Patriot Box Office 1080P High Definition Media Player PCMPBO25 [Text View]

ninja1

11-06-09, 07:05 PM

Found a couple of articles about the Patriot Box Office.

gizmodo.com comparison (http://gizmodo.com/5397986/)
hardwaresecrets.com review (http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/854/1)

The gizmodo.com article is a "shoot out" comparison of the Patriot, WD, Seagate, Netgear and Popcorn Hour devices. Here's what it says about the Patriot. This was the dark horse of the group, being a late entry by a company known only for computer memory. I was surprised at how well it held up. It actually could decode more tested formats than any other device in this lineup—it did Flash video (FLV), which the three above can't render. Only the WD and the Patriot show you video previews, too. As small as it is, there's a space for a 2.5" SATA drive in there, and even a BitT0rrent client. You can copy files to and from different drives and the network, and it's the cheapest of the lot, at $130.

So why did it come in a distant 3rd? Unlike the three above, it can't read Mac formatted hard drives, and its video quality was noticeably the worst of the batch. That said, if you are a hacker sort and want something to play with that doesn't cost as much as Popcorn, set your sights on this.

Here's the conclusions of the hardwaresecrets review, though the full article is worth a look; it contains some good photos.
Conclusions

The Patriot can pull your digital media from a variety of devices including a USB drive, a network device and the internal drive. It is truly a multi-functional device with good support for a large variety of multi-media formats. Although the plain interface won’t knock your socks off, it is functional and easy to use. The fact that you can add your own hard drive is a great feature.

Pros

* Good variety of video & audio formats supported
* 2.5” drive can be added
* HDMI cable included
* Easy to navigate
* Easy to setup
* Small and unobtrusive
* Good performance

Cons:

* Wireless adapter is proprietary and optional
* Slight hum

zoro

11-07-09, 10:03 PM

amazon is shipping now

bigjsouth

11-08-09, 02:45 AM

257Tony

11-08-09, 08:13 PM

amazon is shipping now

I haven't gotten my email yet :mad:

ninja1

11-08-09, 08:32 PM

I don't know what to make of the "worst of the batch" blurb. That article is decidedly short on specifics and has many generalizations. The hardwaresecrets review didn't mention any PQ concern.

SilverBlade

11-08-09, 08:37 PM

Looks like no capability to pass through DTS MA or Dolby TrueHD.

Not really 'High Definition' if it can't even pass-through High Definition Audio.

ninja1

11-08-09, 08:38 PM

amazon is shipping now

I haven't gotten my email yet :mad:

Does this mean the $30 mail-in rebate and free WiFi adapter is gonna expire?

I never dealt with amazon pre-order before.

I just checked and the rebate is from Patriot and is valid for purchase date thru 30Nov2009, postmarked sooner than 30days from purchase.

valley_nomad

11-08-09, 09:37 PM

"its video quality was noticeably the worst of the batch."

Oh no! Thats not good news by any means. I already picked up the WDTV Live and am happy with it but was looking forward to the Patriot Box Office. If its PQ suffers then it wont matter how many formats it plays.

The original review didn't mention the specifics about PQ issue. But I didn't see much PQ difference between the boxes using Sigma chipset and those using RealTek chipset.

ninja1

11-09-09, 12:13 AM

The original review didn't mention the specifics about PQ issue. But I didn't see much PQ difference between the boxes using Sigma chipset and those using RealTek chipset.

This thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1186715) indicated some kind of inferior PQ of the Asus O!Play compared to the WD HD Live. And I read somewhere (I can't find it now) that the Patriot and Asus are essentially "the same".

replay5040

11-09-09, 01:58 AM

i called last friday asking if they are shipping this week, and got an response that they are receiving in inventory, so hopefully with in the next couple days.

as far as PQ concern, i think both chipset has it's pros and cons. Remember some one said RLTK has better brightness and contrast? will see how the unit performs when i get it.

valley_nomad

11-09-09, 02:49 AM

This thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1186715) indicated some kind of inferior PQ of the Asus O!Play compared to the WD HD Live. And I read somewhere (I can't find it now) that the Patriot and Asus are essentially "the same".

I have an Elektron EHP606 (basically a PCH clone) and a CinemaTube. Both of them are connected to a Samsung 52A550 TV via HDMI cables. I played several 1080P and 1080i contents with two players and performed a blind A/B test. None of my friends could tell the difference between two boxes.

257Tony

11-09-09, 10:59 AM

Looks like no capability to pass through DTS MA or Dolby TrueHD.

Not really 'High Definition' if it can't even pass-through High Definition Audio.

From what I gathered only the popcorn hour will do this, and at nearly 3x the price I don't think its really a knock on the patriot.

zoro

11-09-09, 01:24 PM

From what I gathered only the popcorn hour will do this, and at nearly 3x the price I don't think its really a knock on the patriot.

it said 6.1 and 7.1 sound as long as it does even as pcm pass through i should be fine

257Tony

11-09-09, 02:02 PM

it said 6.1 and 7.1 sound as long as it does even as pcm pass through i should be fine

Yeah, and look at the PS3 when it came out, $600 and it wouldn't pass-through (bitstream) any HD codecs.

zoro

11-09-09, 03:59 PM

Yeah, and look at the PS3 when it came out, $600 and it wouldn't pass-through (bitstream) any HD codecs.

Indeed! So if it works like old ps3, I am good with dat!:D

lewis26

11-09-09, 06:35 PM

amazon is shipping now

I haven't gotten my email yet :mad:

Me neither. Can't wait to get this thing and try it out. I doubt there is really much difference in PQ, and PCM audio doesnt really bother me.

What the one review fails to reiterate is that this device is $100, whereas the WD and Seagate are both $150, and neither have a HDD slot.

Hope they ship soon.

zoro

11-09-09, 06:51 PM

Me neither. Can't wait to get this thing and try it out. I doubt there is really much difference in PQ, and PCM audio doesnt really bother me.

What the one review fails to reiterate is that this device is $100, whereas the WD and Seagate are both $150, and neither have a HDD slot.

Hope they ship soon.

yes and i like construction /build quality too

replay5040

11-10-09, 07:19 PM

yay just got the confirmation email! delivery this Thur! :)

is it me.. or Gizmondo review seems a bit off?

the seagate is using the same chipset right? so how could it be any PQ difference? and the reivew says the Patirot using Gigabit? i thought it was only 10/100?

i read some where the unit does support pass through, so i guess what ever your receiver can decode.

Opentoe

11-10-09, 07:33 PM

From the unboxing video via Youtube it appears you can open the device fairly easy. It should not require a great effort to disable the fan, should fan noise become an issue. UI is important for me! I hope we will learn more about the GUI of the Patriot.
I do plan on getting the WD-TV2 however these other NMT devices each have their own set of problems and positives. If for now WDTV LIve features the best PQ then I would rather own it over other Media Players.

Where do you see the WDTV2 has a better PQ? I've read lots of reviews that if you have a high bit rate file on your LAN and play it with the WDTV2 it stutters.

Patriot Box Offi

11-10-09, 07:42 PM

Does this mean the $30 mail-in rebate and free WiFi adapter is gonna expire?

I never dealt with amazon pre-order before.

I just checked and the rebate is from Patriot and is valid for purchase date thru 30Nov2009, postmarked sooner than 30days from purchase.
The mail in rebate @ Amazon.com for Box Office has been extended and is available for any purchases made through the end of November 2009.

257Tony

11-10-09, 07:50 PM

valley_nomad

11-10-09, 08:48 PM

I got my email notice from Amazon today, so i should see product by Friday I would guess. I'll come back and give some first thoughts and a quick review after I get it. Very excited, hopefully it lives up.

Mine has already arrived at the local USPS facility since Monday. But it looks like that it will just sit there for three more days before being delivered. USPS sucks :-(

roadmanc

11-10-09, 09:33 PM

just received the package !

Opentoe

11-10-09, 10:43 PM

zoro

11-10-09, 10:55 PM

just received the package !

let us know re ur views

strpyw

11-10-09, 11:47 PM

I got mine yesterday, put it to work right away. Last year I gave up on a WDTV for audio failure and mediocre video play. This Patriot Home Box Office set up was so intuitive, just like a mac. And now I can watch eyetv files stored in my macmini on the network via upnp.
Played mkv with dts files, no problem, video is like my playstation 3, nice color. Audio played through my hdmi connection to my panasonic receiver system just fine. Subtitles support so easy. This one is a keeper for sure.

roadmanc

11-11-09, 12:41 AM

the setup is quick and it sees my shared directories on my WHS without any problem. And, I can see the 1080p video playback is very good compared to playing the same file using my HTPC. However, I can't get the audio to work ! I just use HDMI directly hooked up with my sharp LCD and I have tried both HDMI audio setting and no luck. Hope someone can help.

zoro

11-11-09, 01:56 AM

ahtze

11-11-09, 02:06 AM

does it pass-through DTS-MA or True-HD audio?

replay5040

11-11-09, 02:37 AM

are you connecting directly to TV or HDMI switches? may be not 1.3?

roadmanc

11-11-09, 02:51 AM

are you connecting directly to TV or HDMI switches? may be not 1.3?

directly connect to my TV.

strpyw

11-11-09, 03:23 AM

i didn't connect it to any computer, but it see my external hard drive connected to my mac mini in another room, through the network

strpyw

11-11-09, 03:25 AM

in the audio setup, did you pick hdmi to raw or the other one

lewis26

11-11-09, 07:28 AM

How about DVD .ISO menu support?

Mine shipped yesterday. Can't wait to get this thing in my hands!

roadmanc

11-11-09, 10:00 AM

I choose HMDI RAW and it doesn't work ... As of DVD .ISO menu, it works on all of the ISO that I have tried last night.

257Tony

11-11-09, 10:44 AM

I choose HMDI RAW and it doesn't work ... As of DVD .ISO menu, it works on all of the ISO that I have tried last night.

RAW is sending bitstream audio data to your TV, sounds like the TV can't process the data its getting. Try changing the HDMI audio to downmix or whatever they Patriot calls it, likely your TV only wants to see 2 ch audio coming in.

257Tony

11-11-09, 10:44 AM

does it pass-through DTS-MA or True-HD audio?

Don't think so.

lewis26

11-11-09, 12:03 PM

Any Logitech Harmony support yet?

Last I checked, it wasn't in the database yet.

I emailed Patriot asking if they were going to/already did send their codes to logitech.

Also, how about hulu support? Any possibility to add that into it?

utlonghorns4

11-11-09, 12:16 PM

Can anyone do direct comparisons with the WDTV Live or any other Realtek streamers? I have a window of a few days to decide between the WDTV Live, Patriot Box Office, and CinemaTube. Price is not of concern as they are all very similar in price.

replay5040

11-11-09, 01:01 PM

if you are going to pick tube or box office, take box office. Same chipset and price, but seems like more functions, not mention better build.

WDTV definitly doesn't take HDD or does BT, but from the looks of it. UI looks a little better. as far as hulu, you tube, i've had pretty good experience with tveristy, and should work for box office.

gonna get mine in a couple days, will try it out. some one else has it can confirm?

zoro

11-11-09, 01:25 PM

mine stuck at post office lol..holiday::eek:

lewis26

11-11-09, 02:21 PM

Charuto

11-11-09, 02:42 PM

Any thoughts on the fan? Noisy? Silent?

zoro

11-11-09, 11:06 PM

I am waiting to hear compatibility with window 7 vista as streamer

valley_nomad

11-12-09, 06:16 AM

Patriots response when asked about harmony support was "we currently have no plans to allow that feature."

Maybe if enough people bug them about it, they will send the codes to logitech. Or else were all going to have to program the codes in manually which sucks.

Very happy to hear it supports DVD image menus. Mines in the postal system somewhere. Can't wait to fire this thing up.

Well, it is not really a feature. It is just some user friendliness.

I believe that any one can use a Harmony remote to learn the PBO's remote control code and upload them to Harmony's device code database so that others can use them directly.

valley_nomad

11-12-09, 06:25 AM

I choose HMDI RAW and it doesn't work ... As of DVD .ISO menu, it works on all of the ISO that I have tried last night.

Most TV sets expect LPCM audio input on HDMI.

roadmanc

11-12-09, 10:57 AM

Most TV sets expect LPCM audio input on HDMI.

Yes, I tried HDMI LPCM but it didn't work either. So, I have to use composite audio out for my sound. I think I need to get an optical cable to try spif LPCM

zoro

11-12-09, 01:19 PM

I choose HMDI RAW and it doesn't work ... As of DVD .ISO menu, it works on all of the ISO that I have tried last night.

how abt bluray iso

257Tony

11-12-09, 02:21 PM

how abt bluray iso

I haven't heard, but I doubt it will play files with that high of bitrate. Mine is coming today so I'll try it out and let ya know....

257Tony

11-12-09, 10:41 PM

Got mine tonight...

Couple of thoughts after playing around with it for a little bit.

-Build quality seems very good.

