**Official VidaBox HTPC / Media Center PC thread**

[VidaBox]

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Hello,<br>
With permission from Audioholics, we are starting this Official VidaBox thread. This is a thread dedicated to the discussion of VidaBox HTPC's / Media Center PC's. Please feel free to post questions / concerns regarding VidaBox products. VidaBox representatives will answer questions regarding VidaBox products as well as general Media Center questions.
<br>
<b><u>Background:</u></b>
VidaBox is a manufacturer of premium Media Center PC's. VidaBox is commited to providing Media Center systems of the highest quality. All our systems are designed to be true HIFI home theater devices. Our systems breakaway from the typical Media Center mold as we focus on providing systems that are stable, low noise, as well as having the highest audio and video quality.<br>
<br>
<u><b>Our products:</b></u><br><br></td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><strong>ROOMMATE:</strong></td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Small compact size, about the size of a small shoebox
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-250GB of storage standard, up to 750GB optional
-Slim type dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in white or black
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><strong>SLIM:</strong></td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Sleek, compact design. About the size of a DVD player
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-Dual HDTV tuners (optional)
-500GB of VidaSafe protected storage standard, up to 1.5TB optional
-Dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in black or silver
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><strong>LUX:</strong></td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Our largest capacity media center with up to 3,750GB of hard drive capacity all with our exclusive VidaSafe™ technology
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-Dual HDTV tuners (optional)
-750GB of VidaSafe protected storage standard, up to 3.750TB optional
-(2) Dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in black or silver
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><strong>MAX:</strong><br>
</td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Stunning 7” touch screen display, which allows for simple control of Media Center without having to power on a TV or monitor
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-Dual HDTV tuners (optional)
-750GB of VidaSafe protected storage standard, up to 3.0TB optional
-(2) Dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in black or silver
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><strong>ZERO:</strong></td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Completely fanless design - 100% silent
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-Dual HDTV tuners (optional)
-500GB of VidaSafe protected storage standard, up to 1.5TB optional
-Dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in black, silver/black combo, or silver
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><br>
<strong>STEALTH: (AVAILABLE NOW!)</strong></td></tr><tr><td width="200"><br>
</td><td valign="top">
-Completely fanless design - 100% silent
-Small compact size, about the size of a DVD player
-Dual ISF certified analog tuners
-Dual HDTV tuners (optional)
-500GB of VidaSafe protected storage standard, up to 1.5TB optional
-Slot loading dual layer DVD recorder
-Available in black or black/silver combo
</td></tr></tbody></table>

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO POST QUESTIONS ​

 

[kkrambo]

Some Questions

Here are some questions:

1) What is the VidaSafe Storage? Is it a RAID? What level? If a drive fails what is involved with replacing the drive -- can I do it myself or will VidaBox do it for me?

2) I read where you can use a media extender to view recorded material on another separate TV. What is a media extender? Is it another PC with TV-out?

3) I understand that an HTPC can upscale DVD material to HD formats. Can it also upscale recorded SD TV programs on playback (or on the fly for that matter)?

4) Can I upgrade the hard disk storage capacity with drives purchased elsewhere?

5) With multiple TV tuners, is it possible to display multiple programs simultaneously on a split screen? I'm thinking of four football games on four quarters of an 8 foot screen. Or maybe two games with a web browser window on the other half.

6) What about PC Games on a VidaBox? What video card is used?

7) Will installing games or other software void the warranty in any way?

8) Can the VidaBox remote be replaced with a universal remote such as the Logitech Harmony?

Thanks

-- Kevin

 

[VidaBox]

Answers

Hi Kevin,

Here are your answers!

1) What is the VidaSafe Storage? Is it a RAID? What level? If a drive fails what is involved with replacing the drive -- can I do it myself or will VidaBox do it for me?

1. VidaSafe Storage is not just RAID - it's actually the composite of 3 hard drive protection features, and not just RAID5.

a. First, there's RAID 5 - We chose this RAID type because it offers a good compromise between data protection and efficiency. If a drive does fail, VidaBox will be glad to replace the drive for you (parts and labor costs are covered 100%). You can certainly attempt to do so yourself, but note that you will have to pay for your own hard drive & void the warranty by opening the case.

