FYI: The UHD8000 can support the Seagate Exos 24TB HDD. I have two installed in mine, and they are working beautifully-tons of storage😎. I have the UHD8000 connected to an 85-inch Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV; the combo is a perfect chef's kiss.😘.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome yeah I dont see why it wouldn't support larger, just probably "not tested" My nas onlysupports like 8 tb on paper, and its full of 22's.
Absolutely love the zidoo. I just switched from dune to the z9x 8k.i love the poster wall. I should add, I have a dedicated NAS for movie storage so the z9x is perfect for me. Low foot print. Great chip. And the poster wall. They really invested in the user experience and it shows.
@FumiTheKitten synology, probably for the last 10 years plus. I started off in the old windows home server world. Moved to synology in the early days and haven't looked back. Get one that works best for you. If your looking at buying used or old make sure you check if it can run a plex server.
There are a ton of media players, setop boxes with streaming software like an appletv etc. The significance of the zidoo is that it can decode dolby truehd audio tracks typically found in 4k discs. Thats the first thing to mention that is the main reason to get the zidoo over other boxes.
The VS10 engine upscales the video to your preferred settings. If you want source material only, you can turn off the VS10 engine. I love the VS10 engine as it makes DVD and Blu-Ray look great.
Great review and thoughts. I have the Z9X and I have a small bracket enclosure ($15) for my 16TB HD and it looks pretty and sleek. So totally a non-issue to have an HD external to the player, looks-wise. 😊
*How* does the image look better? It’s a little concerning that there is any difference at all. The Panasonic, unless you are using its numerous image adjustments, is as close to reference for a 4K or HD transport as you will ever get. I’d be curious to hear more or see a comparison. Tbh this is causing me to have some reservations about the Zidoo players because there should be no difference between the disc and the ripped file and if there is any difference that could point to a failure someplace.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome its probably enhancing it, so fi you're looking to be a purist, probably not what you want, but its processing it and probably doing adjustments to enhance contrast and such, or even maybe a calibration of such. Long as it looks better (mileage may vary) then I'm good, just like those who put everything through an Envy, directors intent? eh maybe, maybe not, look better? yeah then ok by me. Blu-ray will have some limitations of format, so it might be doign AI stuff to restore some of those limitations
There is one feature that NONE of these local media players can do: playback full 12 bit FEL Dolby Vision 4k files. They will read FEL encoded mkv and ISO files as 10 bit MEL and ignore the Dolby Vision video extension stream and only utilize the dynamic metadata. For that, you need something like the Ugoos AM6B+ with user added CoreElec firmware.
Great video and I always recommend Zidoo or Dune HD but you've missed a key point I don't see mentioned ever. The processing chip in the newer Zidoo and Dune HD's only supports 16bit audio output and that includes Atmos and DTS:X which are meant to be 24bit formats. I confirmed this with their respective customer supports and you can definitely hear a difference (I recommend A/B testing, see my next point). However, the ESS DAC in the UHD8000 supports up to 32bit audio bit depth and can passthrough the full 24bit Atmos/DTS:X signal. If you want the Z9X 8K experience but 24bit support then the Realtek based models will give you that as those NPU chips have 24bit/192khz audio output capability. The official reason why the Amlogic chips don't is "the limitation of Amlogic S928X media processor and its SDK". Instead, those use "dithering with noise shaping".
If you bitstream the audio to an external receiver or processor then it skips that problem. It's only if you try to internally decode the audio in the player.
@@dan_hitchman007 Interesting, that's just the information I got from their customer support so I'll have to contact them again and see what they respond to that as that was my understanding until they shared the above information with me.
@@nathanielturgeman5821 When you are bitstreaming raw audio data, it is left untouched. Otherwise, Dolby Atmos or DTS: X wouldn't work when you sent an immersive track from a rip to a compatible Dolby Atmos or DTS: X decoder.
Thanks! I don't see the Zidoo similar to a Kaleidescape but more like Prime, Apple etc - where you purchase a move and own it digitally. Kaleidescape is not a personally ripped hard drive player/ network movie streamer. :)
"Today, I am going to be talking about my Zidoos." lol (sorry) I just bought a second-hand Zidoo erm, Z1000 Pro, on Feebay. Really happy with it so far. I did a fair bit of research beforehand. I almost bought a Z9X Pro, but then saw the Z1000 around the same price. The Z1000 Pro doesn't do 8K output, but it will probably be 5 years before an 8K TV becomes affordable for me. The Z1000 plays almost everything I threw at it so far. Blu Ray and UHD rips, old DVD rips, and 3D Blu Ray rips. The only thing it can't play (unsurprisingly) are older XviD / DivX rips in and MP4 or AVI container, but that's fine.
I'm glad I got the version with the drive bay, though. I bought a new 8TB Seagate drive (Gamer Hub thing) on Amazon as well. Took me ages to get the external case apart without completely destroying it. lol This now means I can just load movies onto the 8TB drive in the Zidoo, without having to use my crappy Zyxel NSA320 NAS box, which always had a noisy fan, and not the best OS. The Zidoo even boots up quite fast, the remote is quite good, and the menus are snappy. And it never seems to drop a frame, no screen tearing or anything like that. Plus - no HDCP. ;) Which means the projector re-syncs way faster, when the Zidoo changes the frame rate. I leave it set to "Match frame rate only", so the Zidoo always outputs at the highest resolution for the given frame rate (based on reading the display's EDID), so usually 4K.
