The official VuNow thread

[dudenj]

VuNow from Verismonetworks.com is scheduled to launch on the 15th of Dec '08. Though this product is currently not available this thread would serve a purpose for people waiting to pull the trigger on a media server.

Below are some information available on the product

Website - www.verismonetworks.com

Demo - http://newteevee.com/2008/06/04/veri...-into-your-tv/

They are planning on launching 2 products, one with SD output and one with HDMI output.

Suggested Price would be - $99 for the SD version and $129 for the HD version.

Here are some questions that were answered by verismonetworks support

1. Can the player scan an entire network for compatible media and play it back. Is this true?
=> Half truth. With a UPNP server yes.
2. Can you restrict access to a specific folder or network share? What network protocols does it support (Windows SMB/Apple AFS/Linux NFS)?
=> Currently none of this. We support playback from a USB disk. Except for high-tech guys this are difficult to set up for common people. We had it but had to disable it.
3. Does the player support network filesharing protocols like UPnP or DAAP (iTunes share)? For instance, can the VuNow connect to a UPnP server or an iTunes share?
=>UPNP for now
4. Is there a PC-client required to host media shares or does it just work over network by listing compatible filetypes? For instance, could I point the player to access a network share like a server or NAS device that containts movies and music, and get an index for playback?
=> From any UPNP server such as WMP.
5. Will the optional flash storage be used to record to (save web content) or just read from (host videos & music)?
=> Record is possible only for content provider who authorizes us. We can play back
6. Are there any more detailed walkthroughs of the media center interface? I've seen the video interview on YouTube that takes you through the web content areas of the player, just not the local media center functionality
=> Will post a video of interface
7. What differences are there between the standard and premium versions of the device? Is the hardware identical and the upgrade is simply done via firmware?
=> We have 2 hardware version SD/HD. Both of them have a basic/premium on this 2 HW versions.
8. Will customers purchase the unit directly from your website or via third-party retailers? Is there a final estimate for availability?
=> Both. Our website on 15th Dec – 3rd party depends on our partners.
9. Is the player upgradeable via online firmware downloads?
=>Yes
10. Will the player be able to playback iTunes or NetFlix movie rentals?
=> Not today. But will happen in next release
11. Will there be an open API for developing plugins? There could be a huge market for add-ons such as a Flickr photo interface, weather, RSS readers, etc...
=> Yes. Sometime mid next year.
12. Are there plans for regular software and feature updates to add functionality that is not included at this time?
=> Absolutely
13. Aside from the partnerships with YouTube, VTAP and **********, what online video content can users expect to find? Is there a published list of web content available? Will sites like Hulu.com (legal, official video service) be usable?
=> We will look into support from hulu. This seems to be hot now.
14. Is there a web browser, or plans to include one? This would make sense and would allow users to access media sites (Hulu, etc) that may not be in your channels list.
=> Yes
15. The demo of the UI looked impressive, however, only the features of the web content functionality was shown in the video, is there a demo of the local media center functionality available and could you please put this up on your website ?
=>Working on it
16. Will this product be usable with websites like Hulu.com and Sling.com ?
=> Hulu is not supported at present but lot of other sites are supported
17. Information on the internet suggests that the price for the Standard base edition would cost $99, and support for various codecs would cost extra ? How much would the cost be for adding support for all supported codecs ? Will this codec support be purchased at the time of buying the PoD or can it be added at a later point in time ?
=>Both options are available
18. Can a stardard wireless g adapter be used to hookup the unit to the home network wirelessly ? Or will it only work with the wirless adapter sold by Verismo ?
=> No – we will sell a wireless adapter
19. Does this product have a built in web browser ?
=> No

So how does this stack up to the NMT players and WD player that is currently available?

[Darrenph1]

Don't see the mention of DTS-HD or plain DTS, DD or TrueDolby?????

[dangerdoc1]

Two big issues for me.

1. Fat 32 file structure.
2. Doesn't list MKV support.

utube support is not a feature I would use but Cinema Now and ********** support could be a selling point. Does Cinema Now have HD movies?

[dudenj]

Originally Posted by dangerdoc1

Two big issues for me.

1. Fat 32 file structure.
2. Doesn't list MKV support.

utube support is not a feature I would use but Cinema Now and ********** support could be a selling point. Does Cinema Now have HD movies?

They do support MKV (Matroska), they have also tied up with various television channels, free and pay where users can login and view content directly on their tv.

