The Hercules XPS 5.1 speakers system comes in a rather large box as you might expect with something like this and it’s packaged well.

Once unpacked you’ll find satellite speakers for left, right, two for the rear and one for the center. The subwoofer is what everything connects to and coming from that is a remote control that features outputs for headphones and microphone and an input as well. There’s also a power supply and some brief documentation and three audio cables for connecting from your computer.

The main satellite speakers are tall and thin, about 9.5” tall and 3” wide at the base but they taper towards the top to 1.5”.

The center speaker is made to sit right on top of your TV or monitor. On the back side you’ll find an adjustable clamp of sorts with rubber pads on it.

The subwoofer is big like you’d expect it to be, on the front is a bass port and on the bottom are feet and the subwoofer itself.

On the back you’ll find all of the needed connections, inputs and outputs along with a master power switch and power connection.

The remote has a large volume and adjustment dial on it which also acts like the power switch, below the dial are two LEDs. On the front edge are jacks for headphones and a microphone and on the back is a 3.5mm input jack as well. Above the dial you’ll find another button to activate surround sound and an LED below that.

Specifications:

XPS 5.1 70 Slim

5.1 multimedia speaker system

Features:
-5.1 speaker system, featuring center speaker with flat panel screen mounting system and wooden subwoofer.
-Ultra-slim satellite speakers: their sleek, modern design fits in perfectly with any décor. Includes a very thin center speaker with flat panel mounting system – a bonus, compared to current market standards. Lacquer finish on backs of satellites.
-Greater energy savings than market standards: special power supply uses less than 1 watt of power in standby mode.
-Magnetically shielded speakers won’t disturb your surroundings.
-Master on/off switch on the back of the subwoofer.

-Multifunction remote control – practical and easy to use:
–Control knob with 3 functions: on/off, volume control and bass control. LED indicators for the different functions.
–Headphone jack and microphone input.
–Auxiliary line input.
–Virtual surround sound button (applied to stereo input).

Specs:
-Satellite dimensions: 23.5cm H x 5.8cm W x 7.2cm D
-Subwoofer dimensions: 27cm H x 17.2cm W x 25cm D
-Total power: 70 watts RMS (4 x 7.5 W (satellites) & 1 x 15 W RMS (center), 1 x 25 watts RMS (subwoofer)). Peak power: 140 W.
-Frequency response: 30Hz – 20kHz.

Compatible with:
PC
Netbooks
Mac
MP3 players
CD/ DVD players
TVs
Game consoles

Box contents:
• 5 satellites
• 1 subwoofer
• Wired remote control
• Audio cable: 3.5mm to 3.5mm
• Warranty certificate and paper manual

Price: $100 ( +/- Depending where you look)

The remote is unique is that it controls power, volume and bass levels. To turn on the speakers you hold the dial down, then just adjust the volume as need be. I should note that the dial spins freely, meaning that there is no stop like most volume controls have. To adjust the bass levels you just hold in the dial for a second or so and the Bass LED will light up yellow to let you know you can now adjust it. Notice I only said you can adjust the bass, no there is no treble adjustment on these speakers.

vThe surround button located on the remote isn’t for the main speaker system at all, it’s actually only for when you use the input jack. When you use say an MP3 player with it it will normally use just two speakers but if you press the surround button it will give you surround sound, simulated yes, but still decent sounding. One problem with this set up is that Hercules doesn’t include the cable to be able to do this so you’ll have to provide your own.

When I first saw this mounting system I wasn’t too sure about it, but it works actually. If you hit the monitor hard enough it will fall off, but just a bump won’t make it fall. It’s good enough for most uses I would guess.
vInstallation is fairly simple though I found the wires on the front right and left speakers to be a bit too short for my uses. To be fair though I’ve got a very large desk, 59.5” wide and 39” deep. Still though it would be nice if the wires were longer. The wires for the rear speakers were more than long enough for my needs though. The other cables have adequate lengths as well.

Here’s the center speaker set up on my monitor:

The three cables with the same audio jacks on them are color coded, these go from your center/sub, front and rear speaker jacks to the subwoofer.

The last thing I had to do was go into the audio settings and change it to 5.1 sound to let the computer know I was able to play media encoded for surround sound.

Before this system arrived for review I was using another Hercules speaker kit actually, just a 2.1 set up though. I really never thought I had a need for a 5.1 set up on my desktop computer, but now that I’ve got one installed there’s a huge difference in the sound quality. I do watch movies and TV and listen to a lot of music at my desk, so it kind of makes sense to have a decent sound system for my own personal enjoyment.

For testing I enjoyed myself by listening to music and watching a few movies. Of course I had to pop in a game as well. Everything sounded very good and there truly is a difference when playing media that utilizes surround encoding.

All of the speakers don’t work for everything, only media that is encoded with 5.1 audio like most Blu-rays and even DVDs and many games as well. Media that isn’t made for surround will play through the front speakers only and the subwoofer.

The bass can be very profound and vibrating, for lack of a better word there, but my desk was vibrating. Too much bass can be a bad thing. Seriously though the sound was actually very good once you get things adjusted the way you like it. You can have too much bass where it gets a little distorted but surprisingly not that much.