I'm using the Zidoo with my Epson EH-TW9300W (5040UB + Wireless HD?) I only just got the Epson about six months ago, and I think I've finally found the best settings. Basically have to set the Brightness, Contrast etc to 50, then bump up the Saturation to about 62, for some reason. Similar on the Zidoo - anything other than a value of 31 for most of the Video Parameter settings causes it to clip the whites, or crush the shadow detail. I also had a problem where I had to set to to output HDMI limited range, or something. Else it was completely crushing all of the shadow detail on the Epson. Took me ages to figure that out, but I knew it didn't look correct. HDR looks quite good, but obviously not blinding. I tried some Samsung 3D glasses, which were said to sync with the Epson. They sync just fine, right after turning them on. But, the quality of 3D really sucks, due to the crosstalk. lol I expect it's just the use of the Samsung glasses with the Epson. Seems like the shutter timings aren't quite right for it. I might try some proper Epson-branded glasses at some point, but they were quite a bit more expensive, even second-hand.
I do use the VS10 engine on the Zidoo. I thought it might look artificial, or boost the colours too much, but it looks "correct" on everything I tried. That was only after I found the other correct settings on both the Zidoo and Epson, ofc. (the Epson doesn't support Dolby Vision, obviously, but probably mostly works with LLDV, so the VS10 engine seems to work fine with it.)
I have the previous generation Z9xPro. I have come across some older avi file playback issues. I downloaded the fan upscale of DS9 but they will not play so I stuck with my DVD rips until Paramount does a proper release. DSD files will play stereo but not multichannel. Previous generation will play 3D rips for those still doing 3D, this generation does not. Overall though I love my Zidoo. I enjoy it more than the previous Zapitti I have. To get around the 16TB drive limitation (OS limited) you can format your larger drives into separate partitions. I currently have a 10 bay enclosure with 4 22TB drives split in half to two partitions and 2 16TB drives. That enclosure I connect via USB to the Zidoo. The Zidoo sees 10 drives and creates the poster wall seeing all files and plays fine from it. I also have a laptop external drive hooked up with music and demo files that it sees and playd from fine. I enjoy my Zidoo so much I rarely use my Reavon Blu-ray player anymore.
Pity the NEO S and Alpha don't run Android apps which prevents use for IPTV. That right now is the No. 1 thing on my radar! I want a high end machine that has XLR connections etc. In your case, it would make sense to use the XLR L & R, then run everything else through other connections. XLR is the ultimate way. My Theta Casablanca is all XLR as is my McIntosh.
I have the 4K version of the Zidoo, its a great player. I use a NAS and it works great. Quality is great and never has issues or lockups like my NVIDIA Shield with Plex does on occasion. My complaint with Zidoo is it ability to recognize certain movies (Especially older movies correctly) and TV Shows series correctly. I spent a lot of time trying to get the correct matches. I wish they would expand their databases and have the ability to use more databases to get correct matches. My NVIDIA Shield with Plex has very little problems with matching the database. I would consider the 8K player if they match content better. If it also could stream media from the internet, it would replace my Shield altogether. Have you had any issues with content matching???
The matching function works well most of the time. Occasionally it messes up but the search function works very well so it’s pretty easy to fix the match
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome One movie I have "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks will not have an match with the Zidoo. It comes up with a 5-8 of different options, none of which is Tom Hanks version from 2000.😥
loved the video, if thinking about going in that direction, can you please point me in the right direction to rip my movies onto a harddrive. Have never done this before
Based on your video, it seems like the two units are pretty much the same, except one doesn’t have a hard drive bay. From a processor standpoint, they’re identical. This means they both produce the same high-quality video, with no stuttering or jittering. They also play movies flawlessly. Am I right? So, if we overlook the unappealing aesthetic of the Z9X, which your HDD drive has to be connected from the side and isn’t very visually appealing, but video playback is at the same level, you can go ahead and buy the Z9X and enjoy top-notch video playback.
I use the program MakeMKV to rip the 4k discs. It’s a bit of a process. Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if I can put together a video to explain it all.
Zidoo is not a competitor to Nvidia Shield, ( I own the NVIDIA Pro 2019). It is not a streamer , its an audio/ video player. It is a media player far superior to the Shield. The Shield is great for streaming from the internet services. Cheers.
@@renealarcon3970 Please elaborate how it's far better than the Shield especially in terms of being a media player? I also own a Shield Pro which I've connected to a Synology NAS. The shield plays 4K Atmos content effortlessly, it also handled all of the high bit rate Jelly Fish demo clips without issue.
32TB of movies, OR 16TB of movies and a 16TB backup of those movies. If you're gonna spent lots of time collecting & ripping movies, make a backup. You'll never regret it. It gives you peace of mind.
