Glen Sykes
09-15-2004, 05:35 PM
Product Name: Tandberg 880MXP
Price: £5,950 to £7,950 (dependent on option purchased)
Overall Rating: 9/10
Connectors
1 x DVI Input and Output
2 x XLR Mic Inputs, 2 x RCA Line Inputs (can be used as stereo)
2 x RCA Video Inputs, 1 x SVHS Input
2 x RCA Line Level outputs (main can be configured to S/PDIF)
Features
The 880MXP comes with all the previous features of its predecessor, however I've drawn attention to a few new noteworthy additions.
Full spec available here:
TANDBERG 880MXP Data Sheet (http://www.tandberg.net/collateral/product_brochures/TANDBERG_880MXP.pdf)
The T880MXP on first glance appears identical to its predecessor, however on inspection of the rear of the unit, some radical changes can be seen.
This version now sees an industry first in the use of DVI connectors for both the PC input, and more importantly the output too. This allows the MXP (in fact all MXP units) to use a single interface (2 interfaces on the 6000) to display both video (PAL and NTSC derived) and up to XGA images from a single interface, negating the requirement to use 2 seperate outputs to get the best of both formats. The downside to this is the limited distance a DVI cable can be run without external signal amplification.
This unit is absolutely loaded with new software features, however the most groundbreaking for me is the introduction of transcoding capabilities into its embedded MCU, previously a feature reserved for the dedicated MCU's and a sign of things to come.
The biggest change to the 880MXP (and all MXP systems) is a new user interface. My first impressions of this were that I actually preferred the old remote and menu structure, they made sense to me. The thing that I liked most about the old remote control was the way that you could directly select any attached video source from a single button. This has been done away with and replaced by a 'presentation' button. Holding down this button gives a menu that the user then selects their device from. The whole experience reminds me of something you'd see in a microsoft product, in that it's much more menu driven. From that point of view, I guess it will be easier for a user new to Tandberg to get used to. Being 'old school', I'll need some time to get used to it. The front end is much more attractive though.
Another good change is the clever use of 16:9 displays, where the local picture is displayed in a 'Picture out of Picture' window at the side, whilst the far end image remains in its normal 4:3 format. Clever use of the screen.
Testing
The system was connected to an NEC 42" Plasma Screen via DVI.
As to be expected, the Tandberg system delivered very good quality video and audio. The new AAC-LD algorithm doesn't make a huge difference to voice, although it is better, and the echo cancellation as usual is also first rate.
XGA images were also smooth and sharp, the best i've seen over a video call yet, even in duovideo / H.239.
One thing I found to my irritation on testing of the unit was on initiation of a multipoint call, the unit did not downspeed to enable it to call the 2nd or 3rd site. This to me seemed a step backward, however on discussion with Tandberg, this was primarily because of the new capability to call systems at different speeds in a MCU call. However, the point was taken that existing Tandberg users expect the system to downspeed for the MCU call and I beleive that this will be rectified in a future software release.
Impressions:
This system is awesome, and for the price you get more features than any other set top system in its class. There are some quirks that need a look at, but for a feature rich STB, look no further.
Given that the current software image on the unit only uses approximately 10% of the hardwares resources, it would also appear to be a good long term investment too.
pros and cons
PROs: Very Feature rich, DVI interface for futureproof, robust and high quality
CON's: New software can appear a bit quirky to existing Tandberg users, not the cheapest STB around, but you get what you pay for.
Summary
Tandberg have pulled off a masterstroke with the new MXP, if their statistics are to be beleived, the horsepower of the MXP platform is more than double that of its predecessor, which in turn was approximately the same power of the new VSX (stats based on MIPS, Clock rate and processor bandwidth). Expect to see more groudbreaking innovations on this platform, which where possible will also see themselves appearing on the older platform too.
Price: £5,950 to £7,950 (dependent on option purchased)
Overall Rating: 9/10
Connectors
1 x DVI Input and Output
2 x XLR Mic Inputs, 2 x RCA Line Inputs (can be used as stereo)
2 x RCA Video Inputs, 1 x SVHS Input
2 x RCA Line Level outputs (main can be configured to S/PDIF)
Features
The 880MXP comes with all the previous features of its predecessor, however I've drawn attention to a few new noteworthy additions.
Full spec available here:
TANDBERG 880MXP Data Sheet (http://www.tandberg.net/collateral/product_brochures/TANDBERG_880MXP.pdf)
The T880MXP on first glance appears identical to its predecessor, however on inspection of the rear of the unit, some radical changes can be seen.
This version now sees an industry first in the use of DVI connectors for both the PC input, and more importantly the output too. This allows the MXP (in fact all MXP units) to use a single interface (2 interfaces on the 6000) to display both video (PAL and NTSC derived) and up to XGA images from a single interface, negating the requirement to use 2 seperate outputs to get the best of both formats. The downside to this is the limited distance a DVI cable can be run without external signal amplification.
This unit is absolutely loaded with new software features, however the most groundbreaking for me is the introduction of transcoding capabilities into its embedded MCU, previously a feature reserved for the dedicated MCU's and a sign of things to come.
The biggest change to the 880MXP (and all MXP systems) is a new user interface. My first impressions of this were that I actually preferred the old remote and menu structure, they made sense to me. The thing that I liked most about the old remote control was the way that you could directly select any attached video source from a single button. This has been done away with and replaced by a 'presentation' button. Holding down this button gives a menu that the user then selects their device from. The whole experience reminds me of something you'd see in a microsoft product, in that it's much more menu driven. From that point of view, I guess it will be easier for a user new to Tandberg to get used to. Being 'old school', I'll need some time to get used to it. The front end is much more attractive though.
Another good change is the clever use of 16:9 displays, where the local picture is displayed in a 'Picture out of Picture' window at the side, whilst the far end image remains in its normal 4:3 format. Clever use of the screen.
Testing
The system was connected to an NEC 42" Plasma Screen via DVI.
As to be expected, the Tandberg system delivered very good quality video and audio. The new AAC-LD algorithm doesn't make a huge difference to voice, although it is better, and the echo cancellation as usual is also first rate.
XGA images were also smooth and sharp, the best i've seen over a video call yet, even in duovideo / H.239.
One thing I found to my irritation on testing of the unit was on initiation of a multipoint call, the unit did not downspeed to enable it to call the 2nd or 3rd site. This to me seemed a step backward, however on discussion with Tandberg, this was primarily because of the new capability to call systems at different speeds in a MCU call. However, the point was taken that existing Tandberg users expect the system to downspeed for the MCU call and I beleive that this will be rectified in a future software release.
Impressions:
This system is awesome, and for the price you get more features than any other set top system in its class. There are some quirks that need a look at, but for a feature rich STB, look no further.
Given that the current software image on the unit only uses approximately 10% of the hardwares resources, it would also appear to be a good long term investment too.
pros and cons
PROs: Very Feature rich, DVI interface for futureproof, robust and high quality
CON's: New software can appear a bit quirky to existing Tandberg users, not the cheapest STB around, but you get what you pay for.
Summary
Tandberg have pulled off a masterstroke with the new MXP, if their statistics are to be beleived, the horsepower of the MXP platform is more than double that of its predecessor, which in turn was approximately the same power of the new VSX (stats based on MIPS, Clock rate and processor bandwidth). Expect to see more groudbreaking innovations on this platform, which where possible will also see themselves appearing on the older platform too.