-Its pretty quiet, even with the fan, its certainly not any louder than the fan in my Samsung DLP, so for me its essentially silent. Of course I'm 11' away so YMMV.

-Its tiny.

-Will not see any of my .iso or .mkv when using the UPnP feature, but sees all when using the "NET" feature (SMB share).

-Handles DVD .iso very well, menu functionality is retained for those that have it.

-Will NOT play an HD DVD .iso, so I'm guessing no go on Blu Ray also, but can't confirm yet.

-So far I have not been able to get it to output multi channel sound for any files with either AAC, or WMA pro audio. Doesn't seem to matter if I use "HDMI RAW" or "HDMI LPCM", I get 2ch PCM either way, I'm using an Onkyo 606.

-Plays my .m4v movies I have for my PSP.

-MKV's with either AC3 or DTS audio play great, pass through audio for both is good.

Maybe one of you, or the Patriot rep can comment on the AAC and WMA audio issue.....

Edit: Looks like the AAC and WMA Pro audi problems were due to HDMI handshaking issues. I rebooted the unit and switched back and forth between inputs on my AVR and now I am getting 5.1 MPCM from both sources, so very good news!

zoro

11-12-09, 10:48 PM

Got mine tonight...

Couple of thoughts after playing around with it for a little bit.

-Build quality seems very good.

-Its pretty quiet, even with the fan, its certainly not any louder than the fan in my Samsung DLP, so for me its essentially silent. Of course I'm 11' away so YMMV.

-Its tiny.

-Will not see any of my .iso or .mkv when using the UPnP feature, but sees all when using the "NET" feature (SMB share).

-Handles DVD .iso very well, menu functionality is retained for those that have it.

-Will NOT play an HD DVD .iso, so I'm guessing no go on Blu Ray also, but can't confirm yet.

-So far I have not been able to get it to output multi channel sound for any files with either AAC, or WMA pro audio. Doesn't seem to matter if I use "HDMI RAW" or "HDMI LPCM", I get 2ch PCM either way, I'm using an Onkyo 606.

-Plays my .m4v movies I have for my PSP.

-MKV's with either AC3 or DTS audio play great, pass through audio for both is good.

Maybe one of you, or the Patriot rep can comment on the AAC and WMA audio issue.....

if muti channel high def audio is no go, orig or pcm, this one is going back to amazon.

btw did some one try lg bd390, if can decode high def audio or pass through while streaming or from usb hard drive

valley_nomad

11-12-09, 11:14 PM

Did any one try use it in UPnP connection? Mine crashes each and every time when it gets into the directory on the server and starts listing :mad:

Do we have people from Patriot here?

257Tony

11-12-09, 11:15 PM

if muti channel high def audio is no go, orig or pcm, this one is going back to amazon.

btw did some one try lg bd390, if can decode high def audio or pass through while streaming or from usb hard drive

See my edit, all fixed. I still don't think it will handle True HD or DTS HDMA though.

Opentoe

11-13-09, 12:37 AM

See my edit, all fixed. I still don't think it will handle True HD or DTS HDMA though.

Which other more popular unit would you compare this one to?

valley_nomad

11-13-09, 01:04 AM

Any thoughts on the fan? Noisy? Silent?

Its custom-made blushless fan from Power Logic has a noise level of 20dB. You will not hear it several feet away.

zoro

11-13-09, 02:36 AM

OK! tested mine!

USB connection did read and play from a fat32 Ext hard drive, AVCHD MTS was go..PQ, might be a notch below WDL. Audio, TRUE HD, no GO, but I had one DTS HD it did do as dts surround like WDTV LIVE does. Audio on HDMI LPCM..no sound. But on Raw audio did work through my receiver.

Ok, now net work, did see my pc, via upnp, no connect, Did connect via ps3 server but crashed on play back.

Net work, did see connection, but I did not see any thing in shortcut or neighbours and do not have any intentions.

any way for people who have less demanding set up. It might be a good system, otherwise for high def audio/video look else where. Or stick to your game servers. I'll be returning this back to amazon. unless some one here wants it!

steefnap

11-13-09, 09:49 AM

Picked mine up yesterday and was pretty excited to watch some HD TV shows and movies I have in MKV format. Most are 720p, but there's one in 1080p as well.

The problem is, when plugged into my Sharp Aquos using the supplied HDMI cable, the TV reports the various videos as only being 480i??? What gives? Am I missing something here?

257Tony

11-13-09, 09:57 AM

Which other more popular unit would you compare this one to?
I don't own any of the others so I can't really comment.
Did any one try use it in UPnP connection? Mine crashes each and every time when it gets into the directory on the server and starts listing :mad:

Do we have people from Patriot here?
I used mine in UPnP and it worked, although only some of my videos showed up, all my MKV and ISO were not visible. Its worth the few minutes it takes to set an SMB share, you can then access every file on your PC.
Picked mine up yesterday and was pretty excited to watch some HD TV shows and movies I have in MKV format. Most are 720p, but there's one in 1080p as well.

The problem is, when plugged into my Sharp Aquos using the supplied HDMI cable, the TV reports the various videos as only being 480i??? What gives? Am I missing something here?
Yes, go into setup and select "TV System" there will be a drop down menu to choose resolutions from, you'll probably want 1080p60.

zoro

11-13-09, 11:54 AM

I don't own any of the others so I can't really comment.

I used mine in UPnP and it worked, although only some of my videos showed up, all my MKV and ISO were not visible. Its worth the few minutes it takes to set an SMB share, you can then access every file on your PC.

Yes, go into setup and select "TV System" there will be a drop down menu to choose resolutions from, you'll probably want 1080p60.

Hi Tony, how to set SMB share?

dbone1026

11-13-09, 11:57 AM

Hi Tony, how to set SMB share?

I don't know specifically where to do in the Patriot box since I don't own, but generally you will have the following fields that you need to set up for smb on a media player:

Share Name: whatever you want to name it
URL: smb://ServerName/SharedFolder (so if your server name is MyServer and in there you have a shared folder called videos, the address would be smb://MyServer/Videos)
Username:
Password:

257Tony

11-13-09, 04:48 PM

Hi Tony, how to set SMB share?

Did you by chance see anything like "Workgroup" or "MSHome" when clicking on the "Net" feature of your Box Office? If you did then you are already setup, you just select that and when it asks for your username and password use the exact same that you would use to log onto your PC.

In Vista its Control Panel>System and Maintenance>System>then under computer name, workgroup settings, etc. click "change settings". In there you can change the name of your workgroup, restart the PC and the Patriot should see it.

Patriot Box Offi

11-13-09, 05:00 PM

zoro

11-13-09, 06:34 PM

Thanks for the ones took the inititive of starting this thread.

Here's a few answers for the questions floating around....

1) Does it support ISO & menu?
Yes

2) Does it supprot Blu Ray/ HD DVD ISO & menu?
Not the current firmware, BUT there will be a new firmware release at end of November which will.

3) Does it support Dolby True HD?
Yes

4) HDMI Multi Channel
Currently only support HDMI LPCM and HDMI RAW, next new firmware will include HDMI Dual Channel, HDMI Multi Channel as well.

5) SMB
You will need to go to setting/ system and turn on BT/ SMB and use the included transcode software to access folder. Instruction should be in the manual (on the CD)

thanks for stopping by.

btw, your rebate form says to be marked 30 days after purchase! I am confused because amazon shipped after more than so days of purchase so how would it work

i tried true hd it was no go. btw i did choose hdmi digital raw. pcm was not working. do u guys have any thing on ur website, Q&A or forum etc.

Patriot Box Offi

11-13-09, 06:47 PM

zoro

11-13-09, 06:50 PM

You will have to submit the rebate with in 30days of INVOICE, so this is count towards your actualy ship date. The $30 rebate will be extended to the end of December for customer who would like to purhcase for the holiday. Of course if there is any issues with getting rebate processed, you can always send email to rebates@patriotmem.com

as for True HD, you will have to use RAW uncompressed setting. LPCM will not do TrueHD.

Let me know if there is any questions.

thats what i was doing! dts hd got through as dts surrond, but could not see audio/video bit rate. more so problem connecting with my window 7 pc, is an issue, if you could send me directions how to set up. i like the unit, user interface works fast though. Any chances to get youtube etc

Agust-Blu

11-13-09, 08:15 PM

I just purchased a Canon EOS 7D and I am looking for a portable media player solution that can handle mov. files from the camera as well as clips processed in Final cut pro from my mac in full HD with 24fps(23.976). Is the patriot box office ideal for this?

Patriot Box Offi

11-13-09, 08:49 PM

Zoro,
what kind of issues do you have with windows 7? connection issiue? login failure?

Agust-Blu,
Box office does support .MOV file upto 1080P, so that would be a yes.

nnn614

11-13-09, 09:11 PM

zoro

11-13-09, 09:38 PM

Zoro,
what kind of issues do you have with windows 7? connection issiue? login failure?

Agust-Blu,
Box office does support .MOV file upto 1080P, so that would be a yes.

With network etting, I see my pc, also ps3 media share, and tversity. when I click on my home pc, it goes back to set up. ps3 media server does show my drives but nothing opens or play.

More so in UPNP, it say my shortcut and neighbours, clicking no yield. It does not ask me for any log in though

valley_nomad

11-14-09, 06:11 AM

Did any one try use it in UPnP connection? Mine crashes each and every time when it gets into the directory on the server and starts listing :mad:

Do we have people from Patriot here?

Update:

I found that some of contents can be played. But it crashed when playing others including 1080p H.264 contents.

blackend

11-14-09, 09:21 AM

Patriot Box Offi

does the unit support arabic sub?srt?

257Tony

11-14-09, 12:57 PM

Mine is working beautifully, other than some minor annoying handshake issues. Its very sensitive to the order of being turned on, mine works best when the unit is already on before switching the input on my AVR.
Other than that its working great, really enjoying it so far and definitely looking forward to the Nov F/W update that will allow HD DVD .iso playback :)

valley_nomad

11-14-09, 04:55 PM

How can I find which version of the firmware installed in my PBO?

mickever

11-15-09, 07:23 AM

I have a new Win 7 build and I'm not too familiar with the network sharing features. From the PBO I can see the computer and I'm prompted for a Net User ID/Password but nothing seems to work, even though I setup a user called "Media" and added it to the Admin group on the PC.

I have a laptop that is still on XP and I was able to connect immediately without having to enter credentials.

Anybody else run into this?
Yes, and it's maddening. Box Office finds both my XP and Vista computers ("Logon Successful"), but when I try to select a drive I get a login window that calls for a Net User ID and Password (the default ID is Realtek). Neither of my computers require a logon, but blanking the fields does not work. Even entering Administrator ID and password do not work. Any ideas???

257Tony

11-15-09, 11:49 AM

Yes, and it's maddening. Box Office finds both my XP and Vista computers ("Logon Successful"), but when I try to select a drive I get a login window that calls for a Net User ID and Password (the default ID is Realtek). Neither of my computers require a logon, but blanking the fields does not work. Even entering Administrator ID and password do not work. Any ideas???

Thats exactly how mine works, and I enter my PC username and profile and it connects just fine. Have you ran the software that came on the CD? Read the manual and it tells you how to do it, I'm not sure it is required but I did install it, and everything works great on mine.

mickever

11-15-09, 12:16 PM

Yes, thanks, I ran the CD software. No joy.

CinaTube, which uses the same Realtek chip, worked fine when I blanked out the entry fields. It also had an option for eliminating the login window entirely. Waiting on Patriot to come up with cure...their unit is just wasting electricity!

nnn614

11-15-09, 01:16 PM

I found this information that was related to WD TV but it worked for my PBO too:

Win7 (and Vista) has some issues broadcasting its availability on a network.
You could try these changes to your Win7 box:-

Firstly, configure Sharing and Discovery:

1. Navigate to the Network and Sharing Center via the Control Panel
2. Click on the down arrow icons and select ON/OFF as follows:
Network Discovery - ON
File Sharing - ON
Public Folder Sharing - OFF
Printer Sharing - ON
Password Protected Sharing - OFF
Media Sharing - OFF

Next, configure the folder you want to share:

1. Select the folder
2. Right-click and choose 'Share' from the menu
3. From the drop-down box select the Everyone (All users in this list) account, making sure permissions are set to 'Reader'
4. Click the buttons Add, Share and Done.

Here are some further registry 'tweaks' if this doesn't work:

WARNING: This requires editing your PC's registry which, if edited incorrectly, can cause Windows systems to become unstable and unusable. So, follow the instructions below at your own risk. - we are not responsible for any damage caused by following these steps.

1. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor.
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\
2. On the right side, double-click on 'everyoneincludesanonymous' and change the 'Value data' from '0' to '1'
3. Double-click on 'NoLmHash' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'
4. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor:
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Param eters
5. Double-click on 'restrictnullsessaccess' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'
6. Close the registry editor

Finally, restart your PC.