hi! i found your channel not long ago, and I started binging on your videos. great channel! I don't have a dedicated room for a home theater, so when I saw your your tiny theater video I got excited I followed your guidelines for setting up my speakers (measure and multiply by .58 and .7) so I just finished setting up my theather /bedroom I am running 5.2.4. and I have the onkyo rz50. with klipsch entry level speakers and it sounds amazing, I love how my bed theater sounds.... but please please can you pleas again help me and many many other theater enthusiasts with somehow limited budget (wife saying we don't need more lol) the debate wether or not we should get external amplifiers? 95% of people in forums say " if you want it louder , yes get them" " if you don't want to put so much stress in your onkyo get them" or "for your room size you don't need external amp, onkyo is loud enough for the cubic meters of your room" and only 5% of people say" if you want better channel separation, more detail in sound wider soundstage ....get the amps", since you have both a receiver and amps in a small room I guess the loudness factor does not play a big role here. (I am assuming you don't play movies very loudly in your tiny theater) then all comes down to have the amps for a "better sound"... did you really need the amps? would you tell the difference in the quality of sound without them at a specific volume level? is there a real improvement in a tiny theater with budget speakers? thanks a lot... man this home theater hobby is a never ending story of upgrading and getting the latest tech LOL
Thanks, I’m so glad the videos have been helpful! I haven’t compared the performance/sound of my system using the external amps vs the internal Onkyo amps. So I can’t say exactly what kind of difference you will experience. You’re probably good to stick with the setup you have now. However, if you added an external amp you could add two additional speakers to your setup to make it a 7.2.4 setup. For example, if you got the Outlaw Audio 5 channel amp, you could power the two additional speakers plus you could power the LCR’s (front 3 speakers). This would take a significant load off the internal Onkyo amps because the LCR’s are drawing the most power. You’re probably going to be good either way you go. But it’s something to think about. Good luck! outlawaudio.com/shop/products/50-model-5000x-5-channel-amplifier.html
Have you noticed any difference in performance of the poster wall between the two Zidoos? Also I assume once you have all your movies matched to the correct poster with the one Zidoo the other Zidoo will read the same files for the poster wall?
The poster wall performance seems to be identical between the two Zidoo models. After fixing file names so they match accurately, both Zidoo units match correctly.
I’ll bet the 16TB max rating on the UHD8000 has only to do with what’s been tested or can be formatted by the box’s software. Somebody should try formatting an 18 or 20TB drive on a PC and then putting it in the UHD8000 bay. The drive makers go to great pains to make sure those new drives will work in existing equipment. I’ll bet the larger drives will work fine.
How do you get media on the internal hard drives, are they network accessible? I wouldn't trust it as my only copy of a movie, but it could be nice to load it with another copy for local playback take out the network issues, and for portability, right now when I travel i take my shield and a portable HD I think my current one is like 10 tb, so it's a subset of things for the road. filling this with 2 20's would let me take, oh 30 or 40%of my collection depending how heavy on the 4k's I go which would be very handy, but having the media be managed remotely would be needed to make that hassel free.
@GeorgeTheaterAtHome what if you already have the rips though? Also there is no disk drive and I doubt you would want to use the internal hardware for the rip anyway, i would assume you do it from a PC, and then move or copy the media to the disk drive, it's just a question if you have to put those drivers on the computer to access, or they are network accessible
This might be a good option, My Shield Pro is old, hasn't been refreshed, and It isn't working that well, not sure if it was software updates or what, but it isn't playing nice with my avr and my projector, keep loosing picture, replaced HDMI's no change so in the market for a different player to play my media on from my nas, using kodi, and plex. Is it's internal player the only interface it has?
Another thing I kinda need, that the Shield is a real benefit for, is the remote bluetooth? My player is on my rack not in line fo sight of my viewing location, the shield remote being BT is awesome and controlls everything thanks to cec. I saw that the Zidoo has an app, but getting my phone or tablet out any time i want to pause isn't ideal.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I have the Zappiti and was looking for something to replace it now that it’s no longer supported. Didn’t want to download and pay for R.velution app.
Good video... have a couple of Nvidia Shield 2019's that drive my two media areas. Love (and hate) Plex cause it's so transportable - traveling, just grap a Google or Firestick device and go... remote when your out and I have a plex client for all 7 TV's. BUT have always been interested in the Zidoo (or Dune, or R-Volution). Every YT review I've seen has been great, no issues... but you do see reader comments and reviews online that are less that wonderful. I'm likely to go for a Z9 cause my HT cabinetry is pretty maxed out and I don't need onboard storage, since all my media is on a NAS. You really think these guys have their act together and the negative comments on are loud minority or folks with unreal expectations?
I’ve been really happy with the Zidoo. Now, I should clarify I’ve only used the latest 8k models. I can’t speak for the older 4k models. Also; my usage is pretty straightforward. I store MKV video files on a hard drive on my network and stream from the drive to the Zidoo. Also, all devices are hard wired. No wireless WiFi. And I haven’t had any troubles. You could try the Z9X 8k. I think Amazon will allow returns up to 30 days ( don’t quote me) if it doesn’t work for you.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome thanks... I'd also be hardwired and only use it for playing my ripped inventory, AppleTV and Nvidia can stream fine, Keep It Simple(r).
Hi there, great video! I just got the Zidoo Z9X 8K, and with my LG C2 OLED TV, I’m trying to figure out the best settings since I have a lot of BDMV 4K Dolby Vision movies on my external hard drive. What settings do you use when watching 4K DV? With TV-led mode, I’m getting 8-bit RGB color, and I’ve read that the TV does tunneling to 12-bit, but I can’t see this reflected in the hidden menus of the LG. It feels like something might not be working right with the Zidoo. The model you have, the UHD8000, as I understand it, being a much more premium device, outputs 12-bit YCbCr in TV-led mode. Could you confirm that? Would appreciate your thoughts!
My current TV doesn’t support DV so I haven’t had a chance to try that yet. But it should be pretty straightforward to get DV to display. Are you able to verify DV is not coming thru?
