Sorry can someone delete this or move it to the 990 forum.

I've been following new product releases at the CES and I'm interested in the new Boxee Box http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/hands-on-with-the-boxee-box/ (the Boxee Box has a HDMI output plus an optical out).

I have an older Toshiba rear projection HDTV which I have to use an outboard HD Tuner with. I have all audio/video ran directly to my 990 and then component is used from 990 to my tv.

Should I be able to hook up a Boxee Box to the 990 by using a HDMI to DVI cable (or adapter) plus optical between the two?

Would the 990 have any trouble switching to the Boxee Box and displaying through the component cable going to my tv?

Boxee's cabinet is pretty trippy, but there is no problem going HDMI-to-DVI and optical into the 990. The DVI input will not go to the component output, however, and if your TV doesn't have a DVI or HDMI input the Boxee is going to be a problem no matter what processor you are using. You'd need something like an HD Fury to get component output from the HDMI output.

Boy this is a huge disappointment I was really looking forward to the Boxee Box or something similar but I never realized I would be locked out from the internet since I have an older tv. I'm currently trying out the Boxee software and it's pretty neat!

I researched the HDFury and as near as I can tell it costs $200 for the HDFury2 and $300 for the HDFury3 just for one input. Dang kind of expensive since I would still need to buy the Boxee Box what I'd give to have a newer tv. Thanks for the info!

Looks like the cheapest I could find for the HDFury2 from a known vendor is $142 from MonoPrice .

One benefit of the 990's DVI switching is that you could actually use the HDFury2 with two HDMI sources (with the 990 between those sources and the TV). You'll need to have two component inputs on your TV to do this - one for the component output of the 990 (for all your analog video sources, including that outboard HD tuner) and one for the component output of the HDFury.

If you only have one HD-capable component input on your TV, you may still need to locate the HDFury in front of the 990, at which point it would only be able to serve multiple sources if you added a separate HDMI switch.

Gonk I thought it needed (was recommended) a separate supply that came with some versions does Monoprice include this?

I can't figure how one of these is hooked up (or in my case how I would) and what cables you would need, could you describe in detail?

Do you know anyone who has tried one of these?

I have two HD component inputs on my tv.

There is not a power supply provided, but it isn't clear if it is actually required or not. If you were to connect it downstream of the 990's DVI switching, it's possible that you'd need the AC adapter because the 990's passive switch probably cuts into the signal strength enough from the original source to start to starve the device. I haven't used one, but I know that some BDP-83 owners have (the HDMI input is the only one that is tied to the ABT2010 processor).

I think it comes with the VGA-to-component cable that plugs into the output and lets you connect to a component video input. You would then plug an HDMI cable into the other end of the device. The MonoPrice site has some good pictures of it.

While I'm not a fan of streaming video from the Internet (for quality reasons...the concept is nice), I do like the concept of having a device to play digital media.

I got one of these for $100.

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=734

For about $20 more, there's a version with ethernet if you're into streaming from the Interwebz.

Combined with a $100 1TB USB hard disk, I now have a fairly competent 1080P capable digital media jukebox with HDMI output for video and TOSlink out for audio. It will play mp3 audio, a whole slew of video formats, and is easy for my kids to use. I've been slowly ripping my DVD collection into high quality 1GB H.264 files so that I can store the originals out of harm's way and don't have to fumble through the physical media anymore. It took all of about 10 minutes to setup.

I am out of DVI inputs on my Outlaw 990 (which is why I'm going to replace it soon). So I defined one of the optical inputs on the 990 as the WDTV audio input and simply connected the WDTV's HDMI video output to one of the extra HDMI ports on my LCD screen. My Harmony remote deals with the video switching.

Highly recommended and VERY easy on the wallet.

Best,

Gonk I don't quite understand how you could use the HDFury2 with two HDMI sources since it only has one input?

So the Boxee Box would connect via HDMI to the 990 DVI input (with adapter), then from 990 DVI output (with adapter) you would run another HDMI cable into one side of the HDFury2 and then back out via component into my other tv component input. Does this seem right?

If above is correct then it sounds like all my analog equipment would continue to be switched by the 990 to the same tv component input as now but when I wanted to use the Boxee Box the 990 would switch to it but I would have to change the tv to the other component input.

