Anyone Use the ZIOVA

UncleJohnsBand · (This post was last modified: 2008-03-01, 09:16 PM by UncleJohnsBand.)

Looking around at options for viewing HD recorded content over my network....looking around it appears the ZIOVA CS615 seems to be full-featured and might be a good option.

Here is the PDF short-spec.

I will need to decide if I am going to continue with a network based player or build a dedicated HTPC that would be connected directly to my LG HD.

Looking for some feedback and ideas. I would love it if Hauppage would offer an HD version of the MVP but I haven't seen anything even suggesting they are going down that path.

***sub*** · 2008-03-01, 10:18 PM

Quote:I would love it if Hauppage would offer an HD version of the MVP but I haven't seen anything even suggesting they are going down that path.

At this stage, the Popcorn Hour A100 is the best option for a next generation MVP. The mvpmc client is coming along very nicely, giving the a nice snappy GB-PVR UI on the device.

This device is able to play just about anything natively.

UncleJohnsBand · 2008-03-02, 04:20 AM

sub Wrote:At this stage, the Popcorn Hour A100 is the best option for a next generation MVP. The mvpmc client is coming along very nicely, giving the a nice snappy GB-PVR UI on the device.

This device is able to play just about anything natively.

I saw some posts on Popcorn Hour....it looked really cool....but looking at their site it appears that they are in some sort of backorder situation plus I don't see any USA resellers.

I tried the mvpmc about 5-6 months ago....maybe I'll give it another go.....my big thing is wanting to get Widescreen HD......

I had been living with SD up until about a month ago then finally baught an HD widescreen....now I am spoiled. Big Grin

I have a cable company cable box with DVR (they gave me DVR for a year....free). I am able to record most of the shows I want in HD using the cable box since most shows are in reruns here due to the writers strike so I only have a show-here and a show-there to record.

When the full season kicks off again this Fall I am planning on having at least one high-def tuner if not two (perhaps the yet to arrive HVR-2250)....but I would like to watch the HD recordings in HD....MVP won't cut it.....

So I was looking at alternatives to be able to view HD off my network....

I am still not sure if it would be just as economical to build a HTPC and connect it directly to the TV via the video card.

mvallevand · 2008-03-02, 04:41 AM

The PCH is mail order only and definitely in demand, but the Ziova isn't even available yet and it still won't do mkv containers. However it is a nice looking unit and has been on my watch list for mvpmc ports.

As for economy the NMT devices like the PCH cost less than Windows XP, a remote and a decent HD video card and they do a great job with HD, which is why there is a high demand in the first place. I think a silent HTPC truly capable of 1080p BluRay will be hard to build for 3 times the money and you still will end up with codec problems and Windows frustrations.

Martin

UncleJohnsBand · 2008-03-02, 05:08 AM

mvallevand Wrote:The PCH is mail order only and definitely in demand, but the Ziova isn't even available yet and it still won't do mkv containers. However it is a nice looking unit and has been on my watch list for mvpmc ports.

As for economy the NMT devices like the PCH cost less than Windows XP, a remote and a decent HD video card and they do a great job with HD, which is why there is a high demand in the first place. I think a silent HTPC truly capable of 1080p BluRay will be hard to build for 3 times the money and you still will end up with codec problems and Windows frustrations.

Martin

Thanks....appreciate the insights. I am also eyeballing the TVIX machines....they have the mkv containers (although I have no idea what the heck that means) Rolleyes

and they can do 1080p.

mvallevand · 2008-03-02, 05:36 AM

The TViX 6500 unit is going to be nice unit too and also on my watch list but it is twice the price as the NMT devices so it has higher risk. You really have decide if you want a media extender or if you want a GBPVR client. I think with the Ziova and TViX units you are paying more because they have historically good firmware and it remains to be seen what Syabas can do with the NMT.

My feeling about mkv containers is you may not need or care about them now but to ignore them is like saying I didn't really need xvid, divx, or h264 when they were new.

Martin

UncleJohnsBand · 2008-03-02, 05:52 AM

mvallevand Wrote:The TViX 6500 unit is going to be nice unit too and also on my watch list but it is twice the price as the NMT devices so it has higher risk. You really have decide if you want a media extender or if you want a GBPVR client. I think with the Ziova and TViX units you are paying more because they have historically good firmware and it remains to be seen what Syabas can do with the NMT.

My feeling about mkv containers is you may not need or care about them now but to ignore them is like saying I didn't really need xvid, divx, or h264 when they were new.

Martin

I hadn't seen the Syabas NMT.....looks promising as well.....is it on the market yet? Not finding anything other than info on the unit.

At this point I am not sure if I need to have a GBPVR Client.....I can use GBPVR to do my recordings and use the extender for viewing.

mvallevand · 2008-03-02, 03:52 PM

The Syabas NMT is really the common software and platform base for the the Popcorn Hour, the istar-hd, and a few other players, they are engineers and don't do retail, but they have been doing end-user support on their forum.

Ultimately every product that you are talking about uses the same Sigma chip design smp8634/5 and are even using a lot of the same reference sdk code. The difference is the implementation.

Martin

UncleJohnsBand · 2008-03-02, 10:24 PM

mvallevand Wrote:The Syabas NMT is really the common software and platform base for the the Popcorn Hour, the istar-hd, and a few other players, they are engineers and don't do retail, but they have been doing end-user support on their forum.

Ultimately every product that you are talking about uses the same Sigma chip design smp8634/5 and are even using a lot of the same reference sdk code. The difference is the implementation.

Martin

Ok...thanks....now I get it what their role is.....

_Iz- · 2008-03-03, 05:25 PM

sub Wrote:At this stage, the Popcorn Hour A100 is the best option for a next generation MVP. The mvpmc client is coming along very nicely, giving the a nice snappy GB-PVR UI on the device.

This device is able to play just about anything natively.

Sub, I had read in a thread awhile ago that you were planning support for a next-gen HD extender. If that is still true then I'd like to wait for it. If not, is the PCH a worthwhile alternative?