NUC5i5ryh HDMI audio issues, WOL issues, Networking issues Bluetooth issues

After reading the multiple reviews of how good these NUCs are as media players I decided to try for myself.

My current setup is IB based, WIN7x64 + WMC (for TV) + MPC-HC(x64, madVr) as external player for stuff that WMC can't do.

The PC is connected via HDMI to a DENON 1911 AVR and that via HDMI to a LG TV.

- This setup is proven , I made multiple variations of it with Clarkdale, sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge PCs.

Features I expect from any of my HTPC builds:

- The system only enters S3 at idle, hardly ever reboots, is never switched off.

- Even when the TV is off, the system can wake up for scheduled tasks, do some recordings, and go back to sleep

- the system can be woken by WOL, e.g. for remote access to files,etc.. It goes back to sleep when idling for long enough (15mins)

- CIR always worked out of the box (using Intel mobos  dh57dd, dh67gd, dh77eb....) incl. wake from S5, S3

The only issue I have with the current (DH77EB) setup, is that HDMI audio does not enumerate the AVR caps when the AVR is turned on, thus switching from pass-thru to full decode caps.

I would expect it to behave like mentioned e.g. here: Re: Disappointed  - Audio problem intel won't fix

The new NUC build:

- nu5i5ryh

- crucial ballistix BLS2C4G3N18AES4CEU  2x 4GB 1866, LV

- a spare 2.5 disk (I tried various incl. a samsung 830 ssd, )

I quickly verified that the features claimed in the various reviews actually work (e.g media caps MadVR @ Jinc3AR...), all very nice.

- Sleep wake cycles using CIR/keyb is OK

HOWEVER:

1. the system is dead when woken up by WOL !!
   • it powers up all right, the light is blue, the fan is audible, the TV, if attached, or switched on later will show a static picture of e.g. the windows desktop (at a res of 1080i60, dunno where it gets that from).
   • Nothing else works, no keyboard, nor CIR, no mouse, not network, not even ping.  Have to switch the unit off to get it back.
   • This only happened when connected to the TV via HDMI, and not when connected to a computer monitor via HDMI/DVI cable. Since I suspected something HDMI I tried the new beta driver (...4206) provided in another thread. that seemed to make things better, but not always.
2. The Network, Bluettooth and Wifi Notification Icons on the bottom right of the windows 7 desktop appear only randomly,
   • sometimes none of them are visible (not even the network icon, which is system icon) !!
   • if the network icon is visible, the wifi isn't
   • Bluetooth icon almost never is visible, sometimes however the 'Battery' icon is ???
   • BT icon can turned on by going to start->search->'BT settings' and then toggling the 'show notification' checkbox..
   • Note this is only the icons missing, the funcionality itself, i.e. netork, wifi, BT is there and working.
   • Unfortunately with a missing BT icon it is a pita to find any BT devices...
3. HDMI audio re-enumeration when AVR is switched on/passthrough still doesn't work

Items 2,3 I could probably some live with until they get fixed, seems to be related to a race condition/ timeout  when starting the various services but item 1 is a no go.

I can't afford to invest that amount of money and then hope these issues might get fixed within the life cycle of the product. Last time I remember it took the IB/Haswell based systems about a year to get such things ironed out.

I'm returning the system while I still can.