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Best Movie Watching Experience Ever, Zappiti NAS + Zappiti Pro 4K HDR

by Kellen Fleener | Feb 3, 2021 | Amplifiers, Home Theater, Media Players

You finally get ‘Tenet’ or your favorite movie on a Ultra 4K Bluray disc. You can either pop it into your average player, or let the Zappiti NAS 4K Ripper do it’s magic. I vote the latter. If you are like many users out there, your mound of physical content is growing into mountains, you have looked at the Kaleidescape’s Strato player, but with only 10TB storage and a price tag of $6,000, there has to be a better solution…

Enter the Zappiti. Zappiti is quickly gaining traction in the A/V space for their phenomenal price points in affordability, top of the line build quality components, and simply making things, well… SIMPLE!

Zappiti Pro 4K HDR (EISA Best Product 2020-2021 Award Winner) offers on-board storage options up to, 32TB and is a variation of Zappiti’s flagship media streamer. If you are looking just to stream, there’s certainly tons of options; Roku; Apple TV, NVIDIA Sheild, Zappiti mini 4K, etc. But if you are wanting a premium option this is it. ISF certified, Magic Pixel v2.5 for upscaling/ sharpening, and includes all the high-end components in the video and audio side at a more affordable price than its competitors.

Priced at $995, this 16lbs beast, quickly puts those USB sticks and hockey-puck sized options in the dust. Let’s take a look at some specs:

● ISF Certification: The Zappiti Pro 4K HDR is certified ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) to get the best picture quality for viewing both UHD and Full HD 1080p contents.

● Dual HDMI: Use the second HDMI to separate audio and video for the best performances and enjoy the 4K HDR, while using an old-generation AV receiver or soundbar non-4K compatible. You can enjoy both HD sound and 4K HDR without having to replace your AV receiver or soundbar.

● Zappiti MagicPixel v2.5: Enjoy outstanding picture quality – far better than the previous generations – with improved dynamics, accuracy colorimetry, increased contrast, solid deinterlacing and better upscaling (up to 4K resolution). Even on a Full HD 1080p TV or a front projector, you will be astounded by the image of your display! 3D also offers better image depth and an impressive, immersive effect.

● HDR: Display your HDR video content, while also providing increased dynamic range on your HDR display (TV/projector).

● HDR Conversion: Convert your HDR video content into SDR to display it on your 1080p TV or projector.

● 10/12-Bit: Enjoy powerful 10/12-bit YUV hardware decoding for professional-quality video display and benefit from increased nuances.

● REC. 2020: Enjoy a wider color space for more saturated and richer colors.

● 4K 50/60p: Display your 4K 50p or 60p video content in 3840x2160p at 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

● Real Cinema: Advanced auto framerate detection compatible with all video frequencies (23.976 / 24 / 29.97 / 30 / 50 / 59.94 / 60 Hz).

● Up-Scaling 4K: Display your videos with an ultra-high quality upscaling Ultra HD 4K (3840×2160 and 4096×2160).

● Direct Output: Display your videos in their original resolution and frequency without scaling processing.

● 3D Video Support: Enjoy all your 3D movies files (3D BD ISO, MKV 3D MVC) in true Full HD quality (Frame Packing) when linked up to any 3D-enabled TV or front projector for enhanced depth and improved on-screen image detail (two times better resolution than 3D Side-by-Side or Top-Bottom) with 3D subtitle support. Many 3D settings available including: 3D image depth, 3D subtitle depth, 3D interface depth, manual reversal of left-right images.

● Network Player: Connect your Zappiti on your local network and enjoy your content from a PC/MAC or a NAS via SMB.

● SMB Server: Access the contents located on the internal hard drives of the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR (or a connected hard drive) from a computer connected via local network.

● MKV Player: Playback SD, HD and UHD video content in MKV and other modern video file containers and formats, including top quality HEVC/H.265 video codec with very high bit-rates > 400 Mbp/s.

● BD / UHD ISO: Display the DVD, Blu-ray and UHD menus and access to the additional contents, director’s cut or theatrical version, bonus and extras, bookmarks, etc. with seamless branching support.

● Dual HDD Rack Option with Hot Swap Function: Easily and quickly insert and exchange internal 3.5” SATA hard drives up to 32 TB (2x 16 TB).

● USB Ports: Conveniently connect HDDs, USB flash drives, USB card readers and other USB storage devices.

● Ports USB 3.0 and Type-C: Read or transfer your files in ultra high speed. Note: USB Type-C and USB 3.0 ports cannot be used simultaneously.

● Full Range of A/V Connectors: S/PDIF coaxial and optical audio output, audio analogue output (cinch), CVBS video analog output, HDMI 2.0a (Deep Color, xvYCC, 12 bits, and CEC), HDMI 1.4 (Audio Only).