I think the registry tweaks are what actually got everything working. Now when PBO asks for the ID and Password I just leave them blank and it connects fine. Hope you guys have the same results:

1. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor.
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\

2. On the right side, double-click on 'everyoneincludesanonymous' and change the 'Value data' from '0' to '1'

3. Double-click on 'NoLmHash' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'

4. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor:
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Param eters

5. Double-click on 'restrictnullsessaccess' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'

6. Close the registry editor

adude

11-15-09, 01:41 PM

I got mine on Tuesday but only opened it yesterday. The box makes a very high pitched noise. May be its faulty?

I am feeding the Patriot to my PJ through DVDO Edge. Because that's used as a scaler and all video processing, I was looking for a unit which can do source direct. Patriot does not have source direct, but the resolution can be cycled through at a touch of button. So, not as good as source direct but much better than having to go to setup every time. May be Patriot can add "source direct" through a firmware upgrade.

Over to playback quality. I played a DVD folder and picked a .ifo file to play. It loads the vob file correctly, able to identify the chapters as well but the audio is gone for at least 2 seconds at every chapter break.
Also, I noticed it shows lot of noise around the edges with DVD material (output at 480p). If I play the same DVD through Panny BD-35 (again at 480p), it does not show that noise. Panny is set to Normal, so it does not do any noise reduction at all.

I will play with it for a little while and see how it goes. The fan noise is a big issue, so may get an RMA for the unit. Not sure about the picture quality though, if it cannot be upgraded through firmware, then unit may go back.

mickever

11-15-09, 05:25 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 04:10 AM

strpyw

11-16-09, 05:47 AM

can i remove the contacts of the yellow and black wires to disable the fan since i am not using a hard drive inside the enclosure?

strpyw

11-16-09, 05:50 AM

I created a mp4 movie that is playable in a sony ps3. But in PBO the sound, which is apple's aac audio, would not play.

isekii

11-16-09, 11:41 AM

I preordered a unit from amazon and received it last week.

Four issues I'm having.

1. I am unable to get any sound to play via HDMI connected to my (Sharp LC-42D64U). The sound comes out fine on my other LCD TV though. (Mitsubishi LT-52144)
Sound Option chosen is the HDMI LPCM and I've also tried the HDMI Raw. None of those work for the Sharp.

2. The Fan noise is annoyingly loud I can hear it humming from about 10 ft away. I usually keep it next to my DVD player and unless I have the volume of the content playing at a certain level, you can hear it.

3. Unable to connect to a Hidden Wifi Broadcast. I'm unable to manually enter my SSID to connect to my Wifi Network. It shows as (hidden) but doesn't give me the option to name it. I am using the patriot box office Wifi USB adapter.

4. Any future plans to support more languages ? I'm unable to get Korean subtitles to play correctly. I've sent an email to Patriot support last week but have not received a response.

Other than that, the player has been working pretty well. So far it has played every file I've thrown at it.
I also have a HDD installed in the unit and it formatted and transfers files without any problems. I also tried it out as a external USB drive and that works fine.

If you can help me resolve some of the issues i'm having above I would very much appreciate it.

Thank You

steefnap

11-16-09, 12:03 PM

steefnap

11-16-09, 12:04 PM

For those annoyed with the hum of the fan, has anyone considered experimenting with a different fan purchased from your local computer parts retailer? I imagine it should share the same power/mount points as some chipset fans or maybe older video card fans.

adude

11-16-09, 12:36 PM

adude,
about fan noise, you said a high pitch sound? how loud is it? the fan should be very quiet. I would suggest you open the enclosure by removing the rear two screws and check the fan wiring. It should be a black and yellow wire directly connected to the fan. We've had a customer had the same issue which caused from the wiring gotten loose from the socket and touched the fan. Good luck, and let us know. If still bad, we'd be happy to replace it for you.

Hi,
I opened the box and checked for loose connection, but there isn't any. But while it was open, I started the unit and touched/pressed the top of the fan and the noise was gone.

anyway, looks like I will need to RMA this unit. Should I contact Amazon or Patriot for getting a replacement?

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 01:30 PM

can i remove the contacts of the yellow and black wires to disable the fan since i am not using a hard drive inside the enclosure?

We don't recommend, but if you don’t' use any HDD in the unit, then you can try it. The fan should be no more than 20 dBA, unless you sit 2 feet away, shouldn't be audible.

I created a mp4 movie that is playable in a sony ps3. But in PBO the sound, which is apple's aac audio, would not play.
I assume video played but no audio? what Audio codec did you use?

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 01:34 PM

Hi,
I opened the box and checked for loose connection, but there isn't any. But while it was open, I started the unit and touched/pressed the top of the fan and the noise was gone.

anyway, looks like I will need to RMA this unit. Should I contact Amazon or Patriot for getting a replacement?

Apologize for the inconvinences, it may appear the fan may have gotten loose during our air shipment.

For RMA…
1) You can contact directly with Amazon for RMA replacement, may be slightly faster turnaround.
2) Or.. you can contact us for replacement. Simply sending your request to RMA@patriotmem.com and we should take care of it.

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 01:48 PM

I preordered a unit from amazon and received it last week.

Four issues I'm having.

1. I am unable to get any sound to play via HDMI connected to my (Sharp LC-42D64U). The sound comes out fine on my other LCD TV though. (Mitsubishi LT-52144)
Sound Option chosen is the HDMI LPCM and I've also tried the HDMI Raw. None of those work for the Sharp.

Depends on the TV manufacture, and apparently the Sharp is not as "friendly" as the others. We've had a couple other similiar issues. There will be a new firmware which allows selection for HDMI dual channel and multi channel sound, which MAY fix the issue. We will be announcing it by end of this month.

2. The Fan noise is annoyingly loud I can hear it humming from about 10 ft away. I usually keep it next to my DVD player and unless I have the volume of the content playing at a certain level, you can hear it.

The FAN should be no more than 20 dBA, under normal circumstance, you should only hear a low "hum" from close range. In your case, i would definitly check the wiring make sure it's not shake out of the socket. You can do so, by remove the rear screws and check the black and yellow fan wire and see if it's touching the fan when turned on.

3. Unable to connect to a Hidden Wifi Broadcast. I'm unable to manually enter my SSID to connect to my Wifi Network. It shows as (hidden) but doesn't give me the option to name it. I am using the patriot box office Wifi USB adapter.

I'll check that for you, but you should be able to connect regardless it's hidden or not.

4. Any future plans to support more languages ? I'm unable to get Korean subtitles to play correctly. I've sent an email to Patriot support last week but have not received a response.

We are actually working on Korean interface right now, but honestly it may take a little time. May be next Jan?

roadmanc

11-16-09, 01:53 PM

mickever

11-16-09, 02:04 PM

Has anyone figured out how to enter drive paths into "My Shortcuts"? The documentation disc doesn't even offer hints!

isekii

11-16-09, 02:11 PM

Depends on the TV manufacture, and apparently the Sharp is not as "friendly" as the others. We've had a couple other similiar issues. There will be a new firmware which allows selection for HDMI dual channel and multi channel sound, which MAY fix the issue. We will be announcing it by end of this month.

I'm hoping this issue gets resolved since I'm looking to purchase another Media Streamer whether that will be the Patriot or not... will be decided on later.

The FAN should be no more than 20 dBA, under normal circumstance, you should only hear a low "hum" from close range. In your case, i would definitly check the wiring make sure it's not shake out of the socket. You can do so, by remove the rear screws and check the black and yellow fan wire and see if it's touching the fan when turned on.

It doesn't seem like the Fan is hitting against anything... if all else it sounds like the fan is spinning way too fast.

I'll check that for you, but you should be able to connect regardless it's hidden or not.

I tried to connect to the (hidden) but all I get is the small box with the circle saying it's loading or something but doesn't go anywhere from there.

We are actually working on Korean interface right now, but honestly it may take a little time. May be next Jan?

Hope this comes out as soon as possible.

valley_nomad

11-16-09, 05:35 PM

@Patriot Box Offi:

Can you comment on or answer my posts #85 and #88?

Also, I can not enable the BT/SMB function via menu. The box has an internal HDD.

tjcravey

11-16-09, 05:41 PM

I got mine on Thursday of last week from Amazon. For the most part it works great. I am having one issue though.

Certain .mkv files will preview fine in the menu, but when I select them, the screen goes black and the system goes unresponsive. The only remedy is to toggle the power switch on the back of the unit.

Has anyone else experienced this, or have any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong? I know the .mkv files are good, I have tested them with VLC on the computer and they play fine.

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 06:32 PM

@Patriot Box Offi:

Can you comment on or answer my posts #85 and #88?

Also, I can not enable the BT/SMB function via menu. The box has an internal HDD.

Crash during playback
quits playback and back to the folder list?
A: could be error in the video file, when the box try to error correct, it timed out.

freeze?
black screen?
A: what source are you playing it from? try use actual screen resolution instead of HDMI AUTO. give us a little more info, we'll try to find out what was the issue.

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 06:35 PM

indusbreed

11-16-09, 07:08 PM

Any idea when can we see the webservices like Youtube/Flickr/Pandora via Firware upgrade?

valley_nomad

11-16-09, 08:11 PM

Crash during playback
quits playback and back to the folder list?
A: could be error in the video file, when the box try to error correct, it timed out.

freeze?
black screen?
A: what source are you playing it from? try use actual screen resolution instead of HDMI AUTO. give us a little more info, we'll try to find out what was the issue.

Those files are played fine with other media players under the same UPnP network. So I am 100% sure it is not the problem of those video contents.

My post #88 is not about freeze. It is about how to find the current version of the firmware in the box.

Do you have the answer for my question on how to enable the BT function?

257Tony

11-16-09, 08:17 PM

Has anyone figured out how to enter drive paths into "My Shortcuts"? The documentation disc doesn't even offer hints!
Those will show up after you log in using the "my neighbors" or the "Workgoup" type of connection, when you log in with that there is an option to "save to my shortcuts" or something similar to that. You can get the folders you want to stream from to show up in the "neighbors" connection by adding them using the software that come on the CD. Very slick once you get it setup correctly.
@Patriot Box Offi:

Can you comment on or answer my posts #85 and #88?

Also, I can not enable the BT/SMB function via menu. The box has an internal HDD.

Did the HDD get formatted correctly when you installed it?

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 09:10 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-16-09, 09:14 PM

Those files are played fine with other media players under the same UPnP network. So I am 100% sure it is not the problem of those video contents.

My post #88 is not about freeze. It is about how to find the current version of the firmware in the box.

Do you have the answer for my question on how to enable the BT function?

you will have to format the internal HDD in order to have the BT services to be installed.

For firmware we have serialized allthe unit by lot. So next time for firmware update you can tell it by serial code on the box or the unit itself. We may include a version check in the later on firmware update.

valley_nomad

11-16-09, 11:37 PM

you will have to format the internal HDD in order to have the BT services to be installed. .

The internal HDD of course was formatted since this was the first prompt showed up after HDD was installed. And the BT services was automatically installed right after the format is completed. But I just can not turn on the BT/SMB function in Setup.

For firmware we have serialized allthe unit by lot. So next time for firmware update you can tell it by serial code on the box or the unit itself. We may include a version check in the later on firmware update.

Unless you can make totally bugfree firmware so that no firmware update is ever needed, the firmware version check (display) is obviously a must ;-)

strpyw

11-17-09, 01:16 AM

Quote:
I created a mp4 movie that is playable in a sony ps3. But in PBO the sound, which is apple's aac audio, would not play.
I assume video played but no audio? what Audio codec did you use?

Yes, video played fine, just no audio.
It was created by quicktime engine, therefore video is H264, audio is aac.

adude

11-17-09, 01:25 AM

Patriot Box Off,

Thanks for taking your time to post on this forum and answering the questions directly. It really helps a lot.

I will contact Amazon for the replacement.

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 03:05 AM

The internal HDD of course was formatted since this was the first prompt showed up after HDD was installed. And the BT services was automatically installed right after the format is completed. But I just can not turn on the BT/SMB function in Setup.

nomad, under setup, and system the BT/ SMB function should be able to switch on after the drive is formated and isntalled with BT services. It may appear a few seconds delay when you switch it to on as the unit would initiat the service. Try re-boot the unit and see if it makes a difference, but once the drive been initiated, there is no reason you can't switch that function on.

blackend

11-17-09, 03:44 AM

Patriot Box Offi

will this unit support arabic sub?srt files?

valley_nomad

11-17-09, 06:22 AM

nomad, under setup, and system the BT/ SMB function should be able to switch on after the drive is formated and isntalled with BT services. It may appear a few seconds delay when you switch it to on as the unit would initiat the service. Try re-boot the unit and see if it makes a difference, but once the drive been initiated, there is no reason you can't switch that function on.

I finally was able to turn on the BT after running Extension Package Upgrade under System Update. There is no mentioning about this step on the manual.