There is no treble adjustment as I mentioned earlier, but you can go into your software settings and adjust it if need be, at least most motherboard audio chipsets will allow adjustments. The treble setting at default seems fine for my tastes as is.

Overall I like them, especially for the price. Looking around online the lowest I found was $79, plus shipping of course, and for these I think they’re very much worth it.

Conclusion:

The Hercules XPS 5.1 70 Slim speakers produce decent sound, especially if you consider the price they can be had for. The quality of the audio is very good really, as is the quality of the speakers themselves.

The included remote is very handy for not only making quick adjustments to volume and bass, but the added ports do make life easier when you want to hook something up.

There aren’t many problems with these speakers really, the sound is decent for the price you’ll pay, just don’t expect very high quality sound and you won’t be disappointed. I think most people, especially those just using two speakers now, will be more than happy with these.

For my installation I had to use extra cables to extend the length of the front speaker wires as they were just a little too short, so that might be a problem for some people.

You’ll most likely need to buy an extra cable to be able to hook up devices like MP3 players to the sparkers since it doesn’t come with a cable to do so.

Pros:
+Power switch on remote
+Inputs / Outputs on remote
+Simple installation
+Seems well made
+Decent sound

Cons:
-Right/Left speaker cables a bit short
-Does not include audio cable for external devices
-No treble adjustment

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Review of Hercules XPS 5.1 70 Slim 5.1 Multimedia Speaker System is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

For the past several years, the Sonos Music System has garnered accolades from both print and online media. The beauty of a Sonos system is its simplicity; they created a Multi-Room Music System that is a simple plug and play endeavor. However, one of the issues with mainstream adoption of Sonos equipment has been the price. Setups can run in the $800-1000 range with a remote purchase along with a ZonePlayer.

Sonos has been addressing this cost issue by creating a free iPhone/iPod Touch Sonos app that makes these Apple devices double as a Sonos remote. Their second method to increase their market presence is the release of their first affordable stand alone music system – the Sonos ZonePlayer S5. Priced at $399 it is still somewhat expensive but with the S5 the user gets a single portable receiver and speaker solution. The S5 can be easily integrated into a Sonos enabled home or work as a solo device for the Sonos newbie.

Looking like the Bose SoundDock’s bigger brother, the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 could be mistaken for an iPod Speaker System. However iPods need not apply as the S5 is NOT a dock but can play music from a multitude of sources. Instead of connecting the ZonePlayer S5 to one’s iPod, the user plugs the speaker to their router’s LAN or if another Sonos ZonePlayer or ZoneBridge is in the home then via Wi-Fi. Once attached to the home network and running the Sonos software on a computer; your entire digital music library as well as Internet services such as Last.fm, Sirius Napster, Rhapsody, and Pandora becomes available.

The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 arrives in a card box with pictures and information of about the unit found on the front and back of the packaging. Once removed from the package the contents include the ZonePlayer S5, Sonos System install CD, power cord, line in audio cable, Ethernet cable, a product guide and setup poster.

The Sonos unit measures 8.50 x 14.40 x 4.80 inches and weighs 9.15 lbs. It is composed of white colored heavy plastic with a silver metal grill and looks very similar in style and construction to the Bose Sound Dock as seen here.

There are only two physical controls on the S5 –the mute and volume buttons. If you are concerned about “vampire electricity” drain then the lack of a power switch may be an issue.

The ZonePlayer S5 is powered by five dedicated Class-D digital amplifiers. Five speakers composed of two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a bass driver are fed by these amplifiers.

Looking at the back of the ZonePlayer S5 we find the AC connector, two LAN ports, and two 3.5mm jacks – one for an audio line in connection and the other for headphone output.

These two Ethernet ports are used to connect the S5 to a router and then leaving the other port to function as a switch or if the S5 connected wirelessly then these two Ethernet connections can act as a wireless bridge.

Sonos’ devices run what they call SonosNet, which is a peer-to-peer wireless mesh network. Thus SonosNet requires one Sonos device to be physically attached via Ethernet cable to the home network. This means if the ZonePlayer S5 is the only Sonos unit in the home it will have to be tethered to a router via an Ethernet cable. Keep this in mind when deciding where to put the S5 in one’s home. If the S5 does not have access to a LAN connection and you don’t wish to run a network cable across the home then you may consider getting Sonos’ wireless ZoneBridge ($99).

Specifications:

Sonos ZonePlayer S5

-Simple setup—plug it in anywhere you want music.
-Spread the music to more rooms — add S5s without adding wires.
-Play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity. We call it Party Mode.
-Play different songs in different rooms and let everyone listen to exactly what they want.
-To access the world of music on the Internet, one S5 or a Sonos ZoneBridge™ (sold separately) must be wired to your broadband router. Then, all the rest work wirelessly.

