Official Z12 Ultra Questions and Discussion thread.

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  • 4. Instruction Articles

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    Quote from Lucky133

    1 thing: don't blame Formuler that Netflix don't work on there devices.

    Thats cause Netflix doesn't certified these boxes.

    Lucky for you that since many years now all tv's have Netflix installed.

    I know that :winking_face:

    It is perfectly normal for Netflix not to certify this box, which is primarily intended for accessing illegal content...

    I don't even think Formuler has applied for certification or wants to pay for it!

    The brand should switch to Android TV (because there is no box under Android AOSP that officially supports Netflix) which would bring much less freedom regarding firmware updates and many more problems to manage....

    It's not very important to me.

    It's just for those who are looking for a versatile box that can do it all, with all the certifications :winking_face:

    Results with mine have been extremely disappointing to date. Noticable delays in Mytv3 just to change categories and flash time is quicker on a Z8. I'm waiting on the first software update to fix these launch issues but it's not great with it being released in this state. The Z11 Pro Max outperforms it in every way currently.

    Quote from Mjlang07

    Results with mine have been extremely disappointing to date. Noticable delays in Mytv3 just to change categories and flash time is quicker on a Z8. I'm waiting on the first software update to fix these launch issues but it's not great with it being released in this state. The Z11 Pro Max outperforms it in every way currently.

    Thats the problem with being an early adopter,i experienced the same when i bought my Z11pm at introduction in november 22:smiling_face:

    Quote from Mjlang07

    Results with mine have been extremely disappointing to date. Noticable delays in Mytv3 just to change categories and flash time is quicker on a Z8. I'm waiting on the first software update to fix these launch issues but it's not great with it being released in this state. The Z11 Pro Max outperforms it in every way currently.

    Certainly not a comprehensive review lol 😂

    think it would be better to provide better context than to say Z11 outperforms in every way.

    I’ve already received my Z12 Ultra, and within an hour I had reported it for return on principle. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put the volume buttons on the side? The main volume buttons only work with your own system in IR mode. Nobody wants to change the box volume. Nobody! The device itself is fine, nothing more, but the remote is a complete joke.

    Quote from adrilang

    Certainly not a comprehensive review lol 😂

    think it would be better to provide better context than to say Z11 outperforms in every way.

    It was in reference to it's performance in MYTV3. I've posted a short youtube clip if you search Formuler Z12 Ultra Testing Results where you'll see it takes almost 40 seconds to bring up the list of other categories in MYTV3 and shift back again to the channel list.

    • Official Post

    Interesting to hear that and totally different from my test where Ultra 12 shows the category`s, change channel etc. fast like Z11 pro max, if not even little bit faster!

    Quote from jostie2000

    I’ve already received my Z12 Ultra, and within an hour I had reported it for return on principle. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put the volume buttons on the side? The main volume buttons only work with your own system in IR mode. Nobody wants to change the box volume. Nobody! The device itself is fine, nothing more, but the remote is a complete joke.

    Yeah I had to unplug my Soundbar because it didn't work anymore. Both Tv and Soundbar are Hisense en worked good with the Z11 via ARC!


    Smart tube had to be installed manually via market before can set as trailer player.

    I've had it since yesterday and done a lot of testing. Here's some of the things people have asked, though keep in mind this is my first formuler box so I have no way of comparing things.

    - QMS works very nicely, when I have the box plugged into the tv directly and avr in earc. My avr (denon x1800h has issues with QMS as do most receivers as I understand it). In any case, my tv (lg c3) passes through audio so plugging into the tv directly is no major loss for me. Note you need a 2.1b hdmi cable, I did not have luck with 2.1a. The cable included with the z12 is 2.1b and works well for qms.

    - Atmos TrueHD and DTS-HD do *not* work on the plex, jellyfin or kodi apps. In fact the behavior is very weird. When I play a file which has truehd/dts-hd (any file, even a 1080p encode which is otherwise supported), in plex/jf the video simply doesn't play and gets stuck there in the first frame, though tautulli shows Direct Play. Behavior in Kodi varies but essentially the videos are unplayable.

    - There is a weird and continuous micro-stutter on 25/50fps streams which have surround sound in the MOL3 app. If one disables surround, the stutter goes away. I have heard from someone with a z11 pro max that this problem also exists there. Does anyone have a fix?

    Quote from jostie2000

    I’ve already received my Z12 Ultra, and within an hour I had reported it for return on principle. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put the volume buttons on the side? The main volume buttons only work with your own system in IR mode. Nobody wants to change the box volume. Nobody! The device itself is fine, nothing more, but the remote is a complete joke.

    I tested my Z12 Ultra today.

    I’m one of the 100% who wants to use the main volume buttons to control the volume of my tv/soundbar/surround set/everything. I don’t care about the box volume.

    The fix:

    I don’t use the new Z12 remote. I linked my good old one Z11 BT1 remote 🙈

    Quote from joostvdb

    I tested my Z12 Ultra today.

    I’m one of the 100% who wants to use the main volume buttons to control the volume of my tv/soundbar/surround set/everything. I don’t care about the box volume.

