[NicCo]

Hi
Does anyone own a Zotac AD-06 with XBMC ?
I don't know what to buy between Zotac AD-06, Zotac ID-18 and Gigabyte Brix 2955 ?
Thanks !

[noggin]

The AD-06 is powered by an E2-1800 AMD CPU/GPU combo. It's a pretty low powered CPU - only 847 Passmark - but should be a good GPU (without 24p problems) Not sure how it handles deinterlacing under Linux.

The ID-18 is powered by an Intel Celeron 1007U CPU/GPU combo. This is a more powerful CPU than the E2-1800 - with a 1441 Passmark (so nearly twice as fast as the E2-1800) and it can handle software YADIF 2x Deinterlacing within OpenElec (along with VAAPI hardware decoding) It's an Ivy Bridge Celeron, so will have the 24p bug (occasional repeated/dropped frames on 23.976Hz content). I run an Acer Revo RL80 with the same CPU in it - and am impressed with it - though I mainly watch 50i/25p content on it so the 24p bug isn't a major issue for me. (Many people don't notice it either)

The Brix 2955 is probably the best performer. It is marginally more powerful than the 1007U CPU at 1543 Passmark - and because it is a Haswell chip, it doesn't have the 24p bug. The new Asus Chromebox runs with this chipset - as does the Acer C720 Chromebook. I've run the latter with OpenElec and it works really well for me.

If I were choosing from the three - ignoring any other issues - I'd go for a 2955U system like the Brix.

[NicCo]

Thanks for your help.

So for AD-06, I think it's better to forget it... I don't know if I'll install Windows or Linux OS but I'm afraid to be CPU limited on basic operations.

I'm watching many 24p contents (23.976 and 24 fps, most of my 3D half SBS movies are 23.976 fps) so 24p bug would be important for me. Is it on all movies or only on deinterlaced content ?

I need an optical output, Zotac ID-18 got it and Brix 2955 also but on Brix, connector format is mini jack and I don't know if it can output DTS 5.1 1536kbps or 2.0 only ?

Thanks !

[noggin]

Thanks for your help.

No problem

I'm watching many 24p contents (23.976 and 24 fps, most of my 3D half SBS movies are 23.976 fps) so 24p bug would be important for me. Is it on all movies or only on deinterlaced content ?

Not limited to de-interlaced content. The issue is that because broadcast TV in 60Hz former-NTSC territories is actually run at 59.94Hz not 60Hz (a decision made when colour TV was introduced in the '50s to avoid potential interference with the broadcast sound carrier) a lot of "24p" material is actually 23.976p (so that after 3:2 pull-down it runs at 59.94Hz). This is so that a Blu-ray player can still output a standard SD NTSC signal if it needs to (most/many still have a composite output). Similarly broadcast TV content will be mastered at 23.976p, and Blu-rays of that material will probably be originated at that frame rate. (Movies may be slowed down just a tiny bit from 24.000 to 23.976 for Blu-ray?)

Lots - probably most - Blu-rays are mastered at 23.976p - though there are some 24.000p discs out there as well (some are from Europe - where the NTSC thing is less of an issue).

I need an optical output, Zotac ID-18 got it and Brix 2955 also but on Brix, connector format is mini jack and I don't know if it can output DTS 5.1 1536kbps or 2.0 only ?

Thanks !

If the Brix has an optical SPDIF output, it has an optical SPDIF output. The connector style doesn't alter the formats it can carry. The optical signal is the same. You just convert it with something like this : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Short-TOSLINK-to...35d478957f

I'd expect the Brix to be able to output DD/DTS/PCM2.0 via the 3.5mm optical output, it's just a mechanical conversion - no signal difference between the two optical connector standards.

[NicCo]

Ok thanks again.

I'm from France so Europe so Blu ray at mastered at 23.976, 24 and sometimes 25p. I forget 1007u, I don't want to have thise bug.

For SPDIF, I have be afraid because this is a ALC269 Realtek chipset and on datasheet it is writed it supports 2+2 channels but it should be on analogic output ?

[noggin]

Ok thanks again.

I'm from France so Europe so Blu ray at mastered at 23.976, 24 and sometimes 25p. I forget 1007u, I don't want to have thise bug.

Bonjour!

Annoyingly - the Blu-ray standard doesn't allow for 25p mastering of Blu-rays. 25p content is mastered at 1080/50i (with 2:2 pull-down and requires de-interlacing to 25p) - or in a very few cases 720/50p (with 2:2 frame repetition).

I'm in the UK and watch a lot of 1080/50i Blu-rays which have material shot at 1080/25p...

For SPDIF, I have be afraid because this is a ALC269 Realtek chipset and on datasheet it is writed it supports 2+2 channels but it should be on analogic output ?

Don't worry about the 2+2 stuff. That is related to the ALC269s DACs used for analogue output. SPDIF bitstreaming of DTS/DD content should be fine.

[NicCo]

Bonjour

Ok thanks for information about 25p and confirmation about ALC269, I hope it should work fine...