Xtreamer - Discussion, Reviews, Information Thread!

[fourtwenty2009]

Useful links:

Xtreamer Firmware v1.01 - http://gator884.hostgator.com/~xtrea...mer_ver101.xtr *NEW*
Release Notes (v1.01) - http://forum.xtreamer.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=577 *NEW*
Xtreamer MovieJukebox v1.0.0.5 BETA - http://forum.xtreamer.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=463
Xtreamer UNBOXED Pics - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post16758137
Xtreamer User Manual - http://gator884.hostgator.com/~xtrea...nual_final.pdf
Xtreamer Quick Install Guide - http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/765/picture40.png
Xtreamer TV Promo (YouTube) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1emJdtjyWY *FIXED*
Xtreamer GUI Demo & Product Tour (YouTube)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSaoNTSNn0g
Xtreamer product FAQ - http://shop.xtreamer.net/Support/cat...p?categoryid=5
Xtreamer forums - http://forum.xtreamer.net/
Xtreamer website - http://www.xtreamer.net/







Xtreamer Quick Install Guide

The Xtreamer therefore performs several unique advantages over competing media streamers :

(1) unlike the WDTV - the Xtreamer has both wired/wireless lan connectivity at 802.11n standard.
(2) unlike NMT - the wireless USB Antenna is to be at 802.11n - much stronger and stable signal than any USB dongle in the market. (patent pending) .
(3) Unlike the WDTV - it can work as an external HDD 2.5" enclosure. (not a must have but nice to have)
(4) Unlike the Asus O|Play the xtreamer use more advanced chipset. the Asus use Realtek 1073 and Xtreamer is based on the more advanced 128X ( the X stands for specially designed chipset made for this project only - from the 1283 series). please note an important enhancment to our realtek based unit : its supports NTFS read\write as well as SMB. your unit will be able to be accessible from your PC and files would be able to be copied\downloaded\streamed with no problem via your wire\wireless USB and your USB the device supports 2 USB extentions that alows it to connect to 2 extrenal USB HDD + the additional one inside (as an option).
(5) Unlike the WDTV or Asus the xtreamer supports 23 languages including full 100% OSD, GUI and Subtitles for each.
(6) The Xtreamer has an incorporated full NAS capability based on its UPnP abiity. a user can access and stream all his media library even from the internet by simply designating his unit a friendly name ( Yourname.xtreamer.net) . the integrated DDNS and NAS are both free and installed from factor .
(7) the Xtreamer comes with full NTFS SMB and FTP full read/write capability
(8) special effort was done in utilizing the xtreamer to support 1080p and MKV. Thus our labs tests shows more than 95% competability to MKV files
(9) our staff was collecting data for month in various warez blogs and platforms so as to enable greater competability to as many file formats and codecs as possible ([*websites removed*]) we dont recomend nor we will support by anyway downloading illegal media or protected intelectual property content of any kind.
(10) the Xtreamer is bundled with YAMJ like software that was designed to be easier for "regular" user while retain support for both media search and an automatic movie info file generation from various platforms
(11) the Xtreamer is supporting DTS audio and has acquired all licenses from Sisvel , DTS, Dolby labs and Divx)
(12) the Xtreamer supports an Auto WIFI Scan and an Auto UPnP detection from factor.
(13) The xtreamer is designed mainly for Windows PC vista and XP users and linux users (mac support is scheduled for Q3 2009)

Source: 'Xtreamer forums - What is Xtreamer all about'

Connectivity

* WIFI
* UPnP SSDP
* UPnP AV
* NTFS
*

Web services

o Video : YouTube, Picasa, Yahoo Video, CNN, NBC Today, CBS Face the Nation and more
o Audio : Live365 Radio, iPodcast, Radiobox, ABC News, BBC Podcast, CNN News , Indiefeed, Jamendo
o Photo : Picasaweb
o RSS feed : Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Xchange, MSNBC News and more
o
+

