Snazio SZ-1350 Net DVD Cinema HD network player

[T2k]

Well, it finally started shipping - it's better to have a separate topic. This way general Snazio network players topic won't be derailed.

It seems mine is the first one in North America but Rob79 and Dolfo will get their machines within days if shipping goes fine (mine, shipped from Singapore, was here on the 2nd day).

Short reminder on the specs:

[MorganB]

Hi guys. I received my Snazio SZ1350 today that I orderd from snazzishop.co.uk on Monday. Just a few quick impressions for now as I have just set it up and gotten everything going. Haven't really had time to sit down and watch much content.

Setup:

A bit daunting. The remote is very sluggish as others have noted. Its makes the setup fustrating. First you have to pound away on the TV mode button on the remote to get an image on the screen. My snazio is connected to my screen by a DVI to HDMI cable. I ended up with a 480p image after several presses which gave me access to the setup screen. I didnt realize at first that I needed to go into the setup and change the resolution to fit my screen. As my screen is a native 720p I set it to DVI 720p and it seemed to be happy. It didnt like DVI 1080i which caused some odd image behaviour. I would think the TV would be able to accept that and scale. Will investage further at a latter time.

I have the Snazio hooked via ethernet into a d-link wireless router. It immediately got an IP with no setup at all. Nice.

Installation of the software on a Mac running OS X was easy. Just drag and drop. The software has no interface. You just launch it and it works.

Use:

I opened the tray, dropped in a DVD, pressed the close button and the drawer tried to retract and then jammed. It came back out after a few seconds. Tried again, same thing. Pushed a little then it wouldnt do anything. So i unplugged everything, opened up the Snazio SZ1350. The wireless network card was not plugged into the board and had fallen into the back of the dvd tray blocking mechanism. I put the network card in its place, closed the unit back up and then the dvd tray worked fine. Seems like they need to work on the QC before these players go out the door.

I tried a couple of 1080i ts files and they played beautifully with DD 5.1. Only watched them for a few minutes each so cant comment on if playback is consistent for an extended period of time. Will report back on that.

I then tried the network feature. When I navigate my HD, the remote suddenly becomes responsive. When I leave navigation it becomes sluggish again. I hope they fix this ASAP in a firmware update because it is very bad. Unacceptable if you ask me and the player should not have been released with this bug. I have an apple cube and as the built in network card is 802.11b, I have added an ethernet d-link wireless 802.11g adaptor and have disabled the internal card. I was able to stream my HD content wirelessly between my computer and the router. I watched for about 10 minutes and it played flawlessly. Crossing my fingers that I wont have to put an ethernet cable between my computer and the router as I had expected I would.

I created a little website with some pictures of the packaging, contents and player for those that are interested:

http://homepage.mac.com/morgan68/Snazio_SZ1350/

I am a member of a couple of other video forums and will post this there as well so if you go to other forums and suddenly feel as if you have already read this, its not deja vu

[Dolfo]

I am hoping the non-responsive remote issue is due to poor remote control quality - I plan on programming my Harmony remote to control this thing so this wouldn't be an issue for me.

I am assuming that everyone is using the DVI video output (you probably would have bought the LP2 if DVI wasn't the video output of choice) - which audio output are you guys using? I plan on using the 6ch analog outs since I don't have a receiver that will decode WMA audio streams.

T2K - no comments yet on performance?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Nice one guys...

Okay... possible sh1t hitting the fan time!

Has anybody tried playing 6Ch WMA Pro and 6Ch AAC audio streams by outputting the signal via the analogue outputs?


Cheers

[Dolfo]

Originally Posted by SeeMoreDigital

Nice one guys...

Okay... possible sh1t hitting the fan time!

Has anybody tried playing 6Ch WMA Pro and 6Ch AAC audio streams by outputting the signal via the analogue outputs?


Cheers

I will when I get my player. I have a bunch of WMVHD clips (mostly from Microsoft) that I am hoping have some good WMA Pro soundtracks. If not, I'll pick up a couple of those commercial WMVHD disks.

