As PC users were assembling large media collections and as there appeared numerous digital formats for storing music, video, etc, a new class of computers emerged. It is the Home Theater Personal Computer. An HTPC is a small but advanced computer designed specifically for storing and reproducing the user’s media collection.
Today, the most popular solution for building such media centers is a microATX system or various types of barebone kits. Such solutions have the advantage of compactness, come with preinstalled and preset software, and offer a large number of interfaces for connecting to networks, display devices, audio systems, etc.
One media center from this class is going to be discussed in this review. Developed by the Korean company Novatron (www.iamm.co.kr), this model is known under different names given to it by its resellers: IAMM NTD36HD, IconBIT HD360W, Eureka LX350HD and Cinebox HD. The sample I have is called IconBIT HD360W.
Specifications and Accessories
Supported video formats | - HD chassis (tp, trp ts), - Windows Media 9, - Windows Media 9 HD, - DivX3.11, DivX4, DivX5, DivX6, - DivX HD, - MPEG2 HD/HDV, - Xvid, - MPEG1, - MPEG2 (IFO, VOB, ISO), - Max HD resolution up to 1920x1080 (progressive). |
Supported audio formats | - MP3, - Ogg Vorbis, - WMA, - AC3, - DTS |
Supported photo formats | - JPEG, - BMP, - PNG. |
Supported formats (other) | - SMI, - SUB, - SRT. |
Interfaces | - DVI-D, - Component Video (Y, Pb, Pr), - S-Video, - Composite Video, - Analogue dual-channel stereo (АСЗ 6 DTS down mix), - Analogue 5.1, - Optical & Coaxial digital audio out, - 1 x SATAII (internal HDD), - 1 х USB 2.0 for PC, - 2 х USB 2.0 ports (Max 500mA), - 1 х RJ4 5 LAN port, - WiFi. |
Connection standards | - Fast Ethernet 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T - 54Mbps Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.llb/g) |
Security | - 64/128bit WEP - WPA-PSK |
Supported file systems | - NTFS - FAT32 |
Remote control unit | Yes |
Dimensions | 95 x 190 x 145 mm |
Weight | 730g (without hard drive) |
Power supply | External power supply |
Other | NDAS support |
The box contains:
- HD360W multimedia player
- Remote control with two AA batteries
- Cable for composite video input and stereo audio input
- Component video cable (YPbPr)
- USB cable to connect the player to a PC
- 5dBi antenna
- 12V/3A power adapter with cord
- CD with software
- Quick installation and setup guide
- User manual
The accessories are sufficient. You may only need to add S-Video and LAN cables to use all of the player’s features.