Of course, if the warranty's already over, it doesn't matter at that point and you can surely do it yourself. Nevertheless, we don't recommend anyone doing it by themselves - it's quite easy to accidentally wipe/erase everything if exact procedures aren't done and followed properly. Once the system is wiped, it becomes VERY difficult to restore an operating system based on a RAID array.

b. Second, we isolate and segregate the operating system (OS) and data storage (media) drives logically. In the unlikely event of a virus, malware, or spyware attack that actually wipes and destroys the entire operating system, the OS drive can simply be wiped and replaced, without affecting the media drive in any way. This also has another benefit of easy upgrading from MCE2005 to Vista once it is available.

c. Thirdly, we load, tweak, and pre-configure on a suite of hard drive maintenance and optimization utilities that defragment & keep your hard drives in tip-top shape automatically every night without any user interaction or input. Everything is done automatically, so you don't need to be technically savvy to keep your system running at 100%.

The combination os these three features and technologies is what makes VidaBox very unique - it is not offered on any other media center systems standard!

2) I read where you can use a media extender to view recorded material on another separate TV. What is a media extender? Is it another PC with TV-out?

2. A media extender is a device that connects up to another TV, and lets you receive streamed media from the VidaBox to that TV. Think of it as a VCR or DVD player, but it so happens to be able to access EVERYTHING on your VidaBox - music, movies, DVDs, pictures, and more - directly through your home network. A quick diagram of how it works is here:

A media extender is *more* then just another PC with TV-out. It has to have a media center interface, and be specially configured so that it "sees" all the content on the central VidaBox over your network. You can read more about them here: http://www.vidabox.com/More Info/streaming.htm

3) I understand that an HTPC can upscale DVD material to HD formats. Can it also upscale recorded SD TV programs on playback (or on the fly for that matter)?

3. Absolutely! The VidaBox upscales *any* SD or DVD content to HD resolutions on the fly during playback. There's nothing to tweak or configure on your part - it's already set up once the initial installation is completed!

4) Can I upgrade the hard disk storage capacity with drives purchased elsewhere?

4. Yes, you can crack open the case, upgrade the drives yourself, or send it back to us for a system restore. However, since the case is opened, the warranty is void in the process. Adding hard drive space is best done when ordering initially. Reinstalling an operating system is very tedious on a RAID array.

Keep in mind, when you're upgrading the hard drive space on a VidaBox, not only are you upgrading your space, but you're also buying a warranty for those drives. If there are any problems within the 1-year warranty period, we'll be happy to replace the hard drives AND restore the system for you for free. If buying the HDDs and upgrading separately, you'll have to send it back to us for a system restore at your expense.

5) With multiple TV tuners, is it possible to display multiple programs simultaneously on a split screen? I'm thinking of four football games on four quarters of an 8 foot screen. Or maybe two games with a web browser window on the other half.

5. You may be able to - but these functions that you're speaking about are not native to the VidaBox nor the media center interface. I think you can probably install some third-party software to do what you're looking to do, but we honestly don't recommend playing around with a VidaBox too much, or any media center for that matter. These systems should be thought of as set-top boxes. Instabilities, crashes, and other problems may start occuring once you start adding on/changing stuff.

For 4 games on a screen, I can envision someone running multiple instances of a TV tuner program like DScaler, but of course, I can't guarantee how stable that would be, or if you'd have any problems.

6) What about PC Games on a VidaBox? What video card is used?

6. There are different video cards depending on the model and trim. They range from an Intel 915G integrated graphics chipset on the ROOMMATE, up to the new nVidia GeForce 7950GX2 w. 1GB GDDR3 RAM on the LUX, MAX, and ZERO. You can get exact details for each system here:
RoomMate Specs
SLIM Specs
LUX Specs
MAX Specs
ZERO Specs

7) Will installing games or other software void the warranty in any way?

7. Installing games or other software will void the 30-day Software warranty, but not the Hardware warranty. The software warranty is something unique to VidaBox - we warranty that the software you have will work, without problems, once your VidaBox is properly installed. If there are any issues, we can provide live phone support to quickly help and troubleshoot it.

From experience, once new software/games are installed, unanticipated problems may come up. We can't be held responsible for troubleshooting those problems since there are thousands of third-party programs out there.

8) Can the VidaBox remote be replaced with a universal remote such as the Logitech Harmony?

8. Yes - the VidaBox remote can absolutely be replaced with a Logitech Harmony remote. In fact, we recommend that remote to be used in high-end home theater installations where control of multiple devices is essential.

Thank you for your interest, Kevin!

Sincerely,
Steven C
VidaBox LLC

 

[kleinwl]

1) How big is Vidabox? Ie, # of employees, sales, etc.

2) What is the main selling point of Vidabox, ie what is the value add of vidabox over the other major OEM and whitebox builders?

3) What are the goals of Vidabox for the expansion of HTPCs? I ask this, since the use of a HTPC as a form of PVR seems very limited. My vision is for seemless recording of LP, 8-tracks, VHS tapes, Beta tapes, etc so a customer can have all of his "obsolite" media in one location, backed up against degration and distortion. The PVR feature is a small $150 add in.