[SeeMoreDigital]

And don't forget to try some of the A/V set-up test files that can be found on my web site..... Here: -

http://www.seemoredigital.net/51_Tes...est_Files.html


Cheers

[Dolfo]

Will do.

[T2k]

Originally Posted by Dolfo

I am hoping the non-responsive remote issue is due to poor remote control quality - I plan on programming my Harmony remote to control this thing so this wouldn't be an issue for me.

I am assuming that everyone is using the DVI video output (you probably would have bought the LP2 if DVI wasn't the video output of choice) - which audio output are you guys using? I plan on using the 6ch analog outs since I don't have a receiver that will decode WMA audio streams.

T2K - no comments yet on performance?

Yeah, there is but I went to bed around 4AM, so I was pretty tired to make a longer post.

I compiled a test DVD+R before I went home with all kind of of codecs and formats you can imagine, so here are my findings:

Video

Quality is very nice, especially over DVI. I'm more than pleased with WMVHD.

Divx OK
DivxHD OK
WMV9 OK
WMV9HD OK
MPEG2HD (HDV) OK
MPEG4 (Nero) OK

Didn't play WMV7
Didn't play WMV8 - these are big misses, Snazio! I hope it's going to be fixed!
Didn't play some ASF stuff.

Audio

Didn't play WMA9 Pro 5.1: Taxi 3's WMVHD trailer has Windows Media Audio 9 Professional 440 kbps, 48 kHz, 5.1 channel 24 bit (A/V) 2-pass CBR and no sound whatsoever. Itried changing PCM and RAW digital output format back and forth but nothing. Big miss, Snazio.
Didn't play Microsoft A-law. Playing a clip video was fine (Divx) but no audio.

Outputs

NO COMMERCIALLY DISTRIBUTED (CSS PROTECTED) DVD CAN BE PLAYED WHATSOEVER ON DVI OUTPUT.

I'm dead serious, this is powerful stupid thing.

I was really pissed already when I saw the warning that "CSS DVD CAN BE PLAYED ONLY IN PAL/NTSC MODE" because what kind of stupid idea is this? There are PLENTY OF UPSCALING PLAYER but I tried to change the DVI output and then I figured there's no way to watch your DVD collection on this player unless you revert to component or composite, effectively defeating the purpose of this DVI-based player.

I very-very hope Snazio will fix it very-very soon. They can lose the whole product line's appeal on this stupid, literally nonexisting issue - I guess it's most likely some ill-informed legal dept's influence over at V-One, so here's an advice, Snazio: call up Samsung, Philips, Zenith, Sony, Denon, Oppo, Momitsu etc and ask them how is that their players can upscale DVDs?
In the meantime ASAP enable DVD play in DVI 480p, temporary, until you sort out your legal thoughts on this.

Network

When I was screwing up the antenna, suddenly the whole thing started spinning together with the antenna. Due to lack of special tools I spent 20 minutes with carefully removing the antenna then fixing the lousy stub and its nut then putting antenna back... very annoying.

Then I set up the wireless, "Connection Excellence" was on the display after reboot (some French native in the firmware team? ), IP was set and - and nothing. No internet whatsoever. I couldn't even ping from my also wirelessly connected laptop.
Switch to DHCP - it didn't pick up. It was set to some 169.254.x.x B-class subnet, didn't find the DHCP server. No internet, nothing. I spent almost half an hour, tried every config, wireless physical layer was perfect but no TCP, nothing...
I gave up, pulled in a cable (the one came with it was too short) then it started working.

Internet

Browser starts up a bit slow but then it's pretty fast. In CSS-heavy sites it's really ugly, so don't expect a full-blown browser. Other then that it's OK, works fine.
The predefined SnazziZone Net cinemA Portal (yes, its title is this weird ) could be an ibnteresting thing if you, for example, following your login could save/store/set your bookmarks, netradios etc there but unfortunately currently it offers a very limited selection and no personalization is possible. I hope they're working on it.
WHen I entered one of favourite netradio's address, it didn't play, I got an error. If I opened it from my Firefox bookmarks via Net Cinema server from my laptop, it was working flawlessly. Displayed "Internet radio" then it's started, radio's usual track info was scrolling and Snazio was slieswowing my pictures from my defined photo directory. Then I went to sleep.

