A Closer Look

The NMP-1000 features a pastic housing, which actually feels quite solid. The unit is just a bit wider than the Asrock ION Atom 330 based HTPC, but slightly lower in height. Overall one can conclude, that the overall volume is comparable. I personally like the shape of the NMP-1000 more than that of the AsRock unit, as it still looks slimmer when viewed from the front.


I love the way QNAP has kept the buttons, logos and other items on the front to a minimum. On one side you find the power button, while a four way navigation key and options button are on the right side. It is relatively frustrating to see the lack of a front USB port. It is a mystery to me, why manufacturers refrain from placing such a plug easily accessible for the user, as you are bound to have data on portable storage from time to time, which you want to process with your HTPC or media device. Turning the unit around, starting on the left there is the power connector, followed by the USB 2.0 & eSATA plugs to attach the unit as an external device to your PC. You will also find HDMI 1.3a, RCA and composite connectivity as well as both coaxial and optical digital sound outputs. Two USB 2.0 with host functionality along with the Gigabit network port round up the set of I/O. This is certainly all you will ever need for a media player.


As the unit does not ship with internal storage, you will have to add the hard drive of your choice yourself. Any SATA I or II 3.5 inch unit will do the job. Luckily, QNAP has made it rather easy to install the drive. Simply open the hatch, pull out the plastic tray. Then screw the hard drive unto the tray and slide it back in until it snaps into place. There are two further screws included to bolt down the tray to the enclosure if you are looking for a more permanent solution.


To gain access to the device, you will void your warranty. So we urge you not to open up the NMP-1000. Instead we have done it for you to satisfy any curiosity you may have. Under the small passive heatsink is the advertised Sigma Designs SMP8635 is part of a family of ICs which are intended for set-top boxes, IPTV units or even Blu-ray players. The link to the manufacturer of this piece of silicon can be found here. A four centimeter fan is intended for cooling the PCB. It is connected to a PWM connector but only features the 3-pin plug of normal RPM controlled fans. There are several other ICs on the PCB besides the Hynix memory which are of interest. First off, there is the Silicon Image SIL9134CTU, which is an HDMI Transmitter IC, responsible of routing your audio and visual through the HDMI connector to the output device. Next up, we have the JMicron JMB352 for the eSATA and USB 2.0 connectivity to attach the NMP-1000 to your PC. Last, but not least, there is the JMicron JM20330, which is a SATA 1.5 Gbps bridge chip. Seems like even though QNAP advertised SATA-I and II hard drive compatibility, the IC only offers the feature set of the SATA I standard. Due to SATA's II compatibility you can still use SATA-II drive on this SATA-I port.


Once the NMP-1000 is connected, pressing the power button turns on the device along with numerous blue lighting aspects. Booting up takes quite some time and is comparable to an ION based HTPC as far as time is concerned. The four centimeter fan is audible, but actually quieter than most nettops out there, especially those with ION and Atom 330s. The long boot of well over 80 seconds may be annoying, but the Software and UI more than makes up for it. Besides, at 11 W when in standby you may as well leave it on 24/7.