Echo & Android Update

Talk with fellow members about Ceton's Media Center Extender.
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Ceton no longer participate in this forum. Official support may still be handled via the Ceton Ticket system.
lucidrenegade

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#61

Post by lucidrenegade » Sat Aug 31, 2013 3:56 pm

TheOsburnFamil wrote:So-- to replace my whole-house DVR system that's a headless XBox360 setup using 5 Xboxes... would take this:

TiVo Mini - $99.99 + $149.99 for lifetime
TiVo Roamio Pro - $599.99 + $499.99 for lifetime

4 TiVo Mini's w/Lifetime = $999.92
TiVo Roamio Pro - $1099.98
Total = $2,099.90

The three main "apps" I use today that force me to use XBoxLiveGold (we don't game online) are Netflix, AmazonPrime, HBOGo.

With the changes to XBoxLive Gold - I'll need 5 individual gold memberships each year . It would take me 8 years to offset those costs.

In short-- there's NO GOOD REPLACEMENT for a true Extender system. Even with everything being equal, the Win7 MS MCE/Xbox experience is still the only good option for CableCARD. I will however be purchasing a bunch of Roku's (or something like them) to I don't have to keep paying for the Xbox Live Gold.

I'll be forced to stick with my current Headless MediaCenter Server and 5 Extenders for the foreseeable future.
Supposedly you can stream Netflix on the Tivo Mini now. Hopefully Amazon Prime and HBOGo will follow now that their new HTML5 infrastructure is in place.

Shackleford

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#62

Post by Shackleford » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:14 pm

I have no interest in android, I have dozens of devices that will give me video streaming. What I need is a rock solid extender. I'll pick up some chromecast dongles when my live gold expires. The only thing I expected from android on the echo was more problems.

lithium630

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#63

Post by lithium630 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:32 pm

Shackleford wrote:I have no interest in android, I have dozens of devices that will give me video streaming. What I need is a rock solid extender. I'll pick up some chromecast dongles when my live gold expires. The only thing I expected from android on the echo was more problems.

I already had very solid extenders. The 360 slim does media center perfectly. I don't want multiple boxes. One extender that could do recorded tv and streaming would have been great.

adam1991

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#64

Post by adam1991 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:38 pm

acraigl wrote:I was a beta tester and purchased it before there was ever any mention of Android. Yes, the the tease-and-yank stings, but it's not why I purchased (though it may be for some, I'd wager).

My beef is that it does nothing more (and in some ways less) than my circa 2007 Linksys DMA2100, which I was hoping to replace. Android would have added real value, but alas, not to be. Ceton should be embarrassed that all this time, R&D and customer woes were invested to produce a smaller DMA2100. If that's all 7 years of technology can produce, I'd say the ROI was pretty poor.

Very sad.
So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.

adam1991

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#65

Post by adam1991 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:42 pm

TheOsburnFamil wrote:So-- to replace my whole-house DVR system that's a headless XBox360 setup using 5 Xboxes... would take this:

TiVo Mini - $99.99 + $149.99 for lifetime
TiVo Roamio Pro - $599.99 + $499.99 for lifetime

4 TiVo Mini's w/Lifetime = $999.92
TiVo Roamio Pro - $1099.98
Total = $2,099.90
You forgot the cost of the extra computer required to (a) suck the shows from the Tivo, and (b) run commercial elimination from then, and (c) send them back to the Tivo (with what you hope is the correct bits of the program cut out).

Then there's the soft cost involved in that--that is, the inability to watch TV shows without commercials on any sort of a real-time basis.

Haba

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#66

Post by Haba » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:51 pm

ajhieb wrote:
Bill wrote:Hopefully they have something else up their sleeve.
What sort of masochist are you?

I don't want them to have anything else up their sleeve. I don't want any more diversions. I don't want any more distractions. I don't want any more flights of fancy. I never wanted Android in the first place. I don't want it to run iOS, OSX, OS/2, ubunto, DR DOS, BEOS, or whatever OS they used in every 80's "hacker" movie that turned everything into crappy wireframe models. I just want something that's as good as my 360s, that's as stable as my 360s and that plays all the same media as my 360s without having to spend a few thousand hours compressing my movie collection.

