Zotac Zbox HD-ID11 (1 Viewer)

SpudR

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  • July 27, 2007
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    Ah how I remember those halcyon days -
    building a PC...
    Installing MP
    Installing 000's of plugins
    Copying over TBs worth of media...
    Configuring MP & the TV server
    Running MP
    Fixing the annoying stuff
    Running MP again...

    Happy days..!
    :D
     

    Jay_UK

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  • October 6, 2009
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    Just a quick update....

    I've got it all up and running with MePo Final.

    I've installed MovingPictures, My TVSeries, IFC, DSHowHelper, Online Videos...basically what I listed before.

    I installed the latest SAF (I'm lazy and couldn't be bother to reinvent the wheel and install codecs separately).

    SD and 1080p pleases fine.... smooth and no dropped frames.

    1080i.... does NOT play smoothly with my current setup :(

    I have also tried SAF4 too (and MS Codec, etc).

    I am going to do some testing today (ran out of time yesterday) - I'm not sure why its not smooth (might be a software issue, might be a hardware issue) - I don't know yet.

    J.
     

    Jay_UK

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  • October 6, 2009
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    Hi guys,

    Spent a few hours today playing....

    I couldn't get any of the "usual" codecs to play fair with 1080i (MS, PDVD, FFdShow), so I thought what the heck lets try CoreAVC, so I blew a whopping £6 on a copy. Installed it and and it sucked - big audio delay issues and poor quality :(

    Weird thing is after several reboots it seems to work good - but now too do the other codecs (MS DTV, PDVD) on 1080i!! :O

    So at the moment I am running PDVD10 on TV for SD and HD (PDVD10 even seems to work on BBC HD with VBR ???)

    For videos and movies I have a new problem, I can use ffdshow ok on SD content, but ffdshow DXVA does not work with overlay enabled (black screen, but I get audio). If I disable overlay (subtitle/OSD) then it works, or if I have it enabled and switch to another window and back it seems to work (kind of). So for HD movies/videos I am running CoreAVC (although MS DTV seems to work ok)

    On SD content I am averaging about 50% CPU (no DXVA), but on HD content I arrange about 20 - 30% CPU.

    It's puzzling me what I have done (I've installed/changed a few things, so won't be able to pin point it). I might remove all the codecs (and SAF5) and start again.

    I still get the odd dropped frame, but nothing noticable. So it looks like the ION-NG can cope ok with 1080i (and obviously 1080p) :D

    I'm busy working my way through all the different movies/channels to check for problems.


    J.
     

    VIXUN

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    October 10, 2009
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    Dunno if it's already known, but the new version of the ZBox will come with Bluraydrive! KLICK
    Sounds like a perfect MP-client for me (if not even a perfect stand-alone HTPC).
     

    druid9

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  • December 31, 2006
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    Ah how I remember those halcyon days -
    building a PC...
    Installing MP
    Installing 000's of plugins
    Copying over TBs worth of media...
    Configuring MP & the TV server
    Running MP
    Fixing the annoying stuff
    Running MP again...

    Happy days..!
    :D

    "If only those halcyon days were over" - SWMBO
     

    Jay_UK

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  • October 6, 2009
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    Me again...

    Been trying to get it working smoothly.... but it seems so inconsistant and unforgiving compared to my main HTPC

    Problems with FPS and supply stream

    Network connectivity definately affects live TV. 802.11 B or G are no good for HDTV (even if utilisation is not max'ed out - weird??). I'm now using 802.11n at 150Mbps, but that everso often has problems (utilising a Draytek router). Network utilisation is about 8% on n. Wired 1Gbps seems to work well though. :D

    I have tried RTSP and nonRTSP - again inconsistant results. Sometimes it plays fine, othertimes it stutters.

    I need to clear down the logs and pinpoint the actual issues.

    On a positive note, it does appear possible to play 1080i content with no problems (using MS DTV codec and DXVA) with wireless :D

    J.
     

    Jay_UK

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  • October 6, 2009
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    Back again...

    Due to the limitation of the Atheros Wireless NIC/Chip, you can not peform channel bonding (where you can bond 2 x 150Mbps channels) - to give the theortical 300Mbps speed. But in reality 150Mbps is more than plenty for HD streaming. So I am assuming even though it stated it was connected at 150Mbps I was not getting that bandwidth, or there is a H/W/driver issue with the Aethoros card where it did not provide the required quality of service for the HD streaming.

    In the end I changed from wireless (disabled) to EOP (Powerline) connectivity - and everything seems to work fine now (caveat - I have not tested for Live TV@1920 yet, only Live TV @ 1440)

    Movies seem to play fine (served over the network).

    Cheers,

    J.
     

    tompa

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  • October 3, 2005
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    FYI

    Iv got my sample video running smooth now when using PDVD10 :) The strange thing is that I thought Iv tested this earlier and it didn't work!?

    Iv also updated driver to 260.63beta, maybe thats the difference??

    /tompa



    Thanks for ur work ptr727, much appreciated!!

    Well I have not succeded yet with mp :( Works perfect under wmp.
    Tried number of decoders (not ffdshow though). Litle confused right now regardin codec setting within mp when playing videos like the ones on http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/musicandvideo/hdvideo/contentshowcase.aspx

    Could u guys give mee some advice here? Specially to get it running with Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder!

    regards,
    /tompa
     

    Jem McCoy

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    October 6, 2010
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    I received mine today, it is a nice box , so easy to add memory and a HDD. I ordered 4gig of memory an an SSD to make it as fast as possible, only to discover that, like so many other cheap skate manufacturers, it has a HALF wireless N card that will only receive 150Mbps ! Ihave just changed this card(Atheros 9285) in an Asus EEEBox PC with an Atheros 9287 which gives 300Mbps consistantly and the results are significant.The Zotac's card is on the underside of the motherboard with void warranty stickers all over it. I cannot understand why so many netbook, notebook and mini Pc manufacturers are using this substandard card and spoiling their products just to save a measly few dollars.
     

    SpudR

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  • July 27, 2007
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    Multiply those measly $ a few thousand times and you'll get the idea!
    It's the same reason Dell keep clipping chunks from their keyboards...
     

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