Sound: Amplifier Five Class-D digital amplifiers Speakers Five driver speaker system – two tweeters, two 3” mid-range drivers, and one 3.5” woofer. Each driver of the product is individually powered by a dedicated amplifier. Headphone Auto-detecting 3.5 mm headphone connection. The S5’s integrated speakers mute when headphones are inserted. Audio line-in Auto-detecting 3.5mm audio line-in connection

Music: Audio formats supported Support for compressed MP3, iTunes Plus, WMA (including purchased Windows Media downloads), AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless) music files, as well as uncompressed WAV and AIFF files.
Native support for 44.1kHz sample rates. Additional support for 48kHz, 32kHz, 24kHz, 22kHz, 16kHz, 11kHz, and 8kHz sample rates.
Note: Apple “Fairplay”, AAC Enhanced and WMA Lossless formats not currently supported. Previously purchased Apple “Fairplay” DRM-protected songs may be upgraded. See Apple for details. Music services supported Deezer, Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks. (Service availability varies by region. Click here to see the music services that work with Sonos in your area.) Operating systems (for stored files) Windows® XP SP2 and higher; Mac OS X v10.4 and higher; NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices supporting CIFS Internet radio supported Streaming MP3, WMA Album art supported JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF Playlists supported iTunes®, Rhapsody, WinAmp®, Windows Media Player®, and MusicMatch™ (.m3u, .pls, .wpl)

Networking:
Wireless connectivity SonosNet 2.0, a secure AES encrypted, peer-to-peer wireless mesh network Network bridging 2-port switch (10/100Mbps, auto MDI/MDIX) allows Ethernet devices to connect through SonosNet * Internet connection required for access to Internet radio stations, online music services and software updates (DSL, cable modem or LAN-based high-speed Internet connection required.) Internet functionality may require payment of separate fee to a service provider; local and/or long distance telephone charges may apply.

General:
Power Supply AC 120/240V, 50-60Hz, auto-switchable Top-panel buttons Volume and Mute Top-panel lights Indicate ZonePlayer status and Mute status Dimensions (H x W x D) 8.50 x 14.40 x 4.80 in. (217 x 365 x 123 mm) Weight 9.15 lb (4.15 kg) Operating temperature 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C) Storage temperature 4°F to 158°F (-20°C to 70°C) Product finish White finish with light metallic grill Multi-language support Sonos System Software supports Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish Package contents Sonos ZonePlayer S5, power cord, line-in audio cable, flat Ethernet cable, Sonos System Setup software CD-ROM, Product Guide, and Setup Poster

If this is your initial Sonos setup then install the included software and follow the setup wizard. Pressing the mute and volume up buttons simultaneously on the S5 allows a network link to be established with the PC or Mac running the Sonos software. The longest part of the setup is the indexing of your music library, obviously dependent on the size of your library.

If you already have a Sonos setup then Multi-Room Music System then go to the Zones column and click on Add a ZonePlayer or ZoneBridge. Pressing the mute and volume up buttons will allow the discovery of the new ZonePlayer to the Sonos home system. Since there already should be a wired Sonos in this setup, the S5 will function wirelessly and can be placed almost anywhere you choose.

The ZonePlayer S5 can be controlled via three options – via PC/Mac, with a iPhone/iPod Touch app or using the Sonos Controller 200 ($349). With the large penetration of Apple devices in the market, the second option would probably appeal to most consumers. Personally if you can pick up a refurbished iPod Touch for less than $200 I don’t see why you would want to spend more money on the more expensive Sonos Controller.

The Sonos software is well organized and from here you can select music, input account settings for various services, update music libraries, create playlists, etc. The Sonos app provides similar functionality as the desktop software with its intuitive design. In fact my Sonos contact told me that the iPhone app served as a test platform for the Sonos Controller 200’s interface. I was a beta tester and never knew it.

Sonos recently updated the app with the release of the iPhone 3.1 software update. Now users can link their Twitter accounts to the Sonos app. Playing a song you want to tell the world about, press Info View on the Now Playing screen and select Update Twitter Status.

So how does the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 sound? For a first foray producing an integrated audio device, Sonos does a very nice job. The five speakers provide a rich sound stage with a nice deep bass. Although it looks like a Bose products, the Sonos does have discreet highs and lows too. When compared to similarly price iPod stereo docks, the ZonePlayer S5 sounds as good as other brands with lots more speaker design experience.

Of course having a small cabinet with five speakers in a tight space means some acoustic sacrifices are made. The unibody nature of the S5 prevents stereo separation making the S5 sound best when the listener is directly in front of the unit. This sacrifice means the musical experience with the S5 is definitely better when the ZonePlayer is used in a smaller space such as a bedroom.

If you wish to tweak the sound emanating from the S5, simply adjust the treble, bass and balance controls. Although it is not a iPod dock, the S5 can play music off any Apple music device or any other mp3 player such as a Zune via the line in connection on the back of the unit. The headphone jack lets you listen to the Sonos without distracting others.

Prior Sonos solutions were not really portable as they had to be directly attached to a stereo or a pair of speakers. The ZonePlayer S5 remedies this problem when working within the SonosNet network; as long as there is an outlet nearby the S5 will provide the music.

Conclusion:

There is a lot to love about the ZonePlayer S5, Sonos’ first stand alone music system. The controls are simple and intuitive and setup is a breeze. For the same price as a high-end iPod Speaker Dock, users can access their music library as well as music services and internet radio from one fantastic sounding device. Combine the S5 with an Apple touch device and you will have a slick remote to listen and control your music library.

