EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD - Product usage FAQs

1. If I start my screensaver program on my PC while using the PC Access feature, will this display on the EVA8000?

The PC Access feature shows the PC screen, but it's like a remote access application - it doesn't do full video. So while your screen saver will show, any animations will not look good. This feature is really designed for checking e-mail quickly or some basic web browsing.

2. Do you know what third-party multimedia servers will work with the EVA8000?

The EVA8000 can access your PC, Mac, Linux or NAS servers directly. The EVA8000 doesn't require ANY UPnP server (except for DRM content) and we recommend that you do not use UPnP, since this will be slower and make several features not work as well.

3. Does the EVA8000 require a windows pc to stream media files from?

The EVA8000 can play directly through SMB/CIFS – so no PC needed.

4. What features require that the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer software is running on a PC?

The following features require the Digital Entertainer software to be running on a PC:

• YouTube playback
• EPG / TV Tuner recording
• On-TV PC Access for web browsing
• iTunes and other DRM protected file playback

5. Does the VOB file support in the EVA8000 support ISO/Menu structured playback? 

Yes, the EVA8000 can play ISO or IFO structured files. While DVD style “menus” won’t play all the content can be accessed, and each IFO or ISO will only be shown once in the media list. Also, the EVA8000 can only playback ISO/IFO/VOBs which are not CSS protected.

6. When playing a VOB format media file, is there an easy way to change subtitles and audio, like a DVD-player audio or subtitle button?

Yes. You can press the “Menu” key and select the subtitle, audio or chapter from the on-screen menu.

7. On the EVA8000, is everything upconverted when choosing a 1080i or p output?

Yes

8. Within the EVA8000 menus, are there any color balance or black/white level controls?

No, these settings are controlled on the TV.

9. Can output occur on more than one interface at a time? (Example: HDMI and Component)

The EVA8000 is not designed to drive simultaneous outputs.

10. Does the EVA8000 get very hot? What are the requirements for ventilation?

No, the EVA8000 does not get very hot, though it is recommended that it have decent ventilation, since like any piece of electronics it will build up heat over time.

11. Is there an sdk that we could use to extend the capabilities of this EVA8000?

No SDK at this time.

12. Where is the GPL code for the TV Tuner scheduling feature located?

The GPL code is on our GPL page.

13. On the EVA8000, what are the limitations to the devices that can be recognized by the USB connector?

The USB connection only works with USB Storage devices that DO NOT have an internal USB hub. The file formats recognized are FAT, FAT32, NTFS, MacOS X (HFS+, not older HFS), and ext2/3 formatted drives.

14. Can the EVA8000 user interface be modified (changing skins etc.)?

Not at this time.

15. Are there any limitations to the number of source servers that I can draw files from?

As long as all of the media servers/shares are on the same subnet there should not be a limit. (Note: The more shares available the longer the scanning time for file updates)  At present we have tested with over 40 servers/shares.

16. Is it possible for the EVA8000 to access media files that are stored on a NAS (such as SC101T or other) on the network?

Yes, the EVA8000 can access NAS devices directly. (Note: The SC101 is not a NAS it is a SAN, and requires specialized drivers which the EVA8000 does not have at this point. So to access an SC101T you must share this drive from a PC or Mac which has SC101T drivers.)

17. Is there anyway to use a keyboard with the EVA8000 to enter text for web surfing?

Not currently.

18. What are the current video formats the EVA8000 supports?

Currently the EVA 8000 supports the following container formats: AVI, DivX, Xvid WMV, MOV, VOB, MPG, MP1, MP2, MP4, ISO, IFO, M4V

19. What online content does the EVA8000 currently supported?

Current online sources are internet radio, YouTube and Flickr

20. On the EVA8000, is there cover art support for both Video and Audio files? What about text descriptions for the files and how are they presented in the user interface?

Yes cover art and descriptions are available and we provide a tool to modify/add cover art which works with .mpg (ID3), .avi, .wmv, .mp4, .mov, wma, flac and a few other container / tag formats.

21. What scaling capabilities does the EVA8000 have?

Any video is scaled to the default for your display (whatever you set it to).  The aspect ratio is changeable on the fly (hit zoom key), and you can zoom in/out on the video itself with Pg+/- and pan using the arrow keys.

22. What video CODECs does the EVA8000 supports?

MP1/2/4, Xvid, VC-1/WMV-9, H.264, OpenDivX all to 1080p

23. Does the EVA8000 support WEP Shared-Key Authentication?

No, currently the EVA doesn’t support WEP Shared-Key Authentication so you will need to choose Open System Authentication when using WEP.

24. Whenever I play videos from the EVA8000 to my TV I hear a low buzz or hiss from the TV speakers, what causes this and how can I fix it?

One possible cause is the TV and the EVA8000 are on two different ground planes, which can cause the hissing sound through the speakers. To correct this purchase a power strip with a surge suppressor and plug both the TV and the EVA8000 into this strip. Both devices will now be using the same ground plane and the hissing or buzzing should go away.

25. How do I move the EVA8000 data save location?

The EVA8000 uses a network share or USB drive to store some of its settings. This location is user definable and is normally configured during setup. This location can be changed to a different location at any time by choosing the following from the Home menu: More > Supervisor functions > Advanced settings > Media library management > Data save location.

After changing this location copy all the data from the original location into the new location. Reboot the unit.

26. Why is there a discrepancy between elapsed time and the given duration of a song when looking at MP3 audio files?

When browsing a song, the UI shows a different length compared to what is shown on the Now Playing screen. This is due to the audio browser showing the song length that was read from the audio file’s ID3 tag data. The Now Playing screen actually calculates the duration of the song.

27. Why do some internet radio stations only play audio through the stereo outputs and not the digital outputs?

Many audio receivers do not support digital audio below 96Kbps, so the workaround is for the user to connect the analog audio outputs of the EVA8000 to the analog inputs of their receiver. Switch the audio receiver to this input when listening to low bitrate audio.

n101671..asp Apr 24, 2007