Media Players

[hyperdimension]

As for a PC, if I am not mistaken, it does not have HDMI out. So, if you have a home stereo setup...or get one in the future...your picture quality and sound will suffer. I have a friend who uses his PC and it stutters from time to time and the PQ is just not as good as I get on mine. I only download HD movies with 5.1 surround sound (if available). Makes a huge difference.

I often plug my laptop computer to my television via VGA cable, with separate audio cable plugged into home theater receiver, and it has worked well. But nowadays Blu-ray is much more widespread and I've tried playing Blu-ray video files on the laptop but playback is not smooth at all. Also, audio is only stereo, as laptop computers are rarely designed with multi-speaker surround sound output.

So I'm thinking of getting the WDTV Live (around 4K THB, without an internal drive). Would it smoothly play Blu-ray files copied from a Blu-ray disk onto a USB drive?

[trisailer]

my laptop has a HDMI out so I can go to the TV, but I never use it anymore because it is so much easier to put content on a HD and play it off that.

If you want to put a blue ray onto a HD your going to have to find a rip program that will decrypt it. I use DVD Shrink and DVD decrypter I don't know about the encryption on blue rays but some of the Sony disc's are very hard to decrypt. I bought a stand alone Toshiba external DVD player/burner that I can plug (USB) into the media player or my TV. If you have the blue ray disk why take up HD space?

When I started out with this media stuff I had a 500GB portable now I have almost 6TB of "stuff" it accumulates fast.

What is WDTV live? Oh, I just checked it out on Cnet. A quick look and it only has 2 USB and 1 HDMI in/out I would get something that has an internal SETA, there cheap here and more inputs and outputs. Also a media player will handle all sorts of formats. WD tends to lock you in to using their software and I hate that.

Edited June 9, 2011 by trisailer

[trisailer]

I just read a little more about the WDTV and it is a streamer which I think is useless here in Thailand since most stream-able content is blocked. I searched for ways around this and found nothing.

Check this out before you invest. Netflix and most worthwhile media including some youtube is blocked.

If you get a media player with wifi you can access content that is available, but I haven't found much worth watching yet.

[hyperdimension]

I'm mainly just interested in the WDTV as a relatively cheap and reliable high definition media player with USB input and surround sound output, as an alternative to having a Blu-ray disc player. The good thing about USB input is that instead of inserting a disc as done with a Blu-ray player, I can plug in a USB drive with many high definition movies on it. I already have quite a few spare hard drives and USB adaptors are cheap. I'm not really interested in other features that the more expensive models of the WDTV have.

My main concern was whether the cheap version of the WDTV can handle playing full quality Blu-ray files, as my laptop from 6 years ago can't handle it, neither can an Acer netbook from a couple of years ago.

[trisailer]

I think that for about the same price you can get a media player that will play most formats and have more inputs. They all do 5.1 surround and if you get one with wifi you can stream media.

just a thought.

[astral]

I am reviving this thread to ask what are the latest developments in this field.

I have a WD media player, external disks and no internet access.

It works well but I am looking for an upgrade.

What suggestions do you have?

Thanks

[LivinLOS]

Biggest upgrade would be to add decent internet..

Boxee box has been great but is end of life cycle now really.. Big things happening in the android space over the next couple of months. I would have my money in my pocket ready for the holiday season product launches.

[angiud]

Check also the new WD TV Live ( new version, new interface, 99 us$) wonderful with a Internet connection (wired or wireless) see here

[nocturn]

I have the Apacer AL460. Plays everything and will do wifi.

On sale now at Tesco-Lotus for Bt. 2800.

AL670, plays (most) everything and has toslink (spdif) out to connect to home theater for 6ch (5.1) DTS and DD audio

[negreanu]

Mede8er 10003XD is probably the best media player out there just now based on realtek 1186 chipset. So Bluray 3D ISO files played direct works perfectly along with every other format you can think of - non 1186 chipsets cant do that. (Available from HD Studio Rama 4)

Internal 2.5" or 3.5" HD plus Gigabit ethernet and USB 3.0.

Other top end is the Micca EP600 G2 again 1186 chipset. Cheaper than the Mede8er but no internal drive but around $100 cheaper than 3XD. (Havent seen it in Thailand but Amazon has it)

Edited August 13, 2012 by negreanu

[HardenedSoul]

I waited ages for the xTreamer Prodigy but after too many promises about release dates, I bought another WDTV Live.

Good thing I fdid - Prodigy didn't arrive in Thailand until 3 months after.

Having said that, I've heard great reviews about the Prodigy though. Just can't justify mothballing one of the WDTVs which, to be fair, have worked well

[NaMah]

This thread inspired me to cancel my satellite television service.

I replaced it with a Boxee box and a Roku 2 XS which drive my Hitachi Ultravision 55-inch plasma. The Boxee has a browser and can view Youtube and similar sites plus hundreds of free channels. The Roku I use for Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Premium. My internet connection can supply download data rates up to 6 Mbps and that allows me to stream 1080p HD video simultaneously to the Boxee and the Roku over wired ethernet connections.

