Slashdot Mirror
Gateway Wireless Connected DVD Player Reviewed
Anonymous Howard writes "Designtechnica has a review of a Gateway ADC-320, a home theater device that will play not only DVDs, but media clips off the network. Supported types include DivX, Xvid, Mpeg1 & 2, MP3 and WMA. The thought of a networked media device is not new, but I'm curious as to how many people actually own one? How well do they work? What are the best ones? Is UP&P support worth the extra money? Is this the future of all DVD players for the home theater?"
I've got a wireless network home media device...It's called a PC!
Creative Demolition
WTF? Rendezvous is a better name for that service, isn't it?
...a home theater device that will play not only DVDs, but media clips off the network. Supported types include DivX, Xvid, Mpeg1 & 2, MP3 and WMA. Unfortunatly, in trials it attract large herds of cattle.
The one thing that is holding me back from buying a consumer PVR/DVD recorder is that none of them are network enabled. Sucks to be limited to the internal HDD or disc-swapping -- I want to save recorded stuff to my network storage too!
And all the talk of being able to edit recorded material on the device itself -- bah humbug I say. I want a device that allows me to use Adobe Premiere to edit stuff, not the OSD!
pure AI will always Sublime
This could be pretty cool...combine it with a video card with built-in TV tuner & some sort of TiVo-like software, and you could have a pretty sweet setup.
I do wonder if it can send data as well as receive...if so, the convenient wireless DVD 'backup' (yeah, that's it...backup) possibilities would be a nice cherry on top.Just once I'd like someone to call me 'Sir' without adding 'You're making a scene.'
My own experience with various devices (at least two) is that there will typically exist a vendor recommendation to disable UP&P for reasons of bugs.
So I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that no, UP&P isn't worth a dime.
Cut/Pasted: near bottom
SMC EZ-Stream Wireless Multimedia Receiver $93
Same thing, Cheaper.
Gateway's server software, called the "Gateway D5 Streaming Media Server," will only work on Windows operating systems (98SE and later) so Mac or Linux users need not apply.
Gentlemen, start your packet sniffers...
Karma: Segmentation fault (tried to dereference a null post)
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
However, I do take exception regarding the consistency of the unit's operation. For no apparent reason the picture will sometimes freeze or the audio will go out of sync. I am quite experienced with home audio setup and have ruled out all the obvious causes. I've come to the conclusion that the components and/or firmware of the device aren't exactly top notch.
I always save my last mod point to mod up a good troll. You people are too serious.
I am sure I'm one of the MANY who would say - just gex a modded xbox with XBMC software - it can do all of the same stuff, plus play xbox games, and being that XBMC is software (Open Source, too), it will be ever extending with new formats. All of this for same price or cheaper. ... and yeah, it can run linux too...
RelevantElephants: A Somatic WebComic...
Gateway has promised Divx support but it has not happened. The nasty secret is in the Windows only software one must use to share files with the player. It does not provide the option to import DivX, hence it cannot be shared, hence even if the firmware supports it, you cannot stream it.
Trust me, I update to the latest version of the Media Server (2.1 B07.08).
While bitching about things, some dual layer disks are too much for the player to handle and black scroll wanders by the screen.
Analog 5.1. Yuck.
That said, it is likely as close as one can get to the out of the box solution right now.
With linux, mplayer, and a geforce4mx with svideo out I can play all those things from my freebsd samba server. With a WinTV card, I can even capture video. I can also play thousands of arcade games, console games, and even many windows games, browse slashdot, write a paper, etc.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Why do they always stop short. They always add one feature but forget the other major ones. PVR's should be able to play DVD's and vice versa. When will they get it. A network player is not novel.
Why can't everything run on OSX?
The article does mention that the firmware is upgradable. Hopefully once Theora hits 1.0 and (fingers crossed) becomes more widely used, Gateway'll take the hint.
<sarcasm>The player can handle "AVI" files, though... obviously that means every codec, past or future, real or imaginary must be supported.</sarcasm>
Karma: Segmentation fault (tried to dereference a null post)
And totally worth it. All of my roommates are able to use BT (to get Linux ISOs, of course =D) without harassing me to forward ports to them.
