Has anyone created a spreadsheet comparing all of the available digital media playback devices? There are so many out there with such differing feature sets that I'm having trouble keeping track of all of them. My main interest is HD MPEG-2 playback and DVD jukebox functionality. The attached Excel spreadsheet is the kind of information I'm trying to track; if no one else has something better I'll populate my matrix and share it when finished.

I'm not really interested in audio capabilities, but if someone wants to provide that information I'd be willing to incorporate it.

Spreadsheet updated 5/12/2006.

Note: I can no longer upload the Excel spreadsheet in a separate zip file, so it is included inside the PDF as an attachment. I don't know whether Acrobat Reader will allow extraction of the attachment (I use Acrobat Pro). If you want a copy of the original spreadsheet and can't get it out of the PDF, send me a PM.

Why not create a table in this post and keep it active/updated?

Might want to update to your information with the Mediagate MG-35. Definitely able to play ripped DVD video over a network with full IFO navigation intact!

Might want to update to your information with the Mediagate MG-35. Definitely able to play ripped DVD video over a network with full IFO navigation intact!

Yeah, I just learned that and I think I'm going to order one rather than set up an Xbox Media Center (or perhaps, in addition to XBMC).

Nice spreadsheet, jhue.

One suggestion... the term "High Definition" under Connections may be confusing, since it does not distinguish between HD decoding (which the MG-35 lacks) and HD upconversion (which the MG-35 has).

Can you post an HTML version?

Nice spreadsheet, jhue.

Can you post an HTML version?

Thanks for the feedback.

Not sure I'll get to it this weekend, but this is my current list of players. I've tried to select only the most fully-featured product from each vendor, rather than try to list every product (except for TViX, because I thought the HD M-5000 release was right around the corner.

AVeL LinkPlayer 2
Buffalo LinkTheater
D-Link DSM-320RD
KiSS DP-1504
Mediagate MG-35
Momitsu V880N
Netgear MP115
Pinnacle Showcenter 200
Roku PhotoBridge HD
SnaZio Net Cinema DVD HD
TVIX M-3000
TVIX HD M-5000
Xbox Media Center

and yes, I can export HTML from Excel and put it my personal webspace.

:eek: Hey avsr's,

I recently started doin' what your doin' but your much farther so............


Here's a couple more to add:
1.GOVIDEO D2740
2.ADS TECH MXL-581 (DVI-D conn)
3.VIEWSONIC WMA100 (DVI-D conn)

I previously researched the Pinnace, Roku,Go Vid,Dlink,Buffalo, linksys, ADS, and Viewsonic. Only the ADS and Viewsonic have DVI connectors but no TS streamn,' so that's where I am. I am only interested in a media player that has the DVI or HDMI output and the network allows streamn' of the TS files. I want to rip the DVD's but not have to burn them, and then just stream the TS or ISO files from the HD w\out takin' the time to wait for burnin.' Any of those others on your list have what I'm lookn' for?

I've dialogued w\several of the ROKUr's and although it is only component and a VGA the streamn' is there and the High Def recording's (I own two HDTV's ) are, accordin' to those I queried on a scale of 1-10 on a 16x9 HDTV, they said, reproduce a 10. So.....any feedback appreciated. :p

I think it is important to add the Roku Soundbridges. The reason is that they can play DRMed music which is important to some people. Like me.

so which one is the way to go......i like the new tvix 5000.....what do you think?

Nice job, jhue. If possible, I'd love to see what other formats these players support, particularly dvr-ms.

so which one is the way to go......i like the new tvix 5000.....what do you think?

If you can hold off i would wait a month and get the Zensonic Z500

thanks for that. the zensonic looks also good and its australian made!

I can help w/the Pinnacle ShowCenter SC200, if you tell me how!

My only quibble is with the name of the file (as with the name of this forum!). These are Media Players, not servers, though some/most NEED servers as noted on your ss.

I just posted an updated spreadsheet to the first article in this thread. I've got information for seven of the sixteen players I have listed.

PM me with any corrections, or if you want to provide info on any of the remaning nine players (I'll take any format: edited spreadsheet, plain text, crayon scribbling on a napkin).

I think you should add a modified Xbox. To me it is the one to rule all. I would like to see anyone who has a well modified Xbox and knows how to configure it compare it with any other video streaming device. I think I know what the comparison would show. Most other devices would have serious limitations in the formats they were able to stream or have at best only mediocre interface design.

One very important thing to seriously consider in setting up media streaming, replacement cost of the streamer. I just modified an Xbox for a total cost of $100. I used a soft mod that works as good as any chipped Xbox. Then, last night, just as my wife and I were settling in to watch some TV the Xbox I use in my living room suddenly would only boot to the MS dashboard. I grabbed the softmodded Xbox out of the bedroom and in about 3 minutes we were enjoying a couple of episodes of Lost (my wife didn't think she would like it last year but now she is hooked). The point of the story is - electronics fail. Having a clone replacement at hand can certainly be a factor to consider.

I think you should add a modified Xbox. To me it is the one to rule all. I would like to see anyone who has a well modified Xbox and knows how to configure it compare it with any other video streaming device. I think I know what the comparison would show. Most other devices would have serious limitations in the formats they were able to stream or have at best only mediocre interface design.


No need, XBMC in the last column is Xbox Media Center (www.xboxmediacenter.de).

It can't play back high definition streams, which makes it a non-starter for many people. It's ability to navigate DVD menus is also fairly recent. But the screenshots I've seen do give the appearance of a much nicer UI than say, the Mediagate MG-35.

So Whats The Best Streamer. Ive Heard Alot Of Them Are Failures And Do Not Do The Job They Are Suppose To Do. Cables Are Still The Best..............

Cables Are Still The Best..............

I don't get it.

Streaming is streaming, wired or not.

I'll stack my XBMC boxen against anything standard def. Very reliable streamer from an SMB share.

It can't play back high definition streams, which makes it a non-starter for many people.

To be specific, it cannot stream .ts (transport stream) files.

XBMC can decode HD DivX & Xvid. But the CPU is at it's limit doing this, so results vary depending on the encoding / content.

I don't get it.

Streaming is streaming, wired or not.

I'll stack my XBMC boxen against anything standard def. Very reliable streamer from an SMB share.


Just moved apartment - will i be able to stream a DVD across a "G" wireless network?

Used to a have them wired - but wondering if i have to go through the hassle again.

No need, XBMC in the last column is Xbox Media Center (www.xboxmediacenter.de).

It can't play back high definition streams, which makes it a non-starter for many people. It's ability to navigate DVD menus is also fairly recent. But the screenshots I've seen do give the appearance of a much nicer UI than say, the Mediagate MG-35.


Not sure where you are getting the content for the HD streams you speak of. The modified Xbox does put out up to 1080i although as I said there is a lack of available content to actually test this in a way that really has any meaning. The other devices seem to have a lot more disqualifiers, mainly in their inability to do what they claim to be able to do. This is not all their fault as the Xbox was designed to be sold at a loss so had higher level components than most of these other manufacturers are able to put into their devices and still sell them at a price people will pay. Now there are so many Xboxes out there they can be had dirt cheap.

A modified Xbox is so different from Xbox Media Center as to the point where you would have thought they were two enirely different products. The Modded Xbox has such a semi open source, fully user configurable, daily updated, and with scripts, uses that no other player can match and at a price point that no other player will come close to in the forseeable future that everytime I turn it on I sit in awe and amazment at the wonderful gift Bill Gates gave us, although unwillingly. I do not have an Xbox Media Center from Uncle Bill but I can only imagine the proprietary DRM'd nightmare it must incorporate to satisfy the the RIAA, MPAA, and Mr Gates' MS itself.

Not sure where you are getting the content for the HD streams you speak of. The modified Xbox does put out up to 1080i although as I said there is a lack of available content to actually test this in a way that really has any meaning.

I probably have close to a terabyte of archived HD movies and TV shows, as do many others. Maybe you lack the content and the hardware to acquire it, but many others have it and need an HD-capable device to play it back.


A modified Xbox is so different from Xbox Media Center as to the point where you would have thought they were two enirely different products. The Modded Xbox has such a semi open source, fully user configurable, daily updated, and with scripts, uses that no other player can match and at a price point that no other player will come close to in the forseeable future that everytime I turn it on I sit in awe and amazment at the wonderful gift Bill Gates gave us, although unwillingly. I do not have an Xbox Media Center from Uncle Bill but I can only imagine the proprietary DRM'd nightmare it must incorporate to satisfy the the RIAA, MPAA, and Mr Gates' MS itself.

You're describing "Media Center Extender for Xbox". I'm talking about "Xbox Media Center". They're two different products, hence the two different names. I did not list "Media Center Extender for Xbox" in my spreadsheet since it requires XP MCE. Get it straight - your confusion is not adding anything to this thread. :mad:

jhue what would you buy for streming dvds...................

Get it straight - your confusion is not adding anything to this thread. :mad:

Yeah alright mate calm down - i doubt it he did it on purpose its an easy mistake to make.

I think you might need to stop holding on so tightly before you lose your grip.

jhue what would you buy for streming dvds...................

If that's all I wanted to do, I'd probably try Xbox Media Center next.

The MG-35 works, but the UI is really ugly. It's just a very plain file browser. It could be a lot better, if they would just put in a browser interface, and allow you to customize the appearance with HTML files. The portability is an interesting feature though, I'll be bringing it along on my next few business trips to see how useful it really is (how many hotel TVs can I hook it up to).

But like I wrote before, for everything I want to do (not just DVDs), Xbox Media Center is a non-starter because it can't play back any of the HD MPEG-2 content I have archived (which is growing at about 100GB/month).

You're describing "Media Center Extender for Xbox". I'm talking about "Xbox Media Center". They're two different products, hence the two different names. I did not list "Media Center Extender for Xbox" in my spreadsheet since it requires XP MCE. Get it straight - your confusion is not adding anything to this thread. :mad:

Ah, right. Well listing it by its interface instead of by the component was enough to addle my old brain. I do see that HD streaming is a factor if you have access to real ripped HD content. No reason a modded Xbox cannot sit alongside the HD streamer since it is caple of so much. Now with the XM and Serius scripts you can play your subscribed satellite radio over the XBox.

its so comfusing....im gonna wait and get the xbox360. you guys in the usa get it soon i heard.you always beat australia for things....................................

its so comfusing....im gonna wait and get the xbox360. you guys in the usa get it soon i heard.you always beat australia for things....................................

I doubt the xbox360 will be the panacea many think it will be.

Get ready to re-encode evertything to wmv10.

In looking at the spreadsheet, I see that the LinkPlayer2 and Buffalo units have "no" checked for DVD Medu Navigation and "yes -- ?" (respectively) checked for Chapter Navigation. The MediaGate MG-35 has both of these features checked.

So assuming I rip my Desparate Housewives Season 1 DVD to a VOB file...does that mean that the MediaGate will put up the menu just like the real DVD media is playing? So what exactly is Chapter Navigation then? Does it just mean that the unit simply lists the episodes and allow me to select. If so I guess I can live with that.

What about the "?" in the Buffalo unnits Chapter Navigation field. Can someone verify if this feature works or it doesn't?

SmokeBringer...

The mediagate is capable of IFO play, which means that it will play a DVD file rip with all the IFO and VOB files in a folder. So YES it will play your DVD rip exactly like the original DVD with the menus AND chapter marks.

What about the "?" in the Buffalo unnits Chapter Navigation field. Can someone verify if this feature works or it doesn't?

I can't, as I'm the one who put the '?' there in the first place.

But from what I can tell, the Buffalo Linktheater can utilize the wizd server, so by using a third-party server, you can get chapter navigation. That is, no DVD menus, but you can use the remote to jump forwards and backwards a chapter at a time.

So perhaps with the Buffalo-supplied server you can't get chapter navigation, but you can with a third-party server.

on the mediagate..can you plug in an external harddrive via usb 2.0 or firewire 400 with ripped movies already loaded on it (vob, .ts, ifo) and play them with proper aspect ratio on a 4:3 tv wiht menus/navigation..ie. they look just like a database of dvds and play them with all their specials stuffs.

if not..can the tvisto or tvix do that? (i dont think the tvix can)


thanks!

sharon

The spreadsheet is pretty helpful, but which of these devices decodes 24/192k audio (DVD-Audio). As far as I can tell, only Buffalo LinkTheater does.

on the mediagate..can you plug in an external harddrive via usb 2.0 or firewire 400 with ripped movies already loaded on it (vob, .ts, ifo) and play them with proper aspect ratio on a 4:3 tv wiht menus/navigation..ie. they look just like a database of dvds and play them with all their specials stuffs.


In the USB row in the spreadsheet, "Slave" means "Device" in USB parlance, and "Master" means the same thing as "Host".

The MG-35 is listed as "Slave" in the USB row. That means it appears as a storage device to a master, but it cannot act as a master and see other devices as storage devices. So it won't see any drives you plug into the USB connector.

I thought the Momitsu wouldn't play WMV files or TS files?

I thought the Momitsu wouldn't play WMV files or TS files?

Ah, I made the mistake of thinking the Momitsu V880N used the Sigma Designs EM8620L and just gave it the same capabilities as every other player based on that media processor.

I checked and it's based on the EM8550, so you're right, it can't do WMV or any kind of HD. My spreadsheet doesn't actually say anything about transport streams, the MPEG formats were program streams.

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll post a completed spreadsheet with corrections shortly.

Not to get way off topic hear but I wonder if Momitsu will come out with another player that will have the most current chipset so you can play WMV/TS etc files.

I am thinking of getting a Networked player I just don't know which one and can't buy one of each to test them.

Guess I need to do some more reading.

Another one to addd: http://www.mvixusa.com/shop/mvixmultimediaplayerwfm-p-38.html

Another one to addd: http://www.mvixusa.com/shop/mvixmultimediaplayerwfm-p-38.html

It ain't got a network cable or wireless.

:(

Shaz

Thanks for the spreadsheet. I am waiting to take the plunge and buy one. From what I have seen the Tvix HD M-5000U looks like the best one when it is finally released.

Thanks for the spreadsheet. I am waiting to take the plunge and buy one. From what I have seen the Tvix HD M-5000U looks like the best one when it is finally released.

MediaGate MG-350 should have similar capabilities when released also:

http://www.mediagate.co.kr/english/prod_mg350.htm

MediaGate MG-350 should have similar capabilities when released also:

http://www.mediagate.co.kr/english/prod_mg350.htm

jhue,

Thanks for the spreadsheet and the link. I've been stalking a media server recently so this is great info.

The Zensonic Z500 was supposed to come out in November.... Anyone know if this is still going to happen? or where it is available?

Jhue,

I want to acknowledge your effort in compiling the comparative spreadsheet. I am looking for a NAS solution (leaning towards ReadyNAS X6) that I can store all of my video (DVDs, home movies, VHS), audio (CDs, DVD-Audio, tapes) and images on. Then I will add a couple of media players to handle what is stored on the NAS. I will add some information for your spreadsheet as I go through that process.

My goal is to avoid the need to have a PC as a server or a client in being able to play my various forms of media. This is for many reasons but the primary being the heat and asthetics of a PC.

Regards,
Robert

I agree with the Kiwi above, and maybe someone can answer these questions I have about the groupthink on media devices...

1) Why doesn't there seem to be more outcry against devices that require media servers?
- I have a NAS and want a device that can act as a network appliance (like the Roku Photobridge) and just connect straight to a network share to grab content. Why do so many devices need a server...and why aren't more people complaining about it? I only want my NAS server to have to be on all the time...I don't want my NAS and another box to have to be on...

2) Why do so many peolpe seem to want to be able to navigate a ripped DVD using the IFO files?
- I like being able to avoid all the other crap on a DVD and just watch via VOBs... What am I not seeing? Wouldn't you want to go straight to the content instead of a menu?

I'm baffled...

Choots

My goal is to avoid the need to have a PC as a server or a client in being able to play my various forms of media. This is for many reasons but the primary being the heat and asthetics of a PC.


I too have been searching for a cheap, quiet, low-power, cool-running media server for serving up content to various standalone clients. I've decided that the best configuration for me is MAID, massive array of inactive disks.

Originally I was hoping to do this with a Kuro-Box, which is sort of an open-source Buffalo LinkStation. The one I have is equipped with a 266MHz PowerPC, 128MB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet. It runs an embedded Linux (Montavista) and I installed a 400GB IDE drive inside the enclosure. It's slightly larger than a paperback book and consumes around 12 watts of electricity at idle. Storage expansion is through a couple of USB 2.0 ports.

The problem I ran into was when trying to expand my storage. The USB-SATA bridges I was using don't support passing of power management commands (I don't believe any do). Even worse, the USB-SATA bridge was preventing the SATA drives from spinning down on their own. So in order to achieve my goal of a low-power system, I am going to have to go with an x86-based Linux system, using an 8-port SATA controller for expansion. I've already confirmed that Suse 9.3 supports power management of SATA drives; I can spin them down and set the stand-by time, and it all works.

My plan now is to go with an ultra low-power VIA mini-ITX board with VIA C3 processor, and run Suse 9.3 Linux. I really wanted to avoid building a system, but I don't see any other solution to the hard drive power management problem. I already considered, and then rejected an underclocked mobile Athlon-based micro-ATX solution. Right now I'm leaning towards an Antec Aria case. I'm hoping this will hold me over until my storage requirements exceed 6TB.

2) Why do so many peolpe seem to want to be able to navigate a ripped DVD using the IFO files?

Well for alot of reasons. First..if you want to keep all the extra stuff on your jutebox to watch, then you def want the ability to use the menus.

and then you prob ask whys that. Alot of ppl like the behind the scenes, deleted scenes etc stuff. I personally do bec im in film school and its like getting free classes. Some ppl just naturally get into that stuff.

If you dont know what vob's are the main titles..it gets to be a real mess trying to go thru each and every freakin vob to find the movie. bleh.

Secondly..alot of the navigation just isnt menus, its chapters as well. The BLT wont read the chapter points unless you do all this server crap on a computer box, and thats w/ a 3rd party server progie that you have to go into and list EVERY single movie. Not acceptable if im not serving up the movie that way. And geez if you dont have chapter points, you just have a nice digital VHS movie IMO. Thats part of the reason why i buy a dvd...who wants to FF and RR thru a movie...

Third...seamless. For ex..on the BLT..if i rip just the movie i get maybe 4 or 5 vobs.You get a bit of pause btwn vobs. Its not seamless. So what..you rip a giant 4g vob.? Well guess waht..stop the movie and you gotta start ALL the way at the beg again. Bleh.

Then there is the ease of use wiht..what did you guys call it ..the WAF..wife acceptace factor? point and click society that we are....

MediaGate MG-350 should have similar capabilities when released also:

Mediagate link was here, but had to remove to post

According to the spec sheet, this will have both USB host and slave functionality, which is interesting.

What I am wondering, is will this unit be able to pull contect directly off an Infrant NAS system?

jhue, how soon to you plan to be over 6TB?!?! That is quite the system you are building. What type of content do you have? If I loaded every CD and DVD I own, I probably wouldn't fill a 500GB drive!

Don

jhue, how soon to you plan to be over 6TB?!?! That is quite the system you are building. What type of content do you have? If I loaded every CD and DVD I own, I probably wouldn't fill a 500GB drive!


Not for a while I hope. I'd say my data is growing about 100GB/month currently. It's mostly HD, split between OTA and movies, at about 5GB per hour. I'm also archiving a lot of Sci-Fi and Formula One auto races in standard def.

I agree with you Kiwi_in_KC. I currently have an Infrant XNas. It uses Wizd as the UPnP server and will work with both the linktheater and linkplayer and a bunch of other devices. The Infrant web site has a compatability list. If you don't want the DVD player, I would consider the Dlink-520 which is just coming out. It claims UPnP compatability. I have a Pinacle ShowCenter 200. It works well with the PC software, but the UPnP is very rudimentary. Pinnacle has stated on it's site that it will upgrade the UPnP software "in the future". If it does it will be one of the better servers out there

Alan

Also an good device for the list: The Virtuoso MC-500?
More info on the neuston website.

can i ask a stupid question? What does it mean when you say something has "UPnP compatibility" ?

Thanks
Sharon

can i ask a stupid question? What does it mean when you say something has "UPnP compatibility" ?

Thanks
Sharon


I believe it stands for;
U - Universal
P - Plug
n - and
P - Play

This is a software/server standard communication protocol that will let different types of computer/electrical components to talk to each other. What these means in terms of "UPnP compatibility", is that if you have some type of UPnP NAS storage system (like the Infrant or others) on your wired/wireless network, that a UPnP compatible streaming device (like the Linktheater) connected to your TV wouldn't need to have a PC connected and running to watch the video or listen to music thru your home theater system. The UPnP protocol will allow the streaming device and NAS to communicate directly. This is a very alluring idea for locations with several TV/Home Theater setups. You would only need a single large disk storage location and then numerous (and hopefully small and inexpensive) set-top boxs to get that content to all your TV's. Can someone comment if I have stated it correctly. I currently don't have any equipement, but I'm looking to set a system up like this to feed two TVs.


Don

Nice spreadsheet.

I have been reading everything I can find about these things.
One or two questions though, I think the answer is no but I'm not sure.

Mediagate MG-35:
I understand that the MG-35 can access shared files on various computers connected to the same LAN.
1) Can the same computers access the files stored on the MG-35's hard drive?
2) Can you transfer files to the MG-35 via the LAN connection, or can it only be done via the USB connection?

I want to be able to download Xvid and DivX files (Lost, BSG, etc.) to my PowerBook or PC, than save them via my LAN to a device that is already connected to my AV center to play them.

Thanx,
Dave

edit:
Looks like I found the answer, no, in this post:
showthread.php?t=600595

Does anyone know if there is a device that can do what i want?

stay away from the buffalo link theatre...its no good

stay away from the buffalo link theatre...its no good

leovip,

Could you expand on this statement, as someone new to this area I am not sure what you mean. Did it not work for you. Problems with codecs or wireless playback? Can you elobrate on the issues that you had with the Link Theater?

Thanks,
Don

leovip,

Could you expand on this statement, as someone new to this area I am not sure what you mean. Did it not work for you. Problems with codecs or wireless playback? Can you elobrate on the issues that you had with the Link Theater?

Thanks,
Don

I think it is already widely known that Buffalo products are crap.

I think it is already widely known that Buffalo products are crap.

I don't think so, my LT works fine
Why cant't i donwload the sheet?

Another networked player to add is the Prismiq player

Darn anti-spam code. I can't post their site address but just go to their name on the net.

Can anyone tell me if any of the network players support the Media Center video format DVR-MS? I want to have my MCE machine upstairs but be able to access all my pictures/music/video including MCE TV recordings without having to convert them.

Thanks.

Is there an ETA on the MediaGate MG-350? I love the idea of sticking a HDD in this box and being able to plug it into any TV in the house or bring it along with me on the road.

I don't think so, my LT works fine
Why cant't i donwload the sheet?

Did you try right-click and saving target as?

stay away from the buffalo link theatre...its no good

I think it is already widely known that Buffalo products are crap.

These kind of posts are useless. And do not add anything to the discussion. Please provide details on why you think think the product is not meeting your expectations.

Anyone having trouble downloading the pdf or zip files from post#1?
I'm getting an Internet Explorer message that "the requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found"

Mike

TVIX M5000U

A few corrections....

It does contain an internal Hard Drive option.
The web link is broken: there is a more up to date link:
http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/Products/HDM5000U.aspx

Another interesting note from the Sigma designs web page is the use of the EM8621L chip which specifically states that macrovision outputs are not included. Not sure what that means, but less copy protection the better :) http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/envision_8620L_features_specifications.htm

It would be good if we could keep a MSRP on the spreadsheet.

Drew

Drew

What do I need to do to see the spreadsheet?

MIke

Thanks anyway. I got it.

MIke

TVIX M5000U

A few corrections....

It does contain an internal Hard Drive option.
The web link is broken: there is a more up to date link:
http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/Products/HDM5000U.aspx


I don't see where it says it has an optional internal HDD. Would the dimensions of the device even allow room for internal mounting?

I did see where they list weights with and without an HDD, but I assumed that was an error.

I don't see where it says it has an optional internal HDD. Would the dimensions of the device even allow room for internal mounting?

I did see where they list weights with and without an HDD, but I assumed that was an error.

The Dvico TViX HD M-5000U definately takes an internal Hard Drive. I can't remember where I saw it now, but I did see a (French?) website showing pics of the underside of the unit, showing the installation of a 3.5" drive.

Also, quoting from the Dvico blurb... "With two USB2.0 host ports, you can now attach additional external USB hard drives to further extend the storage capacity or transfer files from another USB device such as a thumb drive..."

UPDATE:English pdf file (http://demod.dvico.com/Manual/TViX/TViX_M5000_English_1.1.2.pdf)

The Dvico TViX HD M-5000U definately takes an internal Hard Drive. I can't remember where I saw it now, but I did see a (French?) website showing pics of the underside of the unit, showing the installation of a 3.5" drive.


I don't believe it. I just measured some 3.5" drives I have mounted in sleds for some mobile docks, and you need 175mm minimum to mount the drive. That's measuring from the front of the drive to the back, including the Molex connector for power, and a tightly bent power cable. The device is advertised as 183mm tall. The only orientation a drive would fit is vertically, and there just isn't enough room.

There is also no mention at all of the drive interface in the device specs. No mention of PATA vs. SATA, or 2.5" vs 3.5".

Finally, from http://www.mycustomer.info/digital/index.php?/categories/2-Media-Players

In a departure from the rest of the TViX line, the M-5000U does not come with a built in hard drive nor does it act as a hard drive enclosure. It is purely a media player but as that, it does its job very well.

I don't believe it. I just measured some 3.5" drives I have mounted in sleds for some mobile docks, and you need 175mm minimum to mount the drive. That's measuring from the front of the drive to the back, including the Molex connector for power, and a tightly bent power cable. The device is advertised as 183mm tall. The only orientation a drive would fit is vertically, and there just isn't enough room.

There is also no mention at all of the drive interface in the device specs. No mention of PATA vs. SATA, or 2.5" vs 3.5".

Finally, from http://www.mycustomer.info/digital/index.php?/categories/2-Media-Players

I don't believe many things either... unless I have proof, so here it is...
English User Manual (pdf file) for the TViX HD M-5000U (http://demod.dvico.com/Manual/TViX/TViX_M5000_English_1.1.2.pdf)

There are also many good screen shots of the GUI, etc.

I don't believe many things too... unless I have proof so here it is!!!

Well...damn...I stand corrected. It drops in through the top in a vertical orientation. The front of the drive must rest on the bottom of the enclosure, and the lid must press against the power and signal cables in order to fit in a 183mm tall enclosure. That was the only way I could see the drive fitting, but I never imagined they would have designed it that way. The drive basically splits the enclosure into two halves, a front and a back.

jhue... it appears that the link to the TViX HD M-5000U on your spreadsheet is also dead... I believe they have changed it to this... (http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/products/HDM5000U.aspx)

Any chance of adding a link to this User Manual (http://demod.dvico.com/Manual/TViX/TViX_M5000_English_1.1.2.pdf) to your spreadsheet as well, as I think it would benefit a lot of people looking for info on this unit.

cheers,
-skymatrix.

jhue,

Nice job on comparison.

How about Modix HD-3510 and HD-3520, or Mvix MV-4000 and MV-5000 in your review.

