| Manufacturer: Norco | Model: BIS-6540HD PC |
| Price: TBC | Web: Norco |
We’ve reviewed a variety of kit from Norco over the past couple of years, including NAS drives, backplane modules and chassis but the BIS-6540HD is the first Norco PC we’ve had for review – and it’s an interesting one.
Classed for industrial use as a Digital Signage Player, the passively cooled, aluminium clad BIS-6540 could also make for an ideal small footprint, silent, high definition networked media player, or indeed a low power, single drive home server like Tranquil PC’s T7-HSA. The products is also sold distributed under the Habey brand in the USA.
Powered by the Intel Atom N270, and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 the model boasts high definition 1080p playback and support for H.264 video, so whilst it won’t give the fastest PCs a run for their money, it looks like a compact, capable package that could do a decent job in the digital home.
What’s in the Box?
The BIS-6540HD PC arrives in a decidedly “no frills” package, offering the bare minimum required to get you going. Remember, this is an industrial package!
In the box, you’ll find:
- Norco BIS-6540HD PC
- Power cables
- Driver CD
- Mounting plate and screws
First Looks
The BIS-6540HD is passively cooled utilising Norco’s ICEFIN thermal design – this utilises the products aluminium chassis to cool the device, without the need for fans. The chassis itself is small, compact and rugged – it’ll definitely take a few knocks and is small enough to tuck away out of sight if required. The included mounting plate can also be used to fix the PC under a desk, to a wall or behind a large screen.
The front of the PC is straightforward – just a power button to switch the PC on and off. Spin the PC around and you’ll find the usual connectors, including DVI and VGA out, Gigabit Ethernet, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, PS2 mouse and keyboard socked as well as two audio sockets.
For home server use, this is fine – the two USBs will allow storage expansion courtesy of external hard drives. However, as a network media player, the inclusion of HDMI and digital audio sockets would have made me a lot happier – going forward, I anticipate all network media devices coming as standard with HDMI. Still, you can work with the DVI/VGA out and 3.5” audio jacks and party like it’s 2005.
Under the Hood
The BIS-6540HD’s specifications are as follows:
| Processor: | Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor |
| Chipset: | Intel 945GSE+ICH7M |
| RAM: | One DDR SO-DIMM Socket, up to 2GB (1 GB Supplied) |
| Hard Disk: | 160GB |
| SATA: | Two SATA ports |
| IDE: | One CF socket, one IDE |
| USB: | Two USB2.0 ports |
| COM: | Two COM ports |
| Video: | One VGA, one DVI |
| Ethernet: | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Hardware Video Decoder Support: | H.264/AVC SP, MP and HP at Level 4.1 up to 40 Mbps
SMPTE VC-1 SP, MP and AP at Level 3 up to 40 Mbps MPEG-2 MP at ML and MPEG-2 MP at HL, up to 125Mbps |
| Resolution support: | 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p support |
| Dimensions: | 245mm × 194mm × 57.8mm 9.65″×7.6″×2.28″ (W×D×H) |
| Power Consumption: | 15W (Fully loaded, during Blu-Ray playback) |
1. November 2009 at 6:33 pm
Lack of HDMI may be a big issue,bust most tv's have DVI now anyway.
1. November 2009 at 11:43 pm
And most TVs do not have DVI.
1. November 2009 at 8:41 pm
I did one of those Windows 7 houseparties last week. Plugged my workstation HDMI ouput into my LCD TV and the optical output into my A/V receiver.
Windows came right up and Batman Returns looked real sweeeeeet streaming from my WHS into WMC. The LG set has a standard VGA input but no "basic" DVI input. Of course, they called the HDMI input: HDMI/DVI.
The moral: HDMI needs to be on anything that is media related anymore.
IMO.
1. November 2009 at 11:46 pm
Well DVI and HDMI is practically the same thing, all you need is a cable with the correct pinout and send the sound to an amp/receiver. I wouldn't call it a major issue unless you're fine with using the stock speakers on the TV.
2. November 2009 at 9:13 am
Needs a few more things to be a Dell Studio Desktop Hybrid killer.
2. November 2009 at 8:28 pm
"Most TVs do not have DVI."
Really…?? Ive never seen one… most of my mates got various different hdtv, Ive got 3.. and Ive never seen a single model with dvi…
2. November 2009 at 8:29 pm
Doh.. misread that post, not once, but twice… missed the NOT from the statement!!! lol!!!
3. November 2009 at 12:40 pm
Happens to us all ^_^
5. November 2009 at 11:54 pm
Looks like the have an HDMI version.
http://s284221165.onlinehome.us/products_show.php...
9. November 2009 at 2:11 pm
I'm sorry but it's 2009. No HDMI and no digital sound out means it's no HTPC. Don't need to mess with adapter cables etc. Ther are enough afordable possiblities thes days.