Right away I was impressed by the packaging of the VidaBox Slim. It was like the never ending box of goodies. Every nook and cranny was crammed full of accessories, cables, manuals, and more. Just when I thought I’d found it all, I’d spy a cable or wireless adapter tucked between a couple of pieces of foam. I found two things reassuring – first, the box and packing was obviously designed to work with the media center, big boxes of styrofoam peanuts doesn’t scream “set top box” to me. Second, there were a plethora of manuals. There was a quickstart guide, individual software and hardware installation guides, a comprehensive user guide, and an installation guide and song list for the karaoke optional equipment. The quickstart guide is well laid out and easy to follow. As long as you’ve connected all the proper cables before you start the machine – you should be able to turn the machine on and immediately get started with software configuration.
Editor’s Note: Hotswapping Cables
Remember, the VidaBox Slim is like any other computer; if it isn’t USB, you’ll need to restart the unit for the new device to be recognized. Getting all the correct cables connected before you start up the machine for the first time will save you a lot of unneeded frustration.
Aesthetically, I was really impressed with the looks of the VidaBox Slim. The front was brushed aluminum and the DVD bay was covered with a matching faceplate. Under the VidaBox branding are four USB ports that seem a bit out of place. The center of the unit is concave and covered with a faux wood grain. From a distance, the wood grain is so dark that the unit simply looks black. There are two blue lights in the center of the unit, one to indicate power and the other that flickers as the hard drive is accessed. Both are extremely bright but I found the flickering light to be extremely irritating. Conversations with VidaBox indicated that the light could be useful for diagnosing problems but it can be disabled if you request it. When playing a DVD, there is also a green flashing light that peeks out from under the faceplate of the DVD drawer.
While the Slim is indeed the size of a flagship DVD player, don’t be fooled, it is packed full of electronics. The unit is heavy and substantial. You won’t need a friend to help you move it but you’ll probably say “Whoa” the first time you pick it up. It also has fans. Fairly loud fans. While you probably won’t notice them during normal operation, you will notice them eventually. Putting the unit in an entertainment center like the Diamond Case Theater-Tech TT-400 Credenza which is pretty much enclosed is a good idea. Out in the open on a rack will leak too much noise in the room for most. While I didn’t really like the USB ports on the front, there is a mic, headphone, and firewire port on the side. I find that to be an elegant solution. Since the unit comes with a USB external card reader, the USB ports on the front are probably needed, I just wish they could have been side mounted like the others.
Because the VidaBox Slim packs so much in such a small box, there are a couple of accessories that are forced to be external. First, and most annoyingly, is the IR receiver. Rather than opting for an internal IR receiver with an optional IR receiver for multiple satellite/cable box control, VidaBox (for this model at least) decided to go with only the external IR receiver. On the upside, the IR receiver is compatible with the IR keyboard. The downside is that, well, now you have an IR receiver sitting on top of your media center. There is also an external multi-card reader which I find much less problematic. I don’t know anyone that uses their card reader on a daily basis and it is USB so it is hotswappable. With all the USB ports on the front of the unit, you can easily plug this in at your convenience.