There are a few caveats to the ZonePlayer S5 – if it is the only Sonos unit in the home it will need to be connected to a router to access the Sonos software on the PC/Mac. You can purchase a Sonos ZoneBridge to allow the S5 to function wirelessly but this adds another $99 to the total cost. If you don’t have an iPhone/iPod Touch and want to control your music remotely then you will have to buy a Sonos Controller 200 which dramatically increases the price of the Sonos package.

I love my Sonos setup and think the ZonePlayer S5 is a great step in increasing Sonos’ market share. I still think the price may turn off some people especially if they think the S5 is just another iPod speaker dock. Hopefully Sonos will drop the price in the future or add built in Wi-Fi capability into the S5 itself.

If you love music and want to listen to your music away from the computer than the Sonos’ solution is probably the easiest and most elegant solution on the market.

Pros:
+Superb audio quality
+Excellent controls using the free iPhone/iPod Touch app
+Elegant appearance
+Portable
+Lowest price entry point for Sonos adoption
+Large selection of online music options

Cons:
-No power switch
-Requires Ethernet connection or other Sonos device on network
-Price

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

This product was given to TestFreaks for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Sonos ZonePlayer S5 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Our society has become extremely multi-media centric, the majority of us spend our free time watching TV and movies, it’s become a world-wide pastime really. When it comes to home theater systems, especially those like an HTPC a lot of us don’t have the room for a computer, or the money really to dedicate to another computer just for entertainment. Several companies have offered solutions or replacements for the HTPC in the form of external media player that normally use a hard drive and then hook to our TV and play our audio, video and photos for us. Some of these boxes like the Cirago CMC 1000 that I looked at a while ago even offer DVR functionality and the ability to access USB drives and memory cards as well, but really all of these types of products are limited to one main storage medium, the hard drive. What if a company came out with a media player that wasn’t limited to any one type of storage, one that was able to access most any storage like a hard drive, or USB flash drive or even different types of memory cards? Well one company has created such a device, it’s small, portable and includes a remote as well to make life a bit easier.

Today for review I’ve got a great little product from Cirago called the CiragoTV Mini. It’s a USB Media player that’s small in size but yet big in features. The unit is a very small box, about 3 inches by 3 inches in size and less that an inch thick, it comes with it’s own small power supply and a small remote as well. The CiragoTV Mini has the ability to access USB flash drives, USB hard drive and several types of memory cards with outputs for HDMI and even standard composite audio and video. With the CiragoTV Mini you can access several types of files, the most popular video and audio formats, along with pictures as well to show them on your TV for your viewing pleasure. It’s small enough to take with you if you want to, you can easily grab a 2.5” hard drive and the CiragoTV Mini and take it to your friends house, or even use it for work presentations if need be. So continue on for a look at a very innovative and an overall great little product…

We’ll start off with a video unboxing for you:

The packaging is nicely done, black with silver accents, and specs listed on the back of the box.

When I got it opened I was a bit disappointed to not find an HDMI cable in the box with the CiragoTV Mini, but inside you’ll find the unit itself, standard A/V cable, remote, power supply, user manual and registration card.

The remote is very small it’s less than 4 inches in length, by about 1.75 inches wide and less than half inch thick. You won’t find much on the remote in terms of controls, just the very basics are here, but it works for what it needs to do.

The CiragoTV Mini unit itself is very well made, it’s a very solid little box. I can’t stress enough as to how well it’s made, I was truly surprised by the quality of this little box. It has a hard plastic cover and a metal bottom with four rubber feet.

On the front you’ll find the remote sensor on the left, then the USB port and then a card reader that reads MemorySticks, SD and MMC cards along with the mini and micro with adapters.

On the back you’ll find the the A/V output on the left side, then the HDMI port and then the power connection on the right.

Specifications:

CiragoTV Mini USB Media Player CTM1000

The CiragoTV Mini is a compact and portable device that bridges the gap between your digital media and your TV. Simply connect your CiragoTV Mini to your TV, plug in a USB storage device or memory card and instantly enjoy your photos, videos and music on your TV from the comfort of your living room. The CiragoTV Mini’s compact size and plug and play simplicity allow you to move it easily from room to room, or take it with you when you travel. Bring your digital media to life with the CiragoTV Mini.

Features:
* Play high-quality video from connected USB storage or memory cards
* View photos and slideshows with background music
* Card reader (MS, SD/MMC) for easy access to media
* Multi-language user interface
* Small size for portability and easy setup

Description:
Interface: USB 2.0
Memory Card Support: SD, MMC, MemoryStick
Power: 5V, AC/DC adapter included
Video Output: AV Input, 720 x 480
Audio Output : AV out
Supported video formats: MPEG1 (dat, mpg), MPEG2 (vob, mpg), MPEG4 (avi,divx, xvid)
Supported audio formats: MP3, WMA
Supported image formats: JPEG, JPG
Warranty: 1 year
Dimension: 3 x 3 x 0.7 in (unit)

Price: $59+ (depending where you look)

I have an HTPC, but I also use a Mvix MV-4000U Media Center, it’s mostly for my kids stuff at this point. I’ve quickly learned that children and DVDs do not mix, I’ve spent a lot of my time cleaning them, and even replacing them because children do not know how to handle DVD correctly without getting them dirty or scratching them. It’s much easier to just rip the DVDs to the Mvix box, then put them somewhere safe. With the Mvix box though I’m limited to a 500gb hard drive and not other media, with the CiragoTV Mini I’ve got access to several types of media and basically unlimited storage potential.

