Darksaber
02-02-2007, 11:45 PM
[page=Introduction & Packaging]
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabay.jpg
I would like to thank SoundGraph (http://www.soundgraph.com) for supplying the review sample.
SoundGraph is a company which was spun off from Samsung Electronics in 2000 and has since then specialized in developing various remote controls, VFDs and digital DJing equipment.
Here is what SoundGraph has to say about itself:
The name of our company, 'SoundGraph' is composed of two words 'sound' and 'graph'. As like on the company name, 'Soundgraph' provides the multimedia products and services which is based on the digital media technology.
Recently, there is various products and services appeared on the production, process and distribution of multimedia with the popularization of new digital media. SoundGraph provides new concepts on the viewpoint of users who receive these multimedia contents and produces innovative products based on the new concepts. We developed the technology, controls digital audio file using the analogue turntable, controls PC using a remote controller instead of keyboard and mouse, so users can using their PC like normal home appliance. And we proposed the new multi-channel digital audio file format which presents new environments of listening music.
The new multimedia contents widely spread through the network which is rapidly increased. SoundGraph will provide a creative and innovative way to control this media spreading through the network.
Now let's take a look at the SoundGraph iMON Ultra Bay. This is the newest variant of their VFD series.
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxbacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxback.jpg)
The cardboard packaging is colorful and shows an image of the Ultra Bay. While we got the black variant for testing, users can also choose the silver variant if it fits better in their case. There is a window on the left side, showing the remote control. The back of the box lists some features in detail, as well as some screenshots of the rather complex software.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxwindows.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxwindow.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/unboxeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/unboxed.jpg)
There is a window on the side of the box, letting the user get a good look at the Ultra Bay before deciding to buy it. The packaging is great and well thought out.
The contents are packaged very well. It is secured in multiple locations with a Soundgraph sticker. The remote control is displayed behind a molded plastic window. If you are wondering about the shape and form of the remote - yes other manufacturers use the same, as it comes standard with iMON VFDs. These displays are used by a lot of different manufacturers like Thermaltake, Coolermaster & Silverstone.
[page=Content & A Closer Look]
Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/contentss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/contents.jpg)
There are a few items inside the white packaging. The previously mentioned remote and batteries to power it, a manual, a Software CD, an ATX connector to power the Ultra Bay and a USB 2.0 header adapter. The USB adapter allows you to connect a normal USB 2.0 device directly to the mainboard header.
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaybacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayback.jpg)
The front of the Ultra Bay is as big as two 5.25 inch drive bays. The top holds a shiny display, an iMEDIAN start button as well as the IR receiver. The lower part includes two turning knobs, media selection and media control buttons. The back of the Ultra Bay is covered by plastic, protecting the LCD and PCB.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaytops.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaytop.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/soungraphpcbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/soungraphpcb.jpg)
There is a small PCB with a connector for the proprietary Soundgraph power connector, start button cable and USB cable. The latter is hardwired and cannot be disconnected.
[page=Software Installation & iMEDIAN]
Software Installation
The latest version of the iMEDIAN software can be downloaded at the Soundgraph website here (http://www.soundgraph.com/Eng_/Supports/NoticeView.aspx?topMenu=4&leftMenu=1&subMenu=3&dataID=84¤tPae=1).
The version 6.01.0122 was the latest at the time of writing this review. The installation of the iMON/iMEDIAN software is quite straight forward. There are no unneeded programs installed during setup. The entire package takes up around 97 MB which is very slim for media center software. As Soundgraph provides the software to all its customers using the displays, the company is working hard to support the newest operating systems. Thus it is not surprising that they are already offering a pretty stable Vista iMON/iMEDIAN 6.0 BETA.
