Hardware:
SageTV STX-HD100
Chipset List
Sigma Designs EM8623L
General purpose processing power - 200MHz ARM
Spansion S29GL064A90TFIR4 - 64Mb Flash Memory
Qimonda HYB25DC512160CE-5 DDR SDRAM - 32Mx16 x 2 = 64Mb DDR400
Silicon Image SiI9030CTU - HDMI PanelLink Transmitter with DVD-Audio
Realtek RTL8100CL - 10/100 Lan Network Controller
VIA Vectro VT6212L - 4-port USB 2.0 Host Controller
Dedicated hardware decode support for File Formats:
AVI, ASF, MPEG, MKV, QuickTime, MP4, Ogg, WMV,
DVD (VIDEO_TS folder structures)
Video Codecs:
MPEG-1
MPEG-2 MP@HL
MPEG-4.2 ASP@L5
H.264 up to 1080p
WMV9/VC-1 up to 1080p
Audio Codecs:
MPEG Audio
AAC
Vorbis (stereo only)
AC3 (stereo down-mix/pass-through)
WMA
FLAC
DTS (pass-through)
OS krnnel: Linux
RJ45 Ethernet 10/100Mbps
A/V RCA Jacks: Component, S-Video, Composite video, Left audio,
Right audio
HDMI port
Toslink Digital Optical audio
2 port USB 2.0 (Not Enable)
Screenshots:
Requirements:
1 PC the faster the better
1 SageTV Media Center 6.3.x and turn on Server mode
It best to have at lease 1GB that I recommend even for multi-HD
Extender just to be on safe side with XP and 2GB for Vista.
Plases keep mind that XP and Vista 32 both have problem with more
then 2GB of memory so don't go hog wild with your memory upgrade
becuases the memory it at low price where you are thinking ahh
then more is better that wrong. and even 64bit OS has it share of
problem with over 2GB of memory.
My Hardware:
My setup is Dell Dimension E520
Pentium D 925 3GHz processor (with dual core)
2GB 667MHz PC5300
3 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s
SageTV Media Center as server is setup with
"1" HVR 1800 PCIe
"2" HVR 1600 PCI
Capture from Dishnetwork (S/Video),
Time Warner Cable (S/Video, Analog and QAM) and Loacl ATSC
Linksys WRT150N
Most the other clip where download from min diff site as well
as the new addon selections of more online video.
Testing:
MPEG-1 352x240
VCD 352x240
SVCD 480x480
CVD 352x480
MPEG-2 up to 1920x1080
MPEG-4 up to 1920x1080
WMV up to 1920x1080
QuickTime up to 1920x1080
DivX up to 1920x1080
XviD up to 1920x1080
DVD
MP3
DD Audio
Picture
All the above work in playback or playback audio mode.
Bugs:
So far I haven't had any problem just playing most support tpye
list above.
There is small problem that with long durations clips over one
hour namely DivX, which should be fix hopely soon or next year.
There is one small problem the remote must be pointed directly
at the Box.
I wish the remote had just a tab bit bigger buttons.
Wish List:
- Picture-in-Picture (PIP)
- RF Remote (Big Button)
- Wireless N Build in
Conclusion:
Over all SageTV STX-HD100 is one out standing product and it is
very solid runing and the qualiy of playback is out standing to.
Best of all with HD video there is no playback issues like
symptoms of not so smooth playback or stuttering or any other
type of odd ball effect and etc.
It very eazy to hook up, it come with eveything but not a
HDMI, Component or S/Video cable so besure to get one if plan
on using thoses input and a longer network cable dosen't go
very far unless your house is all ready wire for it.
I'm very surprise with it on how fast it bootup which is less
then 60 sec all the way to SageTV main menu.
Nice you can setup the Network Configuration the way you want it
as well as Audio & Video output option.
Best of all you can used Component, S/Video and Composite output
at the same time that cool sorry I can't test HDMI otuput
been non of the TV I have here support this.
The only thing is you will have problem with is poor recording
where you get weak singal or some intermittent reception where not
all of the bits are there or broadcaster sent out poor steams to
start with which in turn in playback cuase automatic jump pass
the error which is not the hardware decoder fault but the file it
self or messup steams which the broadcaster sent out a bad steams
or due to bad weather so there nothing you can about that issues.
Just think of what you can do with a few SageTV STX-HD100 all
over the house as a TV-based navigation and it board feature
set it a steal at $199 vs the other player (MCE) even the MediaMVP
dosen't even come close to STX-HD100 raw power which may cost more
but it dosen't even come close to it Hardware Decoder Features.
My only disappointment is they should have design a trap door
or some kind cover for the disable USB ports or they should just
remove that so that it has a cleaner look.
Why I recommend getting SageTV STX-HD100 vs PC as a Media Client
One BIG main reason is it size and noise level "0db" which is a
perfect size in the living and bedroom or where ever you want.
Why PC just don't work well with today latest media,
As some of you are ware of today so call hot graphic card that are
doing HD decoding is not done it in full blow hardware it only helps
in acceleration or assisted which dosen't ever come closet to a
ture hardware decoder like what found in a DVD/HD/Blu-ray Player
or MyHD device which have ture blue hardware decoder making your
$100 low end to a $600 high end graphic card look like paper weight
becuase there are still base a round soft codec which is dividing
video decoding operations between the host CPU and the graphics
hardware accelerator which in turns only helps decreasing the
processor usage which doesn't solve all bottleneck from the rest of
sub system and need to say there are no low cost consumer base
add-on hardware decoder device oh there have been lots official
announcements a for consumer hardware decoder but as you can tell
there no show after 2 plus year which would have been a big help for
thoses with low/high end system so as it stand now PC are great for
PC games and min other area.
Notes:
You will be limited by you LAN bandwidth so plases keep that in
mind and as for wireless I would wait N Ethernet Bridge when
it come out if plan a multi-HD Extender to playing HD video over
a LAN see Goolge Search on this subject so there for I Strongly
Recommend if you have a Router check it and be sure that it
Switch or your Hub that it has Ethernet Switch type.
DVDRom direct playback will not be support even knowing the chip
support DVD playback but this has to do with specific
regulations that protect against rebroadcasting of DVDs and etc
so have you wonder why none of other device like this one don't
have DVD playback unless the drive is build in to the box it self.
As for HD-DVD / Blu-ray this not support by the chipset hopfuly
in near future SageTV may dev a new next-generation extender model
that maybe come with it build-in that dose support it but my though
on this why would any one want setup as folder structures when it
eat up lots of GB a enough to put 6 per-shink (DVD-5 size) in it
place if not more depend on the size of that HD-DVD / Blu-ray disc
which it dose just as good for now.
Final Words:
Overall I love it and its overall performance, so I giving it a
9.9/10.
If you like get one click here
Review Links
BrentEvans Geek Tonic SageTV HD Extender STX-HD100 Review
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