Chat X10 owners; what DON'T you like about this model?

I'm interested in this model. Specifically the ability to house a internal HDD. That eliminates 90% of these 'boxes' out there.

I have read the reviews and as usual, they are short on what is wrong or what needs improving. Reviews over at Amazon aren't always accurate due to the user not being familiar with the product which usually is due to poor or close to mo documentation.

Anyway, other than the poor printed documentation, common with all of these,
1. What are it's weakest points?
2. What needs improving?
3. What is your major complaint?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to 'blast' this, just uncover what to expect.

 

Loud fan. 5V. Want to change it to a silent one. Only one con for me.

 

Of course you can switch it off with no problem, no overheating in this case, but not tested with continious heavy gaming.

 

1) weak points: a little to pricey for just a HDD enclosure in comparison with x9s or x8
2) openwrt needs more work, it functional to a point but disappointing compared to initial openwrt software, you also can't install new apps unless you compile them yourself
3) realtek... it's there chip, so a lot of firmware things are related to them, they are still to deliver things ( like proper android pass trough API implementation, they relay on a "hack" now that needs a kodi fork for pass trough to work )

good things: playback is very good , zidoo did a superb job with 3D ,

 

Thanks for the replies.

You can always put a dropping resistor in line with the fans power feed to slow it down.
Yes, on it's being pricey, at least it's not $300 like the HiMedia and the 'plagued with the "nupograde" error' hardware issue of KDLinks.

Now as far as opwnwrt; now that IS a problem, actually a deal breaker as you describe it. I have NO intention, or skill to "compile' software. Openwrt as I know it is 3rd party firmware for Routers. How does that fit in here??

This Realtek chip, which one is it? When you say it's "theirs", theirs as in Realtek or made exclusively for Zidoo?

 

openwrt runs in parallel with android , it's used for samba share the hdd in your network and can also do torrenting, that's enough for 90% of the users. but if you like to thinker... you need serious skills

the chip is rtd1295, anyone can implement the SOC in there boxes if they want, its not zidoo exclusive.

 

The only 'Intranet' use I would use this for is transferring files from my Tower to this. I have no plan for using this a a NAS. With my present older Media Player, I just remove the HDD, place it in a USB3 'dock' and move files around that way.
How/where would openwrt come into play with applications for 'Internet' use (streaming)?

 

streaming ? streaming to where ?

 

It's "to" as in 'home'. This does access 'streaming' sites, doesn't it like all the others supposedly do?

 

if you mean watching streams, openwrt has nothing to do with that

 

2 complaints:

1. BD/DVD full menu navigation does not work anymore, with no firmware whatsoever: very disappointing. It was probably the main reason that pushed me to buy this unit.
2. Lack of official support from Zidoo: user has the feeling to be left alone with issues, only with a few supporting forum threads. Official firmware dates back august 2017, no official news. Beta firmware, solves a piece there and adds new bugs here.

 

Maybe I should start a separate thread regarding retaining menus. What/where are you navigating to in a single movie??
If you have a single movie, what is the need or attraction to the what I call 'unnecessary' menu(s)?? Insert dice (click on file name) play movie/video. If you are 'ripping' the disc, why not just 'rip' it to a more friendly format; .mp4 or .mkv for example.
I could see if it was a TV series with 3 or 4 'eposoide' per disc, but a single movie/documentary?

 

As far as 'support' or lack of, isn't that universal with ALL of these no-name Chinese importers?
I was reading a comment elsewhere that described these Chinese as 'ship & forget' or words similar which I got a chuckle over since 'it hit the nail right on the head'.

 

Yes I did. Openwrt is just for local Networking, correct? Since you mentioned it, exactly what/where are the issues?

.

 

I'm obviously talking about music BD and DVD: during concerts you have dozens of tracks, just like in CDs, and without full menu is practically useless.
It used to wok fine until a few months ago, shame that during the last 2-3 firmwares it does not anymore

 

That is very true indeed.
Although I have to admit that Egreat forum has a full-always presente representative of the company that answers to questions/issues and collects "nice to have" requests for future firmware developments. Also firmware releases are more frequent.

 

Sorry, there was absolutely nothing "obvious" about that. My comment reflected numerous posts I have read in numerous forums complaining about lack of embedded menu support in these players. I did mention discs with multiple 'episodes' being a possible exception to actually needing a menu.

 

See here why menu processing is essential not just for multi episodes and Audio or Music BD's/DVD's :
http://forum.zidoo.tv/index.php?thr...g-a-serious-problem-with-uhd.7428/#post-35987
The title presumes Menu processing is already working flawless for Zidoo. Seamless Branching is a must support on top of that. For me that has become a deal breaker (it simply won't let you view an increasing number of new UHD/HD BD titles).

I like my Zidoo but at the current FW state I am always using my Egreat by preference despite the better new movie poster system. Valid for all current RTD1295 models and above all a new X20 (love the looks and HW-specification).

 

Nice writeup. I don't have any BD discs due to all the anti-copy overly complicated more than confusing crap, all of my collection is DVD's.

When one rips a disc for a single movie to a .mp4 or .mkv, doesn't that solve' all of the above?

 

Yes it does if done properly and the correct single video is crafted from the various fragments. This is not always so easy to do and neither to check correctness.
So you will depend on the correct work of others or spend a lot of time having the right tools and knowhow.

Sticking to DVD it is pretty safe too as there are very few DVD's with complex builds, but hey we are in the UHD stage now and 8K is on the corner. Honestly you don't need all that with current TV sizes (up to 75 inch) but BD makes a hell of a difference on those. Also HDR is very visible. For (pseudo) 4K projectors 4K/UHD with HDR is very nice to have though. For 8K projection a really big room will be needed (true cinema sized) combined with a lot of money and only useful for the happy few. Most likely 8K will still be marketed on current TV sizes no matter if it is effective or not.

Still valid is that many sources will simply not work or work only partially (having episodes, multi version reduced to one, music and audio only sources having multiple tracks). Technically it is possible to make multiple MKV/MP4/FLAC etc from those too.