Let's not forget that one can hate his government, but love his country.
Wow, all of those great features, and still crippled by regions. Doesn't matter so much to Americans I suppose, but as an Australian I won't consider a region crippled player, as heaps of DVDs aren't avaliable Region 4 (Australia), so I have to get them from Amazon, of course mostly region 1.
It probably will. If it's like the wireless network MP3 players I've seen, it'll use the software on the server to transcode on-the-fly to a format the player recognizes. This is how Ogg is supported on SlimDevices' players, for instance. If there's a codec for it on the PC, it'll play on the player.
I looked around, and SMC and D-Link also make similar products. However, ALL of them currently require Windows.
I believe myth tv works as a client/server design, so you can have one mythtv server box streaming to other clients.
Then proceed going overboard with other fun things :)
I picked up the Go Video D2730 Network DVD player when it was Buy.com's deal of the day a few weeks ago for $99. It was a great deal. I pulled it out of the box and hooked it up to my router and suddenly I could watch any Simpsons episode I wanted at any time, or stream any mp3 on my home network through my entertainment center's sound system.
.avi files unless it detects a CPU over 1.2 ghz. That can be bypassed by editing an .ini file, but it's a good recommendation if you don't want your shows to skip.
The interface is clunky, but I'm holding out hope that it's being redesigned. The only other downside I've seen is from those who've tried swapping out the bundled wired ethernet card for a wireless option. While Go Video claims they support wireless, apparently performance takes a major hit.
Also, the 'server' software restricts streaming of
-R
That would be really nice. Not only do we not have to pay the license fee, but if the .org that "owns" the codec goes out of biz, (WinXP) SP2 would not cripple it :D.
"The thought of a networked media device is not new, but I'm curious as to how many people actually own one? How well do they work? What are the best ones? Is UP&P support worth the extra money? Is this the future of all DVD players for the home theater?"
Not many. Not well. None of them. No. No.
Honey, I shrunk the Cygwin
reminds me of looking at pictures from a history book. This device is UGLY. So 1970's. Wait till the Japanese come up with a competitor.
I've hacked my Xbox and installed Linux on it and use that as a media server type-thing. It's already attached to the TV, so nothing needed to be done there. It's also running Freevo, so it's very user-friendly. I transfer media to it, be it audio or video, over my ethernet network using an SSL connection. It has a 9gb HDD and works very well and is a cheap video decoder/media server. Best of all, I use the Xbox controller to do everything! Kinda a slap in M$ (Microsoft)'s face.
If you're insterested in hacking the Xbox and doing something like I did, then visit the Xbox-Linux Project @ http://www.xbox-linux.org
I would go with the Roku HD1000. The Roku seems to have a lot more features and a better design.
How long before these devices are all black labeled or, simply squashed by the Media Congloms, or legislation?
Now on the Coolness, factor alone. DAMN!! I want one. I can see this as a great boon, to non pcliterati, and hardware crusty's as well. I just have to break some hardware here at the house to something like that under wife-radar.
My cat's picked up a Hammer. HEY! Put down that Hammer. Put Down that Hamm...THUNK!
It seems like every player that has come out so far has one problem or another. I mean I read the review and thought "This is it" till it hit the part *Windows only*.
:)
Why do they have to go ahead and re-invent the wheel when they could have just taken a hint and used SMB/CIFS? I mean if the open source world could do it I am sure a these guys could have too.(does samba ring a bell?).
Also what is with the Region 1 only? Would it not have been better if they just made it region-free which would have let a hell of a lot more people go for the product? I am in Japan and I can tell you right now that the product is pretty much ruled out because of limitations like that.
Just my 2 cents on a sleepy Thursday morning
Havin' it large, livin' the life, Welcome to the land of the rising sun.
This thing had usb and ethernet options for networking, and some windows software you had to load, and frankly, it sucked HARD, and I mean HARD, $300 for what amounted to crap. It crashed regularly, playing more than a handful of mp3's was just about impossible, only about half or less of my videos even played on the damned thing, a TOTAL waste of money.
I got pissed and built a new PC and put my old PC by the TV and that was the absolute best way to do this, no stupid media center crap required, just switch my tv to input 2 and I'm THERE, I even pulled my DVD player out of my entertainment cabinet I like them better played off the computer, better image quality and remove one device from my overtaxed entertainment center.
For my basement theater I built a Shuttle XPC system and I have been happy as a clam with that little PC, added a WinTV PVR250 to it and it ROCKS I cannot sing the praises of that setup enough.
--- www.f-theocean.com
Mod an Xbox!
Get Xbox Media Center!
???
Profit!
No!
The hardware decoder does not support Ogg. There is not enough power to decode in software and gateway has propertary firmware on it anyway. No ogg. Same problem with GoVideo and all others who use the chipset.
Look for a post above regarding the Windows only media server as well.
A nice unit but the limitations are annoying.
Hmmm, this thing is nice, but what if I wanted to view not only movie files, but images too? And wouldn't it be cool if I could view documents and spreadsheets right there?
I would also want to be able to hook up external peripherals that would allow me to input data quickly and efficently, so I could edit those movies and images and documents. A big plus would be some kind of program that would let me download and view web pages.
Not only that, but wouldn't it be neat if I could remotely access it from other computers, using a open and secure protocall to do all of my administrating, or have a stable daemon that would serve whatever content I wanted to people throughout the internet. Finally, to rap it up, I would want counterstrike on it!
I think I'm on to something here...
I was going build my own HTPC, which would've been able to play dvd but also other media files over the network. Instead I bought a Xbox, which acctually made things alot cheaper. The price on a xbox is very low here in sweden and even lower in the US. Modding it isn't that difficult as long as you have some soldering experience(this is also possible without even opening the xbox using some software exploits in a few games). Getting the required software was even easier than modding. I also replaced the 10GB hdd with a 120GB, voila a perfect dvd-player that also can play all the media files mplayer can play. Stream them over the network, download via ftp(additinal software), show me weather forecasts and show my holday pictures on the TV. I suppose I don't even need to add links to these stuff but anyway here they are:
Xbox media center
Modding etc.
At the risk of being modded redundant:
I have built a great media pc out of a mini-itx box running Freevo. It runs Slackware and and I use it for any media file mplayer will play. I also use it for a game console using emulators under freevo. Anyway, I'm positive it beats the pants off this Gateway box.
is listed here region free, etc, kinda expensive (at least in the US) most retailers are listing it at $400+shipping
...is what kills these things for me.
why can't any of them just read files off a drive share? why do they all require extra software??
the only one that doesn't need extra software is the turtle beach audiotron... but it's strictly music only.
When I was looking into these DVD players that could handle DivX/etc. earlier this year, I noticed these networked Gateway models and looked into them.
Aparrently, they cannot actually play DivX/XviD/etc. The way they actually work is to require "streaming server software" on a Windows machine. What this "server" actually does is convert any AVI types the computer can play into mediocre-quality MPEG-1/2 streams to send to the DVD player (which is why there is a particular OS and minimum processor speed required). This will often result in lower resolutions than the original video clip, and always lower quality (due to recompression).
If you're looking for a real solution for a DivX / XviD / etc. set-top player, I suggest you look into a modded XBox (with XBMC or similar), a Lite-On LVD-2010, or the inexpensive Philips DVP642 (if you don't need networking).
--The Rizz
"Hey! Who took the cork off my lunch??!" --W. C. Fields
I picked this up on clearance when the Gateway stores closed for 100 bucks. It was worth every penny. The streaming quality is excellent on my 802.11b network, audio/video sync was an issue with some formats but an update to the latest firmware on gateway's website fixed all of the problems. Not only does it stream video but does picture slide shows and plays all my mp3's. The streaming software only works on windows (IMHO) but all-in-all its a great buy.
I bought one of these for $250 with the 802.11b wireless PCMCIA card then returned it a week later and bought a Philips DVP-642 for $65 instead, and not a single regret.
The player itself is very well engineered, gorgeous case, and very attractive lighted front. I had no problem playing DVD discs, though I hadn't any success with some DVD+RW burns and gave up. The remote control is cluttered NOT ergonomic, and if you like to be able to operate your remote by feel, you will hate it.
DIVX support is, of course, not built into the DVD player but handled by the media streaming server you install on your PC. Since video content is transcoded from DIVX to MPEG2, you need at least a 2ghz machine for smooth playback. Also, for wireless LANs, you may have to set the quality level down quite a bit to keep video from skipping.
The streaming software appears to use standard media streaming protocols, there is no streaming server equivalent for Linux or Mac yet. It does NOT let you add files that are located on a remotely shared partition (such as SAMBA shares on a Linux box), and mapping the shares as drive letters won't help. Perhaps they've fixed limitation already, but it was present in the latest versions of both the Gateway and the original AMOI software about three weeks ago.
Menus are very attractive and setting up networking is a breeze. It handles DHCP right off the bat. You can browse multiple media streaming servers on your network, then browse files on each server. Since most of my media files are located on a large SAMBA share from my Linux box, this networked DVD feature was mostly useless to me.
So, fed up, I brought it back to the store and shopped around a little more, and then stumbled on the Philips DVP-642 player which does not have networked support, but it have the built-in DIVX5 playback support missing from the Gateway/AMOI NetDVD player. And it cost me $65!
To say this DVD player turned out much better than I expected is an understatement. It's not only capable of playing JPEG, MP3, WMA, AVI, DIVX, MPEG1, MPEG2 files burned right onto a normal DVD, it also can read VOB, AC3 (demux'd Dolby AC-3 files), DVD-Audio, multiple VIDEO_TS dirs, any non-standard bitrate MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, most DIVX files (everything from very low 56kbps video files to DVD-quality 1500kbps).
I've had no incompatibility issues with playing files off of DVD+R/DVD+RW/CDR/CDRW. The player uses a two-column interface for browsing directories, and the display of filenames is limited to 12 characters, but it's usable. (it would have been nicer to have a single column, collapsing tree view) Since the player scans the header of files to determine filetypes (rather than go merely by filename) it isn't very snappy, but not bad. I've heard it mentioned that his player supports .SRT subtitle files, but I have not been able to verify this myself.
The remote on the Philips is small, reasonably ergonomic, streamlined, and easy to use by feel. The player is smaller than the Gateway/AMOI, not as solid but still not flimsy. Menus aren't flashy, but functional. No complaints about video quality though a few people say it's slightly subpar for DVD playback.
If you want a DVD player to play all your DIVX files, you might consider burning them onto DVD+RW instead and buy a Philips DVP-642 player for 1/4th at price.
Also, the latest firmware now supports playing purchased movies downloaded off the net from DIVX.com. Hmmm, wasn't DIVX a trademarked name for a format that locked itself to playback on a single DVD player once before...?
That's what your girlfriend says too.
I own the wired version, and I LOVE it! Best computer purchase I made all year. The picture quality is great, and it's so easy to use. I know there are some linux set-top boxes that may do more stuff, but you just can't beat the ease of use this thing offers. I highly recommend it.
and it works great as long as your pc can handle it. Anything under say a p4 2ghz is gonna be strained when sending divx movies and doing ANYTHING ELSE. Idle you should be okay I also had some problems with mp3s...depending on the bit bitrate, some didn't play back at all. Otherwise.. I LOVE IT!
There is a product called Game Shark Media Player (formerly QCAST) which turns your PS2 into a streaming media player (DIVX, MP3, OGG ...) for ~$30 (If you already have the network adapter). I LOVE IT! It is a moody beast at times though, and considering the lack of life on the QCAST forums I'm very worried they are going belly up. Which I consider sad because it is a good inovative (when it was released years ago) product.
I saw this at my local Best Buy for $10. I guess they are going to stop carrying it. One more nail in the coffin I'm afraid. I highly recommend you grab one if you see it at this price.
I picked up Hauppage's MediaMVP and it allows me to play my media (DIVX, MPEG, JPG, MP3, etc) over ethernet to their small client that connects directly to my TV via SVideo cable. I prefer watching videos on my TV with surround sound... and the couch is much more comfortable than my home office chair. It also has the ability to stream online radio stations. It can support up to 12 remote clients. (This would be great in an educational setting as you wouldn't have to allow the original media to go from room to room and be checked out only to get stolen or damaged.)
s /data_media mvp.html
I picked it up at Circuit City for about $100. There's an open source project to emulate the BeyondTV interface (like Tivo). The only downside is that the server software needs to run one a Microsoft platform.
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/product
On a related note, does anybody have any comments on similar audio streaming devices? It's kind of inconvenient that in order to listen to my favorite tune upstairs I have to uncompress the APE file and burn it onto CDRW :-) Actually I'm now thinking about buying this http://www.slimdevices.com/, did anybody try it? What's appealing is linux support, FLAC support, open sourced plug-in architecture so adding APE support does not sound as a big problem to me.
What, exactly, *is* a progressive scan DVD player?
... no idea why it's not in use over there. The only downside is the bulkiness and fragile pins in the sockets, but that's offset by the fact that it will transfer basically anything over a single cable.
Also, as someone in the UK, reading an article that talks about the back of a DVD player having 'all the usual ports' and not seeing a SCART socket on there is really weird =P
SCART is great
Not only will it allow you to play your digital goodies on TV.. But you can do loads of stuff like regionless DVD, most of the mame emulation u could ever want.. I'm sure this is about the 4th time i've mentioned this on /. go read www.xbox-scene.com for all the tremendous worth of information.
Get a good used OLD xbox. Get someone to mod it $40-60 on average.. and its the same price as a this device. Its not wireless but you could add wireless if you really want to.
There's no Freedom like UFP-dom
Example of open source alternative
I bought the exact same DVD player with a different front face from Go Video (the D2730 Networked DVD Player) - it uses the same server software and the firmware is upgradeable. I needed to upgrade mine to support dixv/xvid, etc.
The only difference I see is that I only paid $130 for mine. (It has since fallen to $107 on at least one popular discount web site!) This is also the same unit as another networked DVD player that slashdot featured either early in the year or last year, who's name escapes me.
I already have a full-blown home theater PC hooked to my 65" wide screen tv in the livingroom - I bought this DVD player to watch pr0n and recordings of The Sopranos in bed with the old lady.
It was so cheap I'm considering getting another one just for MP3s out by the pool.
I purchased one of these back when the Gateway stores were closing for $85. It's OK at best - I certainly don't think the unit deserved an 8/10; I have an Xbox with XBMC and if the Gateway unit got 8/10, XBMC would deserve about 20/10. The Gateway unit: Only actually plays MPEG 1 & 2 (ie the computer software transcodes Divx and others to MPEG2 upon playback. You can't play Divx from CD's in the player itself) Doesn't support directories If you are debating between this and a Mod'd Xbox, the Mod'd Xbox TOTALLY DESTROYS this. If you don't know which end of a soldering iron is hot, well then maybe consider this only if you can't find a friend to mod an Xbox, but honestly, it took about 2 days for this product to bore me and wind up on eBay - XBMC is that much superior to it. I would even say that once it is installed, XBMC is easier to use and has a nicer user interface, so there is virtually no reason to purchase this product - sorry Gateway, but it sucks IMHO.
$109 at pcMall. Comes with a Dlink wired card, but supports a nice range of cheap ($11) wireless cards. Works great. Same specs as Gateway's offering, but at half the price. Dunno about Gateway's tech support, but GoVideo's is a black hole.
I've had a Prismiq for about a year now. I'm mostly pretty happy with it - I'd like a better UI, a remote that doesn't think it's a mouse, and server side (the Prismiq is an embedded Linux device that cooperates with Windows server software on a PC) software that could be run as a service (at the moment it requires a user logged on to run - therefore sucks on a dedicated server). Occassionally I have to re-encode stuff because the Prismiq chokes (for no apparent reason) on some files but across a 100Mb cable it streams video with little problem. It has a PCMIA slot for Wifi but reports are that it's hard to configure and jerky to use.
I have a Prismiq. It's pretty good, but not as cool as it sounds. It plays mpeg4 quite well, and streams radio from the net, but still has some issues. Linux support is not great, even though the device itself runs linux. Videos freeze. FF/REW rarely works. The software often runs multiple instances of itself for no reason. All in all, it's much cooler than nothing at all, and much easier than a linux box as a PVR, but has so much unrealized potential.
This is hardly "news". Just an advertorial.
my xbox does all this already and still playes xbox games......not to mention expandable formats, better handling caching, I also have one running linux with an LCD in my bedroom so i can do all the above and also have a linux install so i can do other things also....(mythtv, web browsing, programming, email etc)
WTF - Speak in acronyms already, i can't figure out what you mean otherwise boss
There are other choices, the most notable afaik beeing Kiss' line of players with networking and HD.
I can't tell if the Gateway has the same limitation from reading this review.
With the GoVideo, their PC server software is transcoding the video to MPEG2 on the fly, since the player only has an MPEG2 chip inside. Result: dropped frames, and messed up aspect ratios if you play any video that's not 4:3. Their playlist support is weak too.
Anyway, when they say "streaming" support -- don't get too excited until you actually try it.
CowboyNeal wants a new box to play his huge DivX collection and its too lazy to search for himself
boy, i can hardly wait for the day when his wife demands new curtains
btw, this is a +5Insightful
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Seems to be quite attractive to most /.:ers as they appear to release firmware as GPL'd source. uCLinux-based plus Sigma Design DVD-player.
http://www.kiss-technology.com/?p=dvd&v=users
A bit pricey, perhaps, compared to Gateway.
I own a kiss 1500 and it streams divx/xvid very nicely from a pc or a linux server. It also contains webradio ..
/ DP -150408.pdf)
(http://www.kiss-technology.com/files/brochures
--
Exit! Stage Left!
Funnily enough, that statement sums up my girlfriend quite well.
I have purchased (and returned) two different media players each of which cost between $200 and $300 (one by Dazzle, the other by D-Link). Both of them sucked royally. They were both supposed to be able to play WMA's DivX/XviD, MPEG-2, etc. Neither player was able to play much more than 50% of my DivX videos (which were all created basically the same way and had no problems playing with the Windows Media Player, Media Player Classic, etc. The D-Link player was actually capable of playing a greater percentage of my videos, unfortunately however after about 20 minutes or so the audio and video became out-of-sync. On top of that, the quality of the video and sound produced was sub-par. My solution? A new computer of course. I built my own media player and can now play anything I want - and have excellent video and sound quality. This also solved video navigation problems. The ready-made players provided no facility to, say, jump to half-way through a movie. Now I just slide a trackbar. Problem solved.
I use the MP101 from Netgear.
Very nice piece of kit, getting better with upgraded firmware releases.
Cheers!
Mark
>You could use this junk, but why should you, when for the $100 you can make your own junk... or for more something original that actually works. The problem is that NONE of these solutions is ideal. Dedicated devices: These can be great for ease of use, but their capabilities will always be behind the curve. PC video formats are changed more frequently than the underwear of the people that use them. Even if a device is upgradeable and has enough horsepower to handle new formats, you're still dependent on the vendor (or a few dedicated hackers) to provide it. I'd really been hoping to find the 'ultimate' networked DVD/media player, but the more you look, the more you realize it doesn't (and can't) exist. That $70 Philips player that does DivX does look pretty spiffy, though -- a real, name-brand device that does what it promises, nothing more or less. The Samsung that upconverts to 720p/1080i looks promising, too. HTPC: Naturally, a PC will be the most capable in terms of formats and features. However Its flexibility is both a positive and a negative. Some people use TV as an excuse to get AWAY from the computer, and do not want to have to fiddle with 400 settings to get everything just right for the task at hand. Still, if you're a "journey is the reward" type, or you're willing to leave it be once the setup is "good enough" (do you really need to spend a day and a half setting up 14 different game console emulators?), then this is probably your best bet. XBox w/XBMC: As has oft been repeated, this is probably the best solution -- a sort of compromise between dedicated and customized. You don't have the dizzying array of choices that you get with a full-blown PC, so the "futz factor" is much lower. However, it is very format-agile, and damned easy to use once it's set up. My only big complaint is that it doesn't have enough CPU speed to play HTDV streams. Too bad it falls into a legal grey area. Curse you, DMCA!
FIXME: Add a sig here
I have a TiVo Series 2 DVR and recently TiVo decided to allow people who connect their DVR's to their home network to access music on their PC for free. This used to be a paid feature, luckily they changed it. TiVo can only play music and display pictures but I only want it for the music playing. Sadly, additional software is required to stream the audio.
