[xtac]

My PS3 currently clonked out on me(red light). My setup was pretty simple for the last 4 yrs or so.


Imac(wifi) running PS3mediaserver to PS3(wifi) onstandard 46" Samsung. . I have no choice currently of going wired, and this setup has worked 99% of the time with no issues. It transcoded the mkv's.



I'm looking to see if any alternatives have been released so far I see the following


apple tv2 w/ xbmc/plex -

roku w/ other firmware

mac mini hdtpc

popcorn anywhere

wd-live

tvix


What I don't really want is to store media on the player or convert files, I want everything to be streamed from the imac. I don't care for 1080P. I want to remain wireless. I have no problem getting another ps3(slim this time) if nothing else comes close.


I'm not price sensitive, but I never used the ps3 for anything other than streaming so if its a cheaper alternative i'd rather get that.



Thanks in advance

 

[Joel Graffman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/20828170


My PS3 currently clonked out on me(red light). My setup was pretty simple for the last 4 yrs or so.


Imac(wifi) running PS3mediaserver to PS3(wifi) onstandard 46" Samsung. . I have no choice currently of going wired, and this setup has worked 99% of the time with no issues. It transcoded the mkv's.



I'm looking to see if any alternatives have been released so far I see the following


apple tv2 w/ xbmc/plex -

roku w/ other firmware

mac mini hdtpc

popcorn anywhere

wd-live

tvix


What I don't really want is to store media on the player or convert files, I want everything to be streamed from the imac. I don't care for 1080P. I want to remain wireless. I have no problem getting another ps3(slim this time) if nothing else comes close.


I'm not price sensitive, but I never used the ps3 for anything other than streaming so if its a cheaper alternative i'd rather get that.



Thanks in advance

I was using a similar setup, although wired - Mac mini and PS3 media server.


I got rid of the PS3 when Sony got hacked, bought a DLNA capable Samsung blu-ray player and I am very happy. Video quality is superb


I am using my Windows machine with the Mezzmo media server which enables customized DLNA menus. This makes video selections much more elegant than the PS3 server.

 

[xtac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Graffman /forum/post/20828308


I was using a similar setup, although wired - Mac mini and PS3 media server.


I got rid of the PS3 when Sony got hacked, bought a DLNA capable Samsung blu-ray player and I am very happy. Video quality is superb


I am using my Windows machine with the Mezzmo media server which enables customized DLNA menus. This makes video selections much more elegant than the PS3 server.

Interesting never thought about the DLNA option. which player do you have?


So basically you still use a mediaserver, does mezzmo transcode mkv? is it for osx?


If one doesn't need a blu ray player, what would you recommend?

 

[Irishdoom]

There are many streamers that will do what you ask. Do you want it to have Netflix or anything else too?

 

[pmcd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtac Interesting never thought about the DLNA option. which player do you have? So basically you still use a mediaserver, does mezzmo transcode mkv? is it for osx? If one doesn't need a blu ray player, what would you recommend?

I have a 2010 Mac Mini as well as many media players, PC's, etc ... I run mezzmo as a DLNA server to an ST600 while I wait for them to fix Plex. Mezzmo is ok and it does transcode mkv, or leaves it be, but the interface is terrible.


My main media player is the PCH-C200 which is really excellent. Also have a couple of ATV's which are great.


My advice is to get the new Mac Mini with AMD Radeon graphics. Put remote buddy on the Mini so you'll be able to launch anything from a remote. Unless you are into archiving Blu-ray disks this is, in my opinion, the best you will get. The media player world is tricky and DLNA is terrible. You can run Plex, XBMC or whatever on the Mini.


Mezzmo is a server of media but it does not run on a Mac.