In order to manage the BT function, I have to use the Transcode Server on the PC. It would be much desired that the BT management can be done from BO box side without a PC.

simonsayzo

11-17-09, 06:26 AM

Got the box office up and running without a problem first few days without a hard drive in it. After I installed the hard drive in PBO, I get these very annoying flashes when I turn on the unit, it goes away after 8-10 seconds with the main screen. It is only like that with a drive in the unit. Are people having this issue? or is it a bad unit? By the way, im connected with HDMI running at 1080.

tjcravey

11-17-09, 10:16 AM

i am assuming it's external HDD playback? does it do the same thing if it stream via network or internal HDD?

I have tried using an external USB hard drive, and streaming it over the network, and had the problem both ways, and with two different .mkv files.

It's not all .mkv files though, some play perfectly fine, but for some reason on these two in particular, the preview in the file browser UI works just fine, but selecting it causes the system to lock up or freeze up displaying only a black screen, and becoming completely unresponsive to any remote control commands.

It doesn't make sense to me, if it's able to show a preview of the video in the file browser UI, it is obviously able to decode the video, and obviously the video file is good, so why would it not work when played normally?

steefnap

11-17-09, 10:19 AM

Mine flashes to a black screen periodically when I'm playing a video. In all circumstances, it was reading either from hard drive or USB, NOT over the network (it's not even plugged in).

One time it was a 720p MKV file, the other time it was a low-quality AVI file (180MB for 42 minutes). First black screen was a couple seconds long, after about 20-25 minutes of playback. I rewound the video about 60 seconds and replayed the spot where it blacked out, and the video was fine during that section... so it's not the source video. For some reason everything just goes black for a few seconds, and then comes back.

Anyone have any ideas? It's not covered, so it's not overheating from what I can tell...

Sam Ontario

11-17-09, 11:25 AM

This miniUSB port is for connection to PC/Laptop for transfering files from PC to the PBO's HDD if installed. It will be useless if a special miniUSB cable is not available for connecting to an external USB HDD.

strpyw

11-17-09, 12:01 PM

About the miniusb connection,with a hard drive inside, will it use the computer's power alone or the ac adaptor must be plugged in as well.

Sam Ontario

11-17-09, 01:11 PM

I guess it will need the PBO plug in as well, since miniUSB will not have 12V to power it up.

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 01:19 PM

I finally was able to turn on the BT after running Extension Package Upgrade under System Update. There is no mentioning about this step on the manual.

In order to manage the BT function, I have to use the Transcode Server on the PC. It would be much desired that the BT management can be done from BO box side without a PC.

actually you don't have to use the transcode server, just type in the IP into your browser, i.e. 10.10.1.20 (assuming that's your box office). it should lead to the download control. This is very much the same concept as your typical NAS enclosure with BT function built in.

hyperactiveme

11-17-09, 01:19 PM

How's the GUI on this thing? I've read the thread but can't remember if there are any movie pictures so it's easy to see what the file is w/o having to read the file name

is there movie sheet generator that works with this player?

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 01:20 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 01:21 PM

I have tried using an external USB hard drive, and streaming it over the network, and had the problem both ways, and with two different .mkv files.

It's not all .mkv files though, some play perfectly fine, but for some reason on these two in particular, the preview in the file browser UI works just fine, but selecting it causes the system to lock up or freeze up displaying only a black screen, and becoming completely unresponsive to any remote control commands.

It doesn't make sense to me, if it's able to show a preview of the video in the file browser UI, it is obviously able to decode the video, and obviously the video file is good, so why would it not work when played normally?

see if digital noise reduction is set to AUTO, turn it off and try it again see if that helps.

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 01:22 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 01:25 PM

About the miniusb connection,with a hard drive inside, will it use the computer's power alone or the ac adaptor must be plugged in as well.

you will have to connect the power to the unit and hit the on switch. Once PBO boot (about 15 secs) your desktop will see it as an external drive. Or if you have it on the network, you can use the transcode software to "visit neighbor" or network neighborhood that will bring the unit up as a network storage.

lewis26

11-17-09, 01:46 PM

The wifi adapter is not seeing my Wifi Router. I have a linksys n router set up to broadcast a mixed signal. Both my iphone and camputer on G can see the ssid and connect no problem, but the box office is not seeing it even when placed right next to the router.

Otherwise, love the device. Getting ready to throw a 500gb drive in there when they go on sale on black friday.

EDIT: A power toggle fixed the issue. Weird that it would see other access points but not mine before it was toggled.

simonsayzo

11-17-09, 03:51 PM

try to turn digital noice reduction off, and set to an actual HDMI setting instead of leave it on auto.

Did That with no luck at flickering startup. Its not an HDMI problem because I tested with composite video cable and still the same problem. I have tried everything, I might just take out the drive to get rid of this problem. Please address this problem and should have this fixed by the next firmware. Thanks !!

valley_nomad

11-17-09, 03:57 PM

actually you don't have to use the transcode server, just type in the IP into your browser, i.e. 10.10.1.20 (assuming that's your box office). it should lead to the download control. This is very much the same concept as your typical NAS enclosure with BT function built in.

Thanks for info. It is good to know BO box has a web server for BT management....

However, I still think the access to BT function management should be also made available on the box. This is different from the NAS scenario: A NAS doesn't have the monitor and user input device, so it is natural to perform the BT management through a PC on the network. But for the BT mechanism integrated in a media player which has its own display and user input devices, you really don't have to do the management via an external PC. In other words, the UI for all built-in functionality should be made available in the box.

gammah

11-17-09, 04:25 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 06:37 PM

Patriot Box Offi

will this unit support arabic sub?srt files?

yes, it does

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 06:51 PM

To Patriot Box Office:

I have a couple of .flac audio files that play and some that do not. Is there a reason? They all play fine on the computer using VLC media player.

Will there be support for hooking up an external USB Blu-Ray or DVD drive and playing movies off there?

My unit also has a small hum noise when I turn it on. It is annoying and is wanting me to return it. I saw in your earlier message that we can disconnect the fan. If this is the case, then what is the fan for?? Is it for cooling the chip or for the internal hard drive?

Finally, do you know what new features the next firmware update will bring? Also when will the firmware update be?

I want to know because I only have a few days to decide on whether to keep this or return it.

Gammah

Unit should play Flac fine, are you using SPDIF or HDMI for audio? Through TV or receiver?

The cooling fan is required for internal HDD, as they DO get hot. If you have no plan to put in a HDD, I'd just disconnec the fan all together.

Also, i would suggest check the fan wiring make sure it's not touch the sleeves, as well as sitting of the fan. Let us know if it works out for you.

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 06:53 PM

Thanks for info. It is good to know BO box has a web server for BT management....

However, I still think the access to BT function management should be also made available on the box. This is different from the NAS scenario: A NAS doesn't have the monitor and user input device, so it is natural to perform the BT management through a PC on the network. But for the BT mechanism integrated in a media player which has its own display and user input devices, you really don't have to do the management via an external PC. In other words, the UI for all built-in functionality should be made available in the box.

yeah.. we thought of putting a download status in one of the option, so you can see the % of the download.

Also in the process of updating a new skin for the PBO, so hopefully by mid December a HD skin will be available to flash.

adghuman

11-17-09, 06:55 PM

To Patriot Box Office.

I opend the box yesterday and Connected to TV . everything worked good. Tested the DVD Movie (.VOB) files worked great with EXTERNAL DRIVE Attached to USB ... did not work good overt the Network using Wireless G Adapter.

But today when I powered on the Unit, I see RED Light Blinking on LAN indicator of the Box. I tried Followign thing of no use

1. Power Off My Hard Drive and restarted the Box Office (From back Power Switch)
2. Disconnected the USB of hard drive and restarted the BOX OFFICE (From back Power Switch)
3. Unpluged the POWER Cable to box office and RePlugged it and Power it ON

Everytime I got the LAN Light Blinking. I do not know if the Box has gone bad or what . OFcourse I do not get anything on my TV to change the Settings.

Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

gammah

11-17-09, 06:57 PM

Hi, thanks for getting back so quick. I love it when companies do that!

I am using FLAC using HDMI and I am using HDMI RAW. It is being plugged into my ONKYO home theater system. Like I said, a couple of them play fine and a couple say unsupported format or some message that it cannot play it. I do not remember the exact message.

Also I have a couple of music files that are .ac3, but that does not even show up on the list.

I don't think the fan is hitting anything. I know the sound when the fan is hitting something and this is not it. It just sounds to me like the fan is spinning and making the humming noise.

Unit should play Flac fine, are you using SPDIF or HDMI for audio? Through TV or receiver?

The cooling fan is required for internal HDD, as they DO get hot. If you have no plan to put in a HDD, I'd just disconnec the fan all together.

Also, i would suggest check the fan wiring make sure it's not touch the sleeves, as well as sitting of the fan. Let us know if it works out for you.

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 07:34 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-17-09, 07:38 PM

Hi, thanks for getting back so quick. I love it when companies do that!

I am using FLAC using HDMI and I am using HDMI RAW. It is being plugged into my ONKYO home theater system. Like I said, a couple of them play fine and a couple say unsupported format or some message that it cannot play it. I do not remember the exact message.

Also I have a couple of music files that are .ac3, but that does not even show up on the list.

I don't think the fan is hitting anything. I know the sound when the fan is hitting something and this is not it. It just sounds to me like the fan is spinning and making the humming noise.

Thanks Gammah, we value all the feedback from AVS forums members. This is the very first media playback device Patriot announced, so ANY feedback is good feedback for us.

I will check the Flac for you with our engineering department.

We've already working on a couple fixes for the Fan noise level, and hopeuflly will mature enough to announce it with in the next couple weeks.

There will be a new firmware update as well by month end suppose to add some HDMI audio out functions as well added playback support. We will list them here when it's available.

Thanks again for choosing patriot product!

strpyw

11-17-09, 09:57 PM

I hope your fix will bring back audio from my mp4 movie ,made with quicktime.

Sam Ontario

11-18-09, 06:20 AM

I confirm gammah's fan noise. Its very audible at some 12 ft away, particularly noisy at night time. It occurs about 10 minutes after switched on. I don't feel any temperature or vibration on the PBO unit. It is air noise and needs insulation.

I have not yet installed the 2.5" HDD inside yet as the screws come with the box will not fit the holes on the HDD.

The design of the fan looks like a close air circulation which sucks air below and above the MB, blows air towards the HDD for cooling. Air is then cooled by the anodized Aluminum casing. 2.5" HDD use power less than 3W and I believe the major Multimedia chip will consume more power. It may have better cooling if the fan is facing down.

I guess installing the 2.5" HDD will decrease cooling of the chip and will increase the overall temperature of the HDD as the HDD is mounted above the chip. I will not be installing the HDD, and if I do, I will remove the rubber feet at the bottom to the side, with the Full HD 1080 facing up to improve natural circulation.

Edit: After hours of usage, fan noise was too much. I pulled the fan connector, peeled off the rubber feet and sticked them on the side and stood it up. Solved the fan noise problem.

baracca

11-18-09, 03:36 PM

I am on my second unit and have been having the same problem connecting through wireless. The unit recognized my SSID. After entering in the security key (WPA), it says testing connection and then does nothing. I also tried power cycling the router and removing wireless security but nothing worked. Any suggestions?

Patriot Box Offi

11-18-09, 05:19 PM

baracca

11-18-09, 07:40 PM

can you give us the router type?

I am using a Buffalo WHR-HP-54g router on dd-wrt firmware. The router has been rock solid and connects to all my other devices.

Patriot Box Offi

11-18-09, 08:42 PM

I am using a Buffalo WHR-HP-54g router on dd-wrt firmware. The router has been rock solid and connects to all my other devices.

Here's a few things i would recommend you try..

1) unplug the wifi adapter, and connect to your PC and notebook to see if a connection can be established.
2) if works, try plug the wifi adapter to the front end of the unit, and connect that again.
3) if failed, try reboot the device and see if the wifi connection can be established.

baracca

11-18-09, 10:02 PM

Here's a few things i would recommend you try..

1) unplug the wifi adapter, and connect to your PC and notebook to see if a connection can be established.
2) if works, try plug the wifi adapter to the front end of the unit, and connect that again.
3) if failed, try reboot the device and see if the wifi connection can be established.

Tried all your suggestions and still no go. The adapter connected fine using a laptop. I have power cycled the unit and router numerous times using 2 different wifi adapters and both usb ports.

257Tony

11-19-09, 12:18 AM

Tried all your suggestions and still no go. The adapter connected fine using a laptop. I have power cycled the unit and router numerous times using 2 different wifi adapters and both usb ports.

How far is your BO from your router? Mine will not pick up any SSID if I'm not fairly close, yet my PC with a Belkin G adapter, or my lappy with built in wifi both show very strong signals. Of course the BO shows a great signal when I tried it out since its only 4' away.

