What is the difference between the 3610 models AR3610-U2002 and AR3610-U9022?
The U9022 and U2002 are very similar, the only difference is hard drive size, the U2002 has a 250GB compared to 160GB, and also the U2002 keyboard and mouse are black instead of the U9022 which are white. The current model is the AR3700-U3002 which features a newer intel Atom chipset and all black design.
I understand when you run a version of Linux (like Umbuntu), you loose the Windows Media Center(WMC) and the ability to play Netflix. I am okay with this because my 360 plays Netflix and I am not married to WMC.
Dose media applications like XBMC and Boxee work better in Linux than in Windows on the Revo? If so, to what extent?
What are the pros and cons of keeping Windows vs installing Linux for using the Revo as a Media Center PC?
I think the biggest issue right now is that there is no way to play netflix on linux. If you can get past that then I think running XBMC is just fine on the Revo, take a look at my full review here: http://revohtpc.com/2011/03/02/linux-powered-revo-guide-and-review/
Apparently version 1 of these units work fine with QAM in MCE but version 2, which just starting shipping, no longer does QAM in MCE.
Are you talking about the Revo itself? The Revo has nothing to do if it supports QAM or not, it all has to do with your TV Tuner and if it supports QAM and has the correct drivers for Windows 7. I know the KWorld Usb tuner QAM does not work with WMC, but it does in their software, which means it is just a driver issue with WMC.
Can I add an SSD without removing the regular drive?
In other words, are there 1 or 2 SATA connections available?
There is only 1 available Sata connection. You could remove the drive and replace it. There is also 1 x Mini PCI Express available that you could hook up an SSD to.
I\'ve got the Aspire R1600. I want to add another gig of RAM and can\'t figure out how to open the box How do you remove the cover??
Take a look over at the Revo Setup Page: http://revohtpc.com/revo-htpc-setup-guide/revo-setup/ There is a nice Youtube video showing how to open it up.
Do you recommend any external DVD or Blu-ray Players?
I personally own an external
ASUS USB 2.0 Slim External DVD-ROM
which was $40 on newegg, however you can upgrade to a ASUS USB 2.0 DVD Writer External Drive
for only $10 and these are extremely quiet and don't need a power supply to work.
For Blu-ray drives I have not tried any however after the success I had with Asus's DVD Drive you should be able to give their ASUS USB 2.0 6x Blu-Ray Combo ExternalDrive
a chance. As more people recommend their external drives I will post them here.
Should I install Windows 7 32bit or 64bit?
My recommendation is 32bit as you will find more compatibility with Media Center plug-ins and video playback options, however some users have tried 64bit and are happy with it.
Can I overclock the Revo?
Yes you actually can, I have mine overclocked to 1.8Ghz. There is a full guide located at revouser.com, however I will break it down here as well.
OVERCLOCK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!!!!
1.) Download and install cpuz from here this will tell you the mother board model number.
2.) Open it and from the "Mainboard" tab write down the model number of your board. Mine was FMCP7A-ion
3.) Download the AsRock OCTuner Software from: here, then install it.
4.)Go to the install path (IE C:\Program Files\ASRock Utility\OCTuner) and open the file ASROC.ini
5.) Add this line under [Support Model]: FMCP7A-ion=ion.ini (if your model was not FMCP7A-ion then change it to that = ion.ini
6.) Download this ion.ini file and place it in the install page folder (the same folder as the ASROC.ini file).
7.)Open the OCTuner software and go ahead and overclock!
Does the Revo support multiple audio output streams (HDMI/SPDIF/Audio Jack)?
Unfortunately the Revo only supports 1 audio output stream at a time. You must choose inside of Playback devices which you would like to output the sound from.
Does the Revo support multiple output streams (through the vga & hdmi)?
Unfortunately you can only have 1 output stream at a time. You must choose either the HDMI or the VGA.
How do I play MKV files inside of W7MC/on the Revo?
Update: Take a look at this article on how to convert your MKV files to work on your Revo: http://revohtpc.com/2010/10/24/get-mkv-files-to-play-on-your-revo-easily-with-mkv2vob/
This is actually pretty simple, but takes a bit of time. I strongly recommend NOT installing any codec packs on your machine as you can get MKV files playing back just fine in multiple ways.
Here are the multiple ways to do it.
1.) Install the latest DivX software : divx.com. After you install this you most likely will not get any audio from inside of Media Center, which means you will need to install AC3Filter which should fix it up.
2.) If you don't want to watch them inside of Windows Media Center then you can simply download and install VLC Player. This thing can play just about anything, and is great to have in general.
