2011 Media Streamer Roundup : Netgear NTV550, A.C.Ryan PlayOn!HD2 and the Boxee Box
by Ganesh T S on November 20, 2011 10:32 AM EST- Posted in
- Home Theater
- Media Streamer
- NetGear
- Boxee Box
The extent and nature of support for various audio codecs decide where the media streamers can be used. For example, in most setups, AVRs are available only in the main home theater location. The streamers used with bedroom TVs are usually directly connected over HDMI. In this context, we need to understand the three important aspects of audio codec support.
Bitstreaming: This refers to the ability of the player to send out the audio track in the media file directly through HDMI to the next device (usually AVR) in the output chain.
Decoding: This refers to the ability of the player to decode all the channels in the audio track and send out the LPCM version through HDMI or output all the audio tracks through the analog audio output ports (if available).
Downmixing: This refers to the ability of the player to decode all the channels in the audio track and combine them in such a way as to output stereo audio (2.0) over HDMI or the analog audio output ports.
Other audio aspects which get covered in this section include support for ISOs of SACDs, DVD-A and BD-Audio, playlist support, gapless audio support and sampling frequencies.
| Audio Compatibility Details | |||
| A.C.Ryan PlayOn!HD2 | |||
| Firmware Version v9.5.3.r5440 | |||
| Codec | Bitstream | Decode | Downmix |
| AC3 (Dolby Digital) | Yes | Yes (upto 2.0) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS | Yes | Yes (upto 2.0) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| Dolby Digital Plus | No | Yes (upto 2.0) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS-HD HR | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 2.0) | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0) |
| Dolby TrueHD | Yes | Yes (upto 2.0) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS-HD MA | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 2.0) | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0) |
| WMA Pro | No | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| AAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| MP3 | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| FLAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| Cook (Real Audio) | Not Applicable | Yes (upto 2.0) | Not Applicable |
| Vorbis | Not Applicable | No | No |
| APE | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| AIFF | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| DVD-A | Partially Supported (AC3 Version) | ||
| SACD | Not Supported | ||
| BD-Audio | Supported with bitstreaming | ||
| Playlists | M3U with Relative Pathnames Supported, PLS Support is Spotty | ||
| Gapless Audio | Not Supported | ||
| Sampling Frequencies | Faithful Decoding to LPCM upto 192 KHz for non-HD Audio Codecs, 48 KHz maximum for Decoded HD-Audio Codecs | ||
| Audio Compatibility Details | |||
| Netgear NTV550 | |||
| Firmware Version 1.03.10 | |||
| Codec | Bitstream | Decode | Downmix |
| AC3 (Dolby Digital) | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| Dolby Digital Plus | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS-HD HR | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 5.1) | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0) |
| Dolby TrueHD | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| DTS-HD MA | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 5.1) | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0) |
| WMA Pro | No | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| AAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| MP3 | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| FLAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1) | Yes (down to 2.0) |
| Cook (Real Audio) | Not Applicable | No | Not Applicable |
| Vorbis | Not Applicable | No | No |
| APE | Not Applicable | No | No |
| AIFF | Not Applicable | No | No |
| DVD-A | Partially Supported (AC3 Version) | ||
| SACD | Not Supported | ||
| BD-Audio | Supported with bitstreaming | ||
| Playlists | M3U and PLS files with relative pathnames show up in the library, but don't play back | ||
| Gapless Audio | Supported | ||
| Sampling Frequencies | Faithful Decoding to LPCM upto 192 KHz for non-HD Audio Codecs, 48 KHz maximum for Decoded HD-Audio Codecs | ||
| Audio Compatibility Details | |||
| D-Link Boxee Box | |||
| Firmware Version v1.2.2.20482 | |||
| Codec | Bitstream | Decode | Downmix |
| AC3 (Dolby Digital) | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| DTS | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| Dolby Digital Plus | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| DTS-HD HR | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0)1 |
| Dolby TrueHD | Yes | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| DTS-HD MA | Yes | Yes (Core) (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (Core) (down to 2.0)1 |
| WMA Pro | No | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| AAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| MP3 | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| FLAC | Not Tested | Yes (upto 5.1)1 | Yes (down to 2.0)1 |
| Cook (Real Audio) | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| Vorbis | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| APE | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| AIFF | Not Applicable | Yes | Not Applicable |
| DVD-A | Not Supported | ||
| SACD | Not Supported | ||
| BD-Audio | Supported with bitstreaming2 | ||
| Playlists | M3U and PLS With Relative Pathnames Fully Supported | ||
| Gapless Audio | Not Supported | ||
| Sampling Frequencies | Decoded Formats Downsampled to 48 KHz | ||
| 1 Decoded / Downmixed Formats Downsampled to 48 KHz | |||
| 2 HD Audio Streams Suffer from Dropouts | |||
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Methusela - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
What is a media streamer roundup without the latest WDTV? Just because you had another Sigma-based design from a different company? WD is the market leader in sales for network media tanks/streamers.loox - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Surprised here, as well. I honestly believe that there is no way the WDTV has been tested extensively by Anandtech (or else it'd be here).Like the folks at Anandtech, I too have spent YEARS finding a decent solution to playing multiple media formats on my HDTV, beginning with Lacie's Silverstream device.