● Multichannel home cinema audio: Bitstream up to 11.2.4, downmix stereo.

● Hi-Res Music Playback: Playback Hi-Res Audio quality (up to 24-bit / 192 kHz) music files in various formats (FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, WavPack, Monkey’s Audio APE, DTS, AC3, etc).

● Many Shortcuts and Advanced Playback Features:

– 1-9: direct playback access to 10 – 90%.

– Direct access to 1 min rewind and forward with dedicated button.

– Direct access to 10 sec. rewind and forward with dedicated button.

– Cursor down and up: Fast rewind and forward (up to x32).

– Dedicated button for STOP function.

● Playback Memory: Resume playback from the last position.

● Backlit Remote Control: High quality backlit remote control with convenient direct access and shortcuts, wide range (60° / 26 ft) and recordable buttons to control another device.

● Bluetooth 4.0: Connect your wireless devices via Bluetooth such as joysticks, headphones, connected speakers …

● Computer Mouse: Connect a computer mouse to control the player and Android Apps.

● Keyboard: Connect a keyboard and computer mouse to control third-party applications and more convenient text entry in Zappiti applications.

● Complete File Management System: copy, cut, past (multitasking), delete, rename.

● Zappiti Video Control: Control your Zappiti player with the virtual remote control via your tablet or smartphone.

● Open GUI: Add apps shortcuts to the home page.

● 6.5 Headphone Output: Connect your high fidelity headphone using the 6.5 mm headphone output.

● Hi-End R-Core Type Power Transformer: Top-quality power supply for ultra low audio/video noise.

● Hi-Fi Coaxal Output: The Zappiti Pro 4K HDR offers an ultra-high quality coaxial output that provides extremely high efficiency and transparent high fidelity sound up when using an external DAC. The coaxial output also provides lower jitter than the optical output.

● Zero Signal Output: Connect the Zappit to empty AV receiver connector to delete ground loop issues. Ground loops are a major cause of noise, hum, and interference in audio and video systems.

Now that you have your player in order, where do you get the media from to play the content back? Well, you can simply download the popular apps; Netflix, Prime Video, etc. But what about the disc you just bought. Well, this is where Zappiti completely changes the game. The Zappiti NAS RIP 4K HDR is essentially a computer, NAS system, and has a optical drive that lets you pop in that 4K disc, rips a 1:1 copy to a HDD drive that contains all of the disc contents. Starting menus, subtitles, virtually everything that is on the disc, is now on your NAS (Network Attached Storage) at the touch of your fingertips. Put the disc into the disc drive on the NAS unit, and 40min, each of your 4K movies can now all live together on the NAS so you don’t have to worry about changing discs on a blu-ray player. The NAS houses eight HDD bays up to 16TB in each. HDD’s sold separately.

That amount of storage allows up to: 8 x 16TB = 1,600 4K UHD Blu-rays / 3,200 Blu-rays / 19,200 DVDs / 192,000 CDs

This can also be your head unit for whole home audio, movie server for different areas of the home, as long as the NAS is up on the network and at least a Zappiti Mini 4K is hardwired, you can access and have all your movies in full bitrate playback. The software on-board is minimal but stunning, and can easily detect the movies that were just ripped, updating them with their appropriate cover art, Rotten Tomatoes rating, audio and video formatting and runtime, quick movie summary. Giving the user a clean, quick look into the content they are about to enjoy but will surely impress friends and family with the premium movie theater feel.

Give us a call today to get that low price guarantee and nationwide free shipping on all of the current and new Zappiti products!

https://www.zappiti.com/zappiti-pro-4k-hdr

https://www.zappiti.com/zappiti-nas-4k-hdr

AudioControl Savoy G4

by Chris Mata | Nov 26, 2020 | Amplifiers, Resources, Whole House Audio

At first glance the AudioControl lineup of amplifiers is too good to be true. It’s 230 watts per channel at 8ohms and 300 at 4 ohms. All this without any of the heat and made here in the USA!? Even from a quick unboxing you can realize the fantastic build quality and attention to detail that went into this unit. I’mgoing to give you guys the quick and dirty on the AudioControlSavoy G4 Power amplifier.

Let’s start with the unboxing experience. First, even getting this into your house, you’ll notice the raw weight of this amp. As in old school electronics, usually the heavier the unit is translatesinto better-quality components. Once you start cutting the tape and getting into the box, you’ll notice little quirky sayings or jokes on the box. This is refreshing because usually you do notsee anything like this from other companies. I think AudioControls made in Washington, USA spirit shines through. The unit is double boxed to protect your investment. In the box you get a thick power cable, a tank of an amplifier, two empty boxes for your kids to make racecars out of and the owner’s manual. The jokes and spirit of AudioControl don’t stop at the box. The owner’s manual has little jokes, references and dance moves tutorials that brightens up your amplifier experience. Now that its unboxed let’s talk about this unit.