Installation process:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/3s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/4s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/5s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/6s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/6.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/7s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/8s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/8.jpg)
Installation Setup Wizard:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/9s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/9.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/10s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/10.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/11s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/11.jpg)
The initial Setup Wizard starts up automatically once the software installation is complete. The first screen presented to the user, gives you a choice between the included Soundgraph Remote and the Windows MCE remote. The iMON Ultra Bay already includes a MCE remote compatible IR receiver, so there is no need to mod anything or to have a separate dongle occupying a USB port. The user is also asked to set the quick launch item to be started once the MCE button or, in case of the Soundgraph remote, iMEDIAN button is pressed. The last screen controls if the application auto starts during startup. 'Automatic' means that only the toolbars are launched, while the iMEDIAN Media Center is not.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/desktop.jpg
Once the initial Wizard is completed, three toolbars appear on the screen. All have a Windows Vista look. There is a virtual volume knob, an analog clock and a news headline bar. Each can be moved around as needed and easily turned off if not required.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imonmanages.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imonmanage.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/lcds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/lcd.jpg)
There are two important parts to the iMON software. The first manages all the possible settings of the software. Within the software there is an option called 'FrontView' which controls the graphic display. The amount of options to customize the information is quite large. The user can set the display contrast, font type and size, scroll speed and direction. There are tabs for the different types of information the graphic VFD can display.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz3s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz3.jpg)
After the installation was complete, all the hardware worked. I did not need to set up anything else. The display showed all kinds of information and the remote worked right off the bat. As soon as I started iMEDIAN, which is a home entertainment software, I was taken through the setup step by step. After being greeted I was asked if I wanted to search my hard drive to map any media file available. This screen was followed by a choice of using iMEDIAN to watch TV or if I wanted to use my present TV tuner software. SoundGraph recommends the use of the TV hardware's software instead of its built-in in one, as this feature only supports a limited number of devices.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz4s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz5s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz6s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz6.jpg)
I wanted to watch TV using iMEDIAN, which then led me through a very easy to understand setup to select my hardware and country region so it would find all available channels.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz7s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imedians.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imedian.jpg)
After the initial wizard was done, a clean iMEDIAN interface spanning my whole 24" Dell LCD showed up - no matter what resolution I set it at. I was already able to select each menu with the remote control and open up movies and music. The installation and setup was incredibly easy and should be no problem for novice users. The remote control has two specific buttons, which made the navigation very simple. On one hand there was the "Application Launcher", which brought up a window from which different applications could be launched with the remote. This list was completely customizable. On the other hand there was the "Task Switcher", which worked just like the Windows Task Switcher, but with the use of the remote.
Let's take a look at the VFD in action.
[page=Display In Action]
Display In Action
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/allitemss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/allitems.jpg)
The new display used in the Ultra Bay is a big step up from the standard VFD used in the Soundgraph VFD. It has a blue backlight and can display any font shape and size. I turned the brightness up all the way so that all options can be seen. Let's take a closer look at the information the Ultra Bay can display.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/left.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/right.jpg
The left of the display has an animated "pie" also found in car stereos. The different pie pieces light up in succession giving the illusion of a turning disk. Right below that animation are two labels which light up for repeat and shuffle. Just under that you will find tags for Alarm, recording volume and time. These light up when one of these functions is active.
To the right of the display are a few more labels which can light up. The top part actually lets you know of the speaker configuration used. It can display any usual analog setup. The tags below light up corresponding to the type of input source used.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/top.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/buttom.jpg
The top of the iMON Ultra Bay lists all the information displayed at the moment. Depending on the currently displayed data, the corresponding tag lights up. The bottom is reserved for the type of video and audio currently playing. Note that there are two "WMA" tags. The Ultra Bay uses a combination of two tags to display the compression type and audio type of a video file and then a separate tag if only audio is played.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/clocks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/clock.jpg)
Once all the software is installed, the first item displayed is a clock. It takes the settings from Windows and displays the time in the format set in the iMON Manager software. It already shows the type of fonts the display is capable of.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/systems.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/system.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/fontss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/fonts.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/mails.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/mail.jpg)
The standard font used, is Tahoma, 10pt high. It is quite easy to change the font to any Windows font installed on your PC. I selected Arial, increased the size to 32, added bold & italic. Upon hitting 'Apply' the display immediately displayed the changes. This shows the true potential of the new type of screen used in the Ultra Bay. It is also capable of displaying any different language like Russian or Greek.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/musics.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/music.jpg)
The display has a good response time, much faster than the iMON VFD. There was no notable ghosting in the Audio plug-in. The fading is due to the exposure time of the Canon 400D.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Soundgraph iMON Ultra Bay retails for around $95. This is actually cheaper than the iMON VFD.</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Good price
Great display quality
Great built quality
Excellent software support
Remote included
MCE remote support
Vista support
Available in silver or black
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
May not fit into every case
Plastic front
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.3</th>
<td>The Soundgraph iMON Ultra Bay looks great in any silver or black case. Soundgraph is making it possible to turn your favorite case into an HTPC enclosure. The new Ultra Bay offers all the functionality of the iMON VFD and much more for a slightly reduced price.<br />
Soundgraph even managed to make it Windows Media Center Edition compatible, so there is no need to use two remotes. The new display used is a great upgrade when compared to the character LCD used in Soundgraph's previous offering and should certainly make it stand out. The fact that the company provides their displays to most major companies like Thermaltake & Silverstone makes this an easy choice, as you are sure to get excellent software support and just the same quality.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/editorschoice.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabay.jpg
I would like to thank SoundGraph (http://www.soundgraph.com) for supplying the review sample.
