Aug
31
Wow, Roku today gave everyone reason to like its line of players again. The company has dropped the price of its HD and HD-XR models by $30 and the SD unit by $20. So now you can pick up the SD for $59.99 (currently out of stock), the HD for $69.99, and the HD-XR for $99.99. What’s more, a new firmware update set to be released will unlock HD-XR’s USB port for USB storage media playback. But the best news… the HD-XR is on track to gain 1080p video support later this year. No word if video partners will bump up their content quality to match the setting, but it will definitely work with your personal library. I’m curious what video codecs the players will support….
Aug
30
Chinese company Norco unveiled the BIS-6550HD, a network digital signage platform powered by Intel Atom platform and with 1080p HD playback. The BIS-6550HD sports an Intel Atom N270 processor with up to 2GB of RAM and a 2.5-inch hard drive. The system gets Norco’s proprietary efficient fanless thermal design.
Other than the integrated GMA950 graphics, the Norco BIS-6550HD is also equipped with an ultra low power HD AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2 hardware decoder that is capable of Full HD real-time decoding. WiFi and TV tuner are available as options. It offers VGA and HDMI dual independent display support, a CF socket and a SD card reader.
Aug
30
Too much sizzle, not enough steak
Logitech astounds us on a regular basis with their ability to produce dirt-cheap yet solid-sounding speakers. We can only imagine how thin their profit margins must be; heck, that’s probably why there are so few other players in this segment. But the quality of their latest offering, the Speaker System Z623, barely passes muster. It also leaves us wondering what value THX certification really holds for the consumer at this price point.
The Z623 is a 2.1-channel system equipped with a 200-watt amplifier that delivers 35 watts to each of the satellite speakers and 130 watts to the sub. The satellites have a single driver each–a 2.5-inch dome with an aluminum phase plug–while the subwoofer utilizes a seven-inch pressure driver with a bass port in its cabinet. As is typical in this category, the satellites have hard-wired cables that plug into the sub, where the amp is located.
Logitech’s Z623 is a 2.1-channel system with a generously sized subwoofer.
Logitech offers plenty of analog inputs: The subwoofer cabinet has both stereo RCA inputs and a stereo 1/8-inch jack, and there’s a second stereo 1/8-inch jack on the right-hand speaker cabinet. The power switch, knobs for volume and bass level control, and a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack are also on this cabinet. Unlike Logitech’s top-of-the-line speaker system, the $400 Z-5500, there are no digital audio inputs and no surround-sound decoder—not that we’d expect those features at this price point.
THX says they worked closely with Logitech during the Z623′s development cycle.
What we do expect—at any price point—is good fidelity. THX certification notwithstanding, the Z623 speaker system falls short of that mark. We have no complaint with the system’s performance with movies or games; it delivered dialog and sound effects with gusto. But when we dove into our library of high-definition FLAC files (downloaded from B&W’s Society of Sound), we discovered that the satellites overdrive mid-range frequencies, rendering broad swaths of both vocals and instruments unpleasantly harsh at higher volumes.
Listening to “Arawen,” from the Toumast album Amachal, 
it felt as though band leader Moussa Ag Keyna was thrashing our ears with his hard-driving guitar work. We had similar experiences with other songs and other instruments from very different musical genres, including the languid piano work on “Slowly,” from Juliana Raye’s retro-sounding Dominoes album, and the vocals on “Nuwaruguma,” from the Aurelio Martinez album Garifuna Afro-Combo. Each of these tracks was encoded in either 16- or 24-bit FLAC with sampling resolutions of either 44.1- or 48kHz, and yet we couldn’t listen to the speakers in a near-field environment for more than 20 minutes before our ears felt fatigued. The problem is related more to the drivers than the amp, because we enjoyed a much better listening experience with B&W’s P5 headphones plugged into the satellite.
The Z623’s low price tag, combined with its good performance with movies and games, saves its bacon. If you’re looking for inexpensive speakers for listening to music, however, we think Logitech’s Z250 speakers are a far better value. They’re not THX certified, they don’t come with a subwoofer, and they’re only $20 cheaper than the Z623, but your ears will be a lot happier.
Specifications
| Satellite Power | 2×35 watts RMS (6 ohms) |
| Subwoofer Power | 130 watts RMS (8 ohms) |
| Satellite Drivers | 2.5-inch dome driver with aluminum phase plug |
| Subwoofer Driver | 7-inch pressure driver |
| Inputs | Stereo RCA and 1/8-inch on sub; 1/8-inch on satellite |
| Outputs | 1/8-inch headphone on satellite |
| Controls | Volume and bass control on satellite |
Aug
30
Zotac has always had an impressive lineup of barebones Atom based Nettops, but even with the added power of the Ion 2 chipset behind it, 1080p streaming in flash could be hit or miss making them difficult to recommend for anything other than basic standard definition streaming. In response to the critical review the follow up Zboxes are now shipping with optional dual core Intel CULV processors giving them the extra kick needed to make it an extremely powerful HTPC. The appeal of the Zotac Zbox from an enthusiast standpoint is that they come without RAM, Hard Drives, or the OS allowing you to easily open and customize the performance to fit your intended application. You can simply pop in any old 2.5” hard drive you have lying around, or even step up to an SSD.
The new Zbox HD series sports either a Celeron 743 (single-core) or SU2300 (dual-core) processor, can accommodate DDR3 memory, and comes with HDMI / DVI outputs for the video. Additional storage can be added via any of the 6 external USB ports or the single eSATA. Built in Wi-Fi 802.11N, Gigabit Ethernet, and even 7.1 Channel LPCM surround sound round out the features on a box that makes my PS3 slim feel chubby.
Pricing for the new Zboxes haven’t been announced, but it sounds as though the entry level models will retail for around $270 or less according to Engadget.