The CiragoTV Mini has an LED on the front that lights up a bright blue, almost purple color when powered on and it stays lit red when the unit is powered off. Here’s a couple pictures of the unit on and with a USB drive in it:

You can have a USB drive plugged in and a memory card at the same time, but you can’t access both at the same time, meaning the combined files won’t be listed for you. You’ll have to select which media you’re using then browse that media for your files.

The interface is well done, it’s basic but it works. From what I gathered Cirago wanted to make this a very user friendly device, it’s has nice features but at it’s heart it’s fairly basic. The main screen gives you five choices, Photos, Music, Videos, Files and Setup.

Clicking Photos takes you to a preview of the photos on the media.

Clicking a photo will open it up and begin a slide show, on the bottom is a control bar that will disappear after a few seconds. I was taking pictures of a Noctua CPU cooler and my cat decided it was time for a nap no matter what else was going on, so he just hopped on up and passed out…

Clicking the Music tab takes you to your music, it’s listed the way it would be on the album. In the following screen shots I’ve only got one album on there, Rammstein Benzin. I did find a small problem with how the device handles music, I put two folders on the CiragoTV Mini and it just opened both of them and displayed all of the tracks, instead of letting me select the album I wanted to listen to. If you put a lot of music on here it will quickly get very confusing.

The next selection is Videos, here you’ll just find a list of the videos available to play:

Playing a video is easy as pushing the Play button on the remote. When you’re watching a movie, just like with the photos, a menu control bar is displayed but will then disappear after a few seconds. The control bar has basic functions on it and those that you won’t find on the remote itself.

Clicking the Files tab will display everything on the media. here though you’ll get previews as well of photos and movies.

I did find a small bug, some of the videos didn’t preview correctly, they looked scrambled:

The last tab is Setup, here you can make any adjustments you need.

It’s divided into five sections:

General Setup is where you can make changes to Language, File Sorting, Auto Start, and Reset everything to Default:

Video Setup is just what it sounds like, you can adjust TV Mode (normal or widescreen), TV Type (NTSC or PAL), Resolution, DivX Subtitles, Subtitle Colors and Subtitle Background Colors.

The Audio tab only offers three choices, Analog, RAW and PCM.

On the Photo tab you’ll find choices for Interval Time setup, and many different Transition Modes:

The Firmware version option just displays the Firmware Version at the bottom of the display.

As far as using the CiragoTV Mini, I had no real problems, I hooked it up via HDMI to my 47” Vizio HDTV and it worked perfectly, the picture was nice and clear for everything I did. As I mentioned it didn’t come with an HDMI cable so I had to supply my own.

I found the remote does have a nice long range, I found I could easily lie on my couch and control it with no problems.

I would like to have seen a carrying case come with the CiragoTV Mini, after all it is portable, and a carrying case would have been a nice addition.

While in use the unit does get warm to the touch, but not hot at all.

Obviously the CiragoTV Mini is quiet, it has no moving parts. If you add a hard drive to it then you may have some noise of course, but for other media you won’t as you might expect.

The price of the CiragoTV Mini will vary by where you look, but I found it on Amazon for $59 and change, not including shipping, so that not a bad price really, especially when you compare it to other media player that don’t come with storage. The price is inexpensive, but you’ll need to have your own or buy an additional HDMI cable, so that could be an added expense there in the overall cost. Well you’ll also need storage, but I think this device is intended for people that already have storage available.

Conclusion:

The CiragoTV Mini is truly a great little product. If you’re in the market for a media player than I can highly suggest you give this one a look, it’s easy to use, well made and it works great.

The lack of HDMI cable is a disappointment really, but that can be easily remedied. The remote is limited in functions but it does what it needs to do. As I mentioned in the review I would have liked to have seen an included carrying case as well, maybe one with a couple pockets, one for the CiragoTV Mini, one for the remote, one for the PSU and one for a 2.5” hard drive or whatever else.

Pros:
+Well made
+Not limited to one type of storage (unlimited storage potential)
+Easy to use
+Inexpensive
+Small and portable

Cons:
-Limited function remote, very basic (but it works)
-No HDMI cable included
-No carrying case

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

CiragoTV Mini USB Media Player CTM1000 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Good audio is a must, especially if you invest in a nice HDTV, nothing ruins a viewing experience quicker than bad audio. In my review of the Vizio 47" HDTV the other day, my biggest complaint was the sound, the built-in speakers are just terrible, I knew I had to do something to fix the sound, I just can’t stand bad audio. A full fledged 5.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound system was just not a feasible option for me, do to space limitations, not wanting to run wires and the fact I’ve got children, so the less stuff around the better. Yet I wanted something to improve the sound for not only movies and music but for gaming as well, and I opted for a newer type or style of home theater product called a sound bar.

