Hey, I accidentally posted this over on the HTPC thread and it was suggested that this is a better audience. So here goes!

Here is what I have:
* 1TB external HD with firewire/USB2/SATA interface
* A boatload of uncompressed DVDs as "VIDEO_TS" folders
* Older Sharp XV-DW100U 4:3 LCD XGA projector
* Modern 5.1 surround receiver that takes many input formats (Outlaw 990)
* Gigabit ethernet connections to my home office network and, of course, to the Internet (not sure this matters)

Here is what I want to do (think 'just like a normal DVD player'):
* Turn on my media player
* Either play a DVD that I've rented and inserted, or
* Prompt me, with a very simple list, to select one of my VIDEO_TS movies to play
* Pause a movie that is playing. Skip to the next scene. Interact with the DVD menu.

Here is what I don't want to do:
* Spend a month playing with resolutions to correct for underscan/overscan issues (i.e., going the Mac Mini route. Anybody want to buy a slightly-used Mac Mini? ;) )
* Run / administer a dedicated Windows or Linux or Mac box. I want to be isolated from this level of detail. Again, think "Just like a DVD player"

In other words, I want an out-of-the-box, "it just works" solution. Like my DVD player -- I took it out of the box, plugged it in, and it just works! The image fills my display 100%. The Toslink 5.1 output works perfectly. I don't have to boot it, configure my sound card, re-boot it, have it crash, it doesn't run Windows or Leopard, and I've never spent more than 5 minutes doing any kind of configuration at all.

I am a software developer by trade, so the last thing I want to do is bust out a keyboard and mouse when I want to relax and watch a movie. :D

Surely some company manufactures a solution for this? Something between a DVD player and a true HTPC? I don't play video games, but I've heard that the Xbox might be just what I need. Comments appreciated!

Thanks!
-Jeff

You're in the right place. Media players were invented to do what you are talking about except for the built in DVD drive.

I bought mine a few months ago. Dumped all of my ISO files and divx onto the drive. It plays my photos and MP3 files too.

You already have the expensive part, the hard drive.

Hmm, that's a good start. I'm willing to give up the ability to insert a DVD, as long as it's easy to install and run. I absolutely must have 5.1 output, though.

Maybe I should open up my requirements... I have gigabit ethernet, and an always-on fileserver upstairs. So streaming to a dumb receiver (with 5.1 outs and SVideo outs) is a possibility. But that is rife with possible issues that I'm trying to avoid ... my work VPN connection disconnects and the movie stops playing, data streaming rate issues, configuration issues, etc. All real things I experienced trying to stream music.

So I'm still on the fence about streaming. I don't know. Maybe if there is a bullet-proof, easy-to-configure solution, but in my experience there are always network issues, even for hardwired networks such as mine. (I hardwired it to avoid wifi issues. Sigh.)

So I'm still eager to hear from folks who might have better experience. And also curious about Xbox / PlayStation. Maybe I'll do some research tonight and see how these stand up. Thanks!

-Jeff

Hmm, that's a good start. I'm willing to give up the ability to insert a DVD, as long as it's easy to install and run. I absolutely must have 5.1 output, though.

Maybe I should open up my requirements... I have gigabit ethernet, and an always-on fileserver upstairs. So streaming to a dumb receiver (with 5.1 outs and SVideo outs) is a possibility. But that is rife with possible issues that I'm trying to avoid ... my work VPN connection disconnects and the movie stops playing, data streaming rate issues, configuration issues, etc. All real things I experienced trying to stream music.

So I'm still on the fence about streaming. I don't know. Maybe if there is a bullet-proof, easy-to-configure solution, but in my experience there are always network issues, even for hardwired networks such as mine. (I hardwired it to avoid wifi issues. Sigh.)

So I'm still eager to hear from folks who might have better experience. And also curious about Xbox / PlayStation. Maybe I'll do some research tonight and see how these stand up. Thanks!

-Jeff

Well, it looks like you are stuck with me. I have found there is little interest in answering general questions here.

Yes there are players that are basically plug and play and I have had no network issues either WiFi or LAN.

If you have the 1TB drive, for $99 you can buy a player plug it in and try it out.

If you only care about DVD content, and not so much about various other codecs, then the Klegg MediaShare would likely be quite satisfying for playing back DVD source files. Under $100 through 4/29 at outpost.com and fry's electronics stores.

I hear people are running Blu-Ray DVD players off their TIViX 6500 units with the USB ports... (think they got an external USB Box for an internal Blu-Ray player)

Thanks guys. I'm surprised there aren't more prominent offerings for a stand-alone media player! I managed to get the overscan issues on my Mac Mini resolved (turns out I was using SVideo, and should have been using VGA, to connect it to my projector. Duh.), so I'm going to continue using it. At least until it does something else really annoying!

-Jeff

I think you should take a look at the ZIOVA CS505 (http://www.ziova.com/cs505.php)
Gizmodo review CLICK HERE (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/review/ziova-cs505-upscaling-divxdvd-network-streamer-hands+on-our-favorite-player-yet-255947.php)
HD media player with integrated DVD drive. Pretty slick unit. The only thing stopping me from buying one is it's not available in black.

I think you should take a look at the ZIOVA CS505 (http://www.ziova.com/cs505.php)
1080i... Probably not a big deal for a few more years... maybe...

No internal HD so now you gotta set up a network...not my thing but ok..
USB on the front... now you gotta have wires and some external HD sitting around...not clean at all.

But what would really suck is to have your DVD player die and then either need to send the whole thing off to be fixed (if it can or is affordable) or be forced to stare at the useless "DVD" logo while you use the rest of the functions in the unit...

I'd think you'd really want to keep them separate... what about Blu-Ray's? Gonna get ANOTHER player...

It looks like a slick unit though, I kinda like the old skool look of the silver with the VCR looking back connections.

When you say 5.1 out do you mean analog or a digital connection?

Laters,
Jeff

When you say 5.1 out do you mean analog or a digital connection?


Gee, I guess it doesn't really matter. My pre/pro can handle most anything.

I actually really like that Ziova, it seems pretty cool. I ended up getting my Mac Mini working -- I hardly qualify it as 'zero config' but I've already sunk the cash on it and it's wired up, so I guess it's a good thing. But something tells me this is a niche market that might best be filled by a PS3 or XBox -- because then you get console gaming system 'for free'.

-Jeff

I think you should take a look at the ZIOVA CS505 (http://www.ziova.com/cs505.php)....
That, or its brother the CS510 (without DVD player), would work for me, except that it doesn't (at least yet) support NTFS on an external USB drive. (According to its documentation and forum, contrary to Gizmodo's review.)