Comparing the Zotac ZBOX and the Acer Aspire Revo as HTPCs

[Kansur]

can you get the remote to sleep?

 

i.e. did they eventually solve that under linux?

 

Yes and no.  I believe they have, I know that when I first got it working it would sleep after about a minute of no activity, but I screwed something up and it is currently not.  I have not had the time or inclination to fix it yet, so I just pop out the battery when not in use.  My linux-fu is subpar, so it is at the bottom of my to-do list at the moment.

[BRiT]

I'm curious what anyone else has set in the BIOS Fan and Temp Setting section of the Zotac and how well has it run at those settings?

 

I think I have mine set to an initial target of 50 with 3 Degree spread. Sometimes when moving around in the menus I hear the fan crank up and kick in. It's kind of funny because when playing media (1080p dts), if I mute the audio, I can't hear the fan at all so it seems to settle down. I never would have thought browsing the menu would be more demanding than playing media. Maybe I have the temp target set too low? Or maybe it's because I'm using a mouse instead of a remote?

 

I think I saw a review at AnandTech or some larger website showing a setting of 70. However, I'd place more value in the feedback from dedicated users who have used it more than from a place that maybe only used it for a few hours to a day or two.

 

 

 

 

[prostuff1]

IF your using a Fanart heavy skin with XBMC then this is what could be causing you fan to come on.  The Fanart rendering is done on the CPU instead of the GPU.  There is a setting int he advancedsettings.xml file that you can add so that Fanart is redered by the GPU and not the CPU.  The change might fix the fan spinning up for you.

[Rajahal]

I've left mine on the default settings, and it runs decently cool.  Keep in mind that I boot mine off an SD card, so the interior of the case has lots of free air space.

 

While building a ZBox for a friend using a recycled WD 2.5" HDD, I noticed the temperatures were much higher, even into dangerous levels (45 C + for the HDD).  So I think the best thing you can do to keep temps down is to use an SSD or SD card.

[DigitalDivide]

Just curious can these systems output full HD audio formats (like Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio) with up to 8 channels and 192 KHz / 24 Bit over HDMI 1.3a or as PCM?

 

I was looking at some of the Asus eeeBoxPC's.  But I know with my Notebook I had to get one with a Radeon 5470 in order to get full HD Audio.  I'd love to get one of these small boxes.

[madpoet]

Also curious on this!

[DigitalDivide]

Actually I'd like to know if any of the small mini systems like asrock, asus, revo etc support full hd audio either bistreaming or as pcm.

[Rajahal]

Well, I don't have a fancy enough sound system to output that kind of thing.  Is there some other way I can test it?

[DigitalDivide]

Well the only way I know of testing it is to output to a receiver that can handle both the HD Audio or multichannel pcm.  If your sound system decodes DTS Master etc then the light should come on.  If it doesn't but does support mcpcm, you should be able to set your media player to output mcpcm and you should get mcpcm light come on.

[Rajahal]

This is my sound system.  Actually they are a different model, and about 7 years old, but close enough.

 

I do plan on buying a new sound system at some point in the near future, but I'll have to do my obligatory 6 months of research first...

 

I think a friend of mine has a fancy enough system to test this, I'll see if I can swing that.

[queeg]

This is my sound system.  Actually they are a different model, and about 7 years old, but close enough.

 

I do plan on buying a new sound system at some point in the near future, but I'll have to do my obligatory 6 months of research first...

 

I think a friend of mine has a fancy enough system to test this, I'll see if I can swing that.

 

Don't feel bad Raj, it's better than mine.  All I have is stereo left, right and a center for the TV. 

[chanders]

^^ At least you have center! I only have left and right  

[DigitalDivide]

Hhaving the full HD Audio is important to me.  I'm actually thinking I may just make my own, I found this at AVS Forums, Guide to building an MITX system, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18816470#Mini-ITX

 

CPU: Core i3 530 2.93GHz LGA1156, $113.

CPU Cooler: Stock cooler, $0.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-H55N-USB3 LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset Mini-ITX, $101. An alternative is Intel DH57JG LGA1156 Intel H57 chipset Mini-ATX, $110.

Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 1GB Kit, $57.

Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics (integrated in the chipset), $0.

HDD: Seagate Momentus 7200.4 ST9500420AS 500GB SATA 3.0Gbps mobile 7200 RPM, $68.

PSU: FlexATX 150W PSU (included in the case), $0.

Case: Antec ISK 310-150 Mini-ITX, $77.

Total Cost: $416

 

I should be able to throw in a blu ray player to top it off.