Philip

 

[xtac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcd I have a 2010 Mac Mini as well as many media players, PC's, etc ... I run mezzmo as a DLNA server to an ST600 while I wait for them to fix Plex. Mezzmo is ok and it does transcode mkv, or leaves it be, but the interface is terrible. My main media player is the PCH-C200 which is really excellent. Also have a couple of ATV's which are great. My advice is to get the new Mac Mini with AMD Radeon graphics. Put remote buddy on the Mini so you'll be able to launch anything from a remote. Unless you are into archiving Blu-ray disks this is, in my opinion, the best you will get. The media player world is tricky and DLNA is terrible. You can run Plex, XBMC or whatever on the Mini. Mezzmo is a server of media but it does not run on a Mac. Philip

No netflix is not something i want.


I totally agree with on the mac mini as its solves almost every purpose. No need to transcode or anything, but that means you have to keep all media files on the mini correct? how does xbmc/plex play remote files without transcoding?


Also the price of the hdmi mini brand new is 599 if you go used maybe 500.


which is double than the ps3, which disregarding the recent failure of mine worked fine.

 

[Zareth]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/20830585


I totally agree with on the mac mini as its solves almost every purpose. No need to transcode or anything, but that means you have to keep all media files on the mini correct? how does xbmc/plex play remote files without transcoding?

Transcoding has nothing to do with the files being stored remotely. It's required because the PS3 is pretty crap when it comes to what codecs/containers it supports. XBMC seems to support pretty much any codec/container combination imaginable, so no transcoding will be required.

 

[pmcd]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/20830585


No netflix is not something i want.


I totally agree with on the mac mini as its solves almost every purpose. No need to transcode or anything, but that means you have to keep all media files on the mini correct? how does xbmc/plex play remote files without transcoding?


Also the price of the hdmi mini brand new is 599 if you go used maybe 500.


which is double than the ps3, which disregarding the recent failure of mine worked fine.

The Mini is going to be more expensive than the PS3 or a media player, but you don't have to mess around with a bunch of stuff and it's far more flexible. Also, you did say something about not being too price sensitive. Over the course of 3 years the difference is minimal.


You can store your files anywhere ( on your iMac, NAS, etc...) and access them at gigabit speeds which you won't get with any media player ( not that gigabit is needed for streaming). I use my Mini for a lot of things so it's not just acting as a media player. Moreover, it is silent which is something I cherish.


If price is an issue then get a WDTV Live +. It will do what you want, though not terribly exciting. The next step up would be a Boxee Box.


No transcoding if you go the Mini route or any decent media player.


The Boxee Box might be a nice compromise. It has a great gui and is interesting.


philip

 

[xtac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcd /forum/post/20831633


The Mini is going to be more expensive than the PS3 or a media player, but you don't have to mess around with a bunch of stuff and it's far more flexible. Also, you did say something about not being too price sensitive. Over the course of 3 years the difference is minimal.


You can store your files anywhere ( on your iMac, NAS, etc...) and access them at gigabit speeds which you won't get with any media player ( not that gigabit is needed for streaming). I use my Mini for a lot of things so it's not just acting as a media player. Moreover, it is silent which is something I cherish.


If price is an issue then get a WDTV Live +. It will do what you want, though not terribly exciting. The next step up would be a Boxee Box.


No transcoding if you go the Mini route or any decent media player.


The Boxee Box might be a nice compromise. It has a great gui and is interesting.


philip

How about the apple tv with xbmc,boxee, or plex?


What's not exciting about the wdtv?


Boxee box looks nice, but how does it play with with mkv and files on imac?


The mac mini is obviously a great buy, but I'm thinking its a little bit too much for my purpose right now.


If the wdtv is $85 and does what my ps3 used to do, than why not? However if the boxee, or wdtv plain suck than I can see why paying more for mini is the way to go.


i guess in the end im looking for a reason not to buy the ps3 slim.

 

[Joel Graffman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/20829803


Interesting never thought about the DLNA option. which player do you have?


So basically you still use a mediaserver, does mezzmo transcode mkv? is it for osx?


If one doesn't need a blu ray player, what would you recommend?

1. Samsung BD-D6500/ZA, as it has Netflix and MLB.


2. I use it for MP4, can't guarantee anything else.


3. Not sure if there is an OSX version.


4. I tried PS3 media server, Plex, and a few others on my Mac. Since I already had a windows machine on the network mezzmo was my best option.

