KyLinTV 2.0 HD IPTV Set-top box Hardware Review

Anybody familiar with KyLinTV probably remembers the old set-top boxes. They were ugly, yellow beasts that looked terrible sitting next to a TV. This does not even mention the many problems faced by the older technology that was inside of the old boxes.

Old KyLinTV Set-top Box

KyLinTV 2.0 Set-top Box

Fortunately, KyLinTV 2.0 has gone a totally new route with a clean, glossy white and matte gray mesh box resembling an Apple TV in appearance.

KyLinTV 2.0 Front View

KyLinTV 2.0 Front Indicator Lights

KyLinTV 2.0 Top View

KyLinTV 2.0 Bottom View

KyLinTV 2.0 Bottom Label

KyLinTV 2.0 vs. Roku XDS (Size Comparison)

The new STB looks great sitting in an entertainment center and is small enough to even fit under many newer flat screen TVs. The STB measures about 7 ¼” wide x 6” deep x 1 ¾” high (18.41cm x 15.24cm x 4.44cm).

KyLinTV 2.0 and Roku XDS Side-by-Side

KyLinTV 2.0 and Roku XDS Top Side-by-Side

KyLinTV 2.0 and Roku XDS Front

KyLinTV 2.0 and Roku XDS Side

KyLinTV 2.0 and Roku XDS Back Connections and Ports

KyLinTV 2.0 Connections

The KyLinTV 2.0 HD set-top box has four different methods of connecting the video to a television: S-video, composite, component and HDMI. Audio can be connected either through composite or HDMI.

KyLinTV 2.0 Connections and Ports

KyLinTV 2.0 Component Video, Composite Video, S-Video and Power Connections

KyLinTV 2.0 Composite Audio, USB (for 802.11n Wireless Adapter), HDMI, Ethernet Connections

The new STB also has a USB connection to support the external wireless networking adapter and has a built-in Ethernet port for wired network connection.

KyLinTV 2.0 Wireless Adapter

The wireless adapter supports 802.11n using unsecured, WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption types.

The wireless adapter has a docking adapter with a 59” (149.86cm) extension cable so that positioning can be well away from the set-top box and other equipment. There is also an adjustable antenna which screws into the adapter. On the back of the adapter there is a WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button for easy configuration with many routers which also have WPS functionality.

KyLinTV 2.0 Wireless Adapter Components (USB Extension Adapter Dock, USB Dongle, Antenna)

KyLinTV 2.0 USB Wireless Adapter

KyLinTV 2.0 USB Wireless Adapter Docked

KyLinTV 2.0 Wireless Adapter WPS Button

KyLinTV 2.0 Set-top Box Resolution Capabilities

The box itself can support high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) resolutions of 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i (NeuLion). KyLinTV 2.0 running at full quality high definition only supports videos in 720p and the majority of video is still in standard definition 480p (KyLinTV).

As far as being concerned about 720p being good enough to be considered HD, it is good enough. Most satellite and cable providers send 720 not 1080, Netflix does most of their HD programming at the time of this writing in 720 as well.

“A 20/20 human eye can't recognize details smaller than 1/60 of a degree of arc. Don't worry, you don't have to understand that. With a little math, though, we can use this number to find the distance beyond which the eye has trouble distinguishing one pixel from another. It turns out to be 137 percent of the diagonal measurement of any 16:9 widescreen: around 38 inches from a 32-inch TV. So if you're sitting 5 feet away, you'll never notice the difference between 720 and 1,080 lines of resolution. But if you trade up to a 60-inch screen, that distance jumps to almost six feet. Better push the couch back.

Even if you spring for a 1080p set, you'll need 1080p sources to take full advantage of it. (Cage, 2007)”

KyLinTV 2.0 Pricing

The KyLinTV 2.0 set-top box currently has two pricing options.

You can rent the set-top box from KyLinTV for a $50US deposit each plus $5.99US per month for each box beyond a household’s first box. Example: You have three boxes; you pay $150US deposit and $11.98US per month.

The other option is to purchase the KyLinTV 2.0 set-top box for $99US each and an access fee of $5.99US for each box beyond the first. There is also an access fee of $25US each time a box is activated.

The USB wireless adapter for Wi-Fi cost $19.99US each.

It is important to note that when renting the set-top box customers are required to prepay for 12 or 24 months of service. However, when purchasing a set-top box customers can go on a month-to-month plan.

*These prices were current as of the time of original posting of this article. Please check KyLinTV.com for current pricing.

