Mecool probably isn’t on your radar if you need a streaming device for your television, but maybe they should be. The company makes a wide range of options running Android TV and the newer Google TV software by Google. I’ve recently been testing the latest addition to the Mecool lineup in the MEgo1 4k Streaming Stick.
Design
The build of the MEgo1 is pretty standard for a TV streaming stick. You get basically a glorified thumb drive with a male HDMI port on one end. The only other port is the power input, provided in this case by a USB-C option. There’s also the Mecool branding and blue LED status light to let you know you have it powered on and ready to stream.
Internally, the MEgo1 is powered by a Realtek RTD1325 ARM chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM and only 8GB of storage. This should be fine to run most apps, but I’m immediately concerned out of the box that I’ll be running out of storage.
The included remote is very good. Mecool has followed the Google TV remote guidelines almost to the specs, and that’s a positive. The MEgo1 layout is intuitive, modern, and uncluttered while still offering the buttons you truly need. There are dedicated shortcuts for YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ at the bottom which should cover some of the most used apps in any household at this point.
Setup and Performance
Getting a Google TV device up and going is easier than it’s ever been. Logging into the MEgo1 takes just a few minutes with Google’s fantastic account setup from your phone’s existing accounts. Using a QR code to the link, the two devices syncs the needed information seamlessly over Wi-Fi.
Daily use of the Mecool MEgo1 Streaming Stick has been OK. When you first get it setup and settled, the UI is fairly snappy and transitions are decent between apps. I had no issues getting my favorite apps installed and ready to veg-out on the couch.
It’s when you get these apps installed and used for a few days, you start to see some limitations. I’d estimate that I’m more the majority than the minority that in today’s streaming situation, it takes you at least five services to enjoy all the media subscriptions you’re paying for.
Due to the size and RAM caching of these apps, the 2GB of RAM and the internal storage only being 8GB starts to show after a few weeks of use. It didn’t take long to start seeing more stuttering when moving between the interface as RAM became scarce.
The same is true for actually memory becoming full as the apps offloaded data into the internal storage. The issue arrives almost immediately due to the 8GB of storage also includes the underlying operating system taking up well over half at around 4.5GB. This leaves user apps with a paltry 3.5 to 4GB of real storage at their disposal.
I think for most users, especially at $70, there’s a need for at least double of each of these defaults found on the MEgo1. I’d worry less about 4GB of RAM, and even 16GB of storage would still make me nervous. One of the most seen complaints around the launch of Google’s own Chromecast with Google TV is that it only comes with 16GB of storage.
“For a user looking to get a 4K Google TV stick, the Mecool MEgo1 is a confounding product. Priced at $70, its middling specs make it a tough sell when similar devices from competitors are a third of the price, and a better-specced Mecool box is available for the same cost.”
Software
The Mecool MEgo1 is a pretty standard affair for Google TV devices. You have Android’s television operating system with a fairly clean, and snappy interface. It’s focused around the company’s user data and tries to surface the next available show you want to watch based off your history and trends.
It is nice that the MEgo1 is certified for all the major streaming apps. Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are all here with full 4K support. This can be a deal-breaker for some brands, but Mecool has this covered with zero issues in my testing. When you need to find that niche streaming app, the full Play Store is available as well.
Final Thoughts
The Mecool MEgo1 is a bit of a confounding product addition for the company. Historically, their streaming devices are usually on the high-end with a budget pricing. The MEgo1 is somewhat of the exact opposite. The middling, and almost minimal specs, for a price of $70 makes this a hard sell. You can easily get a similar streaming stick running Google TV from other brands for around a third of the price, or for the about same price, you can get a better streaming box from Mecool like the KM9 Pro.