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Yes, Dolby Vision works, but the signal sent from the TV box to the TV is 8-bit RGB instead of 10-bit or 12-bit in TV LED mode. If you switch to LLDV mode, it does send 12-bit; however, in this case, the Dolby Vision image processing is handled by the Zidoo Z9X 8K, which has a less capable processor compared to the processor in the LG C2 for Dolby Vision
Hi, I am having frame drop issues on my zidoo z9x. I tried playing the same file via usb and there is no drop. I have a nas. I don't have any issues on my shield pro with the same network setup(cable, switch box etc.) What could be the problem?
Quick Q; Best way to rip ultra 4K disks? Thats been my obstacle in thinking of getting these zidoo media hubs...dont get me wrong i still will buy physical media, but dont want any loss of quality after rips..
@@alvinbroadcasts My experience is MakeMKV extracts the audio and video streams without any conversion (ie loss of quality). Plus you can select the audio stream you want and ignore the rest. Same goes for subtitles. Equals less work for the Zidoo.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I ripped and then got rid of all my disks and now Rip rented 4K's from Choovie @ $3 each. For hard to get or unusual I get blu rays form Scare Crow @ $4.50 ea.
I believe so. That should work, in theory. However, I haven’t tried it. So no guarantees. If it doesn’t work, you could move the hard drive over to the Z9X.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I need to keep the hard drives with my main player which is in my theater. I just thought it would be nice to also watch the same movies in my living room. Where can I reach out to get definitive info on how I can work this?
I don't know what you're talking about. This unit is absolutely not ready for the market. I am own of the Z3000pro and trust me it is unusable. You cannot play any videos without stuttering or sound cutting off with that sad I'm not saying that people should not buy this product but wait if you want the 8K versions there are nowhere ready for the market yet too many bugs.
I haven’t experienced any problems or bugs. It’s possible your home network is having trouble accessing the files? Are the movies stored on an Internal drive in the Z3000? Or are that stored in a NAS or some other source?
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome no, because I don't have any issues with my Nvidia shield or my Apple TV and if you go into the Zidoo forum, people are having the same problem. I didn't experience these problems when I first got the unit but a couple weeks in it started. And I've tried different HDMI cables. I have tried with the hard drive. I've tried with two different TVs. Nothing works so then it must be the unit.
@@hifi5.244 Could be an over heating problem? Had similar issue with my shield until I opened it and cleaned the fan. It was getting hot to the touch and the video was stuttering. I have the Zidoo UHD8000 for a few months no and never had a any problems like that.
Definitely don't need a 8K Zidoo media player as 4K is enough, 1080p & 4K Blurays are all you need. Very doubtful 8K movies will be a thing as a lot of physical media in 4K is hard enough to get
FYI: The UHD8000 can support the Seagate Exos 24TB HDD. I have two installed in mine, and they are working beautifully-tons of storage😎. I have the UHD8000 connected to an 85-inch Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV; the combo is a perfect chef's kiss.😘.
Thanks for the tip! It’s good to know those hard drives are supported.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome yeah I dont see why it wouldn't support larger, just probably "not tested" My nas onlysupports like 8 tb on paper, and its full of 22's.
Thank , i just searching which harddish is good choice
Absolutely love the zidoo. I just switched from dune to the z9x 8k.i love the poster wall. I should add, I have a dedicated NAS for movie storage so the z9x is perfect for me. Low foot print. Great chip. And the poster wall. They really invested in the user experience and it shows.
What brand of NAS are you running?
@FumiTheKitten synology, probably for the last 10 years plus. I started off in the old windows home server world. Moved to synology in the early days and haven't looked back. Get one that works best for you. If your looking at buying used or old make sure you check if it can run a plex server.
just got the zidoo z3000 pro ..best player i ever had
I’ve been waiting for a video just like this for a while. Makes decision making that much easier. 😉
Glad I could help out!
There are a ton of media players, setop boxes with streaming software like an appletv etc. The significance of the zidoo is that it can decode dolby truehd audio tracks typically found in 4k discs. Thats the first thing to mention that is the main reason to get the zidoo over other boxes.
so important, and most people buying discs are up on that. what is the 2nd and 3rd thing to mention to you?
I don't think it can decode, but it can definitely bitstream all the audio codecs.
@@dan_hitchman007 yes thats what I meant thanks for correcting
@@trauma50disaster1 second would be the smooth playback and third the user interface and media gui
The VS10 engine upscales the video to your preferred settings. If you want source material only, you can turn off the VS10 engine. I love the VS10 engine as it makes DVD and Blu-Ray look great.
Great review and thoughts. I have the Z9X and I have a small bracket enclosure ($15) for my 16TB HD and it looks pretty and sleek. So totally a non-issue to have an HD external to the player, looks-wise. 😊
They definitely play my Atmos mixes...those Panasonic blu ray players Zi-don't, LOL!
Yes! They are perfect for demoing those files. Which reminds me, I need to do another one 😁
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome he has so many good ones, even redid some original ones. Sound of silence was..an interesting experience
*How* does the image look better? It’s a little concerning that there is any difference at all. The Panasonic, unless you are using its numerous image adjustments, is as close to reference for a 4K or HD transport as you will ever get. I’d be curious to hear more or see a comparison. Tbh this is causing me to have some reservations about the Zidoo players because there should be no difference between the disc and the ripped file and if there is any difference that could point to a failure someplace.
