ASUS Eee Box B202 detailed and tested on video

It's one thing to see a device unboxed in pictures, but we all know a video tells a million (give or take a few) words. HotHardware's Dave Altavilla has posted up a sub-5 minute clip detailing the ins and outs of ASUS' Eee Box B202, and even from an enthusiast of all things cutting-edge, he was pretty impressed by the Atom-powered machine. The most interesting bit is probably the video playback test; we won't spoil how it handled (or mishandled) 1080p playback for you -- jump on past the break and have a look for yourself.

[UMChemist @ Aug 15th 2008 11:36AM]

But can it run Crysis???

[From My Cube @ Aug 15th 2008 11:47AM]

who the fuck cares

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 15th 2008 11:47AM]

ugh

[BobfromVegas @ Aug 15th 2008 11:48AM]

But FIRST can it run Crysis?

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 15th 2008 11:54AM]

I think we have to realize that the only thing that keeps trolls alive is feeding them. They only do it so they can laugh at all the "witty" comments and flaming they get.


DFTT

[kjb434 @ Aug 15th 2008 12:02PM]

I'm putting Crysis and Doom comments on the same level as the stupid FIRST! ones..

[BobfromVegas @ Aug 15th 2008 1:11PM]

Exactly. I just do it to see how mad people get over words on an internet blog.

[gerbick @ Aug 15th 2008 1:20PM]

Wait until you get the yet unseen "First-Will It Blend-Does it Play Doom/Quake/Crysis-Grammar Nazi-It looks like it ripped off the iPhone" combo post before complaining.

Sheesh.

[Jason @ Aug 15th 2008 4:38PM]

@gerbick - we just did. See what they've done? They got you doing their dirty work for them.

[broli @ Aug 15th 2008 11:36AM]

Processor is really misused imo. They should have gone for a budget core 2 duo. At least you'd then have fluid 1080 playback.

[AR @ Aug 15th 2008 12:45PM]

Funny, I can play back 1080p x264's on my 901 just fine with CoreAVC, streamed over wifi no less. The trick was to have the processor running at full speed.

[ShadowKain @ Aug 15th 2008 12:35PM]

The point of the ATOM and Via's Nano, is to provide an ultra low wattage processor in a small package. You obviously have no clue what they are trying to accomplish. GTFO

[broli @ Aug 15th 2008 2:04PM]

@ShadowKain: Wow what and insightful comment. Maybe it's you and Asus that seemed to have missed the point of the Atom cpu. Intel has a special LV (Low Voltage) line of cpu's just for this task...They are maybe 2 times more power hungry than the atom but pack a way stronger punch. But I guess people are sooo looking for an ultra weak but yet small pc they'd skip a netbook which makes much more sense and go for this piece of shit. I think you like sucking Asus wang so badly you'd try to justify their whole Eee tsunami crap.

[J. Baker @ Aug 15th 2008 5:02PM]

He's right. Why go low power on something connected to mains power? By all means use an Atom in a notebook for its power saving tricks, but there is no need in a desktop.

[fieldcar @ Aug 15th 2008 11:38AM]

of course it cant run crysis... a netbook running crysis?
But will it blend?
The iPhone is better.
The cake is a lie
I can't believe its not butter!!!!

[paragraph @ Aug 15th 2008 11:43AM]

you forgot;

Will it run doom?

[thatrotierkid @ Aug 15th 2008 11:57AM]

what i really want to know is will it play pong? if not i refuse to buy it

[Kris @ Aug 15th 2008 12:17PM]

It's not a netbook...

[fieldcar @ Aug 15th 2008 12:46PM]

but it is based on SUPER low end, low power, compact stuff like a netbook. Right, its not a netbook, but its no more than a net-desktop.

[thatrotierkid @ Aug 15th 2008 1:22PM]

so ya, i posted my last comment just to see if i could figure out people like saying things like "will it play doom" and "first!"... i dont get it... there was nothing enjoyable that came from that. huh

[Jason @ Aug 15th 2008 5:30PM]

Yeah, but will it run Vista?

[nn432100 @ Aug 15th 2008 12:17PM]

I really like that bracket that they include to mount it to the back of a monitor. Although I do like the atom processor I think we should check back in later to see how windows is running after you install all the software necessary to keep your pc safe. I can almost guarantee that those programs wont load as fast as they do in the video.

[DiRT @ Aug 15th 2008 12:18PM]

Look at the tangle of cords coming out of the back of that thing!

And hey... you think he re-dubbed the price at the end?

[Phoenix @ Aug 15th 2008 12:20PM]

Big screen for such a little computer

[robothouse @ Aug 15th 2008 12:20PM]

Who cares? WHERE IS MY E-SERIES, DELL?

[Superevil @ Aug 15th 2008 2:06PM]

That's what I'd like to know

[Jesse @ Aug 16th 2008 1:01AM]

Seriously where is my dell man, classes are coming up.

[bartoron @ Aug 15th 2008 12:44PM]

When will Engadget be doing a review on the ASUS Eee Box BXL9014HD?