[dangerdoc1]

Originally Posted by dudenj

They do support MKV (Matroska), they have also tied up with various television channels, free and pay where users can login and view content directly on their tv.

MKV was not listed on their specification sheet. If they have added it, good for them. I hope the also have changed their fat32 only support also.

[strafejumper]

and they should also add h264

[Morphx2]

i emailed them about mkv container..but no response yet.

if it can do mkv, i am down for it!

[jbh436]

Seems like from what I have read on forums about the PS3 (regarding external HDDs), FAT32 is widely used in these types of devices because NTFS requires additional licensing from Microsoft, which is why the PS3 only does FAT32.

So, I don't expect them to add NTFS support any time soon (or were you wanting another type of filesystem?). Not sure what you can do for >4GB files, like blu-ray rips. It must not be that common of a problem just yet...

Also, for some WinXP fun - go try to format a large drive as FAT32 - XP won't let you do it (32GB limit on FORMATTING, but not on the drive size). I had to format mine using linux - go figure

[Morphx2]

darn, if it cant read file sizes larger than 4 gig, then whats the point. grrr

[sijaz]

What are you guys talking about?? This product has been available for months. I have it (and it is crap). I got it from this website about 4 months ago: www,jadootv,com

[dudenj]

Originally Posted by sijaz

What are you guys talking about?? This product has been available for months. I have it (and it is crap). I got it from this website about 4 months ago: www,jadootv,com

I sent a email to the company asking about the above product

"Found this product http://www.jadootv.com which looks exactly similar to the VuNow product. This product has been in the market for about 4-5 months now, is VuNow the same product re-branded with a different name ?"

This was the response i just got

"We have white labeled the product to them. They have our first gen product. What we will (also they) will sell is the 2.0 version with lot more features."

Also asked a few more questions
1. Since FAT32 has its own limitations especially for people who use winxp/win2000. FAT32 can only support 32 GB segments, this would mean creating about 12-14 partitions for a 500 GB drive, or we would need specialized software that would need to be purchased to format the hdd to break the 32 GB limit. Also FAT32 has a 4gb file size limit, so it would not be possible to store media files larger than 4GB. Specifications state that only FAT32 would be supported, are there any plans to support NTFS or any other file system ?
==> FAT32can support upto 8 terabyte disk. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463 The only limitation is for files greater then 4GB

2. Will there be future support for TrueDolby, DTS-HD or DTS ?
==> We may support this in future but at this point there is no plan. We do have a programmable engine which will allow to upgrade the codec we support.

3. Does VuNow support h264 ?
=> Yes

[haggisbingo]

I have DVI so I would need to use HDMI but also the A/V port for sound. Any idea if this is going to work together?? I'm hoping they don't turn off the A/V port if HDMI is chosen...

[dudenj]

Vunow is available to order now on their website

[BlueWaldo]

I just ordered one. I'm crossing my fingers.

[erredois]

Originally Posted by BlueWaldo

I just ordered one. I'm crossing my fingers.

I'm crossing my fingers for you too.
Really hope you be happy with the black box.
And please post your review here!!

[haggisbingo]

Originally Posted by haggisbingo

I have DVI so I would need to use HDMI but also the A/V port for sound. Any idea if this is going to work together?? I'm hoping they don't turn off the A/V port if HDMI is chosen...

I asked their support and they said yes, A/V will output if you are using HDMI for Video only. So, DVI users will be OK.

I also pulled the trigger yesterday. It seems too good to pass up. Low price, supports everything.

For those that don't like the 2 channel RCA audio, if you get it into your receiver, you should be able to apply PLiiX to it for up to 7.1 sound. I myself don't mind since I already have the SqueezeBox for really good music playback. The VuNow focuses on video..

[haggisbingo]

I've been comparing the other 2 seemingly most popular machines. One glaring problem for me is the playback of ripped DVDs. It seems PCH and HDX1000 will play back ISOs and IFOs while (I think) you have to use a kludge to get VuNow to play a DVD over the network. Am I right?

Other things are the support for other audio transports like SPIF and formats like 5.21 DD, etc.

Also PCH and HDX 1000 are only a little more expensive.

What are the pluses of the VuNow?

[dudenj]

VuNow currently supports external drives that are in FAT32 format, this would mean you cannot store files greater than 4GB. However, they do plan to support NTFS in the near future and have indicated that its a little low on their priority list. Their main focus currently would be to support streaming of various online content. One way to currently play your media files until they bring in support for NTFS would be to stream your content from your PC.

