ZIDOO Z9X: The Ultimate 4K UHD Dolby Atmos Media Player

ZIDOO Z9X: The Ultimate 4K UHD Dolby Atmos Media Player?
In this Zidoo Z9X review, we take a look at the best 4K UHD home media player for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X on the market and compare it to the competing products. We'll also discuss the pros and cons of this product, and whether or not it's the right 4K UHD media player for your Home Theater or Home Cinema
So if you're looking for the best 4K UHD media Dolby Atmos player on the market, be sure to check out the Zidoo Z9X! This product is an amazing value, and it offers great performance compared to other similar products on the market.
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[@hatoraidcowboy]

Who has a Zidoo in their home theater? What’s your favorite feature? And check out how to integrate Homekit with your Zidoo in this video! HOW TO Unlock Your HOME THEATER with ZIDOO: HOMEKIT Automation Made Easy! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnu7qZipjN1nbJI

[@jantjedewaal]

Hello, i have the z9x pro. i have connect my 3,5 inch 3tb nas external drive to my zidoo player with sata cables. but over the network i cant seen movies in the map. and seen only 25.5 gig from 25.7 gig available on disk. not 25.5 gig from 2.80 tb available. because its a 3tb disk. is the problem a nas hdd? cant seen the files over the network? must buy a normal hdd to copy files to it over the network? the 3.5 tb drive that i use is the sata 64mb cache, wd30efrx. is that the reason that i cant seen the movies in the map over the network and how much gig i had free from 3 tb?

[@FatonSalja]

hello, I'm interested in buying this android box, is it worth it or which android box do you prefer to buy?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@FatonSalja It’s definitely worth it. I love my Zidoo players. Dune is another android box but I dont have experience with that one. I recommend Zidoo players all day!

[@danielbencomo6562]

Dude your channel is awesome. You need more subs. Thanks for the review I am def buying this

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thanks man I appreciate the support. Glad I could help! You’re gonna love the Zidoo

[@pein3480]

I currently use the Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 and I find the 4k dolby vision/atmos plus ai upscaling to be a great combo. I use Emby for my home theater though. The ads on the home screen is a let down for sure most of time I'm in Emby where no ads are displayed. I also have the Apple TV 4K 2022 3rd generation but mostly for streaming because of the lack of bitstream support. I've known about Zidoo for some while now cool to hear you're enjoying it overall.

[@chadbrick67]

Doesn't play full iso files with the menu 4k or bluray. I've just got the updated zidoo 9x Pro it's an absolute monster. Plays absolutely everything all HDR profiles all dolby vision profiles all audio codecs. Plus full 4k iso with menu and full bluray with menu. Best 200 pounds I've spent. I've got about 1500 4k films on tons off HDDs.

[@enjoyeverymomentvideos2687]

@@chadbrick67unfortunately even with Zidoo 9xpro I still can’t watch anything with dts-hd or dtsx… my Sonos arc system don’t play those … can’t find any hack to override that unfortunately… 😢

[@AaronHamm-co7fm]

Nice Video man. I stopped Using the LLDV settings since I sent them to you. Since then I built a MadVR box with the Blackmagic capture and this is a game changer. Video Processor takes you he zidoo to another level.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Nice! Congrats on that man. What projector are you using again?

[@AaronHamm-co7fm]

@@hatoraidcowboy I’m running a JVC RS420. I’m hoping to upgrade to the JVC NP5 or NX5/7 in the near future. Have you loaded the Cancer.APk skin on the Zidoo yet? It installs the same launcher as the z1000 Pro has on it.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yup I have the cancer skin loaded. So much better!

[@LDBaha]

What is a MadVR box with blackmagic capture?

[@NeptuneSega]

Android 9 wasn't the latest even during the time this came out but this device still rocks

[@Cableman-hr2uu]

one drawback is it doesn't have the RCA audio out for connection to Hi Fi equipment, did you tried the 3.5mm AV out whether the audio really works ??

