I'm looking for a networked media player

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onetrueday

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 12, 2001
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My children like to eat dvd's for breakfast. So, I'm in the process of backing up our dvd to xvid in hopes of centralizing the storage. Some of the disney dvd's simply can't be replaced, so such measures are necessary.

I was looking at a dvd player that has a external drive supporting usb port.

I've been reading that there are numerous media player set-top boxes that will connect to your PC and stream whichever video is assigned to it.

I do not need this media player to be wireless, I have no problem running some cat5 through the basement because the distance is less then 20 feet.

Which would ya'll suggest that'll give me the best performance/cost ratio?

Thanks!

I'm not really interested in building a full HTPC system. I simply don't have those kids of needs.
 
Well, the simplest and most kid friendly method I can think of is an Xbox 360. You can use them to stream from an MCE box somewhere in the house so in effect you get both a game system and a way for the kiddies to watch the Lion King.

I've never tried this myself, I've just read the stats listing the capabilities. I'm far too cheap to buy a 360. :-D
 
Rori said:
Well, the simplest and most kid friendly method I can think of is an Xbox 360. You can use them to stream from an MCE box somewhere in the house so in effect you get both a game system and a way for the kiddies to watch the Lion King.

I've never tried this myself, I've just read the stats listing the capabilities. I'm far too cheap to buy a 360. :-D
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i looked into this and i really appriciate your time.

i looked into it and its a tough sell. the xbox will not play xvid unless its modded.

all i need is something to stream video and doesnt take over my computer to do so.

thanks
 
No sweat on the time, just saw your post and it seemed win-win. But if you are truly set on xvid, then yes the 360 isn't a workable solution. There *are* other alternatives of course, but those involve setting up an HTPC even if you don't add TV tuners. For instance, you could set up SageTV on your PC and use it as a media server using the Sage Media Extender (http://store.sagetv.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SOS&Product_Code=STVCMVP). This still works out as cheaper by far than a 360, it just requires you to run Sage on your PC and doesn't give you a gaming system.

Hmm... come to think of it I don't think the Media Extender will play xvid either. I don't know of any hardware only decoder for xvid. Maybe someone else has a better idea since you want to use xvid.

Edit: As it just so happens... there is a link on the front page to a project called "Transcode 360". Just reading through the page and peeking at the forums at (http://www.runtime360.com/projects/) it looks as if this program allows you to play multiple file formats including xvid on your 360. All installed on your PC and no modding required. Neat stuff. And it's freeware. Yeah!
 
I've been using Transcode360 since it first came out and it works great. All of my DVD collection is encoded in Xvid on my Media Server and I just stream it to my 360.

The Xbox 360 is a great Media Extender and it's very easy to setup.
 
How about something like the Philips DVP642? It's a DVD player that supports DiVX, Xvid, etc...

You could transcode the movies for the kids, burn them on cheap CDs, and just reburn when they destroy them. It's a cheap way to go, and allows for centralized storage of your source XVid files, and allows you to stash the original DVDs somewhere safe.

Just a thought.
 
tremor said:
How about something like the Philips DVP642? It's a DVD player that supports DiVX, Xvid, etc...

You could transcode the movies for the kids, burn them on cheap CDs, and just reburn when they destroy them. It's a cheap way to go, and allows for centralized storage of your source XVid files, and allows you to stash the original DVDs somewhere safe.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

I have the dvp642 and it does work fantastic, but I was hoping for a storage solution that doesn t involve changing discs. I want it to be easy enough my (soon to be x)wife can handle it during the upcoming winter months.
 
I have the GoVideo Network DVD Player, plays everything from my server. I wouldn't recomend this unless if you have a local store that will honor returns as for some reason 50% of them comes doa.


Buffalo now makes their own Network DVD Player, it looks more robust and advanced and should work better.
 
I too have the GoVideo networked DVD player. It sits in a corner, as a target of my scorn and dirty looks. Stay away.
 
tremor said:
I too have the GoVideo networked DVD player. It sits in a corner, as a target of my scorn and dirty looks. Stay away.
Click to expand...


doa?
 
options i can think of..

1. Video out car don your pc.
2. xbox modded with xbmc streaming.
3. second pc for the tv networked to the main pc.
4. 360 running to a pc with mce and transcode.

^ all i can think of that wont cost u arm + a child or twos leg.
 
I use a Dlink MediaLounge (http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=318). Have you considered this yet?

I've really never have any issue with playback. It seems to do fine with the popular video file formats (divx, xvid, mpeg-no wmv though). Even my larger/higher quality files seem to play fine. I have all my DVDs backed up to my media server and stream them through the Dlink box. Plus the box is pretty cheap. It also may be worth looking at the new HD version that just came out (http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=438). The only problem I have with it is the lack of ability to set up a playlist and have it continually play. It requires user interaction when a video ends and you want to start another (DSM 520 may be different but not sure). Also the remote is pretty crappy. It seems like you have to be right on top of the box for it to work.
 
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