Media files supported

* Video containers:
o MPEG1/2/4 Elementary (M1V, M2V, M4V)
o MPEG1/2 PS (M2P, MPG)
o MPEG2 Transport Stream (TS, TP, TRP, M2T, M2TS, MTS)
o VOB
o AVI, ASF, WMV
o Matroska (MKV)
o AVC HD
o MOV (H.264), MP4, RMP4
o FLV - Flash Video
* Video codecs:
o XVID SD/HD
o MPEG-1
o MPEG-2
+ MP@HL
o MPEG-4.2
+ ASP@L5, 720p, 1-point GMC
o WMV9
+ MP@HL
o H.264
+ BP@L3
+ MP@L4.0
+ HP@L4.0
+ HP@L4.1
o VC-1
+ MP@HL
+ AP@L3
* Audio containers:
o AAC, M4A
o MPEG audio (MP1, MP2, MP3, MPA)
o WAV
o WMA
o FLAC
o OGG
o
* Audio codecs:
o Dolby Digital
o DTS (DTS DownMix Supported)
o WMA, WMA Pro
o AAC
o MP1, MP2, MP3
o LPCM
o FLAC
o Vorbis
* Audio pass through : DTS, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD MA, DTS-HD HR, Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus
* Photo formats : JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, HD JPEG
* Other formats: ISO, IFO, FLV, RM, RA, RAM
* Subtitle formats : SRT, SMI, SUB, SSA, IDX
* Streaming formats : RTSP, FLV

Chipset

* Realtek 128X (Special Edition)

Memory

* 256MB DDR SDRAM, 32MB Flash

Audio/Video outputs

* HDMI v1.3a (up to 1080p)
* Composite Video
* Stereo Analog Audio
* S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio

Interface

* 1x USB 2.0 slave
* 2x USB 2.0 host
* Internal SATA

Network

* Ethernet 10/100
* WIFI USB Antenna 802.11n (optional)

Power

* 12V DC, 3A

Dimension

* Width 10.5"(180mm) x Depth 1.25" (32mm) x Height 2.25" (82mm)
* Weight
* 2.2 lbs (1Kg)

Package Content

* Xtreamer (HDD not included)
* 100~240V Power Adapter
* 1.5M length HDMI cable (optional)
* WiFi 802.11n USB Antenna (optional)
* Audio & Video Cables
* Remote Control with 2 "AAA" batteries
* USB Slave cable
* Quick start guide

Source: Xtreamer website - Specs

Chipset: Realtek 128X (Special Edition)

'The RTD128X is a highly integrated SoC for Consumer Electronics products requiring High Definition Media Playback, Wireless/Wired Networking, and Mass Storage capabilities. The Xtreamer, while incorporating flexible, advanced audio/video processor, enables cost-effective consumer solutions for those who seek a solid yet scalable media streamer.'

Source: Xtreamer website - Specs

Performance Capabilities

12-Bit Color**
Smoothest Gradation of Colors
Greater cable capacity for support of 12-bit color, also called Deep Color, available from advanced HD sources and displays. Greater color depth, from 8-bit to 12-bit, allows more detailed gradations of individual colors for the display of billions of colors.

x.v.Color

Extended Color Range
Ideal for advanced HDTVs with xvYCC color, also called x.v.Color. x.v.Color widens the number of available colors for 1.8 times more colors than standard RGB.

Source: Xtreamer Knowledge Base - Does the Xtreamer support true full HD ?

This was posted recently in the Xtreamer forums by the admin:

Q: Does the Xtreamer support any image/video enhancement features like Upscaling, Deinterlacing

A: Yes it can. You have to remember that Realtek chipsets are usually a lot better at handling the picture quality than Sigma products. And the Xtreamer runs on a very special chip indeed. (XtreamerAdmin)

Source: Xtreamer forums

This claim was reportedly also underscored in an email to customer:

thank you for your email

realtek 1283(x) is better than sigma 8654 or even 8655.

its better in picture quality
it has more memory bandwidth
and it has DTS Downmix

Mvix is the biggest in the industry of mediaplayer. much bigger than all other names. we did not pay attention until now for online market.

now we do with xtreamer ...

