ZvBox: Not the ultimate PC-to-TV box
As you might guess from this photo, the ZvBox isn't the easiest gadget to set up.
(Credit: ZeeVee)Awhile back, I wondered aloud when we'd finally see a "Hulu box" that could stream on-demand video from that increasingly popular online video destination directly to your TV. And a couple of weeks ago, we got our hands on the first potential candidate in the form of the ZvBox. The PC accessory converts your computer's video output and makes it accessible on your home HDTV (multiple TVs, in fact, if your home is cable-ready). It also includes an RF remote with wireless-mouse functionality, so you can navigate your PC screen from afar, and pull up any computer-based media content on the TV screen--including Hulu, iTunes, BitTorrent, or whatever other Web- or PC-based video strikes your fancy.
Unfortunately, we found the ZvBox had too many caveats. You can read the full review for all the gory details, but here's the executive summary: it's got a very complicated setup; the wireless remote response is so laggy that it's frustrating to use; and--the real deal-killer--it costs $500. For that amount of money, you could just by an entry-level PC (with a wireless keyboard) and connect it to your TV. You'd be spending the same amount of money, getting an easier set-up process and lag-free response time--and you'd still be able to watch Hulu or any other digital-video source from the comfort of your sofa.
Can ZvBox be fixed? Even with the price cut in half, it'd be a tough sell in its current incarnation, but there are options for an overhaul. One option: sell the RF remote and the ZV software (basically a streamlined front-end for bookmarking and accessing media-friendly Web sites and programs) separately as a DIY add-on for PCs that are directly connected to a TV. (The remote works fine when viewing the PC-video output directly, without the lag introduced by the ZvBox transcoder.) Or consider bundling it with a cheap Atom-based mini-PC that would easily fit near the TV--something like the EEE Box or upcoming Shuttle X27--either with Windows XP or a custom Linux install that focused on media playback.
Of course, those sort of changes would make ZvBox just another Media Center PC/Home Theater PC wannabe--competing in an already niche-y marketplace among enthusiasts and tech geeks. I'm still holding out hope that someone--ZeeVee or otherwise--is working on a cheap and convenient way to get Hulu (and other Web video sources) onto my TV. In the meantime, I'll just keep lugging the laptop back and forth to the living room for quick and dirty hook-ups to that dangling AV cable.
What do you think: Is the ZvBox an attractive product as is, or does it need an overhaul? And do you have any desire for a Web video set-top box, or do you have too many boxes under your TV already?
John P. Falcone covers home theater and network entertainment products. He's been writing for CNET since 2002.
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The review of ZvBox was based on a direct hook-up to the TV which really defeats the purpose. The best value of ZvBox is that it drives multiple HDTVs by localcasting over the coax to all the rooms in the house, without any clutter in the living room. So it really is not a set-top box at all, since it lives near the computer in the office and not "on top of the box". The only thing that is required in the living room (or bedroom, or den, etc.) is the ZvRemote or some other wireless remote or keyboard. Compared to other STB-based solutions that only play limited content, require fees for each download, and require a device at each TV in the house, this is quite a good value. If your home situation (cabling, spousal unit, kids, convenience) allows you to hook-up your laptop to the TV directly and you only want Internet TV on one of the big screens in your house, then ZvBox might not be for you.
Again, we thank CNET for the in-depth review and, together with my clarification above, it should help you decide if ZvBox is the right solution for your home.
Your overall description of the product was good. Some of the detractors I agree with:
1) Latency with the mouse response. Sure that's a valid point. Is it something that can be lived with - considering what you get? I think so, depending on what you want to do with the setup. If you're using the remote touchpad to select video content - then it's something that one can live with. If you want to use the coming keyboard to work with PC applications - then it becomes a problem. Apparently the folks at Zeevee are working on the latency issue. Can much improvement be expected? Hard to tell considering how this thing works.
2) Price. Maybe a valid point. Depends on how you look at it. If you have multiple TV's in the house, and you want to be able to access your media serving PC from any one of those TV's, then I think the price becomes less of an issue. If the PC has a Blue-ray drive, then that's one less (expensive?) box you need for each TV. Again, I think this depends on what your personal habits and needs are.
Some of the detractors I disagree with:
1) You suggested that a better alternative might be an entry level PC connected directly to the TV. My question to you is - Who wants their living room to look like it's decor was picked out by the Geek Squad? Who want's another box (especially a PC) located in their living room by the TV?
2) I don't give much weight to your view about the difficulty of the installation and setup. This setup was daunting for "experienced techies" like yourselves? Please give me a break. If that's true, then what's that say about you? I don't think you give your audience enough credit. What kind of people frequent this site anyway? If you can install new software, hardware, and wireless networking on your PC (common task accomplished by PC owners every day), then this setup should be cake. Sure it's not plug and play - and yes we all are spoiled by installations that are - but let's not make this more than what it is. Beyond stuff you would normally encounter when installing new hardware on your PC, you have to deal with some coax cable, splitters, and a channel filter. Big whoop! The settings configuration doesn't look out of the ordinary either in terms of difficulty. Look you don't buy a component audio system and expect to only have to plug it in to hear music. Same goes with a piece of equipment like this. The most common setup issue that I've read about so far is that some people have had to update their video card drivers to get this to work. Zeevee discusses this on their support and forum pages.
3) I don't find the issue surrounding the PC being locked up while serving video to be persuasive either way. Sure there are households that only have one PC in the house that is shared by all. But if that's all the budget can afford, then I don't think some product like this would be on the shopping list anyway. Personally, I wouldn't want little Suzy using the computer I use for household media serving for her homework (or whatever). I would have a separate PC for that function. For many household situations - this use conflict issue wouldn't be an issue.
But more important, your #3 comment is probably one of the dumber comments I have seen posted. I know quite a few people who had servers/NAS where their media is kept. They still have only one main PC where little suzy and everyone else would use. Most likely you would connect the ZvBox to the main PC and not the server. By implying that people/households with only one PC are on a "budget" is laughable...
If you are a ZvBox owner then maybe you can clarify your stance based on your own experience on the product and provide some substance to Cnet's review. If you do not own a ZvBox, the I am not quite sure how you can critique Cnet's experience with the product...
It was definitely not as difficult to install as they seem to make it out to be - just installing the filter and a couple of splitters. And the install manual they have was pretty easy to follow. Anyone that's had to figure out the spaghetti works of hooking up a home theater system can certainly figure out how to install a ZvBox.
They seem to miss the point of the ZvBox - avoid the need for multiple "media extenders" when using a central media "server" while at the same time gaining the ability to view web content on the televisions.
If you're getting it just to watch internet content on one television then yes, it's a waste of money - you could just hook the computer up directly to the TV at that point.
I bought it to eliminate the two Xboxes I currently have for media extenders and the addition of viewing internet content - specifically Netflix movies - on my two televisions. I bought the Xboxes specifically to use as media extenders, so now I can sell them off on eBay (along with the wireless adapters, HD cables, etc) and can come pretty close to paying for the ZvBox - plus have the ability to hookup to more tvs elsewhere in the house later with no additional hardware required except for the tv itself.
Bought a high quality HD-15 cable with integral 2.5 mm stereo cable. I attach one end to my computer's DVI output, ran the other end thru the wall to my LCD TV's input. My keyboard and mouse are wireless, and transmit the 40 ft line of sight. The results are excellent. The wife likes to call it her virtual lap top.
I also prefer the ZvBox approach to a media center PC because it's cleaner (all of my equipment is hidden behind a wall, out of reach of my baby daughters, and coax plugged in is better than a computer with lots of wires lying around), more efficient (no wasting energy and no buying an extra computer you don't really need) and I think ZV has done an okay job with streamlining the interface to Hulu-style content so that there's less effort involved in diving right into the show.
The one sticking point would be the price, but for the money, you get the most versatile media streamer around, since you aren't limited by codec support like other devices and you aren't restricted to just a few spots on the web: anything you can watch on your computer, you can watch on a ZvBox!
boulder_bum: You should do a review too.