Digital Trends

NeoDigits Helios X5000 December 12th, 2006 | by Ian Bell

Setup and Use

One of the biggest pet peeves we have is an incomplete instruction manual. NeoDigits includes a glossy fold-out Setup Guide that explains the setup process in 15 “simple” steps. This guide walks you through connecting the X5000 to your TV, installing the Helios NeoLink software on your PC and connecting the X5000 player to your home network. Sounds simple in theory, but as you probably already know, connecting anything to your PC through a network is not always easy to do. NeoDigits does include a 36 page detailed instruction manual in the form of a PDF file on the included CD, but a physical manual would have been our preference.

The Helios NeoLink software is a very basic program that essentially categorizes your media content into specific folders such as music, audio, and photos. Then when you plan to play the media file through the X5000 player, you just browse the folder you want on your PC and it will stream the content over to your PC. You also have the option of subscribing to RSS feeds, podcasts and even book marking your favorite websites for web browsing through your TV. If you have multiple PC’s in your house, you can install the NeoLink software on every PC and stream content from them as well; you are not bound to just a single computer. The X5000 is firmware upgradeable using your internet connection, so make sure you have the latest firmware upon the initial setup.

You have to have a small degree of tech-saviness when configuring the X5000 for first time use. This means knowing what screen resolution your TV supports and setting up the X5000 accordingly. If you choose a display mode in the setup menu that your TV does not support, the screen will distort. Wait 30 seconds and hit the <video modes> button the remote until you get a clear picture. You will also need your home network SSID and pass code if it is encrypted. Full setup time should take about 10 to 15 minutes. Boot up time on the X5000 is excruciatingly slow; expect to wait about 15 to 20 seconds at the very least before playing your content.