 

[Joel Graffman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcd /forum/post/20830372


I have a 2010 Mac Mini as well as many media players, PC's, etc ... I run mezzmo as a DLNA server to an ST600 while I wait for them to fix Plex. Mezzmo is ok and it does transcode mkv, or leaves it be, but the interface is terrible.

Philip

I really like the interface, its the thing I found that allows me to customize the display on my BR player exactly as I want it.

 

[Irishdoom]

Well, I'm personally a big fan of the Boxee Box. It has no problems with MKV or any other file type I've thrown at it, and it has a great UI. I do NOT know if it has any issues streaming from an iMac, but my assumption is that it wouldn't.

 

[xtac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Irishdoom /forum/post/20832532


Well, I'm personally a big fan of the Boxee Box. It has no problems with MKV or any other file type I've thrown at it, and it has a great UI. I do NOT know if it has any issues streaming from an iMac, but my assumption is that it wouldn't.

I haven't really considered boxee box, I have seen the software for apple tv/mac mini.


The box looks like its around $200. Looks like exactly what I need.


Am I missing something here?


What are some cons with it? So it has native support for mkv, xvid, etc.. and does netflix and a whole lot more. Wireless built in too.

 

[mbryanr]

Our family enjoys the Boxee Box (had a HTPC and WDTV live previously),

Not a comprehensive list...

Cons:

Some lingering bugs

1. HD Audio dropouts

2. Audio level is lower with AC-3 codecs

3. Browser streaming can be hit or miss - what works wirelessly on your PC may not stream flawlessly on the wired Boxee. Example: mlb.tv works perfectly for me everytime. YouTube HD can be a buffering mess, or perfect. Bandwidth seems lower than expected.


Some regression

1. Audio sync on some files (I've noticed it with lower bitrate files more often - YMMV, but sync can be adjusted, and not a problem on all files)

2. Not experienced this, but some people have SMB share/detection issues (in particular Win7)

3. I haven't had this problem, but some have had buffering issues with recent releases (network dependent). The spec hardware is capable, but I believe they did a major rewrite of the code with the 1.2.x fw

 

[xtac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mbryanr /forum/post/20833244


Our family enjoys the Boxee Box (had a HTPC and WDTV live previously),

Not a comprehensive list...

Cons:

Some lingering bugs

1. HD Audio dropouts

2. Audio level is lower with AC-3 codecs

3. Browser streaming can be hit or miss - what works wirelessly on your PC may not stream flawlessly on the wired Boxee. Example: mlb.tv works perfectly for me everytime. YouTube HD can be a buffering mess, or perfect. Bandwidth seems lower than expected.


Some regression

1. Audio sync on some files (I've noticed it with lower bitrate files more often - YMMV, but sync can be adjusted, and not a problem on all files)

2. Not experienced this, but some people have SMB share/detection issues (in particular Win7)

3. I haven't had this problem, but some have had buffering issues with recent releases (network dependent). The spec hardware is capable, but I believe they did a major rewrite of the code with the 1.2.x fw

Geez, it really is a crazy game with these media players. Suprised noone has perfected it yet. I guess its pretty much impossible to do everything. No wonder the mini is perfect.


I just downloaded boxee software for macbook air and its nice. The way the apps and channels are pretty cool.

 

[Irishdoom]

That's almost exactly what you get with the Boxee Box as well, but as a standalone unit with the built-in wireless N. The only real drawback I see with it now is it has problems with bitstreaming HD audio. (TrueHD and DTS-MA) But it doesn't sound like you're looking to bitstream either of those, I'd give the Box a go.

 

[pmcd]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/0



Geez, it really is a crazy game with these media players. Suprised noone has perfected it yet. I guess its pretty much impossible to do everything. No wonder the mini is perfect.


I just downloaded boxee software for macbook air and its nice. The way the apps and channels are pretty cool.