WD TV is a another product you can currently look at which can play almost all formats that can be played by PCH or HDX1000 (NMTs). It however does not come with network support, currently is on sale at best buy for $99.

[haggisbingo]

Originally Posted by dudenj

VuNow currently supports external drives that are in FAT32 format, this would mean you cannot store files greater than 4GB. However, they do plan to support NTFS in the near future and have indicated that its a little low on their priority list. Their main focus currently would be to support streaming of various online content. One way to currently play your media files until they bring in support for NTFS would be to stream your content from your PC.

WD TV is a another product you can currently look at which can play almost all formats that can be played by PCH or HDX1000 (NMTs). It however does not come with network support, currently is on sale at best buy for $99.

After more research, I think PCH and HDX 1000 will only play DVDs over NFS or some other "extra expense" file system. So in reality, they probably don't play DVDs out of the box without buying other things.

I don't plan on buying extra storage to connect directly to VuNow so streaming is the solution I'm looking for.

Looks like the main advantage right now is the price and the wide variety of formats supported..

[BlueWaldo]

FedEx says my VuNow will arrive today.

[erredois]

Originally Posted by BlueWaldo

FedEx says my VuNow will arrive today.

Pleeease...!
Make my day!!
Waiting with you for unboxing and review!!

[BlueWaldo]

These are just my first thoughts after just a few minutes with the VuNow. I haven't messed with it enough to post any kind of review yet. I'm sure I have missed some obvious things and am wrong about some things.

The box in came in was tiny. I accidentally opened upside down. I thought the remote had fallen out of the box, but then I realized it was the VuNow that had fallen out. I saw the pictures, but I am still shocked at how small this thing is. It is smaller than my router. About the size of a USB hub. I think it is great that they included an HDMI cable.

Hooking it up to the TV was a breeze. No setup required. I bought the wireless USB doggle. It found my network without any problems, but it doesn't support WPA encryption. I had to change my network to WEP. This was disappointing, and a bit of a pain. Still, I am very impressed that I was able to get on the network so easily. I think it is easier than connecting my laptop to my wifi.

The interface seems good so far, but there is a slight lag between pushing the button and seeing the menu respond. This isn't huge, but makes you think harder about what you are doing than should be necessary. When you press a button, you have to wait for something to happen. I am used to being able to jump in and out of menus, and in and out of videos quickly on my SnapStream DVR or when browsing YouTube. Its fine for picking what you want to watch and watching it, but I found it frustrating when trying to browse through videos looking for something good.

Watching You Tube videos are my TV was pretty cool. I was able to watch my favorite video with no problems. It's certainly easier to browse YouTube on a computer, but I was able to find the video I wanted. Typing text into an onscreen keyboard with a remote isn't fun, but it gets the job done. Quality was, well, YouTube. I can see this becoming the only way I watch YouTube videos when at home.

One very annoying YouTube feature: after it is fined playing a video, it jumps right in to another YouTube video. While I had my head behind the TV trying to get the audio routed through my receiver, my video ended. The VuNow decided to play the "Top 3 'My Dick Is So Big' Jokes" video for me. That doesn't seem like the kind of thing that should start playing without me asking for it.

"Popular websites" is basically a collect of ~4 min video that are embedded on some popular websites (ESPN, ABC, TMZ, etc.). It nice that I can watch these on my TV now. However, the video quality wasn't meant for the big screen. I hope the content offering will grow, but I was surprised by what they did have. Not a whole lot of sites, but they were sites I had actually heard of. Mainly though, these are short clips made to watch when you need a quick break. They're not really made to watch while curled up on the couch. I really only looked at ESPN, and the content was really out of date. Hopefully this is just a problem with the launch that will be corrected soon. If the interface was snappier, I might get more excited. My first impression is that there is going to be some content here I like to watch, but only if it is going to be dependably updated and quick to get to what I am looking for.

I think "Video Search" is currently just YouTube and Google Video Search. Seems like it could have been combined with the YouTube option.

"Movies" pretty much just says that CinemaNow is coming soon. I wonder how soon.

(edit: after some more use, I have revised some of my negative comments about video playback. Please read all of my posts in this thread.)

The whole reason I bought the VuNow was to watch video I downloaded on my computer. This is done under the "My Collection" menu option. I played an episode of Big Bang Theory that I had previously downloaded off **********. The playback was unwatchable. It would freeze for about a second every 15 second. There were lots of beeps, pops, and skips in the audio. The video was jerky (to say the least). During the seconds when it was actually playing the video, the video quality did not meet my expectations at all. All the lines in the video were very jagged (maybe there was no Anti-aliasing, I'm not sure). This was an MPEG4 video. I imagine I would do just fine with something a little less complex, but I am looking for an HD player. This is the primary reason I purchased this device. If it can't be fixed, I will be sending mine back.