Ultimately, I settled on the WDTV (gen 1), then the Plus, and sticking with the WDTV Live.
It just works. It works with my TV, my HDTV, hotel room TV's, My friends TV, My Parents TV (its very portable), HDMI, HDMI w/ Optical audio out, 7 ch. PCM, Bitstream Passthrough, Component HD, Composite SD, my Sony Amplifier/Receiver, DTS, DD, can stream DNLA content, as well as the iTunes server content on my WD My Book World Edition. Blu-ray ISO's, DVD ISO's, WMV, AVI, MP4, MKV, and the list goes on.
It also supports Windows 7's PlayTo functionality and streams Netflix and other online content in HD with considerable less buffering/lag than any other solution.
My conclusion is that at this moment, for watching (or listening to) media on a Television set (not so much internet browsing) the only superior solution to a WDTV Live is a good HTPC or quite laptop with recent hardware.
Souka - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I have a networked Brite-View unit....great product except for the interface....kinda basic.but that being said, I've been able to play pretty much any video file I've tossed at it.
Friends with WD units have compatibility issues with various files, but I don't.
I'm not a huge video watcher....except when I'm bettween jobs..heh
my $.02
ganeshts - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
This review is primarily meant to finish up coverage of the review units we have had for a long time. The WDTV Live Hub has been extensively tested and reviewed here:http://www.anandtech.com/show/3990/western-digital...
In addition, the WD TV Live Streaming Media Player has been with us for the last 1 month or so. Still some pending issues to fix up in that player, and I am waiting for a stable firmware from WD before reviewing it.
jonyah - Monday, November 28, 2011 - link
Funny, I think the same thing, but replace WDTV with PopcornHour. There is no match for the latest PCH (now the A-300). WDTV just seems like a little plastic toy box in comparison. Yes it's twice as expensive, but with that you get something that supports everything, integrates with IMDB, has apps addons, etc.pseudo7 - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Nice round up, though it would be nice to XBMC in the review round up (especially after next release).There are number a commercially available boxes:
http://www.pulse-eight.com/store/
Plus shed light on a nice opensource project
kolepard - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Agree. XBMC is a fantastic piece of work, and I'd love to see it compared in the roundup. The Boxee software is based on XBMC, and one of the reasons I purchased a Boxee was that they support the XBMC project.Rainman200 - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Well those are PC's not really off the shelf boxes, XBMC is getting there though to a point were a set top box running XBMC is viable.The Arm linux port of XBMC is making progress and Sigma Designs are porting XBMC too so in the future you might see XBMC powered players like a WDTV Live that use it for GUI rendering and jukebox creation.
Hopefully the Pulse Eight guys can cook up an low cost Arm set top box that runs XBMC.
pseudo7 - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Hmm The pulse eight box seems "off the shelf" as there is no assemble required.Also you can get the xtreamer ultra with openelec preinstalled (and hense XBMC)
Boopop - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
I concur, I've been a fan of XBMC since the early days when it was only available on the original Xbox. It would be nice to see how the people here think it compares!