1" and or 2.2" Low Power Stations

[nite_man]

As I said before, I'd stay away from the via based products if you want UI2..

Dan, could you clarify does VIA based FiireStaion (VESA mount 1") support Full-HD and UI2 or not? Its specification says that it does. Is it true? I have to find some VESA mount solution with support Full-HD and Alpha blended UI2.

Thanks in advance.

[nite_man]

Does somebody try VM7700 - http://tinyurl.com/yq3j99? It looks similar to 1" FiireStation but according to its specification it support MPEG4. But I'm not sure about UI2.

[niz23]

nite_man.

Does somebody try VM7700 - http://tinyurl.com/yq3j99? It looks similar to 1" FiireStation but according to its specification it support MPEG4. But I'm not sure about UI2.

It´s pretty much the same hardware and has the same limitations as Fiire 1" since it use Unichome Pro II graphics.

/niz23

[nite_man]

It´s pretty much the same hardware and has the same limitations as Fiire 1" since it use Unichome Pro II graphics.

Thought like that ... It isn't good because I don't know about any nVidia based VESA mount solution.

[totallymaxed]

I saw this, the MM220 from convergenthome:

Features
Software: LinuxMCE 0704 or 0710
User Interface: UI2 with Overlay
Processor: Intel 1.86Ghz Celeron M440. Low power under 45W with ultra low noise fan cooling system
RAM: 512MB
Internal Optical drive: Slot-in Multi UJ-85J Panasonic
Network: Gigabit Ethernet
Video: Embedded Intel 945GM - External via DVI-I Port ; 85Hz Refresh Rate:1600x1200 pixels, up to 32bit Colors
IO: DVI-I port, S-Video, USBx4, DC-in jack, IEEE 1394, AV-in, Headphone/ Line out jack share w/ SPDIF out, Microphone/ Line in jack, RJ-11/ RJ-45, 3-in-1 Card Reader , CIR MCE Remote Control
Dimensions: 42 (h) x 172 (w) x 226 (d) (all dimensions in mm)
Weight: 1300g

Specifically noting the UI2 with Overlay... is this the best? Or is this not AlphaBlending?  Also... I noted this was only available to the UK... So anyone have more specs on this for someone like me in the US?

Sorry for not spotting this thread before now...

The MM200 is a unit we have manufactured for us in Taiwan. We can't ship it to US customers due to potential product liability exposure that our insurers are unhappy with. The MM200 will run UI2 + overlay but no UI2 + Alphablending due to limitations in Intel's current video driver.

However UI2 runs very nicely on this unit and video performance is excellent. The design, size, low energy usage and almost silent operation of this unit make make it one of our top selling MD's.

[totallymaxed]

What about this! Not sure if it would support UI2 with the component outs... says HDTV outs. Not sure what compatibility would be like either... I was thinking this:

VIA EPIA NX - ITX-Nano based board
http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/motherboards.jsp?motherboard_id=470

and

SilverStone Lascala LC08 Home Theater PC Case
http://sharkacomputers.com/silalcsi1.html

By the way the Wiki has the SilverStone case spelled wrong... it's not LaCase... its Lascala. Had a hard time finding it at first.... anyways what kind of UI could use with a board like this?

Hook it up with 1GB of Ram for $25
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=BA21371&CartID=done&nextloc=

And the LVDS Module
VIA LVDS Video Module - LVDS-08G
http://www.google.com/product_url?q=http://www.e-itx.com/via-lvds-08g-epia-nx.html&fr=AIOtD6JpWtL7ytd7mtb9ZBfxLNv-ueuKbQAAAAAAAAAA&gl=us&hl=en&sa=title

Seems to me like a total solution for $443.85 for a Media Center... Low power, Small as heck on the form factor, high quality parts.... just not sure if it's compatible and supports UI2. Could just add a component adapter too since it has that on-board.

Am I off here?

 

v/r

The Via Epia NX is a C7 Processor & CX700M based motherboard ie its very similar in that respect to the 1" thick Vesa mount Fiire MD. The problem with any Via based solution at the moment is that the Via Unichrome Pro and the Openchrome graphics drivers do not support UI2 at all (UI1 will work though). The Firre MD's use custom versions of the Via Unichrome Pro drivers that only Fiire can provide to you... however even with these special drivers the Fiire MD's do not support UI2 + Alphablending 100% and also will not run MythTV or the KDE desktop which for most people are very significant limitations.

In our experience when people actually see a properly configured MD running UI2 + Overlay on a big 42" Plasma they are totally blown away... and the loss of transparency in menu's and some other UI elements becomes... well just not that important really. In actual use you find that you quickly forget about transparency and you get used to the much better video playback performance under UI2 + Overlay (with transparency on UI2 suffers tearing and other playback problems)

[usaf-lt-g]

Thanks for the info TotallyMaxed.