Friend_g

11-19-09, 12:43 AM

I've been monitoring this thread with great interest. Here is my report:

1) Video/Audio: it plays all formats I throwed in, MKV/RMVB/MPEG-4/FLV. Audio to LCD TV works well (HDMI LPCM output). I had one time issue that Preview played video, but full screen (normal play) had black screen. Pressed several buttons on remote in panic and it came through. Subtitle works great - font size/color/position flexible.

2) Fan noise: I didn't notice it at first night. But slowly I can hear the difference, particularly at night. If you turn volume up, the spinning fan noise can covered. But it is unpleasant at least. As a solution, I removed the cover and took the module out, and then disconnected the fan.

The fan covers an area with capacitors (power?), not over chip (it has heatsink). A little wired.

3) Network: does not work. I have un-broadcast SSID so PBO can not detect it. It does not allow me to input SSID and password. Consider it a bug in firmware.

4) UI and Firmware: UI is simple for normal use. Maybe the network part will be tough. No version indication on firmware. Consider a bug too.

Questions to Patriot Box Off:
I plan to use 3.5" HDD. I expose the board outside the cover to get air flow. Can the internal SATA connector have enough power to drive 3.5" HDD? Can I further disconnect the fan with 3.5" HDD attached?

baracca

11-19-09, 10:19 AM

How far is your BO from your router? Mine will not pick up any SSID if I'm not fairly close, yet my PC with a Belkin G adapter, or my lappy with built in wifi both show very strong signals. Of course the BO shows a great signal when I tried it out since its only 4' away.

It does pick up my SSID with good signal, it just does not connect. It makes no difference if I place it right next to the router. I even tried to reset to factory settings on the router with no security and still no connection.

halftrojan

11-19-09, 12:27 PM

I saw posted before from a Patriot person the following:

2) Does it support Blu Ray/ HD DVD ISO & menu?
Not the current firmware, BUT there will be a new firmware release at end of November which will.

Does this mean that it will support the full menus for Bluray ISOs?

Sam Ontario

11-19-09, 12:40 PM

I disconnected the fan, put in a 2.5" WD320GB drive with a screw (took it from another USB drive since the screws came with the box did not match), sit it vertical to improve natural circulation and the set up works well. Copied from my USB drive directly to the internal WD drive and played AVI files well without any heat issues with room temperature around 65 degree F. The casing did not warm up at all during copying and playing. The fan inside is really redundant if it plays well with HD materials at summer conditions.

Digital Puppy

11-19-09, 01:48 PM

Nice review on the Patriot Box off posted here (http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1136/1/) with pictures of the OS and PCB.

replayrob

11-19-09, 03:41 PM

Anyone know if the PCMPBO25 will downconvert DTS to stereo if it's simply connected to a TV via HDMI without a amp/decoder, etc? I currently have the Egreat M34a and that downconvert feature is very convenient as it's a very simple setup- media player & TV no other components needed.
For a bedroom- I'd like to simply connect the PCMPBO25 to a modern LCD TV via HDMI and still get (downconverted to stereo) from DTS MKV's etc over the TV's speakers.
Thanks,
Rob

lewis26

11-19-09, 03:54 PM

Yes it will downconvert with a simple change in the audio settings.

Have been testing mine the last few days. Absolutely love the thing already. I am only using it to play DVD .iso rips, which it does so beautifully. Highly worth the $100.

replayrob

11-19-09, 04:26 PM

Yes it will downconvert with a simple change in the audio settings.
Thanks for the quick reply Lewis!
That's good news for those of us that like to keep it simple :D

replay5040

11-19-09, 07:10 PM

woot.. got it last week.. but was too busy to play with it. Had it setup last night.. took about a couple mins. Included HDMI cable was a nice bonus, didn't have any extra laying around. The wifi adapter seems too big to fit in the back, it dosn't go all the way in, but okay in the front. Had it setup on homenetwork. Playback on 720 over wifi wasokay, 1080P movies stopped a couple places but over all wasn't too bad. I have it hooked up to a land line, so works great after that.

played almost every files i had, BluRay MKV, divix, ISO, MPEG, mov .. no issues at all. The fan wasn't too loud at all, can't hear it from 5ft away. Have not tried BT yet.. gonna test it tonight.

Sam Ontario

11-19-09, 07:32 PM

I found this information that was related to WD TV but it worked for my PBO too:

[I]Win7 (and Vista) has some issues broadcasting its availability on a network.
You could try these changes to your Win7 box:-

Firstly, configure Sharing and Discovery:

1. Navigate to the Network and Sharing Center via the Control Panel
2. Click on the down arrow icons and select ON/OFF as follows:
Network Discovery - ON
File Sharing - ON
Public Folder Sharing - OFF
Printer Sharing - ON
Password Protected Sharing - OFF
Media Sharing - OFF

Next, configure the folder you want to share:

1. Select the folder
2. Right-click and choose 'Share' from the menu
3. From the drop-down box select the Everyone (All users in this list) account, making sure permissions are set to 'Reader'
4. Click the buttons Add, Share and Done.

...

This procedure works with my Vista Premium 64.

Now,
1) anyone find the date set in "system" is not retained and
2) the WAP will not retain the wireless key I put in is not memorized.

Anyone find similar problems?

Freakfreak

11-20-09, 12:38 AM

I am glad to see that some official responds are happening here :)
Now I have gone through several Media players and have a few questions concerning annoyances I have been dealing with so far with devices I have tried:

To Patriot Box Offi and any current owners:
1. how responsive is the GUI? like scrolling through pages of of files, moving up and down folder levels etc. based on some feedback GUI seems to be the same as Asus O Play so can I assume it is the same performance? (I can find youtube reviews of the GUI for that)
2. I read and am glad to see that the preview can be disabled, but is there an option (or coming in the near future) to increase the number of files it can display each page? 6 is really too little and if running 1080P the option of a larger list would be great
3. can one scroll through lines of files but also by pages as well when dealing with the list? I do not see page up/down buttons on the remote but I hope the prev/next button performs this function?
4. I hope the file list is sorted by alphabet maybe even optionally by date (can you believe it my current player does it totally random?? seriously!!!!)
5. will sub-folders be sorted to the top of the list or treated equally with the files?
6. since the BO has a build-in webserver, would there be any chance that one could remotely create and update a playlist via a webinterface? (That would allow me to finally create an affordable Karaoke solution :))
7. does the audio settings allow selection of left or right channels to be spanned over both channels for dual channel videos or karaoke?
8. what is the fastest fast forward speed (mine is a ridiculous 16x only!)
9. is there a bookmarking/resume function? will it be retained after going into sleep mode and a hard power off?
10. I assume the BO can be put into a sleep mode when using the remote power off button... will it also power down the USB ports for attached ext HDDs
11. is there an eject function for ext HDD so I can swap them without powering down the unit and fear of killing my drives?
12. since the GUI is possibly the same as the Asus O Play, can I assume that the GUI is provided by a third party? Do you (or us) have any means to influence their upcoming design and feature set?
13. are there any intentions to open up the platform to allow opensource projects for at least the GUI level? This will drive the demand up significantly and give your box a huge advantage!

Sorry for the long list but I hope I am not the only to benefit from the info

Actually if some of the new owners can ask some of the questions that be great.

Sturmie

11-20-09, 01:39 AM

aasoror

11-20-09, 04:31 AM

two promises for firmware updates and very prompt and thorough reply on all the questions posted here ..!
This was enough for me to pull the trigger (5 minutes ago), can't wait to get my new Box Office .. :)

Thanks OP ..

Minmao

11-20-09, 10:43 AM

Got my box today, and hope someone could answer my questions:

1. Do I need to install the software on the CD to browse the files on my PC? I was able to connect to my wifi (if the SSID is not hidden), but see nothing under the "NET". My other computers has no problem seeing the shared folders on my main PC over my wifi.

2. I have WEP for my wifi, and it seems I could only input the key in the Hex format? Is it possible for me to input the key as ASCII format?

Thanks ahead.

donvia

11-20-09, 01:24 PM

Hi,
Does anyone know if this is DLNA compliant to allow it to be used with the PlayOn media server (I use this with a WDTV Live for streaming Netflix and Hulu).

Thanks!

replay5040

11-20-09, 02:32 PM

I am glad to see that some official responds are happening here :)
Now I have gone through several Media players and have a few questions concerning annoyances I have been dealing with so far with devices I have tried:

To Patriot Box Offi and any current owners:
1. how responsive is the GUI? like scrolling through pages of of files, moving up and down folder levels etc. based on some feedback GUI seems to be the same as Asus O Play so can I assume it is the same performance? (I can find youtube reviews of the GUI for that)

yeah same as the asus.. think all use RLTK stuff

2. I read and am glad to see that the preview can be disabled, but is there an option (or coming in the near future) to increase the number of files it can display each page? 6 is really too little and if running 1080P the option of a larger list would be great
there is an option you can disable preview. Although I kinda like it :).

3. can one scroll through lines of files but also by pages as well when dealing with the list? I do not see page up/down buttons on the remote but I hope the prev/next button performs this function?
i tried using fast foward button and it works as page up and down, and if you go up instead of go down, it'll go to the last file in the folder.

4. I hope the file list is sorted by alphabet maybe even optionally by date (can you believe it my current player does it totally random?? seriously!!!!)
wow.. you serious! haha that's painful .. yeah it's Alphabetical. I don't think there is any other way to sort it.

5. will sub-folders be sorted to the top of the list or treated equally with the files?
yeah folders on the top then files

6. since the BO has a build-in webserver, would there be any chance that one could remotely create and update a playlist via a webinterface? (That would allow me to finally create an affordable Karaoke solution :))
dont' think it's possible out of the box.. but i think i saw a workaround to load playlist.

7. does the audio settings allow selection of left or right channels to be spanned over both channels for dual channel videos or karaoke?
don't think it split this way.. unless you use your TV and move to all left audio :D.

8. what is the fastest fast forward speed (mine is a ridiculous 16x only!)
32x.. there is a goto function you can input time and it will go straight to that part.

9. is there a bookmarking/resume function? will it be retained after going into sleep mode and a hard power off?
yes.. it will go back to where you stopped the movie.

10. I assume the BO can be put into a sleep mode when using the remote power off button... will it also power down the USB ports for attached ext HDDs
yeah works so far for me.

11. is there an eject function for ext HDD so I can swap them without powering down the unit and fear of killing my drives?
don't think so.....

12. since the GUI is possibly the same as the Asus O Play, can I assume that the GUI is provided by a third party? Do you (or us) have any means to influence their upcoming design and feature set?
they mentioned some where got a new firmware coming.. not sure if they had done any thing on the design of it.. it's pretty simple now.. but that's about it.

13. are there any intentions to open up the platform to allow opensource projects for at least the GUI level? This will drive the demand up significantly and give your box a huge advantage!
diddo on that...

pvrnorth

11-20-09, 03:13 PM

Simple question, but haven't been able to find the answer. When viewing photos, can you rotate the image with the remote, or does the photo need to be rotated on a pc before being played on this?

Freakfreak

11-20-09, 03:35 PM

Thanks replay5040 for the detailed reply :)

I dun mind the preview but I prefer having a larger list to show more content as my folders at times have hundreds of clips and I already sort them into sub folders. I am glad to see that it allow to jump to a set time as that will be even easier though sometimes it's great to have a fast forward function that can go to 120x (e.g. on the PS3). As for Channel selection I currently use my amp to do it but it's hidden so deep I don't think she will ever figure out how to do it so I remain the dedicated DJ for her :P

Digital Puppy

11-20-09, 04:46 PM

Just realized I can "Push" data on to the hard drive installed on the Patriot from computers on the network. This is pretty nice for those of us who want to save files directly to the player on your network. (Would love to have a Gigabit Ethernet for this!)

patchez

11-20-09, 05:34 PM

i just got my Box Office yesterday and after half a day of playing with it, i'm not too happy with it.

fan is noisy:
similar to others, the hum from fan is easily audible 10-12 ft away and is somewhat annoying. what i found helped was to sandwich it under my A/V switch to stop/reduce the vibrations from the fan, but the hum is still annoying.

mkv's not playing:
also, similar to others whom have mentioned that the preview works, but the screen turns dark after it is played. i tried the mashing of buttons as mentioned by another member, but to no avail.

external dvd drive not found:
plugged in my Samsung SE-S084C and it was not found

gui / device is VERY slow:
very often it freezes momentarily when switching between menus (without video previews), and it's worst than waiting for my windows mobile phone to load programs.
this is what killed it for me, the slow response/freezing is just not tolerable.

otherwise, it works ok playing videos and music.
i had so much hope for this player too, with rmvb support, internal hd, and dvd menus. i hope some of my issues can be slowly be fixed with upcoming firmware updates.

valley_nomad

11-20-09, 05:44 PM

i recently purchased one of these units and have found that it only plays ~70% of my x264 encoded files...on various MKV movies, i can view the preview fine, but when I try to play it, the screen just goes black and I have to power down the unit and power it back up to get it working again. This has happened with 1080p video AND 720p and has also happened with movies with DTS encoded audio and AC3...so there is no noticeable pattern. i have even stripped out everything from the MKV, only leaving the audio + video and English subs and the same thing happens.

any ideas?

