NeoDigits Helios X5000   

By Alex Kidman, CNET.com.au
Jan 11, 2007

With the growing popularity of home networking and media sharing, scores of streaming devices have surfaced in recent years. While most are introduced by traditional computing-based companies such as D-Link and Netgear, growing competition has been brewing from their consumer electronics counterparts. Among these is NeoDigit, a Hong Kong-based new face and its promising Helios X5000 HD media streamer.

Loaded with audiophile-grade components and a highly sought-after 1080p HDMI playback, this streamer is way ahead of the competition in terms of build and capability. Will the X5000 be the ultimate HD streamer for the performance-conscious? Read on for our indepth analysis of this beefy and mean-looking concoction.

Design
The X5000 has a solid look to it, and it should--it's a solid enclosure in black metal with solid lines and absolutely nothing in the way of smoothed edges or fancy-schmancy glowing doodads. That's something of a double-edged design decision, however, as while it looks the part of a high-end A/V equipment, there are also some rather rough edges and a feel that makes it seem a little on the cheap side in terms of build quality. As an example, there's a USB port on the side of the X5000 that allows it to stream compatible media from USB drives, but it's basically just a rough hole that's been cut out of the metal. The other problem with this particular port is that if you choose to put the X5000 in an A/V cabinet along with your other equipment, you probably won't be able to access it, unless you've a gap in your cabinet at the side. There is a secondary USB port, but it's at the back of the X5000 next to the heat sink, where it's both hot and hard to reach.

The front of the X5000 has the same simple display style that some will love and some will loathe, with buttons only for simple playback functions as well as a somewhat clicky power button. Every other function of the X5000 is based around its remote, which is a weird beast on its own. Basic functions are mapped in rather illogical places. There's no size difference in the play/pause/stop buttons, while the DVD menu button is on a rocker along with the display button, and we've no idea why.

The rear of the X5000 houses just about every connection interface you're likely to need, with the exception of DVI. What you do get is HDMI, component-video, S-video and composite connections for video, as well as optical, coaxial and analog audio outputs, all of which are clearly labeled.

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