Sound bars have been around for a few years now, but seem to have become more popular in the last year or so, it’s a great option for people like me who want better sound without a lot of components and hassles. I opted for the Sony Sound Bar HT-CT100, it’s small, and after reading many glowing reviews of it I did a bit of pricing research and bought it. It retails for an average price of $299 most places, which isn’t too bad, but I found it for $260 locally. The HT-CT100 allows me to hook up three HMDI devices, along with a Coax connections and an audio input from my TV, for me this system is perfect. It’s small overall, so it fits perfectly in the limited space I have, but yet yields a much needed improvement in the audio of my HDTV. The HT-CT100 is easy to setup and use, and it features very good sound as well. It does include simulated surround sound fields to give you a fuller sound from the two speakers. Overall I’m very happy with the sound from the HT-CT100, it more than meets my needs and expectations, it provides good depth of sound from both highs and lows.

The box for the HT-CT100 is fairly plain actually, not much really on it, just some basic information, inside we find everything packaged very well with lots of packing materials.

Sony includes a remote with it that can be used to control the system, along with other Sony branded components as well like a TV or DVD/Blu-Ray player. There’s also an optical audio cable included along with instruction manual and batteries for the remote.

The system is two basic parts, a Sound Bar and Sub-Woofer which is also the main controls center. The Sound Bar part is basically a center channel speaker, it features three speakers in it, the bar is also where the remote control receiver is located. The Sound Bar connects to the main unit via a cable that resembles a VGA connection.

The sub-woofer is small and should fit most places, it’s dimensions are 6.3 W x 19.7 H x 14.2 D (inches). There’s a few buttons on the top of the sub-woofer for volume, input and power, underneath that, one the front of the unit is a small LCD panel that displays information and is used to adjust settings of the HT-CT100.

The back of the sub-woofer is where you’ll find all of your connections for audio and video, along with the Sony Digital Media port and the connection for the Sound Bar itself. You’ll notice also there’s a fan located on the back, obviously it’s a cooling fan, but don’t worry it’s quiet.

The remote is nicely laid out, and it features controls for things other than the HT-CT100. You might think it’s a universal remote, but it’s not, it will only work with other Sony products, which is one of the downsides to this system.

Specifications:

Sony Sound Bar HT-CT100 Home Theater System

Sound Bar
This amazing system brings simplicity and performance together by pairing a center speaker and subwoofer to create a surround sound experience in a compact package. Bring your movies to life with the HT-CT100.

Model Number: HT-CT100

With three HDMI inputs on tap, this system is tailor made for the gamer looking for an easy, quick and great sounding solution for their next gen gaming system . It can playback LPCM from the HDMI connection, plus you can listen to your favorite music from the DIGITAL MEDIA PORT that works with various accessories (sold separately). The HT-CT100 can also control a select number of BRAVIA televisions with BRAVIA Sync via the HDMI interface. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one.

HDMI Active Intelligence (3in/1out)
The HT-CT100 can detect and receive the best possible video and audio signals from all connected devices–making connection and performance as simple as plugging in a single wire. Sony’s HDMI Active Intelligence, transmits both audio and video signals through one HDMI cable. Accepts 1080/60p and 24p Video via HDMI

LPCM Playback
LPCM is a method of encoding audio information digitally which can have up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. This wider bandwidth allows for high resolution audio which is closer to the original.

S-Force Surround
By using a powerful 100% digital Sony S-Master amplifier and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology, realistic surround sound can be generated from just two front speakers. Unlike other “virtual surround” technologies, rear sound is generated from the front two speakers using sophisticated digital sound processing and does not need to be bounced off of side walls. No matter what the size or shape of the room or what’s on the wall, it’s possible to hear sounds from behind you without needing to place speakers behind you.

BRAVIA Sync
As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Sync to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA televisions and other Sony audio and video products, control functions will be transmitted via the HDMI cable. With “One Touch Play,” operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA television turn on and switch to the correct video input.

Portable Audio Enhancer
A powerful Digital Signal Processor expands the quality of sound from any connected device.

DIGITAL MEDIA PORT
The demand for digital audio and video content continues to be strong. Sony’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT (DMP) interface is a proprietary interface that adds networking and connectivity options to your home theater system. Just connect optional accessories (sold separately) which provide the ability to control and power devices while making set up easy and operation simple to use. The DMP will be compatible with various accessories which will include a PC Client ready device, Bluetooth adapter and Audio Docking stations compatible with select Network Walkman and iPod products. Regardless of where you store your music.