I have yet to figure out how to stream video files over the network. I thought this would be straight forward, but I'm going to have to turn to the users manual. (There is no manual in the box, but that doesn't bother me at all. It is available for download on their website.)

I was also expecting some kind a mp3 player interface (album playback, playlists, etc.), but I have yet to find it if it is in there.

I'll post more as I learn more. Frankly, I was half expecting the thing not to work at all. I got so excited when setup was so easy. It connected to YouTube without a hitch, and found the videos on my thumb drive with no problem. That part working just made me more disappointed when the HD video playback was unacceptable. I'm still holding out some hope, though, that I will find a way to make it work.

[BlueWaldo]

Excellent news. I got streaming working. I played some MP3s. Then I played some video with no jumpiness at all! Quality is still sub par, but I am very happy now that it is playing properly.

[phantom76]

Please let us know about the different formats that you tried. Also what about max resolution? Does it play 1080p content without lags/stuttering?

[BlueWaldo]

I'm pretty sure the specs say it only goes to 720p.

[erredois]

Bluewaldo,
Thanks for your impressions.
I read this thread every day.

[dbryso]

no optical out is a bad feature.. not everyone has HDMI receivers yet...

also the fat32 is deal killer for me I have to be able to play bigger than 4 gig files. I have a question about that though.. does that only mean it can read Fat32 via the USB connection?? seems like to me if you streamed over the network you would be able to play whatever you wanted.


No 1080P support really isn't that big of a deal to me.. i currently have the WD HD box and love it... but i never use the 1080 part... my only problem with the WD box, which i thought would be fixed by VN1000, is the fax that i can't get media media to it with ease... its in a rack with wires everywhere so its a pain to unplug.. my current method is to bring a laptop to the rack and plug it in to a switch i have( so i dont have to wait on wireless) this isn't that big of a deal but i still have to copy everything off the network from my main NAS which is just adds more time... I looked at the popcorn hour but honestly i have more time than money.... that 250 price tag isnt worth it as you could almost build a computer for that.


I think a lot of people will find success with this VN1000... i hope they figure out something about the Fat32 and maybe add an optical output in the next version..


if those things happen I might upgrade and put the WD in the bedroom.

[haggisbingo]

Originally Posted by dbryso

no optical out is a bad feature.. not everyone has HDMI receivers yet...
also the fat32 is deal killer for me I have to be able to play bigger than 4 gig files. I have a question about that though.. does that only mean it can read Fat32 via the USB connection?? seems like to me if you streamed over the network you would be able to play whatever you wanted.

No 1080P support really isn't that big of a deal to me.. i currently have the WD HD box and love it... but i never use the 1080 part... my only problem with the WD box, which i thought would be fixed by VN1000, is the fax that i can't get media media to it with ease... its in a rack with wires everywhere so its a pain to unplug.. my current method is to bring a laptop to the rack and plug it in to a switch i have( so i dont have to wait on wireless) this isn't that big of a deal but i still have to copy everything off the network from my main NAS which is just adds more time... I looked at the popcorn hour but honestly i have more time than money.... that 250 price tag isnt worth it as you could almost build a computer for that....

The pch-100 is under $200 and has gotten great reviews. I ordered one and will probably ship back the Vunow with box unopened, unless someone here tells me why I should want it more than Popcorn Hour. Besides all the great reviews, the PCH-100 supports SPDIF out for audio (DD 5.1) as well as 1080P video. I also like the community that has built up around it. Just seems like I'd be sacrificing too much just to save about 50 bucks...?

[BlueWaldo]

After watching some more videos (streaming), I think it's quality is the same as (or very close to) what I was seeing on my media PC.

[Whidbey]

I've been looking into getting one of these boxes, but I'm a little hesitant to pull the trigger because I'm unsure what the viewing experience will be like.
I have 768 speed DSL, and when I try to watch a TV program online, they are often stuttery or have interruptions as I try to watch. Not exactly the way I would want to watch TV in my living room.
Questions: Given my connection speed, will this box work for me? Is there something about it that makes it handle streaming video better than my computer so I don't have to suffer with interruptions and the like?
Should I wait until I can get a higher speed connection before I get this box? FIOS is supposed to available for me..."soon"