[@scrapyardwars]

Based on your review i am going to give this a try. Ive recently got a vrroom and am having issues with getting a picture and audio to my sonos arc when switching from my projector to thr tv from my shield tv. The vrroom was bought so i could output audio when watching either. Nothing yet has fixed it. I am hoping the hdmi 2.1 on the zadoo helps resolve this and worth a try. Great review.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thanks! Let me know what you think when you get it.

[@paulmardis1512]

Hey, A couple of things you mentioned in the video about .iso files and noisy ext drives. With noisy drives, it depends on the drive used. I have a WD12TB RED in my Zappiti neo which is in my rack in my Theater room. I do not hear anything coming from my Neo when watching movies. This same drive was in my previous Zidoo Z10-Pro that I heard spinning when I had to Zidoo Z10-Pro. When I received my Zappiti Neo, I just removed this drive from the Zidoo and installed it in the Zappiti and powered it up. The Zappiti found all my movies intact with out me having to re-format the HDD. So I would say the drive noise depends on the type/quality of the drive and build quality of the equipment it is being installed in.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yea you’re absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out. Someone else mentioned this. The drive manufacturer has a lot to do with it?

[@danielbencomo6562]

@@hatoraidcowboy it's really the quality of the drive and what it was designed for. Some drivers are louder than others even from the same brand

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@@danielbencomo6562 Thanks! I’ll look into that next time I buy some drives. Which ones do you use?

[@notsorandumusername]

One drawback of this player is that it does not have a separate HDMI audio only out. My 2016 Denon receiver supports 4K, but not HDR or Dolby Vision. So I have to use a splitter box to get the HDR to my OLED screen and the audio to the Denon, but it occasionally has a handshake issue. I am not ready to buy a new receiver yet.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

You should look into an HDFury product. It will solve your problems with separating video and audio

[@jobheerink9826]

Hi, thank you for this comprehensive review. One question: my tv does not support dolby vision. Can the z9x convert these type of files in some way t overcome this?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

You’re welcome! Unfortunately you’ll still need a tv that supports Dolby Vision. Or you can buy an HDFury product as long as your tv supports HDR10

[@LugzTM]

Coming from the Z1000 Pro. I just found you can turn off titles by default....Settings/Playback/Default Language/Default Subtitles > Off. I also found a way to save previews on movies. It's not ideal, but it works. Main Menu/Settings/Playback/Digital Signage Mode/Configure Playlist. You can actually set the movie time frames in this menu. This is time consuming but doable. Unfortunately I found no way to create a shortcut to place on any main menu.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

🙌 Thank you for sharing!

[@paulmardis1512]

I had the Zidoo z10-Pro when it first came out. I found the build quality is questionable and the ability to hear the drive spinning noises as well as not able to turn off subtitles was too much to bear. I than ordered the Zappiti Neo and found its ease of use, PQ/SQ, movie collection a tad better and the picture wall was better than on the Zidoo. So I returned the Zidoo. Good Luck PM

[@xaviercst]

Hi, awesome video! Would using a SSD attached to the Z9X instead of a HDD solve the spinning disc noise problem? (what makes the noise, the Z9X reading the disc or the disc being read by the Z9X?) Also, could you use Kodi and PLEX on this device? Thanks!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thank you! I’m pretty sure its the drive that’s making the noise. An ssd won’t make any noise. I personally dont use Kodi. So I’m not sure. I think you can backload PLEX but I’ve heard it doesnt work too well

[@enigmascv]

I use 4 external USB hard drives from Seagate with barely any noise. They are great divices!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I’ll have to look into those drives in the future. Thanks!

[@davybloggs1564]

As for HD noise; they vary massively depending on Make/Model and size. Even different sizes of the same model with sound louder or quieter - eg. I have 3 4Tb Seagate IronWolf drives which are all quite noisy, but the 6Tb version is almost silent. Go figure. Similar rotational speed but an extra platter.

[@tubemasta5000]

I had to use a CEC less adapter(no pin 13) on the HDMI cable as my Sony TV didn't play nice with my Anthem receiver when it came to switching audio between the TV and Receiver if the Zidoo was turned on.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

That’s very interesting.

