SANYO CLOCK RADIO WITH CD - AM/FM STEREO RADIO WITH DUAL ALARM. 120V/240V USE WORLDWIDE.RM-XCD400

• Splendid Jumbo Size Blue LCD Screen - LCD Size: 6.3"x 2"
• Alarm Clock with High Precision Top Loading CD Player
• Snooze/Alarm Function Support
• Wake to Buzzer, Radio or CD. 3 Different Play Modes for CD Playback (Repeat 1, Repeat All, Random)
• Dimension (WHD): 220mm x 93mm x 210mm

Comes with a Euro power connect, so I had to get an adapter -not a real issue. The controls worked fine for a few years and then started to get balky, otherwise I wouldn't have replaced it. The display is nice and big. I still haven't found a real decent, large display, dual alarm (the radio and CD are a non-issue) so I have no good alternative to offer.

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Naxa NCA671 Detachable Stereo AM/FM Car Radio with Compact Disc Player and Aux-In Jack (Black)

• Manual Tuning Stereo AM/FM Radio Tuner
• Mechanical Front Face Detachable Panel with Carrying Case
• Anti-vibration Auto-insert CD Mechanism
• Disc Intro/Random/Repeat/Play/Track & Search Function
• Electronic Preset Equalizer (Pop/Rock/Classic) Controls

This stereo is really good for how much it cost.plus it looks good with buttons and screen lit up with blue.all the functions that it say it has are all working.only there was no instructions for set the clock .but i figured it out ,i had stereo off then the clock is on,here you just hold down sel button while the two cd scan buttons are your adjustment for clock set time.the left > forward is the hour.i have a total of 8 speakers hooked up,4 5 1/4 two one inch dome tweets and two legacy 10 inch woofers.all run by a kenwood 280 watt 4 channel amp and a very old purple boss 3 way crossover.its very loud an clear.im no profesional but i been hookin beat for my self an freinds for years.there is no engine or alt. noise at all very nice an clear stereo sound.if your lookin for a low price stereo this naxa 671 is good for it.mine works like a champ.

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I bought this CD player to try to upgrade from the tape player/radio that my car came with. Since I'm not a huge audiophile, I didn't want to spend tons of money on a fancy sound system, just wanted something serviceable to play CDs.

This item did not fulfill that criteria. It worked fine for about 2 weeks, then it stopped working. It wasn't a problem with the CDs themselves, because this problem happened with the radio too. After a minute or so of playing, the sound would randomly fade out and remain silent for a long time, then come back for a few seconds, then out again, and so on. And when I say that it was silent for a long time, I mean that I'd get about 2 minutes of music during a 45-minute drive.

I had my mechanic look at it, and it was definitely not a wiring or installation problem. Finally we determined that it was with the internal hardware of the CD player, a circuit that would overheat after a few minutes of work, rendering the whole item useless.

Unfortunately, by the time it stopped working, it was too late to return the stupid thing. So, don't waste your money, people! Spend a little more to get something that actually works.

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This is the most worthless car radio I have ever seen. The tuner is manual, difficult to tune perfeclty, and will not hold the setting. Switching between AM and FM, and tuning to a station on either one, will change the channel on both. THERE ARE NO PRESETS!!!!! Even the radios from the 1950's had presets! My gosh, how this piece of junk ever made it to the market is way beyond intelligent understanding. It's cheap, but don't waste your money. You'll only be buying another one within a month.

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This product sucks really badly! It does not play any cds what so ever, whether they are bootlegged or out the store. It has noise interference when listening to the radio or songs on your phone. It does not sound good having a system hooked up to it. I guess what u pay for is what u get....A CHEAP BRAND OF CD PLAYER!

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This is a piece of JUNK.Nothing works properly on it exspectually the CD player,also the stations don't stay on the station.You almost need to force the buttons to get them to work.Basicly,A WORTHLESS PRODUCT for the money.I'm a UNHAPPY customer & will never purchase a product from them AGAIN.Stay away from the radios,PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Sangean WR-2 WH HiFi AM/FM-RDS Table-Top Radio (White)

• Compact tabletop AM/FM radio with white wooden enclosure and front-firing 3-inch speaker
• 7-watt amplifier and acoustic bass compensation system deliver warm, room-filling audio
• Advanced RF/IF electronic circuitry clearly reproduces distant AM/FM stations
• Full-range adjustable treble and bass controls; Radio Data System (RDS) support
• Auxiliary input jack for connecting iPod or MP3 player; measures 9.5 by 4.5 by 6 inches (W x H x D)
• Compact tabletop AM/FM radio with black wooden enclosure and front-firing 3-inch speaker

This is a very appealing clock radio with digital readout that gives you name of song, artist, and other information as you listen. The mono aural speaker is warm and full. The radio is attractive, solid and well-built, evincing nothing cheap or plastic-laden. The AM is very good. Most FM stations come in strong. But hard-to-get FM stations like 89.3 from Pasadena (I live 40 miles away in Torrance) requires that I move the FM antenna, but this is not a big deal, just a nitpick.

