ILoveC4 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 This is just typical. Typical of a release like this. It is half baked. Untested. The Taiwanese do this *all* the time. I'm not necessarily criticising EV here. There driver is a great concept! At the end of the day, we pay for all these dealers to swan around to all the conferences and shows and nobody asks the critical questions or can be bothered to test it for us? Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI don't pay anyone to go to any shows. Also, why is it half baked? Because nobody on this forum answered your pointed questions?Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 No not untested.Why do you always come here to complain, you could have complained to Autonomics, *(and to be fair I do believe you did).ASK EV!www.extravegetables.comwhy do you expect us to purchase a qnap nas two weeks after they announce it just to please you?Ask the people who made the driver.Its not an EV driver issue.The issue is whether or not the QNAP is capable (ie has enough computer and graphics speed) to play all these movie files.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 And I was not referring to the driver. I can guarantee they had the product in their labs to develop the drivers. I would hazard to guess they have played alot of movies on it.And I think THEY have the best knowledge of the products limitation.Sure. But did they use the fastest QNAP. And did they test it playing these large hidef bluray files? Or are we just talking DVD standard def?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Meh. It was a commissioned driver. Their goal would not have been to find the best product and make a driver they'll sell lots of . There being a driver says little about the quality of the product the driver is for, and their focus would have been to make it operate, not see how well it holds up to other players. That said, as I stated asking about the quality of the product here is of little use as well.Why is it of little use? This concept: in the way it has been released by EV: that is as an alternative movie server that is capable of playback using HDMI.... is a setup that potentially competes with a centralized movie playback device. Like the DD media server. The concept is, you would put this in your centralized rack, and use XBMC to playback the files out via HDMI via distribution by a matrix. So of course the quality of the actual product is important here. Why wouldn't it be? When news of the DDmedia server first appeared here on c4forums, there was no doubt it could handle *all* the playback. Because James from DD tested it and announced it as such. Nobody needed to came on to the threads during that time and point this sort of stuff out because it was made perfectly clear at the outset that the hardware was capable. You tubes were produced. James did an excellent job with any clarification. The product was set to go at launch... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 I don't pay anyone to go to any shows. Also, why is it half baked? Because nobody on this forum answered your pointed questions? Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. That's a bit unfair. This centralised and c4 controlled media server concept (using a QNAP) has been out a month now. Since it was announced at CES early Jan. The NAS servers have been available with XBMC for months. I find it unbelievable that some dealer hasn't put XBMC thru it's paces on these devices, given XBMC has been talked about around here for years. You'd think the penny hadn't dropped months back that this might be a great way to setup a centralized server. All that was missing was a way of controlling it. We now have the EV driver. You don't need the driver to test it anyway. An iphone XBMC app would do. And nobody knows if the actual QNAP hardware is capable? I find this extraordinary... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 ^You see where this differs from say a Dune or a popcorn is an end user can order one of these, trial it and then send it back if it won't play all their files. But a QNAP at $1500 that has been tested as a media server? I don't know about things in the US, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that over here it's tuff luck if you'd bought the wrong one and it didn't do what you've intended it to do.... You've burnt that 1.5K.THAT in a nutshell is why dealers have to test it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 This forum doesn't represent the majority of control4 dealers or people who use XBMC.....man, you are really slamming a product just because a few thousand people that frequent a forum haven't heard of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 ^ With all due respect go back and read carefully my answers to the previous posts. Why is it such a big issue for a dealer to go out, buy a $1500 QNAP NAS, put a couple of bluray mkv's and iso' on for us and tell us if they will play out properly via HDMI? Don't you understand this type of Linux based home NAS/Server all in one device (now we can control it so eloquently via this EV driver) is the future of central rack based movie and media based distribution via Control4 and an HDMI matrix setup? I mean apologies, but how much more clearer can I put things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 If any dealer would like to paypal me $1500, I'd be happy to go out and buy one tomorrow and test