    The fix:

    I don’t use the new Z12 remote. I linked my good old one Z11 BT1 remote 🙈

    Then I don’t see the point in paying €180 for a box with the same soft- and hardware. I only use it for TV, and there’s no content in Dolby Vision or Atmos. Mine’s already packed back up.

    Quote from joostvdb

    I tested my Z12 Ultra today.

    I’m one of the 100% who wants to use the main volume buttons to control the volume of my tv/soundbar/surround set/everything. I don’t care about the box volume.

    The fix:

    I don’t use the new Z12 remote. I linked my good old one Z11 BT1 remote 🙈

    Isnt it possible to open the app formuler remote? Inst that installed on the box?

    And setup your remote to your tv brand?

    Must be possible looks like to me my friend. Like Z11, gtv, z8

    Quote from Lucky133

    Isnt it possible to open the app formuler remote? Inst that installed on the box?

    And setup your remote to your tv brand?

    Must be possible looks like to me my friend. Like Z11, gtv, z8

    No, it doesn’t work like with the Z8/10/11. The BT1 had two main volume buttons on the remote itself. The BT3 has adjustable volume buttons on the side, which is extremely inconvenient! The volume buttons on the remote itself only work via IR in TV mode.

    Quote from jostie2000

    No, it doesn’t work like with the Z8/10/11. The BT1 had two main volume buttons on the remote itself. The BT3 has adjustable volume buttons on the side, which is extremely inconvenient! The volume buttons on the remote itself only work via IR in TV mode.

    It is a bluetooth remote.

    Maby they bring an update out fot the bt3 and formuler remote app. So that we can change it like before.

    I dont have a z12 (yet).

    I received the Formuler box yesterday.

    I was able to play "Top Gun Maverick 2022 IMAX 2160p UHD Blu-ray Remux HEVC DV TrueHD 7.1-HDT" in Kodi.

    I enabled all passthrough settings in Kodi. In addition, I changed the audio option in the developer settings from PCM to RAW, and in the passthrough settings I set it to Passthrough Legacy (a new feature in the Z12).

    I had both video and proper audio output on all sound streams of this title.

    Tv (LG G4) Showed Dolby vision and Dolby Atmos (Soundbar)

    Quote from rickoa

    I received the Formuler box yesterday.

    I was able to play "Top Gun Maverick 2022 IMAX 2160p UHD Blu-ray Remux HEVC DV TrueHD 7.1-HDT" in Kodi.

    I enabled all passthrough settings in Kodi. In addition, I changed the audio option in the developer settings from PCM to RAW, and in the passthrough settings I set it to Passthrough Legacy (a new feature in the Z12).

    I had both video and proper audio output on all sound streams of this title.

    Tv (LG G4) Showed Dolby vision and Dolby Atmos (Soundbar)

    Nice! I had no luck with Kodi. I'll try the 'passthrough legacy' option later this evening. Hopefully that fixes the broken playback in plex.

    Do you know what it does?

    Quote from rickoa

    I received the Formuler box yesterday.

    I was able to play "Top Gun Maverick 2022 IMAX 2160p UHD Blu-ray Remux HEVC DV TrueHD 7.1-HDT" in Kodi.

    I enabled all passthrough settings in Kodi. In addition, I changed the audio option in the developer settings from PCM to RAW, and in the passthrough settings I set it to Passthrough Legacy (a new feature in the Z12).

    I had both video and proper audio output on all sound streams of this title.

    Tv (LG G4) Showed Dolby vision and Dolby Atmos (Soundbar)

    Are the passthrough settings in dev options too?

    I have the new Z12 Ultra on test for a couple of days. There seems to be a bug in the Bluetooth software.

    Paired my earbuds - 1st day worked. After that, do not. Its not the earbuds as they work with all other devices - says connected/paired for audio - yet no volume. Restarted the box & the earbuds - deleted, re-paired, no difference - no volume/output/

    Quote from Lucky133

    It is a bluetooth remote.

    Maby they bring an update out fot the bt3 and formuler remote app. So that we can change it like before.

    I dont have a z12 (yet).

    I understand that. Although I doubt it, because in that case the buttons on the sides would no longer serve any purpose. But until then, I don’t see any added value in the Z12 Ultra compared to the Z11 Pro Max. The hardware is almost identical, and there are hardly any TV channels in DoVi and/or Atmos.

    Can you please test using MOL3?

    For Dolby vision and true hd .

    Thanks to all


    Just for information using the Z11 pm the true hd audio signals are already working only using Kodi as external player but not using MOL3.

    So according to the recent feedbacks I ve the feeling that for audio it is the same than the Z11 only Dolby vision support is the new feature for me .

    My Honest Review

    First of all, I’m a big fan of Formuler. I’ve previously owned both the Z10 PM and the Z11 PM, and I was very satisfied with them. I use the box the same way most people probably do — mainly for watching TV and MOL.

    In terms of hardware, the new box doesn’t really bring improvements for the average TV viewer (apart from more storage for recordings, which could already be solved easily with a cheap USB stick). Through this source, there is very little content available in Dolby Vision or Atmos, so for most users it doesn’t really add any value.

