Storex AivX 370HD

Storex's marketing department doesn't pull any punches with this multimedia hard drive that it describes as a 'very high-end' model.

That's all well and good, but just to start with the design of the AivX 370HD, there's still plenty of work to be done.

Although the whole thing has a refined, sober finish, but it could still be finished to a higher standard.  The buttons on the front, for example, are very delicate.  

While we're talking about the front of the box, though, the alphanumeric screen is great addition as it allows you to access your content without having to turn on your TV.

There's a full-size remote control that sits comfortably in your hand, and it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into the on-screen menus which look great and follow a logical order.

More frustrating, however, is the fact that the thumbnail view is limited to just six previews per page.  We would have preferred a system that allowed you to choose the number of previews yourself--or more than six at any rate.

Another interesting factor on this model is the system for updating the firmware online.  Although the vast majority of multimedia hard drives do accept software updates, there are two usual problems.  

First of all, some manufacturers have a tendency to leave their customers in the lurch by not providing regular updates.  Secondly, though, those that do keep their software up to date, including Dvico and Cibox, only offer manual updates which mean you have to download the software using another computer and then manually copying it onto the hard drive.

Strorex has a more straightforward system thanks to the fact the AivX 370HD has a built-in Internet connection. It can download and install any software updates that are available, but you still need to use the menus to launch the search.

Once again it's a question of a tiny detail, but it would have been a lot easier if Storex had put a system in place that periodically checked for updates and downloaded any necessary software.

Compatibility

Storex has made a very wise choice with the Sigma Designs EM8635 chip, which has already proved its worth elsewhere.  

In particular, we're glad to see support for version 1.3 of the HDMI standard, as well as some high-end audio formats like Dolby TrueHD, DTS and DD+.  Naturally, HD video is supported, whether via the H.264 codec or the MKV container.

To sum up, the Storex AivX-370HD reads MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (DivX6, XviD, ASP), WMV and MP4 files.  When it comes to HD, DivX HD, H.264 and MPEG-4 AVC HD and WMV HD are on offer.  

Audio is equally well-handled, with MP3, WMA, OGG, Flac, DD and DTS available.  For still images, all of the formats that form our standard battery of tests were compatible--JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, PNG and PCX.  Finally, the majority of current subtitle files are supported, including SRT, SUB, SSA and IDX.

Connectivity

Although we were pleased by the number of file types we could read, the options for connecting the AivX 370HD to other hardware was more disappointing.  

On the one hand, there is an Ethernet port to allow you to plug into a home network and from there connect to the Internet.  If you don't fancy that, you can join a wireless network.

If your wireless router supports it, then the 370HD supports the fast 802.11n standard, but is backwards compatible with the slower 802.11g standard too.

Whether you use a wireless or a wired connection, though, the 370HD is very slow.  We only managed to get it to read files at 2.45 MB/s, which means moving a 4 GB movie will take 27 minutes, and a large 8 GB HD video will clog it up for nearly an hour.

There's no USB connection, though, so if you want to connect directly to your computer, you'll need to use these very slow network interfaces.

Two USB host ports are there, but will only work with external hard drives or flash memory sticks.  

Everything else is as expected: coaxial and optical audio outputs, HDMI 1.3 and component video.