[poofyhairguy]

Just curious can these systems output full HD audio formats (like Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio) with up to 8 channels and 192 KHz / 24 Bit over HDMI 1.3a or as PCM?

 

The hardware can't bitstream. It is limited to 8 channel PCM over HDMI (that I use often on my ION box).

[BRiT]

The self-built HTPC equipment DigitalDivide has selected should be capable of bitstreaming TrueHD/DTS-HD given the proper software settings/tweaks.

 

 

[poofyhairguy]

ATI cards 5xxx and better can bitsream.

 

Nvidia cards 4xxGT and better can bitstream.

 

Intel GPUs for the i3, i5 series should bitstream, but I personally think anyone making a HTPC with an Intel GPU at the heart is asking for problems.

 

Niether ION1 or ION2 can bitstream.

[chanders]

^^ So i guess this could explain why some MKV's that i have stutters on the REVO?

[Talos]

http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4993&Itemid=232

 

Good explanation on bitstreaming. Appears that even though the Nvidia 4xxGT cards support bitstreaming, playback software hasnt been updated yet to support it through these making making the Intel and ATI options the only ones unless u pick a dedicated hardware soundcard.

[BRiT]

Intel GPUs for the i3, i5 series should bitstream, but I personally think anyone making a HTPC with an Intel GPU at the heart is asking for problems.

 

The integrated i3/i5 GPUs do an amazing job for HTPC duty. There's no trouble to be had. It features dedicated silicon for HD media playback. The GPU was greatly improved from their previous 4500 IGP range. [ http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901/3 ]

 

Now if one wanted to do PC Gaming on the Intel GPU, then they need their head examined.  

[Tight_wad]

Right now I use the 3) TViX 6500, and looking for a better way of doing things.  I keep seeing the XMBC in the different post and have been thinking about going with the it and maybe the zbox.

 

I did do a little playing around with the it on a Windows Vista notebook.  It is pretty neat.  A lot more abilities than I am use too, that's for sure.  I think that I would make movie time a lot more enjoyable!

 

My movies are not in a file structure that allowed me to process my movie library very well.  I have it setup special for working around short falls of the TViX 6500.  I did do some movies manually and it was really nice.  I can deal with a little restructuring if I do make the change.

 

Going a little of subject, but maybe you could help.

 

I did seem to have a problem with adding new skins.  I tried to follow the instructions on the wiki (seems a little vague to me), but they would only show up as a none selectable (dimmed out).  I have download a few different skins, but I guess I am just not able to understand how to do it.  I tried to look up on the their forum, but always seems to point to the wiki.  Could someone help on this?

[Joe L.]

Right now I use the 3) TViX 6500, and looking for a better way of doing things.  I keep seeing the XMBC in the different post and have been thinking about going with the it and maybe the zbox.

 

I did do a little playing around with the it on a Windows Vista notebook.  It is pretty neat.  A lot more abilities than I am use too, that's for sure.  I think that I would make movie time a lot more enjoyable!

 

My movies are not in a file structure that allowed me to process my movie library very well.  I have it setup special for working around short falls of the TViX 6500.  I did do some movies manually and it was really nice.  I can deal with a little restructuring if I do make the change.

 

Going a little of subject, but maybe you could help.

 

I did seem to have a problem with adding new skins.  I tried to follow the instructions on the wiki (seems a little vague to me), but they would only show up as a none selectable (dimmed out).  I have download a few different skins, but I guess I am just not able to understand how to do it.  I tried to look up on the their forum, but always seems to point to the wiki.  Could someone help on this?

The confusion is probably because there are two different methods of installing skins/add ons to XBMC.

 

The older release of XBMC uses one method, the newer Dharma-beta2 uses a brand new scheme with an add-on manager built in.

[Tight_wad]

Thanks Joe L.

 

That was my problem.  Now I can play with other skins and such. 

[rich.bingham]

Raj, does the Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11-U have a mini PCIexpress slot?  Even if it the slot is used by the wifi, I plan on hardwiring the system so that could free up.  I was planning on looking into using a Broadcom CrystalHD card.  It will be supported with the new XBMC Dharma build although it sounds like its benefits may not be that great with the gen2 ION.

[NAS]

Based on what I know about the kit your talking about adding that card would be pointless

[prostuff1]

I agree with NAS.  From the reading I have done it is pointless to add the CrystalHD card to anything that can do VDPAU for excelerated video decoding.  That includes ION1 and ION2, along with any box running an nVidia card and Linux under the hood.

 

The CrystalHD card is very useful in machines that have intel graphics (if the intel graphics suck... which most of the time they do), ATI graphics (though VAAPI might help with the acceleration enough to not need it), and the original AppleTV.