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ZeeVee ZvBox | 
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| Brand: ZeeVee Category: CE
List Price: $499.99 Buy New: $404.00 You Save: $95.99 (19%)
New (23) from $404.00
Avg. Customer Rating: 6 reviews Sales Rank: 10837
Media: Electronics Autographed: No Memorabilia: No Shipping Weight (lbs): 3 Dimensions (in): 10.3 x 14.3 x 5.3
MPN: ZV100-NA Model: ZV100-NA UPC: 812254010007 EAN: 0812254010007 ASIN: B0018L7NUA
Release Date: August 3, 2008 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Watch anything you can get online or on your computer from all your HDTVs | | • | Avoid new subscription fees | | • | Access ANY computer application from your HDTVs | | • | Enjoy the same great resolution you get at your computer | | • | Use existing cable wiring to reach all HDTVs in the house |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description ZvBox allows Internet TV watchers to move from the small-screen of their computers and the discomfort of the home office to the superior viewing experience of their HDTVs and the comfort of the couch. ZvBox is the first device that allows consumers to watch anything they can get online or on their computers on all the HDTVs in their homes. By simply connecting to the monitor output of the computer, ZvBox turns the computer screen into a new high-definition TV channel called Zv, which it then "localcasts" across the existing coaxial cable wiring to all HDTVs in the home. Since it uses the video/monitor output of the computer, ZvBox has the most extensive compatibility with all forms of Internet content and local media, without adding any additional processing load on the computer. In addition to video content, ZvBox extends any computer application to the home's HDTVs, including email, web browsing, photos, and music. Because ZvBox is installed at the computer and uses the HDTV's embedded tuner, there is no set-top-box or wiring clutter in the living room. Inputs/Outputs - USB V2, full speed and high speed, Type B connector, High Density 15-pin male DSUB VGA1, High Density 15-pin male DSUB VGA2, F-Type female cable TV Cable, and HDTV with digital-cable ready tuner System Requirements - Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2; Microsoft Windows Vista, 2-Ghz CPU Processor, 2GB DRAM, 50MB Free Space, Two free USB 1.0 or 2.0, high-speed or full speed ports, and Broadband with 6 Mbps download speed Dimensions - Width 11.41 x Height 1.38 x Depth 4.02 (290x35x102mm) Weight - 550 grams
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
IT WORKS!!! October 16, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I got my zv box yesterday and did the setup this morning.Seting up the hardware part is not that hard and did not effect my internet or cable service.I have a new home and my cable box is in my master closet so i installed the filter and did not have to go out of the house and look for the outside cable box. I have a sony xbr 46 and a sony xbr 52" .They both working perfect with zeevee.Yes it has some minor problems like pointers responce lag issue but not that bad.And now i am watching turkish channels for free from my hdtvs for free.Thats what i wanted to to for a long time.One problem about hulu is i can not watch it in full screen when i use zeevee viewer.I do not know if its my fault or not.But overall i waited to buy zee for couple months to compare with sling catcher(which i use slingbox pro and very happy with it) but it was a big disappointment when i try it and returned it .Zeevee does the job and does it well.It has small problems but in time i am sure they will fix it with some firmware updates.And before ending my review it took me about 40 minutes to setup everything.
Finally, a PC-To-TV Device That Works!!! September 3, 2008 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I wanted a PC-to-TV device ever since I started recording TV with my Media Center PC and ripping movies to my hard drive.
I have some other media streamers, but it seemed like where they come up short is in the number of formats they support and the limited amount of web content they can access. The ZvBox gets over all the format limitations by just putting what's on your PC monitor onto your TV screen!
Setup was easier than other reviewers made it out to be (you screw in a couple of coax cables and plug your monitor in), though you do have to know where the main splitters are so you can screw in the channel filter.
It also doesn't interfere with my cable-based "digital voice" and broadband services which is something I worried about.
The device itself performs reasonably well. Resolution is truly HD, frame rate is impressive, but darker gradients sometime pixellate because of the signal compression. The vast majority of content looks just as great on the big screen as the computer monitor, but I wouldn't stream Blu Ray over the ZV channel or anything because there ARE minor, usually unnoticeable quality issues that keep it from having the quality of a direct HDMI connection.
The RF remote that comes with it is pretty cool and functional, though you'll want to learn to use the directional arrows, play button, and "full screen" button to minimize the reliance on the laggy touchpad and the painful text-message style text entry (for the rare circumstance where you'd want to simulate typing via the remote).
