 | | |
| ZeeVee ZvBox | 
 enlarge
| List Price: $499.99
Buy New: $449.00
You Save: $50.99 (10%)
Buy New
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 9569
Category: CE
Publisher: ZeeVee
Studio: ZeeVee
Brand: ZeeVee
Label: ZeeVee
Media: Electronics
Autographed: 0
Memorabilia: 0
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 10.3 x 14.3 x 5.3
MPN: ZV100-NA
Model: ZV100-NA
UPC: 812254010007
EAN: 0812254010007
ASIN: B0018L7NUA
Release Date: August 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Features:
| • | Watch anything you can get online or on your computer from all your HDTVs | | • | Avoid new subscription fees | | • | Access ANY computer application from your HDTVs | | • | Enjoy the same great resolution you get at your computer | | • | Use existing cable wiring to reach all HDTVs in the house |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
ZvBox allows Internet TV watchers to move from the small-screen of their computers and the discomfort of the home office to the superior viewing experience of their HDTVs and the comfort of the couch. ZvBox is the first device that allows consumers to watch anything they can get online or on their computers on all the HDTVs in their homes. By simply connecting to the monitor output of the computer, ZvBox turns the computer screen into a new high-definition TV channel called Zv, which it then "localcasts" across the existing coaxial cable wiring to all HDTVs in the home. Since it uses the video/monitor output of the computer, ZvBox has the most extensive compatibility with all forms of Internet content and local media, without adding any additional processing load on the computer. In addition to video content, ZvBox extends any computer application to the home's HDTVs, including email, web browsing, photos, and music. Because ZvBox is installed at the computer and uses the HDTV's embedded tuner, there is no set-top-box or wiring clutter in the living room. Inputs/Outputs - USB V2, full speed and high speed, Type B connector, High Density 15-pin male DSUB VGA1, High Density 15-pin male DSUB VGA2, F-Type female cable TV Cable, and HDTV with digital-cable ready tuner System Requirements - Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2; Microsoft Windows Vista, 2-Ghz CPU Processor, 2GB DRAM, 50MB Free Space, Two free USB 1.0 or 2.0, high-speed or full speed ports, and Broadband with 6 Mbps download speed Dimensions - Width 11.41 x Height 1.38 x Depth 4.02 (290x35x102mm) Weight - 550 grams
|
| Customer Reviews:
Finally, a PC-To-TV Device That Works!!! September 3, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I wanted a PC-to-TV device ever since I started recording TV with my Media Center PC and ripping movies to my hard drive.
I have some other media streamers, but it seemed like where they come up short is in the number of formats they support and the limited amount of web content they can access. The ZvBox gets over all the format limitations by just putting what's on your PC monitor onto your TV screen!
Setup was easier than other reviewers made it out to be (you screw in a couple of coax cables and plug your monitor in), though you do have to know where the main splitters are so you can screw in the channel filter.
It also doesn't interfere with my cable-based "digital voice" and broadband services which is something I worried about.
The device itself performs reasonably well. Resolution is truly HD, frame rate is impressive, but darker gradients sometime pixellate because of the signal compression. The vast majority of content looks just as great on the big screen as the computer monitor, but I wouldn't stream Blu Ray over the ZV channel or anything because there ARE minor, usually unnoticeable quality issues that keep it from having the quality of a direct HDMI connection.
The RF remote that comes with it is pretty cool and functional, though you'll want to learn to use the directional arrows, play button, and "full screen" button to minimize the reliance on the laggy touchpad and the painful text-message style text entry (for the rare circumstance where you'd want to simulate typing via the remote).
Also ZeeVee created a streamlined interface to Hulu and a few other sites which provide a pretty solid selection of free, ad-supported streaming content from the internet. I wasn't anticipating watching a lot of Hulu when I got the ZvBox, but as it turns out, Hulu support makes me question if I should keep paying for Comcast on-demand content, since ZvBox gives as good of a selection, but with a better interface and for free!