Sincerely,
Xtreamer.net Customer Support"

Source: NMT Forums

There have been a lot of comparison threads asking whether the Xtreamer should be bought versus some other brand and model. I figured it would be useful to have one thread dedicated to this player where people could post and find reviews and useful information and also discuss the product. So here we are.

The Xtreamer product is kind of curious. It promises to do a heck of a lot at the low price of 99 euros (including DTS downmix). The product won't be in store, only available for direct sale. There isn't a lot of information yet available, mostly only what the sales people at Xtreamer are promising (which is a lot).

What does everyone (especially seasoned AVS vets) think about this new player?

[fourtwenty2009]

MPC Club:

Originally Posted by MPC Club

I probably overlook some additional comments like the fan noise and other stuff I could come up with as a conclusion, fact is, for €99 this is a superb value and the firmware at this level in many ways is more mature than most players released before. Xtreamer obviously made a decent attempt at tuning the interface to an easy and appealing one, even though it overloaded it with its own logos on every page, too much for me. Other than the copy section, the interface was convenient and fine. I would like to see the file manager be enhanced to have more files listed.

Certainly to an extend we agree this product is more than just a WDTV competitor… It competes with much more than that and has plenty of potential yet unused to grow further. Let’s concentrate on that part… Simply amazing, yet needs additional work. Kudos to Xtreamer as I never felt I was handling an "only €99" player. It’s actually worth more but just so you know, me saying so is no reason to raise the price, ok?

http://www.mpcclub.com/banner_log.php?id=5151

[fourtwenty2009]

reserved

[fourtwenty2009]

reserved

[Jagoda]

Ordered one today, was a customer number #582, so it means people are grabbing this little device quite seriously.

Was planning on waiting for some reviews, but got scared by this "less than 300 units left" massage.

I am quite sure there will be bugs, but I figure, it really cannot be worse than WDTV, so we will see.

[fourtwenty2009]

Originally Posted by Jagoda

Ordered one today, was a customer number #582, so it means people are grabbing this little device quite seriously.

Was planning on waiting for some reviews, but got scared by this "less than 300 units left" massage.

I am quite sure there will be bugs, but I figure, it really cannot be worse than WDTV, so we will see.

Same here. I'm in the early #500s. Ordered last night when I saw the stock warning. Presumably that means there are not much more than 200 units (if that) left in the first shipment at this point. Can't wait to unbox and review it. Hopefully it kicks WDTV's ass.

[wdmediaplayerfan]

If this thing is bug free, then it's definitely going to be the best on the market. Incredible features. Can't wait for the first reviews.

[shtark]

just being it a wireless ..the xtreamer for me in this price is a "market killer"

i am sure it will be improved in time also.

i am order #236, my freind orderd today his order #621. wow this toy is rocking !!!

i saw today also the announcemnet for the new c-200 of popcornhour. i could not be convinced more i made the right decision to buy this little one.

My main problem was anyway explain my wife why we should spend $400 or more for the C-200 while the xtreamer can do most for 1/4 of the price.

Once this cutie will arrive and i will meet its expectations to play my MKV file and H.264, my Tvix and PCH are going on sale on ebay.

[cybman]

you are comparing the pch c200 with xtreamer???????

two totally different products

all cars have 4 wheels....and??? why by a ferrari if you could buy a vw

[papamishka]

Originally Posted by wdmediaplayerfan

If this thing is bug free, then it's definitely going to be the best on the market. Incredible features. Can't wait for the first reviews.

agreed

[Mondeo]

Originally Posted by cybman

you are comparing the pch c200 with xtreamer???????

two totally different products

all cars have 4 wheels....and??? why by a ferrari if you could buy a vw

agreed, but in this case for sure xtreamer is the ferrari and the pch c200 is vw,

[Afrsa]

Does anyone knows the specs of the files Xtreamer is playing?

