Echo Beta Roll Out

[mini__me]

Wow it's small!!

Can't wait to get hold of it and give it a good testing

Really like that it's a USB power supply as well, will make things much easier for me

[Chuckr53]

I got it too. I checked the Echo webpage on the Ceton site and it looks good, but no mention of the MoCA adapter option though.

Hope that's coming in November too, otherwise I have a longer wait for Echo.

[adam1991]

Just use any MoCA adapter.

[ucfknight]

no mention of the MoCA adapter option though.

Wasn't the original paln (when this was much larger) to have a removable network module that could be replaced to plug in a MoCA adapter? I think that would have unnecessarily increased size, cost, and complexity of the Echo for a feature very few people would utilize. It is much better to just provide a 10/100/1000 LAN port like they are doing and let people use their own MoCA or other network implementation (like a wireless bridge for the brave/foolhardy). If you want to use MoCA, just buy any MoCA and plug it in to the 10/100/1000 LAN port using a network cable.

[Chuckr53]

If you watch the video on the link below which was posted during CES 2012, the Ceton engineer James stated that the Echo ethernet was "module based" and could be replaced with a MoCA module. (See his comments beginning around 1:30).

Up until this latest announcement, the Echo specifications on the Ceton webpage included the optional MoCA module. This would be ideal since I don't have much room for another box on the stand, nor can I pull Cat 5E cables to my remote tv's to get ethernet to the Echos.

Here's the link: http://thedigitallifestyle.com/w/index. ... ws-8-apps/

[Dean L. Surkin]

I like the idea of a USB cable with AC adapter for the power. It's most likely not a proprietary hookup, which means fewer problems down the road (e.g., with replacing a broken cable).

I'm also very pleased to see they're including the necessary cables--HDMI and Ethernet. I'm assuming it's CAT 6 Ethernet? And oh yeah, I recently bought a spare HDMI cable from Monoprice in anticipation of getting the Echo. I guess that cable will just sit in the spare cable drawer.

[Bill]

Does the echo not have support for DTS audio? I didn't see it listed in the specs.

[STC]

Just a reminder that any information given by Ceton in the beta email that is not public knowledge should remain so

When they open up the beta forum on their site, that will be the place to discuss beta matters.

[Chuckr53]

Just a reminder that any information given by Ceton in the beta email that is not public knowledge should remain so

When they open up the beta forum on their site, that will be the place to discuss beta matters.

We're not referring to Beta...we received the Ceton Echo Product Launch Announcement by email that was sent at 4:27AM eastern today.

[hmmurdock]

no mention of the MoCA adapter option though.

Wasn't the original paln (when this was much larger) to have a removable network module that could be replaced to plug in a MoCA adapter? I think that would have unnecessarily increased size, cost, and complexity of the Echo for a feature very few people would utilize. It is much better to just provide a 10/100/1000 LAN port like they are doing and let people use their own MoCA or other network implementation (like a wireless bridge for the brave/foolhardy). If you want to use MoCA, just buy any MoCA and plug it in to the 10/100/1000 LAN port using a network cable.

I'm a little disappointed that MoCa seems to have disappeard from the spec list. Yes, I can use a 3rd party MoCa bridge, but having one built in would have cut down on clutter, remove an additional wallwart from the setup and presumably cut down on cost compared to a seperate one. Yes, I can make the system workable if it isn't built in, but it would have been nice to have one integreated.

It's funny how the people that didn't plan on using a particular feature are always the first ones to dismiss it.

Sure, MoCa isn't widely adopted, but that's partially becasue no major devices bothered to integrate it... kinda like how WMC isn't as popular as it could have been due to a lack of extenders.

[barnabas1969]

Engadget posted an article about it, including links at the bottom of the article to the "secret" beta e-mail and all the details. I think the cat's already out of the bag, STC.

I like what I see so far. The 5-watt power consumption tells me that it's probably going to be an always-on device, which is really great (quick start-up time) as long as it can send a WOL to the PC when I start extender mode.

The small size/weight means that it should be easy to hide it behind a wall-mounted TV... even if you have to use double-sided tape or Velcro. I hope they allow an MCE IR receiver dongle to be plugged into the USB port. That would be a very nice feature for obvious reasons.

The USB power connection is pretty cool... if you have a TV with a USB port that can supply the full 1 amp (5V * 1A = 5W), then you could plug it into the TV and forego the power adapter. However, I doubt that many TV's can supply 1 amp on their USB port... because the USB specification says that a USB port must supply at least 500mA (0.5A), and most USB ports can supply exactly that.

The MoCa thing is really a moot point. They've released the final hardware. There's no point complaining about the lack of MoCa. It would have increased cost to build it with a plug-in Ethernet module, and they would have had to build the MoCa modules with no guarantee that they would sell enough of them to justify the cost of development and manufacturing. Small batches cost a LOT of money in manufacturing... you have to go big to make it cost-effective. A pair of MoCa adapters isn't that expensive.