it for you no problems. Then send the NAS on. Take me all up I'd reckon under an hour to have the answer for you. As I said. I don't even need the EV driver... Then if it works you can all go out and sell this setup by the thousands along with more C4 matrix's and other assorted high margin Control4 gear... Geez.. what more can I say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Alex, how can you say this device is the future? You can sheens much less than $1,500 and get the save or better functionality from two separate boxes. In failing to see why you're so excited about this. AND, who's job do you think it is to test this thing for you? Why would a dealer, who doesn't have any interest in selling these, go but one and test it? If I was a dealer I wouldn't have any interest on this piece, just like I have no interest in it now as an end user! You get on here and go stark raving mad about some real interesting things. Here's my take. NAS technology stays pretty much the same. It holds data. Media Player hardware changes CONSTANTLY. Why in the hell would you want to combine the two? I've got a NAS that I've had for 8 years. Still works great. Think anyone has an 8 year old media player? Just because QNAP made this doesn't mean it's a good idea. Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 If any dealer would like to paypal me $1500, I'd be happy to go out and buy one tomorrow and test it for you no problems. Then send the NAS on. Take me all up I'd reckon under an hour to have the answer for you. As I said. I don't even need the EV driver... Then if it works you can all go out and sell this setup by the thousands along with more C4 matrix's and other assorted high margin Control4 gear...Geez.. what more can I say?This product is a solution looking for a problem. This isn't going to allow anyone to sell any more or less product than they do now. Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Alex, how can you say this device is the future? You can sheens much less than $1,500 and get the save or better functionality from two separate boxes. In failing to see why you're so excited about this.AND, who's job do you think it is to test this thing for you? Why would a dealer, who doesn't have any interest in selling these, go but one and test it? If I was a dealer I wouldn't have any interest on this piece, just like I have no interest in it now as an end user!You get on here and go stark raving mad about some real interesting things.Here's my take. NAS technology stays pretty much the same. It holds data. Media Player hardware changes CONSTANTLY. Why in the hell would you want to combine the two? I've got a NAS that I've had for 8 years. Still works great. Think anyone has an 8 year old media player? Just because QNAP made this doesn't mean it's a good idea.Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk.Dan these are super easy to answer. 1/ All in ones will be quicker and easier to set up, manage by the end user, and are not dependant on network issues for video distribution. There is one less device to break down in the chain.. 2/ Dealers could put these in preconfigured. Sure they aren't making much margin on the NAS. But they get to sell the whole matrix set up. 3/ I sort of agree with you.. just because QNAPs made this doesn't mean it is a good idea.. but it seems a great idea for those that want to go down the central Matrix route. The irony is as a matter of interest I actually don't LOL!!! hahaha Im just trying to give a heads up for those that do. Dealers and users alike. But especially the dealers who get to sell way more Matrix solutions!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Can you address what I said about the evolving technology? In my opinion it's stupid as hell to combine these. Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Think of this as a very cost effective, robust small and efficient DDServer... that runs XBMC instead of WinServer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Can you address what I said about the evolving technology? In my opinion it's stupid as hell to combine these.Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk.The next version of the QNAP will be half the cost, hold twice the data, be half the size, run twice as fast with i5, and 16 RAM And the next version of the EV driver will be double as smart, and control 10 QNAP apps rather than just XBMC... apps like itunes server, Netflix, Hulu, security camera , and the list will go on and on.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'm done. This is pointless. Good luck! Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 And it runs Linux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'm done. This is pointless. Good luck! No problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdepaola Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Here is a full review of the QNAP NAS running XBMC. General feeling was while it's not perfect it ran XBMC and played LARGE bluray rips without issue. http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/multimedia-voip/multimedia-voip-features/32041-can-a-qnap-nas-replace-your-htpc Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Dan these are super easy to answer. 1/ All in ones will be quicker and easier to set up, manage by the end user, and are not dependant on network issues for video distribution. There is one less device to break down in the chain.. 