ZvBox has its limitations, but the fact that it can play iTunes, Media Center, Amazon Unbox, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix.com and whatever other format or website that your computer supports make it the most versatile media streamer on the market, though not the cheapest or easiest to use!
Plus, when you do have questions, the company is small enough that you get personalized support from American reps, which is a rarity nowadays!
All in all, I'd highly recommend it if you can get over its few quirks/usability issues and high price tag.
 Amazing product -- I am a ZeeVee convert! August 18, 2008
12 out of 18 found this review helpful
ZeeVee is a clever and original way to get content from your PC to all large screen TVs in your house at once without the need of extra wiring. ZeeVee captures your computer's screen and converts it to 720p high-definition TV signal in real time. It then injects this signal into your home's existing coaxial wiring (almost everyone has that already), so that all your TVs can receive it on Channel 125 (selectable) as if it came directly from your cable provider. You can then go and place yourself comfortably on a couch in front of any TV in your house and control your PC right from there by using ZeeVee's remote control.
The installation process went flawlessly for me. I plugged the monitor into my ZV box, connected the box to the PC, then connected the antenna (cable) output of the ZV box to the antenna wall outlet. This injects the signal into your home wiring. I figured that coaxial wiring in my house was simple enough that I managed to receive the ZV channel (my PC screen) on nearby TVs without having to install a recommended channel filter. Just to be safe, I did install it--it took me 2 minutes.
Right after that, I was able to go upstairs to my bedroom and watch a few episodes of Gray's Anatomy on ABC's website in full screen HD. I proceeded to watch live streams from the Olympics that weren't available on broadcast TV. I also got a chance to do the same thru TiVo (that apparently has a partnership with NBCOlympics.com) and I must say that TiVo left much to be desired. Hulu also looks very good, although their player doesn't allow a true full screen mode.
Since it's your good old PC that you're using, all your bookmarks, web history, photos, videos, BitTorrent downloads, logins, etc. work as usual. I made a shortcut for our local weather and now pull it up in the mornings by selecting the ZV channel and double-clicking the shortcut icon.
Last but not least, you can launch Windows Media Center and enjoy all its capabilities everywhere. My computer has a tuner and a cable box connected to it, so now I get Showtime and HBO on every TV in the house without having to pay for several cable boxes.
ZeeVee really brings web content into your living room and the experience is worth every penny.
Now a few answers for those who don't get it:
Q: Why not just use a cheap DVI cable?
A: If you have one TV in your living room and your living room doubles as your office (where your PC is), then yes, you can just connect the computer directly to the TV. For the rest of us, there's ZeeVee. The reality is that in a vast majority of homes, expensive TVs are nowhere near computers. Moreover, there are several TVs (living room, bedroom, exercise room). Running DVI cables to all these locations is expensive and time-consuming.
Q: Why can't I just use Apple TV and/or a media extender like Popcorn Hour?
A: You would need one Apple TV or media extender per each TV in your house. ZeeVee is cheaper and easier to install and configure. You don't have to worry if your media extender supports one codec or another. If your PC can play it, you can watch it on ZeeVee.
Works..but setup is just not easy.... August 16, 2008
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
First of all, I am very excited that after 2 hours of hard working I finally got it to work on one of my HDTV..
Pro: The concept is awesome and it does work.
Con: Try to make it work takes a lot of patience and time...
According to the manual, you supposed to know where your main cable comes in..and put a filter there... and here is my problem, my home is brand new and I have over 20 coax cables in the little cable box that corresponding to different wall plugs in the home, and I had to dig hard to find the one that actually comes from outside.... But now, I can't get it to work with my old 37' HDTV monitor. I bought a Samsung DTBH260F as an external tuner, hoping it would work with zeevee box, but no luck yet.....it would really suck if zeevee box can't work with those hold HDTV-ready monitors
Support is great by the way.
ZvBox August 13, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
What could I say, this product rocks. I got it fast and it was very easy to setup. Blu-ray and Hulu look great but there are few bugs with software. Also the support is excellent they have told me that they are working on a software fix and will be out soon.