If you plan to use MoCa, keep these thoughts in mind:
1) Best performance is achieved if you install a MoCa POE filter at the point where the Cable TV line comes into the house. This prevents signal leakage out of the house, and interference from your neighbor's MoCa equipment (or any other interference in the same frequency band).
2) MoCa adapters only have 100Mbps interfaces on them. So, you can run four extenders (maximum) at the same time... and only if there is very little other data going over the MoCa network.

[EmirOfGroofunkistan]

Sure it's worth complaining about not having MoCA. That's part of what pushed me over the edge to join the beta. It also lets ceton know that there is interest in a MoCA adapter which could be something that plugs in to the extender - not necessarily part of the final hardware of the extender box itself. I'd also like to know whether or not this is something that is planned so I know if I have to go out and plunk more $ down for a MoCA adapter.

[edit] I'll cease complaining - they still plan on making one, but not in time for echo release.

[hmmurdock]

[url=http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/11/ceto ... iving-179/]The MoCa thing is really a moot point. They've released the final hardware. There's no point complaining about the lack of MoCa. It would have increased cost to build it with a plug-in Ethernet module, and they would have had to build the MoCa modules with no guarantee that they would sell enough of them to justify the cost of development and manufacturing. Small batches cost a LOT of money in manufacturing... you have to go big to make it cost-effective. A pair of MoCa adapters isn't that expensive.

If you plan to use MoCa, keep these thoughts in mind:
1) Best performance is achieved if you install a MoCa POE filter at the point where the Cable TV line comes into the house. This prevents signal leakage out of the house, and interference from your neighbor's MoCa equipment (or any other interference in the same frequency band).
2) MoCa adapters only have 100Mbps interfaces on them. So, you can run four extenders (maximum) at the same time... and only if there is very little other data going over the MoCa network.

Well, I wouldn't have mentioned the lack of MoCa in the final hardware if Ceton hadn't originally said that it would be an option on the device in the first place. As the poster above me mentioned, it was one of the reasons I signed up for the beta in the first place. It's also one of the reasons, I purchased some additional MoCa hardware to work with the (allegedly) MoCa extenders. No biggie on that... I don't blame Ceton in that regard as they didn't tell me to go out and buy the hardware (and it was a relatively small investment compared to my other home theater purchases) but since they claim they've had the final hardware done for sometime now, it would have been nice to have a heads up that it didn't include MoCa.

My disappointment is mainly because it would have been a wonderfully elegant solution to some of the install problems I have. Yes, I can get around them, but why buy 2 boxes when you can do it with 1?

As far as my particualr install, everything is being fed by an Electroline distribution amp, and I'm told it won't pass any MoCa traffic back through to my neighbors. I won't have more than 3 extenders total, and one of those is simple to use with ethernet. I have a router that has built in MoCa on the way. I haven't been able to confirm if the internal MoCa bridge is 100meg or 1gig, but if it's one gig, then I shouldn't have any trouble going beyond 4 extenders since the actual MoCa (real world) speed is 175mb/s so even if the individual connections are limited to 100mb at the other endpoints, I could still get 175meg through to the router (will test to confirm when hardware arrives)

Anyway, I'm excited for the beta to start and looking forward to receiving my ethernet Echo(s) (if I can get my hands on more than 1)

[edit]

[edit] I'll cease complaining - they still plan on making one, but not in time for echo release.

Oh? Where'd you hear that?

[Dean L. Surkin]

Got my second email, and responded. I had previously asked - and I thought, accepted, to test two Echos, but the second email only mentioned one Echo. I put in a phone call to Ceton, and left a voice mail message. I guess they're besieged with phone calls today, and they'll get back to me when they finally dig themselves out.

[EmirOfGroofunkistan]

[edit]

[edit] I'll cease complaining - they still plan on making one, but not in time for echo release.

Oh? Where'd you hear that?

I asked them

[barnabas1969]

I have a router that has built in MoCa on the way. I haven't been able to confirm if the internal MoCa bridge is 100meg or 1gig, but if it's one gig, then I shouldn't have any trouble going beyond 4 extenders since the actual MoCa (real world) speed is 175mb/s so even if the individual connections are limited to 100mb at the other endpoints, I could still get 175meg through to the router (will test to confirm when hardware arrives)

It won't be 1gig, I can promise you that. And the 175Mbps that is quoted on most MoCa adapters is a little misleading. That's the combined throughput. So, if you add send and receive together, you get 175Mbps. It's also the theoretical maximum.

[STC]

I think the cat's already out of the bag, STC.

Ugh

[newfiend]

Just ordered my unit.. looking forward to testing..
newfiend~

[hmmurdock]

It won't be 1gig, I can promise you that. And the 175Mbps that is quoted on most MoCa adapters is a little misleading. That's the combined throughput. So, if you add send and receive together, you get 175Mbps. It's also the theoretical maximum.

Yeah, I knew it wouldn't be anywhere close to a gig, but I was unaware that the 175 number oft quoted number was combined throughput. But, like I said before, I doubt it will be an issue as I won't have more than a few extenders on MoCa. Thanks for the info though.

[elmopio]

Does the echo not have support for DTS audio? I didn't see it listed in the specs.

it seems not right of the box. I was curious about that myself. But I will test it as everyone else.

Sent from my Lumia 900