2/ Dealers could put these in preconfigured. Sure they aren't making much margin on the NAS. But they get to sell the whole matrix set up. 3/ I sort of agree with you.. just because QNAPs made this doesn't mean it is a good idea.. but it seems a great idea for those that want to go down the central Matrix route. The irony is as a matter of interest I actually don't LOL!!! hahaha Im just trying to give a heads up for those that do. Dealers and users alike. But especially the dealers who get to sell way more Matrix solutions!!! 1/ One device breaks down and you're starting from scratch - I do NOT see this as a positive thing at all. not dependent on network video distribution - and? that is the easiest part of a system to do right. it is not really any easier to setup. and not easier to manage by the end-user in any way at all. It makes 0 difference if you're managing a NAS and a media player or you're managing a NAS and a built-in media player interface in that same NAS.2/ I can put in a media player and server pre-configured now. This adds nothing to that3/"a great idea for those that want to go down the central Matrix route" - if you mean to have everything combined in one unit - the point it that THAT is a bad idea, see point 1, if you mean as in centralized matrix video distribution - this again adds NOTHING to that sort of setup at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Ok. Awesome: Thanks to fire/medic it seems we are closer to the facts. Looks like it might be OK: as long as you max out the RAM and get one with the faster processors. There are QNAPS with i3's.. Cool Cheers and thanks for that very informative link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Does this mean this thread can now leave the top of the View New Content page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 ^ hahaha nope Sorry my friend.. I've subsequently found out it is *extremely* important which QNAP you buy: AND You are going to need at least 2 RAM AND if anyone wants to try this, looks like you need a TS-x70 series.. not the previous intels.. see: http://forum.qnap.com/viewtopic.php?f=295&t=75405&p=397231&hilit=xbmc#p397231 Note this reply from QNAP concerning "tearing" on certain previous models... "If you are able to exchange for TS-x70 series NAS model, these have reported no problem with XBMC, because they use different Intel architecture and drivers." I am going to try a TS-470 pro ..prob with 8 of RAM.. that sucker should work, though I'm waiting on confirmation on the QNAP forum.. The new series also support Frodo.. the prev only Eden.. Appols for bringing it to the top of the page again Wap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 XBMC requires considerable maintenance. For example there are countless repositories, TV stream apps, add ons etc etc all free. . Upgradeable. Dynamic. Open Source. With a HUGE user community. This is what makes XBMC such a powerful interface. But sourcing all these add ons, then adding them to the XBMC GUI and tweeking them takes time. *THIS* is the whole point of a centrally run XBMC server. You only have to do all this maintenance to XBMC once on one device. Everyone can hang crap on QNAP for adding XBMC to their NAS servers, but it's early days. These new QNAP servers are relatively cheap. They run Linux, ( so you can free yourself from the clutches of WIndows Server), they have lots of apps already and the list is growing fast. Most importantly the Control4 community now has a great way to start to control all this: in the one central location, with the EV driver. These business grade QNAPs are also incredibly easy to scale. You can start small real easy and potentially add another array to get enormous storage capacity. QNAP is now bringing this sort of Enterprise NAS technology to the home. With blu ray now becoming the dominant HD format: For serious movie buffs with hundreds of HD backup's (as 20-30gb files become the norm) easy scalability starts to become important. Whilst of course other NAS brands can also do this, and yes you can stream from them out to multiple sources in the periphery, they don't have this EV Control4 driver do they? A centralised server makes maintenance easy. Because there is only ONE media centre to maintain. I wouldn't write this concept off just yet. This is why I think these developments are exciting. Cheers Wap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wappinghigh Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 1/ One device breaks down and you're starting from scratch - I do NOT see this as a positive thing at all. not dependent on network video distribution - and? that is the easiest part of a system to do right. it is not really any easier to setup. and not easier to manage by the end-user in any way at all. It makes 0 difference if you're managing a NAS and a media player or you're managing a NAS and a built-in media player interface in that same NAS.2/ I can put in a media player and server pre-configured now. This adds nothing to that3/"a great idea for those that want to go down the central Matrix route" - if you mean to have everything combined in one unit - the point it that THAT is a bad idea, see point 1, if you mean as in centralized matrix video distribution - this again adds NOTHING to that sort of setup at all.Yes. Fair points. But dealers don't do the XBMC "maintenance" do they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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