Question about Z1000 Pro functionality

I'm looking to replace my 2017 Shield with the Z1000 Pro and just had a few quick questions I am hoping someone can help me with in regards to usage / functionality?

If I have a couple of media files in a directory will the Z1000 Pro play them one after the other automatically?

Can I have an internal HDD and external USB drive (either flash stick or HDD) connected at the same time? And if yes can they both be accessed from a networked PC?

Is copying files to the Z1000 Pro over a network as easy as the Shield (map Shield share on PC and copy files)?

Thank you for your help.

 

Just read a post regarding playlists, so that's a yes to that!

 

Yes to all the above but bear in mind the Zidoo does not support the likes of Netflix, Disney etc.

 

Hi Mark, thanks for your reply and for the info I do know it unfortunately is not certified for streaming services.

In your opinion is the Zidoo worth the extra $$$ over the Shield & Kodi? Is there a noticeable difference in video / sound quality?

Also how is the Zidoo at handling glitches or errors in media files during playback? The Shield & Kodi will usually pause for a second when it gets a bad section in a media file and then start playing again when it is past it. Does the Zidoo do that or does it just stop playing the file?

Thanks

 

Seems like I'm saying this a lot recently, but as far as HDR, DV and general audio/video handling goes, the Zidoos make the Shield look like a wind up toy.

The Z9X is generally around the same price as the Shield. I have both and wouldn't consider the Shield for local playback and to be fair since they turned it into an advertising machine, I'm at a loss as to why I even keep it at all these days...

As for bad video files - I have no idea - I don't have any.

 

Thanks again for the info and I just have one more question if that's ok.

I rip my blu-ray and dvd collection mainly to mkv and sometimes when I lend those files to friends to watch (they usually watch through their TV or blu-ray player) with some files they get a protection error saying the video is pirated. I don't get any of these when playing the same file on the Shield, so I guess my question is will the Zidoo play any file I throw at it even if the video file has some sort of production?

 

I’ve never had that problem. I use makemkv to produce a MKV file of the main movie. Rarely bother with entire disc as I’m not really interested in extras. I’m not sure of this but I think makemkv only removes region and zone encryption but doesn’t remove protection, so they don’t get into copyright issues. So maybe some TV’s may have stricter protocols ? I can certainly imagine a Blu ray player objecting as they are nearly all locked down.

 

Thanks for your reply Netmask, I just wanted to make sure that the Zidoo didn't have strict copyright filters like some of the TV and blu-ray players before I bought it. Hate to buy it and then figure out half my collection wouldn't play. But I think I am sold on the Z1000 Pro, going to order one now. Thanks again

 

Most likely from Blu-ray's with Sony's nice Cinavia "protection" that some ripping software does not remove correctly. It was designed to play poorly on older media players and TV's (and Sony's in particular).
You may find a list on the web somewhere of affected Titles. DVDFab is excellent software for ripping

Local file playback on Zidoo is superb and switching on Samba allows access from a networked PC to the unit, internal HDD and any attached USB drives.
If you are used to Kodi on the Shield, I'd also suggest installing ZDMC (a fork of Kodi 19.4) as it works very well, using the Zidoo's internal player seamlessly.

 

Thanks Phil for your reply, I have just bought one and eagerly waiting for it to arrive!

Can I ask if there's any advantage of using ZDMC over the internal player/interface? The main reason why I am getting a Zidoo is because of the jumpy playback issues, I notice a slight jump/skip in some files with the Shield and Kodi and have read it's a Kodi/Plex/Shield issue?

Also I am getting a new HDD for it and was just wondering if you know if they recommend a NAS drive for the internal bay? Thanks

 

You really can’t remove Cinevia despite the claims of some software. It’s in the main soundtrack and requires degradation of the audio to reduce its effects. MakeMKV merely wraps the original in. A MKV container. Zidoo and other media players don’t have the Cinevia firmware installed. It’s compulsory for standalone dvd and bd players but not media players. I believe most major TV’s have implemented it, so a direct connection to a SONY TV via a memory stick would probably implement the message after 20 minutes.

