Dvico Tvix 6600N: a new high-end digital media hard drive

After yesterday's announcements from Western Digital, several rumours are also now circulating around Dvico's new multimedia hard drive, the Tvix 6660N.  The new product should see a switch to a Realtek decoding chip, the inclusion of 802.11n WiFi and a HD TV tuner.

At the moment, the Tvix 6500 is a solid alternative to products like the PopcornHour A-110, the Wyplay Wyplayer or the ZoltarTV.  With a high-end Sigma Designs chip, it can already read the most common HD video formats, like H.264 files encapsulated in MKVs.

Nevertheless, a new model is on its way.  It has a very different look to the manufacturer's other recent offerings.  Unfortunately, the screen is still VFD, but we would have preferred LCD--even in black and white--because they're more accurate and easier to read.

Goodbye Sigma Designs, Hello Realtek

The other big development is that the decoding chip will no longer be provided by Sigma Designs, but Realtek.  This change in direction for the most important component began with the PVR-3330 and R-3300 and seems like a sensible economic decision: Realtek chips are less expensive than those from Sigma Designs.  Despite that, the ability to decode different formats won't be affected, because the new player still supports the same HD video formats as its predecessor.

We think that means it will be the Realtek RTD1283DD, which we've already tried out on other multimedia hard drives whose tests we'll publish soon.  That means you can expect it to have the same compatibility as hard drives using the Sigma Designs EM8635, i.e.: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 ASP (DivX, XviD), MPEG-4 AVC (X.264, x264) and VC-1 (WMV)--the whole lot in standard definition or high definition.  AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4, MOV, WMV and MTS container formats are supported.  A DTS decoder will also be included, allowing you to enjoy this kind of audio signal on equipment that can't do the decoding itself.

802.11n WiFi support, two TV tuners and web services

Another interesting addition is the inclusion of WiFi, using the 802.11n standard.  This allows higher speeds than the earlier g standard (up to 300 Mbps in place of 54 Mbps).  Web services like YouTube and Picasa will be included, like on the PCH A-110.  USB host ports are available for accessing content from a USB key or an external hard drive.
Unfortunately, they're at the back of the case, which is not very practical.  By contrast, the SDHC card reader is on the left of the machine, which is useful for anybody who wants to get a quick look at their latest photos and videos.

Finally, as is always the case with Dvico, a version of the Tvix 660N will include a doulbe digital TV tuner.  The price is not yet known, but the product should be available from mid September.

> Product Survey: Multimedia Hard Drives