Anyone know about mini media players?

[Mej]

Been looking at getting one of these so I can play stuff from USB throgh the tele, anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital-Live-Media-Player/dp/B002LZUHMI/ref=dp_cp_ob_computers_title_3

[Owenski]

dunno how much u know so it could seem obvious but:
Dont forget you'll need storage/device to store your media on if you're only buying a player.

Look at the sum-vision cyclone 5 (maybe a 6 now not sure) with 1TB storage available from CCL. good price and does both as it includes the storage.

[Mej]

dunno how much u know so it could seem obvious but:
Dont forget you'll need storage/device to store your media on if you're only buying a player.

Look at the sum-vision cyclone 5 (maybe a 6 now not sure) with 1TB storage available from CCL. good price and does both as it includes the storage.

A 1TB is on my xmas list but i have as my 250 is full now.

[beabert]

I got a philips dvd player that plays xvids etc from pen drives, thats another option.

[Bluepete]

Mej,

I bought one of those for my Mum last Christmas and she loves it. Very "Plug'n'play" and so on.

However,

As beabert says, Blu Ray players now stream and play everything. My Sony deck has a USB port in the front and will play photo's, video's HD content from my Panasonic camera (AVCHD format) and obviously, Blu Ray, DVD CD etc etc.

It also streams internet content at HD rates direct to the TV. Sony BDP S370.

Pete ;)

[Mej]

Mej,

I bought one of those for my Mum last Christmas and she loves it. Very "Plug'n'play" and so on.

However,

As beabert says, Blu Ray players now stream and play everything. My Sony deck has a USB port in the front and will play photo's, video's HD content from my Panasonic camera (AVCHD format) and obviously, Blu Ray, DVD CD etc etc.

It also streams internet content at HD rates direct to the TV. Sony BDP S370.

Pete ;)

Cheers Pete

i have blu ray on PS3, just need something to play all my stuff off pc really and seems like a good deal for the money. Its bday on monday, so this is gonna be top of the list.

[sinbad]

Cheers Pete

i have blu ray on PS3, just need something to play all my stuff off pc really and seems like a good deal for the money. Its bday on monday, so this is gonna be top of the list.

Thought about streaming from PC to the PS3? Piece of cake to configure windows media sharing and works really well.

[maviczap]

Thought about streaming from PC to the PS3? Piece of cake to configure windows media sharing and works really well.

You need PS3 media server. Its mentioned in my thread about media centres. 3rd post down I think

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=152382

[sinbad]

You need PS3 media server. Its mentioned in my thread about media centres. 3rd post down I think

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=152382

I think that depends on your media. When I switched from my Xbox360 I looked at Media Server because it can convert incompatible videos on the fly, but in the end I just used windows media player and can play 95% of the media I "acquire"- I don't "need" it :)

[Mej]

yeah been trying to work that one out today but doesnt allow you to play avi. files????

[maviczap]

I think that depends on your media. When I switched from my Xbox360 I looked at Media Server because it can convert incompatible videos on the fly, but in the end I just used windows media player and can play 95% of the media I "acquire"- I don't "need" it :)

Thats handy to know, I'm just about to build a new superduper PC and I want a blue ray player. PS3 is a good option as a blue ray player because of this extra functionality

[El Saxo]

Good timing for this thread, I've just ordered stuff to make a HTPC / Media Center today - I ordered one of these (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/44293/Foxconn-barebone-PC-system-Black--Netbox-nT-330i) with 2GB RAM & a 500MB HDD to go in it.

The plan is to hook it up via HDMI to my telly, put the sound through my hi-fi amp and run XBMC (http://xbmc.org) to play all my music and films / TV shows through it. I've still got my PS3 for DVDs / Blu-rays.

Plus, being a PC I can also run Spotify and even emulators for old SNES / Megadrive games (yes I know I'm a geek! :lol:).

[maviczap]

Looks like a good system El Saxo, pity its not got an internal optical drive, otherwise I'd buy one

[james160987]

xmbc - try media portal el saxo, uses xmbc but works extremly well

[El Saxo]

Mavic - Apparently Foxconn make an optical drive add-on for it that is the same case design so the unit I bought stacks on top of it. Not sure if it's blu-ray or only dvd though. My PS3 will be sat right next to it though so there didn't seem much point buying one.

EDIT: found it, it's this one (http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/5746676/art/foxconn/netdvd-external-dvd-recor.html), but it's only a DVD-RW drive, no blu-ray :(

James - will have a look at that, ta :)

[maviczap]

Mavic - Apparently Foxconn make an optical drive add-on for it that is the same case design so the unit I bought stacks on top of it. Not sure if it's blu-ray or only dvd though. My PS3 will be sat right next to it though so there didn't seem much point buying one.

EDIT: found it, it's this one (http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/5746676/art/foxconn/netdvd-external-dvd-recor.html), but it's only a DVD-RW drive, no blu-ray :(

James - will have a look at that, ta :)

Perhaps blu ray will be an option in the fruture?

[james160987]

ok maybe i can help out a little bit with some of the kit i have had/have and maybe help you get the right thing suited for you

WD mini player - have one of those ( well its at my nans currently)- good, simple to use, seems to play most stanard download stuff fine, menus are simple, it plays stuff no more, no less, ( normally need storage device usb stick etc)

Cheap dvd player with usb slot cant remember make right now, sumvision i think, - seems to play alot of stuff checked at it but is painfully poor quality, menus suck, slow etc etc,

PS3- Able to play pretty much most standard download stuff, plus the ability to have it streamed from a pc, ( seems to work ok) bluray player, iplayer , in built storage)

xbox- not great at playing alot of things,

Laptop with hdmi out ( a possible solution if your in the market for a laptop)

media centre pc - home build, runs media portal, using plugins such as moving pictures ends up looking like this

http://img40.imageshack.us/i/mp1024movingpictureslis.png/

and gets backdrops and movie info automaticly,

cyclone player- no experience but i here mixed things, if you download alot, i woud personally suggest going more to the media centre route, if to expensive, where is your nearest pc in the house? i have a 15 m hdmi cable in my bedroom going to my laptop to put stuff onto the tv, a 2.4ghz remote will work a fair distance aswell,

as per your orginal post the mini wdtv is good, the ones that are non hdmi are sometimes cheaper so if you are not watching hd downloads i would suggest one of these

sorry for the bad grammer (grammar?)

[Mej]

Cheers for all the advice I bought the wd tv live and I have been using it today. Very easy to use!

No more DVDs!!!!!