SoundGraph is a company which was spun off from Samsung Electronics in 2000 and has since then specialized in developing various remote controls, VFDs and digital DJing equipment.
Here is what SoundGraph has to say about itself:
The name of our company, 'SoundGraph' is composed of two words 'sound' and 'graph'. As like on the company name, 'Soundgraph' provides the multimedia products and services which is based on the digital media technology.
Recently, there is various products and services appeared on the production, process and distribution of multimedia with the popularization of new digital media. SoundGraph provides new concepts on the viewpoint of users who receive these multimedia contents and produces innovative products based on the new concepts. We developed the technology, controls digital audio file using the analogue turntable, controls PC using a remote controller instead of keyboard and mouse, so users can using their PC like normal home appliance. And we proposed the new multi-channel digital audio file format which presents new environments of listening music.
The new multimedia contents widely spread through the network which is rapidly increased. SoundGraph will provide a creative and innovative way to control this media spreading through the network.
Now let's take a look at the SoundGraph iMON Ultra Bay. This is the newest variant of their VFD series.
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxbacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxback.jpg)
The cardboard packaging is colorful and shows an image of the Ultra Bay. While we got the black variant for testing, users can also choose the silver variant if it fits better in their case. There is a window on the left side, showing the remote control. The back of the box lists some features in detail, as well as some screenshots of the rather complex software.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxwindows.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/boxwindow.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/unboxeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/unboxed.jpg)
There is a window on the side of the box, letting the user get a good look at the Ultra Bay before deciding to buy it. The packaging is great and well thought out.
The contents are packaged very well. It is secured in multiple locations with a Soundgraph sticker. The remote control is displayed behind a molded plastic window. If you are wondering about the shape and form of the remote - yes other manufacturers use the same, as it comes standard with iMON VFDs. These displays are used by a lot of different manufacturers like Thermaltake, Coolermaster & Silverstone.
[page=Content & A Closer Look]
Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/contentss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/contents.jpg)
There are a few items inside the white packaging. The previously mentioned remote and batteries to power it, a manual, a Software CD, an ATX connector to power the Ultra Bay and a USB 2.0 header adapter. The USB adapter allows you to connect a normal USB 2.0 device directly to the mainboard header.
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaybacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabayback.jpg)
The front of the Ultra Bay is as big as two 5.25 inch drive bays. The top holds a shiny display, an iMEDIAN start button as well as the IR receiver. The lower part includes two turning knobs, media selection and media control buttons. The back of the Ultra Bay is covered by plastic, protecting the LCD and PCB.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaytops.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/ultrabaytop.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/soungraphpcbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/soungraphpcb.jpg)
There is a small PCB with a connector for the proprietary Soundgraph power connector, start button cable and USB cable. The latter is hardwired and cannot be disconnected.
[page=Software Installation & iMEDIAN]
Software Installation
The latest version of the iMEDIAN software can be downloaded at the Soundgraph website here (http://www.soundgraph.com/Eng_/Supports/NoticeView.aspx?topMenu=4&leftMenu=1&subMenu=3&dataID=84¤tPae=1).
The version 6.01.0122 was the latest at the time of writing this review. The installation of the iMON/iMEDIAN software is quite straight forward. There are no unneeded programs installed during setup. The entire package takes up around 97 MB which is very slim for media center software. As Soundgraph provides the software to all its customers using the displays, the company is working hard to support the newest operating systems. Thus it is not surprising that they are already offering a pretty stable Vista iMON/iMEDIAN 6.0 BETA.
