I was doing some research and discovered that my VOiP service through OBi100's firmware was behind in terms of the current version that is available. Before I upgraded the version that was installed was 1.20 with build version 2101M. After the upgrade the version is 1.30 with build version 2675. I installed the update on February 11, 2012.
There have been a lot of changes from 1.20 and 1.30. I would rather not list them here just due to the space needed to list them all. What I will do is provide a link to the information. I will also copy the information off to a soft copy for any necessary future reference.
Click here to OBi firmware update history.
I updated the firmware to keep with my personal opinion that you should have the most current version of firmware installed on all your devices/components. The update was very easy to preform.
Obi provides several methods for applying a firmware update. I elected to update manually through the web interface. This requires that you download the firmware update file and then using the Device Update option under the System Management section in the web interface upload the update to the device. The entire process took about 15 minutes to complete.
For those who don't know, Obi100 is a VoIP Telephone adapter that allows you to use a traditional landline phone with Google Voice, SIP and other telephone interfaces. I use Google Voice on this device and highly recommend it. I have not paid for a landline phone for about 9 months.
The calls and voice quality are very clear. There are two things to seriously consider about using an Obi100. First there are no emergency services provided with the phone. Meaning that 911 calls and other emergency service calls are not allowed. If you have a cell phone this should not be an issue in most cases. The second item to consider is the device is attached to your network and an internet connection must be available to work. If you have a power outage or your network goes down for any of a variety of reasons you will be without phone service. A battery backup power supply would help eliminate the power outage issue.
The device is extremely easy to use and setup. I have some issues with having to reset the device. Over the course of about 3 months I had to reset the device about once a week. This has not happened since the firmware was updated. For the price and savings you can realize I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to cut their landline phone costs.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BDT210 Firmware Update
Today when I started up the Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BDT210 there was a screen message that there was a new firmware version available. After some online research I found the following information on the update:
Version 1.80
Released 02/06/2012
VIERA Connect update
Playability of 3D Blu-ray Disc
(At the time of this post I only found information on the firmware update on Panasonic's Japan's website and not North America's. Click here for the details I found.)
Keeping with my belief that it is always best to have the most current firmware version loaded to your components, I went about processing the update. Panasonic has made this process very easy with the DMP-BDT210 when it is connected to your LAN. You simply go through the Setup Menu to the "Other" section and select Firmware Update.
The player then connects to the Panasonic servers and downloads the new version. The entire process is self contained once started and no user interaction is required. The player will reset and start up again once the firmware has been downloaded and installed. This time around the entire process only took about 10 minutes.
It should be noted that I have my Panasonic Blu-ray Player connected via the integrated wireless connection. The connection point is my D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655 located about 20 feet away in another room. The wireless signal passes through one interior wall at a 90 degree angle. As good as it will get at this location.
This is the second firmware update that I have installed on the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 since I purchased it. The first one was for version 1.70 which came out after the date of manufacturing on the unit that I purchased. That update was just as easy as this one.
Version 1.80
Released 02/06/2012
VIERA Connect update
Playability of 3D Blu-ray Disc
(At the time of this post I only found information on the firmware update on Panasonic's Japan's website and not North America's. Click here for the details I found.)
Keeping with my belief that it is always best to have the most current firmware version loaded to your components, I went about processing the update. Panasonic has made this process very easy with the DMP-BDT210 when it is connected to your LAN. You simply go through the Setup Menu to the "Other" section and select Firmware Update.
The player then connects to the Panasonic servers and downloads the new version. The entire process is self contained once started and no user interaction is required. The player will reset and start up again once the firmware has been downloaded and installed. This time around the entire process only took about 10 minutes.
It should be noted that I have my Panasonic Blu-ray Player connected via the integrated wireless connection. The connection point is my D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655 located about 20 feet away in another room. The wireless signal passes through one interior wall at a 90 degree angle. As good as it will get at this location.