The AudioControl Savoy is a 7 channel beast of an amplifier. This is a 3U sized amplifier that weighs in at 43 pounds. You get 7 channels by 230 at 8 ohms and 300 by 7 at 4 ohms. You can bridge this amp Mono into a 600 watts at 8 ohms too. Do it, I dare you. All of this power and accomplished at a very low total Harmonic distortion (THD). It has all that horsepower without the unwanted heat. This is a Class H amplifier and unlike the class A A/B amps this is a much cooler operating solution if you have limited ventilation to the amp. The amp also has anti-clipping technology built in. If you are not familiar with clipping, its bad news for speakers and amplifiers. Your signal is a sine wave. Once the signal starts flattening the peaks of that sine wave you are into clipping. This causes audible distortion in your speakers and can cause irreversible damage to the tweeters first and then to the drivers with time. Clipping isn’t ideal for amps either, so It stands to reason to have a safety measures in place when you want to blast the tunes through your system. The AudioControl amplifiers have LightDrive anti-clipping circuitry. This makes sure your Speakers and amplifier are protected and will perform perfectly and distortion free every time you fire it up. You have triggers ins and outs to turn the amp on when your processor or AVR comes on. Another cool feature is that you have a ground isolation switch. This helps if you have pesky ground loop problems like a hum coming from your speakers. This Switch has 3 positions that will help get rid of unwanted hum or grounding noises. The only other thing that is specifically unique to this amp are the 7 individual level controls to boost or cut your speaker gain. Unless you are advanced in-home audio calibration, I would leave these in the standard 3 to 9 position or east and west. Things can get dicey quick if you don’t know what you are doing. All of these quick points round how the AudioControl power amplifiers are different from the rest.

Build quality is amplifier is top notch. The tolerances on the chassis are tight and fit as they should. All faces are coated in a nice black finish. The rear is the opposite with a white panel and black print. All of the lighting on the amplifier are a stunning blue LEDs from the indicator lights to the thin blue line on the front panel. The unbalanced connections are sturdy and have no wiggle room like I have seen from other amplifiers. You also have passthrough on each channel on the unbalanced connection allowing flexibility on how you connect your system. The balanced connections fit my Amphenol connectors nice and tight with a positive stopping point and solid connection. The 5-way binding posts are very satisfying visually as well as its strong seat to banana plugs. These binding posts don’t have the usual wiggle you see in other amplifiers too.

The amp performs flawlessly. I have heard Class A, Class A/B,Class D, Class G, and Class H amplifiers. I am a big fan of a neutral tone instead of inherent voicing that certain class amplifiers induce on the sounds amplified. The AudioControlSavoy is no different. Its very close to neutral in its sound recreation allowing the music and sound effects to be heard as the audio engineer intended. Personally, I am using this in my home theater for a heights amplifier. As you know a 6 channelamplifier with a decent amount of umpf is a tall order. There are not many choices out here in the 6-7 channel arena. This AudioControl Savoy G4 fits the position perfectly. You would be just as well using this for your 7.0 non atmos speakers and it can do so without the strained effort. Going “separates” as most people call it, is an easy way to boost the performance of your home theater system. I went to separates for the front stage when I had a polular AVR for the front stage. This takes the heavy lifting off your AVR and gives the bulk of the dialogue and effects delivering a clearer and more detailed sound stage. If you haven’t tried this yet, then I highly recommend it. If you are a madman, you can repurpose the Savoy G4 for monoblock use.You can grab two for a serious critical listening Hifi system. If 7 channels are too much then I would look into the 5 Channel Pantages or even the 4/3/2 channel Avalon from AudioControl. These amps serve to give you all the benefits of the savoy like I discussed today but in smaller amplification packages that will help best fit your system.

I was introduced to AudioControl about a year ago at CEDIA and as I get my hands on these, the more I have a respect and admiration for the brand. The made in America vibe is strong with this amplifier from the quirks in the owner’s manual to the “Yes, Mr. Wayne, it does comes in black” chassis. I’m excited to start reviewing the Pantages and Avalon like I previously mentioned. I’m sure you will see all of AudioControls lineup reviewed here in print sooner than later. Buy with confidence guys. These are the real deal.

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Best Movie Watching Experience Ever, Zappiti NAS + Zappiti Pro 4K HDR

AudioControl Savoy G4

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Best Movie Watching Experience Ever, Zappiti NAS + Zappiti Pro 4K HDR

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