 

[VidaBox]

Some answers!

Hi Klein,

I think you hit a very important point of what a VidaBox HTPC really does - it's not limited to just the PVR function, but can act as a place to store and record all of your LPs, 8-tracks, VHS, Beta tapes, MiniDVs, etc.

All VidaBox systems feature a variety of analog video inputs, such as coaxial, S-Video, and composite, along with L/R RCA analog audio and 3.5mm-1/8" line-in analog inputs for audio. You can connect any of the sources you mentioned above to the VidaBox, dub/record the material, and store it on the VidaBox permanently, without any degradation or distortion.

The main selling point of VidaBox is that it's easy-to-use and works well. You cannot compare us against other PC/computer makers - their systems are focused on computer speed/performance, whereas our systems are focused on audio/video quality, such as making sure a 1080p output is crisp and clear, and the SPDIF output can switch between 44.1kHz and 48 kHz audio streams. Our systems also look a lot nicer and blends in with other high-end home theater equipment. Best of all, every piece of media stored on the VidaBox - whether it be music, TV shows, DVDs, or your camcorder recordings - can be "pushed" into other parts of your home using media extenders.

With multi-zone streaming, you can be watching an HD or Blu-ray disc in the main living room, while another person watches a DVD stored on the VidaBox. A third person can be listening to music stored on the VidaBox in his/her room, and a fourth can watch a TV show recorded on the VidaBox earlier in a fourth "zone." This allows you to have one central location for everything, yet it's easily accessible from any room in your home!

In terms of "how big VidaBox is" - we've been around since 2005, and currently have two production & lab locations. As a private company, we don't release sales or other data, but you can be sure that we're here to stay. For example, we're releasing the new VidaBox STEALTH system next month, and will offer Vista systems early next year. We also have a comprehensive Upgrade Program, making sure that any systems currently purchased are also eligible for a free software upgrade to Vista (if you choose so); you can read more about our Upgrade Program here.

There are other things in development, but also as consumers of other products, we also understand how frustrating it is to hear a company announce a really cool new product or development, but than take forever to release it (or worse, scrapping it). Thus, our policy is that don't make any official announcements unless we know 100% sure that it's deliverable & actually work. You can be sure that VidaBox holds all of our products to the highest regard when it comes to quality and performance.

Thanks for your post!

Sincerely,
Steven C
VidaBox LLC

 

[kleinwl]

Steven,

Hi again. Thanks again for the reply.. I'm curious about your take on vista. According to the information that I've read it no longer supports hardware acceleration from the soundcard (ie. as a means to keep down CPU cycles). I don't believe that eliminates the value of independent sound cards (as a way of converting analog to digital signals) but do you have a read on how Creative (and other sound card manufactures) are going to provide value add?

BTW: I read your application for Dealers... It was really great... I doubt if you will find that many HT dealers that can tell 802.11g from 65nm litho... much less discuss in any detail a/b/g/n (ok pre-n).

kleinwl

 

[VidaBox]

Steven,

Hi again. Thanks again for the reply.. I'm curious about your take on vista. According to the information that I've read it no longer supports hardware acceleration from the soundcard (ie. as a means to keep down CPU cycles). I don't believe that eliminates the value of independent sound cards (as a way of converting analog to digital signals) but do you have a read on how Creative (and other sound card manufactures) are going to provide value add?

BTW: I read your application for Dealers... It was really great... I doubt if you will find that many HT dealers that can tell 802.11g from 65nm litho... much less discuss in any detail a/b/g/n (ok pre-n).

kleinwl

Hi Klein,

I'm not personally familiar with how Vista deals with hardware acceleration from the soundcard, but from a home theater perspective, I don't think it's important for those who are using a receiver (which virtually ALL home theaters have). The signal is passed through a SPDIF connection from the VidaBox media center to the receiver - no processing of any kind takes place on the media center itself.

Don't be fooled - as long as you use a SPDIF passthrough with an auto-switching sound chip (standard on all VidaBox systems to flip between 44.1kHz for CDs and 48 for Dolby Digital & DTS on DVDs), there's no need for a "better sound card." You would only need one if you're using the analog outputs that go into a pre-amp.

Thank you for your kind comments on the dealer app! Media centers MUST be networked properly for best enjoyment, and we expect and teach our dealers to do just that. You can't just slap on any wireless adapter and expect the streaming to work properly - careful design considerations must be made beforehand, along with analyzing all other available options (e.g. Powerline vs Wireless a/n vs CAT-5 hardline).

Thanks for the reply!

Sincerely,
Steven C