Let's say you have two HDMI sources that you want to connect to your TV, even though it doesn't have an HDMI input. This could be a Boxee and a Blu-ray player, for example. You connect both sources to the 990 with HDMI-to-DVI cables (plus a digital audio cable or multichannel analog cables to handle the audio). Then you connect the DVI output from the 990 to the input of the HDFury2. The output of the HDFury2 then goes to the TV.

Yes.

Also correct. You would probably still have a component video output from the 990 that will carry all your analog sources, and you will have to switch between the two component inputs on the TV. At a minimum, you would have some sort of analog video output from the 990 so you could see the setup menu.

This whole concept is based on the idea that you have two HDMI sources. If you just have one, you can still retain the signal component video output from the 990 for all sources and connect the HDFury2 between the Boxee and the 990. As with many things, there's no one right answer - just lots of options available depending on your needs.

Ah I got it took awhile to get it through my thick head suddenly the price of the HDFury2 doesn't look as bad as it would give me different options of hooking it.

Using a internet source like the Boxee do you think there would be a big difference in signal quality comparing a HDFury2 to component setup vs a straight HDMI to HDMI setup?

If one hooked up a Blu-ray player using the HDFury2 setup would there be any difference over a straight component hookup or would it depend on which Blu-ray player you had?

I have an Oppo 970 would this benefit going through the HDFury2 compared to my straight component hookup I now use?

I wouldn't expect there to be an appreciable difference between HDMI-to-component and HDMI-to-HDMI connections.

The question with Blu-ray is somewhat dependent on the specific player. For any decent BD player and a Blu-ray disc, the differences are probably negligible comparing HDMI output via HDFury2 to component output - the HDFury2 isn't going to be a benefit, but odds are that it won't be a particular detriment either. It would be with DVD's that the situation changes: you can't scale DVD output to HD when you are using component output, so the best you get from the player via component is 480p. If the player has a really good deinterlacer and scaler (like the OPPO BDP-83), you may want to make use of its video processing. That's where the HDFury2 would be useful.

There is firmware available for the 970HD that will let you scale DVD's to 720p or 1080i via the component output. Because of that, I wouldn't bother pairing the 970HD with an HDFury2. Use that hacked firmware and let the player scale via component output.

Gonk didn't know about this I will try it if I can figure out the step by step instructions I currently have version 4A-0209. Anyway you could lay out the instructions in simpler terms?

I'll have to look back over it again - it's been a while since I looked at it, and the 970HD is the only player OPPO has built that I've never personally used. I'll see what i can do. I might even just cook up a hacked firmware that you can burn to CD and load like any other firmware update.

I meant to edit my post before you responded but I do remember reading that thread at some point but I can't remember if I tried that hack or not but if I did how would I know. Would the Oppo still show 4A-0209 before and after the hack?

If I cycle through the HDMI button on the remote I can cycle to 1080i and it shows Oppo startup screen on my tv screen plus it shows 1080i, would this confirm I already did the hack?

The only way to test if you have the hack installed is to load an encrypted DVD (any major commercial release) while the player is set to output 1080i, then see if theTV reports getting a 1080i input signal. If it gets a 1080i signal while the disc is playing, it is running hacked firmware.

Okay I have a commercial disc playing now and if I push HDMI button on the remote it says 1080i and will not let me change it to any other setting, is that what you mean? If not I guess I don't know how to see if I'm getting a 1080i signal.

You can only change resolution on the 970HD when disc playback is stopped. Since you're already set to 1080i, though, that's not a concern. Instead you need to figure out how to get your TV to tell you what input resolution it is seeing. If it says "480p" then you have the official firmware. If it says "1080i" then you have the hacked firmware.

I've looked back at the hack tool and have a firmware iso file that should be a hacked version of the latest 970HD public beta firmware (0209). If you want it, I can post it.

Edit: Went ahead and tossed it on my server. Hacked firmware iso file can be installed using standard instructions from OPPO's site. If you need software to burn an ISO file to disc, DVD Decrypter is small and easy to use.

Thanks Gonk for being so patient and explaining everything so thoroughly I've learned a lot. Here's my tv manual http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=57hx81 but I still don't see where it shows what input resolution the tv is seeing.

I'll just go ahead and install the hacked file you posted very much appreciated!

Last post but I've got to say you are the most helpful person on the net helping people with their A/V equipment and I sincerely mean that.

I skimmed the manual for your TV. It appears that there is no way to get it to tell you what the input resolution is. May as well just load the hacked firmware. Glad to help.