[@taqyon]

Just received mine! Thanks for the video! But how do I get both parts of each of the Lord of the Rings to show on the poster wall? It would only show on of the disk.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thank you! I think it will only show one poster at a time when you click on a movie. If you have them grouped it should show each poster when looking at the group.

[@darthsimon4393]

Really appreciate yor review. So Zappiti is going out of business at end of December and servers are being shut down. Do you have any suggestions as to use the 2 16TB HD's and connect to a Ziddo or Plex?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

As much as I love PLEX you’ll get a much better experience with Zidoo in my opinion. The only thing I wish Zidoo had is chapter preview thumbnails

[@PapaD420]

Great video 👍🏻 I've been using a WDTV live smp for the longest time and have been looking for something newer and faster to replace it. I like the Z9X a lot. Can you post a video on how to load a newly ripped movie from a flash drive to my existing hard drive. Thank you. Dale

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thank you very much! If you’re trying to copy a movie from one storage device to another, its pretty simple, just plug them both into a computer and copy and paste.

[@fosejafkdlvm]

Is there an option to view individual posters rather than collecting them? I'm not asking about manually deleting collections. and How can I clear the currently watched list? Thanks in advance.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Let me look into that

[@andrebradley1924]

Can't wait until the new zidoo players come out

[@dmac2850]

Got Zidoo z9x yeaterday and its awesome

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yes it is! Congrats and enjoy!

[@TheLfkfelipe]

Hello. Great video. Just a question. Is the sound quality better on zidoo? I have right now the shield tv pro 19, with the kodi app that plays remux mkv dolby vision content and passthrough atmos/true hd and Dtshd/x audio, it works flawlessly... I await for your response

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Thank you! Video is gonna sound the same as NVIDIA shield since you can bitstream.

[@TheLfkfelipe]

@@hatoraidcowboy perfect. Thankss

[@tomizzo485]

Ordered one today. Was a plex shield guy for a while. I have my media in my windows 11 pc on two large internal hdds. I have my movies and tv folders shared via windows shares and would prefer to not have to remove them from my pc. How are you serving your media to the Zidoo? Bought this for microstutter free playback and ive heard good things about this product. If i have to, ill disconnect my big boy hard drives, but prefer to keep them connected to the pc for ease of use / backup purposes. Ty sir for the video.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I have multiple hard drives connected to my Windows PC and am sharing them over the network. Then I just access them via smb with the Zidoo. Works great!

[@tomizzo485]

@@hatoraidcowboy tested the Z9x today. Tried playing my 4k dv rip of super Mario Bros...audio had cut outs and the video was choppy at random intervals. Did this both on smb network shares and a Samsung t5 SSD plugged into the USB 3.0 port. Sent the device back to Amazon at kohls just now. Back to the shield / Kodi.

[@wendellwendellb339]

Like you, I only want video and audio, but, I don’t have issues with using the physical disc.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I rarely ever use a disc. Only for one off special purposes. Once I rip the disc to digital I usually never touch it again. But I like to have them for backup.

[@paulmardis1512]

The app difference between the Zidoo and Zappiti is the Zappiti app is cloud based which is why it seams so slow. But the Zidoo app runs local to the machine. So it is going to load things much quicker. What I did is downloaded the Zappiti server and application to my local PC. I then launch the Zappiti Video app from there and make all my updates. So when I turn on my Zappiti everything is updated and identified. You can also switch to offline mode and it will load faster as well. Thanks PM

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Interesting I didnt know that. Yea I wasnt a fan of the cloud based app. Every…single…time…lol

[@Freakyguy666]

@@hatoraidcowboyZappiti is updating their new R volition app to cache the files so they load immediately.

[@darthsimon4393]

What about my 2 16TB hard drives that are filled with content? Can I connect the 2 of them to Ziddo? And see the movies along with cover art?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yup! Its not much different from Zappiti. You dont have to rely on a server though. You can even watch your content over your network

[@Mongy2130]

I have had the X10 then moved to the Z9X about a year ago and love it mainly for 3d play back but never had an issue playing anything yet, had been using a Shield Pro but no 3d support pushed me to this and now the shield is just used for steaming apps

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yup! I hardly touch my Nvidia Shield anymore. Once I got the Z9X it really shows how limited devices like the Apple TV and Nvidia Shield are.