A previous poster hit the nail on the head... they were too caught up with the "low power" idea, and ended up under-powering the device. Well, my Echos are using remarkably little power... 0 watts sitting in the drawer.
I understand Echo owners are upset with Ceton. Obviously, they made a lot of mistakes as they tried to bring something special to the market. While it did not work out, I still want to see the company stay alive and continue to support WMC. Being one of the few companies that produces WMC products, it would be a great loss if they went out of business. Hopefully, they will somehow make it right with current Echo owners. Going forward Ceton MUST fix bugs and stabilize the firmware on the Echo. I agree 100% with ajhieb in that the Echo if possible with firmware updates to have all the abilities and the rock solid stability that the Xbox 360 brings to the table. I and I suspect many others would not even consider replacing our Xbox 360s extenders with the Echo until this happens.

warpster

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#67

Post by warpster » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:54 pm

Well I was one of the idiots that fell for the crap lies that Ceton spewed out right before the return period ended. I feel cheated and I want my money back, the experiment is over it is time to fess up Ceton. Where do I go to start the return process?

Ceton you OWE everyone here a thorough explanation and a timeline for when the outstanding issues WILL be fixed! Now that your little experiment is over it is time to become adults and get back to the job of fixing the crap you sold everyone!

acraigl

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#68

Post by acraigl » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:18 pm

adam1991 wrote:
acraigl wrote:I was a beta tester and purchased it before there was ever any mention of Android. Yes, the the tease-and-yank stings, but it's not why I purchased (though it may be for some, I'd wager).

My beef is that it does nothing more (and in some ways less) than my circa 2007 Linksys DMA2100, which I was hoping to replace. Android would have added real value, but alas, not to be. Ceton should be embarrassed that all this time, R&D and customer woes were invested to produce a smaller DMA2100. If that's all 7 years of technology can produce, I'd say the ROI was pretty poor.

Very sad.
So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.
Seriously? No advantage over tech that is 7 years old and you're satisfied? You gotta be kidding! Hope you're enjoying WebTV.
Besides, my DMA's are working fine. If parity was the expectation, I'd be $179 dollars richer and have less frustration. And parity took a while.

lithium630

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#69

Post by lithium630 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:21 pm

warpster wrote:Well I was one of the idiots that fell for the crap lies that Ceton spewed out right before the return period ended. I feel cheated and I want my money back, the experiment is over it is time to fess up Ceton. Where do I go to start the return process?

Ceton you OWE everyone here a thorough explanation and a timeline for when the outstanding issues WILL be fixed! Now that your little experiment is over it is time to become adults and get back to the job of fixing the crap you sold everyone!
I'm not happy at all, but I don't think anyone intentionally lied. This sucks for Ceton too and will probably cost them a lot of money. I almost bought several more during the last sale. Soooo glad I didn't.

Biggen

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#70

Post by Biggen » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:26 pm

acraigl wrote: So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.
You're kidding right? The Xbox costs less and has loads more content available that this "cute" Echo would ever dream of having. Plus, it works out of the box unlike the Echo.

I have been saying it for 10 months now. If the Echo was sub $99 then it would be something worth looking at. As it is, it was waaaay to expensive for what it is (and that isn't anything really that a 360 isn't!).

acraigl

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#71

Post by acraigl » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:28 pm

Biggen wrote:
acraigl wrote: So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.
You're kidding right? The Xbox costs less and has loads more content available that this "cute" Echo would ever dream of having. Plus, it works out of the box unlike the Echo.

I have been saying it for 10 months now. If the Echo was sub $99 then it would be something worth looking at. As it is, it was waaaay to expensive for what it is (and that isn't anything really that a 360 isn't!).
ahem... [adam1991 wrote]

ajhieb

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#72

Post by ajhieb » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:31 pm

adam1991 wrote:So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.
"So what Ceton brought to the table was the only brand new extender that one could buy?"
That makes sense. It's utterly false, but if it were true, at least it would have been a good argument.

"So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?"
..is just stupid, since the X-Box is a viable alternative right now.

What Ceton is doing is trying to keep WMC alive, despite Microsoft's best efforts to leave it for dead. I appreciate that. But just because their goal is something I approve of doesn't mean I have to like everything they do. And what they've done with the Echo is an embarrassment.