Also ZeeVee created a streamlined interface to Hulu and a few other sites which provide a pretty solid selection of free, ad-supported streaming content from the internet. I wasn't anticipating watching a lot of Hulu when I got the ZvBox, but as it turns out, Hulu support makes me question if I should keep paying for Comcast on-demand content, since ZvBox gives as good of a selection, but with a better interface and for free!
ZvBox has its limitations, but the fact that it can play iTunes, Media Center, Amazon Unbox, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix.com and whatever other format or website that your computer supports make it the most versatile media streamer on the market, though not the cheapest or easiest to use!
Plus, when you do have questions, the company is small enough that you get personalized support from American reps, which is a rarity nowadays!
All in all, I'd highly recommend it if you can get over its few quirks/usability issues and high price tag.
UPDATE/TIP: If you have an iPod Touch or an iPhone and you buy this device, I recommend an application called "Air Mouse" which lets you control your computer's mouse and keyboard with your i-device. It's a handy way to get full keyboard functionality when operating the ZvBox without buying an expensive wireless keyboard.
Amazing product -- I am a ZeeVee convert! August 18, 2008 12 out of 20 found this review helpful
ZeeVee is a clever and original way to get content from your PC to all large screen TVs in your house at once without the need of extra wiring. ZeeVee captures your computer's screen and converts it to 720p high-definition TV signal in real time. It then injects this signal into your home's existing coaxial wiring (almost everyone has that already), so that all your TVs can receive it on Channel 125 (selectable) as if it came directly from your cable provider. You can then go and place yourself comfortably on a couch in front of any TV in your house and control your PC right from there by using ZeeVee's remote control.
The installation process went flawlessly for me. I plugged the monitor into my ZV box, connected the box to the PC, then connected the antenna (cable) output of the ZV box to the antenna wall outlet. This injects the signal into your home wiring. I figured that coaxial wiring in my house was simple enough that I managed to receive the ZV channel (my PC screen) on nearby TVs without having to install a recommended channel filter. Just to be safe, I did install it--it took me 2 minutes.
Right after that, I was able to go upstairs to my bedroom and watch a few episodes of Gray's Anatomy on ABC's website in full screen HD. I proceeded to watch live streams from the Olympics that weren't available on broadcast TV. I also got a chance to do the same thru TiVo (that apparently has a partnership with NBCOlympics.com) and I must say that TiVo left much to be desired. Hulu also looks very good, although their player doesn't allow a true full screen mode.
Since it's your good old PC that you're using, all your bookmarks, web history, photos, videos, BitTorrent downloads, logins, etc. work as usual. I made a shortcut for our local weather and now pull it up in the mornings by selecting the ZV channel and double-clicking the shortcut icon.
Last but not least, you can launch Windows Media Center and enjoy all its capabilities everywhere. My computer has a tuner and a cable box connected to it, so now I get Showtime and HBO on every TV in the house without having to pay for several cable boxes.
ZeeVee really brings web content into your living room and the experience is worth every penny.
Now a few answers for those who don't get it:
Q: Why not just use a cheap DVI cable?
A: If you have one TV in your living room and your living room doubles as your office (where your PC is), then yes, you can just connect the computer directly to the TV. For the rest of us, there's ZeeVee. The reality is that in a vast majority of homes, expensive TVs are nowhere near computers. Moreover, there are several TVs (living room, bedroom, exercise room). Running DVI cables to all these locations is expensive and time-consuming.
Q: Why can't I just use Apple TV and/or a media extender like Popcorn Hour?
A: You would need one Apple TV or media extender per each TV in your house. ZeeVee is cheaper and easier to install and configure. You don't have to worry if your media extender supports one codec or another. If your PC can play it, you can watch it on ZeeVee.
Works..but setup is just not easy.... August 16, 2008 7 out of 10 found this review helpful
First of all, I am very excited that after 2 hours of hard working I finally got it to work on one of my HDTV..
Pro: The concept is awesome and it does work. Con: Try to make it work takes a lot of patience and time... According to the manual, you supposed to know where your main cable comes in..and put a filter there... and here is my problem, my home is brand new and I have over 20 coax cables in the little cable box that corresponding to different wall plugs in the home, and I had to dig hard to find the one that actually comes from outside.... But now, I can't get it to work with my old 37' HDTV monitor. I bought a Samsung DTBH260F as an external tuner, hoping it would work with zeevee box, but no luck yet.....it would really suck if zeevee box can't work with those hold HDTV-ready monitors
Support is great by the way.
ZvBox August 13, 2008 4 out of 7 found this review helpful
What could I say, this product rocks. I got it fast and it was very easy to setup. Blu-ray and Hulu look great but there are few bugs with software. Also the support is excellent they have told me that they are working on a software fix and will be out soon.
Rakesh
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