Snazio NetCinema HD Player SZ1350

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. The Package
3. Setting up the player
4. Menus
5. Firmware update
6. Video Settings/Hacks
7. Connecting with PC
8. Wireless Connection
9. The Tests - Disc compatibility
10. Playback Tests - Page 1
11. Playback Tests - Page 2
12. Playback Tests - Page 3
13. Playback Tests - Page 4
14. Playback Tests - Page 5
15. Conclusion

Mpeg Video Formats (.mpeg)

Format	Information	Resolution	Bitrate	Playback
Mpeg1 (.MPG)	VCD Compliant	352x240	1152Kbit	Yes
	VCD Compliant	352x288	1152Kbit
	XVCD	352x288	1500Kbit
	XVCD	352x288	2000Kbit
	Out of specs	640x480	1200Kbit	Yes
Mpeg2 (.MPG)	-	720x480	2713Kbit	Yes
	AC3 Sound	720x576	9800Kbit
	SVCD	480x576	2519Kbit
Mpeg2 (.M2V)	Compliant Test Stream	352x288	1.5Mbit	Yes
		704x576	4Mbit
			6Mbit
			8Mbit
			12Mbit
			18Mbit	No
			40Mbit	No
Mpeg2-TS (.TS)	5.1 Surround sound	1920x1080	12Mbit	Yes

The bitrate check showed that the EM8620L chipset is able to decode Video streams at up to a bitrate of 12Mbit. There are hints, that the chipset can reach 15Mbit. Mpeg2-TS files didn't present a problem, either at 1280x720 or 1920x1080 resolutions.

Windows Media Video Video Files (.wmv)

Format	Information	Resolution	Bitrate	Playback
WMV (.WMV)	Windows Media Player 10 Digital Life Clip	320x180	300Kbit	Only sound was available no video
WMV (.WMV)	Windows Media Player 10 Striker Clip	320x180	300Kbit	Only sound was available no video
WMV HD DRM (.WMV)	Underworld Extended Cut European Edition	1280x544	9Mbit	Yes, need to follow specific procedure
WMV HD (.WMV)	The Magic Of Flight Clip	1280x720	6Mbit	Yes
WMV HD (.WMV)	The Magic Of Flight Clip	1920x1080	9Mbit	Yes
WMA Pro 5.1 (.WMV)	Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer Videoclip	240x192	466Kbit	Only sound was available no video

The player has been advertised as WMV9 compatible and our tests showed it can playback WMV HD content without any problems. Using several clips, either from Microsoft or movie trailers, didn't cause problems for the SZ1350. However, low resolution (320x180) WMV9 clips, had only sound and no video, which is a bug. On the other hand, playing DRM files, requires several additional steps. After performing these steps, we were able to play back DRM protected material with the SZ1350A.