Good questions. It’s a mystery to me. All I know is the blu rays look better streamed over the Zidoo 🤷♂️
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome its probably enhancing it, so fi you're looking to be a purist, probably not what you want, but its processing it and probably doing adjustments to enhance contrast and such, or even maybe a calibration of such. Long as it looks better (mileage may vary) then I'm good, just like those who put everything through an Envy, directors intent? eh maybe, maybe not, look better? yeah then ok by me. Blu-ray will have some limitations of format, so it might be doign AI stuff to restore some of those limitations
There is one feature that NONE of these local media players can do: playback full 12 bit FEL Dolby Vision 4k files. They will read FEL encoded mkv and ISO files as 10 bit MEL and ignore the Dolby Vision video extension stream and only utilize the dynamic metadata. For that, you need something like the Ugoos AM6B+ with user added CoreElec firmware.
Great video and I always recommend Zidoo or Dune HD but you've missed a key point I don't see mentioned ever. The processing chip in the newer Zidoo and Dune HD's only supports 16bit audio output and that includes Atmos and DTS:X which are meant to be 24bit formats. I confirmed this with their respective customer supports and you can definitely hear a difference (I recommend A/B testing, see my next point). However, the ESS DAC in the UHD8000 supports up to 32bit audio bit depth and can passthrough the full 24bit Atmos/DTS:X signal. If you want the Z9X 8K experience but 24bit support then the Realtek based models will give you that as those NPU chips have 24bit/192khz audio output capability. The official reason why the Amlogic chips don't is "the limitation of Amlogic S928X media processor and its SDK". Instead, those use "dithering with noise shaping".
Excellent points! Thanks for adding that clarification.
@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Enjoy the UHD8000! It's on my upgrade list, they're just awesome 😎
If you bitstream the audio to an external receiver or processor then it skips that problem. It's only if you try to internally decode the audio in the player.
@@dan_hitchman007 Interesting, that's just the information I got from their customer support so I'll have to contact them again and see what they respond to that as that was my understanding until they shared the above information with me.
@@nathanielturgeman5821 When you are bitstreaming raw audio data, it is left untouched. Otherwise, Dolby Atmos or DTS: X wouldn't work when you sent an immersive track from a rip to a compatible Dolby Atmos or DTS: X decoder.
Thanks! I don't see the Zidoo similar to a Kaleidescape but more like Prime, Apple etc - where you purchase a move and own it digitally. Kaleidescape is not a personally ripped hard drive player/ network movie streamer. :)
"Today, I am going to be talking about my Zidoos." lol
(sorry)
I just bought a second-hand Zidoo erm, Z1000 Pro, on Feebay. Really happy with it so far.
I did a fair bit of research beforehand. I almost bought a Z9X Pro, but then saw the Z1000 around the same price.
The Z1000 Pro doesn't do 8K output, but it will probably be 5 years before an 8K TV becomes affordable for me.
The Z1000 plays almost everything I threw at it so far. Blu Ray and UHD rips, old DVD rips, and 3D Blu Ray rips.
The only thing it can't play (unsurprisingly) are older XviD / DivX rips in and MP4 or AVI container, but that's fine.
I'm glad I got the version with the drive bay, though.
I bought a new 8TB Seagate drive (Gamer Hub thing) on Amazon as well. Took me ages to get the external case apart without completely destroying it. lol
This now means I can just load movies onto the 8TB drive in the Zidoo, without having to use my crappy Zyxel NSA320 NAS box, which always had a noisy fan, and not the best OS.
The Zidoo even boots up quite fast, the remote is quite good, and the menus are snappy.
And it never seems to drop a frame, no screen tearing or anything like that.
Plus - no HDCP. ;)
Which means the projector re-syncs way faster, when the Zidoo changes the frame rate.
I leave it set to "Match frame rate only", so the Zidoo always outputs at the highest resolution for the given frame rate (based on reading the display's EDID), so usually 4K.
I'm using the Zidoo with my Epson EH-TW9300W (5040UB + Wireless HD?)
I only just got the Epson about six months ago, and I think I've finally found the best settings.
Basically have to set the Brightness, Contrast etc to 50, then bump up the Saturation to about 62, for some reason.
Similar on the Zidoo - anything other than a value of 31 for most of the Video Parameter settings causes it to clip the whites, or crush the shadow detail.
I also had a problem where I had to set to to output HDMI limited range, or something.
Else it was completely crushing all of the shadow detail on the Epson. Took me ages to figure that out, but I knew it didn't look correct.
HDR looks quite good, but obviously not blinding.
I tried some Samsung 3D glasses, which were said to sync with the Epson.
They sync just fine, right after turning them on.
But, the quality of 3D really sucks, due to the crosstalk. lol
I expect it's just the use of the Samsung glasses with the Epson. Seems like the shutter timings aren't quite right for it.
I might try some proper Epson-branded glasses at some point, but they were quite a bit more expensive, even second-hand.
I do use the VS10 engine on the Zidoo.
I thought it might look artificial, or boost the colours too much, but it looks "correct" on everything I tried.
That was only after I found the other correct settings on both the Zidoo and Epson, ofc.
(the Epson doesn't support Dolby Vision, obviously, but probably mostly works with LLDV, so the VS10 engine seems to work fine with it.)
My guess is the zidoo is showing Dolby vision and ur Panasonic is just hdr since it doesn’t support Dolby vision
I have the previous generation Z9xPro. I have come across some older avi file playback issues. I downloaded the fan upscale of DS9 but they will not play so I stuck with my DVD rips until Paramount does a proper release. DSD files will play stereo but not multichannel. Previous generation will play 3D rips for those still doing 3D, this generation does not. Overall though I love my Zidoo. I enjoy it more than the previous Zapitti I have.