3 Optical, 1-Coax
Dolby Digital/DTS/ProLogic

Product Specifications:

Speaker
-Speaker Dimensions : Main Speaker: 31.5 W x 2.7 H x 2.6 D (inches); Subwoofer:6.3 W x 19.7 H x 14.2 D (inches)
-Speaker Unit : CENTER: Bass Reflex, Magetically Shielded
-Subwoofer : Bass Reflex, Magnectically Shielded

Audio Features
-A/V Synch : yes

Video Features
-24p True Cinema Technology : Yes, 1080/24p capable
-x.v.Color : yes

Inputs and Outputs
-Analog Audio Input(s) : 1
-Coaxial Audio Digital Input(s) : 1
-Digital Media Port (Input) : 1
-HDMI Connection Input(s) : 3
-HDMI Connection Output(s) : 1
-Optical Audio Input(s) : 3

Display
-LCD Screen : 5×7 dot Seg. FL

Audio
-Audio Power Output : 50Wx3 +100 = 250W
-S-Master Amplifier : Yes
–Sound Fields :
-3 Movie Modes (CINEMA/SPORTS/GAME)
-2 Music Modes (MUSIC/PERSONAL AUDIO)
-1 A.F.D. Mode (STANDARD)

I don’t have much room, I’ve got kids so there stuff is everywhere, the Sony HT-CT100 was the perfect option for me. It allows me to have decent sound from my movies and gaming, and yet doesn’t take up much room.

The sub-woofer kind of reminds me of a PC, at least that was my first impressions of it, especially with the fan on the back. The sub-woofer section is also the main part of the unit, here everything is connected, and controlled from. There’s a small LCD display on the front where you can change all of the settings via the remote. One improvement I would like to see is having the display show up on screen, since it’s outputting the video anyway, why not have the menus and settings show on you TV screen? The display also shows what type of audio connection you are using, and from here you can select from the various sound fields or simulated surround sound. It’s nothing like real surround sound, but it does add depth to the audio, you can tell the differences when you switch modes.

One thing I do appreciate about this unit is the fact that you can adjust the Center and Sub0-woofer volumes independently. When I first hooked the unit up it was very sub-woofer heavy, it overpowered the center channel and everything sounded like it was coming from there.

I’ve hooked up my Xbox360, Sony BD Player via HDMI and my TV via optical audio connection to the Sony HT-Ct100, that leaves me with an open HDMI port if I ever get something that can utilize it. For me this system works well, it has enough connections and allows me to expand if I wish, and it frees up connections on the TV as well.

The sound from the HT-CT100 is actually very good, much better than the built in speakers from the TV, like day and night really, and that’s what I needed. Once you get things adjusted the sound seems like it’s coming from the TV, and it’s in sync with what’s playing.

The bass is very deep, and it can be made deeper by adjusting it, you can feel explosions from movies and games, and things like gunshots are much more pronounced, overall I’m impressed with this unit, especially considering the price.

Conclusion:
The Sony Sound Bar HT-CT100 is an excellent choice if you’re looking to add good sound to your current system but don’t have the room for a full blown home theater system. It provides enough connections for a small system, and is a nice improvement over the stock speakers of the TV. In addition it can be used as sort of a splitter, or a way to add more devices to your system, you can hook three HDMI components to the HT-CT100 and select which you want to use.

The sound produced is very good, it’s got nice highs and very deep lows. The surround sound does add depth to the sound, but it doesn’t really create a full surround sound effect, but it is a nice addition as it does add to the sound.

The included remote will also control other Sony branded components but not anything else, something that I’m not to fond of. It would be nice to use only one remote for my TV, BD player and audio system.

Even with the few cons for this product, I’m very happy with it and I can recommend it to anyone looking for a product such as this.

Pros:
Sounds great
Easy installation
Fairly easy to use
Small size overall
Several sound choices
Configurable settings
Remote can also control TV and BD Player
Good highs and lows, with heavy bass available if you want it
Seems well made

Cons:
Remote only works with Sony products
Not really realistic surround sound
Need to pay a lot extra for add-ons

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

Sony Sound Bar HT-CT100 Home Theater System is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Watching TV has got to be one of the most popular  ways to pass or waste time the world over, next to probably our computers and the internet. Combining a computer with TV would make quite a bit of sense, especially with hi-def resolution monitors dropping in price and becoming more readily available to everyone. The majority of computers today do not have a built in TV tuner, so you’ll have to buy one as an add-on device, it can be either a PCI style or USB connection type. The PCI style means of course that you’ve got to open your computer and install the card and there it will remain most likely forever. Getting a USB style TV tuner is a much better option for most people as it requires no real installation and you can transfer it easily to other computers and even take it with you.

Pinnacle has recently released the PCTV HD mini Stick, it’s a TV tuner that is no bigger than your average USB thumbdrive. It’s capable of receiving digital and HD television along with radio as well, included with it is even a small remote control and a carrying bag so you can easily take it along with you if need be. The PCTV HD mini Stick is also a PVR or DVR, that includes pause, rewind and time shifting as well along with an electronic program guide so you can know what’s on TV and record it if you want to.

First up we’ve got the video unboxing for you, so check that out and continue on:

Specifications:

Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick

Ultra COMPACT, Brilliant HDTV and 100% DIGITAL

Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick is an ultra-compact, USB-powered TV tuner that’s the perfect match for super-slim laptops. The integrated signal booster improves reception sensitivity even if the signal isn’t strong. The easy-to-use TVCenter Pro software lets you watch, TimeShift and record TV. You can enjoy TV in full-screen mode or in a scalable window while using other applications. PCTV HD mini Stick comes with a mini remote control and high-gain telescopic antenna.