More stuff comes tonight.

PS: at the morning I turned my HT on and realized Snazio still on and plays that netradio. Cool!

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by T2k

Audio

Didn't play WMA9 Pro 5.1: Taxi 3's WMVHD trailer has Windows Media Audio 9 Professional 440 kbps, 48 kHz, 5.1 channel 24 bit (A/V) 2-pass CBR and no sound whatsoever. I tried changing PCM and RAW digital output format back and forth but nothing.

Did you use the analogue (RCA/Phono) or digital (S/PDIF) audio outputs?


Cheers

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by T2k

Outputs

NO COMMERCIALLY DISTRIBUTED (CSS PROTECTED) DVD CAN BE PLAYED WHATSOEVER ON DVI OUTPUT.

I'm dead serious, this is powerful stupid thing.

I was really pissed already when I saw the warning that "CSS DVD CAN BE PLAYED ONLY IN PAL/NTSC MODE" because what kind of stupid idea is this? There are PLENTY OF UPSCALING PLAYER but I tried to change the DVI output and then I figured there's no way to watch your DVD collection on this player unless you revert to component or composite, effectively defeating the purpose of this DVI-based player.

According to CSS regulations, you should be able to play/watch CSS protected DVD's via the DVI output.... but you should not be able to up-scale them!


Cheers

[MorganB]

Originally Posted by T2k

Outputs

NO COMMERCIALLY DISTRIBUTED (CSS PROTECTED) DVD CAN BE PLAYED WHATSOEVER ON DVI OUTPUT.

I'm dead serious, this is powerful stupid thing.

I was really pissed already when I saw the warning that "CSS DVD CAN BE PLAYED ONLY IN PAL/NTSC MODE" because what kind of stupid idea is this? There are PLENTY OF UPSCALING PLAYER but I tried to change the DVI output and then I figured there's no way to watch your DVD collection on this player unless you revert to component or composite, effectively defeating the purpose of this DVI-based player.

TK, what is your work around for this. I ran into this as well and I was rather shocked. I was thinking of hooking up the component video to watch commercial DVDs. I am a little unsure how to move from DVI to the component output and back. I know I could do it in the setup but clearly that is not a satisfactory way to quickly switch between the two. Would I just use the TV Mode button? (hitting it thousands of times to get it to respond twice).

I also tried to play a low res divx file over DVI. Played perfectly but the image was a postage stamp in the middle of the screen. Not sure how to get around that.

Have you found any way to bring up info about the file you are playing on the screen? As in title, remaining time, bit rate, resolution, fps? I havent.

[T2k]

Originally Posted by SeeMoreDigital

Did you use the analogue (RCA/Phono) or digital (S/PDIF) audio outputs?


Cheers

Itried changing PCM and RAW digital output format back and forth

[T2k]

Originally Posted by SeeMoreDigital

According to CSS regulations, you should be able to play/watch CSS protected DVD's via the DVI output.... but you should not be able to up-scale them!


Cheers

Linky?
And even so, how those other mfrs, no matter small or big company, can do it?

[T2k]

Originally Posted by MorganB

TK, what is your work around for this. I ran into this as well and I was rather shocked. I was thinking of hooking up the component video to watch commercial DVDs. I am a little unsure how to move from DVI to the component output and back. I know I could do it in the setup but clearly that is not a satisfactory way to quickly switch between the two. Would I just use the TV Mode button?

There's no workaround and there shouldn't be - Snazio should fix it ASAP by enabling DVI 480p for DVDs. This is ridiculous as it is now.
In the meantime use component only, for everything. (I can't, I ran out of component inputs on my TV - that's why I bough a DVI player.)

(hitting it thousands of times to get it to respond twice).

Yeah, I agree. Remote is very crappy. If I can get home tonight in time I'll map it to my Sony RM-AV3100 remote - I hope it's the crappy remote, not the unit... we'll see.

I also tried to play a low res divx file over DVI. Played perfectly but the image was a postage stamp in the middle of the screen. Not sure how to get around that.

That's the actual size.
Push bottom right corner bottom on the remote (I'm not home, I can't recall how it's named.) Switches between Actual size/Fit to screen/Full screen.

Have you found any way to bring up info about the file you are playing on the screen? As in title, remaining time, bit rate, resolution, fps? I havent.

Bottom of the left column, above the "URL" bottom, IIRC a third from the bottom, it has some "i" icon. When playing it brings up a transparent window with some basic info like file name, codec, perhaps lenght too and a timeline.
Unfortunately it's right in the middle of the screen.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by T2k

Linky?
And even so, how those other mfrs, no matter small or big company, can do it?

Because they are breaking CSS regulations!

Are you sure you have no "up-scaling" features switched on?

Originally Posted by T2k

I tried changing PCM and RAW digital output format back and forth

Okay.... you used the digital output.

Unless you have an amplifier fitted with an on-board WMA Pro (and/or AAC) decoder chip-set, you will not be able to hear 6Ch AAC or WMA audio streams via S/PDIF....

Try using the players analogue outputs..... Which is what most of us have to use when playing/listening to DVD-A and/or SACD media.


Cheers

[T2k]

Originally Posted by SeeMoreDigital

Because they are breaking CSS regulations!

I highly doubt that Samsung, Sony, Denon-sized companies act like that.
What regulations? Where did you read this? Linky?

Are you sure you have no "up-scaling" features switched on?

There's no such 'feature to switch'. All you can set is the output resolution but if you have DVI res set, no DVD will be played.

Okay.... you used the digital output.

Unless you have an amplifier fitted with an on-board WMA Pro (and/or AAC) decoder chip-set, you will not be able to hear 6Ch AAC or WMA audio streams via S/PDIF....

Try using the players analogue outputs..... Which is what most of us have to use when playing/listening to DVD-A and/or SACD media.

Cheers

Wow, that's utterly and powerful retarded. WTF MS thinks when tries to sell WMV-HD for movies: people will reconnect their stuff because of their idiotic codec.
Screw them.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by T2k

I highly doubt that Samsung, Sony, Denon-sized companies act like that.
What regulations? Where did you read this? Linky?

You'll have to Goggle to find the up to date regulations.

Technically any manufacturer offering up-scaling features for use with copyright protected content such as DVD, whether it be via the component or DVI/HDMI connection, could lose their license to manufacture or produce players. Upscaling is only allowed if the player/device offers HDCP.

Eitherway they can be requested into supplying the necessary firmware upgrade to delete such an option!

I must say I was quite surprised to see this player being fitted with DVI output.... especially as the industry is now being forced into using HDMI with HDCP for all high-def capable devices....

Originally Posted by T2k

Wow, that's utterly and powerful retarded. WTF MS thinks when tries to sell WMV-HD for movies: people will reconnect their stuff because of their idiotic codec.

As surround sound capable codecs go WMA Pro is very new, same as 6Ch AAC or 6Ch FLAC....

You can't expect DSS amplifier manufacturers to design and build chip-sets that support every type of codec over S/PDIF.... That's why most good DSS amps are fitted with analogue inputs!

Plus, if/when Blu-ray and HD-DVD players arrive you'll find HD disc's starting to appear with new 8Ch "discrete" versions of DolbyDigital and DTS.... so you'll need a new amp for this anyway


Cheers

[Dolfo]

Originally Posted by T2k

Wow, that's utterly and powerful retarded. WTF MS thinks when tries to sell WMV-HD for movies: people will reconnect their stuff because of their idiotic codec.
Screw them.

This was a big issue with the LinkPlayer2 - that player doesn't have the benefit of the 6ch audio outs so there is no way to get the WMA audio unless you have one of the few receivers that can decode it. This is one of the reasons that I was waiting for either the Snazio or the Zensonic.