My PBO has the similar problem. The unit crashes (or returns to the main menu after several 10 or 20 seconds) whenever playing certain contents via UPnP. It actually crashes when the browser highlights those contents. But all contents are played just fine if I put them onto the internal HDD. Those contents are 1080p MPEG-2 or H.264 contents with multiple audio codecs (e.g. DTS and AC3) in either mkv or ts container format. I also found that all the contents I recorded from broadcast streams (i.e. 1080i MPEG-2 with AC3 in ts container) are all fine no mater how they are played.

I didn't see the problem when I play those contents using other media players such as CinemaTube and Elektron EHP-606.

valley_nomad

11-20-09, 06:05 PM

...
played almost every files i had, BluRay MKV, divix, ISO, MPEG, mov .. no issues at all. The fan wasn't too loud at all, can't hear it from 5ft away. Have not tried BT yet.. gonna test it tonight.

Did you use UPnP when you played those contents without any problem?

replay5040

11-20-09, 06:25 PM

valley_nomad

11-20-09, 06:59 PM

didn't use UPNP.. it's on my dlink 323, just browsed over through network. so far no playback issues. I'll try UPNP when i get home tongiht.

from what you said, it PLAYS on internal HDD? but not via streaming? that's weird....so the unit plays then?

The problem occurs only when streaming certain contents through UPnP. So it is either a bug in UPnP code, or that part of firmware in my PBO is corrupted. Does any one know where to get the current firmware and how to install it in PBO?

Friend_g

11-21-09, 01:30 PM

I have a few video clips that can not be played:

1. Video: Windows Media Video V8; Audio: Windows Media Audio 9, 64 kbps, 44 kHz, stereo (A/V) 1-pass CBR

2. Video: Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2; Audio: MPEG Layer-3, 40 kBit/s, 24,000 Hz, Stereo

3. 3GPP - this is a mobilde phone video format. I understand it is rare.

All these clips can be played on PC with Windows or VLC media player. PBO lacks certain codecs.

Sam Ontario

11-21-09, 01:41 PM

I can logon to Vista 64 machine OK with below steps but I cannot logon to Windows 7 machine to play the shared Library. I don't know how to edit Registry as outline below. Can someone help?

I found this information that was related to WD TV but it worked for my PBO too:

Win7 (and Vista) has some issues broadcasting its availability on a network.
You could try these changes to your Win7 box:-

Firstly, configure Sharing and Discovery:

1. Navigate to the Network and Sharing Center via the Control Panel
2. Click on the down arrow icons and select ON/OFF as follows:
Network Discovery - ON
File Sharing - ON
Public Folder Sharing - OFF
Printer Sharing - ON
Password Protected Sharing - OFF
Media Sharing - OFF

Next, configure the folder you want to share:

1. Select the folder
2. Right-click and choose 'Share' from the menu
3. From the drop-down box select the Everyone (All users in this list) account, making sure permissions are set to 'Reader'
4. Click the buttons Add, Share and Done.

Here are some further registry 'tweaks' if this doesn't work:

WARNING: This requires editing your PC's registry which, if edited incorrectly, can cause Windows systems to become unstable and unusable. So, follow the instructions below at your own risk. - we are not responsible for any damage caused by following these steps.

1. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor.
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\
2. On the right side, double-click on 'everyoneincludesanonymous' and change the 'Value data' from '0' to '1'
3. Double-click on 'NoLmHash' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'
4. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor:
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Param eters
5. Double-click on 'restrictnullsessaccess' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'
6. Close the registry editor

Finally, restart your PC.

I think the registry tweaks are what actually got everything working. Now when PBO asks for the ID and Password I just leave them blank and it connects fine. Hope you guys have the same results:

1. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor.
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\

2. On the right side, double-click on 'everyoneincludesanonymous' and change the 'Value data' from '0' to '1'

3. Double-click on 'NoLmHash' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'

4. Navigate to the following location in the registry editor:
MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Param eters

5. Double-click on 'restrictnullsessaccess' and change the 'Value data' from '1' to '0'

6. Close the registry editor

tresor

11-21-09, 05:59 PM

Freakfreak,
just purchased a Box Office. some answers to you:

To Patriot Box Offi and any current owners:
1. how responsive is the GUI?
I'm browsing media files stored on an internal HDD: I would say it responsive enough not to be a problem. The other thing I've noticed is interface response to be slightly slower when 'Russian' is selected as the interface language.

... is there an option (or coming in the near future) to increase the number of files it can display each page?
Don't see such option anywhere in the menu to configure. Would be nice to have it.

3. can one scroll through lines of files but also by pages as well when dealing with the list? ...
From the Remote Control:
- UP/DOWN keys - scroll list by one line
- NEXT/PREV keys - scroll through list by pages
- RETURN key - go one level up in the folders tree
- ENTER key - enter the selected Folder
- BROWSER key - jump to browser selection menu to choose from HDD, USB, NET, UPNP devices or PLAYLIST
- COPY key - jump to File Copy menu

4. I hope the file list is sorted by alphabet maybe even optionally by date (can you believe it my current player does it totally random?? seriously!!!!)

Yes, files sorted alphabetically (A-Z, no other options)

5. will sub-folders be sorted to the top of the list or treated equally with the files?

Folders (A-Z) always sorted to the top of the list

6. since the BO has a build-in webserver, would there be any chance that one could remotely create and update a playlist via a webinterface? (That would allow me to finally create an affordable Karaoke solution :))

The browser interface is to control only the P2P torrent that is built-in (you can access it by typing an IP address).
There is also some way to manage playlists using the remote ctrl, but I never tried to.

7. does the audio settings allow selection of left or right channels to be spanned over both channels for dual channel videos or karaoke?

I believe there is no such option, but you can check the manual available on the manufacturer's web site (the manual does not provide a lot of information, but all available audio options are covered there)

8. what is the fastest fast forward speed (mine is a ridiculous 16x only!)

fastest Fast Forward = 32X

9. is there a bookmarking/resume function? will it be retained after going into sleep mode and a hard power off?

Yes, yes, and I love it. The resume works with zero efforts required from you. The play position is retained after the power physically switched off on the back panel of the Box Office. When playing the movie next time, the Box Office will ask if you want to resume.

10. I assume the BO can be put into a sleep mode when using the remote power off button... will it also power down the USB ports for attached ext HDDs

PWR button on the remote results "Services shutting down..." message on the TV and BO turned off few seconds after. Both, the internal, and attached USB HDDs are turned off. I just tested it.

11. is there an eject function for ext HDD so I can swap them without powering down the unit and fear of killing my drives?

Good question. The "eject" key on the remote control does not seem to do anything.
I just tested my PBO with external HD attached to the front USB connector. The is no definite information on this. As far as I know the USB is designed w/hot swap in mind. Just unplugging alone the USB HD will never kill it. There are some rare cases where you may end up loosing some data (1st case - when write cash is used by software, 2nd- if you pull the USB during that exact moment when it writes data. Modern file systems are journaled - meaning fewer data loss cases, and higher integrity of the data structure.

Thanks for asking. It would be nice to have an "eject" button on the remote control to be utilized and actually power down the external HD - for user's peace of mind.

12. since the GUI is possibly the same as the Asus O Play, can I assume that the GUI is provided by a third party? Do you (or us) have any means to influence their upcoming design and feature set?

I'm not familiar with Asus O Play. I actually don't know.

13. are there any intentions to open up the platform to allow opensource projects for at least the GUI level? This will drive the demand up significantly and give your box a huge advantage!

Agree this would guarantee wider customer acceptance in the market.
+1 vote

There is some interesting info:
the internal HD formatted by my Box Office has three partitions on it:
- "disk2s2" (recognized as Linux Swap) - hidden from user
- "disk2s3" (Linux partition) - hidden from user
- "Partition1" (NTFS) - yours to store all media files.
I assume that Box Office runs Linux inside and there should be enough developers capable to do many more interesting things with it.

Freakbreak,
thanks for your list of questions. It actually helped me to learn my PBO which I just recently purchased.

tresor

11-21-09, 06:21 PM

Simple question, but haven't been able to find the answer. When viewing photos, can you rotate the image with the remote, or does the photo need to be rotated on a pc before being played on this

Photos rotated through the remote. You don't have to do it on a computer.

tresor

11-21-09, 07:40 PM

did anyone try to compare these two units?
I found surprising similarity between Patriot PCMPBO25 Box Office and A.C.Ryan ACR-PV73100

I provide links below shortened for convenience

product detail URL: http://short.to/xxej
User Manual URL: http://short.to/xxfm
Firmware URL: http://short.to/xxeu

The screenshots of the interface in the manual are almost identical to Box Office. Packaging is also very similar.
The Box Office lucks component video outputs and has different design. Packaging has the same size.

Any thoughts?

baracca

11-21-09, 08:03 PM

Tried all your suggestions and still no go. The adapter connected fine using a laptop. I have power cycled the unit and router numerous times using 2 different wifi adapters and both usb ports.

Ok, I just went and bought a new router just to see if it connects and still no wireless. I guess this one is going back too. Hmmm...but 2 bad units in a row and no one else is experiencing the same problem?

257Tony

11-21-09, 11:19 PM

Sam Ontario

11-22-09, 06:37 AM

Ok, I just went and bought a new router just to see if it connects and still no wireless. I guess this one is going back too. Hmmm...but 2 bad units in a row and no one else is experiencing the same problem?

Although PBO has not the top QC (I have wrong screws for the internal HDD, LEDs bent and not properly fitted and a screw not properly fitted in the front) amongst the media player arena, 2 bad PBOs are very rare. My PBO wireless works fine with my XP Home Laptop and Vista 64 Premium laptop downstairs though I still have trouble viewing my Windows 7 laptop shared folders.

It sees your router SSID but you cannot connect to your new and old wireless router. If you have another PC, try to connect it to your router and see if you can see your laptop under the "Network Neigbourhood" or inside the control panel. If you see the laptop on the PC, your local wireless network is OK.

You probably need to log down each step in order to have others to look at it where went wrong.

baracca

11-22-09, 01:38 PM

Although PBO has not the top QC (I have wrong screws for the internal HDD, LEDs bent and not properly fitted and a screw not properly fitted in the front) amongst the media player arena, 2 bad PBOs are very rare. My PBO wireless works fine with my XP Home Laptop and Vista 64 Premium laptop downstairs though I still have trouble viewing my Windows 7 laptop shared folders.

It sees your router SSID but you cannot connect to your new and old wireless router. If you have another PC, try to connect it to your router and see if you can see your laptop under the "Network Neigbourhood" or inside the control panel. If you see the laptop on the PC, your local wireless network is OK.

You probably need to log down each step in order to have others to look at it where went wrong.

Yes all my laptops (4) connect fine using wireless and show up in the network neighborhood. Here is a summary of what I have tried so far. It looks like I can't get a third one to try because Amazon says they will not ship me a new one because it's the same problem.

Routers: Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 on DD-WRT firmware (original), Linksys WRT-54G2 on stock firmware

All of these steps produced the same results - sees SSID but does not connect (screen shows "testing..." then goes back to config screen where it says "Wireless Setup On: DHCP not ready!!" I am running DHCP on my routers.

1. Original router with WPA-PSA, DHCP
2. Tried WPA2-PSA
3. Removed wireless security all together
4. Changed wireless channel to 1, 6, 11
5. Placed PBO right next to router
6. Reset router firmware to factory defaults
7. Power cycled both router and PBO
8. Tried both front and back USB ports on PBO
9. Plugged wireless adapter to laptop and connection was fine
10. Returned PBO and got new one, went back to step 1-8
11. Got new router and went through step 1-8 again

Am I missing something obvious? I don't consider myself a newbie at wireless networking because I have been doing this for years and it seems that people have been able to connect fine without changing anything. I appreciate your help. I really want to like the PBO but my setup makes it difficult to run a cable to the router. Wired connection was fine.

smpilot07

11-22-09, 07:35 PM

Yes all my laptops (4) connect fine using wireless and show up in the network neighborhood. Here is a summary of what I have tried so far. It looks like I can't get a third one to try because Amazon says they will not ship me a new one because it's the same problem.

Routers: Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 on DD-WRT firmware (original), Linksys WRT-54G2 on stock firmware

All of these steps produced the same results - sees SSID but does not connect (screen shows "testing..." then goes back to config screen where it says "Wireless Setup On: DHCP not ready!!" I am running DHCP on my routers.

