The Official PiPO X7 Thread (1 Viewer)

kilik360

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    I get my hands on this little box and here's my review (in construction).

    If you have some request for testing go ahead, I'll do it for you.

    PRICE: $105 USD


    Function description:

    Connect to a TV, this is a media box
    Connect to a monitor , this is a mini PC
    System CPU Intel Baytrail Z3736F
    CPU speed up to 1.83Ghz(QuadCore) or 2.16Ghz(SingleCore)
    RAM 2GB DDR 3L
    Operation System Windows 8.1 with Bing
    I/O ports Micro SD slot x1
    USB port Type A USB*4
    LAN port (RJ45) yes
    AV out Audio out
    optical Audio No
    HDMI output yes
    Communication Wifi 802.11b/g/n
    Bluetooth Yes
    Power Adaptor 12V 2A
    Physical Characteristics Material metal
    Weight 440g
    Dimensions 188*129*25.6mm
    Accessories AC adapter x1


    Pros:

    • Cheap
    • Windows environment
    • Booting fast
    • Makes a good MP1 & MP2 client
    • RefreshRate Changer is working fine.
    • Really Low Power Consumption (25 Watt max)
    • DOES Dolby Digital & DTS Passthrough

    Cons:
    • Bad heatsink conception, heatsink modding is needed to prevent CPU throttling.
    • Short power cord (4 feet!!)
    • No remote control
    • Cannot DO HD AUDIO passthrough (Dolby TrueHD & DTSHD)


    Windows 8.1:

    I'm one of those that do not like Windows 8 and his shell. For this reason I decided to install the great little software named Classic Shell that gives Windows 8 a more Windows 7 look and feel.

    MediaPortal 1:
    • Installation
    The only problem I faced is Windows 8 not wanting to install .NET Framework 3.5 that is needed to be able to launch the MP1 installer. To solve this (windows 8?) problem, I downloaded an unofficial offline installer called DotNet 2.0 3.5.
    The installation went fine after that.

    • Navigation
    MP1 is longer to start compare to an Athlon II x4 2.8ghz (maybe 25 seconds instead of 8) but once it's started the navigation is surprisingly smooth. I observe a delay when browsing folders on the network but in library mode (MovingPicture or TVSeries) it's fast. Just a little slower than a good PC overall.

    MediaPortal 2:
    • Installation
    MP2 installation went flawlessly because .NET Framework 4.5.1 was already installed.
    Visual C++ 2010 (x86) redistributables was already installed to.
    The only needed requirement was Visual C++ 2013 (x86) redistributables

    • Navigation
    MP2 took maybe 8 seconds to start. Navigation is almost as good as with my htpc. The only slowdown is when browsing the library, the fanart appear with a delay.










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    Last edited:

    kilik360

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    I played 2 hours with this box yesterday and I updated my first post. More to come...
     

    kilik360

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    If you are not afraid to mod it to cool it down, it's a great box for 720/1080p content.
     
    Last edited:

    MrTechno

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    Just ordered the X7. It would be nice if it had USB3 and gigabit ethernet; on the other hand my hardware rejig has left me with an Atom 330 as the HTPC and anything has to be better than that.
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    Hi @kilik360 ,
    The only problem I faced is Windows 8 not wanting to install .NET Framework 3.5 that is needed to be able to launch the MP1 installer.
    For future reference you may want to note that Win 8.1 does include Net 3.5, however, you need to explicitly activate it:
    • Press Win-key, enter "Windows features" - this will dispaly the Turn windows features on or off screen
    • Select the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) check box, press OK, and reboot your computer if prompted.
    regards,
    HTPC_Sourcer
     

    kilik360

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    Thanks for the hint but, this tricks did not work neither.
     

    HTPCSourcer

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    Thanks for the hint but, this tricks did not work neither.
    That's not a trick but the official way to activate Net 3.5. If this does not work on your Win 8 Installation, then your Windows setup is damaged.
     

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