To get around the 16TB drive limitation (OS limited) you can format your larger drives into separate partitions. I currently have a 10 bay enclosure with 4 22TB drives split in half to two partitions and 2 16TB drives. That enclosure I connect via USB to the Zidoo. The Zidoo sees 10 drives and creates the poster wall seeing all files and plays fine from it. I also have a laptop external drive hooked up with music and demo files that it sees and playd from fine.
I enjoy my Zidoo so much I rarely use my Reavon Blu-ray player anymore.
That’s a great workaround for the HDD limitation. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, it break the dish limitations
Is there much of a difference between the UHD800 and the Z3000 Pro besides the extra hard drive bay?
Thanks that would be helpful. Can you include hardware as well as software. PLEASE.
Pity the NEO S and Alpha don't run Android apps which prevents use for IPTV. That right now is the No. 1 thing on my radar! I want a high end machine that has XLR connections etc. In your case, it would make sense to use the XLR L & R, then run everything else through other connections. XLR is the ultimate way. My Theta Casablanca is all XLR as is my McIntosh.
I have the 4K version of the Zidoo, its a great player. I use a NAS and it works great. Quality is great and never has issues or lockups like my NVIDIA Shield with Plex does on occasion. My complaint with Zidoo is it ability to recognize certain movies (Especially older movies correctly) and TV Shows series correctly. I spent a lot of time trying to get the correct matches. I wish they would expand their databases and have the ability to use more databases to get correct matches. My NVIDIA Shield with Plex has very little problems with matching the database. I would consider the 8K player if they match content better. If it also could stream media from the internet, it would replace my Shield altogether. Have you had any issues with content matching???
The matching function works well most of the time. Occasionally it messes up but the search function works very well so it’s pretty easy to fix the match
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome One movie I have "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks will not have an match with the Zidoo. It comes up with a 5-8 of different options, none of which is Tom Hanks version from 2000.😥
Can you say something about how it is working with HiRes audio DSD files using Zidoo UHD 8000 as a DAC > RCA cables > amplifier
Did you stop doing movie reviews ? Why I subbed
I still plan to do movie reviews. Been focused on the new theater build lately.
loved the video, if thinking about going in that direction, can you please point me in the right direction to rip my movies onto a harddrive. Have never done this before
Use MakeMKV to rip the movies. I’m considering making a full step-by-step video to show the entire process
Based on your video, it seems like the two units are pretty much the same, except one doesn’t have a hard drive bay.
From a processor standpoint, they’re identical.
This means they both produce the same high-quality video, with no stuttering or jittering. They also play movies flawlessly.
Am I right?
So, if we overlook the unappealing aesthetic of the Z9X, which your HDD drive has to be connected from the side and isn’t very visually appealing, but video playback is at the same level, you can go ahead and buy the Z9X and enjoy top-notch video playback.
The 8000 also has an additional audio out HDMI port. Crucial if you have a high end system. One HDMI to the TV and one to the Home Theatre System.
Informative video, thank you. What did you use? Or can you explain how you rip your physical 4K and Blu-ray discs? I’d love to see a video on that.
i second that. would love to see a video explaining your workflow etc, programs, pc hardware, etc
I use the program MakeMKV to rip the 4k discs. It’s a bit of a process. Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if I can put together a video to explain it all.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I would love to see this process as well.
Thanks
Good sharing
How does this compare to the Nvidia Shield Pro?
I haven’t tried the Shield yet. Hopefully I’ll get to try it out eventually.
Zidoo is not a competitor to Nvidia Shield, ( I own the NVIDIA Pro 2019). It is not a streamer , its an audio/ video player. It is a media player far superior to the Shield. The Shield is great for streaming from the internet services. Cheers.
@@renealarcon3970 Please elaborate how it's far better than the Shield especially in terms of being a media player? I also own a Shield Pro which I've connected to a Synology NAS. The shield plays 4K Atmos content effortlessly, it also handled all of the high bit rate Jelly Fish demo clips without issue.
@@ProperContent6513 it's just an all around better Device , it's sole purpose is to hold your content that you download , it's not a streaming Device
@@Gamer4Eire I own a Shield, you do not understand the statement above. common misunderstanding of Fanboys.
32TB of movies, OR 16TB of movies and a 16TB backup of those movies. If you're gonna spent lots of time collecting & ripping movies, make a backup. You'll never regret it. It gives you peace of mind.
hi! i found your channel not long ago, and I started binging on your videos. great channel!
I don't have a dedicated room for a home theater, so when I saw your your tiny theater video I got excited I followed your guidelines for setting up my speakers (measure and multiply by .58 and .7) so I just finished setting up my theather /bedroom I am running 5.2.4. and I have the onkyo rz50. with klipsch entry level speakers and it sounds amazing, I love how my bed theater sounds.... but please please can you pleas again help me and many many other theater enthusiasts with somehow limited budget (wife saying we don't need more lol) the debate wether or not we should get external amplifiers?
