Pivos XIOS XS Media Center Spotlight

By Olin Coles

Manufacturer: Pivos Technology Group, Inc.
Product Name: XIOS XS Media Center
Model Number: PTGMCXXALU-US
UPC: 855710003038
Price As Tested: $79.99 (Amazon | Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Pivos.

Downloaded and streaming digital products have virtually replaced their physical counterparts, allowing personal entertainment to reach a new level of convenience. Music, photos, movies… they’re all just a small part of the multimedia library that we collect and save to disk. Most of us have been downloading files onto our computer for as long as we’ve had Internet access, and disc collections are promptly converted into digitally-stored backup copies.

As NetFlix has proven with its domination over video rental chains and cable company subscriptions, watching streaming content has practically replaced television broadcasts and movies on disc. YouTube has made this point especially true for viewers with portable multimedia devices. Unfortunately, the drawback to watching lengthy videos on a smartphone or tablet is that the screen is often too small to be shared with others, and audio quality typically falls very short of home theater quality. Pivos Technology Group observed the shift to digital content, and answers back with the Pivos XIOS XS media player (PTGMCXXALU) with TOFU Media Center for home entertainment enthusiasts.

The Pivos XIOS XS is built on the Google Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) tablet platform, enabling this media player to natively support HTML5, Chrome, Flash, and even the installation of Google Play apps or APK packages. Capable of playing all modern audio and video CODECs, Pivos’ XIOS XS + TOFU Media Center flexes its 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and Mali 400 MHz 3D graphics paired with 1GB of DDR3 memory to produce high-definition audio and video output. In this article Benchmark Reviews examines the Pivos XIOS XS Media Center for this product spotlight.

Features & Specifications

Supported File Types

• AVI/ MKV/ TS/ TP/ TRP/ M2TS/ MPG/ MP4/ MOV/ M4V/ VOB/ IFO/ DAT/ WMV/ ASF/ RM/ RMVB/ FLV/ XVID/ DIVX 3,4,5 for up to 1080p resolution
• MP3/ OGG/ WMA/ WAV/ AAC/ FLAC
• HD JPEG/ BMP/ GIF/ TIF/ PNG

Supported Video Codecs

• MPEG 1/ 2/ 4, H.264, VC-1, WMV, M2TS, TS, RMVB, AVI, MKV, MOV, TS, MPEG, FLV, DivX, Xvid

Supported Audio Codecs

• MP2/ 3, OGG Vorbis, WMA, WAV, WMA PRO, PCM LPCM, MS-ADPCM, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, COOK, RA-Lossless, RM/ RMVB 8/ 9/ 10.

Supported Connections

• 1x HDMI 1.4 output
• 1x SPDIF digital audio output
• 1x 10/100 Ethernet port
• 1x 802.11 b/g/n wireless
• Bluetooth 4.0 wireless
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• 1x MicroSD/SDHC Memory Slot (up to 32GB)

Supported Audio Output

• MP2/ 3, OGG Vorbis, WMA, WAV, WMA PRO, PCM LPCM, MS-ADPCM, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, COOK, RA-Lossless, RM/ RMVB 8/ 9/ 10.

Pivos XIOS XS Media Center Overview

It’s been over a year since Benchmark Reviews first discovered and tested the Pivos XIOS DS, which was the predecessor to this, their latest media player: XIOS XS. Back when we tested the DS, it clear that the device was designed for prosumers and platform enthusiasts. This time around, Pivos focused on the retail consumer by adding the TOFU Media Center as the user interface on XIOS XS. Through the ergonomic layout that TOFU provides, users can easily organize and playback videos and watch movies, view pictures, listen to music music, browse the web, and enjoy games or apps downloaded from the Google Play store.

The Pivos XIOS XS (pronounced Sy-oos) is available online for $79.99 (Amazon | Newegg). Inside the PTGMCXXALU-US retail kit you’ll find the XIOS XS media player device, infrared remote with coin-cell battery, 6’ HDMI cable, MicroUSB cable, USB power adapter, and a Quick Start guide.

XIOS XS measures a mere 3.44″ D x 3.43″ W x 0.71″ H (87.5 x 87.0 x 18.0mm), and weighs under 6 OZ – making it small and light enough to be mounted beside a monitor/HDTV or nearby wall. XIOS XS does not feature any integrated function buttons on the device, so it’s controlled entirely through the remote and receives signal through the tinted oval IR window located at the front of device. Operation requires relative line of sight between XIOS XS and the remote, which can communicate with the device even when positioned at extreme angles and long distances.

Since XIOS XS is built upon the Google Android operating system, the bundled IR remote control has been designed for the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 tablet platform. As you might find on any Android phone or tablet, there is a basic directional pad with selection ‘OK’ button, power and mute, menu, back, and home buttons, and volume up or down buttons. The XIOS XS remote includes a CR2025 3V lithium coin-cell battery, which, because there are no backlit buttons on this remote, should deliver extended operating power.

At the heart of the Pivos XIOS XS Media Center with TOFU is a 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU. To produce powerful 2D and 3D graphics, the XIOS XS system utilizes an ARM Mali-400 MP multi-core GPU. Scalable from 1 to 4 cores, the Mali-400 GPU supports 2D vector graphics through OpenVG 1.1 and 3D graphics through OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0. Pivos embeds 1GB of DDR3 system memory to ensure smooth operation of installed apps and software. Wireless communication is available through Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 1.4 connections.

The Pivos XIOS XS Media Center with TOFU delivers high-definition video at up to 1080p (1920×1080) resolution along with Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound audio output via HDMI 1.4. XIOS XS also features an integrated 8GB SSD for on-board storage, and supports two USB 2.0 ports located on each side. A microSD card reader is available for another 32GB of external storage capacity, if desired.

Absent from their previous design, the Pivos XIOS XS now includes a SPDIF digital audio output for TosLink connections to an A/V receiver or other home theater hardware. You’ll also fine find that power is now supplied by a USB adapter, which delivers 2.0 amps at 5 volts. Wired 10/100 Ethernet is supported through the RJ-45 port, for those still using a cabled network.

Pros:

+ Built on the Google Android ‘Jelly Bean’ OS
+ Registered on Google Play app store
+ ARM Cortex A9 processor
+ ARM Mali-400 MP multi-core GPU

Cons:

– Not compatible with AC-3/A52 audio CODEC
– Firmware updates require MicroSD memory card
– Bare minimum features on remote control