Klegg MediaShare thread [Text View]

DarkoG

02-01-08, 12:53 PM

I'm starting a thread on Klegg MediaShare media server. This unit is, or will soon be available at brick and mortar electronics stores. The website http://www.kleggusa.com/product_mediashare.html doesn't list much details, and there is virtually no information about it on the internet. I have purchased one a couple of days ago at local Fry's, and this is what I found so far:

It uses Sigma 8621 chip. It has the following outputs:

Video: DVI, component, composite, S-video.
Audio: SPDIF optical and coax, 2 channel stereo, 5.1 channel.
USB: Device and Host.
LAN: Wired 10/100Mbps RJ45 and Wireless 54 Mbps .11g
Internal HDD (HDD not included): SATA
The drive uses NDAS, which is supposedly faster when acessing the drive through the wired LAN.

Comes with a power adapted, remote with batteries, component cables, composite/stereo cables, USB cable, manual and installation CD.

I've tested the following formats without a hard drive installed, the media was streaming through my D-Link DI-524 g router:
- ISO - plays but playback is choppy.
- TS - plays, also choppy.
- DiVX, XviD - plays fine.
- H.264 - downloaded a sample from the internet, the audio plays but no video, I guess 8621 has no support for H.264.

I tried setting up a media server (Win Media Player 11 or TVersity) on my desktop and use it to stream internet TV and re-coded H.264 mpegs, however the MediaShare device doesn't show up in WMP 11, and I couldn't get TVersity to work with it either.

DG

paulallen

02-01-08, 03:24 PM

A lot of this functionality can be had with a $40 hard-wired Netdisk Enclosure, a spare IDE HD, and a DivX-enabled DVD player with USB port.

DarkoG

02-01-08, 03:55 PM

Sure, if you don't care about HD streams. DVD player is not a HD device. Although it may upconvert to 720p or 1080i, it cannot stream HD content. HD is the key here.

keephowlin

02-01-08, 05:19 PM

It would be interesting to see how it performs with it's own hard drive. I'll pick one up this afternoon and play with it. It is a pretty cool idea and at $129 at Fry's, might make a decent cheap media server... I don't know much about Klegg and their website looks like something that was created in about two hours. Was the documentation any good?

cogitovici

02-01-08, 05:26 PM

Well, I just bought one, so now there are two of us with the 30-day window to see what these can do. I hope others join us.

I will open it up tonight to see how it can solve my general requirements.

BTW, I plan to connect using our gigabit Ethernet network. It will sit beside a Hauppauge MediaMVP that serves us well for a limited range of applications.

Regards,
Cogito

tharris9d

02-01-08, 06:09 PM

I was looking at this at Fry's and was wondering what the user interface was like. Could you describe if for me and perhaps add some screenshots? It would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom:)

windycitycouple

02-01-08, 09:53 PM

You mean there are DVD players that can access a USB external drive?!?!? Tell me more!!

A lot of this functionality can be had with a $40 hard-wired Netdisk Enclosure, a spare IDE HD, and a DivX-enabled DVD player with USB port.

paulallen

02-02-08, 04:19 AM

Philips makes some nice USB-enabled DVD/DivX players (e.g. 5960,5982) which can be used with many USB disk/thumb drives to play a wide variety of multimedia files, especially DivX/Xvid content.

cogitovici

02-02-08, 02:04 PM

Hmmm. Got this hooked up and am stumped.

Got it hooked up HDMI-DVI, and the picture looks good. UI has several options:

EXPLORE: movie, music, photo, USB, USB, network.

When I explore the network, I see a couple PCs and a few folders in each, but when I navigate from one to another, the file list does not change on several. I can see the folders on one PC from the other, but not with this. Maybe I have to tweak permissions. I hit REFRESH, but it still displays bad directory info. This is with the USB cable unplugged, of course, otherwise the network would not be visible, according to the manual (and experience).

One PC is WIN VISTA HOME PREMIUM, one XP PRO. I can open files in several folders, but find that some files open OK, and it will not open others, saying bad file type. One .asf file worked, another would not. For some reason, it will not display a .dvr-ms file that was recorded in Media Center.

Honestly, I have not fooled around with video files too much in awhile, so am not up-to-date on all the CODECs and types of mpegs, etc. Most of these files play OK across our LAN on all the PCs. The Klegg unit does not play numerous files.

So far, I am unimpressed. It would not play a file I downloaded using DVArchive from my ReplayTV 50XX that plays perfectly using Windows MediaPlayer.

I will fool around more later...want to take advantage of this beautiful Southern California day.

Big question is why won't it display directories from other computers on the network properly (shared folder looks OK, as do the MUSIC, MOVIE, and PICTURES folders I added to the hard drive I installed in the Klegg unit).

I have not installed any of the SW that came on the CD. Maybe that is part of the problem??? but I would not think so.

I do so hat VISTA's permissions stuff, but the XP folders should be shared right.

General comments before signing off:
1. Nice little unit. Looks good. If it did what I want, it would be a keeper.
2. Crummy manual, but workable if you know what you are doing.
3. So far, just using it on a wired network and, except for the folders not displaying what is in them, no problems.
4. Setup was easy so far.
5. Quick boot time.
6. I have not tried any HD material yet, as it will not do my ReplayTVHD files (from beta version), nor will it playback the .dvr-ms files

Any comments?

Regards,
Cogito

asis

02-02-08, 02:14 PM

Can this device display file names in non-English character sets, like Unicode UTF-8?

paulallen

02-02-08, 03:01 PM

DVCake

02-02-08, 05:54 PM

I just passed one of these in Fry's. If it works it will be a great deal. But my requirement is support for the Windows Media Advanced codec for HD files.

Any of you guys that have one goto www.wmvhd.com and download a 1080 and 720 sample to see if it works please!!

I have a feeling even though it can support those resolutions it may not be able to support the high bitrates during playback. I transcode WMVA/WVC1 720P movies at 8MBPS and 12MBS for 1080P.

I was planning to buy a Xbox 360 for the one TV I don't have a HTPC on but this unit would be half the price and support DIVX.

~DC

cogitovici

02-02-08, 10:29 PM

paulallen

02-02-08, 11:04 PM

Anyone else find the fan unusually noisy?

cogitovici

02-02-08, 11:23 PM

I was looking at the manual for the Linksys 2100/2200. Both appear to be able to play files from Windows Vista Premium, but the specs do not mention .dvr-ms files. Are they referred to by another name too?

If I can't play those files with this thing, I would look at that as a major failure of this device. I know that many don't like these MS-proprietary files (if I am right about that), but they are what gets generated by Vista Media Center. If you are using a PC to record those, and this extender will not play them in the other room, what is the point? My Hauppauge MediaMVP could play 95% of what I threw at it. Since I just started fooling around with Vista, I will have to see if it too fails to play them.

I do not want to have to waste time converting files just for this.

Also, once it looks at a folder and you navigate to a different folder, it keeps displaying the contents of the first folder, and will not refresh to display contents of the next folder. Maybe it needs an update.

I will try contacting Klegg about this and the dvr-ms issue.

Regards,
Cogito

cogitovici

02-02-08, 11:25 PM

Yes it is. Right now it is sitting just 3 feet away from me. I wonder how it would be while watching TV with it a dozen feet away.

BTW, you are kinda right about the rough edges on the case. I hadn't noticed, and would not from a few feet away though.

mshill

02-03-08, 12:23 AM

I picked up one at Fry's today for $129. Got it home and plugged it in and connected to my cheapo 720P LCD and connected to network (no internal disk). It immediately found my Linux samba server where all video, pictures, and music resides.

I started with my DVD collection and started Alien v Predator (widescreen) which was ripped from DVD using DVD Shrink. Played great at 720P and 1080i over wired network from the IFO file. I then turned to my Nero Recode MP4 files, which also played without a problem.

I have been using 2 DSM-320s for the last two years. I am glad to finally see that someone is getting things right with the firmware. Having been using the DSM-320s I have a good point of reference for media playback.
Here's my feelings about the Klegg Mediashare when compared to the DSM-320:

Pros:
(+) Remote works great and response is great. Buttons actually work like a real remote (DSM remote sucks).
(+) Plays IFO files and treats it like a real DVD.
(+) FF/Rewind, Prev/Next chapter all work.
(+) Upscaling looks great.
(+) Abiltiy to set brightness and contrast.
(+) JPEG display is sharp/crisp.
(+) Don't need uPnP server running (I have used Twonky for the DSM)

Cons:
(-) Blanks screen between picture display
(-) Fan is very noisy. It is actually louder than my 3TB Linus file server with four disks in it. This is not a big deal since with a video playing you won't hear it. I am not sure it even needs it unless there is a HDD installed.
(-) Navigating the shares is kind of painful. That is where the uPnP server came in handy searching and sorting the playable files in the shared directories so you only see the types of files the player can play.

Untested:
1) Playing ISO files. (I am going to love this)
2) SATA HDD Storage. (hoping this means that it can handle the current 1TB drives from Seagate, Hitachi, and Western Digital)
3) 5.1 Digital Audio outputs.
4) 1080P resolution (looking at Samsung 61" LED DLP)
5) All the other video/audio formats that I don't have.
6) Wireless (although I never had any success watching video over wireless so I won't ever do anything but wired).

Summary
I was seriously taking a chance buying this from Fry's since it is basically an unknown product with what appears to be no support on their website (FAQ, FW downloads, etc.). Maybe I am jaded by how bad the DSM-320 is, but for half the price from 2 years ago it is at least twice as good. At $129 this is a great buy. I will keep the one I have and sell one of my DSM-320s to help defer the cost and probably get another one for my son so when he goes off to school next year he can take his favorite movies with him.

DVCake

02-03-08, 12:25 AM

Done. Both ROBITICA720 and SPEED1080 worked fine when I copied them to the hard drive installed in the Klegg. Both ROBOTICA1080 and SPEED1080 choked a bit running acoss the network, but the workstation they were on was doing other things too.

NICE

But tell me one thing. This device doesn't require media player running on another pc to deliver the media right? It finds shares and pulls off the storage, PC or NAS right?

The speed 1080P clip is not full 1080P, its 1440 X 1080. I'll get a full sample posted for testing. I'm going to pick one of these up tomorrow and have a ton of media I can test. If it can't play 1080p over my 100MBit network it goes back.

DVCake

02-03-08, 12:27 AM

mshill

02-03-08, 12:50 AM

I am in Sacramento.

And yes, it sees any Windows or Samba shares. When I browse the network drives it shows all the computers on the network that have dhared folders. I just happen to be running samba on a homebrew 3TB Linux server from which I am sharing all my media.

I am even thinking about putting a 1TB drive in the Klegg and use it as my weekly Movie and Music backup target so I can use it as a portable player when we go on trips. The backups are automatic and don't have to be fast because I do incrementals overnight.

The more I think about it the better it looks.

cogitovici

02-03-08, 01:23 AM

The Fry's in North County San Diego wants $189 ofr it. where are you?
It was in Friday's (2/1/08) Union-Trib ad on Page 3, top-half of the page...little picture looked like a wireless router:

#5393408 for $129.99

San Diego store had about 30 of them on the end-cap facing the front of the store just 30 feet away from that computer sales booth they have there. Ad says good thru 2/5/08, so go bust 'em and report your findings back here!

Enjoy,
Cogito

P.S. I did write to Klegg. Will report back on how they respond. I really want this thing to work, but so far, except for promised HD, it is similar to the Hauppauge MediaMVPs I got a couple years ago, but does not support all the filetypes the MVP seemed to process.

cogitovici

02-03-08, 01:32 AM

Nope, it does browse other folders across the network without media player or Media Center running. I am just having problems viewing several folders that I have shared other than the SHARED files folder. I wrote to Klegg about it. I may be doing something stupid, but have many years experience as an "end user," often looked down upon as end users often are, but always listened to by our IT staff at work 'cause they know I know more than many of them do, if I can be so bold.

Files I placed into the SHARED folder on an XP PRO system were all ready to go, except for those that it could not play in the first place (from what I gather, like .dvr-ms files. It would also not work with .mov files, which our Minolta F-200 camera uses, nor would it play some .asf files, but it did play others. It did directly play ***** files which I believe came from my father-in-law's Casio, though he might have prepared them in some video editing program.

NICE

But tell me one thing. This device doesn't require media player running on another pc to deliver the media right? It finds shares and pulls off the storage, PC or NAS right?

The speed 1080P clip is not full 1080P, its 1440 X 1080. I'll get a full sample posted for testing. I'm going to pick one of these up tomorrow and have a ton of media I can test. If it can't play 1080p over my 100MBit network it goes back.

mshill

02-03-08, 01:36 AM

I just downloaded "The Magic of Flight" 720P demo from the WMV9 site to my NAS box. Worked beautifully. Played perfectly over my 100Mb Lan. And boy is it beautiful.

Oh, I left out a big (+) for the Klegg... It can be completely operated from the front panel buttons. So, if you take it somewhere and forget the remote or can't find it you are not dead in the water like almost all of the other HDD Media Players on the market.

I hope these guys develop a low cost model based on the Sigma 8623 so we can get the H.264 TS playing for under $200. I need the Blu-Ray Drives/Players to come down in price and I will be ready for HD.

cogitovici

02-03-08, 02:06 AM

Do you think I just might not be sharing folders right? It sees everything in the SHARED folder, but goes screwy with other "shared" folders. For example, when I look at a couple WIN XP PRO folders on Machine A form a WIn Vista Home Premium computer, I do have to enter USERNAME and PASSWORD. Sorry if I sound like a NUBE, but I still have not resolved all my Vista permissions issues. I have even considered paying for NETWORK MAGIC, which promises to make sharing EZ, but I would like to force myself to resolve this without using a utility.

I just downloaded "The Magic of Flight" 720P demo from the WMV9 site to my NAS box. Worked beautifully. Played perfectly over my 100Mb Lan. And boy is it beautiful.

Oh, I left out a big (+) for the Klegg... It can be completely operated from the front panel buttons. So, if you take it somewhere and forget the remote or can't find it you are not dead in the water like almost all of the other HDD Media Players on the market.

I hope these guys develop a low cost model based on the Sigma 8623 so we can get the H.264 TS playing for under $200. I need the Blu-Ray Drives/Players to come down in price and I will be ready for HD.

paulallen

02-03-08, 03:19 AM

Would anyone who's gotten this to see XP network shares be kind enough to walk the "network-challenged" through the proper set up and, if necessary, firewall tweaks?

keephowlin

02-03-08, 02:27 PM

I also bought this thing, hoping to get into Media Serving a little bit. My uses for it may be different than others, so I explain that here. I mostly wanted something I could store my music media on, play the music as a jukebox through my stereo system, and act as a backup device for my network. Playing movies hasn't yet been a real need of mine, but it's nice to have that flexibility, as is display photos on the bigscreen.

I am using it wirelessly, and I bought and installed a 750gb 3.0gbs Seagate drive in it. I also installed the NDAS software that it came with, and so far it sees my XP file shares no problem. The guy at Fry's said "be sure to install the software on all PC's you want to use it with". I was actually surprised that he knew anything at all about it.

It seems to play movies well (I've only tried a couple), and the remote buttons and software work very well for movies. So far, I don't really like how it handles MP3 files. It shows everything as filenames, instead of using MP3 tags, so since my filenames are so long (artist+album+track#+trackname) it makes navigating the files slow and painful. Also, the Jukebox software that it comes with works strangely. So while it plays MP3's fine, it's handling of them and the remote and menus are all awkward (as opposed to how well it handles movies). I should also note that I am really only playing things on its internal HD, and not so much over the network so far.

I am also using it as a wireless backup server to receive incremental backups from my various PCs, and I'm pretty pleased about that, too, although it's not super speedy...

The Klegg website looks like something that was made one evening after dinner. No FAQ's, no firmware downloads, just a couple of email addresses for support. Kinda strange for a "publicly traded" technology company, regardless of how small it might be. I think the manual is pretty good for explaining how to install things, but pretty poor for how to use it. The broken English is obvious but I didn't find it problematic.