- DLNA is terrible and that is not just my opinion. There is a reason people have been trying to get away from list views. I use Mezzmo for my st600 from LG. It does not have a Mac version and while it is not bad for DLNA it still pales compared to the alternatives.


- you will have more options with a Mac Mini and it will play nicely with your iMac


- the ATV2 is not what you want if your main aim is to stream mkv files. XBMC on it is not ready. Plex and Media Player are nice but you will run into restrictions such as idx/sub subtitles.


- the Boxee Box is an excellent compromise. Probably the best in your case. Great UI, plays mkv perfectly. You can head over to the Boxee site where they discuss it in more detail. I think the only issue is HD audio, but I am not familiar with that as I don't use it ( the audio). It plays well with Macs. The one thing you should make sure of is if you have upgraded to Lion. Apple added more secure AFP and smb. That has caused some issues with Linux. You can easily get around the smb ones.


- at this point my main issue with the Boxee Box has to do with the fan. That doesn't bother 99% of users and it really isn't loud.


- the WDTV Live+, Seagate HD player, Asus media players, etc ... all have a list UI. Boring.


- the PCH- A210 has excellent jukeboxes available for it. It is silent and has a good user base.


Why not try the Boxee Box from somewhere you can return it? If that doesn't work then go the Mini route. The PS3 is a last resort for a media player in my opinion.


Philip

 

[xtac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcd /forum/post/20833879


- DLNA is terrible and that is not just my opinion. There is a reason people have been trying to get away from list views. I use Mezzmo for my st600 from LG. It does not have a Mac version and while it is not bad for DLNA it still pales compared to the alternatives.


- you will have more options with a Mac Mini and it will play nicely with your iMac


- the ATV2 is not what you want if your main aim is to stream mkv files. XBMC on it is not ready. Plex and Media Player are nice but you will run into restrictions such as idx/sub subtitles.


- the Boxee Box is an excellent compromise. Probably the best in your case. Great UI, plays mkv perfectly. You can head over to the Boxee site where they discuss it in more detail. I think the only issue is HD audio, but I am not familiar with that as I don't use it ( the audio). It plays well with Macs. The one thing you should make sure of is if you have upgraded to Lion. Apple added more secure AFP and smb. That has caused some issues with Linux. You can easily get around the smb ones.


- at this point my main issue with the Boxee Box has to do with the fan. That doesn't bother 99% of users and it really isn't loud.

Update: second thought im going to wait till boxee fixes the lion issue, supposedly its being fixed in new fw update rc2 which is out but not stable. Might try wd-live instead right now, list view is ok for me


- the WDTV Live+, Seagate HD player, Asus media players, etc ... all have a list UI. Boring.


- the PCH- A210 has excellent jukeboxes available for it. It is silent and has a good user base.


Why not try the Boxee Box from somewhere you can return it? If that doesn't work then go the Mini route. The PS3 is a last resort for a media player in my opinion.


Philip

Thanks for the points. I will try the boxee, and i have updated to lion and I do see some users with trouble with it on the forums.

 

[Mr.G]



Quote:
Originally Posted by xtac /forum/post/20828170


My PS3 currently clonked out on me(red light). My setup was pretty simple for the last 4 yrs or so.


What I don't really want is to store media on the player or convert files, I want everything to be streamed from the imac. I don't care for 1080P. I want to remain wireless. I have no problem getting another ps3(slim this time) if nothing else comes close.


I'm not price sensitive, but I never used the ps3 for anything other than streaming so if its a cheaper alternative i'd rather get that.


Thanks in advance

Why not just get yourself another PS3? The 160GB PS3 Slim's price recently dropped to $250.

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-...3858310&sr=8-1

 

[saiga6360]

Almost any current media player is better than the PS3 if you want to stream as is without any transcoding, via CIFS, NFS or UPNP. A Boxee Box has the edge on the pretty interface and should be your best bet if you don't care about some HD audio issues. The internet media extras probably wouldn't factor into your buying decision but they are worth it IMO as far as extras go.