Sexual intercourse is kicking death in the ass while singing. ~Charles Bukowski
as xbox is the ultimate media center for $115(refurb, used) to $149.99(brand new).
as those HDTVs are able to take DVI/VGA input directly from PC.
This thing has no future
not to mention that this one might not support everything, at least it doesnot support rm/rmvb
also the review site calls this $250 unit only $50 more expensive than normal dvd player, I saw dvd player from bestbuy, circuitcity, walmart as $34.99 each, I wonder how can 34.99+50=249.99
just my 2cents
I don't understand why these products don't support Samba shares. That would make it an easily cross platform solution, I would think.
I've waited for a feature like this for a long time and since many of the players are based on Linux I don't see why they don't just thros samba in the mix.
For $100 this DVD player reads divx, xvid, mp3, etc.
check out www.dvdrhelp.com for more user impressions. I have one and so far out of 100+ movies it has played 100% of the xvids (including AC3 decoding) and 90% of the divx (doesn't like some of the 2 year movies I have that are divx 3). No skipping, no audio sync issues. The only downside is the disc tray is very flimsy and I am sure it will break sooner or later.
The Pinnacle Showcenter and Actiontec Media Player are much better alternatives. They don't need no stinking server software other than a web server. You can stream video or audio from any box with a web server. Plus the Open Showcenter project has GPL'd source for an open source backend for these boxes using PHP. Just copy your vidoes or MP3s to the hard drive where Apache can see them and you are good to go.
Plus there is no conversion being done on the server so you need next to no horsepower. I slapped four 250GB WD drives in an old 500mHz pentium and it sits in the other room and has my library of 300+ DVD's ripped to it at full bitspeed that is served up to a Actiontec Media Player over 100MB ethernet. You just have to rip your DVDs to a single large VOB file.
And they play DIVX natively... no stinking conversions.
First, the server runs in the system tray. If you are using XP and the multiple accounts, this is a problem. It needs to be in the startup of only one account and that account must be logged in for the server to be running.
Second, it does not scale well to large numbers of pictures because it flattens all directories into one giant list. You can make play lists, but who has the time?
Third, it occasionally gets its database trashed and you have to delete the contents of the Berkley DB directory and rescan to recover.
Fourth, why do you have to choose the server? I don't care where it found the pictures or the music, just play it.
I haven't tried Media Center or Apple's AirTunes, but these two will certainly beat the Gateway unit. Gateway could recover it, but the market is probably not big enough for them to be motivated to do it. Apex may beat them both this fall. Or maybe Apple will make an AirPhoto?
Can't wait till every electronic device shows up on my wireless network. I suppose it will be a while before standards are created and things like quality of service and crossplatform issues are figured out.
... well great. But can I record a TV show to my computer and then burn it to disk or share it with friends? And how long before lawsuits over this kick off?
What these damn articles always leave out (who pays them off?) is the big question: can I record stuff from the device to a computer on the network? They always play up the fact that you can play music and movies from your computer
I've owned one of these for about a year and it does import DivX. I use a Adaptec VideOh USB to record MPEG-2 and then use VirtualDub-MPEG2 to compress this into DivX. At showtime the Windows server software transcodes this back into MPEG-2 and sends it to the player. The Windows server software is based on the GPL'd FFMPEG.
It does NOT let you add files that are located on a remotely shared partition (such as SAMBA shares on a Linux box), and mapping the shares as drive letters won't help.
Actually it tries to not let you but if you add the shared drives in netplay.cfg they will be scanned for media and it will be imported. My stuff is stored on various FreeBSD and Windows boxes and it works fine. You won't see the shared drives on the imports tab but they will be scanned.
Also what is with the Region 1 only?
Video player makers can't sell products covered by the DVD patents unless they agree to the CSS license. Some businesses have chosen not to market outside North America yet.
The ShowCenter page on Pinnacle's site says it needs special server software and is XP only.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Comment removed based on user account deletion
when you need a part or service, then IF you can find a repair depot close and IF they fix your closed box and then IF they still have parts and IF you can afford the shop costs.... perhaps you will want a PC with this feature added. still the best way.