The movie 300.2006.1080p.bluray.x264.sample-hv.mkv
The movie Transformers.2007.1080p.bluray.DTS.x264-HDLIFE.mkv

How many reframes they have?
How high is the bitrate they have?

That can give a image of the power of the chip and the firmware...

[Jagoda]

Looks like they really had around 800 of them and they are now almost gone.
Last chance to gamble guys.

[Bah-Humbug]

I may be in the minority here, but i'm gonna wait for the first reviews even if i have to wait for the third or forth batch to be available.

/Made this mistake in the past
//not trading my WD TV in for an even bigger POS.

[Jagoda]

Yep, smart move. Would do the same myself, but I decided to also test this "ultra fast" new 802.11n WIFI , so I also ordered two antennas to make a network, and it helps that one of them is given as a gift with pre-order.

[blackie84]

No thumbnails..... no good!

[c0ldsun]

Originally Posted by Jagoda

Looks like they really had around 800 of them and they are now almost gone.
Last chance to gamble guys.

I love my WDTV, but all these build-in features with Network connection, DTS downmix support, Movie Jukebox is unbeatable that i ordered No. #747.
I hope only that the picture quality is at least equal to the Sigma chipset

[Jagoda]

Originally Posted by blackie84

No thumbnails..... no good!

eh, thumbnails are the last thing I worry about.
What we dont realize yet is that this little box will be open source which means that half a year from now, there will be hundreds of mods. Everything and anything humanly possible, especially some trivial visual features like thumbnails and different skins. If this first batch of units delivers even close to what has been promised, than soon Xtreamer will have a community as big as PCH.

What I worry about is stuttering, freezing, picture quality, overheating, booting problems, remote control problems, etc, etc..

[dbone1026]

Originally Posted by Mondeo

agreed, but in this case for sure xtreamer is the ferrari and the pch c200 is vw,

Probably want to hold off crowning any player the king until we get some got real world feedback... Considering you can turn the PCH C-200 into a full fledged Blu Ray player, I think it would be more accurate to compare the Xtreamer against the A-110.

I mentioned this elsewhere, but there were some thoughts on the networkedmediatank site that Xtreamer basically copied verbatim content from their site (http://www.networkedmediatank.com/sh...5801#pid195801), start at post #35. Don't know the validity of this but if true that doesn't sit too well with me. What do you guys think, could this be a potential issue, or if the Xtreamer does exactly what it claims them who gives a $hit???

[fourtwenty2009]

Had a few Q&A's excerpted from an email exchange with Xtreamer support (I've had two emails sent back to me within 90 minutes) and here's what I've learned:

FT2009: What is the CPU speed of the Xtreamer or chipset inside?
XTREAMER: "Realtek 1283(x) it is a special project of unicorn-Realtek with better specs to the [Sigma] SMP8654 [chipset]"

FT2009: Have you provided any Xtreamer's to websites for review? Which ones? (Gizmodo? Engadget? other?) When can we expect the first reviews to become available and public? (Will it be before the shipping date of July 1st?)
XTREAMER: "Many reviews are coming. We are here to stay for long."

FT2009: How many Reference Frames can the Xtreamer handle smoothly? (With the WDTV for instance it has been criticized by some for its inability to play anything smoothly with over 4 rf or Reference Frames)
XTREAMER: "the Xtreamer is much better in video and pix qulaity than the WDTV." (sic.)

FT2009: Does it play H. 264 HP@L5.1 video? (It is a spec outside Blu-ray/HD DVD, sometimes people find videos encoded by amateurs or people who don't know that L4.1 is the appropriate profile.)
XTREAMER: "We believe should be no problem to play H. 264 HP@L5.1"

EDIT: I tried to nail them down on more specifics on all Q's. Especially 1-3, however Xtreamer support declined to entertain me further, giving me the brush off..