Most listeners will love the WR-2. But if you're a radio buff like I am and enjoy the outstanding FM reception of the Grundig S350, the Kaito 1101 and 1103 models (called Degen in China), then I'm afraid the WR-2 will disappoint. To be fair to the WR-2, the more expensive Bose radio suffers the same problem of mediocre FM reception.

Another important point: Because this radio has a remote control, it works great in your computer office. You can keep the WR-2 six feet or so away from your computer and avoid interference as you toggle stations and volume with your remote.

Post Script: Make sure to turn on the external antenna switch in the back of the Sangean. It improves reception by tenfold.

Update: I bought a second WR-2 (in black) three years after the first and get excellent FM reception so apparently the radio has improved in newer models. New rating: 5 stars.

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I researched a lot of clock radios, including models from Tivoli, Boston Acoustic, Cambridge Soundworks, Bose, Proton/Sangean, and decided on this unit for the following reasons: stereo headphone jack; line in for MP3; front(vs. top-mounted) 3" speaker; programmable, digital tuning; digital clock. To my mind, it is oxymoronic to expect stereo speakers on a compact clock radio--the unit is on my night table and I am not sure how I can perceive stereo separation given that configuration; however, I do desire stereo headphone capability, which the unit delivers. When I lived in New Hampshire, I had very few stations to listen to, owing to poor reception, in spite of the external FM antenna. Now that I am in the metro Boston area, I do not find reception to be an issue. I have never been able to set my clock automatically with the RDS, but the other features, i.e. song title, artist, radio station work satisfactorily. I think the sound of the unit is superb, but it would be interesting to do a side by side aural compare with some of the above-mentioned units.

A couple of complaints:

1)Alarm set/disable is needlessly complicated. Yes, I know how to do it, but any system that requires you to consult the user's manual for a refresher on how to disable the alarm...well, all I can say is give me a toggle switch (virtual or otherwise).

2) The display defaults to the radio frequency. I think this is ill-considered: I rarely change stations, so I know what I'm listening to; on the other hand, I don't know what time it is until I toggle to time on the display. I don't get that.

The other day my wife and I were busy with a project in the bedroom--installing Container Store closet systems--and I played my Dell Jukebox MP3 player through the unit. I have to say, it really delivered; the sound quality was quite high.

All in all I am very pleased with this purchase and do believe it gives me all that I want--good sound, compact design, nice appearance--at a reasonable price.

Dick

Sharon, MA

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This is a very appealing clock radio with digital readout that gives you name of song, artist, and other information as you listen. The mono aural speaker is warm and full. The radio is attractive, solid and well-built, evincing nothing cheap or plastic-laden. The AM is very good. Most FM stations come in strong. But hard-to-get FM stations like 89.3 from Pasadena (I live 40 miles away in Torrance) requires that I move the FM antenna, but this is not a big deal, just a nitpick.

Most listeners will love the WR-2. But if you're a radio buff like I am and enjoy the outstanding FM reception of the Grundig S350, the Kaito 1101 and 1103 models (called Degen in China), then I'm afraid the WR-2 will disappoint. To be fair to the WR-2, the more expensive Bose radio suffers the same problem of mediocre FM reception.

Another important point: Because this radio has a remote control, it works great in your computer office. You can keep the WR-2 six feet or so away from your computer and avoid interference as you toggle stations and volume with your remote.

Post Script: Make sure to turn on the external antenna switch in the back of the Sangean. It improves reception by tenfold.

Update: I bought a second WR-2 (in black) three years after the first and get excellent FM reception so apparently the radio has improved in newer models. New rating: 5 stars.

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There is so much I could say about this radio, but in short it works perfectly as described by the manufacturer and even better. It was purchased as a replacement for an Under counter GE Radio/CD Player. I tried a couple of other radios ( Crosley, Emerson, Sony) None of them could fill the room like this one. However, the most impressive feature to me is that it could pick up all of my favorite stations without much effort. I unpacked the radio in my basement, where reception is terrible unless you use an external ( outdoor antenna), and this radio pulled in all of the stations.

