Hd Mediabox Mb 100 Manual
Although HDTV has yet to really take off in the UK, the sale of HD-compatible TV sets is certainly increasing. While the World Cup was undoubtedly a large reason for this, more people are becoming aware of the huge increase in picture quality that HD provides.
If the HD Mediabox does not load within 10 minutes, disconnect the power cable for 10 seconds. This will restart the HD Mediabox. The HD Mediabox should load after plugging it in again. How can I activate and use the replay TV broadcasting? The activation of Replay TV is described in the user manual of HD Mediabox, all it takes is to confirm the.
Computer users have had access to HD content for a while: a standard computer monitor running at a resolution of 1,024 x 768 surpasses the 720 lines required for HD pictures. Few people want to watch TV on a pokey little computer monitor, so a means of displaying the content on a TV is needed.
There are two options: a Media Center PC or a media server.
The trouble with Media Center PCs is that they're bulky, noisy and vastly overpowered for watching TV on, and few, if any, actually offer HD output. Step forward the media-server: a self-contained, relatively small box with proper video outputs that's capable of handling pretty much any media format you throw at it.
Silver server
PixelMagic is a company that specialises in high-end audio visual equipment, and its HD MediaBox MB100 reflects this heritage. This is the first media server we've seen to date with an HDMI port, enabling full digital transfer rather than component, which is analogue. Eset remote administrator console 5 crack.
Although the MediaBox has the ability to be fitted with an internal hard drive, by default it's supplied without one and so operates as a media streamer rather than a server. When connected to your network it can access other compatible NAS devices and stream the content across to your TV.
It also has two USB2 host ports, which means that you can connect external drives to it and play any content on those devices, too. However, presumably as a form of copy protection, you can't transfer files to the MediaBox from external drives or via the network. Instead, you need to plug the MediaBox into your PC and transfer them that way.
A plethora of ports
Even if you don't have an HDcompatible television, the MediaBox still offers conventional analogue inputs in the form of RGB, S-Video and composite outputs. HD is taken care of by HDMI and component connections, while audio can be output by stereo RCA, digital coaxial or digital optical.
However, changing the output signal and resolution did cause a few problems. Whenever you select an option in the menu, the MediaBox appears to momentarily cut the output signal. When connected to our Toshiba LCD TV, this had the undesirable side-effect of the TV switching to Freeview.
Nightmare
This proved to be a complete nightmare, because every time we selected an item, we had to reach for the TV remote and switch it back to the HDMI input. Whether this is the fault of the Toshiba TV to the Media Box is debatable, but it's worth being aware of.
In HD mode, picture quality is exceptional and even DVDs ripped to VOBs and played back in standard definition looked superb, with vibrant colours and no noticeable artifacts.
However, compared to the MediaBox itself, we think that the remote looks a little cheap and the button placement is a little unconventional. Having said that, if you're looking for a way to play back your media on a TV, without investing in another PC, the HD MediaBox should be right up your street.
Unless you really want a fullblown PC sitting next to your TV, media centres are a touch overkill for most people. The problem is that TVs and computer monitors operate at vastly different resolutions, and if you've ever tried to output a PC's video signal to a TV set, you'll know how ghastly it looks.
The alternative is to use your computer monitor, but who wants to watch TV on a 17in monitor if you've got a 28in TV? About the only good thing media centres have going for them is that they can be used as PVRs, but there are plenty of dedicated boxes, such as Telewest's TV drive, Sky and even Freeview options that do a far better job.
Step forward the Pixel Magic HD MediaBox. It's basically a media server that comes with a remote control and can output a video signal, as well as digital audio. It's not new concept, especially if you've seen anything like DivCo's TViX M300o- U, but it's certainly a very elegant one. One of the main advantages the HD MediaBox has over the TViX is that it's not just a media player; it's a NAS box and media streamer, too.
The first impression you get when you pick up the HD MediaBox is one of ruggedness. When fitted with a hard drive - this is considered to be an optional component that you can add yourself - it's pretty weighty and thanks to the stand that holds it upright, you know it's not going to be easily knocked over.
As the MediaBox has a 10/100 Ethernet port, you can use the device to playback media shared on your network, and other compatible NAS devices. However, the internal drive cannot be accessed by the network, so media loading needs to be via USB.
This is rather disappointing, although the MediaBox has two USB ports to which you can connect memory sticks or external hard drives. Media cannot be copied from these, only streamed, but at least you can substantially increase the storage capacity.
A plethora of ports
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The HD MediaBox can output not just 720p and 1,080i, but 1,080p too, which is impressive because few HDTVs currently have the physical resolution to go above 720p. In order to feed your TV with these signals, the MediaBox is equipped with an HDMI connector for digital output and a VGA port for analogue. The VGA port can output both component HD/SD, or RGBHV for standard definition.
Moving down the picture quality scale, S-Video and composite ports are also fitted. In terms of audio, the HDMi port can carry a 5.1 signal to your TV. You'll probably want to connect the MediaBox to an AV amp, using either digital co-ax or TOS-link. A pair of stereo RCA jacks is also provided. T
he HD MediaBox is simplicity itself to use: connect it to your TV and use the remote to turn it on. We were a rather surprised at its sluggishness - it took 47 seconds from power on to reach the main menu, compared to just 16 seconds on the TViX M3000-U. However, part of that delay is the MediaBox waiting to receive an IP address.
Once up and running though, it's easy to operate by using the direction arrows on the remote to navigate the directory structure. Incidentally, while the remote is backlight with a cool-blue glow, its layout is lacking, and could do with a rethink to bring it in line with conventional remotes.
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In terms of playback, the HD MediaBox is jack of all trades being able to handle all the major video and audio formats. For picture viewing, you can use JPG, BMP, GIF and PNG. There's certainly a lot to like about this media server and it beats many aspects of a media centre hands down.
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You may think it's expensive, but it's a professional piece of kit made by an AV manufacture, rather than a Far Eastern PC peripherals company, and is a true media bridge. It's the only media server we've seen with an HDMI port. Not only that, but thanks to the updatable firmware, extra features are easy to add, such as network transfer, which is due in June. In all, a quality item. Simon Pickstock