Rakesh
 Not ready for primetime. August 8, 2008
36 out of 43 found this review helpful
The positives:
* This is a very creative approach to getting around the issue of streaming HD content (actually, VGA content) throughout the home. ZeeVee's paradigm is to broadcast your content from a PC over an unused cable channel...this is a great concept since it doesn't rely on any of the host of other transmission conduits that have have either not been reliable enough or deliver the adequate bandwidth necessary to get the job done, e.g. wireless, powerline, etc...
* When all is said and done, the product DOES work.
HOWEVER...(the negatives)...
* The installation guide just casually expects you to find the root source of the cable signal coming into your home and to hook in a little signal "reflecting" device to ensure your personal channel doesn't transmit all over the neighborhood. Otherwise, conceivably, your neighbor could watch your movies with you, watch you do your banking online, etc... If you install this device anywhere else on your cable line inside the house, you risk cutting off parts of your home from receiving your personal channel.
Now, perhaps in Massachusetts where these guys are based, that's no big deal since cable TV service was patched onto homes that were already decades old. Here in California, the cable connection is relatively embedded...it was installed when the home was built. While it's possible that I could go outside and open up the TV service panel and figure out some way to do all of that without losing signal fidelity, I'm less than excited about actually doing the deed. For many, I'd expect that this is far beyond their technical capability.
* Software stability issues. I installed the requisite driver software on a Vista PC, and my PC seems to be running into technical issues on a pretty regular basis. This is a "clean" PC--i.e. there's hardly anything installed on it to interfere--so I'd simply point out that you might expect to run into some software glitches initially.
* Image issues. I'm not going to nitpick the quality of the image transmitted (which is fine within all reasonable standards), but more about how its configuration is absolutely frustrating. First, the assumption is made that you'll simply patch their box onto the existing VGA line running from your PC to monitor. I hate to tell the manufacturers this, but it's 2008 and folks who are buying a device such as this probably are not living in a world of analog video signals. Nonetheless, I hooked it up to a laptop and found the software messing absolutely everything up on PC...screens going blank, resolutions being changed, etc...
In terms of usability, the problem ultimately was that even with the device's "calibration" capability, it was impossible to properly frame your PC's screen on the TV. For example, you're supposed to properly position a picture of a flower on the TV in order to ensure your video output will fit similarly. The first problem is that the image of the flower isn't 16:9...it's off somewhat, so you're fighting a battle of trying to figure out whether to crop off the top/bottom of your screen image or have black vertical bars on either side.
Ultimately, it seems to be impossible to get back to the point of trying to re-calibrate the Flower from Heck...the software keeps crashing (see earlier feedback), so in my case, I simply had to live with the minor issue of having no ribbon bar or start menu on the bottom of my screen.
* Fidgety remote. Again, I like the concept of having a single remote control that can command the host PC into opening windows, launching videos, etc... The problem is that there is a serious lag issue...you move the mouse on your remote, and about 3/4 of a second later, the mouse spurts around on-screen, somewhat uncontrollably. The remote, which is wireless, was only about two feet from the included receiver, so signal strength shouldn't have been an issue.
* Thou Shalt Be Channel 125. On a separate aside, you are "forced" to being on a single, pre-selected channel, all of which is dependent on which "reflector" is packaged in your box. (I guess 125 and 135 are the two models they're shipping out.) Unfortunately, both 125 and 135 are "real" channels on my cable system, so you effectively have to forfeit the content delivered by your cable provider. Theoretically, you can ask for a different reflector on a different channel, but I suspect they're going to give you the choice between...channel 125 and channel 135.
CONCLUSION
This is a cool technology to try out, but unless you're just a real nerd who likes the idea of creating his own TV channel and possibly hijacking neighbors' TV sets, I'd sit out this generation of product and wait for 2.0.
Wait for:
* the software to become more stable
* for some easier implementation of "reflectors"/filters (possibly like how DSL does it...a different filter available for each cable connection throughout the house.)
* for a DVI connection, not VGA (duh!), which should also lead to fewer "calibration" issues.
|
|
|
Included with most items on sale are editorial reviews and customer reviews | | |
