How to Compare & Choose a Media Extender

Is there a specific budget in place? Most of the time, the answer is yes. Thus, cost is usually a primary concern.

Between all of the extenders, the ThinClientV2 is the most cost effective extender. However, the other more expensive choices offer a built-in optical drive, faster performance, or HDMI 1.3 for 7.1 sound.

For example, vStreamer is an upgraded version of the ThinClientV2, offering faster performance, and HDMI 1.3.

Another important consideration is - where will you place the extender? If space is a big concern, consider the ultra-compact extenders:

- ThinClientV2 - Ultra Compact
  (1.5" x 7.4" x 7.4") [38 x 190 x 190mm]

- RoomClientV2 - Miniature Design
  (1.5" x 11.0" x 7.4") [38 x 280 x 187mm]

Both ThinClientV2 & RoomClientV2 include VESA mounting brackets, or they can also be mounted directly to a wall or TV with marine velcro. The external IR receiver can be placed strategically so the unit itself is hidden from view.

To enjoy 7.1 high definition, lossless audio formats like DTS-HD, DTS-Master Audio, and Dolby TrueHD & have it be decoded at your receiver or sound processor, HDMI1.3 is required.

Only the vStreamer & vPlayer have these options available. Alternatively, the ThinClientV2 & RoomClientV2 can support 7.1 LPCM, but note that the sound will be decoded & processed at the VidaBox, and thus, this is simply 7.1 audio, but not considered to be true bitstreaming.