[@Mongy2130]

@hatoraidcowboy indeed, I really liked how I just pointed at my media folders on my server and it populated everything and I like how if I have a flat and 3d version of a film it shows as one and I get to pick which version I want to watch whe I select it

[@Mongy2130]

@hatoraidcowboy one other thing I found as the library gets bigger it does slow down but if you plug in a USB stick and set it to store all posters data on the usb its speeds it back up as its not having to pull it over the network each time

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yea! I love that too. You can choose from .iso or just regular rip with no menus.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Interesting I didnt know that. I’ll have to try that! Thanks!

[@mustangfred2006]

Will the Z9X work off of the drives of my UHD3000 I have in the other room? Thinking about buying this for the bedroom but I don't have a NAS setup. Just my UHD3000 hard drives.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

You mean can you stream to the Z9X from the UHD3000?

[@mustangfred2006]

@@hatoraidcowboy yea. Is that part of the zidoo eco system?

[@professor502]

Is the interface fast? Is there any lag? This is very important to me. In addition, what do you think about the resolution of the image display compared to the oppo 203? Is there a big difference?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

The interface is pretty snappy! Scrolling through thumbnails can get a little slow if you have a large library but you can connect a thumb drive and have the images stored locally for faster response. Image quality is very good. I think its on par with the Oppo

[@professor502]

​@hatoraidcowboy thank you so much sir Will you considering buy the dune hd i reat about it and see some people loved it

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I thought about buying it some years ago. I’ve reached out to them for a demo unit. We’ll see 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Picolosan89]

Does Zidoo Z9X can decode by itself all audio formats (Atmos, DTS:X, HD-MA etc.) or you need an additional A/V receiver for that? Thank you!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

You need a receiver or processor or soundbar to decode bitstream(Atmos, DTS:X, etc.)

[@Picolosan89]

@@hatoraidcowboy Thank you for ur answer, i have a Sonos Arc system and i wanna know if it's possible to play those formats, that's why i ask it before i buy a Zidoo 😁

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@@Picolosan89 If your Sonos arc supports them then yes

[@mitchelle245]

Is there a Zidoo plugin for the Movie Posters App?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Not at this time

[@CPMFrisirus]

I have read some reports from 11 months ago that you will experience black clipping in DV. But I have also read through some random threads that it has been fixed. Do you have any information about that? Or maybe anyone else? Because for me DV is a huge deal

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I havent experienced any clipping with DV on my Zidoo

[@CPMFrisirus]

@@hatoraidcowboy thanks for the quick reply, may I ask which firmware version you are using?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@CPMFrisirus I’d have to look. I dont know off the top of my head lol

[@vanderleitl]

Preciso de ajuda para reset o meu z9x mas não estou conseguindo! A tela fica preta e aparece erro no Android mas o botão reset nao não funciona!😢

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I’m not sure I know how to fix that issue. That sounds like an issue you need to contact Zidoo with.

[@chuckhenson6896]

If you have movie files on a hard drive zidoo is the way to go i got the Z1000 pro love this player

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I want to get the Z1000 pro next

[@robertrichards3433]

I have a Zappiti Neo and a Zidoo Z1000 pro, as well I have used Plex since way before there was an app that can run on most devices, they were PC only. I like both the Zidoo & Zappiti, my ideal would be a blended model with features from both. The Zappiti is easier to setup and use, it takes care of most settings. Cover art with theme music and moving custom back grounds are really awesome. However, Zidoo is way more customizable and slicker with menus, and seeing actor info etc. You can customize everything. Picture and sound between the two are a wash, both excellent. I give them a hair better quality than Plex, but you are splitting hairs here. Plex rules with the ability to custom stream your content anywhere. I have two NAS for storage, and a HTPC the runs my Plex server 24x7. The biggest complaint with the Zidoo, for me, is it is not as good identifying files. Plex and Zappiti are better. I know how to name my files after 10+ years of doing so and when you have thousands of files this can be a pain. Especially, if you have a lot of TV shows! Let's remember most older TV shows have 20+ shows a season, not the tiny 8-12 that you see today. Think SG1 with 10 seasons, or any Star Trek show, except the current ones. Ouch! I think the Zidoo is a way better value than the Zappiti, and for a couple hundred dollars the Z9X is a steal.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I agree with pretty much everything you said. For me the Zidoo wins out with its customization options and the controller app is absolutely incredible. I’m gonna use it more especially for reviews.

