FleaHDMI - Time to iron out the facts?

For quite a while now, I had been searching for a VP solution for the HT I'm helping to build for my parents. I've since had to conclude that there are just too many issues with all current VPs to justify the expense of any of them.

The FleaHDMI and the MosquitoHDMI seem to be exceptions, more or less. A fair bit of useful information is known about the Mosquito. For example, it generates a great deal of heat; its image processing takes only a fraction of a single frame to complete; it exhibits much of the flakiness shared by all VPs (such as being unable to handshake with TivoHD). By comparison, details like these are evidently not yet widespread knowledge when it comes to the Digital Flea (or indeed its non-digital predecessor). But I know some people own this piece of hardware, so hopefully they will be willing to share with us.

As always, I'll submit a series of questions.

1: The Flea boasts the same three types of processing as the Mosquito. However, it has already been pointed out that the Flea performs these operations to a lesser degree. What does this mean, exactly? A comparison of the features of the two units reveals very few differences, apart from the input options.

2: How long does the Flea take to process video? The Mosquito takes something like a third of a frame, if I recall what I read correctly. This is very acceptable. It is difficult to guess whether the Flea's supposedly lesser processing power means "less" or "slower" artifact removal.

3: I tend to doubt that the Flea produces huge quantities of heat, but it can't hurt to ask.

4: Has anyone experienced any deal-breaking issues with the Flea? For example, if I got one home and discovered that it simply could not accept input from one of my sources (a valid concern, as the Mosquito reportedly still has such issues, months after they were first observed), well, it wouldn't be all that useful to me.

5: I note that neither unit is listed as being able to accept or process video whose framerate is not effectively 60. This worries me, as I do not immediately see how the hardware could be useful for film-sourced video. If the video is sent as 480p60, any hope of achieving 24/48/72Hz has probably been lost. If the video is sent as 480i/1080i, will the Flea/Mosquito recognize the intended cadence and process accordingly? Does it even matter? It would be nice to have assurances that the use of a Mosquito/Flea will not jeopardize the goal of judder-free movies.

6: On a related note, is it possible that the firmware could be upgraded to support non-60Hz video? To me, this would seem like a logical next step.

7: Are the processing level settings available on a per-HDMI input basis?

8: By chance, would the processing level settings be adjustable based on the input resolution? (For example, a HD-DVD player can play DVDs as well as HD-DVDs. There are considerable differences in artifacting between the two media types. It would be very handy indeed if the Flea could be set up to utilize higher processing levels for the 480i/p video and minimal levels for the far less demanding 1080i video.)

The FleaHDMI may be an appealing piece of hardware, specifically in conjunction with OTA / satellite sources, as it appears to be a reasonably hands-free device that I could install and essentially never worry about - a highly attractive proposition, given that the users of this hardware will almost certainly be unable to handle any unexpected situations. And the (presumed) price seems fair, given that I am aware that alternative VP solutions are likely to be available within a year which could render the Flea superfluous and even needlessly pricey. But I do like to find out as much as I can about hardware before purchasing it, especially in a field of products whose low penetration generally means high maintenance.

Thanks in advance!

This is no comparison. It's an inquiry. At most, it's a dismissal of VPs that serve deinterlacing and scaling purposes, in favor of a specific focus on the comparatively passive process of artifact removal. Sorry if my introductory comments made it seem like I was fixing to discuss anything but the FleaHDMI.


By all means, be as specific as you can, so that my misinformation can be dutifully corrected. A generalization is, of course, not entirely helpful.


This is excellent, although it does open a bit of a can of worms since it contradicts the specs provided on Algolith's webpage.


This submission would probably be helpful to the poor individual who started a thread seeking cooling solutions for his Mosquito.

More information is always good. This is precisely the point of my thread. Although in this case I must admit that I almost feel like I had to coerce these tidbits of information out using indirect methods.