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Vlaves · 2017-05-18, 19:07

Hello together,

would like to hear your opinion about the Zotac ZBOX CI327 nano.
The CPU is a Intel Celeron Prozessor N3450 which should be about as strong as the Intel Celeron 2955U in the Chrombox, just that the graphics will support 4k@60Hz.
Will it be strong enough to also show Kodi GUI in 4k? The Chromebox was very very snappy even with havy skins, though at 1080p.

Curious to hear your optinion.

Thanks for your support here Smile

HeresJohnny · 2017-05-18, 23:29

I'm also interested in this device to run Kodi in Windows and hopefully get HD audio support and proper 5.1 for music.

wrxtasy · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-19, 04:23 by wrxtasy.)

HDMI 2.0 = check for 4K @60Hz

Intel Celeron N Processor = Hardware decode of HEVC (H.265), 8/10bit @4K2K60Hz

See Page 67 of Datasheet:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/p...vol-1.html

4K TV's generally upscale the 1080p only Kodi GUI better than using the media player hardware itself anyway, unless Intel really have something better than the upscaling hardware you see with Android media players. Switch to 4K when actually playing 4K video content is the proper way to do it.

All the above of course relies on Software and Driver support for whatever OS is going to be used.

HeresJohnny · 2017-05-19, 09:40

Can Kodi play my HiDef music with this?

honcho · 2017-05-19, 22:23

This isn't really hdmi2 just FYI. It probably has the same problems everyone is experiencing in the apollo lake thread.

For the price and size, it's a pretty cool box, don't get me wrong.

leo5111 · 2017-05-22, 00:14

Zotac can do 1080p x265?

Matt Devo · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-22, 00:40 by Matt Devo.)

(2017-05-22, 00:14)leo5111 Wrote: Zotac can do 1080p x265?

seriously? 3 posts up:

(2017-05-19, 04:20)wrxtasy Wrote: Intel Celeron N Processor = Hardware decode of HEVC (H.265), 8/10bit @4K2K60Hz

leo5111 · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-22, 03:26 by leo5111.)

is the n2930 in same boat or no? i was searching for answers but could not find out for sure, and yes i saw that but i was double checking...reason im asking about the 2930 is i have the zotac n2930 box, can i install straight libre-elec on it and have hevc working? reason i ask is articles i saw were saying in windows?

Matt Devo · 2017-05-22, 14:32

(2017-05-22, 03:23)leo5111 Wrote: is the n2930 in same boat or no? i was searching for answers but could not find out for sure, and yes i saw that but i was double checking...reason im asking about the 2930 is i have the zotac n2930 box, can i install straight libre-elec on it and have hevc working? reason i ask is articles i saw were saying in windows?

no, the N2930 is two generations older, it can't do h265/HEVC in hardware at all. And the CPU sure isn't powerful enough to do it at 1080p.

leo5111 · 2017-05-24, 06:43

i understand the ci327 has the newer Gpu section but how about cpu grunt vs the n2930? is it alot faster a litlle?

wrxtasy · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-24, 08:02 by wrxtasy.)

What do you need CPU grunt for in any Kodi Media player if you can now get a Intel Celeron N3450 - package that can Hardware decode & display virtually anything 8/10bit @4K2K60Hz ?

Another example - a $25-40 - 4 Core - AML S905(x) only runs at 1.5GHz standard. We are not seeing many people complain about its up to 4K@60fps video decoding performance for media player use because it packages a pretty competent VPU for decoding & so long as Firmware / Software running on it is up to the task.

leo5111 · 2017-05-24, 08:16

well for one thing, my odroid c2 with 1080p hevc/x265 if i try and fast forward faster then 4x it locked up, and im thinking that is a cpu issue? or am i wrong? thats why im asking about this box

wrxtasy · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-24, 09:08 by wrxtasy.)

Never use FFWD or RWD usually - when there as superior, user adjustable, video skipping options available. It a faster way to navigate about video too.

CPU has nothing to do with video playback and display on LE S905 AML.
Personally I would wait for an LE update instead of buying new Hardware with ongoing HDMI 2.0 issues.

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-24, 09:55 by noggin.)

(2017-05-24, 07:59)wrxtasy Wrote: What do you need CPU grunt for in any Kodi Media player if you can now get a Intel Celeron N3450 - package that can Hardware decode & display virtually anything 8/10bit @4K2K60Hz ?

Main need for CPU grunt in video playback terms is handling content that can't be hardware accelerated - like H264 Hi10 or 4:2:2 MPEG2 or H264 content. Those then fall back to CPU decode.

Vlaves · (This post was last modified: 2017-05-24, 23:24 by Vlaves.)

(2017-05-24, 07:59)wrxtasy Wrote: What do you need CPU grunt for in any Kodi Media player if you can now get a Intel Celeron N3450 - package that can Hardware decode & display virtually anything 8/10bit @4K2K60Hz ?
...

Basically I would love that CPU speed for the reaction within Kodi while playback and then you open EPG with a lot of channels or simply for any havier Skin.

I have a Wetek Hub and it always feels a bit sluggish, just a bit...at least with Kodi 17, Kodi 16 is a totally different picture (fast nd snappy), but there is no future for Kodi 16, no fTV skin updated and other things too, but on Kodi 17 deinterlacing and video playback in generell are not great yet as on Kodi 16 (All based on my tests on Libreelec community builds)

And with such an machine and the Intel graphics (had n Chromebox earlier) I never expirienced any sluggishness or not properly working deinterlacing.
So I asked if the Box would be good and properly supported within Libreelec? (HD passthrough not needed in my case)