[@dante7587]

Does Dolby Vision from BDMV file work? not mkv or mp4

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yes on BDMV!

[@modepp5811]

I have the oppo 203. Audio and video performance wise when playing back mka files, is it worth buying the z9x pro over the 203?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Did you mean mkv?

[@modepp5811]

Yes meant mkv. Sorry

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@modepp5811 If you want a more visual experience with cataloging and movie posters and metadata than yes. You’ll get a better experience than navigating a file server like on the Oppo

[@emerickscott]

what do you use for ISO rips?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I use Cyberlink Media Suite. It has an ISO Ripper

[@robo3412]

Has anyone experienced resolution tearing or distortion when playing your UHD rips? It happens every 4-5 minutes but the interruption is for a few seconds.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I’ve only ever experienced that a few times playing files over the network, but only for a split second. Its never been an issue though. Maybe 2-3 times since I’ve had it. How are you accessing the files?

[@robo3412]

@@hatoraidcowboy 3.5 HHD inside the unit. Doesn’t seem to affect the 1080p as much or if at all.

[@robo3412]

@@hatoraidcowboy like you said it’s for a split second but it happens consistently over time. I’m the type I want things to work as intended. So, I almost considered going to Dune.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

That’s odd. Maybe the files are corrupted? I play 4K UHD with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos movies over the network all the time with zero issues.

[@robo3412]

@@hatoraidcowboy when I watch over network via Plex on my Roku TVs I don’t experience these issues.

[@meteor1522]

What’s the difference between Z9S and Z9X? Just Dolby Vision?? I’ve seen a Z9S real cheap,nearly 1/3 price of Z9X isn’t it a better choice? bc DV alone isn’t worth that much.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I’m not familiar with the Z9S. I believe that is 2 generations behind the current model. I would just go with the Z9X or Z9X pro if you want hdmi 2.1

[@meteor1522]

@@hatoraidcowboy ok I did more research,the Z9S is a generation older but there’s zero difference in functionality/ power/quality between them two other than lack of Dolby Vision.I think for 1/3 price it’s a way better deal than Z9X.

[@darrenfenoglio199]

It is and awesome device

[@hatoraidcowboy]

It is!

[@armend316]

What's the title of the movie at 3:29 thank you!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Jurassic World: Dominion

[@victortirado5812]

Can it do anamorphic lens stretch

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I highly doubt it but I’m not 100% sure. You typically need a panamorph lens for that.

[@beagchic3488]

Can I connect my Bluray player to this via hdmi and play discs and watch them on the TV ?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

You can but it will only be picture in picture. Not worth it to me

[@beagchic3488]

Thank you@@hatoraidcowboy

[@beagchic3488]

No good to me either

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@beagchic3488 You’re welcome

[@wimvandervelde1774]

Can it play MakeMKV self-ripped Dolby Vision Mkv files (so no weard combination of files that messes up the DV) from a external SSD? Or do I need to rip in the BDMV file structure? I know Plex - Shield pro 2019 is a thing, but would like external SSD play

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yes it will work 😃

[@davybloggs1564]

Should this 'review' of the Z9X, be of the Z9X Pro? The Pro was available when this vid went live.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

No, this is a review of the Z9X. I didnt own the Pro at the time, and when I bought the Z9X the Pro was not even released. I only review products that are in my possession. Doesnt matter if newer models are out.

[@wendellwendellb339]

Where are the movies coming from?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I have all my movies store on hard drives connected to my computer that I built. Its in another room and I have all my drives shared over my local network. And then on the Zidoo I just map to those drives.