I will say that I am very impressed with how versatile this device can be. Using an internal hard drive, sharing across the network, and two USB ports for flash drives, etc. is nice. Playing movies, photos, and music as well as acting a as backup device is also cool, as is is large amount of AV output options. I use the digital coax out (and a high-end external DACs) and the music sounds very good with either wav's or high bitrate mp3's. I'm an audiofile, so I don't do well with iPods plugged into my system. Using the digital coax out, I'm happy with the sound for party music, and having USB ports on it means my friends can bring over a thumb drive with their music and we're good to go without connecting a cheap MP3 player's "headphone out" to my stereo system. I'd like the music playing software to get some attention with a firmware update, but so far, I can't see this $129 device going back to the store...

paulallen

02-03-08, 03:15 PM

I doubt anyone will be able to help, but I haven't been able to get the Mediashare to recognize any shared folders/files on either of 2 networked PC's. The PC's themselves are recognized, but each shows the following error in the Event Viewer System Application:

"The server received an incorrectly formatted request.."

DVCake

02-03-08, 03:54 PM

It was in Friday's (2/1/08) Union-Trib ad on Page 3, top-half of the page...little picture looked like a wireless router:

#5393408 for $129.99

San Diego store had about 30 of them on the end-cap facing the front of the store just 30 feet away from that computer sales booth they have there. Ad says good thru 2/5/08, so go bust 'em and report your findings back here!

Enjoy,
Cogito

P.S. I did write to Klegg. Will report back on how they respond. I really want this thing to work, but so far, except for promised HD, it is similar to the Hauppauge MediaMVPs I got a couple years ago, but does not support all the filetypes the MVP seemed to process.

SWEET I'm heading out to pick up a couple. I'll try to post a tru 1080P sample today so that you guys can try. Anyone else havea 1080p TV?

~DV

aafflyer

02-03-08, 06:42 PM

...
I'd like the music playing software to get some attention with a firmware update, but so far, I can't see this $129 device going back to the store...

Well, my $129 device is probably going back.

I primarily bought this to play music from a Windows Home Server (WHS) box to my receiver. So, I've got no drive in the system, and just browsing across the network. I can see the files, but it is so painful to select files to play that I'll look for something else.

DarkoG

02-03-08, 10:43 PM

Would anyone who's gotten this to see XP network shares be kind enough to walk the "network-challenged" through the proper set up and, if necessary, firewall tweaks?

It sees all the shared folders I have on XP Pro. Just right-click on a folder, select properties, and under Sharing tab in Network sharing and Security chekc Share this folder on the network. Then do a "refresh" on MediaShare and it will show up there.

lsmar

02-03-08, 10:51 PM

I just got one of these yesterday. I put in a small HDD to test it. Plays great off the HD and off of wireless g; even 720P DivX.

My problem is with SD content encoded with Dr DivX (latest version w/ 6.8 codec). The audio and video are out of sync and the Klegg won't let me fast foward; it just kicks me back to the menu if I try it.

Has anyone else had luck with SD DivX (converted from DVD) material?

DVCake

02-03-08, 10:51 PM

Just got it and CRAP, i've got to take it back. The windows media advanced profiles I use are not supported =[. The HD samples on WMVHD are not using any complexed profiles so they work, none of my transcodes work. Damn, I really wanted this thing to work. I'll contact tech support tomorrow to see if there is any firmwares that may support the complex profiles.

~DC

DarkoG

02-03-08, 10:53 PM

I went back to Fry's on Friday and got $60 back (I paid the full price on Wed.) which I invested into a 500GB SATA Maxtor on sale. Got home, installed the drive, and copied all my movies, music and pics onto it through USB (wireless is too slow). I was able to play a bunch of ISO DVD images, DivX and XViD, and TS, all from the internal HDD, and the playback was flawless.

I don't know if someone that has this unit is familiar with the way TVersity streams to media players and what needs to be done in order to support this device in it? If we could get it supported through TVersity then it could play H.264 and internet TV over the network, which would be pretty nice for a device in this price range!

Also, the fan in my unit is not really that noisy when listened up close. I keep it in a vented cabinet about 6ft away where I can't hear it at all.

DG

lsmar

02-03-08, 11:48 PM

DarkoG, have you tried playing back any standard definition DVDs that have been converted to DivX?

paulallen

02-04-08, 12:09 AM

It sees all the shared folders I have on XP Pro. Just right-click on a folder, select properties, and under Sharing tab in Network sharing and Security chekc Share this folder on the network. Then do a "refresh" on MediaShare and it will show up there.

Thanks for the advice. Sounds simple, but shares configured as you suggest are not recognized by the Mediashare on any of several PC's (wired/wireless) even with a replacement Mediashare. System Tools shows the following error on each networked PC:

"The server received an incorrectly formatted request from ... - whatever local network address the DHCP server assigned to Mediashare.

My guess is that this is some sort of arcane network configuration or router-based problem peculiar to the Mediashare and this system. Everything else (including other unrelated shares) works fine.

IPAV

02-04-08, 01:10 AM

I picked up one at Fry's today.
On the box it says 3.5"IDEHDD but inside - SATA connectors.
Wireless on my unit was not work so I removed HDD cage - cable was disconnected from the board. Except MP3 it is useless anyway.
The Main PCB of this thing is LX351HD and it looks the same as Sigma 8622 developer board. Google search for LX351HD point to ZIO and Eureka.
ZIO-LX350 already exist on AVS forum but not LX351HD.

Another things:
-It is Linux device. The Firmware from ZIO may be the same;
-Sigma 8623 is pin-to-pin compatible with 8621....Probably DVR version, shown on CES 2008, will have H.264 capability;
-Fan is doing nothing except noise - my Maxtor 500GB runs very hot;
-Sigma chip is also hot when power is down. I'm planning to put some heatsinks on chips after 30 days.
Overall it is not bad for $129. Sadly, there is no option without wireless.

DarkoG

02-04-08, 01:15 AM

DarkoG, have you tried playing back any standard definition DVDs that have been converted to DivX?

Ismar, one of the DivX files is an older conversion I did from a DVD, no surround sound just 2.0 and it played fine. Are you concerned that your DiVX conversions won't play?

mshill

02-04-08, 01:19 AM

I started looking at these HDD Media Players last week. After compiling a lot of information from the net I found that it is likely that all of these (except the TviX M-4100SH and M-5100SH) are based on the Sigma 8621 and are all likely based on the Sigma Hardware Reference Design. So, they will all likely behave the same when playing a particular video format and the only differentiation will be the firmware. Since all of the decoding is done in hardware (the processors are too small to handle anything more complex than de-muxing streams) I doubt that anything but the most basic profiles will be supported in any such device.

I learned two years ago when putting together my Home Media Network (originally served from NSLU2 w/2x500GB disks and a pair of DSM-320s) that there is no device (short of an HTPC probably running Windows XP/Vista) that can service all codecs. There are just too many variations to put them all in hardware and require too much processing power to leave it all up to software/firmware.

Unfortunately I cannot help with the file sharing problems. The only thing I could find was in the manual indicating that the firewall needs to be turned off. Unacceptable to most (it would be to me) but not uncommon with these types of devices. The issue with the Klegg unit is that it is vey new and there is no significant user community to speak of and no FAQ... yet.

I would be much happier if they had chose to share the device via samba instead of NDAS since there are no stable Linux drivers for NDAS at the current time.

But again... for $129 this device is the best bang for the buck. Consider the alternatives:

MVIX 760HD/780HD - $349/??? (many upset customers)
Mediagate MG-350 - $209 (no FW upgrade for the last year)
PixelMagic HD Mediabox - $450
DIVICO TVIX M-4100SH - $359 (uses 8623, supports h.264 HD)

I am not saying it is a panacea, but it is head and shoulders above the D-Link DSM offerings (including the yet to be released DSM-750) and since any of the Media Center Extenders (eg. LinkSys) requires a Windows PC to be running it is an unacceptable solution for me.

DarkoG

02-04-08, 01:21 AM

Thanks for the advice. Sounds simple, but shares configured as you suggest are not recognized by the Mediashare on any of several PC's (wired/wireless) even with a replacement Mediashare. System Tools shows the following error on each networked PC:

"The server received an incorrectly formatted request from ... - whatever local network address the DHCP server assigned to Mediashare.

My guess is that this is some sort of arcane network configuration or router-based problem peculiar to the Mediashare and this system. Everything else (including other unrelated shares) works fine.

Hmmmm... Do you have a password set up to log into Win? I don't use a password, so I can't password-protect folders and any user can open them, maybe that's why it works. Did you try to log in as Admin into XP and then share the folder? I use D-link D524, and sharing worked fine with both static and dynamic IP addresses. I think I also read in one of the threads for some other device that a person had cloned the Admin profile and used the cloned profile without a password only to be able to share the files over the network. Maybe that will help?

DG

DarkoG

02-04-08, 01:25 AM

paulallen

02-04-08, 02:30 AM

Hmmmm... Do you have a password set up to log into Win? I don't use a password, so I can't password-protect folders and any user can open them, maybe that's why it works. Did you try to log in as Admin into XP and then share the folder? I use D-link D524, and sharing worked fine with both static and dynamic IP addresses. I think I also read in one of the threads for some other device that a person had cloned the Admin profile and used the cloned profile without a password only to be able to share the files over the network. Maybe that will help?

DG

Thanks again for your thoughts, but this one's not a keeper anyway given its sloppy build quality, indifferent manual, and Klegg's rudimentary website cobbled together more to attract investors than support users. None augurs well for timely upgrades, and $140 is still a fair amount of money here. In any event, there are simpler, cheaper, and probably more reliable alternatives if one is willing to forego HD for the time being.

lsmar

02-04-08, 09:37 AM

DarkoG...

My new DivX conversions do not play with audio in sync with video. For sure....

DarkoG

02-04-08, 11:54 AM

DarkoG...

My new DivX conversions do not play with audio in sync with video. For sure....

Do they play well on a PC? Are you playing them over the wireless? Did you try playing them from the internal HDD? I had problems before when audio and video were not in sync when I played them on PC, but it was always an issue with the conversion. If they play well on PC but not on mediashare then it's definitely a problem. I played a TS and a DivX file that both have 5.1 audio, and they played well from the internal HDD. I use the coax SPDIF connection and the component output, and feed them both to my Yamaha AV receiver, which then sends the video to the TV.

DarkoG

02-04-08, 01:13 PM

free_electron

02-04-08, 01:51 PM

$Bill

02-04-08, 01:51 PM

I picked up one yesterday for $129 and, so far, I kinda like it. It's replacing a Modix HD-3520 that got fried when I put the audio cable in the IR plug by accident, and I like this one much better.

It's handled all of the divx files I've tried perfectly except one. It's also worked perfectly on all the ripped DVD IFOs I've tried. Mine was able to find all of my shared folders too and I had no problem playing anything over my wired network. It all seemed pretty responsive and the remote isn't bad either for something of this price.

What didn't work for me as planned was my external drive plugged into one of the USB host ports (there is two of them). It recognized it but whenever I tried changing folders, I got and hour glass that lasted a long time before I could get to the next level. It eventually crashed before I could get to try to play a file and I had to unplug the power to get it to reboot. The drive is a 500GB drive fomated as FAT32. I only tried it once though and I'll try again later. Anyone else had this problem?

This thing was also picky about some old wmv files I found. They may have been asf files that were incorrectly named.

I haven't tried an internal drive yet. I also have only been using it on a standard def TV (which looks as good as you can expect for SD), so I can't say anything about HD quality.

Over all, it serves my needs ok. And if I can get the USB host ports to work right, I won't have to have my computer on.

$Bill

02-04-08, 01:59 PM

One other thing I forgot to mention - according to the manual, the NDAS feature does not apply to USB drives plugged into the USB host ports. I didn't test this out though because I didn't install the drivers since I don't have an internal drive.

That's too bad. It would have made backups to my external HD very convenient. Has anyone verified this yet? I ask because the manual isn't very accurate.

lsmar

02-04-08, 01:59 PM

Do they play well on a PC? Are you playing them over the wireless? Did you try playing them from the internal HDD? I had problems before when audio and video were not in sync when I played them on PC, but it was always an issue with the conversion. If they play well on PC but not on mediashare then it's definitely a problem. I played a TS and a DivX file that both have 5.1 audio, and they played well from the internal HDD. I use the coax SPDIF connection and the component output, and feed them both to my Yamaha AV receiver, which then sends the video to the TV.

I tried it a few different ways:

- component connection w/ SPDIF playing from the HDD and wireless
- composite w/ analog stereo playing from the HDD and wireless

The content source is a DVD using the latest Dr DivX and the DivX 6.8 Pro codec at 720x??? and 640x???, some with AC3 sound and some with MP3 sound. All files play fine on my PC.

Audio and video are still out of sync. My 720P material, encoded with Dr DivX are fine (looks and sounds great BTW). I also encoded some standard def .ty files using Dr DivX and it plays fine.

I contacted Klegg/Ximeta and they hadn't heard of this problem. So, no ETA on firmware updates. I wonder if I just have a bum unit?

monsalbus

02-04-08, 03:29 PM

@#46 $BILL: I am having similar problems with the MediaShareMEGA (MSM) hourglassing and having to unplug the unit to reset.

I went to the local FRYS and picked up 3 of these units. Essentially one to replace my aged tvix3100 which had a broken remote and would struggle to startup with the current 500GB PATA drive (would turn on then off. my thought is that the internal power supply is not enough for the perpendicular drives). So I bought a 750GB SATA to put in one of the MSM units and 500's for the other two. They are all formatted using FAT32.

I copied a bunch of files to the units and two of them played the encapsulated dvix avi's without a hitch. The third unit I copied ~300GB of media to and it just crashes.

After reading the lit decided to make the "MOVIE", "MUSIC", and "PHOTO" folders; slim down the number of items contained in each folder and test folders and items that contained or didn't contain certain characters and file name lengths.

SO far I have not had any luck. I have tried to avoid having to reformat the disk NTFS because of the amount of time it takes to recopy all the data.

I am sure that I will get the units running right. I do not see any other firmware. Also I have not tried many of the features you have all discussed. I did search for my wireless network with one unit and connected to the WPA protected network. Now, how i actually connect to the unit is still something I need to work out (imagining ndas software).

For the $129USD paid for a box with the sigma 8623, I consider it a bargain. As I am in line for a popcorn this will do well for now and be useful far into the future.

Anybody else find solutions to these quirks?

free_electron

02-04-08, 05:47 PM

Please format your harddisks in ntfs. There are known issues with fat32 playback.
And if you really need to copy a lot of data : unplug the sata cable from the drive and hook it up to a sata channel on your pc. (that's what i did for the inital format / copy )

monsalbus

02-04-08, 06:41 PM

After loading a bunch more content on one of the boxes that was working perfectly (FAT32 ~20 movies) the player black screened when trying to play. I am now reformatting (NTFS) and reloading. Unfortunately when all you use is laptops I do not have the option of copying the data faster.

I did download some of the HD content someone had mentioned (both 720 and 1080) and the MSM played the wmv files without a hitch. They did look awesome.

I mentioned in my above post the machine having the 8623 which may be incorrect. Someone else mentioned the 8621, so I am unsure.

One thing that I will do is figure out if the board inside accepts IDE as well as SATA unless someone has already looked into that (would be appreciated).

Will post more as I become more familiar with the box and its pros and cons. As mentioned in some of the other posts, the fan is a bit loud, but it does not bother me a bit. Provided NTFS works out I will be very happy. The only reason I went for FAT32 was that I hardly ever use VOB or files that exceed 4GB and like to be able to write via my Apple as well.

Thanks to free-electron for your input.

keephowlin

02-04-08, 10:14 PM

What are you folks using for ripping DVDs to ISOs? Is there anything relaible out there as freeware?

DarkoG

02-04-08, 10:14 PM

Has anyone had a chance to try playing a PAL iso file over mediashare? I copied one PAL dvd and the picture looks like a small 16:9 window within a 16:9 TV screen, the width of which is equal to the width of a SD 4:3 picture (sounds complicated, it's like a small 16:9 frame with black bars all around it). My NTSC iso images play just fine. I'll write to tech support about that, I was wondering if anyone else who has PAL DVD's had tried this?

DG

DarkoG

02-04-08, 10:15 PM

What are you folks using for ripping DVDs to ISOs? Is there anything relaible out there as freeware?

DVD Decrypter (google it)

mshill

02-04-08, 11:02 PM

I opened mine up and I found this:

Sigma 8621 Video Processor
Realtek RTL8100 100Mb Lan
Marvel SATA Controller (no IDE connector to be seen)
2 - Memory chips (couldn't make out the make and model but I bet they are 64MB chips)

The wireless module is soldered into the socket so I could not remove it.
I could not see any processor on the board.
I decided that since I didn't have an internal HDD I would unplug the noisy fan.

tunaman

02-04-08, 11:13 PM

$130 for a media player capable of playing same HD content is a steal. It sounds like most of the quirks are with the type of encoding software being used. Some encoded files play, some don't. Sounds just like DLing files off of **********. Some work and some dont.

I know what I am doing tomorrow. Driving to Frys and getting one. Oh, and I forgot who posted it but thanks for posting the Union-Trib ad details. Was worried I missed out.

free_electron

02-05-08, 12:11 AM

Here is what i found out analysing the board :

The processor is inside the 8621 sigma chip without macrovision.

That thing is essentially an twin processor core.They have a standard ARM processor running at 200 MHz that runs the OS , does the user interface and likes.
A dedicated video decoder is running next to the ARM. This is most likely based on a MIPs architecture. The MIPs processor is often used for video crunching and lots of software is avaialble for it. ( about 80 % of the worlds dvd players is running on a MIPS processor. Settop boxes too. MIPS is the brainchild of Silicon graphics ... 'nough said)

There is also a dedicated audio DSP on board the sigma chip that brings out S/Pdif and analog.
An ethernet port and two IDE ports complete the sigma chip. The sigma is actually capable of recording as well. however the SPdif in as the digital video input is not connected ( the sigma has a standard digital video in that can use the Bt8xx digitzer chipset. )

IDE 1 is permanantyle tied into the bootflash.
IDE2 is tied in to a PATA to SATA bridge chip. ( Silicon Image )
A realtek ethernet PHY completes the picture.

There is some small analog stuff on the board as well. AKM semiconductors (which is suspect is an audio DAC ) , some switching regulators.

An PCI bus hooks into the wifi module which is of the minipci type (like found in laptops) and soldered in.

I will throw some PAL video files on it tonight. Make sure you switch the video out to PAL as well !. If you try to play PAL with the video out set to NTSC the box needs to downscale !
PAL is 720x576 while NTSC is 720x480. So vertically they need to resample. Since the numbers don't 'divide' evenly they throw away lines / pixels.
I will switch output to 1080i ( via DVI ) and play a PAL file . I'll post tomorrow what i found.

You cant access the Pata interface since that goes to the bridge chip.

Another thing : the sigma runs hot. I will glue a small heatsink on it and get rid of the mosquito-fan for the harddisk ....
another thing i might do is buy one of those ultra thin harddisk coolers and somehow get that in there.

@monsalbus : if you are on a laptop.: get an expresscard Sata card like this one : http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/adexc34-2e.asp

works perfectly.

mshill

02-05-08, 10:57 PM

I said in a previous post that I had unplugged the fan cause of the noise and no HDD. Well, today I started watching some of my DVD from my NAS and the upscaled video would twitch (jump up and then down) about every three seconds making the video unwatchable.

I plugged the fan back in and the twitching went away. I may be putting a heatsink on the Sigma processor and unplug the fan again to see what happens.

DarkoG

02-05-08, 11:29 PM

...I will throw some PAL video files on it tonight. Make sure you switch the video out to PAL as well !. If you try to play PAL with the video out set to NTSC the box needs to downscale !
PAL is 720x576 while NTSC is 720x480. So vertically they need to resample. Since the numbers don't 'divide' evenly they throw away lines / pixels.
I will switch output to 1080i ( via DVI ) and play a PAL file . I'll post tomorrow what i found.
...

In either case, mediashare needs to upconvert to 720p, so it's actually upscaling, and since 720p doesn't divide evenly with either 576 or 480, it really shouldn't matter in which resolution the material originally is. I'm trying different ripping programs now because the tech support had suggested that. They were not very helpful, it looks like they don't know much about this product.

DarkoG

02-06-08, 12:11 AM

Just tried ripping a PAL DVD into IFO, IFO file is not recognized but the VOB files play normally. The probelm is that there is an awkward pause when switching between VOB files. Tried ripping to ISO one more time, using a different program (as their tech support suggested), ISO wouldn't even play beyond the main menu. I don't like this, will call them tomorrow for an explanation. Did anyone else have any luck playing PAL ISO's?

DG

tunaman

02-06-08, 11:05 AM

Jeez, either my hearing is crap or my sound system is good. I can't hear this fan you guys are talking about. What volume level are you listening at? closed captioning? I cant hear the fan over even regular tv watching at low volume.

I went and bought one of these last night at Frys. For $140 out the door and capable of playing HD content, it cant be beat. Havent been able to set it up yet, other than hooking it to the system, but will post my experience as soon as I can. I don't have an HDTV but will hook it up to my computer monitor to give it a whirl.

spraggin

02-06-08, 12:13 PM

Seeing the ad this weekend and confirming worthiness through this forum's posts, I took the plunge and got one last night. I'm running diskless at the moment, but tested video and audio over a wireless connection back to a DNS-323 NAS and with a USB thumb drive. Using some 1080i clips off of Stage6, the video looks great! So far the issues don't weigh in more than the price. Issues so far:

Took a reboot to connect to wireless network (WPA1PSK)
Got hung "refreshing" the directory - reboot
Black screen of death when accidentally selected a GIF image - reboot
Fan is way too noisy
User interface is abysmal - scrolling through long file names

I was hoping for it to support UPnP AV, sorry to see that it does not in an earlier thread. Even more disappointed that it can't connect to a "streaming source".

Anyone figure out how to set up a jukebox or playlist or do anything with the colored function boxes on the remote that might make it a bit more friendly? "Scroll and play" will get old once the novelty wears off.

Can't wait for the Linux hack community to get their hands on this if it really has a penguin under the covers. The community has done wonders with the DNS-323 on an AV server side.

IXLR8

02-06-08, 06:40 PM

My klegg s ponted to my XP based PC with shared folder of TS files, natively recorded usng Beyond TV DVR software. It lists the programs and does an awesome job of playng back HD content. The connection is over 100mb ethernet. Now I can watch my DVR'd files in the other room! I also have a folder of ISO DVD files, and t does a great job on them.

Playback 5 stars!
Fan Noise, Arrrrrrrrggggghhhhh!

I will tape a 120mm fan to the back and power it wth the internal fan power...:)

Awesome, and for the price of a mediocre video card....

Billlll

02-06-08, 09:13 PM

I just got one of these Mediashare units and I keep getting write errors when copping files. Anyone els having this problem?

$Bill

02-06-08, 10:43 PM

I've been testing out the USB host ports on this and this is what I found:

1. My thumb drive formated with FAT32 works.

2. My two full sized USB hard drives, formated with FAT32, do not work with this. I get an endless hour glass or the black screen of death.

3. My full size USB hard drive, formated with NTFS, seems to work fine.

I guess I'll convert all my drives to NTFS.

keephowlin

02-06-08, 11:30 PM

The manual strongly recommends NTFS volumes in several places... Sounds like FAT32 on a large drive is a no-go...

The unit has been fairly reliable so far for me. I am using the component outs and the picture seems a little soft comparing an ISO ripped against the source DVD. I will continue to experiment with different cables and eventually try out the DVI out. For me, I would need the picture to look as good as DVD to be effective playing movies. I do like the music through the Coax Digital out, and I think that is pretty good sounding...

akrein62

02-07-08, 01:11 AM

A couple questions about the Klegg MediaShare:

Is anyone using this strictly for streaming audio and video from a PC? That is without installing an internal drive or using an attached drive?

Is there any problem streaming audio/video from a PC with a USB-attached external hard drive (not ethernet connect NAS)?

Thanks,

Andy

akrein62

02-07-08, 01:12 AM

One more quick question...

Is the Klegg only available from Fry's? Is anyone else selling it, online or B&M in the US?

Andy

mshill

02-07-08, 01:51 AM

The unit works great without an internal disc or USB disks. The only thing is that you don't get to use the cool "Movie", "Music", or "Photo" buttons on the remote, you have to browse the shares. This does not affect any playback capability but is a usability issue.

tunaman

02-07-08, 11:35 AM

Yeah, I will 2nd that it runs fine without a hard drive. I was amazed at how easy it was to setup that way. Basically just share your folder with all of your digital content on your computer and then browse to it on the Mediashare and select something. That simple. Havent tried wireless, but I have a network cable ran to my home theater and it runs fine over the wire.

The only issue I have run into so far is codec availability. I had a bunch of Futurama mpegs that would not play as well as some Xvid AVIs. Selected the Futurama ISOs and it loaded no problem. Selected some other Xvid movies and had no problem with them. Just seems to be picky, but when it does play back it works great. Fro $140 out the door, I am stoked.

mshill

02-07-08, 02:36 PM

Since I am going to Palm Springs for the weekend (and the condo has some flat screens) I went and got a WD 500GB SATA II drive last night and formatted it as NTFS and copied nearly my entire library of DVD (~100 ifo, vob) and Nero Recoded MP4s (~100) and it worked great this morning.

I think my folders weren't named properly so the Movie button on the remote didn't seem to work like I thought is should but the navigation was similar to browsing the shared network drives.

I am taking it with me in the car (need to know how to connect it to my DVD Player display and will have it all weekend at the condo.

monsalbus

02-07-08, 03:20 PM

First Big Thanks to free-electron and mshill for all the great info. I really appreciate your efforts and knowledge.

I reformatted all the units to NTFS and overall am happy with it. I have all the units loaded and they all perform without error.

All of my rips play well, the ff/rw scanning is very smooth. I especially like the up and down buttons on the remote that +- 15sec. srt subs work well.

it also has a sync button that will adjust the video and audio track. not that many of my rips are problematic - i really like it exists.

loaded the ndas software on my xp machine and created profiles for wired and wireless, but have to play with that a bit more. I do see on the disk that tiger, panther (may be the same), and an older os X version are listed, but have not tried b/c i am using leopard and have enough problems with it already.

The MSM is fairly quick to respond, does very well with an internal drive and is a major upgrade from my old tvix3100. I have absolutely no buyers regret at all. I do have my doubts about klegg and if and how long firmware will be supported.

I may have to look into free-electrons ideas about cooling, b/c the fan is starting to bother me a bit (mostly if I fall asleep and the movie ends). FE, please post any links to hardware you use in regard to the solutions you discussed if you are happy with the result.

keephowlin

02-07-08, 05:47 PM

I only have one of the units at the moment, but I was curious if they can "see" each other and play media from each other's internal drives? I was thinking about getting another for the bedroom, and it would be nice to have them be able use the media off of the other one, instead of duplicating everything on both. By the way, the $129 sale ended already... Fry's currentl price is now $189.

Also, you mentioned about the noise bothering you after the movie ended... I noticed there is a Sleep button on the remote, anyone try that yet to see if it shuts the unit down after x minutes?

basementjack2

02-07-08, 07:35 PM

jtovar

02-08-08, 02:49 AM

basementjack2

02-08-08, 09:08 AM

I have played both an ISO file and folder with the usual TS files and both seemed fine.
Are you going from the klegg through a switch to the PC, or are there a few hops involved?

Since you said the playback is fine from another device, I'll assume the drive isn't overly fragmented, and that the pc isn't being used at the time. Does the MG35 access the files in the same way (ie there's no 'server' or 'streaming' software needed for that one either correct?)

keephowlin

02-08-08, 12:18 PM

Anybody figured out what it wants for Playlists? The manual says M3U and PLS, and says files must be in the same "partition". I've tried a few variations in its internal drive, but so far the only one that works is a simple list in the same directory as the files with no directory information in the file specification. Hopefully it doesn't mean the list and its files all need to be in the same directory... Also, when playing a playlist, none of the buttons for skipping to the next or previous song do anything.

DarkoG

02-08-08, 01:35 PM

Guys and Girls -

I did some googling last night and came up with some additional info...

I expected that this device might be marketed under different names/brands so here's what I found:

In Korea http://www.sdt.co.kr/ I think it's under the Eureka product line.

Clicking on 'english' in the above site reveals: http://www.globalzio.com/

Right on the home page was a white version of our beloved 'Klegg' device...
Part number LX351HD

I also found a canadian Zio site at http://www.ziocanada.ca/ (Part LX350HD-N in canada)

this page (http://www.ziocanada.ca/products/pEurekalx350hd.php) should be interesting to anyone thinking of the product - this one looks a little different on the front, but klegg owners will no doubt recognize the back is exactly the same as our devices...

Hope these resources help everyone out!
- Jack

I think you're right, the zio LX351HD does look identical to mediashare, except for the color. I also looked at the manual and it is very similar. What I found the most interesting is that Zio's website has a firmware update, but absolutely no information about it (version, release notes). One thing I noticed is that the IDE interface in ZIO is PATA, not SATA.

monsalbus

02-08-08, 04:23 PM

It is amazing you found that info BasementJack. Very interesting. I did go look at the firmware you mentioned DarkoG. I don't think I will be the first to try it though. Does give hope that once Klegg gets its act together (website) firmware is possible.

So I am assuming that the unit has the SIGMA Designs em8621L? After looking at http://www.sigmadesigns.com/public/Products/selection_guide/selection_guide.html
I do see some of the specs. Not that I know everything that I am looking at ("2 HD" vs. "HD" under MPEG-4.10).
I did try some skiing clips I had made with imovie that I think are h.264 and they did not show up in the list on the MSM.

Does anyone know if any of these boxes uses the latest chipset (SMP8630
Series)? Or if there is a competing chipset to Sigma?

Once I play around with the ndas I will post more. Seems like a lot of people like to use the unit without a drive. I like these units b/c I don't have to have it sucking off of another machine, but I can see why that could be a good solution for some. I also don't use IFO, ISO, VOB, or DVD images so I don't know if that menu system works well.

@keephowlin: that would be cool to try. i have not gotten my head around the ndas yet, but if my dependents ever bring one back i will be sure to try. Sleep button -look at that . Thanks!

One thing I can say about the Klegg: I have purchased many units from tvixbox up in marin (not for myself) including the 4000/4100SH. I have not tried the 6500, but they were very expensive and did have glitches. I knew after my 3100 that I wanted to go with another manufacturer. I do look forward to getting a popcorn so that I can play all the home movies I have made, but this Klegg consistently (thus far) makes me happy.

I hope anyone who is considering one can find the Fry's price point somewhere else b/c it makes all the difference saving >$100 over the tvix4000sa.

oh yeah: something I forgot to mention. On the side of the tvix: I do like that tvix has the power transformer inside the unit unlike the Klegg and its shabby power adapter.

jtovar

02-08-08, 08:40 PM

Are you going from the klegg through a switch to the PC, or are there a few hops involved?

Since you said the playback is fine from another device, I'll assume the drive isn't overly fragmented, and that the pc isn't being used at the time. Does the MG35 access the files in the same way (ie there's no 'server' or 'streaming' software needed for that one either correct?)

Hi Jack,

This is over a local network (in my house) and there is only one switch between the Klegg and my media server. Basically, the PC hosting my media files in not running anything in the background. It's a Linux based system simpley sharing the drives. The MG-35 accesses the files exactly like the Klegg....no software in between. Simply choose the IFO and press play.

Maybe I'll swing by Frys on my way home and exchange it.

If you have any other suggestions, I'll give them a try.
Thanks!

cogitovici

02-08-08, 11:20 PM

Anybody have any ideas on how to get this to play dvr-ms files, the ones that Windows Media Center creates in Vista Home Premium? Those are the highest quality files I have that I would like to play back through the Klegg.

I will do some research, but thought maybe someone here would have a quick answer.

Thanks,
Cogito

tanzella

02-09-08, 07:19 PM

Has anyone tried running NDAS on a MAc yet ?
Also wireless connectivity with Mac ?

I am on a Pc but friends om mine use Mac and are interested ...

I bought one friday . Copied over a bunch of WMV-HD files (1080) i made using Premiere Pro. Works perfectly ! Plays like a dream.
I used USB 2.0 connection. Havent tried the network yet.

One bug i found is the following :

Play pictures ( JPEG ) go back to movies and then try to play WMV-HD. : it shows last picture you showed, but no video.
Power off, power on solves the problem ...
Other video formats play correctly after showing pictures.