XTREAMER: "We are flooded with 100s of emails and question from all parts of the world and simply cannot answer all at length as required from us. We are overwhelmed with the amount of attention the Xtreamer has gathered in such a short time. we will be happy to be at your service in the future."

EDIT2: (Peristence pays off!) Another email, just got the FIRST CONCRETE INFO on when and where to expect the first Xtreamer review! (Question #2)

"We will ask marketing department to handle your inquiry. we do know the first to have a review will be MPC CLUB as we highly appreciate its unbiased objective reviews. most reviews will be published within couple of weeks. we have no control and cannot say a date."

[fourtwenty2009]

Found this on MPC Club:

Posted on Wednesday, June 03 @ 08:30:00 CEST by Hi-Jack

This should frown quite a few eye brows as to how any brand can achieve to bring a media player with just about all the features we need into a single €99 device as that's what the new Xtreamer is target to be. Based on the RealTek 128X (RTD128X) chip the unit combines SD and HD playback including MKV and HD Audio support and comes standard with 256MB memory (no Blu-ray support). Optional wireless LAN (€20 extra) offers up to 802.11N in addition to the standard 10/100 RJ45 socket for network streaming over UPnP or Samba. What's most astonishing is the size of the unit with only 18cm width, 3.2cm depth and 8cm height. It surely seems to become a "David vs. Goliath" competition. Even with this size, the unit supports internal hard drive (2.5") and can be used as external hard drive or approached by FTP. Whether the internal drive supports read and write NTFS is unknown, I do hope so as Linux formats are such a hassle for PC users. Click on "read more" for the full story.

Now, there's a little catch as to how such affordable product can even be made. The unit will be sold only online so not thru retailers saving on expenses and margins in different steps. In addition, several companies invested money in this project including MViX, Unicorn, Realtek and EMS. Development takes place by RD teams in Korea, Taiwan and Israel. The official target of this project is clearly beating the WDTV on all fronts adding MKV and FLAC support and network support, both wireless and fixed.

Our contacts promised a sample within a few weeks from now so we can have a look at what is announced as a killer. Surely we expect few limitations for this money (like no NFS maybe or limited sources for network usage), however the price will make up for a lot. The size makes it ideal as a travel companion, a second player around the house or even as the main living room entertainment jukebox if it can convince me of doing the job well. On paper so far, it looks on track to be a killer for some more expensive alternatives and looks like simplifying things for the novice users.

Ok so it's interesting to note that it appears MPC Club is first on deck for reviews.

edit: Thanks for the clarification on the extraneous parts of the post Afrsa!

[Afrsa]

Originally Posted by fourtwenty2009

Found this on MPC Club:



Ok so it's interesting to note that it appears MPC Club is first on deck for reviews.

I did a spit-take when I saw them in their preview state (I believe erroneously) that the Xtreamer doesn't do DTS Downmix. I have noted this quote in red. I believe it to be a mistake by the author. I have put it to Xtreamer Support for further clarification.

See the next post from Hi-Jack:

xTreamer, the player that aws many readers has DTS down mix support. only that already brings it ahead of several other players so if the navigation on the player, handling and support for files is good compared to it's cost below €100, this will be a "killer" and not one of those that have been announced by many before. The WDTV's most often commented lacking features include proper media support and network functionality... The xTreamer might be what the WDTV wanted to be. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though and wait until our first "hands on" with the player is history. We'll tell you all about it soon... Good already is xTreamer releasing big chunks of code into public so the community can possibly enhance parts of the xTreamer... MPC surely has caused a flood at xTreamer for requests and inquiries after launching the news... They seem so happy at the time that all pre-orders get a free USB Wlan antenna included worth €20. Off course, there's no one currently able to tell you the product is any good. You decide to take the plunge or wait for MPC's review / hand's on. Hence... what's a little risk in life... Read up on two interesting articles below...