Installation process:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/3s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/4s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/5s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/6s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/6.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/7s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/8s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/8.jpg)
Installation Setup Wizard:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/9s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/9.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/10s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/10.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/11s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/11.jpg)
The initial Setup Wizard starts up automatically once the software installation is complete. The first screen presented to the user, gives you a choice between the included Soundgraph Remote and the Windows MCE remote. The iMON Ultra Bay already includes a MCE remote compatible IR receiver, so there is no need to mod anything or to have a separate dongle occupying a USB port. The user is also asked to set the quick launch item to be started once the MCE button or, in case of the Soundgraph remote, iMEDIAN button is pressed. The last screen controls if the application auto starts during startup. 'Automatic' means that only the toolbars are launched, while the iMEDIAN Media Center is not.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/desktop.jpg
Once the initial Wizard is completed, three toolbars appear on the screen. All have a Windows Vista look. There is a virtual volume knob, an analog clock and a news headline bar. Each can be moved around as needed and easily turned off if not required.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imonmanages.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imonmanage.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/lcds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/lcd.jpg)
There are two important parts to the iMON software. The first manages all the possible settings of the software. Within the software there is an option called 'FrontView' which controls the graphic display. The amount of options to customize the information is quite large. The user can set the display contrast, font type and size, scroll speed and direction. There are tabs for the different types of information the graphic VFD can display.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz3s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz3.jpg)
After the installation was complete, all the hardware worked. I did not need to set up anything else. The display showed all kinds of information and the remote worked right off the bat. As soon as I started iMEDIAN, which is a home entertainment software, I was taken through the setup step by step. After being greeted I was asked if I wanted to search my hard drive to map any media file available. This screen was followed by a choice of using iMEDIAN to watch TV or if I wanted to use my present TV tuner software. SoundGraph recommends the use of the TV hardware's software instead of its built-in in one, as this feature only supports a limited number of devices.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz4s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz5s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz6s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz6.jpg)
I wanted to watch TV using iMEDIAN, which then led me through a very easy to understand setup to select my hardware and country region so it would find all available channels.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz7s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/wiz7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imedians.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/imedian.jpg)
After the initial wizard was done, a clean iMEDIAN interface spanning my whole 24" Dell LCD showed up - no matter what resolution I set it at. I was already able to select each menu with the remote control and open up movies and music. The installation and setup was incredibly easy and should be no problem for novice users. The remote control has two specific buttons, which made the navigation very simple. On one hand there was the "Application Launcher", which brought up a window from which different applications could be launched with the remote. This list was completely customizable. On the other hand there was the "Task Switcher", which worked just like the Windows Task Switcher, but with the use of the remote.
Let's take a look at the VFD in action.
[page=Display In Action]
Display In Action
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The new display used in the Ultra Bay is a big step up from the standard VFD used in the Soundgraph VFD. It has a blue backlight and can display any font shape and size. I turned the brightness up all the way so that all options can be seen. Let's take a closer look at the information the Ultra Bay can display.
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The left of the display has an animated "pie" also found in car stereos. The different pie pieces light up in succession giving the illusion of a turning disk. Right below that animation are two labels which light up for repeat and shuffle. Just under that you will find tags for Alarm, recording volume and time. These light up when one of these functions is active.
To the right of the display are a few more labels which can light up. The top part actually lets you know of the speaker configuration used. It can display any usual analog setup. The tags below light up corresponding to the type of input source used.
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The top of the iMON Ultra Bay lists all the information displayed at the moment. Depending on the currently displayed data, the corresponding tag lights up. The bottom is reserved for the type of video and audio currently playing. Note that there are two "WMA" tags. The Ultra Bay uses a combination of two tags to display the compression type and audio type of a video file and then a separate tag if only audio is played.
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Once all the software is installed, the first item displayed is a clock. It takes the settings from Windows and displays the time in the format set in the iMON Manager software. It already shows the type of fonts the display is capable of.
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The standard font used, is Tahoma, 10pt high. It is quite easy to change the font to any Windows font installed on your PC. I selected Arial, increased the size to 32, added bold & italic. Upon hitting 'Apply' the display immediately displayed the changes. This shows the true potential of the new type of screen used in the Ultra Bay. It is also capable of displaying any different language like Russian or Greek.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/musics.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/images/music.jpg)
The display has a good response time, much faster than the iMON VFD. There was no notable ghosting in the Audio plug-in. The fading is due to the exposure time of the Canon 400D.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion
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The Soundgraph iMON Ultra Bay retails for around $95. This is actually cheaper than the iMON VFD.</td>
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Good price
Great display quality
Great built quality
Excellent software support
Remote included
MCE remote support
Vista support
Available in silver or black
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May not fit into every case
Plastic front
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<tr><th>9.3</th>
<td>The Soundgraph iMON Ultra Bay looks great in any silver or black case. Soundgraph is making it possible to turn your favorite case into an HTPC enclosure. The new Ultra Bay offers all the functionality of the iMON VFD and much more for a slightly reduced price.<br />
Soundgraph even managed to make it Windows Media Center Edition compatible, so there is no need to use two remotes. The new display used is a great upgrade when compared to the character LCD used in Soundgraph's previous offering and should certainly make it stand out. The fact that the company provides their displays to most major companies like Thermaltake & Silverstone makes this an easy choice, as you are sure to get excellent software support and just the same quality.
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