Possible correction:

Snazio does not play .ISO files - At least if that's all that's in the sub-directory on a computer.

jhue... it appears that the link to the TViX HD M-5000U on your spreadsheet is also dead... I believe they have changed it to this... (http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/products/HDM5000U.aspx)

Any chance of adding a link to this User Manual (http://demod.dvico.com/Manual/TViX/TViX_M5000_English_1.1.2.pdf) to your spreadsheet as well, as I think it would benefit a lot of people looking for info on this unit.

cheers,
-skymatrix.

skymatrix, thanks for posting the link to the user manual. I thought I had dug up everything on the device, but this is great! One thing that really interests me, above and beyond just its basic features as a media center is the whole HDTV Tuner capability:

from page 5 of the manual.
You can play HDTV without a digital TV set-top box and use the play, pause and recording
functions. (An optional HD Tuner box will be provided with the TViX HD in the future)

If I could use this device as a potential STB for HD using something like this: http://store.snapstream.com/fusionhdtv-gold-usb.html I wold be psyched!

Anyway, thanks for posting this link!

Drew

jhue, very nice list.
Maybe a usefull addition to this list is a other site that has users post the compatibility to different formats using a special test CD.
The DivxTest website can be found by just adding com.
This site even has a test done with the new Zensonic Z500

Regards, Fantic.

Another point on Storage: you could use another sheet of your spreadsheet to make that work. There was a project on the European MPC Club for getting the Linksys NLSU2 server unit to work as a Media Storage Server, which can be used with many players.

Regards, Fantic

im getting an error on trying to download either of the comparison charts...no attachement found, does it with save or open...anyone else?

im getting an error on trying to download either of the comparison charts...no attachement found, does it with save or open...anyone else?

Works fine here. Just opened the PDF with no problem.

im getting an error on trying to download either of the comparison charts...no attachement found, does it with save or open...anyone else?

Try save target as and then open the downloaded file locally

Alright, this is exactly what I was looking for but I am new to the media center world. I looked at the spreadsheet but I am just plain lost. I am looking for anything that I can drop a large hard drive in and listen to my music library (with some good playback features, random, folder shuffle, playlists etc.). I would also like to play HD video files, preferably AVI, without too much of a hassle. Lastly I am looking for a nice interface that is easy to use.

Anyone able to offer some suggestions?

Thanks for helping the newbie

Oh yeah the only reason I am looking for the internal hard dive is because I heard that g wireless doesn't stream large video files fast enough...did I hear wrong?

Alright, this is exactly what I was looking for but I am new to the media center world. I looked at the spreadsheet but I am just plain lost. I am looking for anything that I can drop a large hard drive in and listen to my music library (with some good playback features, random, folder shuffle, playlists etc.). I would also like to play HD video files, preferably AVI, without too much of a hassle. Lastly I am looking for a nice interface that is easy to use.

Anyone able to offer some suggestions?

Thanks for helping the newbie

Oh yeah the only reason I am looking for the internal hard dive is because I heard that g wireless doesn't stream large video files fast enough...did I hear wrong?

Boy you have a lot of reading to do. I recommend you use the spreadsheet to narrow down to three choices and then research on them. Most can do what you request with some exceptions. As far as storage there are a few tha have a hard drive but most stream from hard drives in your LAN. If you want to just attach storage to the streamer then I believe you have to get one that is marked as master in the spreadsheet in the usb category.

what about the dsm-320rd, It wasn't on the spread sheet. I am trying to find out what file formats it will play (ISO, VOB, etc).

what about the dsm-320rd, It wasn't on the spread sheet. I am trying to find out what file formats it will play (ISO, VOB, etc).

Google can be your best friend too

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=387

I don't know why this is not in the spreadsheet. Ask the creator

Boy you have a lot of reading to do. I recommend you use the spreadsheet to narrow down to three choices and then research on them. Most can do what you request with some exceptions. As far as storage there are a few tha have a hard drive but most stream from hard drives in your LAN. If you want to just attach storage to the streamer then I believe you have to get one that is marked as master in the spreadsheet in the usb category.


Yeah I know after reading I realize that the .11g might be a better idea for me. Has anyone had any problems with .11g being to slow to stream any of their larger files during playback?

Google can be your best friend too

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=387

I don't know why this is not in the spreadsheet. Ask the creator

I think I have the 520 in there, don't I (haven't looked at it in weeks).

The omission of the 320 is due to my bias towards high definition.

I may have some time this week to fix the errors (thanks for the corrections!) and add a few missing devices.

BUMP for this thread b/c it deserves it.

It would be nice to add UPnP compatability to the list. It's what makes the DLink superior to the Pinnacle if you want to serve from a NAS. It also would be nice to add internet radio and video capability to the list. For example the Pinnacle supports Rhapsody and the DLink supports AOL radio.

Alan

Thanks for the spreadsheet. I have some updates for it.

The D-Link DSM-520 will play an HD MPEG-2 stream, but they only support up to 8mbps. This makes almost all real HD MPEG-2 streams unplayable. Most OTA HD streams are at least 12mbps. So even though it supports it, you really should say No it doesn't as it doesn't support the spirt of HD. I have personally tested this with multiple different TS streams at around 15mbps, and it played a raw ATSC TS stream fine as long as the video stream was only 1.5mbps of the 19.4mbps it pulled over the network. (so it's obviously not due to network/streaming bandwidth issues.)

You should look at adding the Pixel Magic HD Mediabox. The product looks promising. And the forums are being monitored by an employee of the company. They are working on making 19mbps TS streams play properly over SMB (their chosen method of file transfer), though will play fine from the inboard HDD.

Yea the Dlink 520 will not do HD. Any HD you throw at it, it will stutter and pretty much be unwatchable. As for 720p witht he DLink, I have got that to work (xvid 720p) but only with the use of an external HD. They really should not push the DLink as a HD media player as it is very limited in its strength to play HD formats.

You might want to add the Yamaha Multicast to the spreadsheet. I'm a newbie, so I can't post the link.

wangus_001

You might want to look into the Esclient FireBall and or the Olive Symphony

Nice chart. I'm considering the D-Link 520 but want to know if I can view burned DVD's in the IFO format? The chart shows via third party software and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations? Before I buy this unit I want to make sure I can view any of my DVD's that I decide to burn and store on my PC. Thanks!

if you want it as a DVD player...i would say D-Link isnt the way to go. you can play IFo format but that just means you cant use the menu system. ISO will not work. Also the D-Link for HD is very poor. It says it will do HD, it can support HD, but IT CANT play HD to save its life.

If you really want it for DVD, get a modded Xbox and have at it...

Thanks for the response. Not looking for a DVD player but as a media player for stuff I store on my PC. I think I'll wait for these products to get better.

Thanks for the response. Not looking for a DVD player but as a media player for stuff I store on my PC. I think I'll wait for these products to get better.

Have you looked into the Roku.

It can display HD pictures, HD movies, DVD's, and music from your PC.

Downside is it can not play menus or subtitles and right now it is hard to get new

But the third party applications are pretty good. I use it a lot in my setup these days.

Have you looked into the Roku.

It can display HD pictures, HD movies, DVD's, and music from your PC.

Downside is it can not play menus or subtitles and right now it is hard to get new

But the third party applications are pretty good. I use it a lot in my setup these days.

Thanks I will check Roku out!

Spreadsheet has been updated with many corrections and additions. I can no longer upload the zip file containing the original spreadsheet, so it has been attached to the PDF version. I do not know whether Adobe Reader can extract the attachment (I use Acrobat Pro). If you want the Excel version and can't extract it send me a PM.

I have the new MG-350HD in testing, please forward any questions and concerns

Thanks, I used your spreadsheet to narrow down my choices, However the ability to play WMV-9 HD that some vendors elude to is the video only. The audio is 2 channel, Therefore, suggest you add under Audio "Analog 5.1/7.1". Reasoning I have yet to find a receiver that can decode "Professional 5.1" that is used on WMV-HD disks.

thanks for doing up the spreadsheet, I just wish you included the non HD players,
I don't have any HD content right now...though having support for it will be a bonus.


Zensonic Z500 seems to be the closest to what I want, though I would rather it not have a dvd player built in, unless you can rip dvd's with it....like that will ever happen.
and it would be nice to have to have chapter/menu navigation(not sure if it can)

on the Zensonic website
"DVD ISO/IFO ***"
"*** Experimental feature"

the pixel magic mediaboxand the D-Link are also close to what I want, but no flac support(yet/if ever)
and no video/audio inputs for pvr usage

I have the new MG-350HD in testing, please forward any questions and concerns

Does the MG-350HD support .ISO? The goal being able to use the DVD menu navigation.

Thanks
Lee

Does the MG-350HD support .ISO? The goal being able to use the DVD menu navigation.

Thanks
Lee


Yes the 350 does support ISO as well as VOB

I'd love to see a column added noting whether the player can vertically stretch a picture to remove the black bars (a la my samsung DVD-HD860).

you'd then use an anamorphic lens to stretch the picture horizontally so everything is proportional again.

anywareus

Quote:
Originally Posted by anywareus
I have the new MG-350HD in testing, please forward any questions and concerns
Will you post your review of the box? Curious how it upscales and the gui interface. I have been watching the Pixel Magic HD box development closely, but it seems to continue to be plagued software bugs and the cost is high, so very interested in this unit. Thanks for any information.

JHRUE,
The third party development team of MPLAY have modified MPLAY to support DVD ISO playback on the ROKU HD1000. Thought you might want to add this info on your next update of your spreadsheet.
Thanks

The spreadsheet shows that the MG350 does noet support Upnp? Any other way to do streaming audio/video on this box?

Thanx,

Peter

jhue,

How about adding Rapsody N35 to your list.

The Roku forums appear to confirm speculation that their Photobridge is no longer a viable product. However, they promise something better in "early 2007".

I'm not sure if I want to wait that long.

I have 20Gb of pics that I want to stream to my Panasonic plasma. I'm beginning to burn my small CD collection to the desktop as well. All I want is a media extender to take photos/music from my basement desktop and pipe it into my Denon AVR. The connection could be wired/wireless (don't care, can accomodate both).

I am not concerned about FF or RWD of a burned DVD (I don't have any, really don't plan to do any).

Thanks.

Thanks for a very good spreadsheet. I have looked for this a long time and this is the first time anyone makes such good work in one place.

My issue is that I bought an Acer AT-3705 LCD tv with an UPnP mediagateway built in.
I have for a long time desperatly tried to find a UPnP server to use with this gateway in order to watch DVD's over UPnP with sub's and menues..

The only one I have found so far which is supposed to do this is the uShare from geexbox which is running on Linux. Unfortunately I don't have and I don't know Linux...

So I am missing the info in the sheet if the mediaplayers are UPnP compliant and able to navigate DVD's across UPnP so that I could use the same UPnP server which I guess is the part that decides the functionality..

Does anyone know of such server for Win or has anyone tried the uShare so that I know if I have to learn Linux?

many thanks

/Jonas

could the spreadsheet be updated to include support for video formats...

perhaps .rm, .ram, quicktime, xvid, .dat, .iso etc.?

The buffalo player seems to support the most right now

well this is truly excellent help. what a great idea. and for once it is one of these grids i would believe as most of the web based seem to have an agenda and therefore i tend not to trust...thanks for all the work in it.

hi all...

just found out about this forum... actually just found out about the existence of such player.
bought myself buffalo LT... quite ok...
didn't know there were many2 more media stream player available...

anyway, i think dstanley idea is also quite good...
listing what the player can support. like wmv,divx,xvid,etc

actually.. i am looking for player that can play OGM and MKV...
so such addition to the spreadsheet is greatly appreciated :)

also.. not sure if this is worth mentioning or not..
but what about adding to the spreadsheet item on firmware upgrade. does the player support it or not.

thanks in advance.

The Roku may be Dead, but the third party support rolls on. MPlay was just updated for .iso files and its just keeps improving with the software updates from others. The company has not been much help but other have really supported the product.

Really nice spreadsheet!

Rapsody N35 is EM8621L based as far as I can find. Spec's are almost equal to TVIX HD M5000, but could not find the DVD Features and Network streams stuff. Got NDAS though.

Mediagate MG350HD also looks like to be EM8621 based.

is the spreadsheet (.pdf) posted on page 1 complete or up to date? Or are there other revisions?

Would someone interpret for me the entries regarding file formats? For MPEG2 and MPEG4 the spreadsheet distinguishes between "MP@ML" and "MP@HL (High Def)" but I do not know how these are defined.

My real question is this: if a device, such as the Mediagate MG-35 is described as not handling HD does this mean only that it cannot decode .TS and .TP files or does it mean that it cannot handle high bit-rate files?

My HD content which I would like to store and transport comes from Beyond TV recordings which I edit and convert to DivX at about 6 megabits/second. Would these converted files play form an MG-35 even if the raw captures would not or does the MG-35 lack the processing power to handle such files? And what would the maximum bit-rate for such a device be?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

[Later] OK, Google tells me MP@ML and MP@HL mean Main Profile@Medium/High Level. It looks to me that this means files must be in certain formats, no bigger than 720x480 for ML. Is this the maximum pixel width/height that the MG-35 can handle? This would not be good news as my DivX archived HD is in 1280x720.

thanks for doing up the spreadsheet, I just wish you included the non HD players,
I don't have any HD content right now...though having support for it will be a bonus.


Zensonic Z500 seems to be the closest to what I want, though I would rather it

I tried to download the spreadheet with no luck.

I was thinking of Buffalo, zensonic, avellink

Are there any advantages or pitfalls with any of these?

To open, right click in file name then click OPEN.

jhue;
Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet. It is an excellent overview. I hope you keep updating it.
____
Axel

jhue;
Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet. It is an excellent overview. I hope you keep updating it.
____
Axel

Here is another very thankful reader. Given that there are fanboys of all of these, this gives a chance for everyone to poke holes in the analysis, leading to a (hopefully) complete and unbiased assessment of the state of affairs.

I for one have been very confused with the variety of solutions and have already used this group's work as a method of getting it down to two solutions.


Bill

The spreadsheet/pdf is such a great resource I'd hate to see it fall off the end of the board.

Any updates since May 06?

Thanks for the good work!

I've created a google spreadsheet from this and made it public. I can't link it because this is my first post, but if you get in touch with me I can send you the link.
I don't know if it's editable there, but I thought it might be easier for people who wanted it posted as html.

I'd love to see added to this spreadsheet what software each of these players runs. For example, I know many of them run the software from Syabas, obviously some run custom (XBMC), etc. It's frustrating to buy a unit hoping for "something new" and discover it runs the same software as another unit with the same bugs...

helios x3000 & x5000 http://www.neodigits.com/

helios x3000 & x5000 http://www.neodigits.com/
not news

not news

He didn't say it was "news", he said "another" - thus he is referring to the incompleteness of the consolidated spreadsheet.


Bill

Thanks for the good work?
I guess you need to update the spreadsheet again.
I am using Eureka LX350HD and you don't have ZIO products.

I was curious about the Helios5000 myself.
Anyone have any news on this?

It seems at the moment that the better units would be
TVIX M-5000
PixelMagic MB 100/200
Helios 5000 (from what I have read on their website)

....well, right after I posted this I found a large thread on the Helios....can't imagine why it is not on the list.

Gonna be a tough decision.

I have just bought the D-Link DSM-520. It was easy to set up and the interface is simple. I am using the D-Link server software so far... It doesn't play a whole DVD. It will play VOB1... then stop... then you play VOB2 etc. Does anyone know a way to play all of them? Does it depend on the server software? I would hate to return it since it works great otherwise.

Also, I looked for the Mediagate, PixelMagic and TVIX players and can't seem to find one. Any ideas where to get one?

I have just bought the D-Link DSM-520. It was easy to set up and the interface is simple. I am using the D-Link server software so far... It doesn't play a whole DVD. It will play VOB1... then stop... then you play VOB2 etc. Does anyone know a way to play all of them? Does it depend on the server software? I would hate to return it since it works great otherwise.

Also, I looked for the Mediagate, PixelMagic and TVIX players and can't seem to find one. Any ideas where to get one?

Hello, instead of choosing the .vob, choose the .ts, it will play the entire DVD.

Michel

What do you mean choose the .ts file? All I have is .vob s. Is it in the way it gets decrypted?

What do you mean choose the .ts file? All I have is .vob s. Is it in the way it gets decrypted?

He probably meant the VIDEO_TS.IFO file.
_____
Axel

He probably meant the VIDEO_TS.IFO file.
_____
Axel


Sorry for all the questions but, I don't see the ifo file in the DLink server software nor on the DLink media player... any help? Should I use other server software? I can't seem to get WMP 11 to see my vob files.

jhue, an impressive and very helpful spreadsheet, many thanks.

You may like consider adding the Netgear Digitial Entertainer EVA700.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA700.aspx?detail=Specifications

Have you decided on which one to buy yet?

Bf2k

I would like to get a media extender that plays the ReplayTV 5500 mpg files without any conversion. Do any of the ones on the spreadsheet do that?

I know Replay uses mpeg2 but it is an SVCD codec of some sort. Is Mpeg-2 MP@ML or Mpeg-2 MP@HL what Replay uses?

My plan is to get the Dlink DSM-520 and the HP Media Vault MV2010 to store and serve up the shows.


Kevin

I wanted to clarify some things about my question.

I want to use DVarchive to extract the shows from the ReplayTV and store just the .mpg on the HP Media Vault. I don't believe anything uses the .evt and .ndx except for the Replay.

I have read that the ReplayTV hardware uses the IIRC codec and writes mpeg2 files that have extra info in the header. Some Windows apps don't care and some do. I guess I could use womble or something like that to make the mpeg2 file compliant. However, I am hoping that one of the media players (Dlink 320 or Netgear Eva700, etc.) can just play them even though it is an odd codec and has extra header info in the file.

Does anyone know how the current media players handle ReplayTV files?

jhue, an impressive and very helpful spreadsheet, many thanks.

You may like consider adding the Netgear Digitial Entertainer EVA700.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA700.aspx?detail=Specifications

Have you decided on which one to buy yet?


Yeah, I bought an IOData LinkPlayer 2 about two years and 6TB of archived HD ago, which is why I haven't updated the spreadsheet in like, forever.

The NetGear EVA8000 looks interesting, and I'm thinking of doing a minor upgrade on my Linux file server to run MythTV, so I might update the spreadsheet as I shop around. Anyone who wants to is welcome to take over updating it - I lost interest in updating it once I made my decision and purchased the LinkPlayer.

...
The NetGear EVA8000 looks interesting, and I'm thinking of doing a minor upgrade on my Linux file server to run MythTV, so I might update the spreadsheet as I shop around.
...


Ah, MythTV! Wondered when that would be a factor in choosing a media client.

You may want to add the:
Galaxy 3500 IPTV which can interface with mythtv's upnp interface out of the box! The audio upnp server on mythtv in broken and only fixed in the SVN version so those of us who just down load the mythtv binaries will have to wait a bit.

Happauge's (spelling?) MediaMVP is another low cost alternative. I don't know if the OEM software will work with MythTV. But the open source version will! Get the open source binaries and all the info you can handle at:
www.mvpmc.org
...actually, you might list the MediaMVP with it's own software and the MediaMVP running MVPMC as two entries. That's because the MVPMC.ORG code running on the MediaMVP will support:

MythTV (native, not the UPNP interface)
ReplayTV - yes, the SonicBlue PVR.
(For that matter, probably DVArchive as well (software version of ReplayTV))
Slimserver (see www.slimdevices.com)
NFS exports
...and more.

Note, I don't think MediaMVP has the necessary bandwidth to handle HD and doesn't have HD type output. Where as, the Galaxy can handle HD and probably can produce HD video output.

I would like to get a media extender that plays the ReplayTV 5500 mpg files without any conversion. Do any of the ones on the spreadsheet do that?

I know Replay uses mpeg2 but it is an SVCD codec of some sort. Is Mpeg-2 MP@ML or Mpeg-2 MP@HL what Replay uses?

My plan is to get the Dlink DSM-520 and the HP Media Vault MV2010 to store and serve up the shows.


Kevin


I think the real problem is that the ReplayTV units use the time of day to encode some of their communication. With out this, I don't think you can talk to the ReplayTV unit. If you want remote access to ReplayTV files I can only think of 3 alternatives. There is a commercial ReplayTV for your computer you can buy. I imagen that will work. You can install JAVA and download DVArchive (for free I believe) and run that on your computer. It will look like another ReplayTV box and you can either play from your box at your computer or the other way around if you like. Or, you can buy a MediaMVP box (<$300, probably) and get the software and know how at www.mvpmc.org to run the mvpmc application. This will get you a ReplayTV client in a box about the size of a paper back book. However, it does require a server to boot off of (no local disk!). So, each time you power cycle the MediaMVP box, you will need a computer on somewhere on your network to supply the necessary mvpmc software.

