XTreamer Ultra Review
To all who read good day. A month has passed to me from overseas come to the media center XTREAMER Ultra . Ultra is the top- end HTPC from XTreamer. It is positioned as a full-fledged computer on which you can install several operating systems and use it to fit your needs. In my first article on habrahabr'e, I decided to share with you the experience of buying and using, as well as my impressions and conclusions.Specifications
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 (1 x 204-pin DDR3-800)
- Hard drive: not included, so as not to increase the already high cost, but there is a slot for 2.5 inch Sata. You can put SSD in it
- Processor: Dual core Intel Atom D525 (1.8 GHz)
- GPU: NVIDIA ION 2, 512 MB DDR3 VRAM, DirectX 10 Support
- Wi-Fi 802.11n is not included (bought separately a WiFi network card - $ 25)
- Outputs: HDMI 1.4a, DVI
- Network 10/100 / 1000Mbps (RTL8111E)
- 6 USB 2.0 (2 front, 4 back)
- Sound Card Realtek ALC892
- Digital Optical S / PDIF Output
- ESATA 3.0 Gb / s port
- Infrared port
- Microphone in and headphone out
- 24dBA combined active passive cooling
- Weight ~ 3 kilograms
Contents of delivery
- Xtreamer Ultra itself
- Remote control and 2 "AAA" batteries, the remote control must be compatible with XBMC and WMC
- 8 GB USB flash drive with 4 OS
- Mini keyboard with a laser pointer, a receiver for it and min-usb for charging
- HDMI cable 1.5 m.
- Power Supply
- VGA-> DVI adapter
- Bolts for mounting a hard drive
- Papers with pictures
Purchase
Price: $ 400 (+25 WiFi antenna, +55 shipping to Russia). Of course, this is expensive, but fortunately, my wallet did not pay the full amount.I ordered via ebay . I paid through the PayPal on the 6th, on the 20th I already received the parcel in the mail. Total two weeks. Below is the tracking of the package:
And here is what came to my mail:
Unpacking
Box:
And inside it: 
xtreamer itself: A 
mini keyboard and its receiver with a mini-usb cable for charging: 
By the way, she decided on debian'e without problems (I didn’t try it in win7) and works like a full keyboard!
Remote control:
USB flash drive and WiFi (bought separately): 
Hdmi cable from the kit and power supply: 
Once again: 
And at the back:
First impressions
When booting from a USB flash drive, the system takes a long time to load, and a tangible response to your actions will make you think about installing hdd. In addition, the remote had to aim directly at the case, because otherwise he did not catch the signal. Fortunately, after flashing this problem disappeared.Available Systems
Good screenshots of the following 3 systems can be found here .Boxee
Could not start, I don’t know why. On the n + 1 attempt, I already stopped trying.XBMC
XBMC is just lovely, everything is neat and very convenient. I liked her the most. We will come back to her.Ultra OS (Everest)
Essentially, Everest is a Ubuntu build. Since I moved from Windows to Ubuntu, from Ubunta to Debian, and from him to Arch, I was not surprised at anything, but with a calm soul, poyuzal and let it pass. Perhaps he groaned when he launched the Last.fm shortcut hoping to see a native cutish app, but got just a page in the browser. We made a taxbar on the left and added links to web pages there, nothing special. Personally, I did not like this OS.Freenas
I did not even start FreeNAS . For NAS , I have Netgear 3500L with Tomato firmware.Windows 7
You can install Win7 on the system. There are all configured drivers for it. I did not try to install, because I do not feel the need, and most importantly - desire.Openelec
Openelec is a Linux distribution designed for media centers. It differs from other distributions in its small size and high speed of operation. Openelec is not a program, but a fully functional system tailored to specific needs. Openelec has many advantages:- fast enough loading (~ 30 s.) and shutdown (almost instantly);
- pleased with the speed and response of the system;
- The remote control immediately works and is configured;
- rich config and extensions through XBMC-addons, you can install Transmission, etc .;
- There is a separate assembly for ultra, which is supported and updated at the office. forum ;
- connecting devices on the fly, everything is determined without problems and troubles;
- the installed system takes about 80 megabytes.
Flashing
The speed of the OS can be greatly increased if you install it on the internal HDD. I immediately decided to put openelec. Installation instructions are here , you need only 5 minutes of time, one flash drive (or hard), as well as one straight hand. First, I installed the system on a USB flash drive, but later on hdd, which I installed inside.Top without cover:
The cover itself and 2.5 "hdd:
Using
It works fast, reads and plays everything you slip. See the full list of supported formats at wiki.xbmc . There were no brakes when watching movies. FullHD is spinning without problems. It is worth noting that the mini keyboard will allow you to get full access to all the functions of the system, while from the remote control you cannot perform some actions, for example, the context menu for the file through the remote for me still remains unsolved mystery.In the light of a recent topic mentioning the annoying bright blue light :
Red light on the front panel:
Remote control with phosphor buttons in the dark:
Keyboard with backlight on:
Noise
The body is made of aluminum. Which in itself in combination with the relief of the plates provides a sufficient level of cooling. The site stated that inside a hybrid passive and active cooling system with a noise level of 24dBA. Noise is not very strong; no discomfort is experienced during its operation. Unless only with a simple system (i.e. when video or audio is not playing) a strange squeak is observed. When you start playback, it disappears. You need to pick the settings.The hard drive in the process of use is heated quite well, not to say that it is overheating. The question of its temperature is tormenting, but so far I do not know how to measure it.
Total
Minuses:- Unreasonably high price ~ $ 400
- A strange squeak with an idle time in openelec (maybe fix, maybe the problem is in the config)
- Marked front panel - gloss black
- No wifi
- Support only 2.5 "hdd and ssd
Pros:
- Good iron filling that will not give brakes
- Great potential for several operating systems, openelec is especially pleased
- The remote control and keyboard do not require additional. settings
- Low noise
- Small size and pretty corrugated body
More about Xtreamer Ultra: