Cyberlink Powerdvd 6

Zotac ZBOX: Brazos Goes HTPC

Introduction

Promising the GPU prowess of ION with Atom-like power consumption, AMD’s Fusion E-series (Brazos) Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) finally enables truly minuscule small form factor (SFF) home theater PCs (HTPCs). Besides full hardware acceleration for important codecs like H.264/AVC, MPEG2 and VC-1, audio enthusiast finally have an alternative to Intel HD graphics for multi-channel LPCM and HD audio bitstreaming for Dolby TrueHD/DTS-MA. Sporting a 1.6GHz AMD E-350, the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray AD03BR-PLUS-U all-in-on HTPC provides a chance to find out how AMD’s APU solution stacks up in the increasingly completive smallest-of-the-small HTPC market.

The ZBOX AD03BR-PLUS-U arrived in retail friendly packaging including a laptop-style power adapter, DVI-to-VGA (DSUB) adapter, manual, driver CD, and an OEM copy of CyberLink’s BD Solution in the box. An operating system (OS) was not included though, so buyer’s will need to purchase (or download in the case of Linux solutions) that separately. While the thought behind including BD Solution is appreciated, the revision of PowerDVD (PDVD 8) included on the disc is three versions behind the newest release (11) and lacks support for the ZBOX’s HD audio over HDMI feature, so it’s really just a stand-in until users purchase a more capable replacement. With that in mind, unless disc authoring is an important feature to you, I think a slightly lower MSRP is preferable to the outdated software bundle.

Looking at both the ZBOX and its specifications, including a 2GB SO-DIMM and a 2.5” 5400 RPM hard drive, it should be clear that this mini-PC has more in common with a laptop than a “normal” HTPC. Unlike most laptops, there is still a small window for upgrades with one mini PCIe slot (the other is filled with a 2.4GHz 802.11n card) and a free SO-DIMM available. The system is very compact, which pays obvious dividends in size, but this is also a limitation with the cooling solution being the most tangible, immediate artifact. As with most laptops, the ZBOX is very quiet under minimal load but fans quickly spin up when the system is stressed to produce an audible hum in environments with a low noise floor. That said, the form factor is generally a good match for an E-350 Fusion based system, but ZOTAC’s [understandable] preference for product flexibility influences the placement and availability of external ports that hampers the execution more than I prefer in a dedicated SFF HTPC.

Download free Software: CyberLink PowerDVD 6 Deluxe

OwerDVD 6 features high-definition audio and home-theater audio playback. With support for DVD-Audio and the High-Definition Audio chipsets, PowerDVD offers listening quality better than CD audio. Second-generation CLMEI-2 expands audio from video and music for improved playback on up to 7.1-channel home-theater systems. Dolby Pro Logic IIx audio expanding technology is also supported. CyberLink Headphone and CyberLink Virtual Surround creates a wider sound image and virtual surround experience via two speakers or headphones. Unsurpassed Video Quality: CyberLink's dynamic video technology CLEV-2 delivers DVD movies with enhanced contrast and more natural colors. CyberLink Smart Video Deinterlacing makes DVD playback smoother, eliminating image feathering, ghosting, and other unwanted elements. Special Format Support: DVD-Audio, H.264, DivX Pro 5.2, MP3, DTS, DVD-VR, high definition MPEG-2 and WMV-HD, and MLP Lossless (Meridian Lossless Packing) audio.

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