I had hoped the player could at least play 480p via DVI, even if it couldn't upscale. It really sucks that it doesn't play at all. This will be the first big test for Snazio's Engineering Department - the faster this is fixed, the more successful they will be in selling these here in the States.

[Rob79]

I should be receiving my unit today, like T2K said if shipping works out, it is out for delivery. I look forward to receiving my unit and testing it out.

[Paul_PDX]

The LP2 currently can play downmixed 2 ch for WMA PRO 5.1 -- can the Snazio? And as seemore... keeps asking, has anyone tried the 5.1 analog outs yet (and if so for AC3, DTS, and or WMA PRO 5.1?).

As for your screen size issues -- on the LP2 and LTs the setup screen contains four screen settings -- in the main screen you pick your browser mode (sd or HD), displays resolution (eg 720p) and also pick your desired aspect ration (eg square pixel, full screen, zoom, etc). A fourth setting is under the DVD config menu for 4:3, Pan/Scan, 16:9. All of these together affect the final size different res programs and pictures end up displaying at.

DVD over DVI question? If you set your screen size if 480p and restart the Snazzi does it still refuse to play commercial dvd over DVI??

On the WMV6,7,8 issues -- the Sigma chips don't play those codecs -- so unless the server software transcodes on the fly those video types won't work.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Thanks Paul

[Paul_PDX]

Another Snazio HD question --

Does the US version direct from Snazi (NTSC version not bought in Europe) play PAL disks?? If so can you try both film and video based PAL sources?

Does the region cheat posted at MPEG playcenter work for this version also?

[Dolfo]

Here are some of the things I am looking forward to testing when I finally get my player (if T2K and/or Rob79 test these before me, great):

1. 5.1 audio (WMA Pro, DTS, and AC3 at least) via 6ch analog outs
2. Playback of ripped DVD across the network (I am wondering if this player can read an IFO and playback multiple VOBs in sequence)
3. EVERY HD CLIP I CAN GEt MY HANDS ON

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by Dolfo

Here are some of the things I am looking forward to testing when I finally get my player (if T2K and/or Rob79 test these before me, great):

1. 5.1 audio (WMA Pro, DTS, and AC3 at least) via 6ch analog outs
2. Playback of ripped DVD across the network (I am wondering if this player can read an IFO and playback multiple VOBs in sequence)
3. EVERY HD CLIP I CAN GEt MY HANDS ON

When I had a quick look thru' the players manual it appears this player (like so many others) runs on a version of Syabas's GUI software.... So I don't think there will be any "Number 2ing"


Cheers

[T2k]

Originally Posted by SeeMoreDigital

You'll have to Goggle to find the up to date regulations.

Technically any manufacturer offering up-scaling features for use with copyright protected content such as DVD, whether it be via the component or DVI/HDMI connection, could lose their license to manufacture or produce players. Upscaling is only allowed if the player/device offers HDCP.

Eitherway they can be requested into supplying the necessary firmware upgrade to delete such an option!

I must say I was quite surprised to see this player being fitted with DVI output.... especially as the industry is now being forced into using HDMI with HDCP for all high-def capable devices....

C'mon. My Momitsu V880 played videos oevr DVI without having to to change anything.

As surround sound capable codecs go WMA Pro is very new, same as 6Ch AAC or 6Ch FLAC....

You can't expect DSS amplifier manufacturers to design and build chip-sets that support every type of codec over S/PDIF.... That's why most good DSS amps are fitted with analogue inputs!

Plus, if/when Blu-ray and HD-DVD players arrive you'll find HD disc's starting to appear with new 8Ch "discrete" versions of DolbyDigital and DTS.... so you'll need a new amp for this anyway

Cheers

It doesn't matter for me as a customer. Either supply the sw encoder or attach a DD 5.1 instead of this useless crap. I'm dead serious: why bother if nothing supports it?

But hey, fine by me - I won't by a single WMV9HD movie which comes with this unplayable audio then. Screw MS, screw the whole iindustry. I am the customer, they want to sell something for me, not vica versa.

