ZBOX ID41 overall graphics problems

#1 AlbertCrona

n00b

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Joined: 15-November 11

Posted 15 November 2011 - 12:38 PM

Hi all. I'm somewhat of a newbie so bare with me.

System
ZBOX HD-ID41, 2GB memory, NVIDIA ION
Windows 7 32-bit (lean, no bloatware, with AVG Free as anti virus).
Running Google Chrome in the tests below
Connected through HDMI to LCD TV (if that matters)
Bluetooth keyboard/mouse

My issue is that the general graphics performance is really bad.

For example:
-Issues with 1080p movies (more or less sorted out from reading through this: Zbox ID41 - Problems with HD movies)
-Watching youtube and other flash media
-Lagging when scrolling through a webpage (for example holding the down arrow through www.gp.se (my local newspaper))
-Just found out: llagging when going through the above text with the text marker (holding down left or right button).

If anyone would have any clue, please share your tips and tricks!

#2 ForceFedFlesh

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Gender:Male
Location:Buffalo, New York

Posted 15 November 2011 - 03:23 PM

You have to realize if you plan on streaming that you really cant have nothing else opened at all, These machines are meant to user very little hardware to do the job, I have a zbox hd id 11 u and streaming is not all that great with other programs open but alone at full screen and not moving the mouse I get good playback.

Also just the sound of it, 2gb does not seem enough 4gb would be great, but id keep that 2gb around incase you have not updated ur bios, I didnt when I got my zbox and had to use my laptop memory to allow me to boot up my zbox to install new bios to let it boot with new memory.

Also most these machines are usually ran with Linux based OS for only media streaming, no real windows function just stream and usb HDD for files

Hopefully one of zotac tech support can contact you about it.

Your #1 Zotac fan.
Will help if I can to any user on forums
Rep Points appreciated =)

Thankyou for choosing Zotac as your computer hardware Manufacturer.

#3 evoxx

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Joined: 22-November 11

Posted 23 November 2011 - 08:09 PM

hi albert i have the same zbox with 2gb memory and a 250 hd,i also have w7 32bit with avgfree.
i have xmbc installed wich i use to watch mkv's 720p and 1080p.i play them from my hd or from a usb cos the network adapter(atheros 9285) is to slow to stream that kind of media.first of all make sure you have all the latest drivers installed,also install the K-lite codec pack,then see what happend when you play a 1080p movie from the hd,it should play without any problem.

evoxx.

#4 recluce

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Joined: 12-July 11

Posted 28 December 2011 - 11:07 AM

AlbertCrona, on 15 November 2011 - 12:38 PM, said:

I realize this is a late answer, but maybe it helps:

Did you install a dedicated NVidia graphics driver? Windows 7 seems to support the graphics on your system out of the box, but the stock driver does a very poor job.

The real solution may not be what you want to hear: run a light-weight Linux distribution on your box and the problems will go away. I use Xubuntu (Ubuntu with light-weight XFCE desktop manager) - here are my results:

-1080p movies run fine on XBMC (even on Linux, you have to fiddle with some adjustments)
- flash movies (youtube and others), even HD, run fine (in Opera, I do not use Chrome)
- alternatively, youtube runs fine from the XBMC plug-in
- no lagging when scrolling, anything and anywhere
- very low CPU load

System: ZBox ID-41 with 2 GB RAM, Xubuntu 11.04, NVidia proprietary drivers, XBMC, Opera. Connected to Pioneer Plasma through HDMI at 1080p.

Note that stock Ubuntu was to heavy on resources, too (Unity or Gnome - tearing issues). A good starting point for non-Linux users might be OpenELEC - you can run this from a Live CD (or USB key) or install it to disk.