* Ultra-compact HDTV tuner stick with super-strong reception
* Watch free HDTV on your PC – no service fees
* Supports both digital over-the-air TV (ATSC1) and unencrypted digital cable TV (ClearQAM2)
* Includes mini-remote control and high-gain telescopic antenna
* Turns your PC into a PVR with TimeShifting: pause, rewind TV
* Stereo sound
* Electronic Program Guide (EPG3)
* Automatically record shows to your hard drive in MPEG-1/2 or DivX4 formats, or direct-to-DVD
* Compatible with Windows Media Center5 (Windows Vista™ Home Premium or Ultimate; remote kit sold separately)
* New: built-in slide-cap to protect the USB connector
* New: integrated signal booster improves sensitivity for over-the-air HDTV reception
* Bonus: VideoSpin video editing software
* Bonus: travel bag
Price: $119.99

First, if you look up top the specs you’ll see it mentions Windows Media Center compatible, I couldn’t get it to work with my version, Vista Ultimate x64. It partially worked, it found the tuner, found channels, go it all configured and then when I tried to watch TV it told me there was no tuner installed. I tried it on five separate occasions and got the same results each time, not sure why it won’t work for me.

First thing you need to do is pop in the disc and install the software and drivers, then plug in the Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick to let Windows install the drivers, and you can get started with configuring it.

Once that’s done you’re ready to watch TV and listen to the radio, it was easy to do, took about 10 minutes total and I was watching TV in HD and DT. There is an interface at the top of the screen and the bottom that will go away after a few seconds to allow actual full screen viewing. You can change channels from the selector at the bottom or you can have a small widow pop up with the channels listed. When you go to a channel on the top right of the screen you will see signal quality and signal strength bars and at the bottom it will show you what’s on the channel if it’s available. These bar will disappear as well after a few seconds, or you can make them stay there if you wish by clicking the ‘i’ for information button in the bottom bar.

Right clicking anywhere on the screen will give you another menu of several choices including channels, zoom, main menu, play/pause, mute, more actions, devices, options, recording profiles, window adjustments, settings and help.

Clicking the setting brings up a whole other set of menus and options to go through for more fine tuning of you viewing and listening experience. They’re just too numerous to list all of the options, so here’s screenshots of each menu section to look at if you wish:

The last page of the options  is titled information, you can check for updates, register your product, benchmark your system and activate features. Now activating features is interesting because for some thing you’ve got to actually pay more money for, like HDTV H.264 and Sony PSP/Apple iPod recording, but the DivX recording is free. You’ll need to click ‘Launch’ and it will open in your browser giving you a few choices to buy the features or codecs, since the DivX was free I grabbed it of course. I got a key from the site and then came back to the information page and hit the ‘Enter’ button under the Enter Activation code option, this enabled me to record to DivX format.

The radio is not really a radio, it’s an internet radio, when I saw radio I thought it was an actual FM tuner especially since there’s an antenna, but no it just finds internet radio stations for you. A nice feature, but I would have rather had an FM tuner…

I did come across some small problems, the one I mentioned already, lack of Media Center compatibility, the second though is one that only happens every so often, the viewing area locks up and crashes. I’ll be flipping channels and the stations will go black, I can still change channels but there’s just nothing on screen, then it will lock up and crash. Why, I’m not sure, and it doesn’t happen all of the time, I can use it for hours, several times, and then it will do it. The software is up to date so I’m not sure why it does it at all as it just happens.

Using the Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick is very easy, the setup and everything is virtually automatic, you just make some selections and it does the work for you really.

The remote is kind of useful I guess if you’re going to be sitting far away, but I sit at my desk so I’ve got no need for it, but it works, and since I’ve got a 22" widescreen monitor it does allow me to get farther away and watch TV if I wish to.

Reception of course will vary wherever you are in the country and of course next year when digital television is mandatory there should be more channels available to everyone. My reception was fine with the little included antenna, of course it all depends on weather conditions, locations of antenna etc for the best signal quality. HD was beautiful of course, you can’t beat the full HD experience.

The option to use as DVR/PVR is nice as you can set it and go do something else then just rewind back to where you left off on a live TV show, other than that, it’s a basic TV tuner that is very portable and for the most part works very well.

Conclusion:
The Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick is a great little product that will allow you to watch TV on your PC and easily take the whole setup with you while on the go. It’s a product that I think many people will very much like, and find very useful as it turns your computer into your very own television set in Hi-Def if you can support it.

There are a couple problems as I mentioned, but not real deal breakers, I rarely use Media Center so it’s not a big deal to me that it doesn’t work correctly but of course other people might care so I mentioned it. The crashing is something I’m not sure about, as I said it doesn’t happen all of the time just every once in a while.

Pros:
Small and portable
Easy to use
Includes radio
Many options to configure to personal specs
Good reception in my area

Cons:
Locks up and crashes every once in a while for some reason
Doesn’t work with Windows Media Center for me

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog