Looking for recommendations of what to buy that will let me watch my videos I've created (primarily MPEG-2 and WMV) as well as my rather large collection of subtitled MKV files on the family TV. I tried taking my laptop that I just replaced with a rather large desktop and connect it to the TV, but the resulting picture is poor at best. Tried to use Vista Media Center and our XBox 360, but nothing I did would convince it to stream such a file. And most of the converter programs out there seem to choke on subtitles.

So I'd like to stream from my new PC (Core i7, Vista 64 ultimate, 12 gigs DDR3 RAM, and two Radeon HD 4870 cards connected via Crossfire X) upstairs over my Wireless N network to something that can play the end result on our HDTV.

Suggestions, preferably from folks who have actually done this as I think I've already exhausted the "things that should work" list :)

Thanks!

Have you looked at a Popcorn hour, theres plenty of info on them here.

The SageTV HD Theater can display MKV subtitles. It does require the beta firmware update if you go that route though.

If you send me a test file (or link to a test file), I can try it out. I've got the new ACRyan's Playon!HD http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1152967

It plays MKV with subtitles. I can stream from wired network. As for wireless-n I can try that out later in July when I will get their wireless-n 300mbps usb adaptor (their wireless-n 300mbps is not yet available, expected in july)

Am sending you a PM with the link location. I think this file will give your device a good test since it has more than one sub - not uncommon since some things "choke" on styled text. Hopefully the device gives you an option for specifying which sub you want. I'd be curious to hear how well it does with either.

In the meantime, I've found:
http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/

Which lets me stream to my XBox 360, and seems to work very well with everything I've thrown at it so far. Unfortunately my HDTV is a Mitsubishi WS 55413 which has a slight overscan, and I can't seem to fix that. So I've taken to making sure my transcoding also does a resizing so I don't lose part of the subtitles at the top or bottom.

Looking forward to hearing how well the device works with this!

hey, I got your mkv file and tried on the Playon!HD. The subtitles shows. But I don't see other subtitles, only 1 subtitles. I played it on my computer too, there too I can only choose 1 subtitles - English (Styles .ass subtitles).

I made a quick comparison between the one playing on the Playon!HD and the one playing on my computer. On Playon!HD, it's plain text. On the computer, there is some font styling. Also at the start, the first lines of subtitles show at the top of the screen on the computer, while on the Playon!HD it shows on the usual bottom position. Other than these 2 differences, the rest are the same. Does this mean then that the Playon!HD does show .ASS subtitles but only without font styling and positioning? So it works without frills.

hey, I got your mkv file and tried on the Playon!HD. The subtitles shows. But I don't see other subtitles, only 1 subtitles. I played it on my computer too, there too I can only choose 1 subtitles - English (Styles .ass subtitles).

I made a quick comparison between the one playing on the Playon!HD and the one playing on my computer. On Playon!HD, it's plain text. On the computer, there is some font styling. Also at the start, the first lines of subtitles show at the top of the screen on the computer, while on the Playon!HD it shows on the usual bottom position. Other than these 2 differences, the rest are the same. Does this mean then that the Playon!HD does show .ASS subtitles but only without font styling and positioning? So it works without frills.

Sorry, I was being unspecific. Yes, by more than one, I meant the styling and the location. On that particular episode, you don't lose too much by losing the styling and the location. On some of the more "interesting" subs, there are sub notes that are under text signs in the foreign language and elsewhere. SO it sounds like the Playon!HD would play these, but losing some of the useful info - which on some titles would make it less than desirable. Still, that's better than most other offerings out there.

Thanks for running the test!

I'd ideally like a solution that can parse and stream them as they are. So far the closest I've come is the software package PS3 Media Server. In general if the computer can play it, it can serve it up. But it can have issues with some of my personally produced videos since the Canon HD camera I use creates files that generally won't play "native". Hence my continued search for something a little more "intelligent" :D