This is the second firmware update that I have installed on the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 since I purchased it. The first one was for version 1.70 which came out after the date of manufacturing on the unit that I purchased. That update was just as easy as this one.
Friday, February 10, 2012
New Component Cabinet
Today, Friday February 10th, 2012, I purchased a Techcraft (SWD30) credenza style component cabinet. I had been looking for a new component cabinet for some time. This purchase will allow me to relocate my current component cabinet from the corner to under the window in the living room. The current cabinet is something I purchased over 15 years ago and is definitely in need of replacing.
To make this conversion possible I have also purchased several cables from Monoprice.com to accommodate the new cabinet location.
Specifically I purchased:
Coaxial Cable - 6 foot RG-6 Quad Shield (Color is white to blend) (From wall outlet to Cable Box)
HMDI Cable - 15 foot 24 AWG Category 2 (Color is white to blend)
HDMI Relief Cable - 8 inch 28 AWG (From TV to main HDMI Cable)
Power Cable - 3 foot 18 AWG Right Angle Adapter (From TV to power cable)
Power Cable - 20 foot 16 AWG (From TV adapter to surge protector)
Speaker Wire - 18 AWG (Color is white to blend) (For FL/C/FR speakers)
The new component cabinet will serve as a cabinet an end table by a chair. Since the current cabinet is run down and not display quality it was tucked in the corner. I live in an apartment and I cannot run the cables through the wall. My hope is that white speaker wire, HDMI cable and power cord will help these cables blend in better with the wall. The current cables don't blend very well because the HDMI cable is black and the speaker wires are copper.
Later posts will have pictures and descriptions of the installation process. I plan on putting everything together during the evenings next week and I figure it will take about 1 week to get everything setup and configured correctly.
Cables that have to run up the wall:
Front Left Speaker Wire
Center Speaker Wire
Front Right Speaker Wire
HDMI Cable from AVR to Television
Power Cord to Television
Current cables that run up the wall:
Coaxial cable to Cable Box (New cabinet location does not require long coaxial cable run.)
Front Left Speaker Wire
Center Speaker Wire
Front Right Speaker Wire
HDMI Cable from AVR to Television
Power Cord to Television
To make this conversion possible I have also purchased several cables from Monoprice.com to accommodate the new cabinet location.
Specifically I purchased:
Coaxial Cable - 6 foot RG-6 Quad Shield (Color is white to blend) (From wall outlet to Cable Box)
HMDI Cable - 15 foot 24 AWG Category 2 (Color is white to blend)
HDMI Relief Cable - 8 inch 28 AWG (From TV to main HDMI Cable)
Power Cable - 3 foot 18 AWG Right Angle Adapter (From TV to power cable)
Power Cable - 20 foot 16 AWG (From TV adapter to surge protector)
Speaker Wire - 18 AWG (Color is white to blend) (For FL/C/FR speakers)
The new component cabinet will serve as a cabinet an end table by a chair. Since the current cabinet is run down and not display quality it was tucked in the corner. I live in an apartment and I cannot run the cables through the wall. My hope is that white speaker wire, HDMI cable and power cord will help these cables blend in better with the wall. The current cables don't blend very well because the HDMI cable is black and the speaker wires are copper.
Later posts will have pictures and descriptions of the installation process. I plan on putting everything together during the evenings next week and I figure it will take about 1 week to get everything setup and configured correctly.
Cables that have to run up the wall:
Front Left Speaker Wire
Center Speaker Wire
Front Right Speaker Wire
HDMI Cable from AVR to Television
Power Cord to Television
Current cables that run up the wall:
Coaxial cable to Cable Box (New cabinet location does not require long coaxial cable run.)
Front Left Speaker Wire
Center Speaker Wire
Front Right Speaker Wire
HDMI Cable from AVR to Television
Power Cord to Television
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Component "Feet and Legs"
Today, Sunday January 29th, 2012, I purchased some black ABS plastic connectors and pipe to make feet and legs to give the components ventilation in the current cabinet. I used 8 connectors and 2 three inch pieces of pipe to make the feet and legs. This gives spacing of about 1 1/2 inches vertical between each component in the current cabinet.
I had some trouble getting stability with this setup but after playing with several arrangements I was able to get something close to prefect given the current setup. I have 3 connecters directly under the Blu-ray player and the Cable Box. I then have a connector attached to 3 inches of pipe under the back side of the Cable Box. I have it in this arranagement because the Cable Box is about 5 inches deeper than the Blu-ray player.
When I get the new component rack these spacers will not be needed.
I had some trouble getting stability with this setup but after playing with several arrangements I was able to get something close to prefect given the current setup. I have 3 connecters directly under the Blu-ray player and the Cable Box. I then have a connector attached to 3 inches of pipe under the back side of the Cable Box. I have it in this arranagement because the Cable Box is about 5 inches deeper than the Blu-ray player.
When I get the new component rack these spacers will not be needed.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BDT210 Installation
The night of January 16, 2012 I replaced my DVD player (Panasonic DMR-ES10) with a Blu-ray player (Panasonic DMP-BDT210). Jumping to my end reaction: I only wish I has purchased a Blu-ray player a long time ago!
The installation was extremely easy. The DVD player was connected to the Onkyo TX-NR609 via component video and optical audio connections. I connected the Blu-ray player to the Onkyo TX-NR609 via HDMI for both audio and video. While I was at it I upgraded the version 1.3 HDMI cable connecting the Cable Box to the Onkyo. Both the Blu-ray player and the Cable Box are now connected with version 1.4 HDMI cables from BlueRigger.
By removing the DVD player I am now able to connect the Sony PlayStation 2 to the Onkyo via component video and optical audio connections. I have not fully setup this configuration yet so a comparison to the standard composite cable connection cannot be made right now.
After the system conductivity changes were made and the components were put back into the AV stand, it was time to start up the Panasonic DMP-BDT210. After a few setup screens we were ready to enjoy the first Blu-ray movie. We have small children so we played Rio as the first movie. Having just watched the movie on DVD it was easy to do a comparison. The detail was impressive. The sound is 1,000 times better. Welcome to the wonderful land of High Definition entertainment!
After the kids went to bed I loaded up Inception. Having seen this movie in the theater, on DVD and on Showtime HD I was coming to expect certain detail. I am sure that it is my eyes playing tricks, but to me watching on Blu-ray provides the greatest detail. What an experience.
The following night I went through setting up the network connections for the player. While I do not have a strong need for network capabilities on this player, I do like the possibilities of testing out these options. Having streamed Netflix via the Wii I have experience in streaming video. I cancelled Netflix (like a lot of others) and right now I am consuming a lot of Pandora. I plan to compare Pandora streaming via the Onkyo UWF-1 and the Panasonic DMP-BDT210.
The one element I need to address right away is the component spacing for ventilation in my AV stand. The Panasonic DMP-BDT210 is rather short in depth, only 7 5/16 inches. This creates a stacking challenge as I like to use black plastic rings to create about 2 inches of spacing between components. The Cable Box and Onkyo receiver are both about 5 inches deeper, 12 15/16 inches. I believe that I will be able to make wooden block spacing that will accommodation this need/desire.
Also left to do is reprogram the Logitech Harmony 880 remote to reflect the removal of the Panasonic DMR-ES10 and the addition of the Panasonic DMP-BDT210.
For now we sit back and enjoy the wonderful picture that Blu-ray provides. God I love High Definition entertainment!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
New Surge Protector Installation
The night of January 15, 2012 I replaced two very old and inexpensive surge protectors with a Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector (Model # BP112230-08). As I mentioned previously, this new surge protector was required by the purchase of a Sleep Number p7 bed.
Layout of Data Network after installation:
The installation was very simple and straight forward so no details are needed. I spent most of the time laying out the connected components and using wire ties to make it look clean and organized. I have provided some pictures below of the before and after.
For a point of reference the surge protector and connected components are "hidden" under the bed. This helps keep the components from being an eye sore. Based on my observed tests the current location has no noticeable impact on signal strength for the wireless network. Right now I have 5 components that can connect to the wireless network.
Surge protectors are not sexy or exciting (OK maybe they are to us geeks), so I'll just say that the surge protector is doing exactly what it should be doing. I hope never to hear from it and I hope to only replace it when it no longer meets my needs. And now my data network component layout is clean and organized. I have a second phase plan for all the data network components and if it pans out I will post about it.
The following data network components are connected to the surge protector:
Mortorola SURFboard SB5100
AT&T 2.4 GHz Cordless with Digital Answering System E2811
Obi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge
D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655
Also connected to the surge protector:
Alarm clock
Night stand lamp
Sleep Number Bed Pump
Layout of Data Network before installation:
Layout of Data Network after installation:
Sunday, January 15, 2012
System Notes 01/15/2012
For some time now my attention as been focused on what replacement speakers I am going to purchase. I noted previously that I was going to go with the NHT SuperZero's but after carefully consideration of budget and my overall system needs I am going to go with either the Klipsch HD 500 or the Energy 5.1 Take Classic. Making a speaker upgrade decision is so complex.
I finally felt like it was time to buy a Blu-ray player. On 01/14/2011 I purchased the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 from Amazon for $127.99. Not the best deal that I have seen but I was ready to make the purchase. This will retire the Panasonic DMR-ES10.
Another system tweak was the purchase of the Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector (BP112230-08) (01/01/2012). This is used with the data network components and was necessary due to the purchase of a Sleep Number p7 bed. The bed requires a UL1449 surge protector and this protector should meet all my needs for the bed and the data network. I will be building a holding rack and cable management system for the data network components once the bed is delivered and installed.
My anticipated upgrade sequence is now:
1. Component rack or cabinet
I finally felt like it was time to buy a Blu-ray player. On 01/14/2011 I purchased the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 from Amazon for $127.99. Not the best deal that I have seen but I was ready to make the purchase. This will retire the Panasonic DMR-ES10.
I will be connecting the DMP-BDT210 via HDMI to the OnkyoTX-NR609. I will be replacing the version 1.3 HDMI cable from the Cable Box to the AVR as well. The HDMI cables from the Cable Box and Blu-ray Player will be version 1.4 from BlueRigger. These are stated to be Category 2 Certified and provide 48-Bit Deep Color, 3D, Audio Return Channel, Ethernet, 4K, True HD Dolby 7.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio.
Other things I have added or reintroduced include:
I reintroduced a Sony PlayStation 2 to the system setup (01/14/2012). The PS2 was just hanging out in the closet and since we had several games for it the executive decision was made to see what the graphics looked like on an HDTV. I purchased a component cable (SCPH-10490) to get the best possible video quality. However at the time I was using both component connections on the OnkyoTX-NR609. Hence the tipping point on purchasing the Panasonic DMP-BDT210.
I reintroduced a Sony PlayStation 2 to the system setup (01/14/2012). The PS2 was just hanging out in the closet and since we had several games for it the executive decision was made to see what the graphics looked like on an HDTV. I purchased a component cable (SCPH-10490) to get the best possible video quality. However at the time I was using both component connections on the OnkyoTX-NR609. Hence the tipping point on purchasing the Panasonic DMP-BDT210.
Another system tweak was the purchase of the Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector (BP112230-08) (01/01/2012). This is used with the data network components and was necessary due to the purchase of a Sleep Number p7 bed. The bed requires a UL1449 surge protector and this protector should meet all my needs for the bed and the data network. I will be building a holding rack and cable management system for the data network components once the bed is delivered and installed.
My anticipated upgrade sequence is now:
1. Component rack or cabinet
2. Speaker stands for rear channel speakers
3. Home theater speaker package. (Klipsch HD 500)
4. Clean power (PS Audio Power Port Classic)
5. Surge protection (Tripp Lite HT10DBS)
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