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Iconbit XDS 7 3D review

At first sight

iconBIT XDS73D is a miniature network media player. It lacks the ability to install an internal HDD, which makes the player very quiet. The storage media can be network drives or external HDDs connected via eSATA, USB2.0 or USB3.0 ports.

This device uses the same body design as other 7 Series players. The exception is the black aluminum case. Previously, the body was matte and chrome. On the front of the player, there is neither a screen nor many indicators. There is one large button with a bright blue backlight and an indicator for connecting an external drive. This design can be called transparent. The player in such a package is not designed for demonstrations and bragging. On the contrary, it is better to hide it on the shelf with the receiver or attach it to the back of the TV.

The main outputs and ports are placed on the back of the case. There is a place for: component and composite video outputs, stereo output, optical digital audio output, HDMI 1.4 port, gigabit network port, eSATA port and two USB hosts. One supports USB2.0 standard and the other supports USB3.0. If you compare the set of inputs and outputs, for example, with the XDS1003D model, you will notice that this player does not have a built-in card reader, there is only one USB2.0 port in the equipment. On the other hand, the XDS73D has an eSATA port that allows you to connect external drives to the USB3.0 port.

The player is controlled by a traditional remote control, which is typical for many iconBIT player models that were released in 2011.

The player was built on the Realtek RTD1186DD platform. This chipset is the fastest in the Realtek family. It works at a clock frequency of 750 MHz, and, in parallel with support for most current codecs and formats, including all possible HD sound formats, it has support for the Blu-Ray structure, including BD Menu Lite.

Unlike other chipsets, including the latest Sigma Designs, it has support for HDMI 1.4 and 3D video. Now you can connect the player to a TV with the ability to display 3D content, put on special glasses and enjoy a real three-dimensional picture.

The player has native support for gigabit network, so you can play very heavy video files over the network. In addition, the new platform has received expanded support for additional services and functions. For example, the new chipset implements support for extended remotes and miniature keyboards, a Web browser with Flash, and, most interestingly, the ability to use Android as a second OS, in which the user can run numerous applications.

In addition to the chipset, the player's board has a 2GB Flash memory chip and two 512MB OP chips. All supported interfaces are implemented directly in the chipset, which made it possible to minimize the player's board as much as possible. The chipset is cooled by a small heatsink without an additional fan.

Key features and settings

The latest firmware version was used to explore the capabilities of the X S73D. It is built on the most recent version of the Realtek SDK. The main menu of the player is traditional. It consists of nine icons for quick access to music, movies, photos, Internet services, favorites, the built-in browser, settings and the transition to Android, which works here inside the main system.

Content is manipulated using two traditional mechanisms. The first is a kind of media library with which the user can neatly organize all their content. Access to the media library is carried out using 3 icons (Music, Video, Photo) in the main menu. The media library has support for several options for displaying files on the display, including sorting by size, title, time added, popularity, and filtering by type. It works only with an external HDD. Work with uPNP server or network storage is carried out using a traditional file browser.

In terms of features, it is very similar to a media library. It is possible to sort and filter content, use the cover for a beautiful design, select a convenient list view mode, as well as add individual folders and files to the favorites list for faster access.

Regardless of the mechanism for working with content, the device has support for autorun DVD and BD structures and images. The autorun for the structure of images and folders is slightly different. While working with the image, playback starts regardless of whether the OK button or the Play button is pressed. While working with the folder structure, the OK button opens the folder. To start playing, you need to click on the Play button.

Note that when working with Blu-Ray, menu support is not always necessary. Many users, having played enough in the menu, realize that there is no special meaning in it, this only delays the moment of starting to watch the movie. The XDS73D player allows you to disable BD Menu support in the settings. In this case, Blu-Ray will start playing immediately after pressing the Play button.

One of the key features of iconBIT XDS73D is native support for 3D video, which will be especially important for those users who have 3D TVs. This option works great! The heavy Avatar image even played over the network without any problems.

While working with 3D content in the context menu it becomes possible to select the 2D or 3D playback mode. In addition, when a 3D TV is connected, the player offers to use a pseudo 3D mode, which makes it possible to make a conventional 2D image three-dimensional. The effect is not as deep as in real 3D cinema, but the feeling while watching is completely different. To tell the truth, after that there was a wild desire to buy a modern TV with support for 3D mode.

During playback, you have access to all the standard options for selecting subtitles, audio track, search for a specific fragment and rewind.

A set of Internet services non-standard for iconBIT players. Much of what is already found in other player models is missing here. But on the other hand, the set of Internet services has competent localization. For example, the YouTube XL service has a user-friendly interface and search support in Russian. With it, you can view video files, both in a window and in full screen, use various tools and work with a personal account.

