Media player opinions ...

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Jon Snow

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opinions : Hardware Media player

I am looking at getting a media player for my viewing pleasure on my 42" Sony Wega.

I want to be able to (order of preference) :

1. Watch movies from my pc via this device i.e a network connection.
2. Must support a wide array of vid and music formats (divx, mp3, dvd iso's )
3. Local storage on device.
4. Should be small and quite.
4. Hi definition is also a nice plus.

I have this one in mind

http://www.freecom.com/product.asp?CatID=8060

also known as

http://www.airlinktek.com/

anyone know if they are any good ? or care to recommend one ?
 
Last edited:
GTi said:
You can get you the Mvix multi_Media Player @ http://www.mvix.co.za/ There are others I can give you but is this the media player you looking for.
Click to expand...


Yea I saw that one, but it has no network connection !!!! I do see a HD version with wireless and wired connection is coming out in November. Looks good will get one of those if the price is not prohibitive.
 
a normal xbox, softmodded/chipped, can fulfill all those requirements. including the hd (xbmc, the media playing app can do 720p)

i dont know how much they go for in s.a. s/h, but here it is about £40~£50.
 
I got a Mini for those very reasons.
Click to expand...

Yea i would probably also just go for a Mac Mini OR a SFF PC [small form factor] like the Shuttles or Aopen XCubes [http://www.shoeboxcomputers.com/]

I have this (Aopen Xcube):
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=853

Can get them for R4k fully equipped with the basics to play movies [networking/HD/basic GFX card/TV card etc]. Plus alot of the Aopens also have a "built-in" media player [so you don't need to install windows] which you can run directly instead.

Anyway downside is you need to set it up first [install software and all that jazz] , but from there you are not limited to specific file formats etc..it is then also automatically a dvd player

That freecom thingy [with HD] costs 300,00 EUR , that's easily R3500+ [in SA after all the wonderful taxes] ? and by the looks of it you STILL don't have a DVD player with that ?....shouldnt such a thing at least play DVDs?

Trust me once you start with these things and setting it up next to your tv, next thing you start wanting is to control it with a remote [bluetooth/wifi] because you hooked it up to your upstairs bedroom tv too but left the "box" downstairs, then recording to DVD/HD from the TV , and doing other things on your tv other than playing movies [streamed internet content for starters] etc etc..
 
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*sigh*
just go here and look at the feature list, supported file formats etc.
http://www.xboxmediacenter.de/info_project.htm
and then factor in that it HAS a remote control, can be controlled over the web, blahblahblah...

oh, and one more thing...it plays games too...pretty well actually.

seriously, i wouldve thought this was a no brainer to start with, but each to his own
 
werner said:
a normal xbox, softmodded/chipped, can fulfill all those requirements. including the hd (xbmc, the media playing app can do 720p)

i dont know how much they go for in s.a. s/h, but here it is about £40~£50.
Click to expand...
The original Xbox was never launched in SA so finding one in that price range might not be as easy.

EDIT - does it meet criteria 4 - either of them ? :D

Size: 320 × 100 × 260 milimeters
Maximum Resolution (2x32bpp frame buffers Z): 640(vert.)480(horiz)
EDTV Support: 480p(see game boxes for supported resolutions).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox#Detailed_specifications
 
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yes, I am aware of that.
flea markets sell them for around R2500 new chipped with some s/w+remote+2 controllers.

not my problem you guys get ripped off, but even at that price it is a better option.
 
Another vote a chipped/softmodded xbox, if you look around/order one from overseas you can get them for around R1500 (even less if you order one from the UK second hand)
 
bwana v.20 said:
The original Xbox was never launched in SA so finding one in that price range might not be as easy.