http://forum.xtreamer.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14
http://forum.xtreamer.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6

That's again all for now...
There's more to come soon, for sure :-)

Enjoy
Hi-Jack

[uncola]

I ordered #655 yesterday. Hope this thing is good. The only other media streamer that looks good to me is the Yuixx, since the gui looks like xbmc with aeon. of course, for the price they are stating the yuixx will cost, I could build an ion box that runs the real xbmc :/

[fourtwenty2009]

Xtreamer support wrote me. They are watching this thread. They don't "appreciate" the posting of their answers or my cowboy "independent forum reporter" ways. (Even though I'm fairly certain the majority of what I've written here and relayed to you has been published elsewhere.)

(Xtreamer - No offense intended, there's just not much information out there for a product launching in 13 days. Just trying to help spread information... Geez..)

Apparently someone is going to contact me "regarding my order", which sounds kind of ominous given the tone and context of their email... I hope I don't get whacked.

Perhaps this is what they meant by building unique client relationships with the 'community'.. You have to admit, a business that doesn't want what it says published in the community forums is definitely unique.

[ruktuim]

Originally Posted by fourtwenty2009

Xtreamer support wrote me. They are watching this thread. They don't "appreciate" the posting of their answers or my cowboy "independent forum reporter" ways. (Even though I'm fairly certain the majority of what I've written here and relayed to you has been published elsewhere.)

(Xtreamer - No offense intended, there's just not much information out there for a product launching in 13 days. Just trying to help spread information... Geez..)

Apparently someone is going to contact me "regarding my order", which sounds kind of ominous given the tone and context of their email... I hope I don't get whacked.

Perhaps this is what they meant by building unique client relationships with the 'community'.. You have to admit, a business that doesn't want what it says published in the community forums is definitely unique.

A company that threatens their costumers for posting information on media forums. That's really off putting, I'd hate to have a problem with my media player and have to deal with that attitude.


Why would they tell you the information in the first place, if it was a closely guarded secret that they didn't want you telling anyone about?

I understand that now things like, "We believe should be no problem to play H. 264 HP@L5.1" and "Realtek 1283(x) it is a special project of unicorn-Realtek with better specs to the [Sigma] SMP8654 [chipset]".

Are made public and it may not have been their invent to have this information made public yet. Also, it could be that it builds expectations of having HP@L5.1 that they don't have yet.


......But it's the company's employees job to keep their mouths shut not yours.

......................Unless.....Did you cross your heart pinky swear not to tell!?!?!......You Bastard

[fourtwenty2009]

Originally Posted by ruktuim

A company that threatens their costumers for posting information on media forums. That's really off putting, I'd hate to have a problem with my media player and have to deal with that attitude.

Why would they tell you the information in the first place, if it was a closely guarded secret that they didn't want you telling anyone about?

......But it's the company's employees job to keep their mouths shut not yours.

Funny.. I just made those same points to them in a response email.

......................Unless.....Did you cross your heart pinky swear not to tell!?!?!......You Bastard

NO.. but I did cross my heart and hope to die.

[ruktuim]

Originally Posted by fourtwenty2009

Funny.. I just made those same points to them in a response email.


NO.. but I did cross my heart and hope to die.

Let us know how it goes, with their response back. As someone who may buy an Xtreamer in the future, it's helpful to hear how a company treats their costumers.

[vtms]

Will this thing do DVD menus?

[papamishka]

Originally Posted by Jagoda

What we dont realize yet is that this little box will be open source which means that half a year from now, there will be hundreds of mods..

Oh yeah. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited about this little beast.

[papamishka]

Originally Posted by fourtwenty2009

Apparently someone is going to contact me "regarding my order", which sounds kind of ominous given the tone and context of their email... I hope I don't get whacked.

They do call this unit a "killer"