The MVPMC application will also support:
MythTV (mythtv.org)
SlimServer (slimserver.com)
and NFS exports

The spreadsheet shows the Buffalo Linktheater cannot play ISO files.

Could you change this as you can play ISO files on the Buffalo Linktheater with 3rd party server.

Thanks

The spreadsheet shows the Buffalo Linktheater cannot play ISO files.

Could you change this as you can play ISO files on the Buffalo Linktheater with 3rd party server.

Thanks

Don't be upset, but isn't that pushing it? That is, you can just as easily say you can play any type of media on the MediaMVP (I bought my last one at RadioShack for $40 on clearance - i.e. the cheapest media client I can think of) if you set up the server to transcode anything that wasn't an mpeg2 video. And in the case of an ISO, loop mount it then transcode it if necessary.

If you or anyone else is looking for this kind of support, look at Video Lan Client. The server portion of this open source package should be able to transcode and stream to just about any format:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/streaming.html

Don't be upset, but isn't that pushing it? That is, you can just as easily say you can play any type of media on the MediaMVP (I bought my last one at RadioShack for $40 on clearance - i.e. the cheapest media client I can think of) if you set up the server to transcode anything that wasn't an mpeg2 video. And in the case of an ISO, loop mount it then transcode it if necessary.

If you or anyone else is looking for this kind of support, look at Video Lan Client. The server portion of this open source package should be able to transcode and stream to just about any format:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/streaming.html

I don't understand your comment? I am not upset, I was just pointing out that the LInktheater can play ISO's, so the spreadsheet can be updated. I don't see what at all that has to do with your comment. It is not pushing it if that is what you mean, it simply works. Please no further comments are necessary. But one thing you possibly could help me with is the settings to use VideoLan with the Linktheater? Could you provide me with those?

I don't understand your comment? I am not upset, I was just pointing out that the LInktheater can play ISO's, so the spreadsheet can be updated. I don't see what at all that has to do with your comment. It is not pushing it if that is what you mean, it simply works. Please no further comments are necessary. But one thing you possibly could help me with is the settings to use VideoLan with the Linktheater? Could you provide me with those?

I thought the chart only listed what the media clients them selves could manage.

If we open the possibilities by allowing the server's features to be included, then we could just as well say most if not all media clients on the chart can play just about anything.

Oh, I see, a linktheater is more like a DVD player than a media client. So you are saying you can place an ISO file on a DVD, stick the DVD into the linktheater and the linktheatore will figure it out. That is loop mount it and play what it finds?

I do not have a Buffalo Linktheater and I usually run a MythTV back end to serve up my media. So I do not know what settings are necessary on VLC to get the Linktheater running. Try google'ing for "linktheater" and "VLC". However, it would probably be best to read up on VLC at www.videolan.org/vlc and down load and install it.

The reason why it makes sense to consider the Buffalo player to have ISO playback capability is because wizd supports it out of the box, without any modifications.

If you had to write scripts or code to make this work, then I'd agree that it should not be considered to have this capability, but since wizd does it without any extra work, and is a widely used 3rd party server for these devices (LinkPlayer, LinkTheater, etc.), it does make sense to claim ISO playback capability.

The reason why it makes sense to consider the Buffalo player to have ISO playback capability is because wizd supports it out of the box, without any modifications.

If you had to write scripts or code to make this work, then I'd agree that it should not be considered to have this capability, but since wizd does it without any extra work, and is a widely used 3rd party server for these devices (LinkPlayer, LinkTheater, etc.), it does make sense to claim ISO playback capability.

Well, ok - but it should be noted that ISO play back is not native to the player it's self. Also, it should be noted what platform the additional software will run on. In the case of wizd this isn't much of a problem because I think it has been ported to several platforms.

Unrelated, but to make my point, recently I bought (and paid a premium) for a dlink ip camera that claimed it could take pictures if any movement was detected. I should have saved my money and bought an off brand which appears to have the same camera hardware right down to the web pages it serves up. Why? Because the advertised motion feature assumed you would install and use dlink's windows based software. The only computer I have running anywhere near 24/7 is a Linux based system.

I am trying to download the pdf and I am getting an error... unable to locate file and unable to download.. can someone check to see if it is still up and if not can someone please post it.

Thanks
R~

Try right clicking ther link and Save As. I ran into the same error. Once I saved the file on my computer I had no problems opening it.

Nate

Nate..

Didn't even think to do that.. worked like a charm thank you..

Hi:
Great thread. Thanks to all for the wealth of information. I was wondering if anybody had compiled a list or knows of multiple vendors that make a commercial version of a server that stores and plays music, can upload additional music, plays multiple zones simultaneously, and keeps track of the number of times each song is played. This would be similar to a Muzak or DMX box.

Best regards,

Roy

I realize the spreadsheet hasn't been upgraded in over a year. I'm sure not ready to take up the job of doing it even though I'm in the market. Looking at the list of file formats, I must admit I don't know what everything means (MPEG-4 MP@HL (High Def)?) but I don't see anything about h.264. I realize that's a codec and not a file format, but the container is only part of the question here, whether a box can decode high bitrate h.264 seems to be a very common question these days, and as far as I know (please correct me and I'll buy whatever can play it!) there is nothing aside from a gaming system of HTPC that can do it.... right?

I think the real problem is that the ReplayTV units use the time of day to encode some of their communication. With out this, I don't think you can talk to the ReplayTV unit. If you want remote access to ReplayTV files I can only think of 3 alternatives. There is a commercial ReplayTV for your computer you can buy. I imagen that will work. You can install JAVA and download DVArchive (for free I believe) and run that on your computer. It will look like another ReplayTV box and you can either play from your box at your computer or the other way around if you like.

What I really want is remote access to the mpg files I got by using DVarchive.

The bad news is that the ReplayPC software version doesn't talk to the real Replay hardware boxes or DVarchive for that matter. It records in ms-dvr format but I didn't try playing a mpeg with it. The trial expired so I could try it again on another machine. I wanted to avoid starting the build-my-own-home-DVR project. If I did use ReplayPC then if it didn't play the files I could just use Windows media player to play them.

I was hoping for an off-the-shelf media extender that uses DNA/UPNP and understands the strange (codec/big header) mpeg files that come out when using DVarchive.

So far the MediaMVP with MVPMC sounds best and it talks to hardware Replay boxes so might be worth doing. If I can find one for $40 it is well worth just trying it. I know they don't connect to the Replay hardware box but that is fine. Too bad those things didn't have flashed firmware rather than tftp loaded. :(

You can use any of the many PVR programs with MediaMVP.

GBPVR - it has it's own software to run on MediaMVP
CTPVR - beta is almost out for MediaMVP
Media Portal - none yet
SAGETV - it has it own license software to run on MediaMVP
Beyond TV - third party beta software to run on MediaMVP
MCE 2005 - none to date

To record and watch on the MediaMVP, GBPVR and SAGETV works very well SAGETV has PQ fonts and graphics, still can't figure out how they do that..