[@wendellwendellb339]

@@hatoraidcowboy It seems similar to my android tv boxes. I just watched a video on the Zidoo, which had more details in what it does and how to set it up. It seems like a really nice player. Something I can look into down the road, but, for now, I’ll pass!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

What android box do you have?

[@wendellwendellb339]

@@hatoraidcowboy Zoomtak King S22!

[@wendellwendellb339]

I have one for every tv.

[@mananagarwal7002]

Will this support 3d files via usb ?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yes! It has to be .iso or bdmv folder

[@mananagarwal7002]

@@hatoraidcowboy thanks for this quick reply. I'm right now watching all of your zidoo videos and so far I've found zidoo much better than a blu ray player for my home theatre

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@mananagarwal7002 Thanks for watching! Yea this is much better than Blu Ray player. It just takes time to rip all your movies

[@mananagarwal7002]

@@hatoraidcowboy mkv 3d won't be supported right?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@mananagarwal7002 You can rip 3D to MKV but it will only be side by side. Not true 3D

[@mattgarside7181]

I have to disagree about Apple being the best Plex experience. The Shield for me is superior and doesn't have any issues with native TrueHD support unlike tvOS.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

That’s totally fair. I probably should have clarified. I mean visually as far as the app. But lack of bitstream for local content is what stops me from using Apple TV as my main plex user

[@mattgarside7181]

@@hatoraidcowboy The reason I said it is because the video in screen when you make the Apple TV comment you can see the jerky Plex UI. Maybe the screen is set for 24hz? Can you comment on if the Zidoo produces any heat? My rack has all the heat going up through the components and concluding with a fanless all M.2 NAS / Streamer hybrid and the heat coming out is a bit worrying! I'm thinking I may have to replace it with a purpose build audio streamer like a Node or a CXN

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Z9X doesnt produce much heat, if at all. Shouldnt be a problem for you.

[@richmoore5080]

Is this a streamer like... lets say, a fire stick? 3rd party apps?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

God no lol This is equivalent to a Zappiti. I think you CAN side load apps bc it runs on android but I have no interest in that. And I’ve heard the apps dont run well

[@oliver2833]

I have the z10 pro ...

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Nice! How do you like it?

[@davybloggs1564]

So, you constantly refere to this as a Z9X, yet I thought it was a Z9X Pro review!? Z9X has been out for a few years now, but the Pro version is the new kiddie.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I dont own the Pro. Pro wasnt even out yet when I made this review. Pro isnt even in the title. I have a Z20 Pro now

[@elysiumcore]

I cancelled Netflix and picked up my Zidoo 3000 - buiding up a massive UHD4K library ( riped from Ultra 4K BD) wife told me wow i can see hair in their pores ....😂

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Awwww yea! Cut the cord and make your own Netflix. 😤 Always a good sign when the wife comments on audio or picture quality lol

[@jocedeg]

Starting your review by saying you've heard nothing about the Z9X, a player that's been out for a few years and that is widely reviewed on the web, is a bit baffling. I suggest you play a bit more with the VST engine if your colors look "way off". Getting the right settings for their VST engine is not an easy task and it often needs to be changed depending on content. Your "Ant Man 3D" problem could be due to a slow support (slow drive), since a "bad iso rip" wouldn't mount properly and would likely not play at all. Stuttering, lagging or freezing is likely due to a throughput (speed) issue or bad firmware on Zidoo's side. It is finicky. Also, playing a Blu-ray rip using the "with menu" option versus directly playing the main movie often results in buggy menus that go around in an infinite loop. That's, in my opinion, the buggiest aspect of the Zidoo: offering to play it like a disc and then failing at it. That, the subtitle bug you talked about and the relatively long time it takes the Z9X and my Denon X6700 to have a successful audio "handshake" are the major bugs they need to work on. It often takes a few tries to get audio back after I've paused. But despite the crappy-buggy software, the picture quality is amazing. For streaming, I choose the Shield. For high-quality files playback, the Z9X is hard to beat. At any price.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Its not that baffling. There’s a lot of people who have never heard of Zidoo. I’ve had the Zidoo for months. It was just general statement.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I’ve never had any major issues with my Z9X. Its been solid.

