v1.3.05, v1.3.05_G Beta version for Z9X 8K/Z30 PRO/Z3000 PRO/UHD8000

i leave my zidoo on 24/7 because i want it to be ready at any time i want to use it.it only uses 6watts when left on and not in use(7-8 watts while watching a movie).i also dont have to worry about HDMI handshake issues which will happen if devises are not turned on in a certain order.

i use control4 to 1st turn on my LG C2 tv then 2nd turn on my anthem avm90 with a small delay.(zidoo already on)

 

I see the logic, but devices like these always benefit from a reboot - flushing memory, shutting down apps that may be running in the background for no reason blah blah blah.

Especially when using a control system where you can program macros.

 

I probably have no good reason currently to keep my box running 24/7 other than it being a holdover habit from my NVIDIA SHIELD days and early Z9X crossover.
I held out on going the NAS route out of fear of introducing playback issues so I used to have 2 x 7 port powered USB3 hubs directly attached to my boxes that I needed to access via the ripping computer located elsewhere in the house.
I also like to have my newly added films ready to go when I fire up my HT without having to wait for scraping to complete and I do use the web interface quite a bit...It's clunky as hell, but I am grateful to have it...
If I'm not mistaken my "cleanup" routine handles the flushing of memory and shutting down apps bit..

 

Just curious is all. Generally I don't have a problem with my test box being on although it does reboot occasionally when I'm messing with EDIDs and of course there's the weird HDMI standby thing that seems to happen after 24 hours - although I haven't tested to see if that's fixed recently as I rarely leave it alone long enough...

I must admit I'm not entirely sure that the cleaner app works as well as it might do - I don't know enough about Android, but yeah, if it works, it works!

 

Unfortunately, the HDMI standby issue is not fixed on the latest firmware. The fix posted here (possibly by you?) works easily enough... I have configured the power off button to ask me whether to reboot or turn off in the ZIDOO settings and I have mapped the POWER button to the unused RED DOT (Record Button) on the HARMONY remote...Curiously, this does not lead me to the POWER OFF menu. It simply wakes up the box to wherever I've left off- which is the posterwall 99% of the time. Which is precisely what I would want it to do.

 

Great - thanks for confirming that - it saves me leaving it be for 24 hours

So yes, that behaviour is expected - if the box has entered its peculiar standby state, the power button simply brings it out of it - essentially I think it just switches the HDMI output on again.

 

i dont reboot the zidoo. it hasnt failed or slowed down.

every now and then we get power outages....that would be my reboot

 

Who could ever remember to turn their Zidoo off each time?

Certainly not this guy.

I suppose it could be programmed in my harmony one, but Ive never really had a problem with it always being on and do like that its always ready to go.

 

I mean I'm playing Devil's Advocate here - but presumably you remember to turn off the projector after you leave the room? The amp? The lights when you go to bed???

 

Lol! Yes, I suppose that is true. It's more of a matter of turning it in to a habit, which is the hard part. My shield and Fire Sticks that I use for any streaming don't have a true off state, all my video game consoles turn off independently with their controllers, and obviously I'm not turning off my Zidoo's, so I've gotten used to turning the TV and Amp off only.

I also fall asleep on my couches most nights, so it's usually in a stupor as I stumble to bed after I've come to at like 3am. My projector I have set to turn off after 2 hours because of my poor sleep hygiene and my theatre room is 100% blacked out velvet, so it can be a bit startling waking up to pitch black there.

First world problems either way.

 

Sometimes it's my dogs snoring that wakes me up.

 

Hey Martin..
I see you have a Z9X for 3D and the 8K in your HT room like me. How are you handling the remote situation?
I'm using a Harmony Elite and basically keeping one or the other off (switch on back) and swapping HDMI cables... I rarely watch 3D movies so it's not a huge deal, but I would love to have two totally independent activities setup on the remote through different inputs on the receiver.

 

Well, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan, so I'm not sure how I feel about helping out a Leafs fan

But seriously, I am using old Harmony One remotes, so it's IR only for all my devices. What I do is I have a little rectangle boxboard covered in velvet that's like maybe 2"x4" that has a little velcro piece on the back of it. Then I've stuck a very small velcro piece to each of my Zidoo's in my theatre room. I manually swap the black piece to cover the IR port on the Z9X that I'm not using. Not an amazing solution, but I only watch a 3D movie every couple weeks or a month, so not a big deal for me.

 

Excellent low tech solution! I love it...easier than swapping cables.

You can't really ever help a LEAFs fan...We're completely hopeless!

You didn't actually PLAY for the Senators, did you?

 

I guess that's why I have Crestron - so I can program my habits into it...

And yep - a snooze in the afternoon, nodding off in the evening on a comfortable couch and falling asleep in the middle of a movie is all par for the course these days!

And I have a similar thing - I have a macro that turns off all the downstairs lights, turns off the cinema and air conditioning at 2am as well!! Great minds think alike eh?

 

I replaced the front row of seats in my HT with adjustable beds.. LOL...

falling asleep is part of the evening's festivities..

 

Yes! As someone that has money to play but is not drowning in it, sometimes simple practical solutions win out. My masking for my 16:9 screen to turn to scope is similarly DIYed.

Ha! I wasn't gonna say it, but then I'd be throwing stones in glass houses either way because the Senators have had a rough go too.

Martin Straka definitely did play for the Senators! Alas, that is merely an old username I still cling to and use. I was a big fan of Marty's, Hasek, and the a lot of the Czech team in 98 when they won olympic gold. Czech players played with a lot of heart and grit.

Smart guy! I just perused Crestron's site and that is very cool stuff. Definitely the ultimate solution for automation!

I used to think it was so strange that my grandpa would be sawing logs as soon as he was in his recliner, but I definitely get it now. I also appreciate you guys making me feel not so out of the ordinary. A nap just seems to come so much easier when it's not actually the intended goal.

 

I've used a number of DIY masking setups over the years with various 16:9 screens...But I left that all behind once I got my first JVC (x570r) and realized my dream of a scope screen...actually TWO dreams scope and A/T...

Talking about low tech and CHEAP... I absolutely LOVE my dirt cheap SPANDEX screen. I actually have two expensive commercial screens in the alcove behind my present screen and I prefer the SPANDEX by a kilometre (eh)...It has absolutely NO sheen, texture or sparkle and is more A/T than any commercially made product.

The only caveat is that it has less than 1:1 gain, so if you need the help then it may not be for you...My room is an absolute sensory deprivation chamber when a movie fades to black so I've got plenty of light with the NZ7 at medium laser...The original plan was to install black curtains to close in on the less wide ratios, but truthfully the JVC's inky blacks have me putting off this idea as I also find black bars on the sides to be way less objectionable than above and below the screen.

 

Sorry to go so far off topic, but I'm hoping either Martin or Mark can help me here.. I followed the advice for using two ZIDOO devices in the same room...

When I put a black piece of tape over the IR sensor on the 8K, I can get it to not see commands from the HARMONY remote but for the life of me, I can't seem to get the OG Z9X to stop receiving commands! Where the heck is the IR sensor on it???

I started with a small piece of tape on the same spot as the 8K and then tried bigger and bigger until I've got the entire front screen covered! The damn thing is possessed! It keeps responding to clicks... I actually went into the settings and completely disable bluetooth in case it was somehow connecting that way...no dice