I'm plugged in through the DVI port and optical audio.

I'm struggling with networking a MediShare with a 320GB (NTFS) drive to my iMac. The NDAS Utility runs on my Mac but hangs up with the hourglass after entering the proper NDAS key. There are issues with Macs writing to NTFS drives, but don't know if that's the problem. If I can solve this problem it's a keeper because it can play my 1080i MPEG-2 files with only minor conversion (to ts). The Netgear EVA8000 just minced these files.

After turning on Windows Sharing, the MediaShare sees my Mac but reports "Empty Shared Folder(s)". Windows Sharing in OSX requires a username and password do that might be a problem. Running XP in Parallels, Sharing (not NDAS) worked as advertised.

I'll send a note to Klegg and see if they can get it talking to my iMac before my 30 days is up.

I guess you should tell your friend to hold off until someone reports success with networking a Mac.

tanzella

02-09-08, 07:26 PM

So far, I am unimpressed. It would not play a file I downloaded using DVArchive from my ReplayTV 50XX that plays perfectly using Windows MediaPlayer.

Cogito

Mine played an old file from my ReplayTV 50XX, downloaded through DVArchive (Mac), without a problem.
HTH

tanzella

02-10-08, 10:49 PM

I'm struggling with networking a MediShare with a 320GB (NTFS) drive to my iMac. The NDAS Utility runs on my Mac but hangs up with the hourglass after entering the proper NDAS key.
I guess you should tell your friend to hold off until someone reports success with networking a Mac.

OK. NDA does work with the Mac but you need the latest version. (How can they include an obsolete piece of software with a brand new piece of hardware?) Here's the latest NDAS Utility: http://www.ximeta.com/web/support/download/mac_osx/index.php. However you still have the NTFS problem unless install MacFuse/NTFS-3G (http://www.ntfs-3g.org/) or
Paragon NTFS for Mac (http://www.download32.com/paragon-ntfs-for-mac-os-x-i36861.html).

I still can't get the MediaShare to see anything on my Mac. The MediaGate people got it working using SharePoints (http://hornware.com/sharepoints/)

I'm using FAT32 for now will probably re-format NTFS and use Paragon. I don't see streaming HD keeping up so I might pass on the Share Folder.

HTH

motulal

02-11-08, 03:15 PM

Hi Guys,

What kind of throughput are you experiencing with NDAS transfers ( as opposed to USB2 ). I am using the wired connection exclusively and the PC is connected into the same switch. It takes about 1 hour to transfer 5 gB to the unit. In contrast, the same transfer takes about 16 minutes from PC to PC.

Except for the slow NDAS transfers, i am very impressed with this unit. It does almost everything i need. Also, i am not sure if anyone mentioned it previously, but it has an external IR connector, which gives some placement flexibility. The fan on my unit is not loud and i am currently sitting with it less than one foot away. Either everyone in my family is deaf or there is a large variation in the sound output of the fans on different units.

/// Motu

darkass

02-11-08, 07:47 PM

Are any of you Klegg owners having stuttering issues playing ripped DVDs(IFO) from a media server over the wired ethernet? I can play them perfectly fine with the Mediagate mg-35, but when I play them with the Klegg I get a lot of pausing/stuttering? I was just curious if this is just a limitation of their streaming playback or if I should return to Frys and try another one.

Thanks...

I had a similar issue with my MG-350HD and a DNS-323. My dvd iso audio would stutter, so I tested moving my DNS-323 to a switch. My DNS-323 was connected directly to my router and for some reason it was having problems, so I ended up plugging it into switch and now it works perfectly. Maybe this is the same issue with the Klegg?

note: my switch is a dlink gigabit switch, don't know if that matters.

motulal

02-11-08, 11:55 PM

Are any of you Klegg owners having stuttering issues playing ripped DVDs(IFO) from a media server over the wired ethernet? ...

No problems here, playing from a windows share on the network.

If you can, unplug the network cable from your MG-35 and connect it into the mediagate. If the stuttering goes away, you have a cable / topology problem. You could also try connecting the media server and the meduagate to the same router/switch and see if the stuttering goes away.

// motu

tanzella

02-12-08, 12:04 AM

Hi Guys,

What kind of throughput are you experiencing with NDAS transfers ( as opposed to USB2 ). I am using the wired connection exclusively and the PC is connected into the same switch. It takes about 1 hour to transfer 5 gB to the unit.

/// Motu

I get about the same speed as you do over NDAS, but I am using a router. I don't have a the option of a second ethernet connection, but I might try an ad hoc wireless-G connection. Direct USB transfer is faster in XP under Parallels but about the same slow speed when I try to write NTFS from the Mac Finder.

Edit: Ad hoc networking not supported over wireless.

tunaman

02-14-08, 12:04 PM

Just wanted to add my .2 about this unit so far. I have been pretty happy with it and am just playing everything over a wired network going through a router. The picture quality is great and have had only minor stuttering problems, usually just for a second and it goes away. I am also usually using downloading torrents at the same time it glitches so that might have something to do with it. It has played a good majority of what I have on my computer including movies and music although I have not specifically tested any particular formats. I have had a problem where it won't play movies or music that have previously played before. A reboot of the MediaShare and my computer resolved the issue. For $140 out the door, I don't think this unit can be beat. The Tvix or Mvix might have more flash and features but at more than twice the price its not worth it to me. Of course, if you already spent $20,000 on your audio system and another 5 on your screen, $150 doesnt mean much and I would definitely spring for the higher end stuff. For me with my Onkyo receiver, Infinity Betas, and an off-brand LCD tv it does everything I want it to and it does it nicely.

keephowlin

02-14-08, 02:28 PM

After using it for a week and half now (with an internal drive), I'm still working through a couple of issues on this unit.

1) Noisy fan - anyone have any advice for replacing it with a quieter one? I'm using an internal drive so I really think I need a fan of some sort.

2) Audio file play is awkward. Many of the features of the remote are ignored when playing an audio file and skipping to next/previous song, Sleep timer, and showing MP3 tags doesn't work. Also, their implementation of shuffle is a little strange. I've tried a few things for playlists (PLS/M3U) but so far I can only get it to work when the playlist is in the same directory as the audio file. My workaround for these issues is around how I store and name the actual audio files to work around the lack of tags. For playlist workaround, I've create separate directories for each playlist I want and save the files there, as well as in their original directory structure (Artist\Album\). With a huge internal drive, the extra space used by duplicating the files isn't really an issue.

My other misc notes are:
1) Remote was very easy to "learn" with my Philips Pronto Pro.
2) Coax digital output sounds good for music and movies
3) Component out appears soft, when comparing an ISO-ripped movie against a DVD component output. Haven't tried the DVI out yet, but will report that comparison later.
4) Photo slideshow blanks between pictures. It should show the old one until the new picture is ready to show. Running this across the network with large images results in long black screens...
5) All the DVD menu functions on ISO-ripped DVD's seem to work correctly, as do subtitles, audio options, etc. In fact, the movie remote control functions seem to be pretty complete, especially in contrast to the music functions.
6) Would still like to hear from those of you who bought more than one of these... Can one unit see the other and share media?

Thanks,

Rob

mshill

02-14-08, 02:55 PM

http://shop3.outpost.com/product/5393408;jsessionid=gWoVJcdRj8i1gd9Fri9B3Q**.node1?site=sr:SE ARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

It finally found it's way to the Fry's website.

I put a 500GB disk in mine and took it to Palm Springs last weekend. Worked great. No lockups.

I did find that one of my IFO rips it would not play the sound. It may have been one that I recorded on my Samsung DVD Recorder and then just copied the files over. I need to investigate more. ALL of my DVD Shrink rips are good. Still have not tried an ISO.

cogitovici

02-15-08, 11:45 AM

Ad in Friday's Union-Trib in case anybody needs one.

pkeegan

02-15-08, 11:52 AM

I thought I would post in this thread as well as the other Klegg Media share where some members are posting slow NDAS file transfer times.
I too have a seperate NDAS enclosure (SmartDisk). My file transfers from PC to enclosure are nowhere near as slow as yours. I can transfer about ~8 GB file from PC (XP sp2) in about 15 minutes to either the SmartDisk or a Rapsody N35 unit (has a built in NDAS chip).
I suggest that you check the Ximeta website for the latest drivers. If you have the latest drivers it might be your router.

hardware_failure

02-15-08, 06:17 PM

Thank you to all for the great info on this product. I am currently using my old skool modded xbox as a media player and I am going to pick one of these up tonight at Frys as a replacement.

I have a question - do I need to buy a special DVI -> HDMI cable to plug this into my HDTV?

Thanks.

keephowlin

02-15-08, 07:20 PM

I have a question - do I need to buy a special DVI -> HDMI cable to plug this into my HDTV?

Thanks.

If you want digital output to your TV, then yes. You can also use the Component, Composite or S-Video outs...

hardware_failure

02-15-08, 07:30 PM

Awight. Cool. Thanks.

tanzella

02-16-08, 03:59 PM

I still can't get the MediaShare to see anything on my Mac. The MediaGate people got it working using SharePoints (http://hornware.com/sharepoints/)

I'm using FAT32 for now will probably re-format NTFS and use Paragon. I don't see streaming HD keeping up so I might pass on the Share Folder.

HTH

I got the MediShare to see my Mac shared folder following this: http://www.haggaret.com/node/319. However, SharePoints seems to do the trick as well. I was wrong about HD streaming. My 1080i files (8GB/hr) on my Mac stream perfectly well through my Router, playing without any stuttering.

Given the annoying and regular overheat problems, I might jettison the hard drive.

hardware_failure

02-16-08, 07:18 PM

For those interested I have a bunch of screenshots here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=995136

sandun

02-18-08, 09:44 AM

tanzella

02-18-08, 03:55 PM

Hi,
I am thinking of getting one of these to stream SD DVD iso (currently using Tvix 4000 - need a second streamer; wait-listed on PCH) . Is the NDAS protocol software required to be run on the server?

I currently use Win2003 Server (Samba + NFS) as well as SimpleTech NAS (NFS). The shares in these devices will require username/password credentials. Can the Klegg be used with NFS or SAMBA for playing ISO files?

Also, re: fan noise - is there an option to set the fan speed (similar to the Tvix) ?

Thanks.

NDAS is not necessary. In fact, the NDAS is only implemented for copying files, not streaming them.

I didn't see NFS mentioned explicitly and Win2003 is not mentioned in the supported OS list. I use SAMBA in Mac OSX to stream my files. However, I had to set up one share with username=Guest and no password, plus some hairy Unix permission stuff. If you're comfortable with that level of security, it will probably work for you. XP's shared folders work with no setup other then turning on File Sharing.

The manual claims that it plays MPEG2(ISO) files, but I haven't tried copying one to my share folder.

As for the fan, you might try replacing it with a quieter one, but you don't want to turn it off or slow it down. This guy has enough overheating problems as it is, even in the winter.

Hope this helps.

motulal

02-18-08, 07:57 PM

Hi Guys,

I ran some tests with interesting results.

I tried different switches with no difference in performance.

I installed the NDAS drivers on my linux box and wow, 9-10 MB/s to my Ximeta Netdisk and 3-4 MB/sec to the Mediashare.

On windows (XP SP2, Shuttle box and dell laptop), I get maybe 1 MB/s to the netdisk and 350 KB/sec to the Mediashare. All devices are connect via wire to the same switch.

So NDAS does perform but for some reason , my windows boxes are not performing well with NDAS.

I also noticed that transfers to the Mediashare ( via NDAS / ethernet ) slow down when it busy playing video.

/// Motu

motulal

02-18-08, 08:20 PM

>> I also noticed that transfers to the Mediashare ( via NDAS / ethernet ) slow down when it busy playing video.

Forgot to add, the video was playing from the hard disk internal to the mediashare.

sandun

02-19-08, 10:03 AM

Hi Tanzella,

Thanks for responding. Yes - that information was helpful.

NDAS is not necessary. In fact, the NDAS is only implemented for copying files, not streaming them.

I didn't see NFS mentioned explicitly and Win2003 is not mentioned in the supported OS list. I use SAMBA in Mac OSX to stream my files. However, I had to set up one share with username=Guest and no password, plus some hairy Unix permission stuff. If you're comfortable with that level of security, it will probably work for you. XP's shared folders work with no setup other then turning on File Sharing.

The manual claims that it plays MPEG2(ISO) files, but I haven't tried copying one to my share folder.

As for the fan, you might try replacing it with a quieter one, but you don't want to turn it off or slow it down. This guy has enough overheating problems as it is, even in the winter.

Hope this helps.

motulal

02-19-08, 11:44 AM

Just FYI, the mediashare was not able to browse an Airlink 101 Home NAS ( ANAS250 ).

The ANAS250 is similar to 'traditional' NAS device in that it provides FTP and SMB ( windows share ) access to its internal HD over Fast Ethernet.

Windows and Linux are able to see and use the ANAS250. The Mediashare is able to see and use my windows and linux shares. The mediashare see's the ANAS250 device but does not see the folders.

/// motu

robiel

02-19-08, 11:46 AM

Got one of these from Fry's two days ago to allow me to play .ISO files directly rather than having to burn DVDs. I will probably only have a hundred or so movies and no MP3s so the lack of a decent data base managed collection is not a problem. I wouldn't be happy with the interface if I had a large collection.

Also, understand that I am NOT using this as an HD device. All comments are based on viewing 480 line output from standard DVDs rendered to .ISO files by DVD Shrink.

The good news is that the unit plays standard DVD .ISO files fine over a 100 mbs wired ethernet or from a local USB connection. It is, as expected, awful on a 10 mbs wireless connection. I have played .ISO and .VOB files and everything works as advertised. Be advised that the bookmark feature WILL NOT WORK on .ISO or .VOB files. It only works on formats such as .wmv, .avi or .mp4. I believe this is because it uses the file name and time offset as the bookmark. An .ISO file often has several episodes and a simple time delta appended to the .ISO filename won't specify a bookmark adequately. In any case, you've been warned about that. Not a dealbreaker for me.

The remote control is adequate though I find the layout clumsy. The remote range is fine.

As others have noted, NDAS is unecessary even with an installed hard drive. A direct USB connection allows transferring media much faster and works fine.

NDAS was obviously used because it is the ONLY way to allow the unit to write to an NTFS file system. Samba allows read only. NDAS is an abortion, really, but its claim to fame is that it acts as a virtual IDE interface across the network. It bypasses IP and TCPIP and uses its own drivers and underlying network protocol. I've had no end of trouble with NDAS when trying to use it as a common store for multiple computers. The problems arise from the obvious fact that IDE was designed to be used by a single controller and the operating system assumes that when it decides whether to cache or commit file writes. When two computers are trying to write over a single IDE interface the possibility of write caches getting out of sync becomes a certainty. Next thing you know the file allocation tables are screwed up. That's bad.

In this situation, however, the use of NDAS is actually safe and useful. Presumably only one computer - the one that is running DVD Shrink or doing a backup - will have write access. What I will do is use DVD Shrink to render the .ISO file and then use the relatively slow wireless NDAS connection to transfer the files. Since I am transerring only and don't plan to try and view another movie during the transfer, everything is fine. If it takes six hours I don't care since I can schedule it as a backup during the wee hours.

My impression is that MediaShare yet another one of those "kitchen sink" jobs like the GPS units that do a bad job of playing jpegs and mp3s. Some hack programmer just shovelled in a bunch of badly integrated free software on top of a decent software core provided by the Sigma hardware reference design.

But I can live with that because this unit does what I need. It plays .ISO files and .VOB files just fine. The output is good in color, brightness and contrast. The ability to connect to an LCD monitor via the DVI interface allows me to watch movies on my 19" monitor. The S-Video connection is sharp. The setup is very simple yet does what is needed.

My basic need is to be able to review ripped .ISO files without having to burn a DVD first. When ripping I usually delete uneeded audio tracks to minimize compression and have found that the language tracks aren't always labelled correctly. I ended up trying to listen to the Stringer Bell on "The Wire" speaking French. It's not all that satisfying from a dramatic point of view, though certainly very funny. Being able to do a quick review lets me be sure I've got a good rip.

I don't really care about "fit and finish" or whether the case has hairline scratches since I'm a utilitarian. The board looks fine and the chip set is reputable. From the manual it is obvious that this is a rebranded Zio Eureka - some references to the "Eureka" weren't removed. This means the unit has been around for a few years and that's a good thing when dealing with these low end pieces of Chinese junk. I want the stability of a board that has been in production a long while.

One glitch for those using it over the network without any local mass storage. When you get into Jukebox mode you won't be able to get out again except by using the setup button. Apparently it needs a local mass storage device. When I plug in a formatted flash drive the problem disappears.

Regarding the fan. Since I don't have a hard drive installed I disconnected the fan. I've played several full length movies with the cover installed with no problems. The Sigma chip doesn't get very warm on my unit. If I had a hard drive installed I might just leave the top off rather than connect the fan. This ain't no Apple design to begin with so leaving the cover off doesn't bother me.

20080219 10:24 AM - Just connected via Airlink 300N Wireless (on sale at Frys $29). I'm running through an adobe wall about twenty feet and getting 54 mbs data rate. .ISO files playing fine. I'm very pleased with the performance. Running movie off a Seagate USB drive plugged into a Maxtor 300GB NAS. Absolutely no problems.

20080219 09:58 PM - Spoke too soon! Certain scenes in Hud break up consistently on the wireless link. Must have something to do with the data rate. I hooked up the RJ45 wired connection and the same scenes play fine. Can't make the JPEG player work right. Hangs on first displayed picture. Have to power off and on to get out of it. I'd really like to be able to put on a slide show but doesn't look like it's going to work.

20080224 01:03 PM - NDAS performance via wireless is so slow as to be completely worthless. Over an hour per gigabyte using a 54mbps Airlink 300n. It's a joke!

motulal

02-19-08, 11:47 AM

Hi,

Has anyone got a response from KLEGG tech support. I've emailed them a few times with no response.

I love the unit but it does not play subtitles from ATSC ( OTA ) captures. Has to be a firmware issue but no response from KLEGG.

/// Motu.

darkass

02-19-08, 07:46 PM

I also picked up this unit this past weekend. So far I have it hooked up and been playing dvd iso off my DLINK DNS-323 NAS perfectly using a wired connection. Since I also have a MediaGate MG-350HD, I can say the Klegg seems to be quicker or snappier and does everything my MediaGate did. I also don't have any issues with fan noise, but maybe that's because I don't have any harddrives installed. My compliant only comes with the remote and it's button placements, otherwise I'm satisfied with this purchase.

blsisko

02-20-08, 12:34 AM

Ok, so I've joined the Klegg MediaShare club (thanks to the reviews in this thread and the sale at Fry's). Windows 2000 Pro with Zone Alarm running. I'm using Ethernet over Powerline to get my network in my TV room. Oh, and no hard drive in the MSM. So the MSM can see my computer, it can see the shared directories, but it cannot see any of the files in said directories.

Tech support said that I need to shut off Zone Alarm. I tried that. The MSM still won't see any of my files.

Help!

[EDIT] Oh, and the fan in mine is rather quiet. Is it only noisy when a hard drive is installed?

keephowlin

02-20-08, 01:57 AM

That seems strange. What types of files are you trying to see?

blsisko

02-20-08, 02:17 AM

That seems strange. What types of files are you trying to see?

Any. All. Hell, the MSM recognized all of the files on my thumb drive that I tested (or I should say it saw all of the files, but obviously I didn't try to access the pdf's or txt's or ppt's).

$Bill

02-20-08, 11:18 AM

In case anyone was wondering, the Mediashare doesn't seem to play mp3 files with japanese characters in the files name. The files show up with question marks in place of the characters and it just skips that file and goes to the next one.

wadewood

02-20-08, 05:48 PM

I also had issues over network with the Klegg. It would see the folders of a computer running Vista but no files. Under the folder I wanted to share, I went to advance sharing, permissions, and added Network as Group or user name. The Klegg could then read the files from this share.

I also a have NAS running on Freenas. I had to enable shares under services CIFS/SMB before Klegg could read files from NAS.

sutapanaki

02-20-08, 08:22 PM

Hi,

I also bought one of those Klegg players recently. So far can't complain much, although I haven't tried everything. However, I have few question, regarding the remote and its functions:

1. When I place a bookmark and I'm done with it, how can I remove/delete it? Doesn't seem to be any obvious way.

2. There is a second register of functions on the number keys. Anyone know how to switch them on and off?

3. Say, I'm in the movie play menu and I want to go back to the main menu - how can I do this? I tried the reverse button, but seems doesn't work.

blsisko

02-21-08, 12:24 AM

I also had issues over network with the Klegg. It would see the folders of a computer running Vista but no files. Under the folder I wanted to share, I went to advance sharing, permissions, and added Network as Group or user name. The Klegg could then read the files from this share.

Did that, disabled Zone Alarm in the Trusted Zone (that is, the local "intranet"), and we're still no go for launch.

What am I missing? :confused:

paulallen

02-21-08, 02:59 PM

I had the same experience as some with the MSM's failure to recognize files in networked folders.

I wouldn't count on Klegg support and/or firmware upgrades. Their website suggests that they're much more interested in attracting investors than in supporting/developing their products, most of which seem to have been simply absorbed from Ximeta and other developers.

While "fit and finish" may be unimportant to some, I choose not to patronize a business that turn out products of this quality.

If one isn't interested in HD and/or doesn't want to bother with networking (both of which the MSM handles poorly IMO), a Ximeta Mediashare at under $50 offers basically similar functionality for less than 1/2 the price.

blsisko

02-21-08, 10:55 PM

I had the same experience as some with the MSM's failure to recognize files in networked folders.

I wouldn't count on Klegg support and/or firmware upgrades. Their website suggests that they're much more interested in attracting investors than in supporting/developing their products, most of which seem to have been simply absorbed from Ximeta and other developers.

Well, so far the one time I had an opportunity to talk to their tech support they send you to Ximeta anyway. Of course Ximeta told me to turn off the olde firewall and that should do it, which of course it did not.

Hopefully I'll be able to call them tomorrow. I really want this thing to work so I can catch up on my TV shows that the DVR eventually erased (or didn't record).

Maybe there is a similar/repackaged product whose online tech support exists. And maybe there is some place on the internets where one can find out what these preexisting users are in Window$ 2000.

dangerdoc1

02-21-08, 11:04 PM

I should recieve my unit tomorrow. I purchased a 1 terrabyte SATA drive. The web site lists EIDE but I believe that I read here SATA is the correct drive.

If I have the wrong drive, somebody please correct me so that I can exchange the drive before I get home.

I'm not planning on streaming to the media player but can I see the media stored on the Klegg and play on my computer if needed? I'm planning on clearing all of the media files off of several computers and storing everything on the media player. I have everything backed up to DVD but I would like be able to play them on my computer without digging up discs.

paulallen

02-22-08, 12:23 AM

Well, so far the one time I had an opportunity to talk to their tech support they send you to Ximeta anyway.

Case in point. Another alternative for handling multimedia files that doesn't require a running PC of course (if you're willing to forgo Klegg's marginal implementation of HD, i.e. until reasonably-priced h.264-capable players appear) is to attach a Netdisk to the port of a USB-enabled DVD player (e.g. Philips 5982) and populate the Netdisk via its Ethernet interface. Works like a charm for most multimedia file types.

sutapanaki

02-22-08, 02:50 AM

dangerdoc1

02-22-08, 11:23 PM

Hi,

I got my first disappointment with the unit. I tried to play some wmv files and they played but with no sound. The files play with no problems on my PC - both in VLC and windows media player. I can't understand why they fail on the Klegg player. I tested it also with avi files - those play without problems.
Anyone had the same problem or has any comments? I'd appreciate your help or otherwise I'll have to return it.

All of my divx play fine.

I have a number of MPEG2 HD broadcast captures. The picture looks great but no sound at all.

I've tried all of the audio settings and still no sound.

1 terrabyte drive works great. 160 Gb USB drive works great also. I can play files over the wireless network.

Now if I can get my HD captures to play with sound, I will be happy.

blsisko

02-23-08, 01:34 AM

Anyone else running it on Window$ 2000?

dangerdoc1

02-24-08, 09:10 PM

I still don't know why my OTA ATSC recordings play with no sound but I have to say otherwise I really like this thing.

I've have hundreds of television shows backed up as divx files on stacks of DVDs. I've loaded the last of the discs to the onboard hard drive. It is really great having all of my shows in one place and the picture is better than playing the files on my DVD player.

I am curious, there is not much discussion here about the Klegg. Are there any other forums disussing this product?

sutapanaki

02-25-08, 04:23 PM

dangerdoc1

02-25-08, 04:45 PM

I wrote to klegg's technical support about my wmv that plays with no sound. They said that it is supposed to play wmv without problems and asked me to send them the file which I did. Still am waiting for their response. First time they answered quickly but now I have the feeling they will be not so eager to reply.
Also couldn't get an answer from them how to remove bookmarks that I don't need. Anyone here knows about that?

What resolution is your wmv?

I've played alot of different files, all HD material so far has played without sound. SD material plays with sound.

It declined to play a SD .MP4 file stating it did not support the format. Strange considering the manual states that it does.

For the price, it does enough for me. But getting some of the bugs worked out would make it an outstanding value.

tanzella

02-25-08, 10:08 PM

What resolution is your wmv?

I've played alot of different files, all HD material so far has played without sound. SD material plays with sound.

It declined to play a SD .MP4 file stating it did not support the format. Strange considering the manual states that it does.

For the price, it does enough for me. But getting some of the bugs worked out would make it an outstanding value.

You said earlier that your OTA ATSC files played without sound. Was the SD file that works recorded OTA ATSC? All of my as recorded OTA ATSC files play without audio. However, as I stated earlier, if I convert my HD files from OTA ATSC (using MPEG Streamclip) to TS with MP2 Audio, it plays with audio.

I've had no luck with any flavor of .mp4 files.

sutapanaki

02-26-08, 01:47 AM

the video file is 640x480 two video streams WMV3 and one audio stream WMA2

What resolution is your wmv?

I've played alot of different files, all HD material so far has played without sound. SD material plays with sound.

It declined to play a SD .MP4 file stating it did not support the format. Strange considering the manual states that it does.

For the price, it does enough for me. But getting some of the bugs worked out would make it an outstanding value.

dangerdoc1

02-26-08, 01:41 PM

You said earlier that your OTA ATSC files played without sound. Was the SD file that works recorded OTA ATSC? All of my as recorded OTA ATSC files play without audio. However, as I stated earlier, if I convert my HD files from OTA ATSC (using MPEG Streamclip) to TS with MP2 Audio, it plays with audio.

I've had no luck with any flavor of .mp4 files.

I haven't tried SD OTA ATSC.

What are you using to convert your OTA to TS with MP2 audio?

lv7card

02-26-08, 03:25 PM

Has anyone experienced a black vertical bar on the left side of the screen when playing ISO via DVI-HDMI input at any resolution? It seems that whenever video is played via DVI-HDMI input, the picture is right-justified, leaving a black vertical bar (margin) on the left side of the TV screen. The video plays perfectly thru other inputs. The only way to fill the screen is to use the Wide-Zoom function on the TV. But with that, you lose lot of screen information.

Please help!

Setup:

Klegg MediaShare Mega
Sony 50" XBR4

keephowlin

02-26-08, 04:14 PM

I haven't tried DVI-HDMI yet; I've been using Component on the Klegg (don't have any free HDMI ports). But I'll unplug one and try it tonight...

tanzella

02-26-08, 10:57 PM

I haven't tried SD OTA ATSC.

What are you using to convert your OTA to TS with MP2 audio?

MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com/).

dangerdoc1

02-27-08, 10:12 PM

MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com/).

Good call!

I now have HD with sound.

Something funny that I noticed though. At 480p, the picture is rock solid. At 1080i with USB drive plugged in, there is some shake or vibration in the picture. This occurs whether playing HD or SD, and whether the video is on the installed drive or USB drive. Unplug the drive and the jitter goes away about 99% but if I look closely, there is an occasional shake in the picture when playing HD material, none is visible when playing SD.

Has anyone noticed something similar to this.

manny_one

02-28-08, 08:49 PM

DVI-HDMI with 5.1 Optical sound works great running ripped .ISO DVD files on connected USB2.0 external drive.

cogitovici

02-29-08, 12:20 AM

Well, they had a few weeks to respond to a simple inquiry. No response and no solution equals no sale. Refund completed. I might rebuy later if I hear the problems I had are solved, but for my application, I would rather spend twice the money on a that new d-link that is coming out "soon." At least it is supposed to play dvr-ms files or whatever they are. I was still having problems that were probably related to the darned permissions in Win Vista Home Premium, but I never saw a solution so byebye Klegg MediaShare. Plus, the new dlink says it has hdmi instead of dvi, and h.264 which many have mentioned, though that is not an issue right now for me because I haven't bothered to figure out how that affects me.

Thanks for everybody's advice.

Regards,
Cogito

mshill

02-29-08, 12:52 AM

cogitovici, I have owned D-Link DSM-320s for 2 years now and they may release FW upgrades but with each upgrade they usually break something. For my needs, the Mediashare outstrips the D-Link products even without support. I have serious doubts that the DSM-750 of which you speak will be much better than their 320 and 520 products.

dangerdoc1

02-29-08, 11:39 AM

dangerdoc1

02-29-08, 11:42 AM

I have noticed something strange, I had a discolored area on the screen while watching hd. I tried various files and the discoloration persisted.

It was not present when using the DVD or internal tuner.

I'll check again tonight but it was a greenish vertical streak about 1/10th the screen wide running from top to bottom but strongest in the middle.

Could this be a heat issue. I haven't noticed it before.

manny_one

02-29-08, 07:22 PM

DVI-HDMI with 5.1 Optical sound works great running ripped .ISO DVD files on connected USB2.0 external drive.

Oops, .IFO DVD files.:eek: Also verified internal hard drive last night. Experienced a freeze after digital picture slideshow.

dangerdoc1

02-29-08, 08:34 PM

Bummer,

The green discoloration is still there tonight, no a heat issue.

I really like this player after a week, I'm not sure I can live with one now but I may have to send this one back.

Edit:

Well the green blob goes away at 480p so it seems to be resolution dependent. For $129, it may still be worth it to me. Anybody else having similar problems?

More edit:

Well switching back to 1080i, the green streak is gone. I am puzzled now.

ISSMER

03-01-08, 09:59 AM

I recently purchased a MSM from my local Fry's. I have enjoyed the device thus far. I have installed a 1 TB Maxtor HD in it and transferred a few files to it via USB. However, I would like to transfer files via the wireless connection. I have it correctly set up as I can access files on my network connected PCs and stream them. I just haven't figured out how to access the drive to transfer files on my PCs to the MSM HD.

Do I have to install the NDAS software to mount the drive or can I use some other method?

Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

keephowlin

03-02-08, 05:42 PM

I just followed the manual and installed NDAS. Windows sees it as another drive letter...

Be aware, however, wireless is very slow... Only useful for a small number of files, IMO...

sutapanaki

03-03-08, 06:37 PM

I have finally got an answer from Klegg (Ximeta rather). They said that the wmv file I sent them plays ok at their side. Now, this really puzzled me since I gave the file to a friend of mine who also bought the player and he said he can not get the sound, too. So either we both have bad units or those guys don't know what they are talking. So, I cropped a small portion of it and uploaded the file to rapidshare:

http://rapidshare.com/files/96850032/out.asf.html

It is a very small video, less than a minute and the size is 2MB. Please, if someone cares to download it and play it, let share if there is a sound playing. I want to have good grounds to return the player to Fry's
Thanks

I wrote to klegg's technical support about my wmv that plays with no sound. They said that it is supposed to play wmv without problems and asked me to send them the file which I did. Still am waiting for their response. First time they answered quickly but now I have the feeling they will be not so eager to reply.
Also couldn't get an answer from them how to remove bookmarks that I don't need. Anyone here knows about that?

mshill

03-04-08, 01:36 AM

sutapanaki, I downloaded your video and it played fine in Windows Media Player but just like you it would not play sound on the KMSM. Do you know exactly how the sound is encoded in the file? I don't think you KMSM is broken, I bet it just does not support the encoding of the sound in that particular file.

sutapanaki

03-04-08, 01:39 PM

Thank you very much for your effort.
From the properties of the file, as WMP shows them the audio is:

Windows Media Audio 9.2
32 kbps, 44 kHz, mono (A/V) 2-pass CBR

sutapanaki, I downloaded your video and it played fine in Windows Media Player but just like you it would not play sound on the KMSM. Do you know exactly how the sound is encoded in the file? I don't think you KMSM is broken, I bet it just does not support the encoding of the sound in that particular file.

blsisko

03-04-08, 08:13 PM

Still don't have an answer on the whole Windows 2000 thing, but we installed a 500GB SATA drive in the wee beastie and installed the NDAS software on my machine and I can upload files to the KMSM, but it still won't see any of the files on my computer (it loves those shared directories though). And this is after Ximeta's tech support said that my box was broken and then we did the old changeroo at Fry's.

That being said, the three video files played beautifully on the internal drive, but I would still love to be able to stream my MP3's.

So again, I must ask, anyone running this box on Windows 2000?

geekincolorado

03-05-08, 10:06 AM

I am running this product with a Media Center 2005 as the backend and over wireless at the moment and only seem to have problems when I run .iso files. Otherwise, the product is working great. I just ordered my second one and will be testing two movies at one time in two different rooms to see if I have issues. So far, I really like the product. I don't see any support coming from Klegg. I am going to do my first firmware upgrade from globalsio.com and try it as I am sure it is the same motherboard. I will post details back as to what I find out.

geekincolorado

03-06-08, 10:11 AM

$Bill

03-06-08, 01:19 PM

Just to confirm your suspicions on this as a rebranded Eureka box.
I updated the Firmware lastnight in my Media Share with the firmware for the Eureka. I then rebooted and set it to factory defaults and rebooted again and WHOLA...an Eureka box that seems to run just fine. Sees networks, USB drive, etc.

I also tried updating my firmware in my other box to the firmware that is posted on globalzio but it is in a different format (.bin) and my box won't accept it. So, that tells me that even though this box looks the same as theirs (except mine is black) they have done something a little different in the firmware packaging. hmm!

Pretty cool little box(es) so far. I now have two them and both work via wireless and one of them also has an extra external USB drive that it sees and plays movies well. I will try and do some testing as a jukebox this weekend with some .mp3 (music) files.

Cool. Let us know how it works out. Specially if it gives any extra features, stability, or improvements to the interface.

dangerdoc1

03-06-08, 02:03 PM

Just to confirm your suspicions on this as a rebranded Eureka box.
I updated the Firmware lastnight in my Media Share with the firmware for the Eureka. I then rebooted and set it to factory defaults and rebooted again and WHOLA...an Eureka box that seems to run just fine. Sees networks, USB drive, etc.

I also tried updating my firmware in my other box to the firmware that is posted on globalzio but it is in a different format (.bin) and my box won't accept it. So, that tells me that even though this box looks the same as theirs (except mine is black) they have done something a little different in the firmware packaging. hmm!

Pretty cool little box(es) so far. I now have two them and both work via wireless and one of them also has an extra external USB drive that it sees and plays movies well. I will try and do some testing as a jukebox this weekend with some .mp3 (music) files.

When I have my box set at 1080i, the picture is unstable with USB plugged in. Rock solid at 480p with USB or 1080i with no USB plugged in. Have seen anything like this on either of your boxes?

geekincolorado

03-06-08, 02:08 PM

When I have my box set at 1080i, the picture is unstable with USB plugged in. Rock solid at 480p with USB or 1080i with no USB plugged in. Have seen anything like this on either of your boxes?

I don't have an 1080i TV only 720 so don't have a real way to test it. Sorry

dangerdoc1

03-06-08, 03:00 PM

I don't have an 1080i TV only 720 so don't have a real way to test it. Sorry

Have you noticed a similar problem with 720p?

sutapanaki

03-07-08, 12:50 AM

That's really interesting experiment. Can you please try my file I put on rapidshare to see if it can play with sound on the Eureka updated box?

http://rapidshare.com/files/96850032/out.asf.html

This will be very helpful. I was planning to return my player during the weekend, but if the file plays ok then I may reconsider. Please, let me know.

I have actually asked other people to play the file on Ziova, Popcorn Hour and IstarHD media players. All they play it with sound. All of them and Klegg's too have the Sigma chip, but may be in the others it's a different generation. Whatever, the fact is they can play well.

Just to confirm your suspicions on this as a rebranded Eureka box.
I updated the Firmware lastnight in my Media Share with the firmware for the Eureka. I then rebooted and set it to factory defaults and rebooted again and WHOLA...an Eureka box that seems to run just fine. Sees networks, USB drive, etc.

I also tried updating my firmware in my other box to the firmware that is posted on globalzio but it is in a different format (.bin) and my box won't accept it. So, that tells me that even though this box looks the same as theirs (except mine is black) they have done something a little different in the firmware packaging. hmm!

Pretty cool little box(es) so far. I now have two them and both work via wireless and one of them also has an extra external USB drive that it sees and plays movies well. I will try and do some testing as a jukebox this weekend with some .mp3 (music) files.

geekincolorado

03-12-08, 04:48 PM

Just thought I'd let everyone know that I got a chance to talk to the new company that took over the Eureka LX line. They are located at:
http://www.hantech.ca

They will be creating quite a few new product lines and some with new chipsets. They also told me that one of their products (Markus 300) will be under $100. This could be pretty promising. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

geekincolorado

03-12-08, 05:04 PM

Have you noticed a similar problem with 720p?

I have not seen this problem at 720p yet.

LittlBUGer

03-12-08, 06:56 PM

Hello all. I have just bought this Klegg MediaShare in hopes that it would do better than my DLink DSM-520 (which barely ever worked). This is basically the situation:

I have a home server which has Windows XP Pro SP2 and has an external USB 2.0 drive attached. This external drive stores all of my movies and music, etc. I've shared all of the folders from this external drive. I want to be able to connect to this PC and stream content over my network (wired) to the MediaShare. So I got the MediaShare unit setup properly, it's connected via wired and has an IP and all. It can see my home server PC when I go to the Network area. But as soon as I select the PC, it thinks for a while and says something like "All Shared Folder(s) Empty". Obviously this is not true and no matter what I try, it always does the same thing. I have an array of files shared including: .jpg, .mp3, .mp4, and .iso. Is there some other step that I'm missing? The external HD is actually a 500GB Klegg NetDisk which I decided to use the USB option for now (since I don't think the MediaShare can directly connect to it). I would really hate to have spent my money on that external drive to only find out I can't use it and must put a different drive in the MediaShare directly. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you.

blsisko

03-12-08, 11:32 PM

I have the same problem (seems no one has a solution) where the MSM cannot see the files on my PC (again, running Window 2000). But stick any ol' SATA HD in there and my PC can upload files via NDAS with no problem (even over some Ethernet over Powerline connections).

Installing a HD in the MSM is easy.

LittlBUGer

03-13-08, 12:52 AM

Well, the wired connection I'm using is a powerline adapter connection, as that's the only way I can do it, other than wireless. I know I can put a HD in there, but there's a few reason's I don't want to:

1.) I've heard the HD inside gets extremely hot
2.) I've already just purchased the NetDisk external HD and I don't want to spend any more money
3.) It should just work anyway

Does anyone have any suggestions at all? The shares are set to let Everyone read everything... I've even tried disabling the firewall and anti-virus software. Must I have a user account with no password or something (even though the share permissions should override that)? :-(

jjobezo

03-13-08, 08:57 AM

Can someone post the firmware update for the Klegg Media Share device. Someone mentioned that there is a Eureka update but I haven't been able to find it.:D

LittlBUGer

03-13-08, 10:52 AM

I'm not sure if someone posted this already, but a decent review can be found at the following link, as well as a link to the latest English firmware: http://broo2.blogspot.com/2008/03/klegg-mediashare-mega-review.html

:)

jjobezo

03-13-08, 01:35 PM

Thanks, I was able to find and download it.:)

dangerdoc1

03-13-08, 02:38 PM

blsisko

03-14-08, 05:29 PM

Ok, stupid question time. Which directory is the official "shared" directory? And I'm sure it's different for 2000 and XP and Vista.

dangerdoc1

03-14-08, 11:59 PM

Ok, stupid question time. Which directory is the official "shared" directory? And I'm sure it's different for 2000 and XP and Vista.

Vista:

C:\users\public\Public Videos

LittlBUGer

03-15-08, 05:24 PM

OK, I got mine working like a dream and it only took a simple fix/change. I originally had Simple File Sharing disabled as I wanted to give certain shares rights to only certain users and customize the permissions. Well, as the Klegg manual states (it helps to pay attention to manuals sometimes!), it doesn't really show anything about this, but only sharing folders when Simple File Sharing is enabled. So since the PC I'm using for this is specifically for serving media and wont be used for anything else, I enabled Simple File Sharing, made sure the few folders I needed were shared after I setup the network, and voila! It sees the shares instantly and plays my .iso files brilliantly.

Thanks for the help by others here and I hope this may help someone else as it did me. :)

blsisko

03-15-08, 09:48 PM

Ok, what is "Simple File Sharing"? Is it an XP thing?

LittlBUGer

03-17-08, 11:43 AM

I can't remember if it's strictly an XP thing or not (I think 2000 and 2003 use the same method too), but I do know that for XP you need XP Pro or you don't get a choice.

Anyway, to do it, open a folder (any folder) and at the top go to Tools -> Folder Options... Then go to the View tab and scroll all the way down in the Advanced Settings area. There you'll see the 'Use simple file sharing' checkbox either checked or not (enabled or not). Check the box, then click on the Apply button and then click on the Apply to All Folders button and then click OK. That's it. :)

Then you can just go to the Properties of each folder you wish to share, go to the Sharing tab, and share it. :) Worked for me anyway... couldn't make it work any other way. I am using XP Pro SP2.

geekincolorado

03-19-08, 03:43 PM

blsisko

03-21-08, 09:15 PM

Ok, I think the MSM hates Windows 2000. I upgraded my PC to XP Pro (SP2) and the MSM sees all files in all folders (except for one, dunno why). Now, it'll play MP3s in any of those folders on any partition (my PC has 5 partitions, I'm old school that's the only reason for the partitions), but it won't play any of the video files. The MSM claims that either the files are screwy (of which they aren't) or are unsupported (of which they are supported).

I do know that turning on Simple File Sharing allowed the MSM to read the folders in my newly XP'ified PC, but I do not know why it won't play any video file. That being said, it's now time to read read all 166 posts in this thread to figure out why (assuming this answer has already been posted).

I also know (from a Win2000 laptop that I have) that Win2000 doesn't have this Simple File Sharing option. Go fig.

blsisko

03-21-08, 09:37 PM

Ok, now here's an interesting observation: after trying files that I knew worked on the internal drive but weren't playing over the network (with the error I listed above), for some odd reason I tried them on the internal drive again and lo and behold they wouldn't play for the same error given. I think I tried it after reading post #45 where after viewing images (like I did) the goofy thing wouldn't play (for him certain types of) videos. Turn her off, turn her back on and viola! we're in business.

So, the best I can figure is that the MSM isn't really thrilled with Windows 2000 (other than NDAS capabilities), and to play in all folders (on all partitions) in XP (at least XP Pro) you need to turn on Simple File Sharing like LittlBUGer says in post #165.

geekincolorado

03-27-08, 02:58 PM

Anyone know how to get the Klegg Media Share to work with SageTv or if this is possible at all? It would be cool to have this as a client or something

piano009

03-28-08, 12:06 PM

I picked up mediashare last weekend and it works fine with an usb drive plugged in and it can see and play all sharing files in my laptop. For some reason, it sees my desktop computer but does not see any of my sharing folders. I turned off ALL firewalls, anti-virus and mediashare still not see my sharing folders. Can someone help???

Thanks in advance.

spon

03-28-08, 06:50 PM

Hey guys. Thanks for all the great info in this thread. I've read thru everything and just want to confirm something. The MediaShare is not capable of playing .264 files, correct? I have a bunch of H.264 files on my computer and I'm trying to figure out the easiest (and cost efficient) way to get them to my 1080i TV. I was originally going to invest in a new video card and then run a long DVI cable to my TV (via a switch box). I think something like the MediaShare would be a great alternative, however, playing .264 files is essential.

Are there any alternatives to the MediaShare (same general price range) that can handle .264 files?

thanks!

manny_one

03-28-08, 07:08 PM

haizman

04-13-08, 10:32 PM

I had difficulty getting the Klegg to see the contents of shares that I created (I'm using XP pro and NOT using simple file-sharing). I guess the Klegg is looking for the "Guest" account on the shares, which may be disabled as a security measure. But after reading many of these posts, I think I figured out the trick. The following is suggested if you are behind a Router or firewall in a LAN environment.

1) Enable the local "Guest" account (if it is disabled). My Computer > Manage > Local Users and Groups > Users > Properties > Un-check "Account Is Disabled".
2) Right-click on the folder you will be sharing to create the share > "Sharing and Security" > "Share this Folder" > (Everyone Read-only is ok for shared permissions)
3) Add the local "Guest" account to the NTFS permissions on the folder (Read-Only is all that is required) > "Security" tab > "Add" > In the text box enter "Guest" + "Check Names" > "OK"

Of course if you are using "Simple File Sharing" already, then this steps are done for you I think, but I think most of us playing with this device like more control of NTFS and share permissions then than the average user.

geekincolorado

04-16-08, 03:49 PM

Just to let everyone know and incase you have read from earlier posts. This does work and is the same firmware that ZIO/Eureka which is now owned by hantech.ca uses. You can get the latest firmware from here:
http://www.hantech.ca/UpImages/upFiles/romfs-sdt-lx351canada-1-1-1-1-160(1).zip

which is what I am using on both my boxes and it works fine. I just unzipped the file, put it on a USB thumb drive and did the firmware upgrade from that. Just FYI.

aen

04-16-08, 07:24 PM

geekincolorado

04-17-08, 09:37 AM

In my case...Yes. The .160 version that I am currently running from Zio/Eureka/Hantech doesn't seem to skip as much over 802.11g. Other than that I don't see a whole bunch of new features or anything.

BuckDefiant

04-17-08, 03:09 PM

Played extensively with various firmwares, including older official ones, ones for LX351HD, NTD36HD and hacked versions from the European hdd-player.de site. topic=1092 msg6805

The fw.160 version consistently sees and reliably accesses my numerous Vista, XPSP2 and Samba shares, while the fw.159 (including the hacked 1.4.159) has a very spotty ability, sees some, not others, and not consistent.

Bottom line: If having network access problems, use at least 160. And yes, the 160 from the Eureka/HanTech works on the MediaShare.

bonapart

04-24-08, 07:57 PM

The Klegg MediaShare is priced at $99.99 at outpost.com today (4/24). It is also available at local Fry's Electronics stores for the same price from 4/25-4/29.

Cotay

04-24-08, 07:58 PM

Anybody else pick up one of these puppies last week at Frys for $99? I debated buying this versus ordering the popcorn hour, but I actually prefer the features of the Klegg. If this had the new Sigma 8635 it would be perfect, but as it is this thing is working great with a terabyte drive over powerline AV in my bedroom. I may eventually pick up a newer box like the ISTAR or the new Mediagate, but for now this is perfect. I don't have any media downloads or rips that require h.264 so this is a nice cheaper alternative. I only wish it didn't take so long to rip by DVDs. Anyone know of a Batch DIVX or Xvid converter that allows for AC3 audio?

blimey

04-27-08, 07:49 PM

I picked one of these up today at Fry's. Overall, I'm really impressed with it.

My unit apparently has the 160 firmware already loaded. I assume that some of you got Klegg units with firmware below 160, and that is why you loaded the Eureka 160 firmware? I suppose there would really be no advantage to upgrading the firmware in my unit, since it already has 160? I'm reluctant to even try it since there is no way to go back to the Klegg firmware, since it is not posted anywhere. I sent them a note about this, but I doubt that I'll get an informative reply.

The Klegg is great for DVD file playback, xvid playback, and some wmv playback. It has great transport controls (slow, skip, 32x/rew-ff, 15+/- second skip) and so on. I've only tested it with files on the hard drive. I haven't tried a network streaming setup yet. I tried some xvid HD files, and they play well too. This is NOT the player for bit torrent users who want to play all the lastest HD (h.264/mkv) codecs/containers.

The hard drive cage seems to be like a mini easy bake oven. The hard drive gets hotter than even my Apple TV. I'm going to make some mods to the hard drive cage, and install a 50x50x10 fan on the side of the case. Otherwise, I like this thing.

aen

04-27-08, 11:09 PM

I have a Klegg, no internal drive, but I do have an external USB drive attached. Is there any way to transfer new files to the USB attached drive via the Klegg?

Thanks,
Alfred

dangerdoc1

04-27-08, 11:35 PM

I put a WD green drive into the Klegg. It is supposed to use less power and produce less heat. I haven't noticed the box ever getting particularly warm with the standard fan.

rasec

04-28-08, 04:34 AM

hi to everyone.

can I access the internal hdd shared files over the internet like NAS?

thanks!

dangerdoc1

04-28-08, 01:49 PM

I was going to pick up a second unit on the internet but found them sold out. Anybody know if Fry's is getting more or if the were simply liquidating?

blimey

04-28-08, 04:55 PM

I put a WD green drive into the Klegg. It is supposed to use less power and produce less heat. I haven't noticed the box ever getting particularly warm with the standard fan.

The box may not be so warm, but have you ever opened the box (after a couple of hours use) and actually felt the drive? Mine is scorching hot. So much so that I can't even hold it.

I was going to pick up a second unit on the internet but found them sold out. Anybody know if Fry's is getting more or if the were simply liquidating?

You must have just missed it, they were in stock up until last night. The stores here in AZ still have plenty; one store easily has 50+ left, including a bunch of returns that they have marked down 20%. It is unusual for Fry's to mark down returned items more than 5% or 10% - so I think there is a chance they are blowing them out. But I don't know for sure, of course.

They may be closing them out because the chipset is a couple of generations old now, and also the public at large often finds these things too complicated - as evidenced by the returns. There can't be much profit at $99.99 - that price can't be too much above production cost of the unit and the numerous accessories, even granting the slave labor wages in China.

Itsdon

04-28-08, 05:14 PM

I've been following this thread and am planning on picking one up this afternoon (Fry's Fremont, CA) but am curious about something. How is the upconversion from standard SD DVD's. Currently I'm spoiled with my Toshiba XA2 but find that I'm starting to want more (streaming, music, photos etc.) and this seems to be just the ticket.

Ideally I'd like to load up a HD with .VOB movies and have the Klegg play them to my 720P projector. Is the upconversion any good?

blimey

04-28-08, 05:27 PM

The upconversion seems quite good to me on my Samsung LNT4065F 40" LCD, via DVI to HDMI conversion cable. Its easily better than my old Mvix 760HD player - which is odd because it is essentially the same motherboard. I haven't tried component out, so I can't speak to its quality.

The Klegg MediaShare is the same player as SavitMicro's Cinedisk CD36HD and the Zio eUreka LX351HD, so you may try to search for reviews of those players.

Itsdon

04-30-08, 12:06 AM

I've had this for a day or so now and like it far more than I thought I would. I'll put up a more detailed review later after the initial "new toy" enthusiasm subsides and reality sets in but for now this thing is a keeper and a smokin' deal at just $99.

I do have a question though, has anyone successfully been able to get a Harmony remote to work with it? The Harmony software recognizes the Klegg for what it is but it appears only the POWER button works. There is no PAUSE or PLAY or OK or anything when using it - anyone with a successful Harmony/Klegg combo?

dsmiler

05-01-08, 10:51 PM

I set up my Harmony One to work with it. Did some reorganization of some of the commands, changed the Additional Buttons. But, all the commands for the Klegg MediaShare Mega were there.

Itsdon

05-02-08, 09:42 AM

I set up my Harmony One to work with it. Did some reorganization of some of the commands, changed the Additional Buttons. But, all the commands for the Klegg MediaShare Mega were there.

Thanks for the reply. I've had my harmony for over a year and am very familiar with it so I feel like such a newb asking this but....

When you added a device (the Klegg) what did you call it? The closest I could come was "DVD>Media Servers" I think, (I'm going from memory because I'm out of town at the moment) but the Klegg was not listed. Not a big deal as I had the OEM remote and gave it the "Power. Play, #1" commands and it found it in the database.

I then created a new "Activity" and simply had the Harmony turn on the AV receiver, the Klegg, the projector and then set the Klegg to "Movie" mode (I also tried it with the Harmony not setting the Klegg to any mode) but all I can get is the Harmony controlling the power of the Klegg :confused: What am I missing?

Oh, I'm only using the Klegg to wirelessly stream VOB files from my computers hard drive and do not have a local hard drive installed, does that make a difference?

I know I can program each key individually into the Harmony but I don't want to do that, especially since it knows what the Klegg is. Any help?

dsmiler

05-03-08, 07:14 PM

Thanks for the reply. I've had my harmony for over a year and am very familiar with it so I feel like such a newb asking this but....

When you added a device (the Klegg) what did you call it? The closest I could come was "DVD>Media Servers" I think, (I'm going from memory because I'm out of town at the moment) but the Klegg was not listed. Not a big deal as I had the OEM remote and gave it the "Power. Play, #1" commands and it found it in the database.

I then created a new "Activity" and simply had the Harmony turn on the AV receiver, the Klegg, the projector and then set the Klegg to "Movie" mode (I also tried it with the Harmony not setting the Klegg to any mode) but all I can get is the Harmony controlling the power of the Klegg :confused: What am I missing?

Oh, I'm only using the Klegg to wirelessly stream VOB files from my computers hard drive and do not have a local hard drive installed, does that make a difference?

I know I can program each key individually into the Harmony but I don't want to do that, especially since it knows what the Klegg is. Any help?

I typed in "Klegg MediaShare Mega". It seemed to find it alright. I started by selecting a "Media Center PC" as the type of device to add. Then selected "Klegg", then typed in "MediaShare Mega". I modified the button layout, but all the commands were there.

blsisko

05-04-08, 07:18 PM

Any idea how to get it to play a .m2ts file or do I need to convert it to .avi or .lmnop or something?

dangerdoc1

05-05-08, 09:52 PM

Any idea how to get it to play a .m2ts file or do I need to convert it to .avi or .lmnop or something?

.ts files play directly if that helps.

dsmiler

05-06-08, 12:25 AM

Has anyone noticed the picture being stretched when playing back video? I noticed that when I used the DVI out, the picture was stretched, unequally...shifted to the left side of the screen. There were no blank spots, only that the picture was not centered horizontally. I switched to Component Out and the problem was minimized significantly, but still noticeable when compared to playing the original DVD from my DVD player. In addition, it it possible to play a 4:3 video file, specifically a copied DVD, without it being stretched? I set my aspect ratio to 16x9 and 4:3 in attempt to play movies that are in 4:3 format. No matter what settings I use, I cannot get the picture to play in its original format. By the way, my TV will not let me adjust the aspect ratio when I HD signal is coming in, and since in both DVI out and Component Out, you can only choose HD output types, I am locked out of adjusitng my picture size on my TV. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Itsdon

05-06-08, 01:26 AM

I played most of "The Fifth Element" tonight (wirelessly) and didn't notice any stretching. I'm going 720P component to my Onkyo 605. Does your Klegg have the latest 1.60 firmware?

Itsdon

05-07-08, 01:28 PM

Now that I am happily streaming SD-DVD Vob files I find I want more, HD/BD specifically. Assuming my older computer is HDCP compliant (or at least using AnyDVD-HD) and I install a LG Blu-Ray/HD player in it, will I be able to stream (wireless preferred, wired OK) the HiDef movies through the Klegg to my TV if I label the drive as 'shared'?

If not, and I have to make backups of my HiDef movies in .ts format what is the best procedure/program for doing this? Currently I'm streaming SD movies straight off my 750GB external drive.

dsmiler

05-08-08, 10:05 PM

I played most of "The Fifth Element" tonight (wirelessly) and didn't notice any stretching. I'm going 720P component to my Onkyo 605. Does your Klegg have the latest 1.60 firmware?

The stretching I am referring to is when I am playing a DVD file (copied DVD to a folder on the HDD I put in the MSM) that is originally a 4:3 movie. For example, my daughter loves to watch Cinderella. It was originally filmed in a a 4:3 format. When I play the DVD on my 16x9 TV is shown in its original format with Pillar Bars on the sides. When I play it through my MSM it is stretched to fill the screen. Same goes for my collection of Animaniacs DVDs. As the MSM upscales the video to 1080i or 720p, my TV sees it as that format, not the format of the movie itself. So, I have not found a way to output the video signal from the MSM in a non-upscaled format. Has anyone had the same issue, or do most people not care if the image is stretched?

bonapart

05-09-08, 04:18 AM

Yeah, I've had that issue. My memory is slightly fuzzy, because I mostly watch widescreen content. But there was some DVD content - I think is was the TV series "The Practice", where I had to temporarily change a setting to obtain a 4x3 picture with side-pillars.

The setting may have been on my TV or the Klegg. I think I changed the Klegg setup to specify a 4x3 TV. But I think I also changed a setting on my TV. Anyway, one of the changes worked, and I just changed it back when I was done.

But some 4x3 DVD content did display with a true-size picture (and side pillars) without changing any settings. I think it was the DVD of the show 'Miracles'.

Itsdon

05-09-08, 11:00 AM

Going from memory here as well but I think I ran into that scenario when changing between progressive or interlaced settings on the Klegg. One did 16:9 (progressive) and the other did 4:3.

Dave47

05-16-08, 06:49 PM

My Frys had several of these at $99.99 today. I just purchased one. I'll see how it compares to my Popcorn Hour.

David

blsisko

05-18-08, 05:20 PM

.ts files play directly if that helps.

Well, blu-ray files are .m2ts, so unless I can rename the file and trick the Klegg (which I know won't work, 'cause I tried that... I think), anyone know what I can do with the blu-ray file to get the Klegg to play it?

Itsdon

05-19-08, 01:56 PM

Well, blu-ray files are .m2ts, so unless I can rename the file and trick the Klegg (which I know won't work, 'cause I tried that... I think), anyone know what I can do with the blu-ray file to get the Klegg to play it?

I was just about to ask that exact question! Anybody know?

dangerdoc1

05-20-08, 04:28 PM

My Frys had several of these at $99.99 today. I just purchased one. I'll see how it compares to my Popcorn Hour.

David

I wish we had a local Fry's. I'd like to pick up a second unit.

jayclayton

05-23-08, 08:54 AM

Anyone had experience using one mediashare as the main server and sharing the content on another unit?

Thanks.

oneblue

05-27-08, 10:28 PM

The $99 Klegg at Fry's... is it the same thing the Klegg site is selling for $99? If so, why not get it there? Shipping looks to be roughly $10.

bonapart

05-27-08, 11:50 PM

oneblue,

Yes, it is the same. The "click here to buy now" buttons are new on the kleggusa website.

I still think it is a good deal at $99...as long as you are comfortable with its limitations (it excels at DVD, mpeg, & xvid).

JCGOBLUE

06-07-08, 03:12 PM

I have tried to hook up the Klegg to my pc via usb and i see it but i can't move files and it doesn't show up as a hard drive or drive under my computer. I can only see it under the usb string and not as a drive.

tommyhammer555

06-16-08, 12:22 AM

I just purchased a MediaShareMEGA and installed a HHD
and when I plug it into my Mac Book Pro (OSX 10.5.3)
it shows up on my desktop. I placed some AVI movie
files and Mp3 music files on it and when I plug it
into my TV nothing shows up. I placed the files in
"MOVIE' and "MUSIC" folders and i still get nothing.
The menu shows up but there are no files in it. Am I
doing something wrong or do I have a defective unit?
Tommy

bonapart

06-16-08, 10:25 PM

Well, if you installed a new internal SATA drive in your Klegg, was it pre-formatted? If so, with what file system? If not, did you format it over USB using your Mac OS? - What file system did you choose?

The Klegg can read ntfs, ext3(or2), and technically fat32(although this is a bad idea to actually use).

So, what you need to do is identify the file system to which the HDD inside the Klegg is formatted, and make sure it is compatible.

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 12:52 PM

To tell you the truth I have no idea what file system I use, I used the Mac disk utility to format the drive. I'll go back and try again, I'll let you know if I have any problems.
Thanks for the help,
Tommy

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 01:43 PM

The only format that you mentioned that was on my mac disk utility was FAT32 so I reformated it and put some files on it and they still don't show up when I plug it into my TV. All I get is "empty shared file(s)" nothing else. What's going on?
Tommy

bonapart

06-17-08, 06:03 PM

For example, do you select 'MOVIE' from the first screen, then on the next screen; scroll to, highlight, and select 'HDD1'?

Then, you can see no folders/files?

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 06:15 PM

When you say "scroll to, highlight, and select 'HDD1'" I'm assuming you mean the hd icon in the upper left hand corner. When I do that all I get is the same menu (ex- refresh, play, etc.) on the left and "empty shared folder(s)" on the right. None of the files show up.
Tommy

bonapart

06-17-08, 07:46 PM

No, I mean after you select "press ok" 'MOVIE' on the first screen, then when you move to the next screen, you use the arrow keys to go down and then to the right where you see 'HDD1', and then after 'HDD1' is highlighted, you select "press ok" on 'HDD1' while it is highlighted.

If none of this works, I suggest you try two things:

Just copy the files to the root of the HDD, rather than in folders.

Use a windows machine and format to ntfs.

P.S. Are you copying .AVI, .MPG, or .VOB? I'm not sure if .MOV files will show up.

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 08:00 PM

Okay, but there is nothing showing up on the right. I tried some AVI and MP3 files. I'll try using a PC to format it to ntfs but after I do that will I be able to use it with my Mac's?

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 08:10 PM

If I format the drive to ntfs I will not be able to write files to it.

tommyhammer555

06-17-08, 08:30 PM

Scratch that, I just found a program that will allow me to write to ntfs formated drives.

bonapart

06-17-08, 10:08 PM

It sounds like something else is causing the problem.

tommyhammer555

06-18-08, 05:53 PM

Has anyone had any luck contacting klegg support, I sent an e-mail last week and haven't heard from them yet.
Tommy

Itsdon

06-18-08, 06:00 PM

I've not needed to contact them. I pretty much get all my support from these forums (which are great!). Currently my Klegg is happily streaming VOB's from my external network hard drive. This thing has it's quirks but for $100 it still ranks up there as one of my favorite 'bargain' toys.

avstraq

06-19-08, 08:36 PM

Oh man, just got it this morning and have been testing it since.

I didn't install the NDAS software yet. What I did was take it out of the box and hooked it up to my TV via component and digital coax. The only thing I can say is, this device is very INCONSISTENT. It plays all my files, but it doesn't play them all the time. When I play ISOs first, then stop and play MPG/DAT files, the latter won't play. The thing just freezes. The only way to solve it is to pull the power line out. Then when I play MPGs/DATs first, it won't play ISOs. Anyone had the same problem? It's running the .160 firmware. I'm playing my files at 1080i (my TV's limit) off an external USB drive plugged into the MediaShare.

Help! I don't wanna return the unit, but if it keeps on being buggy, I don't have a choice.

tommyhammer555

06-20-08, 12:59 PM

What should I set the jumper on the HDD to? I have a Seagate barracuda sata 500gb. It has 4 pins and as of now the two on the left are jumped.
Tommy

kumasuki

06-22-08, 10:55 PM

With little hope of help from Klegg support :confused: I'm hoping for some feedback from this forum (or at least corroboration of this issue).

I got the MSM as a more affordable option for streaming hi-def without having to run my PC. My only set of TV component inputs are already in use for a Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR (if you haven't got one of these little buggers - they're absolutely worth the 4-6 week wait!). So, I slapped on a DVI-HDMI adapter. Initially I had a 500GB drive running in the MSM and at that point had no problems streaming 720p and 1080i PVR recordings.

However, I quickly found all the anecdotal stories about the MSM being a little 'easybake oven on steroids' all too true. So, I got a Antec MX-1 enclosure (it has an awesome fan - quiet too!) which I attached to the MSM via USB. Immediately I had problems streaming hi-def.

After much troubleshooting, I find that whenever a USB drive (Note: NOT a flashdrive - rather a full IDE or SATA external drive) is attached and powered, all the video outputs are OK, EXCEPT DVI > 480 (i.e. hi-def). The component hi-def output is OK too - just 720 and 1080 via DVI are screwed up. The menu screens are OK and photos display - but hi-def video streaming is completely erratic and unstable :mad:.

I've tried both an IDE enclosure as well as the SATA MX-1, both with the same results. My suspicions are electrical cross-over interference from the greater power draw of the external USB drives. If this is right, does it represent a design constraint of the MSM?? or is there anyway to better 'shield' the DVI output when using an external USB drive??

Out of necessity I'm putting in a component switch - but this is (another) added expense and not a particularly satisfactory workaround for the long term.

Any thoughts - opinions - suggestions appreciated!

avstraq

06-22-08, 11:27 PM

Kamasuki, I'm sorry I won't be of much help to you. I am connected to the TV via component (1080i) and HD recordings coming from a plugged external hard drive play with absolutely no problems. I may try using a DVI-HDMI connection this coming week, just to see if it offers any significant improvement in picture quality. I'll tell you if I come across any issues.

On another note, I've found that not all of my DVD rips play on the MSM. I don't know the reason for this, but it seems that most of my rips from single-layer DVDs don't play on the MSM. The dual-layer rips work fine. I'll try to reconvert my ISOs to VOBs and see if that would work.

The MSM seems to both be a blessing and a curse. I am holding back on returning it (though I may try to exchange it for another unit just to see if I got a defective one). Also, I'll try to see if there are other options for me, like the cheaper Ximeta Mediashare, which someone mentioned a couple of pages back.

EDIT: For anyone who can answer, how does the MSM compare with the D-Link DSM-520? They've got a $50 rebate promo going on for it so that means I could get it for $120 after rebate. If the D-Link is the better device, I don't mind shelling out that extra 20 bucks.

tommyhammer555

06-23-08, 01:37 AM

I finnally got the HDD working and am able to watch avi files on my TV, the only thing I'm having a problem with now is the wireless hook up. I have two mac's one mac book pro and an emac. My dsl modem is a 2wire with wireless. the emac is hooked to the 2wire via ethernet cable and the mac book pro is wireless. Any ideas?
Tommy

kumasuki

06-23-08, 02:50 AM

I may try using a DVI-HDMI connection this coming week, just to see if it offers any significant improvement in picture quality.

For anyone who can answer, how does the MSM compare with the D-Link DSM-520? They've got a $50 rebate promo going on for it so that means I could get it for $120 after rebate. If the D-Link is the better device, I don't mind shelling out that extra 20 bucks.

One thing about the DVI-HDMI route, the audio still needs to be connected separately (DVI doesn't provide it). Let me know if keeping the USB active gives you any problems like I've had.

I can comment on DSM-520 vs Klegg MSM, as I now own both! It really comes down to different devices for different uses. By far the greatest advantage of the DSM-520 is it's ability to play DRM content! -just as long as you're running WMP11 as the media server. For this feature alone I wouldn't part with my 520 (the easiest solution I've found for downloading from CinemaNow or MovieLink and streaming realtime to my TV).

However, the need for media server software running on a PC is also perhaps it's biggest drawback. I haven't found any practical use for it without having the PC running. Nevertheless it does have quite an array of features for its price range including: 10/100 wired/wireless; HDMI; 'most' common codecs (with the notable exception of Divx); HDCP compliant and UpNp. It doesn't have a harddrive but you can connect an external one via USB as either FAT32 or NTFS (but you'd still need the PC running for any DRM content on that USB drive!).

Two other things about the DSM-520: 1) be sure to get the latest firmware to use any ActiveTV features; and 2) a basic rule of thumb on formats is - if it doesn't run in MS MediaPlayer 11, it WON'T run on the 520! This has been my main motivation for adding the Klegg - it handles key codecs which the 520 lacks like Divx/XVid/TP/TS/TRP, and it streams hi-def recordings from my PVR which I would otherwise have to transcode in order to use the 520. (but Klegg won't play DRM content either).

There just doesn't seem to be a single 'media server/extender/tank' whatever it may be called that does everything I'd want it to :(!

avstraq

06-23-08, 09:30 AM

I can comment on DSM-520 vs Klegg MSM, as I now own both! By far the greatest advantage of the DSM-520 is it's ability to play DRM content! -just as long as you're running WMP11 as the media server. However, the need for media server software running on a PC is also perhaps it's biggest drawback. I haven't found any practical use for it without having the PC running.
There just doesn't seem to be a single 'media server/extender/tank' whatever it may be called that does everything I'd want it to :(!

Wow! You've got a nifty setup there, with your MSM and 520 and your HD-PVR. I also had to lookup CinemaNow and Movielink 'coz I never heard of them before.

The need for a server running kinda kills it for me for the 520, although I do have some subscribed DRM shows that (right now) I can only watch on WMP11 on my laptop. The 520 would be perfect for that. On the other hand, the ability of the MSM to run without such limitations makes me want to hold on to it. Plus all those other formats/codecs it can play.

I hope I don't go way off-topic here, but right now I am thinking of getting an AppleTV. With NitoTV installed, it can handle any format/codec that MPlayer can play. And the UI is simply beautiful.

blimey

06-23-08, 08:03 PM

I slapped on a DVI-HDMI adapter. Initially I had a 500GB drive running in the MSM and at that point had no problems streaming 720p and 1080i PVR recordings.

However, I quickly found all the anecdotal stories about the MSM being a little 'easybake oven on steroids' all too true. So, I got a Antec MX-1 enclosure (it has an awesome fan - quiet too!) which I attached to the MSM via USB. Immediately I had problems streaming hi-def.

I moved my HDD external from the Klegg (because of heat) - but rather than USB - I still use SATA (or more precisely, eSATA).

Inside the Klegg I used an eSATA cable (female sata to eSATA jack). I mounted the eSATA jack on the back of the Klegg, but this isn't required.

I connect the eSATA jack to this enclosure:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817173042

(Note that the above enclosure comes with all the cables you need, including the cable to use inside the Klegg.)

I still tap power off the Klegg to power the enclosure, so that the drive will shut down when I turn off the Klegg. I also use a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, and it seems to work fine at 1080p with 720p source content (Lost episode in xvid format - converted from mkv).

So, maybe try eSATA for your external drive instead of USB.

kumasuki

06-24-08, 12:55 AM

try eSATA for your external drive instead of USB.

Blimey! that's a clever idea - and I wasn't relishing adding a component switch. Plus my MX-1 enclosure has an esata port (and I have a sata-esata adapter too left over from another sata-firewire connection project).

If I'm visualizing your description right, you either have left the MSM lid off or have the sata/power cables dangling between the cover and edge?? (not that the Klegg is work-of-art to begin with:rolleyes:) I'm not exactly sure what you're doing to "tap power off the Klegg to power the enclosure" :confused:

If you're using the esata port on the outside of the enclosure, where would you connect power coming from the Klegg? (maybe pix if you have them would help).

But that Rosewill enclosure sure looks amazing!! I was already impressed with the fan in my MX-1 - but the fan in the Rosewill is even more impressive!
Anyways - I think the solution has a lot of merit and will try it with the parts I already have.

tommyhammer555

06-29-08, 12:30 AM

Please help me get this thing set up wirelessly, I'm tired of bringing it from my living room to my computer just to put files on it!

I finnally got the HDD working and am able to watch avi files on my TV, the only thing I'm having a problem with now is the wireless hook up. I have two mac's one mac book pro and an emac. My dsl modem is a 2wire with wireless. the emac is hooked to the 2wire via ethernet cable and the mac book pro is wireless. Any ideas?
Tommy

avstraq

06-29-08, 12:40 AM

I'm not sure if the MSM comes with NDAS software for Mac OS. If it does, have you installed that? That enables faster file transfer from your notebook to your MSM.

tommyhammer555

06-29-08, 01:47 AM

I've installed the software but on my mac it shows the drive "off line" and on the MSM it shows "disconnected", is there something I'm doing wrong? If someone has the patience to go trough it step by step I would really appreciate it, as I don't have a lot of experience or knowledge with wireless networking.
Tommy

tommyhammer555

06-29-08, 04:16 PM

Ok I got it connected wirelessly and I can send file from my computer to the MSM but I can't get the MSM to see the shared folder on my MAC. How should I set this up?
Tommy

kmurali70

07-04-08, 09:12 PM

If the medishare device has a hdd, will i be able to download movies and store it directly into the built in hdd over wireless.
or is the only way of storing movies to the hdd , thru a usb device connected to my laptop after downloading the movies to my laptop.

I was planning to buy a NAS (network storage) in addition to the media player but does this device act as a substitute for NAS + Wireless media player as compared to dlink dsm520 + NAS for example ?
It would be awesome if it holds this ability ?

runninamuck

07-05-08, 01:38 PM

Well I felt the need to chime in regarding the Media Share Mega.

I bought 3 of them about 2 months ago for Fry's $99.99 now.

They worked right out of the box.
Wireless (sucks for anything but music)
2 units Wired 100base (works awesome)
No hard drive installed
1 unit with 500gb WD (works well)
TOS Link cable
DVI to HDMI 1080p output (sometimes resets itself to 480p)
Not sure what is causing this. It might be the new JVC LCD I bought.
I connect to a Mythbackend server running Samba.
I also connect to my Vista Ultimate machine and my XP SP2 machines without
any problems.

Pro's

Very inexpensive.
Easy to use.
Very Portable.
Excellent Quality Video and Audio

Con's

Fast Forward and rewind of MPG files from livetv recordings SUCKS! About 50% of the time it will hop around to random points in the recording after hitting play or pause when say fast forwarding past commercials very annoying.

Sometimes resets from 1080p to 480p resolution without any change to connections. Just powering the box on and off.

Box freezes at end of some ISO images and you have to unplug the unit to reset it.

Technical Support SUCKS! Most of the time they do not respond. They say Firmware updates are coming (don't hold your breath)

Music usage is really awful. No way to create play lists quickly you cannot select multiple files. I have 80,000 mp3 files.

Fan is way to loud. Replace it with a quite fan. If you are not using a hard drive then the fan may not be needed in the box. I am going play with it and see.

BIGGEST CON: There is no firmware yet (fingers crossed) that will convert the box to be a MYTHTV Frontend. :)

Itsdon

07-06-08, 03:28 PM

I agree with most of your observations but, unlike you, I have zero problems with streaming (wireless) VOB files from my external hard drive. As long as I reboot my host PC before starting a movie I'm OK. If the PC is on and the AV program or something else kicks in I get a dropout, otherwise it's pretty solid.

I don't have a hard drive in mine and have disabled the fan with no ill affects. It's got some issues sure but all in all it's a good buy for a hundred bones.

avstraq

07-09-08, 11:48 AM

Kmurali, once you have installed the NDAS software on your PC, it will be recognized as a distinct hard drive and you will be able to copy your files to the MSM over wireless. So yes, it does act like a NAS in this regard. You can even schedule automatic backups to it with third-party software.

If the medishare device has a hdd, will i be able to download movies and store it directly into the built in hdd over wireless.
or is the only way of storing movies to the hdd , thru a usb device connected to my laptop after downloading the movies to my laptop.

I was planning to buy a NAS (network storage) in addition to the media player but does this device act as a substitute for NAS + Wireless media player as compared to dlink dsm520 + NAS for example ?
It would be awesome if it holds this ability ?

kmurali70

07-10-08, 12:57 PM

Kmurali, once you have installed the NDAS software on your PC, it will be recognized as a distinct hard drive and you will be able to copy your files to the MSM over wireless. So yes, it does act like a NAS in this regard. You can even schedule automatic backups to it with third-party software.

Thanks
Although i was able to get the MSM setup as wireless as i see in the setup, when i click on the network, i see "empty shared folders".
Also when setting up NDAS, I see the drive offline.
I am using vista, should i be using xp, is vista not compatible.
I have done everthing possible from downloading the latest drivers from ximeta to making my network/laptop hdd shared but these 2 just dont work.
What do you suggest for this ?

pw036lfr

07-12-08, 05:13 PM

HI
Just bought mediashare omega.Does anyone know how to set it up thru netgear wireless router?Its showing my ndas device offline.
Thanks in advance

blimey

08-22-08, 03:21 AM

Just a note to those still interested in this player...

Lately Klegg Electronics has directly been listing a lot of MediaShare Mega (MSM) players on that famous auction site; with a price starting below a dollar and free shipping. Dozens of them are going in the 25 to 45 dollar range - with free shipping. I snapped up three over the course of the past few weeks.

The MSM excels at menu supported DVD file playback, and xvid (including HD xvid). It doesn't play the mkv container, although HD mkv files converted to HD xvid play great (but conversion takes roughly 2:1 the playback time of the file).

The MSM is very close hardware-wise to the Mvix 760 & 780 players. It is like a 760, only with SATA drive support rather than PATA. Or, it is like a 780, but with DVI out rather than HDMI. The software is not the same between the MSM and the Mvix players.

SMP8635 based players may be more interesting, but for the price, the MSM is a buy if DVD and xvid are your primary playback formats.

Itsdon

08-22-08, 11:11 AM

Nice find! I'm going to grab a couple at those prices. I like my Klegg a lot. You gotta beat it a bit to get it to work but once it does it does a great job.

su_A_ve

08-26-08, 11:52 PM

finally scored one on fleabay... But on the east coast have to wait a week to get it :(

Note that they lowered their retail price as well down to $129. wonder why... they are just dumping them...

Itsdon

08-26-08, 11:56 PM

I bought two on eBay, both for less than $30 delivered. I'm going to give them to friends and family. I still feel like my $99 one I got in May is a great deal, I use this thing all the time.

su_A_ve

08-27-08, 12:51 AM

now if the firmware could be hacked a bit to display something better than filenames... something like the tvix does by reading the tvix file on a folder.

blimey

08-27-08, 11:38 AM

finally scored one on fleabay... But on the east coast have to wait a week to get it :(

Note that they lowered their retail price as well down to $129. wonder why... they are just dumping them...

I'm hoping that it is a sign that Klegg will be introducing an 8635-based version of the mediashare.

The fleabay ones seem to be gone now. They unloaded around 140 of them over the past month, most at ridiculously low prices.

su_A_ve

09-01-08, 11:00 AM

Hmm. no more on fleabay and seller 'changed' names - now is a liquidator.

I got a tracking No. for my unit to arrive on Wed., but it hasn't even shipped yet. No way it would make it across the continent in 2 days via UPS ground...

su_A_ve

09-08-08, 01:11 PM

Hmm. Not happy - after several calls over two days I had them ship a unit. They were 'remodeling' and somehow my unit got on backorder. Interesting as an auction cannot be 'backorder'.

They ignored the emails until after they shipped the unit stating the unit had ship...

Box should arrive tomorrow...

Itsdon

09-08-08, 09:21 PM

Yeah, took them a week to ship mine AFTER the UPS label was printed, not sure why. Anyway, both did arrive and they were double boxed and intact - a fine deal!

su_A_ve

09-10-08, 12:32 AM

Got mine today finally. For $25 can't complain, but...

a) Literally touched the SATA cable and the connector on the mobo came apart. I mean the female casing came out, leaving the pins coming out of the board. Put the contact back, but I don't want to touch it. Don't have a drive yet...

b) Setup took like 5 tries to get wireless to connect. I'm still using WEP, but it eventually connected.

c) Wireless worked great for music, but not for ISOs. Have to redo my wireless setup in any case.

d) Music playing is awful. Start a song in a folder but then there's no way to move to the next track unless you manually move the cursor select Ok on the track name. The manual indicates use the Play/Slow button, but that doesn't make a track play. It also says to use the Page >| and |< buttons to move between tracks but that just moves the position in the folder to top or bottom

d) Slideshows are impossible. Even on a wired connection, 3mb pics take 3-4 secs to load (you get a black screen with an hour glass icon)

e) Wired connections played ISOs and DVD folders with no problems. Have not tested a full dvd with menus (my rips are movie only).

f) Fan is on the loud side but with only when you don't have any media playing is noticeable.

g) All streaming was done from an HP Media Vault. ISOs streamed from my Vista box stutter (box is new - Core 2 Duo 2.4 with 4 GB - dunno why), but no problems from the NAS, which is what I wanted anyway.

h) Firmware is 1.1.160 - Seems the latest and same number than the Eureka?

Now if we could only customize it's look a bit...