General FAQ's
What does Envive mean?
Envive - Pronunciation: En-vīv
Function: Transitive verb
Meaning: To bring to life; To enable; To enhance or make better
Usage: Envive, Envived, Enviving
How long has Envive been in business? What is the financial stability and track record?
Envive, Inc. has been in business since November 2005, privately owned and operated out of the central United States. Envive is an active member of CEDIA, as well as being an ISO 9000:2001 certified organization capable of large scale manufacturing, with a number of ongoing R&D projects and continual commitment to manufacturing services.
Starting as a Windows Media Center manufacturer, Envive quickly transitioned to developing TheaterStation, a value driven, easy-to-use Digital Media Management System in line with the vision shared by the founders. Drawing on the combined experience of the senior management team in mid-2007, Envive expanded to servicing the needs of business customers looking for OEM computer systems. For more information on Envive's OEM Products and Services, please contact us.
I have a question about one of my Envive products and would like assistance, who can I contact?
You may get information about Envive products by contacting Envive directly, visiting our website, calling 214-432-0868, completing Technical Support form, or sending an e-mail to the Envive technical support team: support@enviveit.com. If you purchased the Envive product from a local retailer, installer, or dealer, please contact the original seller or their technical support staff first as they are familiar with your installation.
What is the warranty? What happens if I have an issue with my unit after the warranty expires?
Envive offers a standard three-year warranty on all TheaterStation models which covers all parts and workmanship. Although we have developed the system to be as robust as possible, there is a potential for component failure. If this occurs, the unit needs to be returned to Envive for repair. We will make every attempt to correct the issue at a minimal cost, which includes the cost of shipping the unit to Envive. Extended warranties are an available upgrade option within the first 90-days of ownership. Please visit Warranty information for more details about our warranty policy.
TheaterStation FAQ's
Is TheaterStation easy to install?
Yes, it is designed to be as simple to install as a DVD player with a wired network connection. Envive is committed to providing a value driven product that is easy to install, easy to use, and easy to maintain. It is our mission to ensure both the satisfaction of our Dealers and End Users through thorough testing, robust design, and continual evaluation in the pursuit of providing the best product sold in the market.
How do I navigate through the system?
To see a short overview of TheaterStation's User Interface please click here.
- View Titles - To spin the carousel, press the LEFT or RIGHT arrow buttons on your remote control.
- Play - Select a movie or CD and press Ok/Play on the remote.
- Sort - To change the category (Alphabetical, Recently Added, Genre, Year, etc…), press the SORT button. Pressing the button again will cycle you through each category. Pressing the UP or DOWN arrow buttons on the remote will cycle through each subcategory of your current sort. Pressing the BACK button once will take you to the Alphabetical: All, mode.
- View Title Information - Pressing the INFO button will display all of the information about the selected title. Pressing the INFO button when a movie is playing will pause the movie and display the same information. Press the pause button or the Play button to resume playback.
- To switch between Movies, Home Movies & Music, press the MENU button; navigate down to the MODE option. Press left or right to find the mode you wish to jump to and press the OK button.
- Shortcut: when you’re viewing the carousel, press the SUBTITLE button once and the system will jump between each mode.
- You can add a Video or Music content in two ways: 1) Drag and Drop the content into TheaterStation using you home network or 2) Insert a non-copyrighted or non-access controlled disk into the DVD slot. As soon as TheaterStation detects a disk, it will display a menu and will automatically ask you if you wish to play the disk or add it to the appropriate mode carousel.
- Once the content has finished loading, TheaterStation will search for the movie or CD information. If it does not find the exact title, you will be given an opportunity to edit the title or select from a list of possible matches. To Edit or Clear the metadata, press MENU, SELECTED TITLE, EDIT INFO, and then either CLEAR or EDIT the title information. To re-search for info, ensure that the title is correct, and then Search for Movie Info.
- You can continue to enjoy TheaterStation while content is being added over the network or through the DVD drive. You can watch a movie or play music without interruption.
- You may also set your coverart for video titles by pressing the "5" button while the content is playing back. This is for content which doesn't have coverart that exists on the internet like Home Movies.
How do I upgrade my TheaterStation to the latest Software release?
Does TheaterStation support a Multizone set-up?
Yes, TheaterStation is a Multizone system based on either a TheaterStation server or Centralized Network Storage architecture. The TheaterStation server can support five simultaneous independent streams by supporting four additional clients. All currently owned TheaterStations, with firmware 2.1.12 or higher, support Multizone and only require the Client hardware to enable the Multizone capability. The Centralized Networked Storage architecture provides RAID data security and can support up to 20 Standard Definition streams.
What Control and Network options are available?
TheaterStation provides 1-way IR, RS232 (via USB to serial converter), and both 1-way and 2-way IP controls. The addition of 2-way controls with metadata was provided is software release 2.3.4. Please contact Envive support for a copy of our 1-way and 2-way control structures so you can create your own interfaces for your control system. Envive currently offers Crestron and Control4 modules. Standalone TheaterStations are capable of downloading Metadata for content via Wireless (802.11 B/G/N) with the wireless card option. For a more full featured experience, Envive recommends the use of a wired home network.
Does Envive support the playback of Bluray disks?
TheaterStation doesn't have a Bluray drive in the system so we don't currently support the playback of a Bluray disk. However, TheaterStation is designed to store and playback high definition content. We support mulitple container and CODEC formats to deliver 1080p HD content. All forms of content can be added to TheaterStation by dragging and dropping the content from any computer connected to the same network as TheaterStation.
Can TheaterStation support the playback of High Definition content?
Yes! TheaterStation can support the playback of 1080p content that is dragged and dropped over the network connection. TheaterStation supports a variety of file formats including: AVI, MP2, MP4, MKV, WMV, and MOV for Video and MP3, M4A, WMA, and others for Audio.
Can I control or access my content from my iPad/iPhone or Android device?
Yes! Starting with software version 2.3.4, TheaterStation enables customers to control their music and movie content with their iPad/iPhone or Android device enabled with the TS Remote App. Currently, the TS Remote App enables 2-way control of Music and Movies. Future features will enable Streaming of content stored on TheaterStation to your smart mobile device.
Can TheaterStation stream content from the internet?
Yes! Starting with software version 2.3.4, TheaterStation enables customers to browse the entire internet using the TheaterStation internet carousel. USe any wireless USB keyboard and mouse or use the TS Remote iPhone/iPad/iTouch app with built in mouse and keyboard capablity for a seemless control experience.
Are there legal issues associated with use of 3rd-party ripping software?
There are a number of ongoing legal battles concerning this topic. Envive has chosen to stay clear of this by not installing any CSS software on TheaterStation. Therefore, TheaterStation is not equipped to Play or Copy CSS encrypted content when it is shipped. Envive does not provide or condone the use of any decryption tools used to circumvent the copy protection schemes. Envive has focused on the enjoyment of media content that the customer has in a digital form on a hard drive already.
Will I lose my content if a hard drive crashes? How does it get replaced?
Envive has researched and implemented the most current and robust components for the TheaterStation, but because of its computing nature, hard drives can potentially fail. As part of Envive’s commitment to continual improvement, a Backup & Restore feature is built into the TheaterStation product as part of the 2.0 server update. The new feature allows users to make a periodic backup of their content. Envive’s TheaterStation Backup Storage (TSBS) is an external USB hard drive solution which is compatible with all TheaterStation products. Avoid data loss and lengthy reloading by storing your data with a TSBS that you can keep in a safe location. In the event a hard drive does fail during the warranty period, Envive will replace the drive and will assist with restoring the content, if the customer purchased a backup. Envive STRONGLY recommends that customers purchase a backup unit to safeguard their content.