[@chebrubin]

The shutdown of rargb will sure hurt this appliance usage.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

What is rargb?

[@mitchelle245]

🏴‍☠️

[@andrebradley1924]

What other site can I use to download movies and TV shows

[@mattgarside7181]

Not really. What about the hundreds of private trackers out there?!

[@hatoraidcowboy]

What do you mean?

[@FrankieKennethL]

I do not consider this a streamer. This is a local media player. So to me it’s not a competitor to Nvidia orcAppleTV……it is a competitor to something like Zappiti. To me a streamer, is a device that plays media that resides ‘over the top’ via apps. My Panny 820 has (very limited) streaming apps but I would never call it a streamer. Now, let me ask you a Zidoo specific question…..how does this Z9 compare and cut Rastegar to something like the UHD3000? Im not as familiar w the Zidoo line like I know w Zappiti

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yea Zidoo is not a streamer but you can sideload apps. I wasnt trying to make an apples to apples comparison just a general statement if you want to move from streaming services to having your own mefia server 🙂 The only experience I have is with Zidoo Z9X and the Zappiti Neo. Both are VERY comparable. The biggest difference is the GUI and app control.

[@FrankieKennethL]

@@hatoraidcowboy which GUI do you like more. This is similar to what I do hear from most when comparing the two systems. That it’s a matter of which GUI you prefer and which of the two seem to be more responsive and has higher upside?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

I prefer the Zidoo GUI tenfold. I hated the Zappiti GUI. To me the Zappiti GUI just looked outdated

[@FrankieKennethL]

@@hatoraidcowboy that should be your next video hahaha. A Zidoo GUI walkthrough. :)

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Lol I covered the GUI in this video 😀 BEST player of 2023? ZIDOO Z9X 4K DOLBY VISION Media Player kzbin.info/www/bejne/mojaoq1sirGbisk

[@andrebradley1924]

3 new models

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Very exciting!

[@jastorino]

If it ran a Plex client it would be perfect.

[@hatoraidcowboy]

The only features I want from PLEX are chapter and preview thumbnails.

[@jastorino]

My reason was because I finally got lighting tied into plex webhooks with HomeKit, but I see in your video there is a Zidoo HB plugin, so I could probably replicate it. Gosh, it’s very tempting. I love my Apple TV + Infuse solution and it does 95% of what I need, and my wife is already “trained” how to use everything lol. It’s just bitstreaming I want for Atmos and DTS:X! Although, the Surround AI DSP stuff on my Yamaha Aventage AVR mixed with YPAO is a pretty darn good simulation that uses all my speakers pretty well

[@jastorino]

Well, I did it...I pulled the trigger on a z2000 Pro to local stream my rips and to supplement Apple TV 4k. Looking forward to digging in when it arrives. One day in fantasy land, Apple TV will allow bitstreaming and will be the one box to rule them all haha. Looking forward to your video on the Zidoo automation so I can tie in lights like I do with Plex! I had a z9x pro in my cart, but to me the nicer chassis, look, and power supply was worth it for the z2000, and even if I never use the internal drive bay, I have it

[@hatoraidcowboy]

@jastorino Congrats! Let me what you think after you get it all setup!

[@jastorino]

I just hope I can keep my Plex library intact and not have to go changing file names and what have you. Few details I am thinking about: - How will HT4 work with bonus content that today I have in folders like “other”, “featurette” etc per the Plex guidelines - Do I now have to maintain things like collections across 2 platforms - Can I have the Zidoo have RO access to the NAS and store metadata locally so it doesn’t mess anything up? Or, maybe that is not even a valid concern and it would be easier to give it RW so it’s metadata is backed up with the NAS

[@myfakeaccount4523]

Why would anyone buy this crap when you have google tv and kodi app for free?

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Why you mad tho

[@chadbrick67]

Should of waited 9x pro is out now more powerful and 4gb ram much better specs

[@hatoraidcowboy]

Yup. 😩 Who knew they were gonna release a new slate of updated products 🤷‍♂️