Why Boxee box is HDMI output only?

[M1ster_Happy]

You'll probably need something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Composite.../dp/B0047PDBP0

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HDMI-Composit...item3a62b73b5f

I assume this will do the HDCP handshake for you. It says it's only HDMI 1.2a compliant though... you may need something which will do 1.3.

Good luck, and let us know how you go.

[aaronwt]

Hello! anyone,

I've just bought a Boxee Box recenly. But, I have a few questions:

1. Do you know why the Boxee box is HDMI output only? ( I have a old Samsung LED TV which has only S-Video , Composite, component output. It don't have a "HDMI" input!

2.Is the "HDMI " output on the "Boxee box" is digital or analog?

3. Can I buy a "HDMI to Composite/S-video+Audio Converter" (click on the link) to converte the "HDMI" output on Boxee Box to "Composite "input on the TV? Will this work on the Boxee Box?

Please help me answer these questions! Thank you!

What kind of LED TV does not have HDMi inputs, or at least DVI inputs? Any TV using LEDs for lighting is fairly new and should have a digital input. Either HDMi or DVI.
Personally the last time I saw an HDTV without a digital input was in 2001. In 2002 they started putting DVI inputs on the HDTVs which will work with the Boxee Box, at least for video.
But any TV with LEDs in it should only be a few years old.

[Prospero424]

You'll probably need something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HDMI-Composit...item3a62b73b5f

I assume this will do the HDCP handshake for you. It says it's only HDMI 1.2a compliant though... you may need something which will do 1.3.

Yeah, and HDMI 1.2 can't do DTS-HD MA or TrueHD.

Also, there have been major compatibility and/or image quality problems with every single device like this I've seen people buy. Every once in a while someone will get lucky and it will perform as they expected with their particular devices, but it seems that more often than not they don't meet expectations.

Additionally, you'll see these sorts of HDMI-component boxes advertise HDCP passthrough with "HDCP downgrade". What this means is that it will downscale high-def, HDCP-protected source video to 480p when outputting over component. I find that unacceptable.

Anyway, just a warning. Caveat emptor on this stuff.

[nc1way]

I know the HDFury2 works at 1080i on the Boxee Box, HDMI in and HD Component out (no support for composite or s-video). However, you may suffer switching problems if your TV does not support 720p or 1080p since the Boxee Box/HDFury may select one of those as the default or when the system is re-powered. I've not had the latter problem with the Boxee Box (yet, while using it over the past week), but I've seen it happen with other HDMI sources.

Also, the HDFury2 does not support multi-channel audio, stereo only and it's routed through a TOSLINK output port on the HDFury itself. The HDFury2 is supposed to be a pretty solid device and it should work with most HDMI sources (even those with HDCP). However, these devices are not cheap, expect to pay between $100 and $200.

[tronbrain]

Hello! anyone,

I've just bought a Boxee Box recenly. But, I have a few questions:

1. Do you know why the Boxee box is HDMI output only? ( I have a old Samsung LED TV which has only S-Video , Composite, component output. It don't have a "HDMI" input!

2.Is the "HDMI " output on the "Boxee box" is digital or analog?

3. Can I buy a "HDMI to Composite/S-video+Audio Converter" (click on the link) to converte the "HDMI" output on Boxee Box to "Composite "input on the TV? Will this work on the Boxee Box?

Please help me answer these questions! Thank you!

There are a few reasons not to have included analog video outs on the Boxee Box. It simply made no sense to have analog video outs. It's complicated and requires additional silicon, a few extra connectors, some CPU overhead, additional licensing fees to content makers, additional Macrovision content protection schemes, etc., to make the digital-to-analog conversion happen. I estimate it would have added $30 to the price tag of the box and made it 2 inches bigger in every dimension.

They are looking to the future with this product, and analog video-out is quickly becoming obsolete. Analog video is going the way of the eight-track tape. It's similar to Apple's decision not to include a floppy drive with their iMacs back when the iMacs were first released.

Forget about doing an HDMI-to-analog conversion. You're just asking for a bunch of headaches resulting ultimately in failure. Your time and money is better spent on new hardware, in which case you would have 3 options: get an HDTV with HDMI inputs, get an Iomega Boxee NAS, which does have analog video outputs and is intended for people just like yourself (and is bigger and more expensive, and not available just yet), or build your own Boxee Home-theater PC with a video card with analog-out video (also bigger and more expensive). I believe the Acer Aspire Revo has a VGA output and could output a component signal with a cheap cable, though I'm no expert on this.

[mario552k]

If your TV doesnt have hdmi have you checked if it has DVI most of the older tvs that had only composite plugs came with the DVI input for a pc input. If you do the you have your connection all you would be required to get is the DVI to HDMI adapter and plug in the RCA jacks for sound.

[darcilicious]

If you do the you have your connection all you would be required to get is the DVI to HDMI adapter

Note that this doesn't work for everyone (search forum on DVI) -- so you might get lucky; or you might not.

[ZFW88788301]

Note that this doesn't work for everyone (search forum on DVI) -- so you might get lucky; or you might not.

Right,I tried this on my pc screen which has a DVI input , but this doesn't work on my pc screen with a HDMI to DVI adpater, Why? any idea?! Thanks!

[darcilicious]

It's not fully supported, chances are your DVI isn't HDCP (a form of DRM) compatible. Like I said, search the forum and you'll find a couple of threads with a ton of posts on this.

[ZFW88788301]

It's not fully supported, chances are your DVI isn't HDPC (a form of DRM) compatible. Like I said, search the forum and you'll find a couple of threads with a ton of posts on this.

Darcilicious, Thank you!