Sammy2

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#73

Post by Sammy2 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:34 pm

Although it is apparent that the echo will never playback all my media, mine still does a fantastic job as a basic WMC extender. I am on the fence about what to do for the other locations I would like to have and extender.. Should I build a NUC or HTPC, or get a slim, or even another echo? With another HTPC I can playback every thing but recorded copy once programing as a whole home solution using the Prime as a tuner. With the slim I can play back those copy once programs but am limited on other content. With another echo I get small and lightweight but still am limited on what I can play back. I really don't foresee playing an mkv in the bedroom because that is why I have an HT so I may just go with another echo or two but at this point I feel $179 or even the $159 beta tester price is a bit too high unless I can find a way to load the android f/w on it without making it a brick.

mldenison

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#74

Post by mldenison » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:53 pm

So, which model of X-Box would be the cheapest alternative to the Echo?

ajhieb

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#75

Post by ajhieb » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:17 pm

mldenison wrote:So, which model of X-Box would be the cheapest alternative to the Echo?
XBox Slim, stripped down, if you're looking for a new device.

You can pick up a used Arcade (hotter and louder) used for next to nothing if used is okay.

Or you can hold your breath and see what comes first... a stable Echo, or an XBox Lite.

soccerdad

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#76

Post by soccerdad » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:50 pm

Some have been saying Ceton is the only company supporting WMC. Actually Hauppauge and Silicon Dust do a really good job of supplying hardware that works. no, they don't have extenders, but at this time, with the price point of the Echo, neither does Ceton....

I hate it for Ceton, but I just don't get why they even put it out there that they were developing Android. The only plausible explanation is that they were trying to keep the hook in people and not get a bunch of them back. In that way, they really cheated people. The honest thing to do would have been to keep their mouths shut, take their lump (and returns) and move on. IF they could have delivered, there would have been a lot of positive excitement and people would have said "wow, where did this come from". The way they handled it, the best that could have happened would have been that people would have said, "well its about time..." Now we are saying "WTF???" We were lied to (or at least terribly misled) just to keep them from getting some back during the return period. Hopefully Silicon Dust is working on something back in their labs. (wishful thinking I know) Obviously they understand CableCards and networking as well.

My Echo works for the basic stuff. It is not a brick, but it is a bad taste in my mouth. I am glad that Hauppauge and Silicon Dust are still players. I am not sure how long Ceton will be. And why is it again that we have special Ceton boards on TGB?

adam1991

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#77

Post by adam1991 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:25 pm

acraigl wrote:Seriously? No advantage over tech that is 7 years old and you're satisfied? You gotta be kidding! Hope you're enjoying WebTV.
Besides, my DMA's are working fine. If parity was the expectation, I'd be $179 dollars richer and have less frustration. And parity took a while.
Given that WMC hasn't changed a bit over the last 7 years, then having an extender that hasn't changed isn't a big deal at all.

Your DMAs are working fine; others might want to buy DMAs but can't. But they can buy an Echo...

adam1991

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#78

Post by adam1991 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:30 pm

ajhieb wrote:
adam1991 wrote:So, your choice out on the open market today is either a DMA2100 or its twin brother from another mother, the Ceton Echo?

Oh, wait--you can't buy a DMA2100 new anymore. Haven't been able to do so for a long time.

So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?

Not sad at all.
"So what Ceton brought to the table was the only brand new extender that one could buy?"
That makes sense. It's utterly false, but if it were true, at least it would have been a good argument.
Then it's a good thing nobody said it.

Why, if no one said it, did you put quotes around it as if you're quoting someone?

Nobody said, ""So what Ceton brought to the table was the only brand new extender that one could buy?".


ajhieb wrote:"So what Ceton brought to the table was a brand new non-XBox extender that one could buy?"
..is just stupid, since the X-Box is a viable alternative right now.
It's factual. How does your argument make the fact "stupid"? You seem to be saying, "Since Ford is a viable alternative right now, Chevy being on the market is stupid." And you know what that is? Stupid.

ajhieb

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#79

Post by ajhieb » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:31 pm

adam1991 wrote:
acraigl wrote:Seriously? No advantage over tech that is 7 years old and you're satisfied? You gotta be kidding! Hope you're enjoying WebTV.
Besides, my DMA's are working fine. If parity was the expectation, I'd be $179 dollars richer and have less frustration. And parity took a while.
Given that WMC hasn't changed a bit over the last 7 years, then having an extender that hasn't changed isn't a big deal at all.

Your DMAs are working fine; others might want to buy DMAs but can't. But they can buy an Echo...
They can also buy a 360. That works a lot better. Don't forget the 360. You seem to always ignore the 360. What I'm trying to say is, the 360 is also a viable alternative too.

kingwr

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#80

Post by kingwr » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:32 pm

Motz wrote:We’ll continue to sell and support Echo as a Media Center Extender...
Does that mean Ceton will continue to sell Echo just until their current stock runs out? Then what? I can't imagine they would order more units with the same hardware limitation(s)!

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