Zbox

When I started writing about the ID11, my intent was to document video playback and use as an HTPC, several posts later, and I am finally getting to MKV H.264 playback configuration and performance. This is the sixth post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: The CPU is not powerful enough to render / decode H.264 video, and GPU acceleration via DXVA is required, as well as a DXVA capable player. The Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder, included as part of Windows 7 x64, worked perfectly for H.264 playback, and compared to other H.264 decoders had the lowest CPU usage. As a standalone player, Media Player Classic Home Cinema, is a perfect choice, it supports MKV, H.264, DXVA, and subtitles without the need of any other software. Playback of MKV H.264 in Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, MediaPortal, or XBMC requires the installation of Haali Media Splitter, and ffdshow audio and video decoders. For AC-3 / DTS pass-through playback via S/PDIF / HDMI, the ffdshow audio decoder is required. I am not an expert in how these things work, but I have a basic understanding of video playback on Windows platforms, so let’s start with the file format; an MKV file is a Matroska Media Container file. An MKV file can contain multiple audio-, video-, subtitle-, and other, streams. An MKV file is not a video or audio compression format, it is just a container. ...

As I was testing the ID11, I noticed differences in the thermal behavior based on how the case was positioned. I tested three positions; case open, case vertical, and case horizontal. This is the fifth post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: Place the case in a vertical position for best cooling. I used the Beta BIOS for testing. I let the system sit idle, placed it under load, then back to idle, while I recorded the fan speed and temperatures. The ambient temperature was 21C / 70F. ...

In a previous post I measured the fan speed and noise under load, and I found it to be unacceptably high. Zotac support notified me that a new Beta BIOS is available that addresses the issue. In this post I measure the difference between the release BIOS and the Beta BIOS. This is the fourth post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: The Beta BIOS reduces the fan speed and noise significantly. The default BIOS values need some adjustment to get acceptable results. Similar results may be possible with the current BIOS by setting the target temperature to 65C. The Beta BIOS was first announced on the global Zotac site, it only later appeared on the US site. I would recommend that ID11 owners look for updates on the global site instead of the US site. The Beta BIOS is available for download from here. ...

I created this page as an index to all my posts about the Zotac ZBOX Mini-PC ZBOXHD-ID11. First impressions Fan speed and noise 4GB RAM support Beta BIOS reduces fan speed and noise Case positioning impact on fan noise MKV H.264 video playback performance This is my first post created using Windows Live Writer. I used to create my posts using Google Docs, but a recent upgrade to Google Docs removed the ability to publish docs to Blogger. Ironic that I am now using a Microsoft product to post to Google ;)

In this post I describe my experience while upgrading the BIOS, in order to support 4GB of memory. This is the third post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: - 4GB is supported after upgrading the BIOS. - BIOS has to be updated using less than 4GB, else ID11 fails to post. [Update: 20 May 2010] After writing this post, the machine started bluescreen / BSOD crashing. Mostly MEMORY_MANAGEMENT / 0x0000001A errors, with occasional 0x000000BE and 0x0000003B crashes. When I initially installed the 4GB RAM, I ran memtest for one cycle, and the RAM tested fine. I just reran memtest, and it is reporting the memory as bad. I replaced the memory with a new stick, I ran memtest overnight, and everything seems back to normal. I hope it was just a bad stick, and not the ID11 that killed the memory. ...

In my previous post I discussed my initial impressions of the Zotac ZBOXHD-ID11. In this post I continue my review, focusing on fan speed and noise. This is the second post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: - High fan speed and noise while under load. - Fan never returns to silent operation after load is removed. - Need DXVA capable player for video playback. [Update: 26 May 2010] I tested the Beta BIOS, and it produced significantly better results. Effectively the new BIOS runs the CPU at 65C vs. 50C, as such you may be able to achieve the same results with the current BIOS by simply changing the CPU temperature threshold to 65C. ...

I am sharing my experiences and first impressions of the Zotac ZBOXHD-ID11-U mini PC. In the coming days I will connect the device to my home theater, and review the behavior running Windows Media Center, XBMC, and Media-Portal. This is the first post in a series of posts related to the Zotac ZBOX ZBOXHD-ID11. Summary: - To enter the BIOS, cold boot and press DEL. - To select a boot device, cold boot and press F11. - To enable Aero, run the Windows Experience Index assessment. - To improve performance, install updated drivers from the hardware vendor site. - To correct HDMI audio output, install updated drivers from the hardware vendor site. - To reduce fan noise, change the BIOS temperature thresholds. - The fan is loud and the box runs hot. ...