The lack of some services is compensated by their support in Android. It should be remembered that the Android used is limited in its capabilities and performance. For example, it does not have AndroidMarket for simplified application installation. For this, SlideMe and AppCenter are used. Everything else is typical. There is a browser, several toys, a file manager, an office, a calculator, and several multimedia applications.

In addition to Android applications and Internet services, XDS73D has support for built-in Samba and FTP servers, Transmission torrent client and DNLA service. Control is carried out from the parameter setting menu. Samba, FTP and DNLA services can work with both eSATA and USB drives, while the torrent client can only work with an HDD that connects via the eSATA port and is formatted by the player's built-in tools. In addition, the torrent client does not support the load balancing mechanism and automatic regulation of the download speed. In view of this, when using it, it is desirable to limit the speed and number of active downloads. Otherwise, you will not be able to reach the Transmission Web interface and will not be able to watch movies - downloading and distributing torrents will load the processor by 100%

The setup menu includes several new options that are worth looking at in more detail.

In the "System" section, you can control the display of the BD-Lite menu, change the wallpaper, and disable Android. If you are not planning to use the Android application, then it is better to disable it.This will save resources and improve video playback performance.

In the “Audio” settings, you can configure the night mode, define the mode of sound output to SPDIF and HDMI outputs. There you can also define the surround sound mode and the sound and picture synchronization mode.

In the "Video" section, you can define the frequency, resolution, color depth, screen size and comfort mode when the player is connected to a plasma TV.

In the network settings section, you can manage FTP, Samba and torrent services.

In the "Miscellaneous" section, you can enable the software update function and the sound of the buttons. Here you can also find information about the system and about the network.

Having considered the main features and settings, we will find out what the player is capable of in terms of the supported codecs and formats. The specification states that iconBIT XDS73D supports the following audio and video formats and codecs:

  • Video formats: ASF, WMV [.asf, .wmv], MKV [.mkv, .mka], MOV, MPEG [.ts, .tp, .m2ts, .mpg], MP4 [.mov, .mp4], RealVideo [ .rm, .rmvb], AVI [.avi, divx], Flash Video [.flv];
  • Video codecs: MPEG 1,2,4 (DivX, Xvid), H.264, VCD, SVCD, WMV9, DVD, RealVideo 8, 9, 10 (up to 1280x720) M-JPEG (640x480x30p; 848x480x10p) ,;
  • Audio Formats: ADIF, WAV [.wav, .pcm], ADTS [.aac], OGG [.ogg], M4A [.m4a], ASF, FLAC [.flac], WMA [.asf, .wma], RealAudio [ .rm, .ra, .rmvb];
  • Audio codecs: Dolby Digital (R) (AC-3), MPEG 1/2 Audio Layers I, II, and III (MP3), DTS, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, MPEG-2/4, PCM, DTS 6 ch, AAC LC and HE Microsoft WMA and WMA Pro, FLAC Sampling rates: 8, 16, 05.22, 24, 32, 44.1, 48, 96KHz, RA-cook, LPCM, ADPCM ,;
  • Subtitles: MicroDVD [.sub] / Sub Station Alpha [.ssa] / SubRip [.srt] / Sami [.smi];
  • Photo: JPEG / BMP / GIF / PNG

We were especially interested in the network performance of the player. Native support for gigabit network, combined with high performance of the chipset, allows to solve almost all problems associated with playing heavy content over the network, which were often encountered in the previous generation of players. The proof of this is a fragment from the film "War of the Worlds".

In this fragment, the bitrate of the video stream is approximately 80Mbits. For a long time, only the DUNE HD player (100Mbits network) could handle it. Now it plays without problems not only on models with the RTD1186DD chipset, but also on devices with RTD1185. But, only on condition of using a gigabit network.

Conclusion

iconBIT XDS73D is a good choice for users looking for an all format 3D media player with high network performance. Yes, it may not boast such a beautiful and stylish design as, for example, iconBIT XDS1003D, but its strict design and compact dimensions give much more freedom when choosing a place for installation. It can be easily placed directly on the cabinet next to the TV or hidden behind the receiver. The sloping front side, together with the IR receiver, which has a wide viewing angle, will make it easy to operate the device, even if hidden behind the TV.

iconBIT XDS73D was very pleased with the opportunity to use the BD Lite menu, confident support for all formats declared by the manufacturer, as well as additional software capabilities. The most unforgettable experience was made by the support for 3D. You just need to decide on a 3D TV model and you can enjoy and enjoy all the features of this player.

If we talk about the moments that we didn't really like, then we can say about the limited support for network services and Internet services. But, testing was carried out on the base firmware, which lacks a lot of what is in the extended version for other models of players produced by iconBIT. Therefore, you should be patient and wait for the release of the updated firmware version for models based on RTD1186DD.

The last thing to look at is the price. Now iconBIT XDS73D is one of the most affordable RTD1186DD based media players. The device costs around $ 200, which is a good indicator, especially when compared with models from other manufacturers of the previous generation.

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