So in reference, to what you're talking about the Via EPIA NX board... UI1 is only supported. There aren't any other drivers, except those through "FIIRE" that will allow UI2 + Overlay? I don't suppose FIIRE has any intent on offering those drivers either... ??

Is there NO other driver available that would support UI2 + Overlay, or at least something someone else is working on?

[tkmedia]

Check this thread

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=3760.0

[usaf-lt-g]

Hmmm.... bah... well that's no good. Essentially FIIRE won't release em' unless of course their sales improve, and of course THATS not easy feat for them, esepcially when the primary marketing product (LINUXMCE) is an open source OS in the first place that's free to the public...

On the otherhand, it's nice to note people are working on this. I for one, am NOT adept in coding new drivers. I'm a DB designer. Has anyone, "purchased" a FIIRE Station, and tried looking at the driver FIIRE uses? I imagine, the source isn't provided... so scratch that thought....

Has anyone checked with VIA to see if a release is coming?

[tkmedia]

Be careful the via drivers are a sore subject just search the forum for via.

[simon]

i found this board in a german mini-itx store: (enlarge the graphic for specs)
http://www.mini-tft.de/xtc-neu/product_info.php/products_id/26550/cPath/2539_2719/mini-itx-mit-sockel-am2/aopen-nmpc68st-la,-mainboard,-mini-itx,-fuer-amd-pr.html
im sure you can find it somewhere in the us too.

its also a mini-itx board with a nvidia chipset, so it should fully support UI2. it also got a DVI-port which is HDCP capable.
since it is socket AM2, you could use a energie efficient AMD processor with enough power to play varoius high-def content.
you won't be able to find any vese-mountable case, but you can create a very thin client with low energy consumption, though you wont reach energy values like the VIA boards do. the only thing im not sure about is how effective and noisy the low profile coolers for the CPU are.

[hari]

the only thing im not sure about is how effective and noisy the low profile coolers for the CPU are.

you can't hear the NorthQ 3393 from a few feets apart on a BE2400. The SST low profile for AM2 is not yet available. Have not tested the hiper. Don't know about other silent AM2 low profile coolers.

best regards,
Hari

[totallymaxed]

Does somebody try VM7700 - http://tinyurl.com/yq3j99? It looks similar to 1" FiireStation but according to its specification it support MPEG4. But I'm not sure about UI2.

Its exactly the same machine... we have them here. But the problem is you would need the Fiire drivers to make it capable partly supporting UI2.... ie with Fiire's Via drivers you get UI2 + transparency (but not in menus) and you can't run MythTV or the KDE desktop. Also there are reports of it not being too stable by some here on the forum.

The VM7700 will run UI1 and the Unichrome Pro drivers and with those drivers it's video performance is good... but as to mpeg4... I can't comment. I think the hardware has many more features than the current Linux drivers give you access too :-(

[usaf-lt-g]

So the thing I don't like about mini-ITX is that you still have to supply a seaparte Processor, which means, power consumption is not much different from a standard mATX or ATX board. It's still a bigger form factor, so you'd have to fit in a bigger case, etc...

the nano-ITX seem to be the right choice, because they're fully integrated (minus RAM which is SODIMM based), they were made as a small form factor, minimize power consumption and fit in an incredibly small case.

Doesn't seem like there's an NVIDA based nano-ITX board out there. Just how different is the UI1 interface from the UI2 interface on 3 Plasma TVs? I mean... am I going to be losing out on a lot of "functionality" or interfaceing that I wouldn't normally have by going this route? I would imagine I should still have no problem PXE booting from the VIA Nano-ITX board.

[totallymaxed]

So the thing I don't like about mini-ITX is that you still have to supply a seaparte Processor, which means, power consumption is not much different from a standard mATX or ATX board. It's still a bigger form factor, so you'd have to fit in a bigger case, etc...

the nano-ITX seem to be the right choice, because they're fully integrated (minus RAM which is SODIMM based), they were made as a small form factor, minimize power consumption and fit in an incredibly small case.

Doesn't seem like there's an NVIDA based nano-ITX board out there. Just how different is the UI1 interface from the UI2 interface on 3 Plasma TVs? I mean... am I going to be losing out on a lot of "functionality" or interfaceing that I wouldn't normally have by going this route? I would imagine I should still have no problem PXE booting from the VIA Nano-ITX board.

Well I'm not sure that nano-itx is totally needed to get the footprint down (the Fiire 1" MD's use one but it sits in the middle of the enclosure). So you might be happy with a mini-itx board... here's one from a German site that looks like it might be suitable;

http://www.mini-tft.de/xtc-neu/product_info.php/products_id/26550/cPath/2539_2719/mini-itx-mit-sockel-am2/aopen-nmpc68st-la,-mainboard,-mini-itx,-fuer-amd-pr.html