Conclusion

I think that KyLinTV is really offering a nice hardware package with their KyLinTV 2.0 setup. It has the capabilities and features of most streaming media set-top boxes on the market today. It also has room for growth, so it should not be soon outdated and replaced by new equipment.

KyLinMaster

References

Cage, C. (2007, October 23). Burning question: 720p, 1080i .. what does it all mean?. Retrieved from http://su.pr/1Ty6PD

KyLinTV, . (n.d.). Kylintv: faq. Retrieved from http://su.pr/2wosFc

NeuLion. (n.d.). Neulion - internet television technology innovators (iptv) - what we do:. Retrieved from http://su.pr/1RvysR

KyLinTV 2.0 HD First Impressions

I received the KyLinTV 2.0 equipment earlier this week and as soon as I got back from a business trip I started to get things setup. I set things up the easiest way, wired Internet connection and an HDMI connection to the TV and things just worked right out of the box. I will be experimenting with various setups and providing some videos very soon.

I started watching KyLinTV 2.0 last night and I have to say that it greatly exceeds my expectations!

First, the new equipment looks so much better than the odd shaped yellow box that was KyLinTV "1.0". It resembles a nice white AppleTV in appearance and size. I will put up some more photos later when I unpack my good camera.


For comparison, here is the KyLinTV 2.0 set-top-box (STB) compared to my old DVD player.

The new interface is much easier to navigate and understand. There is a much more logical arrangement of channels, VOD and other features.

The quality of the live streaming TV is SO MUCH BETTER it will blow away users of the old KyLinTV service! HD channels looks like DirecTV or DishNetwork HD channels and the SD channels look as good or even a little better than traditional TV providers. There is one small caveat that to mention though. In what I would consider a wise decision by KyLinTV, they seem to use a quality stepping method to give fast channel initialization and changing of channels. What this means is that when you first switch to a channel the quality is reduced for about 2-15 seconds and gradually improves during that time to the full quality that can be supported by your connection. It can be a little annoying but it makes good sense and speeds up changing channels so that it is similar to satellite TV service speed. Occasionally, audio cuts out for a few seconds, usually 3-5 seconds as a channel is initially selected. However, even with the quality stepping things are quite enjoyable. I will do a more complete review and explanation of this and other service quality issues very soon.

Maybe it was just the excitement of trying out a new product and service but everybody in my household upon seeing the new KyLinTV service was very pleasantly surprised.

One last thing I wanted to mention before I go back to watching KyLinTV for the night. One of the coolest new features KyLinTV 2.0 has is the new "Internet Video" feature. This is really exciting because you can watch Sina, Sohu, Tudou, Youku, CNN, NBA, Vimeo and Youtube on your TV using just the set-top-box from KyLinTV! The quality varies, since millions of users are responsible for uploading the videos to the various services, but overall quality is good to great. To be honest, it seems like the KyLinTV STB does some kind of upscaling because some of the videos look better using it than they do using my computer. This alone could be a reason to get one of the new KyLinTV boxes because you can find nearly any show, movie or video you could want to see with just this feature. I will explore this more and report back but it is really exciting.

I will be posting much more information over the coming weeks/months so keep posted and if you have questions let me know. There are a lot of new features I am still playing with and learning about but I will try to provide answers and reviews of what you want to see.

Jackie Xu Responds...QUICKLY

Alright, Jackie Xu quickly replied with an apology and explanation of the mix-up regarding KyLinTV's interest in having me test their new services. I will be contacting Jackie Xu at KyLinTV tomorrow to discuss the details and I expect to be testing the services and hardware very soon.

I will provide everybody with updates and reviews as things develop. I am excited to see KyLinTV so responsive and hope to provide everybody with some good information!

In case anybody wants to e-mail me you can contact me at kylinmaster@gmx.com since I cannot always access my blog while traveling overseas.

Typical KyLinTV Response

It has been a while since I last updated the blog but comments continue to come in as you all can see.

Well, a little over a month ago I received a couple of posts from Jackie Xu, jackie.xu@kylintv.com, asking me if I was interested in testing their new services. Jackie informed me that the new HD service had greatly improved and that KyLinTV was interested in having me re-evaluate their services. I sent two e-mails in response, advising that I was interested in testing their new offerings and requesting terms and conditions.

Typical KyLinTV response, after more than one month since my last reply to Jackie Xu I have heard nothing. So, Jackie Xu, if you are still interested, let me know; but, it is pretty clear that your customer service still sucks so you are starting off poorly.

Anybody else received such a message in their inbox from jackie.xu@kylintv.com?