1. Original router with WPA-PSA, DHCP
2. Tried WPA2-PSA
3. Removed wireless security all together
4. Changed wireless channel to 1, 6, 11
5. Placed PBO right next to router
6. Reset router firmware to factory defaults
7. Power cycled both router and PBO
8. Tried both front and back USB ports on PBO
9. Plugged wireless adapter to laptop and connection was fine
10. Returned PBO and got new one, went back to step 1-8
11. Got new router and went through step 1-8 again

Am I missing something obvious? I don't consider myself a newbie at wireless networking because I have been doing this for years and it seems that people have been able to connect fine without changing anything. I appreciate your help. I really want to like the PBO but my setup makes it difficult to run a cable to the router. Wired connection was fine.
baracca,

I have the same problem. I have a Buffalo WHR-G54S and running Tomato firmaware. The PBO can see my SSID but cannot connect to the router.

replay5040

11-23-09, 01:41 AM

Sam Ontario

11-23-09, 04:21 AM

Yes all my laptops (4) connect fine using wireless and show up in the network neighborhood. ...

If all 4 laptops showed up in the local networkmap at the same time with the same network "key", there is no problem with the wireless network connections. The only problem will be how to connect the PBO to the wireless network. I am using Extreme N router. In configuring the PBO network connection, saw my SSID, keyed in my Hex "key", saw all my laptops in my local network.

StrungOut

11-23-09, 09:41 AM

Does anyone know the default Login/Password needed to telnet into the PBO?

257Tony

11-23-09, 10:24 AM

Yes all my laptops (4) connect fine using wireless and show up in the network neighborhood. Here is a summary of what I have tried so far. It looks like I can't get a third one to try because Amazon says they will not ship me a new one because it's the same problem.

Routers: Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 on DD-WRT firmware (original), Linksys WRT-54G2 on stock firmware

All of these steps produced the same results - sees SSID but does not connect (screen shows "testing..." then goes back to config screen where it says "Wireless Setup On: DHCP not ready!!" I am running DHCP on my routers.

1. Original router with WPA-PSA, DHCP
2. Tried WPA2-PSA
3. Removed wireless security all together
4. Changed wireless channel to 1, 6, 11
5. Placed PBO right next to router
6. Reset router firmware to factory defaults
7. Power cycled both router and PBO
8. Tried both front and back USB ports on PBO
9. Plugged wireless adapter to laptop and connection was fine
10. Returned PBO and got new one, went back to step 1-8
11. Got new router and went through step 1-8 again

Am I missing something obvious? I don't consider myself a newbie at wireless networking because I have been doing this for years and it seems that people have been able to connect fine without changing anything. I appreciate your help. I really want to like the PBO but my setup makes it difficult to run a cable to the router. Wired connection was fine.

Have you tried setting a static IP on your PBO, even though your router is set for DHCP?
Does anyone know the default Login/Password needed to telnet into the PBO?

RTFM:)

baracca

11-23-09, 12:51 PM

Have you tried setting a static IP on your PBO, even though your router is set for DHCP?

RTFM:)

I could be wrong but I think static IP config is only for wired connections. I am getting a third unit in a couple of days and will report if it works or not.

baracca

11-23-09, 12:54 PM

I tried it on mine, and no problem with wifi. It did take about a sec before it goes to connect screen. Make sure you didn't hit the button twice.. it may cancel itself out and go back to the menu.

did wire works? if your wire works..and check your key codes, i used WPA and WEP, there is different "okay" for open and shared? works both on my, but just curious if any one know the difference.

Wire connection worked for me. I doubt I entered the wrong key 30 times in a row. I have not tried WEP but if removing security didn't work then I don't think WEP would either.

StrungOut

11-23-09, 01:02 PM

Have you tried setting a static IP on your PBO, even though your router is set for DHCP?

RTFM:)

Ummm.. No. The manual says the l/p is admin 123. And that ain't it, I know because I tried it and it didn't work.

If you don't know the answer don't reply with a smart remark.

replay5040

11-23-09, 01:17 PM

Wire connection worked for me. I doubt I entered the wrong key 30 times in a row. I have not tried WEP but if removing security didn't work then I don't think WEP would either.

did you disable SSID broadcasting?

baracca

11-23-09, 01:20 PM

did you disable SSID broadcasting?

No, I see the SSID but just can't connect.

Freakfreak

11-23-09, 02:25 PM

thanks for your list of questions. It actually helped me to learn my PBO which I just recently purchased.

No thank you for the detailed answers again. Now if "Patriot Box Offi" could shine in some offcial reply to some of the questions I directed at him that be great.

BTW I just looked at WDV Live GUI on Youtube and man if the PBO could only get close to it I be set.

Patriot Box Offi

11-23-09, 02:56 PM

Freakfreak

11-23-09, 03:05 PM

Freakfreak,
We have been keeping a close eye to the AVS forums, and the answers you get from both Tresor and Replay5040 is correct. Thanks for those who helping out with fellow forum members.

let us know if there is any other questions..

Mean while, we will be publishing firmware download on our website with in this week. As well as newer udpates VERY SOON!

Hi Patriot Box Offi

You do monitor this quite closely aren't you :) That's really one reason why I am considering the PBO :D
Could you shine in on the following question more specifically:

2. I read and am glad to see that the preview can be disabled, but is there an option (or coming in the near future) to increase the number of files it can display each page? 6 is really too little and if running 1080P the option of a larger list would be great
6. since the BO has a build-in webserver, would there be any chance that one could remotely create and update a video playlist via a webinterface? (That would allow me to finally create an affordable Karaoke solution )
7. does the audio settings allow selection of left or right channels to be spanned over both channels for dual channel videos or karaoke? Is this something that could make it on the future feature list? I know a lot of videos come with dual language mode
12. since the GUI is possibly the same as the Asus O Play, can I assume that the GUI is provided by a third party? (I think I read somewhere that it is provided by RealTek themselves?) Do you (or us) have any means to influence their upcoming design and feature set?
13. are there any intentions to open up the platform to allow opensource projects for at least the GUI level? This will drive the demand up significantly and give your box a huge advantage!

Thanks for any information you are able to provide without breaking any rules on your end of cause :)

Patriot Box Offi

11-23-09, 03:33 PM

Hi Patriot Box Offi

You do monitor this quite closely aren't you :) That's really one reason why I am considering the PBO :D
Could you shine in on the following question more specifically:

2. I read and am glad to see that the preview can be disabled, but is there an option (or coming in the near future) to increase the number of files it can display each page? 6 is really too little and if running 1080P the option of a larger list would be great

Possibily, we are working on a new UI layover and modify how text are being displayed. However, you probably wont' see it until late December.

6. since the BO has a build-in webserver, would there be any chance that one could remotely create and update a video playlist via a webinterface? (That would allow me to finally create an affordable Karaoke solution )
at the moment no.

7. does the audio settings allow selection of left or right channels to be spanned over both channels for dual channel videos or karaoke? Is this something that could make it on the future feature list? I know a lot of videos come with dual language mode
that will be difficult. The new firmware does support multi channel HDMI, but goes as low as dual channel stereo. I will check with our R&D and see if that's possilbe.

12. since the GUI is possibly the same as the Asus O Play, can I assume that the GUI is provided by a third party? (I think I read somewhere that it is provided by RealTek themselves?) Do you (or us) have any means to influence their upcoming design and feature set?
The core application is provided by RLTK and it is NOT open source. However we are working closely with them to customize our UI to improve userbility.

13. are there any intentions to open up the platform to allow opensource projects for at least the GUI level? This will drive the demand up significantly and give your box a huge advantage!
unfortuantely not at the moment. Possibliy in the future when we get the green light from RLTK

Freakfreak

11-23-09, 06:13 PM

Possibily, we are working on a new UI layover and modify how text are being displayed. However, you probably wont' see it until late December.

that will be difficult. The new firmware does support multi channel HDMI, but goes as low as dual channel stereo. I will check with our R&D and see if that's possilbe.

The core application is provided by RLTK and it is NOT open source. However we are working closely with them to customize our UI to improve userbility.

unfortuantely not at the moment. Possibliy in the future when we get the green light from RLTK

It is replies like this that makes me want to go out and buy it immediately :D As long as you are listening to your customers and just considering the requests you are already justifying the your customers investment

Patriot Box Offi

11-24-09, 01:33 PM

Thanks we will do our best to keep up with the community.

Good news, we've finished updating some of the firmware changes. No later by this friday, you shall find downloadable firmware on our site.

Also a new firmware will be available around that time give the ability to run Blu Ray/ HDDVD iso and a few other features.

baracca

11-24-09, 07:07 PM

baracca,

I have the same problem. I have a Buffalo WHR-G54S and running Tomato firmaware. The PBO can see my SSID but cannot connect to the router.

Ok, just got my third unit and still no wireless. I guess I can pretty much rule out that it's something wrong with the PBO. It has to be an issue with my setup. I don't know what else to try....out of the box PBO and out of the box Linksys WRT54G2 router with all default setups and no wireless security and still no connection! I am pulling my hair out on this one.

Patriot Box Offi

11-24-09, 07:20 PM

Ok, just got my third unit and still no wireless. I guess I can pretty much rule out that it's something wrong with the PBO. It has to be an issue with my setup. I don't know what else to try....out of the box PBO and out of the box Linksys WRT54G2 router with all default setups and no wireless security and still no connection! I am pulling my hair out on this one.

baracca,
can you send us an email to support@patriotmem.com with mentioning to this thread? We will arrange another wifi adapter to see if it makes any difference.

in the email please include:
1) wireless router make and model #
2) Dynamic or static IP
3) wireless SSID broadcasting/ hidden
4) encryption method if used any
5) most importantly.. your contact info

thanks for your support. Don't worry.. we will sort it out for you.

redcharade

11-24-09, 10:12 PM

Did That with no luck at flickering startup. Its not an HDMI problem because I tested with composite video cable and still the same problem. I have tried everything, I might just take out the drive to get rid of this problem. Please address this problem and should have this fixed by the next firmware. Thanks !!

Hi I am having the same problem. When I start the box up, regardless whether there is a hard drive connected inside or not, the startup screen that says Box Office is flickering, seems to be running up and down the screen (like the V-hold is not right) and is really annoying for about 8 - 10 seconds. But once the menu comes on, everything stabilizes. I am also using the yellow, red & white cables, not HDMI.

I can live with it but I hope this isn't an indication my box will give me problems... But if you have a fix, please let me know.

Noise of fan is very quiet, menus run fast, so I'll just hang on to this one for now and hope no problems arise anytime soon.

baracca

11-24-09, 10:55 PM

baracca,
can you send us an email to support@patriotmem.com with mentioning to this thread? We will arrange another wifi adapter to see if it makes any difference.

in the email please include:
1) wireless router make and model #
2) Dynamic or static IP
3) wireless SSID broadcasting/ hidden
4) encryption method if used any
5) most importantly.. your contact info

thanks for your support. Don't worry.. we will sort it out for you.

Thanks. I just popped you guys an email. No need for another adapter, I've already tried 4 different ones, 3 of them Patriot. I hope you can figure this out.

simonsayzo

11-25-09, 12:52 AM

Hi I am having the same problem. When I start the box up, regardless whether there is a hard drive connected inside or not, the startup screen that says Box Office is flickering, seems to be running up and down the screen (like the V-hold is not right) and is really annoying for about 8 - 10 seconds. But once the menu comes on, everything stabilizes. I am also using the yellow, red & white cables, not HDMI.

I can live with it but I hope this isn't an indication my box will give me problems... But if you have a fix, please let me know.

Noise of fan is very quiet, menus run fast, so I'll just hang on to this one for now and hope no problems arise anytime soon.

Ive tried everything and it still flickers at startup, but without the drive in PBO, it flickers for only a second. Hopefully, the new updates will fix this. Other than that I love the unit, works flawlessly.

yushi

11-25-09, 12:52 AM

redcharade

11-25-09, 01:18 AM

Yeah, mine flickered from the start, even without the hard drive or any other USB device connected. I thought the whole unit was faulty from the start. Unplugged it and reconnected it a couple of times. Went to google it and my son told me 10 - 15 seconds later he had fixed it by pressing the xbox's remote, lol.

I like the unit too, my first media player though, so I have no other comparison to this, but other than the flicker, I'm happy with it too. Lots of options with the subtitles, audio etc etc.

Ive tried everything and it still flickers at startup, but without the drive in PBO, it flickers for only a second. Hopefully, the new updates will fix this. Other than that I love the unit, works flawlessly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by redcharade View Post
Hi I am having the same problem. When I start the box up, regardless whether there is a hard drive connected inside or not, the startup screen that says Box Office is flickering, seems to be running up and down the screen (like the V-hold is not right) and is really annoying for about 8 - 10 seconds. But once the menu comes on, everything stabilizes. I am also using the yellow, red & white cables, not HDMI.

I can live with it but I hope this isn't an indication my box will give me problems... But if you have a fix, please let me know.

Noise of fan is very quiet, menus run fast, so I'll just hang on to this one for now and hope no problems arise anytime soon.

Patriot Box Offi

11-25-09, 02:48 AM

Yeah, mine flickered from the start, even without the hard drive or any other USB device connected. I thought the whole unit was faulty from the start. Unplugged it and reconnected it a couple of times. Went to google it and my son told me 10 - 15 seconds later he had fixed it by pressing the xbox's remote, lol.