[T2k]

Originally Posted by Dolfo

This was a big issue with the LinkPlayer2 - that player doesn't have the benefit of the 6ch audio outs so there is no way to get the WMA audio unless you have one of the few receivers that can decode it. This is one of the reasons that I was waiting for either the Snazio or the Zensonic.

I had hoped the player could at least play 480p via DVI, even if it couldn't upscale. It really sucks that it doesn't play at all. This will be the first big test for Snazio's Engineering Department - the faster this is fixed, the more successful they will be in selling these here in the States.

Exactly. I never thought it doesn't play any DVD at all until you go to setup, go down to output format then select component NTSC, then go down to save, then go back to main screen - and remember, each step on the screen takes 3-4 push on the button to get one click through...

FYI: it's the same under component too! You HAVE to go into menus and manually switch the resolution. This is crazy, I'm telling you.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hey..... just because I'm informing you how it should be.... and not how you want it to be, does not mean to say I support all these these regulations

Just be thankful we still have DVD and that it's been such an incredible success. Which hopefully will take many years to be superseded by one of the proposed new high-def formats....

....Because when the new high-def formats arrive, I doubt some Linux wonder kid will be able to crack its copyright protection, so that we can watch re-compressed back-ups over our networks!


Cheers

[MorganB]

Originally Posted by Dolfo

I am hoping the non-responsive remote issue is due to poor remote control quality - I plan on programming my Harmony remote to control this thing so this wouldn't be an issue for me.

Unfortunately I dont think it is the remote. When I put a commercial DVD in the drive the remote is very responsive. Can navigate menus, fast forward, reverse, pause , stop etc without any problems from the remote.

Hopefully this will be fixed with a firmware update ASAP. The player should not have left their developement bench like this.

[MorganB]

Originally Posted by T2k

There's no workaround and there shouldn't be - Snazio should fix it ASAP by enabling DVI 480p for DVDs. This is ridiculous as it is now.
In the meantime use component only, for everything. (I can't, I ran out of component inputs on my TV - that's why I bough a DVI player.)

Well I hooked up my Snazio to component in addition to the DVI. I counted and to move from DVI 720p to " Component HD 480p" I pressed the "TV MODE" key 28 times! Thats not user friendly. I propose a on screen pop up menu that allows you to select the video output setting from a pop up list. You would validate your selection, swith the TV to the appropriate input and voila, the correct image. This avoids having to blindly navigate through MULTIPLE resolutions to get to the setting you need.

Originally Posted by T2k

Yeah, I agree. Remote is very crappy. If I can get home tonight in time I'll map it to my Sony RM-AV3100 remote - I hope it's the crappy remote, not the unit... we'll see.

I dont think its the remote. When I have a commercial DVD in the player the remote becomes very responsive.

Originally Posted by T2k

That's the actual size.
Push bottom right corner bottom on the remote (I'm not home, I can't recall how it's named.) Switches between Actual size/Fit to screen/Full screen.

Thanks will try that! Thats the button (Zoom) I was looking for but I was so fried from the setup with the impossible remote that I just couldnt see it. Was getting a bit punchy.

Originally Posted by T2k

Bottom of the left column, above the "URL" bottom, IIRC a third from the bottom, it has some "i" icon. When playing it brings up a transparent window with some basic info like file name, codec, perhaps lenght too and a timeline.
Unfortunately it's right in the middle of the screen.

Again thanks. I tried that button and it did nothing but I am sure it is because once again the remote didnt register my push. Works now.

[MorganB]

Here some bugs I've found:
1. as we all know REMOTE REMOTE REMOTE!
2. commercial DVD playback : press pause followed by play: content jumps forward a few seconds rather than starting back where it was.
3. commercial DVD playback: "Slow REV" does not go in reverse, goes forward. Also plays choppy audio while moving forward. "Slow FWD" goes forward but plays choppy audio also. There should be no audio at all. When pressing "play" from these modes, player jumps forward again.