    What did get me excited, however, was the new remote. With backlighting, a “find my remote” feature, and what seemed to be better ergonomics, I thought it would be worth upgrading for that alone. Unfortunately, the remote has turned out to be a real disappointment for me. It’s big and bulky, making it far from ergonomic. Apart from the channel +/- buttons, the most frequently used button has been hidden on the side, and it requires quite a firm press. While you can configure the main volume buttons to control your own equipment, this only works when the remote is in TV mode, which is not convenient.

    In my opinion, Formuler really missed the mark here. I truly hope to see a quick update to the new remote, and I count on the strength of this forum to help push this as a priority.

    Quote from jostie2000

    My Honest Review

    First of all, I’m a big fan of Formuler. I’ve previously owned both the Z10 PM and the Z11 PM, and I was very satisfied with them. I use the box the same way most people probably do — mainly for watching TV and MOL.

    In terms of hardware, the new box doesn’t really bring improvements for the average TV viewer (apart from more storage for recordings, which could already be solved easily with a cheap USB stick). Through this source, there is very little content available in Dolby Vision or Atmos, so for most users it doesn’t really add any value.

    What did get me excited, however, was the new remote. With backlighting, a “find my remote” feature, and what seemed to be better ergonomics, I thought it would be worth upgrading for that alone. Unfortunately, the remote has turned out to be a real disappointment for me. It’s big and bulky, making it far from ergonomic. Apart from the channel +/- buttons, the most frequently used button has been hidden on the side, and it requires quite a firm press. While you can configure the main volume buttons to control your own equipment, this only works when the remote is in TV mode, which is not convenient.

    In my opinion, Formuler really missed the mark here. I truly hope to see a quick update to the new remote, and I count on the strength of this forum to help push this as a priority.

    Maybe an update to the remote software will be able to swap the volume buttons around?

    Quote from Lucky133

    For the tester: i know sky uk or usa main has with an event dolby atmos sound.

    Saw it one time with my z11.

    Dolby vision can you only test in the vod section i think.

    no channel so far i know broadcast with dolby vision. (Note: your tv must have dolby vision support, for the people who dont know it.

    Yes for sure I m talking about vod for Dolby vision and Atmos true HD.

    I m waiting the full test from Myst13 in order to know if this Z12 is a Z11 PM2 or not .

    Can ,those who have a TV set which enables QMS,test the feature on Z12 Ultra?

    Quote from henkie

    Can ,those who have a TV set which enables QMS,test the feature on Z12 Ultra?

    I just received it, but I’ll have to go to work :grinning_squinting_face:

    I have an LG G3, so it’s compatible with QMS. I’ll test it on MOL3 and see if it works on other applications like Amazon Prime, RTL play, RTBF Auvio (legal streaming apps in my country) as it does on the Xiaomi 3rd Gen, for example.

    Because on some so-called QMS compatible boxes, it only works partially (Rocktek GX1, Mecool SK2, etc.).

    But the downside of the LG G3 is that it accepts passthrough for HD audio formats, except that it sends DTS in... DTS-HD on the various boxes I’ve tested.

    So I’ll need to do some trials with the box connected to the TV for QMS and to the amplifier for the audio formats.

    Quote from henkie

    Can ,those who have a TV set which enables QMS,test the feature on Z12 Ultra?

    QMS works, read my messages above. Here's a video from going 50->60fps pal->ntsc with qms on the z12 https://streamable.com/ulhl8s.

    If your setup (avr, tv or cables) don't support qms, in the formuler's display settings you'll see the usual frame rate options. If it does support it, you'll see three options "Auto", "4K-QMS 23-60Hz", "1080-QMS 23-60Hz"

    Quote from dedelere

    Yes for sure I m talking about vod for Dolby vision and Atmos true HD.

    I m waiting the full test from Myst13 in order to know if this Z12 is a Z11 PM2 or not .

    A quick test just for you before my job: save your money :winking_face:

    On MOL3, if you have automatic selected in the system sound settings on Android, trueHD and trueHD Atmos are decoded into PCM.

    If passthrough is selected in the sound system settings, there is no sound at all.

    No change in behavior with the Z11 on this point.

    Dolby Vision is okay with MOL3 VOD.


    I didn't have time to test the rest, but others have already done so.

    Many thanks Myst13 so this is what I was expected , for the sound nothing new compare to the Z11 as the hardware is the same ....

    So to summarize paying 189 eur for Dolby vision support and QMS , knowing that now most of Dolby vision movies has HDR10+ layer included which is already working with my Z11 PM.

    I ve bought new TV in 2025 and the QMS feature is not available so for my case I will also not buy this new Formuler box Z12" ultra " and I think for a majority of Z11 owners it will be same .

    But for Z8/Z10 owners they will lost the true HD audio passthrough mode but get Dolby vision so honestly I don't know who will be interested by this new Z12 box especially at this price! I have not talked about the new remote control but it seems it is a big miss if I read some comments about it ( too big , volume buttons , . .)

    I m however a Formuler fan since many years and a Z7 , Z8 and Z11owner but for this time I will pass ...