95% of people in forums say " if you want it louder , yes get them" " if you don't want to put so much stress in your onkyo get them" or "for your room size you don't need external amp, onkyo is loud enough for the cubic meters of your room" and only 5% of people say" if you want better channel separation, more detail in sound wider soundstage ....get the amps", since you have both a receiver and amps in a small room I guess the loudness factor does not play a big role here. (I am assuming you don't play movies very loudly in your tiny theater) then all comes down to have the amps for a "better sound"...
did you really need the amps? would you tell the difference in the quality of sound without them at a specific volume level? is there a real improvement in a tiny theater with budget speakers?
thanks a lot... man this home theater hobby is a never ending story of upgrading and getting the latest tech LOL
Thanks, I’m so glad the videos have been helpful! I haven’t compared the performance/sound of my system using the external amps vs the internal Onkyo amps. So I can’t say exactly what kind of difference you will experience. You’re probably good to stick with the setup you have now. However, if you added an external amp you could add two additional speakers to your setup to make it a 7.2.4 setup. For example, if you got the Outlaw Audio 5 channel amp, you could power the two additional speakers plus you could power the LCR’s (front 3 speakers). This would take a significant load off the internal Onkyo amps because the LCR’s are drawing the most power.
You’re probably going to be good either way you go. But it’s something to think about. Good luck!
outlawaudio.com/shop/products/50-model-5000x-5-channel-amplifier.html
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome thanks a lot. i apreciate your replying to me. i will let you know
Have you noticed any difference in performance of the poster wall between the two Zidoos? Also I assume once you have all your movies matched to the correct poster with the one Zidoo the other Zidoo will read the same files for the poster wall?
The poster wall performance seems to be identical between the two Zidoo models. After fixing file names so they match accurately, both Zidoo units match correctly.
My guess is that Zidoo is upscaling (8k) the (4k,1080,etc) source material
I’ll bet the 16TB max rating on the UHD8000 has only to do with what’s been tested or can be formatted by the box’s software.
Somebody should try formatting an 18 or 20TB drive on a PC and then putting it in the UHD8000 bay. The drive makers go to great pains to make sure those new drives will work in existing equipment. I’ll bet the larger drives will work fine.
Great review.
But this works with 3D videos?
Nope, doesn't support 3D. You have to go with the Dune HD Max (as an example) to watch 3D content.
I have just bought the Zidoo z3000 pro set ok but no Google Play store so no Kodi,TH-cam,Amazon Video,Music.HELP!!!
Zidoo are only used for ripped media files not streaming apps
How do you get media on the internal hard drives, are they network accessible? I wouldn't trust it as my only copy of a movie, but it could be nice to load it with another copy for local playback take out the network issues, and for portability, right now when I travel i take my shield and a portable HD I think my current one is like 10 tb, so it's a subset of things for the road. filling this with 2 20's would let me take, oh 30 or 40%of my collection depending how heavy on the 4k's I go which would be very handy, but having the media be managed remotely would be needed to make that hassel free.
Use MakeMKV to rip 4k discs to the internal drives
@GeorgeTheaterAtHome what if you already have the rips though? Also there is no disk drive and I doubt you would want to use the internal hardware for the rip anyway, i would assume you do it from a PC, and then move or copy the media to the disk drive, it's just a question if you have to put those drivers on the computer to access, or they are network accessible
This might be a good option, My Shield Pro is old, hasn't been refreshed, and It isn't working that well, not sure if it was software updates or what, but it isn't playing nice with my avr and my projector, keep loosing picture, replaced HDMI's no change so in the market for a different player to play my media on from my nas, using kodi, and plex. Is it's internal player the only interface it has?
Another thing I kinda need, that the Shield is a real benefit for, is the remote bluetooth? My player is on my rack not in line fo sight of my viewing location, the shield remote being BT is awesome and controlls everything thanks to cec. I saw that the Zidoo has an app, but getting my phone or tablet out any time i want to pause isn't ideal.
Can u advice for a good home theater projector for under $2K
Epson makes great projectors. The 4010 is in your budget and is currently on sale
amzn.to/4fE9niP
Will this work with a 4K av receiver? I have a marantz av8802a.
Yes, it will work
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome awesome! Thank you for the quick response!
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I have the Zappiti and was looking for something to replace it now that it’s no longer supported. Didn’t want to download and pay for R.velution app.
Good video... have a couple of Nvidia Shield 2019's that drive my two media areas. Love (and hate) Plex cause it's so transportable - traveling, just grap a Google or Firestick device and go... remote when your out and I have a plex client for all 7 TV's. BUT have always been interested in the Zidoo (or Dune, or R-Volution). Every YT review I've seen has been great, no issues... but you do see reader comments and reviews online that are less that wonderful. I'm likely to go for a Z9 cause my HT cabinetry is pretty maxed out and I don't need onboard storage, since all my media is on a NAS. You really think these guys have their act together and the negative comments on are loud minority or folks with unreal expectations?
I’ve been really happy with the Zidoo. Now, I should clarify I’ve only used the latest 8k models. I can’t speak for the older 4k models. Also; my usage is pretty straightforward. I store MKV video files on a hard drive on my network and stream from the drive to the Zidoo. Also, all devices are hard wired. No wireless WiFi. And I haven’t had any troubles. You could try the Z9X 8k. I think Amazon will allow returns up to 30 days ( don’t quote me) if it doesn’t work for you.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome thanks... I'd also be hardwired and only use it for playing my ripped inventory, AppleTV and Nvidia can stream fine, Keep It Simple(r).
What do you think about the R-Volution One 8K player? Any inputs?
I haven’t had a chance to use the R-Volution yet. Would love to give it a try
Ii play movies using NVIDIA shield pro with EMBY APP movies store on an UNRAID SERVER.
