click on the menu (3 buttons top right) then from the menu select sync time. You can, of course, continue to set the time manually, but it is 2 clicks with the app compared to fannying around with android date/time settings.
You could also try and quiz the box supplier about why their boxes dont sync time correctly with the internet.
Good luck with that.
At least the advantage from buying from droidbox is this user forum and live support from the company.

 

[Barneyboy48]

I'm having a play around with it as we speak.

Once I get the bit between my teeth, I can't seem to let go!

I've set my system time manually and then re-installed the app.

I take it that my situation is "rootless" - I don't really understand what that means but when fiddling around with the settings, it seems to come up with that assumption, not letting me do various things.

I always like to hope that I don't have to adjust anything but I needed to find a way of silencing the speaking clock beeps which don't help when trying to watch something. I found out how to do that but the other problem is the grey information band at the foot of the screen giving the Set Time, Set Date and Offset - how do I make that invisible because its obscuring other vital information?

 

[Nigelar]

I just clicked on the app, pressed the 3 buttons to get the menu then pressed sync the time option. Done. Then closed the app. So I didn't see any of the stuff you mention.

 

[Barneyboy48]

It still doesn't work particularly well.

I found out a little more, although I'm still confused as to the problem.

I have two of these boxes as I have stated. The No. 1 box, (as I referred to them earlier), on start up displays a logo "DROID TV". The other box (No 2), displays "Pulse".

Its the "Pulse" box that won't display the correct time and date. The "DROID TV" works a dream. I bought these less than a week apart. When unpacking them from the cartons, the boxes are identical, as are the remotes, cables and instructions. Even the protective adhesive strips are the same. Yet, it is apparent that they are different.

The menu system on the "Pulse" looks more dated than that of the "DROID TV". Certainly when I was searching for the Google Play Store app icon, I struggled. I found it eventually but it was an old version. As soon as I had selected it, it went off and got updated. It now appears as it should.

So, what is it that is different between these boxes? According to the system information, it looks as though they both have the same version of Android (4.4.2), so it something to do with the build prior to when the seller starts installing what he states is a build. Many sellers are pre-installing the likes of Kodi etc. to make them more saleable, I suppose. Is it then that the clock is affected, or is it back in China where it actually originated from.

More to the point can anything be done to give a permanent fix, other than using 3rd party apps, which seem to me to be a bit of a Band-Aid solution?

 

[Nigelar]

Hi barneyboy. Who can say? As this is a forum for Droidbox users I doubt we can speak authoritatively about other machines especially those which are "no name". Clearly there are differences in the firmware installed on the boxes by whoever manufactured or supplied them. Really, I think you need to contact the supplier of the second box to get them to address the problem. That will be a test of the type of support these cheap box companies provide. You might as a last resort try a factory reset to see if that brings things back to normal. You would probably need to reinstall Kodi then and put the Addons back on (it sounds like they have used the pulse build to put Addons onto Kodi, you can also use a wizard like the wookie).

 

[Barneyboy48]

So a factory reset - would that get me back to the bare bones then?

From there would it be just like picking up an Android smartphone from new and adding the apps that I want rather than the apps that someone else feels I ought to have?

Would all the necessary apps be there to help me rebuild, such as Google Play?

 

[Nigelar]

That would probably be the case, but to be clear I cannot offer any guarantees for a cheap no name box. As I suggested, you really should attempt to talk to the box supplier first.

 

[Momomomomo]

I'm having a problem with my MXpro box every time it's turned off from power it changes the time settings to 8/8/1992. Can anyone please help me it's driving me insane!

 

[ChrisM]

Check the following:
Settings>click any Time/Date reference, look for an option to set the time automatically
If no sign, try Settings>More Settings>Time/date reference

If it is already set, or turning it on doesn't help (might need to wait a minute or two after a reboot), try https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync&hl=en_GB to force time to be synced via a timeserver.