Official Ceton Echo Extender Info Thread - Page 103

Yes, the purpose of the VM is to make 7MC a server and have a central repository for recordings. That way you can have an extender only setup. The server ,as it were, is nothing more then a recording/licenseing box which has no real value for viewing other then authenication for the extenders.

As for working with the Echo, the HDHR Prime is not seen by the extender and is only in the tunner pool for WMC. So any tunner/capture device support by WMC will work with the Echo. Now if we could say that with filetypes we would have something, wouldn't we?

I suspect that this is only true in the sense that the extender is not aware of where the original signal came from, and that it is just extending the HTPC's operation. I would be surprised if the Echo worked directly with the HD Homerun or HD Homerun Prime to watch live tv with the HTPC off.

I don't think it works directly, you still have to a PC running Windows Media Center. See Skybolt's post above.

Extenders don't do anything without a Media Center PC.

if the question is do BD ISO work, no! the echo requires a splitter if thats question 3...

Just received my Echo. Anyone know when I would be approved to participate in the forums? I've already signed up but stil no access.

I am sorry I took this off topic with my questions about SSD drives!

Thank you all for the feedback on them. I will watch for a super deal to come along and take advantage of it!

Ray

Hey IMO it gave us something to talk about.

Yes, because there is nothing new on the Echo front ...

PM me your user name on the ceton forums.

I also use a 7MC VM to view live TV and recorded TV on OSX systems. It works almost like an application or appliance. I also use a HDHomeRun Prime 6CC tuner.

Have there been any new firmwares/features sent out to beta units recently? I'm starting to get worried, wondering whether i should cancel my preorder or not. Seems like a lot of bugs to iron out/features to add in a short 15 day window. After getting burned on some other products that promised features that never came, I don't want to buy on a promise of things to come.

Yes, there is new firmware released yesterday but no new features added from what I read. The main sticking points remain unresolved it seems. Hopefully, by the time I finally received my RMAed beta unit in a week or two, something new comes out. But I would certainly not holding breath for preorders unless you want to beta test it like me(yet to see Echo in action, all I saw so far is a dead unit with nice logo).

You mean the actual release if it's two weeks out. Still a long way to go. IMO.

My Echo is very responsive and works well as an extender for LiveTV and I see performance improvements. I think that the next f/w will start to add some features that we're all looking for but only time will tell.

Totally agree with you, so much so, I moved the Echo into the bedroom where 720p looks awesome.

No, I mean something like 1080p support and AC3 passthrough. That's all I cared about. The Echo itself probably won't be ready for retail for another couple weeks.

You mean 1080p w/AC-3 and DTS passthrough, no?
AC-3 is supposed to work, at least according to their spec. Passthrough has been discussed and saught after, and basically promised at some point I believe. Probably not until after the release though.

Has the stuttering with 1080i content been fixed? I take it from the comments from Foxbat and skybolt that 1080p output has not yet been added?

Since there is no DTS in cable TV channels, I could care less about DTS pass-through. I thought currently Echo pass out PCM only. I'd prefer it passes AC3 bit-stream to my receiver instead of PCM. If I could have a working beta unit to test it with, I'd know all the answers

Both 1080p and passthrough have moved up in development.. So sooner than things like HBR mkv's or echo boot menu..

Well, ok, your mostly right. DTS pass through would help with the streaming content issues. But for the tv only side, Ceton's own spec states AC-3 support, so that would not be pass through I am thinking. But yes, currently only PCM 2.0 is the aduio output of the Echo.

As for the current video output, we're still at 720p and PCM 2.0. 1080 content is down converted to 720p. But we are still in a beta, in the bottom of the 9th w/ 2 outs and bases loaded, I would say ...

Passthrough is important for an echo connected to an AVR that can decode it and for HBR rips, otherwise not so much. Decoding dts is much more neccesary for the Echo connected to a TV only in a remote room if you want to still be able to access a library that has titles with dts in them.

When you say PCM 2.0, is your Echo connected to AVR or directly to TV? If it is later, you will only get PCM 2.0 as HDMI audio is heavily dependent on HDMI handshake. Your TV will always tell any HDMI device connected to it that it will only accept PCM 2.0 audio (unless you own one of those rare Vizio TVs that supports DD 5.1 via HDMI . But I don't believe it was ever publically released)

Streaming content can be easily converted to whatever audio format you want. For me, most BD rips are DTS-HD which probably will never be supported by Echo. So I would create and re-mix in an AC3 (DD 5.1) audio track and call it a day. DTS support is hardly important in this area.

I wouldn't really consider transcoding hundreds of audio tracks in my blu-ray library "easy." Perhaps not challenging, but definitely tedious. I rather buy a cheap a/v receiver for the remaining TV in the house that doesn't have one than do that, if only the Echo could at the very least pass the DTS track through.

The limiting factor here is really WMC. What can it pass through? Even though DTS-HD tracks contains DTS core, it is still treated differently on PC side. And unless you already have another DTS track on those rips, you probably have no choice.

Connected to an HDMI switch which outputs TOS to my AVR which decodes DTS, I am ready to upgrde this winter I think , just not sure why. THX 7.2 sounds awesome. As does TrueHD HBR audio.

PCM 2.0 is a known issue at this point and is accepted on the beta tracker as such. Passthrough is still a request, that might have been accepted.

True to an extent, but a 7MC HTPC can do all of these things without breaking a sweat. And unless your talking about transcoding, the main PC doesn't really decode anything, the extender does. Which is why the Echo is so key in supporting at least pass-through. I mean, then PCM 2.0 an DTS could be obtained at the same time. PCM over HDMI and pass through via TOS. Not optimal but it would certaily work. Then both audio tracks could reamin and not be converted. Thats why I still use a HDMI switch, a newer AVR would have this built in, but who wants to listen to the news in AC-3.

As to converting all of my DTS based audio tracks, not in this life time. It's taken me years to get as far as I have, I mean you might as well just play the disc in that case ...

Passthrough is "In Progress".