Does the Zidoo place the subtitles below the movie?
For subtitles, the Zidoo can be customized extensively. Placement, size etc.
Hi there, great video! I just got the Zidoo Z9X 8K, and with my LG C2 OLED TV, I’m trying to figure out the best settings since I have a lot of BDMV 4K Dolby Vision movies on my external hard drive. What settings do you use when watching 4K DV?
With TV-led mode, I’m getting 8-bit RGB color, and I’ve read that the TV does tunneling to 12-bit, but I can’t see this reflected in the hidden menus of the LG. It feels like something might not be working right with the Zidoo.
The model you have, the UHD8000, as I understand it, being a much more premium device, outputs 12-bit YCbCr in TV-led mode. Could you confirm that? Would appreciate your thoughts!
My current TV doesn’t support DV so I haven’t had a chance to try that yet. But it should be pretty straightforward to get DV to display. Are you able to verify DV is not coming thru?
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Yes, Dolby Vision works, but the signal sent from the TV box to the TV is 8-bit RGB instead of 10-bit or 12-bit in TV LED mode. If you switch to LLDV mode, it does send 12-bit; however, in this case, the Dolby Vision image processing is handled by the Zidoo Z9X 8K, which has a less capable processor compared to the processor in the LG C2 for Dolby Vision
Xbox has Atmos and DTS bitstreaming with plex player and is the best option for me.
network question, how is streaming speed? i don't know if your zidoo is hardwired or wifi? is your pc (with your ripped copies) hardwired or wifi?
Everything is hardwired
Hi, I am having frame drop issues on my zidoo z9x. I tried playing the same file via usb and there is no drop. I have a nas. I don't have any issues on my shield pro with the same network setup(cable, switch box etc.) What could be the problem?
Try swapping hdmi cables, use a different hdmi port on your AVR and make sure your Zidoo is updated to the latest firmware version.
Quick Q; Best way to rip ultra 4K disks? Thats been my obstacle in thinking of getting these zidoo media hubs...dont get me wrong i still will buy physical media, but dont want any loss of quality after rips..
Use the program MakeMKV to rip 4k discs to the mkv format. There is essentially loss of quality. Then you can use use the Zidoo to stream the MKV file
*zero loss of quality
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Appreciate it. Will check it out ...also concerned abt the audio qualities and surround being preserved..
@@alvinbroadcasts My experience is MakeMKV extracts the audio and video streams without any conversion (ie loss of quality). Plus you can select the audio stream you want and ignore the rest. Same goes for subtitles. Equals less work for the Zidoo.
@@pedro97328 The makemkv forums burners list is mind boggling. Which recording drive to use is the bigger question now. Not so easy it seems.
Where to get 4k souce to play in this?! Ripping of blu ray and how is done
Use MakeMKV to rip 4k discs
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I ripped and then got rid of all my disks and now Rip rented 4K's from Choovie @ $3 each. For hard to get or unusual I get blu rays form Scare Crow @ $4.50 ea.
If you use the 1:1 backup option in MakeMkv. Will either of these play the disc off the network with full menus?
No, to get the menus you need to rip the ISO of the disc.
@GeorgeTheaterAtHome but it will play the menus if I rip my discs as ISO?
I believe so. I haven’t used that option but it’s my understanding the menus are available when ISO is used
I have a z2000 Zidoo player... If I buy a Z9x as well, can i use the wifi, Bluetooth or a Ethernet cable to play my movies on the Z9x from my z2000?
I believe so. That should work, in theory. However, I haven’t tried it. So no guarantees. If it doesn’t work, you could move the hard drive over to the Z9X.
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I need to keep the hard drives with my main player which is in my theater. I just thought it would be nice to also watch the same movies in my living room. Where can I reach out to get definitive info on how I can work this?
is this better than r_volution 8k signature player?
I haven’t tried the r_volution yet. Hopefully I get to try it someday.
Looks great, why would you have a Pee Cee?
Why not just use a small nuc pc with 5 times as much Ram a better processor and run plex ? Works for me and is future proof...
you can for the tech savoy, you know there is a wide range of skill levels. but all kudos to the power and flexibility of pc
I don't know what you're talking about. This unit is absolutely not ready for the market. I am own of the Z3000pro and trust me it is unusable. You cannot play any videos without stuttering or sound cutting off with that sad I'm not saying that people should not buy this product but wait if you want the 8K versions there are nowhere ready for the market yet too many bugs.
I haven’t experienced any problems or bugs. It’s possible your home network is having trouble accessing the files? Are the movies stored on an Internal drive in the Z3000? Or are that stored in a NAS or some other source?
@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome no, because I don't have any issues with my Nvidia shield or my Apple TV and if you go into the Zidoo forum, people are having the same problem. I didn't experience these problems when I first got the unit but a couple weeks in it started. And I've tried different HDMI cables. I have tried with the hard drive. I've tried with two different TVs. Nothing works so then it must be the unit.
@@hifi5.244 Could be an over heating problem? Had similar issue with my shield until I opened it and cleaned the fan. It was getting hot to the touch and the video was stuttering. I have the Zidoo UHD8000 for a few months no and never had a any problems like that.
Not single problem with my z9x pro 8k.
Definitely don't need a 8K Zidoo media player as 4K is enough, 1080p & 4K Blurays are all you need.
Very doubtful 8K movies will be a thing as a lot of physical media in 4K is hard enough to get