I like the unit too, my first media player though, so I have no other comparison to this, but other than the flicker, I'm happy with it too. Lots of options with the subtitles, audio etc etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by redcharade View Post
Hi I am having the same problem. When I start the box up, regardless whether there is a hard drive connected inside or not, the startup screen that says Box Office is flickering, seems to be running up and down the screen (like the V-hold is not right) and is really annoying for about 8 - 10 seconds. But once the menu comes on, everything stabilizes. I am also using the yellow, red & white cables, not HDMI.

I can live with it but I hope this isn't an indication my box will give me problems... But if you have a fix, please let me know.

Noise of fan is very quiet, menus run fast, so I'll just hang on to this one for now and hope no problems arise anytime soon.

can you check if you have "TV system" under system set to a specific setting or is it on AUTO? usually the boot screen will flick when the unit try to detect tv resolution. You should be able to set HDMI to 720p, 1080i or 1080p. This by all means is not defective.

Patriot Box Offi

11-25-09, 02:52 AM

Hi
I want to buy this media player.
Could you please tell me how this BT works in the device?
Does the media player should be connected to a computer in order to download?
can I connect my DSL modem to it?
it's just that i have a laptop which i take with myself so the BT doesn't make sense if it should be connected to a computer.
thanks

BT: you will have to install a HDD into the unit and format with the PBO. Once access PBO via IE or any web browser, you can start adding BT seeds into the unit via web UI. Once start, PBO will download the file for you. Media player only needs to be on the network (wired or wireless network), no need to direct connect to PC.

DSL modem: i assume you meant having the PBO connect directly to the DSL modem? Yes you can. I assume your DSL modem also serve as a router?

simonsayzo

11-25-09, 06:24 AM

can you check if you have "TV system" under system set to a specific setting or is it on AUTO? usually the boot screen will flick when the unit try to detect tv resolution. You should be able to set HDMI to 720p, 1080i or 1080p. This by all means is not defective.

Patriot Box Office, I have it set to 1080I with HDMI, I turned off digital noise reduction. Still doing the same exact thing, flickers at start up. With a hard drive in the unit, it flickers for 10-12 seconds, without a drive in the unit, it flickers for 1-2 seconds. I have tried everything with no luck. I have 2 units, both does the same thing, so I believe its an issue with the firmware not a faulty unit.

257Tony

11-25-09, 10:13 AM

Ummm.. No. The manual says the l/p is admin 123. And that ain't it, I know because I tried it and it didn't work.

If you don't know the answer don't reply with a smart remark.

You asked what the default was, its in the manual. Don't blame me for pointing out the obvious answer to to obvious questions.

Friend_g

11-25-09, 12:12 PM

PBO will start with a "HDD format" screen when it detects a HDD installation. This is annoying to me. Can I disable this screen or step?

This feature should be considered as a feature in "Set up", because not all people want to format HDD for BT.

My PBO is fixed at living room. I have to take out HDD to another room to copy files. When I re-install HDD back, this heart-beating format screen comes up. If my finger touches the button too fast, my videos are gone.

Gator99

11-25-09, 12:18 PM

Pardon my ignorance but what is BT?

Patriot Box Offi

11-25-09, 03:56 PM

Patriot Box Offi

11-25-09, 03:57 PM

Patriot Box Office, I have it set to 1080I with HDMI, I turned off digital noise reduction. Still doing the same exact thing, flickers at start up. With a hard drive in the unit, it flickers for 10-12 seconds, without a drive in the unit, it flickers for 1-2 seconds. I have tried everything with no luck. I have 2 units, both does the same thing, so I believe its an issue with the firmware not a faulty unit.

is your TV 120HZ? does it flicker in the begining booting process or during playback?

Friend_g

11-25-09, 04:09 PM

BT is Bit Torrent - a downloading method. Google it to find more. PBO can do BT conveniently (a plus) - see its manual.

It is good to know the next firmware fixes it. Thanks.

simonsayzo

11-25-09, 05:03 PM

is your TV 120HZ? does it flicker in the begining booting process or during playback?

no, tv is not 120hz, only flicker at beginning boot process, not during playback. I have zero problems with playback, just annoying flicker at bootup. Thanks

penngray

11-25-09, 05:38 PM

hyperactiveme

11-25-09, 06:00 PM

does this support movie covers? looks like i am going with a d-link 323 with 2 1.5 tb drives and hopefully the patriot box.

i do hope they sort out their interface though.

Digital Puppy

11-25-09, 06:10 PM

I have the patriot BOX office on my desk ready for testing :D

I have had the popcorn device and I still have the WD HDMedia device, I hope this is better then those.

I want to know how good the network option is, I have 500 Movies on my network, I currently distribute them using HTPCs,matrix switches and CQC software. I would love to have the Patriot BOX replacing my HTPC and control it from CQC Home automation software!!
Depending on how you ripped those movies (SD/HD/ISO/MKV/etc) will help determine your satisfaction with the unit (IMO). For me, the only problem I have streaming wired or via USB is with ISO files. I am even able to stream 720 HD (MKVs) via the Patriot wireless.

I've got the WDTV Live as well and like this unit better because of the hard drive bay and "adult-sized" remote. The Patriot is louder than the WD, but if you are actually watching TV or listening to music, you will not hear it. If it gets on your nerves too much and you aren't using an internal drive, you can just unplug the fan.

Oh, and I get flicker every time I turn on the PBO as well.

kleptosidewinder

11-25-09, 09:45 PM

Just read through the thread, helping me make up my mind.

Wanted to say I like that Patriot keeps up with forums like this one.

One question: anyone had any experience with using the PBO as a limited NAS? By limited I mean basically just backing up media files with backup software to the internal HD as well as accessing the files from other computers on the network?

Thanks.

Freakfreak

11-25-09, 10:21 PM

I just got mine and tried a few vids that did not work with my old media player but supposedly on the Asus OPlay so naturally I was hopeful they will work with the PBO but so far the few WMV files do not work and some of those movies that worked on the Asus would put my box into a stalling black screen state :P Was hopeing that my unit may need a firmware update but I realized I do not see any firmware updates on the patriotmemory.com site. Can someone point me in the right direction? :P
BTW for a moment I thought PBO would go out looking for a firmwre update itself when on the network, maybe something that can be added :)

redcharade

11-25-09, 10:49 PM

can you check if you have "TV system" under system set to a specific setting or is it on AUTO? usually the boot screen will flick when the unit try to detect tv resolution. You should be able to set HDMI to 720p, 1080i or 1080p. This by all means is not defective.

I tried them all except for Pal and 576 which goes black & white and REALLY flickers, it still 'flickers and runs' from top to bottom. Looks like a strobe light in the room whenever I turn the unit on, lol. It's not that issue, any other suggestions? Acutally its more like 15 - 20 seconds, not 10 seconds.

penngray

11-26-09, 08:15 AM

Depending on how you ripped those movies (SD/HD/ISO/MKV/etc) will help determine your satisfaction with the unit (IMO). For me, the only problem I have streaming wired or via USB is with ISO files. I am even able to stream 720 HD (MKVs) via the Patriot wireless.

I've got the WDTV Live as well and like this unit better because of the hard drive bay and "adult-sized" remote. The Patriot is louder than the WD, but if you are actually watching TV or listening to music, you will not hear it. If it gets on your nerves too much and you aren't using an internal drive, you can just unplug the fan.

Oh, and I get flicker every time I turn on the PBO as well.

All movies are standard DVDs and ripped VOBs.

257Tony

11-26-09, 10:05 AM

The flickering may be in how your TV or AVR handles the initial signal the PBO puts out while it starts up. For me I just get a "weak or no signal" sign on mt TV while it starts up, which takes about 15 seconds. Just a thought....

Digital Puppy

11-26-09, 01:34 PM

All movies are standard DVDs and ripped VOBs.
VOBs on mine play very well. I can stream them over the ethernet, but not very well over wireless. VOBs also play well for me via attached storage (USB and on-board).

Good luck with your set up.

Friend_g

11-26-09, 01:35 PM

When I turn on PBO, my TV says "No Signal" for x seconds, x=20~30 when power switch flipped and x=10 when remote power button pushed.

I think the problem is due to PBO sending meaningless signals thru HDMI when it powers up. TVs may react differently. When PBO is powered off, it loses the HDMI link with TV completely. On the other side, my cable DVR remains the link with TV even when its power is off. My TV can sense it and talk to it. PBO lacks this.

pcdo

11-26-09, 05:27 PM

Does this player play PGS subtitles from m2ts files? Thanks.

wickedcold

11-27-09, 12:15 PM

Will there be a firmware update at some point that allows bitstreaming of Dolby TrueHD audio?

moonchaser

11-27-09, 03:58 PM

I've been meaning to get one of these for awhile, but wanted to give it some time to hear and read more about it. So far I've read more positive things about it and more good things to follow with future firmware. So I bit the bullet this morning. I like the idea that it comes with wifi. :)

Freakfreak

11-28-09, 06:20 PM

Digital Puppy

11-29-09, 12:00 AM

I bought the Wifi dongle option but was surprised to find that it won't properly fit the rear port due to physical dimension of it but I certainly do not want to have it stick out in the front. I guess I have to use a USB extender. Wonder if one could hook up a USB hub ......
The Patriot USB adapter I have fits. Even with a Ethernet cable and HDMI plugged in at the same time, it fit...it was tight, but it still worked.

Freakfreak

11-29-09, 12:05 AM

The Patriot USB adapter I have fits. Even with a Ethernet cable and HDMI plugged in at the same time, it fit...it was tight, but it still worked.

Mine fits in but not all the way so I suspect the contact would not be reliable but I have not tried it yet :P Maybe I was ringing the alarm early I guess I just have to try :P

CactusJack

11-29-09, 02:35 PM

I'm very close to ordering a PBO, but have one question I've not seen addressed here. I want to use the PBO on two different TVs, one which has HDMI inputs, and one that has only Component. Will the PBO automatically output to the active connection? Or would I have to change the output in Setup before moving it from one TV to the other?

Thanks,
Jack

paddman

11-29-09, 10:20 PM

FYI: The PBO does not have component output only hdmi and composite.

strpyw

11-30-09, 03:49 AM

No quicktime encoded file has audio sound, though video plays. Will this be corrected with firmware soon?

CactusJack

11-30-09, 08:10 AM

FYI: The PBO does not have component output only hdmi and composite.
Dang, I missed that! On Patriot's web page for the PBO, the pic of the rear shows RCA outputs labeled "Component". I saw that, but didn't notice that the three RCA connectors are actually Composite. That kills it for my needs.

Thanks, paddman.

257Tony

11-30-09, 11:02 AM

No quicktime encoded file has audio sound, though video plays. Will this be corrected with firmware soon?

It does support AAC for sure, not sure if it depends on what software was used to encode it.

chdude3

11-30-09, 02:56 PM

VOBs on mine play very well. I can stream them over the ethernet, but not very well over wireless. VOBs also play well for me via attached storage (USB and on-board).

Good luck with your set up.I've only done a quick test, but I have a bunch of my daughter's DVDs ripped (to VIDEO_TS folders with the VOB and IFO files). No problem picking the toplevel IFO file and everything is fine. I hope soon to test wired network streaming.

Chalk me up as another one VERY disappointed with the internal fan. It's surprisingly not air noise or turbulence that's the problem, but rather the buzzing noise that the fan emits that is audible above all other noise, unless the sound is turned up beyond where we'd normally have it set. And yes, I've checked that nothing is obstructing the fan blades; I ran it with the case open, it seems to just be a (very bad) 'feature' of the selected fan. It's a problem because I'd hoped to pop in a 5400rpm laptop drive that I've had hanging around, but for now due to the noise I've unplugged the fan.

Can anyone confirm if they've gotten a USB DVD (or Blu-Ray or HD-DVD) drive to be recognized by the PBO?

Patriot Box Offi

11-30-09, 03:30 PM

I've only done a quick test, but I have a bunch of my daughter's DVDs ripped (to VIDEO_TS folders with the VOB and IFO files). No problem picking the toplevel IFO file and everything is fine. I hope soon to test wired network streaming.

Chalk me up as another one VERY disappointed with the internal fan. It's surprisingly not air noise or turbulence that's the problem, but rather the buzzing noise that the fan emits that is audible above all other noise, unless the sound is turned up beyond where we'd normally have it set. And yes, I've checked that nothing is obstructing the fan blades; I ran it with the case open, it seems to just be a (very bad) 'feature' of the selected fan. It's a problem because I'd hoped to pop in a 5400rpm laptop drive that I've had hanging around, but for now due to the noise I've unplugged the fan.

Can anyone confirm if they've gotten a USB DVD (or Blu-Ray or HD-DVD) drive to be recognized by the PBO?

chude,
we are actually getting a shipment of replacing fan in some time by next week. Feel free to send us an email on this, and we will work on getting those out to you.

For extenral dvd/ bluray player, you won't be able to use them at the moment.