EDIT - does it meet criteria 4 - either of them ? :D

Size: 320 × 100 × 260 milimeters
Maximum Resolution (2x32bpp frame buffers Z): 640(vert.)480(horiz)
EDTV Support: 480p(see game boxes for supported resolutions).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox#Detailed_specifications
Click to expand...

lol, you and I can both figure out that criteria 4 was added after my post:-)
it is no more noisy than a ps2, and many people have a ps2 in their lounge.

actually, thinking about it, it is quieter than a ps2. because xbmc software has added fan control, so you can set the xbox fan at 30% or set it to fluctuate according to cpu temperature, instead of running at 100% all the time.

cant do much about the size though:-( but you okes got bigger houses so it shouldnt matter, hehehe

but the wiki is wrong, as many games have 720p (and higher) support (or you can come visit me and I will show you a xbox doing 720p :-))
go through the list here
http://www.hdtvarcade.com/hdtvforum/index.php?autocom=custom&page=xboxa
there are many threads explaining how to do 720p on the xbox. as well as progressive scan from the dvd player. you have to remember it is just a pc (mostly) and the hardware+software side now belongs to hackers. if there was ever a console that spread it's legs open and said "come get some" it was the original xbox,
 
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yeah we are good tree's werner ;) oaks that is
 
werner said:
lol, you and I can both figure out that criteria 4 was added after my post:-)
it is no more noisy than a ps2, and many people have a ps2 in their lounge.

actually, thinking about it, it is quieter than a ps2. because xbmc software has added fan control, so you can set the xbox fan at 30% or set it to fluctuate according to cpu temperature, instead of running at 100% all the time.

cant do much about the size though:-( but you okes got bigger houses so it shouldnt matter, hehehe

but the wiki is wrong, as many games have 720p (and higher) support
go through the list here
http://www.hdtvarcade.com/hdtvforum/index.php?autocom=custom&page=xboxa
there are many threads explaining how to do 720p on the xbox. as well as progressive scan from the dvd player. you have to remember it is just a pc (mostly) and the hardware+software side now belongs to hackers. if there was ever a console that spread it's legs open and said "come get some" it was the original xbox,
Click to expand...
Not to be funny but I dont think it was -
Last edited by Jon Snow : 01-11-2006 at 03:09 PM.
Click to expand...
Your post went up at 03:14 PM - perhaps it took a while to compose? ;)

My ps2 sounds like a bloody helicopter trying to take off :eek: Probably why it was banished to the game room.

No need for me to verify the 720p - I'm more than happy to take it at face value - it only came up when I was checking the footprint. :)

How well would a Xbox-360 fit the criteria? I'd be interested in one of those any day.
 
not very well i am afraid. the 360 is noisier and very limited in the file formats it can display. they only just added wmv support a few days ago...no divx or anything (unless you have an mce machine and use transcode360)

until we can run unsigned code on the 360 the original xbox will remain a much better deal for this task.

in fact, between me and you and the other 10billion registered users, I bought my first xbox just for the media playing abilities of the xmbc application. this was at a stage when the xbox was £150 and the only other equivalent (and new to the market) were the K.I.S.S. dvd player/streamer combo's for around £400. so even then I saved a bunch. I was in the market for a media streamer and this fit the bill 100%. if you are bored it can also act an a frontend for mythtv, which extends the usefullness by a fair bit.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?clie...&hl=en&q=xbox+mythtv&meta=&btnG=Google+Search
 
Jon Snow said:
I am looking at getting a media player for my viewing pleasure on my 42" Sony Wega.

I want to be able to (order of preference) :

1. Watch movies from my pc via this device i.e a network connection.
2. Must support a wide array of vid and music formats (divx, mp3, dvd iso's )
3. Local storage on device.
4. Should be small and quite.
4. Hi definition is also a nice plus.

I have this one in mind

http://www.freecom.com/product.asp?CatID=8060

also known as

http://www.airlinktek.com/

anyone know if they are any good ? or care to recommend one ?
Click to expand...

We can also wait for one of these to come our way,http://sdomegahk.trustpass.alibaba...._Theatre_PC_HTPC_Media_Center_PC.html?src=rss

or this http://www.amazon.com/TVisto-Multimedia-External-Drive-Enclosure/dp/B000BX7KLI

The Mvix is available in South Africa and it's selling @ R1299.00 without HD or with Hardrive @R2600.00.
 
If you have cash to burn, this puppy is probably the Rolls Royce of media players. DivX-HD, WMV9-HD, upscale DVD to 1080p, HDMI output etc. etc.

No hard, Blue Ray or DVD-HD drives though, only DVD. BTW KISS owned by Linksys now.
 
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