The RDS function is great for seeing the titles of songs playing and Station IDs on some stations. I have yet to see a station actually broadcasting traffic reports in the Atlanta area, but it is nice to have the capability to see them if they do start broadcasting traffic data.

As for Sound Quality, it is great.. The Radio can be a little heavy on the bass, I had to turn it down a couple of notches in our kitchen. ( The radio sits in a corner,( which enhances bass)and I had to increase the treble, All of which you can do via the volume control on the radio or the remote control.

The radio has automatic time setting feature via the RDS system. It also features a power loss recovery system. Radio continues to function for about 6 minutes with no AC. THe Clock and memory settings are retained a little longer. The Radio is fairly simple,even though it has more buttons than a Tivoli, or Crosley, it is still easy to operate.

The table radio is a fast growing segment of electronics thanks to the IPOD. I have seen a few models come out that I might have considered had they been available, but I am very happy with the WR-2.

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I got the WR-2 from Amazon a week ago. Since the previous reviewer stated the reception is mediocre on FM, I was really worried about the reception for my favorite station, 105.3 MHz, at my apartment. I have several high-end radios, SONY SW77, ICF-2010CGrundig Sat 700 and Sat 800. Both SW77 and ICF-2010 receive the station with a high distortion using the built-in antenna. The reception of Sat 700 and 800 are better, but the signal is somehow unstable with the stereo and RDS (Sat 700) signals flashing. With the included external antenna, the WR-2 can deliver a clear, warm and full sound from this station with stable stereo and RDS signals.

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Marvel Spiderman SMC100TB Quartz Analog Twin Bell Alarm Clock (Blue/Silver)

• Quartz analog twin bell alarm Clock
• Metal case and glass lens
• Luminous glow in the dark graphics on the dial

Definitely worth the 12 bucks. My kid feels like a big boy w/ his own clock... Ha. It's powered by battery and you can turn the alarm on and off w/ a switch in the back. I'd def buy again...

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THIS IS A GREAT CLOCK TO HAVE. NOW MY SON CAN WAKE HIMSELF UP FOR SCHOOL AND ANYONE WHO GETS IT WILL ENJOY.

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My daughter loves this, and is constantly setting the alarm. It would be nice if it had AM and PM, but that is to be expected of this type of clock. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is that there is something rolling around inside. Probably a screw or stray piece of plastic. The clock works fine so far, but having something rolling around inside is unsettling.

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I purchased this for a 5 year old who asked for an alarm clock for christmas. He loved it and his mother loved that she could teach him how to tell time.

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N9770 (U920) - 5.08 inch MTK6577 1.2GHz dual core CPU android 4.0.4 ICE CREAM SANDWICH 3G smartphone

This seems to be an excellent product. It's dual core, so it does seem faster than our Samsung Galaxy, yet it can do everything the Samsung can do, plus. It also comes with 2 batteries, so you have a backup battery you can pop in. You can charge the device in your car outlet as well as home outlet. The screen is easily scratched (no gorilla glass here), so I purchased a plastic cover for it, even though it comes with a protective case. You can purchase a microchip for extra memory, though I haven't had to do that yet. It is a dual sim, which is awesome when you need phone service, or even 3G. We will get 3G service when we travel in Europe so we can be connected to the internet virtually anywhere we go. =) I have dropped the Samsung while out hiking so many times and it's incredibly tough, I can vouch for that. Once it landed directly on a rock and wasn't the least bit phased. I take great pains not to drop this one as it might not hold up to that test. I would say they need a catchy name like Samsung.

I currently live in the Dominican Republic and Took me 30 days to receive the phone but I was properly informed by Amazon. No complains about it specialy after I tried the unit. I love it, because everything it has worked as advertised and them some. I'm not tech savy and needed a little help from my service carrier to set up the internet software due to country location since this phone works just about everywhere in the world. Everything else worked on the fly and I'm already very confortable customizing it to my needs. Worth every penny!

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I received this phone 3 weeks ago, installed a SandDisk 32GB class 10,yesterday appeared damaged,I formatted it,but the SD is useless. on the other side the phone work fast, better than a StarI92220 that I bought for my wife one month ago, it is more slim, has a dual core MediaTek processor compared with a single core of the I9220, I thought that I got a better product for the same price with the N9770, I was wrong.