 

To my uses, the HT4 interface still needs work (which I know is ongoing and being improved all the time), especially with a large library of material spread across several NAS drives and hard drives. As a previous Kodi user (for 5 years), I found ZDMC much simpler to get the hang of and use, with virtually no learning curve. I've never experienced "jumping/skipping" with my Z1000 Pro (not did I with my previous HiMedia Q10 Pro which also shelled out from Kodi to an internal player).

I tried an 8Tb HGST NAS drive internally, that is 7200rpm and found it too noisy for my liking as it was being accessed regularly, even when not using content from it (i.e. accessing a movie/tv from NAS). Changing the settings to "sleep after 10 minutes" did not help much. A slower HDD should be quieter.
At the suggestion of @NiceMonkey, I substituted a 5Tb 2 1/2" laptop drive inside the Zidoo and can no longer hear it.
The noisiest HDD I have is a 8Tb WD Purple (also 7200rpm) that is now inside an aluminium USB case, used as an external HDD.

 

Thanks Phil, I received my Z1000 Pro and I am setting it up at the moment.

Quick question I hope you can help me with, does it have a sleep or stanby mode? I have found the HDD sleep settings and the power settings that dictates what happens when you plug the power cable in but for the life of me I can't find anything about the units sleep or stanby mode even under the advanced settings. Thanks

 

@Glenn I too have set my internal HDD so it goes to sleep, I think after 10 mins of inactivity. Depending on your settings in the main menu, by "powering off" using your remote, this will put the unit into "Standby" or sleep mode - this will result in the power button on the front turning Red, from Blue. You can turn it off completely using the switch on the reverse. Hope this helps.

 

@rozel Thanks for your reply. I was looking for something kind of what like the Nvidia Shield has where you can put it in sleep or standby mode (uses less power) but still be able to access the attached or internal storage. It seems that when the Z1000 is in "Standby" (Red light) I can't access the storage on the Z1000 from my networked PC?

 

Sleep/Off, turns off the whole unit. HDD's cannot be accessed when asleep. There is no issue leaving it on and just turning off the TV, if you want to access HDD's from the network.

 

"Standby" on the Zidoo is a misnomer, it's really just off except for being responsive to the remote to turn it back on. Like you I raised this as soon as I got it as I was use to my Popcorn, Beyonwiz PVR and everything else I had where standby meant the network as still fully functional so anything attached was accessible. For me this was the most disappointing aspect of the Zidoo. So I just leave it fully on all the time.

 

@Netmask I leave mine in "Standby" with the power button showing RED. I totally agree that you cannot access your HDD / HDDs in this state but is it a problem to simply turn it on when you need to access it? I don't think so imho and my Zidoo is in a completely different room in my house, some distance away from my PC. And let's face it you'll need to access yours when you want to switch HDDs. I find it difficult to understand why this should be so disappointing, but doubtless you'll inform me

 

It’s disappointing because every other box in my house has a genuine standby position. This means I can access any local media from anywhere. At the far end of my house I have a guest suite and they can access my network, with some limits as defined by me, if required. My home office is at the very front of the house along with my computers and midi gear etc. My home theatre is at the far end of the house, so under the circumstances I leave the unit on 24/7. The Zidoo is the first unit I’ve ever owned that lacks a real standby. It’s not a deal breaker as the power consumption is negligible anyway. I just had to train myself not to hit the power button automatically

 

@Netmask @rozel Yeah I definitely agree with Netmask, it is disappointing that a box of the Z1000's quality and price doesn't have a genuine standby position.

Would you guys know how I can change the share names of the internal HDD and USB? When I access the Z1000 from my PC I see a folder called Share and under that I see a folder called Storage (which is the Z1000's storage) and then the HDD is called B820D35E20D724E2 and the USB is called AE48986D4898365D? Do you know how I can change them?

Also would you know if I can delete the LOST.DIR and System Volume Information from the HDD and USB?

Thanks