RECOMMENDED:
3.) WTV conversion: This one is the most time consuming, but it will guarantee that all of your MKV files will work on your machine inside of Media Center, and will also work on any Media Center Extenders. There are few steps to this. NOTE: Do not do the conversions on your Revo, it is recommended you do them on another machine.
a.) First you will need to install the Haali Media Splitter from: here
b.) If the AUDIO of your MKV file is DTS then you will need to convert it to AC3 (media center does not support DTS natively). To do this you will need DVRMSToolBox and Ben Drawbaugh's conversion profile. A full set of instructions can be found: here. After you have done this simply run DVRMSToolboxGUI, select your file as the Input File and Output File, then select Ben's profile and hit Run.
c.) If the audio is already AC3 or you have converted it all you will need to do is convert the MKV to WTV. Andy over at babgvant.com has made this extremely easy with his todvrms tool. You can find it version (1.0.1.0 my favorite) on his site, or download it from: here. (you can also try version 1.0.1.4 if you have issues. After you have this simply run todvrmsgui.exe, specify the "in file" as your mkv by double clicking on the text box, then copy this value into out "dvr-ms". Then check the "wtv" check box and hit Go. A command window should open, if it closes right away something is wrong with the file and perhaps the DTS to AC3 conversion has gone bad. If it stays up it is converting it and when it is done it will automatically close the command window and now you have a nice WTV file for Media Center.
I bought a harmony remote, and an irda wireless, but I still can\'t get the two to communicate. I called Logitech, and they said if I find the ir codes online they can make it work. Any suggestions?
From what I can understand you bought just the IR receiver (usb). If it is a generic windows remote ir receiver you might be out of luck because you would need to program button per button. If it was a media center specific remote then you should be able to add it under a Media Center PC in the harmony Software and specify "Remote 2" and it should map the buttons.
I noticed in your recommended add-ons section you listed several free meta data programs. Do you recommend using several meta data programs to ensure you get the latest data or will just using one be enough?
I listed multiple meta data programs because it is up to you want you want to use. I have tried a lot and like a lot of different one. In my setup I only really use YAMMM for movies because it is very simple. If you want complete control over your meta data then I would recommend meta
Do HD USB tuners such as the Avertv Hybrid Volar Max and Hauppauge 1191 WinTV-HVR-950Q work well on the Revo AR3610? What about recording/watching using 2 tuners? Their specs list a higher processor than the Revo has.
I think you should be fine. I haven't tried them personally, but most of the usb sticks have higher requirements. I have 3 USB tuners and they work just fine on my Revo.
How do I setup the KWorld ATSC (UB435-Q) Tuner?
This tuner is a bit tricky, but for the price it is worth it. By far the most popular and cheapest ATSC USB tuner on the market needs a bit of work to get it running. First you should know that QAM will not work on this tuner inside of Windows Media Center, only ATSC will work on it. After inserting it into your Revo Windows 7 will attempt to find the drivers, and will most likely fail. You will need to download them from the official site, you can search for the tuner here: here, or download it directly from here. Go ahead an install the driver and you are almost done. You will need to launch Windows Media Center and go into "Settings > TV > TV Signal > Set Up TV Signal". Now Windows should attempt to set everything up for you, however with this tuner it usually doesn't and will tell you it cant' find a signal, which is fine. You will have an option to let Media Center attempt again, or you can select to manually setup the tuners. You will want to select the manual option. Then you will want to select Digital (ATSC) Tuner, and then select how many. After this your tuner is good to go.
Can I force Netflix into Non-HD?
Yes and No. Inside of Media Center there is no option that would allow you to do this. However in a browser you have more control and can set the stream to a lower bitrate (I recommend 1500). To do this start a video(not in full screen mode), on your keyboard press CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+M. This will bring up a menu for the player and you will need to select "Stream Manager". Check the "Manual Selection" option and then select 1500, and now it should stream back just fine(you might need to move the current marker so it re-buffers with the new bitrate).
Does the Revo support Netflix?
Absolutely! You can stream Netflix through any browser, or directly inside of Windows Media Center. All of these options support HD streaming as well, I prefer the Media Center Interface over using a mouse and keyboard. There are a few issue however to be aware of. Silverlight does not take advantage of "Hardware Video Decoding" unlike Flash 10.1. So most likely on the Revo AR1600 your Netflix HD experience will choke and be unwatchable and your experience on the AR3610 may vary. In the future I do believe there is a plan to have Hardware Video Decoding working in silverlight so keep an eye out for that. I will say that any non HD content will play just fine on any machine.
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