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So far I am very happy with this phone. I initially got an iphone 3gs and returned it because I did not like the small screen and the fact it is apple. This phone is great (the samsung galaxy 3 or 4 comes with a better android os). You do not have to jailbreak this phone to write code on it. It is perfect for me. I am using H20 service for just text and talk, so I have no internet. But when I'm in range of wifi i can use the internet and make free phone calls through google talk and receive free phone calls. I really wanted the new galaxy but I hate contracts and did not want to fork out a lot of money just for phone. The phone came with two batteries. I have only had it 3 days and have used it heavily without having to charge it. I will probably need to charge about every 4 days. I hope the batteries last.

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I can compare with the original Samsung Note 1.

It sure is faster than the above mentioned, the touch screen works great and the resolution, although lower, is more than acceptable.

The problems I see with this model are:

Memory: Although it says 500 Mb, you can only install a few applications before Android starts complaining that its out of memory. My Note has 1 Gb but I can install 20 times more applications than on this model. I understand that the bloatware that is already installed on the phone reduces the amount of available memory for downloaded apps but still when installing memory seems to go down faster than it should.

GPS: is shaky at best, works sometimes, doesn't at others, in general I would say acceptable.

For the price, great phone but if like me you like to install lots of stuff (I have 230 apps installed on my Note), stay away from this one. If on the other hand you're happy with 20-30 apps, than great phone.

Used it in Canada, China and France with local SIMs from these countries, picked up all the configuration automatically without a glitch.

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Hello Kitty AM/FM Projection Alarm Clock Radio with Battery Back-up

• Projector with Focus Control for Clarity and Pivot to Adjust Angle Up to 120 Degrees
• Wake to Alarm or Radio. Battery Back-up for Time/Alarm Settings (3 x CR2025 Button Cell Batteries Required, Not Included)
• Sleep to Radio (Up to 2 Hours with Auto Shutoff), Snooze Function (Up to 9 Minutes with Auto Shutoff)
• 0.6" Red LED Time Display,
• Dynamic Speaker

Okay, design alone makes this clock phenomenal... 'Hello Kitty' is made to perfection, she looks wonderful and houses both the clock display and the projection display. The projection display of the clock catapults the rating of this clock to 20 out of a scale of 10! You can set the projection time to what you wish, and the 'Hello Kitty' face is on display wonderfully next to the numbers. I absolutely love this clock and am grateful to the amazon seller: All Purpose Discounts for selling it, getting it to me fast, in pristine condition and above all at a fantastic price!

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The projector itself is dual function...1it shows the time and 2it illuminates as a nightlight!! What a great clock! I ended up buying 2 clocks (one for my daughter and the other as a birthday gift for my niece). Craftsmanship is durable.

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I purchased this at Costco last year for Christmas for my 2 daughters. They share a bedroom, and both love Hello Kitty, so it seemed to be a perfect gift. My oldest daughter loved the projection of the time on the wall, so it was easy for her to know what time it was, without looking at the clock itself. We have had no problems with setting the time, and the alarm, which we never use. About 6-7 months of use, the projection of the time on the wall was no longer visible. When you held your hand in front of the projector, you could see the time on your hand, so it was still functioning, but it did not display on the wall. Not sure what the issue is, because it actually still works, it just is not capable of projecting the display across the room. Mind you, we were checking this when the room was dark, so that wasn't the issue. I would have returned to Costco for a replacement, but they no longer had any in stock and would have only offered me a refund. My girls still love this clock (and everything else still works), so for now, we are keeping it.

Oh, and there is no (manufacturer) support for this item. I had to google the clock in order to find anything in the way of troubleshooting, but was only able to find 3rd party links (resellers, not retail locations or the actual manufacturer). I was eventually able to find a user manual online, but the limited warranty (90 days) was long past for us, and I didn't have the box or the receipt so that was a mute point. Most likely this was a product line produced in China, with no specific company designated as the main distributor.Maybe I'll try again to diagnose the issue, now that it seems many major retail stores carry this clock.

Bottom line, don't pay top dollar for this clock because it looks like it is available at many locations (now, it wasn't last year) so it's not a rare item.

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OMG!! I'm a Hello Kitty FAN!!! This is so cute!! been looking for an alarm clock and this is perfect!!! I'm also a college student :) Works well and in it's original package.

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This is a pretty addition to my granddaugher's room. She also liked to count the blinks of the dots on the projection time to fall asleep. Thanks.

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XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X

• Powered by Android 4 ICS and team behind XBMC who brings you the Official XBMC development platform.
• Built in 10/100 Ethernet connection and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connections for all your audio, video streaming demands from internet, networked or DLNA devices.
• Get the latest Internet technology on your TV including a web browser supporting the latest HTML 5, Adobe Flash 10.x, Chrome V8 and Java support.
• Support weather, calendar and hundreds of desktop widgets such as weather, calendar, clock, search, internet radio, photo album and hundreds more!
• Supports a wide range of USB peripherals such as XIOS Sence wireless motion remote, wired/wireless keyboard, mouse, webcam, card reader, digital cameras, and more

Update 01/28: Netflix issues fixed for ICS, check yt v=hdCNZrStoYg

Update 10/09: Major updates for XBMC both Linux and Android, synced with XBMC mainline, most add-ons now work without issues.

Update 8/13: XBMC Linux port released

Update 8/6: Latest GB based released with support for Bluetooth devices.

Update 8/6: More elaborate review for XBMC (most recent version has compatibility for usb pointing devices), check YT video v=6SnPveEkNPc

Update 8/5: The wifi antenna reception issue fixed, check YT video v=cQysHr8mcJg

Update 7/14: Pivos got XBMC running on the XIOS-DS, check YT video v=y4o-k1DxF5w

Pivos just released an Android based super slim box to complement its successful AIOS HD Media Center, Full HD 1080p, Gigabit Network, USB 3.0 data, Flash Reader, 3.5" SATA 2 ? Is Android really the holy-grail of media players ?! well ... read on and tell for yourself.

Unboxing:

-------------

Check my pictures in the gallery section, a DVD used to get an idea about the size of every thing in comparison.

The retail box: though small and humble is huge compared to how small the actual XIOS is.

Package contents: No quick start leaflet included, quick start guide printed on the inner box. You get an HDMI cable (for the only output port on the box), XIOS itself, an IR remote (modest with only few buttons to navigate, change volume and turn on/off the box) and the 5V/2A adapter.

The XIOS: 3xUSB, LAN, mSD slot, power button, firmware recovery/upgrade hole, and the ONLY output is HDMI.

XIOS .. the ICS update ..

-------------------------------

The box comes with Android GB out of the box, I am not going to even bother with that GB is not meant for a big screen display, ICS is already out (posted on the official forums) and takes about 10 minutes to apply, the rest of the review is of Android ICS running on the box.

XIOS .. The good ..

----------------------------

Once ICS is installed there was no issue running MKVs up to 1080p/11GB (over wired network).

After that size, things gets pretty unstable. The majority of my rips past that size are ISOs which isn't supported any way.

YT HD is running without any issue, Flash HD is running fine in Dolphin browser (stick the preloaded 10.2).

Wireless keyboard/mouse combo works fine with the box, but there is no way to turn the box off without the original IR remote (even the motion remote doesn't have a power button) unless you reach for power button the box itself (alternatively you can install widgets from the market to reboot and turn off the box right from the home screen).

ICS comes with the latest Google Play store, app visibility is on bar with all other android devices I have owned.

Experience is as rich as you expect from any ICS based device, Plex works mighty fine additionally there is reports about limited support for webcams and USB microphones.

XIOS ..The bad ..

----------------------

Couple of inconveniences, video playback apps doesn't seem to respect scaling settings, you wouldn't notice this issue if you have a display with no over/under scanning, in which cases you can use a "screen size" setting to adjust the output to your screen size, that said, once video app loads it will automatically revert to the original scale.

Another minor is windowed playback (YT or flash in YT app or web browser), once the video starts, it automatically revert to full screen then "crops" (not minimizes) back to window size, if you would then click on the full screen button at any time you would get proper image.

There is currently no multichannel audio passthrough support (DTS/DD and their HD versions are stereo downmixed).

Some reported issues with the ICS NF app (pausing for buffering after 5 minutes of playback).

XIOS vs. AIOS

------------------

Android is what makes this box shine (and similar boxes), for example when you capture a picture/video with you Android phone while doing your grocery it gets automatically uploaded to your dropbox accounts which is then immediately accessible on your TV with your android media box.

Its not meant to be a power horse (thus lacking with higher bit rate files that the AIOS plays it without a problem), but its meant to offer a way better overall experience. Not to mention I was able to hit 13 mbps MKVs without a problem (which isn't even half bad).

So its a better device all around, but what can the AIOS do that the XIOS can't do ?..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a nut shell ?

Not enough power to process high bitrate MKVs (over the network XIOS panic at > 13 mbps while AIOS panic at > 25mbps)

No ISO playback support (Android thing).

No BDMV playback support (Android thing).

No DTS/DD/DTS-MA/DD-TrueHD passthrough/bitstreaming (Android kernel thing).

No output A/V outputs beside HDMI.

For those running the GB firmware and complaining about long strart ups, just move as many apps as you can from main storage to external storage.

Final words

----------------

Its really refreshing to be able to get Android on your big screen, compared to other GoogleTV devices the XIOS is priced right, comes pre-rooted with full Google Playstore access. True the ride is as rough as any other Android tablet/phone but its for sure a step in the right direction.

XIOS .. Set up .. (for the techies)

---------------------------------------------

Playback done over wired network.

Accessed SMB shares are mapped using the included CIFS manager.

All playback attempts were done using the moboplayer app.

========================================================

Sample video details of the 1080p rips that worked ..

----------------------------------------------------

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 26mn

Bit rate : 9 205 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 17mn

Bit rate : 13.3 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 1 080 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 42mn

Bit rate : 14.0 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 798 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Format settings, GOP : M=4, N=48

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 57mn

Bit rate : 9 169 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 54mn

Bit rate : 8 020 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

MKVs that didn't work smoothly (some would require repeated buffering, others would cut and skip randomly)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 34mn

Bit rate : 8 849 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 11mn

Bit rate : 15.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 27mn

Bit rate : 20.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Buy XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Now

To be honest with you, I was waiting for the Apple TV Gen 3 to be jailbroken, so I could install XBMC on it. With the recent announcement of XBMC for Android, Apple's device can now be put where it belongs: A hard to use, locked down machine suitable only for playing iTunes stuff. Sorry Apple, but I've had enough fooling around with a Gen 1 unit to last me a lifetime, and your reluctance to make a device that's hacker friendly is understandable, but annoying as all get-out.

On to the Xios. It comes in a nice box with the player, remote, wallwart, and HDMI cable. Amazing it took this long for someone to include ALL the proper cables with a device, but there it is. Hookup is easy. HDMI and power to the box, HDMI to the TV, and you're off. It took me 15 minutes from UPS dropping the box on my door to playing a shoutcast stream on the TV.

While I have not had a whole lot of time to play with it, here are some observations:

A USB keyboard and mouse make things easier.

If you plan on using wired ethernet, turn it on in the settings first.

Set your TV resolution in the settings while you're there. If you don't know, leave it alone.

You'll need the mouse to accept the marketplace terms. I could not get it to work any other way.

And, link it to your current Android account (if you have one.) This allows your applications to sync.

I'm planning on playing more with it over the weekend, and installing XBMC on it as well. I'll report back when I know more.

Edit:

You have root right out of the box.

I deleted Facebook (ugh) and froze Crackle, as they wanted to run in the background all the time.

The ICS upgrade is available in the Pivos forums, but I have not applied it yet.

The remote is primarily for the media player functions; you really need a keyboard and mouse to use the desktop.

Update 1-19-2013

After playing with this box for a while, I decided to try the XBMC Linux build. It's easy to install, just drop the .img file on a small uSD card, insert it into the slot, and hold down the reset button (on the bottom) while applying power.

It's pretty much all you need. Now, I know this thing is kind of lo-powered these days, so mega-bitrate stuff may not play well. But, everything I currently have is SD, and it works great.

For anyone having trouble connecting a Synology Diskstation to one of these, either enable the uPnP media station features on the NAS (XBMC sees these no problem!) or the more tech minded can edit the userdata files in $home / .xbmc / userdata according to the methods laid out in the XBMC wiki.

Read Best Reviews of XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Here

If you only used the XIOS as it comes in the box, running Android 2.3 and a handful of pre-installed video players from the Google Play store, you could be forgiven for thinking it was awful. However all you need is an SDMicro card and an easily downloaded update file from PIVOS's website to turn this ugly duckling into a swan that lays golden eggs. Or is that a goose? Swans lay eggs too, though, so I'm going to let that mixed metaphor stand. Anyway, the update process takes no more than 5 minutes, and most of that time is just waiting for it to finish. The only effort is downloading a file and copying it to an SDMicro card.

Once you get the XIOS updated to run either Linux or Android 4.0, and then launch the XBMC program that is included with both, what you end up with is a stream box that can play just about any downloaded video file you can throw at it. It handles multiple audio tracks and subtitles with ease. It can work as an AirPlay target for your iPad or iPhone. It can index and catalog your collection of music, movies and tv programs. It can load files from USB devices or over the network from Windows, OSX and Linux computers. You can control the interface using a free app available in both the Apple and Google app stores. These are just the highlights, the device is capable of a lot more, both natively and through easily enabled plugins.

The WiFi performance is acceptable, and the wired performance is excellent for the 100mbit interface that it comes with. The device is so small and light that it can easily be tucked behind a wall-mounted flat screen or placed anywhere in your home entertainment center.

If you are looking for a set top stream box, and can download a file to an sdcard, you'll be very well served by purchasing this device and updating it. If you just want to open the box and have something that works straight away with no fuss, you might be better served by looking at another unit.

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My primary use is for XBMC. Before purchasing the XIOS DS I was using a laptop w/ XBMC. I was looking for something cheaper + smaller; did a lot of 'online' research of many different products, and chose the XIOS DS.

After I played with the Android GUI for about 5-10 mins (the unit came with v4.0.? installed) I dropped it in favor of Linux.

There are still bugs on the software side which is expected (it's still in BETA), however do not let that discourage you from purchasing; visit the Pivos forums a couple times and you'll see these issues are being worked on daily (there are also 'unofficial nightly builds' of the main codebase). For me it is 'exciting' visiting the forums and seeing a new build and the list of issues it fixes. For upgrading the software (and if you have a large library) I recommend purchasing a MicroSD card. Upgrading only takes about 5 mins. SSH and SCP can be used for direct management of the box and file transfers, however depending on your usage may not be necessary.

The provided remote is as described by previous reviewers (loud, sometimes unresponsive). I tested out my old Windows MCE remote and that worked better out of the box, however I still use the provided remote.

My library consists of MKVs and ISOs from DVDs and Blu-rays in my collection (sitting on a NAS box). This unit can play 1080p blu-ray rips just fine. All the video codecs I tried worked fine with the current exception of the VC-1 codec, but this is a known issue and a quick search on the forums shows the developers are aware and working on a fix. DTS HD sound is not supported (it does not say anywhere that it was 'supposed' to be supported so this is not an issue for me). DTS and less work fine.

Props to Pivos and XBMC on the XIOS DS + Linux port, this little box is great and I will be buying a few more.

Every Linux dabbler or pro will love this thing. Add a micro SD card and WinSCP into the thing and upload the latest beta linux firmware from the pivos forums then SSH into it using "root" "letmein" then "reboot recovery" and install the firmware. Then soft link addons and userdata to your micro sd card and it works great! Below is a script I made to make soft links easy. Enjoy!

========> Start copy below this line End copy above this line

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iHome iP41 Rotating Alarm Clock for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Wake and sleep to your iPhone/iPod music or movies
• EXB Expanded Bass and Reson8 speaker technology for great sound
• Charges iPhone/iPod
• Change orientation to watch videos
• iHome Rotating Alarm Clock for iPhone and iPod

The first time I saw this item, it really caught my eye. I liked that you could turn it on its side to watch a movie! And I really just liked the look of the machine itself!! It didn't disappoint me at all when I tried it out. The sound quality is really good. I was nicely surprised. It's nice and compact so you can put it on your night stand or desk and for get it's there. I'll be starting college in a couple weeks and I'm moving into a dorm, so the smaller the better. This will be a good alarm clock for me and my room mate. With the back up battery, you can easily move it to the bathroom or where ever and not have to reset the time. There's only two cons I can come up with. 1. It really bites that there's no "Next" or "Last track" buttons on the machine though. You have to use the Ipod to change songs. 2. It's really annoying that the remote is not included. It's another $20 to get it. Other than that, the machine is definitely worth it!

Buy iHome iP41 Rotating Alarm Clock for iPod and iPhone (Black) Now

I ordered this after receiving the previous non iphone compatable version as a gift. I wanted a small unit for my office at work. It comes with some plastic inserts for docking different versions of ipods which I didn't use. I can connect and charge my first gen Iphone without removing the silicon rubber style case I use. There is a little battery indicator on the front that looks like the iphone charge indicator, but it's actually for the units battery backup, not an indicator of the iphones charge. It will turn sideways for watching video,(a nice feature I probably wont use) and still stay connected.

The sound is good but not great, I believe it's just a single speaker and this may be the reason for my one con; it doesn't fill a space with sound at low volume very well, which is how I use it at work, I think stereo units are better for low volume play. The remote is well designed, and controls the ipod app nicely.

I'm not sure I would use it as an alarm clock as even though the snooze & reset buttons are on the top of the speaker, I could see myself banging the Iphone when reaching for it, which might not be good as it sort of just balances on the plug, without a back-rest of any sort.

If size is your first priority this is a good choice, its not much bigger than a typical PC speaker. If stereo sound quality is your priority you might want to consider a unit with multiple speakers.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iP41 Rotating Alarm Clock for iPod and iPhone (Black) Here

There are two different versions of this product. One only works with the iPod and one works with both the iPod and iPhone. We have the iPhone 3G and it works perfectly. It is great because you can tilt it to the side and watch your videos. I keep mine on my nightstand and I LOVE that the light can be on one of 3 different settings or turned off. I do have to laugh that the there is a remote that activates the snooze button. I won't be needing that, but I suppose somebody might. I would recommend this product if you need something on your nightstand to charge your iPhone that has an alarm and will also play your music and videos. I put a lot of TV shows on my iPhone so I really love the rotating feature of this product.

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To me, this is the perfect alarm clock! I can both charge my iPod and wake up to my favorite tunes!

Pros:

-Stylish, small profile design

-3 different clock dim levels

-Energy star compliant :)

-Charges your iPod/iPhone

-Great sound for one little speaker

-Alarm starts out soft then works its way to your specified volume (love that!)

-Includes different plastic adapters to fit a variety of iPods or iPhone

-Standard alarm will sound if iPhone/iPod is not connected

-Includes a battery backup feature so if you lose power the alarm still functions

-Can be rotated horizontally or vertically (LCD display rotates automatically)

-Nice large snooze button-perfect for sleepy mornings!

-Sleep timer settings so you can fall asleep to your favorite tunes!

Cons:

(if I have to be picky... here's some cons)

-Adapter cord could be a little bit longer

-Button tactile feedback is a little hard

-Confirmation alarm beep is a little loud

-Initial set-up (clock/alarm time) is not too intuitive

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Pros:

-small size. Even compared to regular alarm clock/radio combos out there, it's smaller than most of them though it's taller.

-cool design. Especially with the iPod on, and the display on it's highest brightness setting, this is one cool looking set.

-iHome+sleep app. This free downloadable app let's you customize your nap/wakeup schedule with customizable music selection, and paired with iHome+radio, can play internet radio to wake you up. (ihome+radio app costs $2 btw)

-big sound. For it's small size, this can get loud, and it would take one really, really heavy sleeper unable to wake up to the music it plays at the loudest setting. This can double as a speaker dock, especially with the unit turned sideways so you can blast the sound while watching a movie file on the iPod. I wouldn't use it to host a party, but it works as a background noise for a small office. It even has a special expanded bass sound, which works fine.

-backup battery for the alarm clock. Though some alarm clock/radios come with this feature, some don't, so it's worth mentioning. I had a bad power outage when the power went out with a hurricane, and though the speaker/iPod didn't work (needed AC power) the alarm clock woke me up with its default sound setting.

-display. Big and bright, you can adjust the brightness so it won't bother you while you try to go to sleep, but visible enough to see the clock at the wee hours with your eyes half closed and not awake yet.

-Daylight savings adjustment. There is a switch on the back to +/1 hour, so if you think it's a hassle to change the hours twice a year, this is a great feature.

-aux-in port. Though I haven't tried it, with an audio-out cable, you could play other sources of audio. Can't say there's many clock radios with this feature.

-recharges your iPod. It won't sync your iPod, but it will recharge it!

Cons:

-no radio.

-small buttons/lack of some options. The snooze button is right in front of the iPod dock and it's quite small for an alarm clock. So chances are, if you are trying to get some more sleep, you might have to try pushing that button a couple of times. Also, any navigation you have to do for your music/media files are done only by the iPod, so that can be a minus. There is only play/pause button for that on the alarm clock/speaker unit itself.

-one speaker. While the sound is loud, there is only one speaker. So don't expect the audio quality of a Bose clock radiobut then again, you could probably buy three to five of these for one Bose!

Conclusion: At the price range, it's a very solid clock radio/speaker set. A radio would've been nice, and more accessibility features too, and a stereo sound, but all that would've made this unit more pricier, bigger and expensive. Most importantly, I haven't had a day where I overslept (so far) so it certainly works!

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