[Neeko @ Aug 15th 2008 12:45PM]

Wow if this thing will play my 720P collection then maybe the Mac Mini is a little overkill. Cant beat that price for the small size your getting.

[luÇah76 @ Aug 15th 2008 12:47PM]

Are you telling me all these years I have been pronouncing it A-sus when it is actually pronounced A-suuse?

I fail.

[XIYL @ Aug 15th 2008 5:20PM]

Yes, sadly that is also how I pronounce Asus. But I refuse to change how I say it because I'm a stubborn American.

[youngcalihottie @ Aug 16th 2008 5:58AM]

thats the very first thing i noticed when watching this video! glad to know i wasnt the only one saying it wrong. or is he saying it wrong? oh well. if we can use inches, gallons, pounds, etc, then we can keep saying a-sus too.

[OSnix*-geek @ Aug 15th 2008 12:47PM]

2 things

Now I get it the via chip can handle the video, and other more powerful (and power hungry) can as well, but let's look at this from a software and platform standpoint.

What if it was running linux and mplayer, and a far less processor intensive codec (not windows media video). Or even OS X and quicktime.

My point here is that this box may still have a purpose for $300, and it's smaller than a mac mini! It might make a great little hackintosh that can ACTUALLY handle 1080p video.

There are too many weak links here that could be causing the 1080p video to be choppy, windows xp, windows media player, and windows media video.

The second thing is that you are upscaling 1080p video to whatever that displays native resolution is (which is clearly higher than 1920x1080). If the displays output settings were native at 1920x1080, you wouldn't incur as much of a processor hit, but I don't know how windows media player and the video card work, to output at 1080p. I didn't see any screen flicker to adjust the resolution, so I would think it's outputting upscaled 1080p video.

I call shenanigans.

[OSnix*-geek @ Aug 15th 2008 12:49PM]

more powerful CPU's even

[VariaLFliP @ Aug 15th 2008 1:10PM]

I believe it's a 24" 1920*1200. Thus there's no upscaling happening here.

[Neeko @ Aug 15th 2008 12:55PM]

Damn i wanna pull the trigger on this but i need more testing of the 720p playback..Plus who uses windows media player for HD videos? Thats like the worst CPU hog.. Use VLC or media player classic and show me another test.

[Nick @ Aug 15th 2008 1:27PM]

I prefer KM Player...but I agree, I wanna see how it runs when its not pulling off the internal tiny, slow hard drive...what's it look like coming from externals? Also, how does it respond to running bittorrent in the background while playing 720p movies?

[Almadi @ Aug 15th 2008 12:56PM]

Desktop - No optical drive = No sale

[Cory @ Aug 15th 2008 7:15PM]

This whole device = as big as an optical drive so you obviously can't be in the market for a PC of this size.

[Phoenix @ Aug 15th 2008 1:44PM]

desktop minus no optical drive... therefore a desktop that doesn't not have an optical drive, therefore a desktop with an optical drive.

You're saying you won't buy a desktop with an optical drive? Cos that's what your post says.

Nice grammar.

[BigD145 @ Aug 15th 2008 1:30PM]

That 19V power would make this a little hard to mod into a semi portable laptop.

[Aegelward @ Aug 15th 2008 1:47PM]

I might just get one of these to give it a shot as a HTPC running XBMC or Mediaportal. If it can't handle it i'll give it to my mum, she needs a new PC anyway.

[Abigail @ Aug 15th 2008 1:56PM]

I stopped by J&R for my lunch break and they had both the white and black versions. I didn't realize they were that small.

I'm partial to the black one myself

http://www.jr.com/asus/pe/ASU_EBXB202BKX/?JRSource=socnet

The white one looks like a wii

http://www.jr.com/asus/pe/ASU_EBXB202WKX/?JRSource=socnet

[Crudelitas @ Aug 15th 2008 1:58PM]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Atom-Athlon-Efficient,1997.html

so much for your Atom/Nano chatter.... AMD still rocks your socks off!

[Almadi @ Aug 15th 2008 2:04PM]

So sorry about that, it was a dash, not a minus sign.

I'll try my best to proof read equation 'grammer' next time to make it 'layman' clear.

And thank you for commenting on my comment. It's constructive criticism like this that will make me the best professional commenter someday.

Correction:

Desktop / no optical drive = No sale

[Phoenix @ Aug 15th 2008 2:42PM]

Grammar not grammer. if you look, I even said grammar in my original comment. and the "standard" way of doing stuff like that is "product plus problem equals no sale" or "Product minus feature equals no sale"

i.e. Laptop + huge power adapter = no sale
or phone - VGA screen = no sale

I assumed that's what you're trying to do, what you actually seem to have done makes no sense at all

[zzz @ Aug 15th 2008 4:03PM]

Jesus, stop being such a douche. Nobody cares.

[J. Baker @ Aug 15th 2008 5:04PM]

You must be a virgin phoenix.

[B @ Aug 15th 2008 5:06PM]

How about "problem + problem = action"...

Almadi + Phoenix = STFU

[Jason @ Aug 15th 2008 5:37PM]

Sad thing is, man, you coulda made it funny and avoided all the onslaught.