I've attached a 600 GB hard disk to the Boxee USB port with my music collection and a few movies that I've acquired and the Boxee plays all of my local content with no problems.

[negreanu]

My internet connection can supply download data rates up to 6 Mbps and that allows me to stream 1080p HD video simultaneously to the Boxee and the Roku over wired ethernet connections.

I somehow doubt u can stream 2 1080p streams simultaneously from US servers to Thailand without rebuffering and stuttering on a 6Mbps connection.

It's not so much the bandwidth but the latency to Thailand. For example 1 of our properties has 50mb VDSL and another has 100MB DOCSIS. none of which are able to stream 1080p reliably never mind 2 1080p streams.

Which ISP is that?

Edited August 19, 2012 by negreanu

[Jayman]

These are supposed to be the next greatest thing for media boxes

http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1454wt_1240

looks like you can have one shipped to thailand for like $130 or less...

plays everything and runs off of Android OS so there is tons of active development and support.

This one as well is supposed to be an up in comer

http://www.vizio.com/costar/overview

Edited August 19, 2012 by Jayman

[LivinLOS]

Yeah bot the gbox and the costar are on my shortlist for android xbmc clients..

[Ginkas]

A friend recently bought a new TV with a USB socket on the side.

He plugged his USB Handy Drive into it and found he can play all of his movies and recorded TV programmes.

I tried it out with a selection of my programmes.

Comes up with menu, selections, etc., just like a media player.

The only thing it wouldn't play was VOB/IFO files.

Looks like separate media boxes could become a thing of the past!

[Jayman]

A friend recently bought a new TV with a USB socket on the side.

He plugged his USB Handy Drive into it and found he can play all of his movies and recorded TV programmes.

I tried it out with a selection of my programmes.

Comes up with menu, selections, etc., just like a media player.

The only thing it wouldn't play was VOB/IFO files.

Looks like separate media boxes could become a thing of the past!

not at all.. media boxes do more than supply codex to play videos. What you are describing has been avail on newer TV's for many years now. I don't see media boxes become obsoleted by it but rather they are increasing their market share.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Jayman

[NaMah]

My internet connection can supply download data rates up to 6 Mbps and that allows me to stream 1080p HD video simultaneously to the Boxee and the Roku over wired ethernet connections.

I somehow doubt u can stream 2 1080p streams simultaneously from US servers to Thailand without rebuffering and stuttering on a 6Mbps connection.

It's not so much the bandwidth but the latency to Thailand. For example 1 of our properties has 50mb VDSL and another has 100MB DOCSIS. none of which are able to stream 1080p reliably never mind 2 1080p streams.

Which ISP is that?

I can't explain why your 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps commerical service can't stream 1080p but I can definitely stream 1080p to both the Roku and Boxee and can simultaneously stream youtube to my Galaxy SII (connected WiFi) but if I try to view HD video on my desktop PC it hesitates and pauses. I'm in North America with AT&T U-Verse internet service on the 6 Mbps plan. Here is a speedtest screenshot:

I'm watching the Italian Cooking channel in 1080p on my Boxee and watching a Netflix movie on the Roku right now though I paused both for the speedtest. In Thailand I'm concerned that I will have to employ a VPN to get to content and that most VPNs won't likely support the data rates.

[negreanu]

I'm in North America with AT&T U-Verse internet service on the 6 Mbps plan. Here is a speedtest screenshot:

Thats why it works. I assumed incorrectly that you were in Thailand. That won't work here.

in fact your lucky to achieve a 1 1080p stream in thailand from usa.

[Dork]

I must be missing something in this discussion. I have several media players & a media server on a wired LAN. The media players can display real time bandwidth of whatever is streaming. Sometimes that can reach 50Mbps. How could a 6Mbps WAN connection possibly work? I have trouble even getting it to work via wifi on the LAN.

[NaMah]

I'm in North America with AT&T U-Verse internet service on the 6 Mbps plan. Here is a speedtest screenshot:

Thats why it works. I assumed incorrectly that you were in Thailand. That won't work here.

in fact your lucky to achieve a 1 1080p stream in thailand from usa.

Is it the latency or is it lost packets that prevents good streaming to Thailand?

I'm not clear on why latency is a problem, I mean, as long as the packets are arriving intact an in the correct order it seems to me that it should work even if the packets are a bit stale.

Packet errors I can understand, where the contents don't agree with the CRC the packets will be dropped on the receive side and the modem eventually will want to break lock and reset itself.

Any idea on why latency screws up streaming video?

[negreanu]

You will get a unstable 3mb-4mb international connection to the US from Thailand. That would be fine for 1 1080p stream however the stability and latency is just terrible.

Expect standard if your lucky solid stream on Netflix and hulu from here.

[LivinLOS]

A friend recently bought a new TV with a USB socket on the side.

He plugged his USB Handy Drive into it and found he can play all of his movies and recorded TV programmes.

I tried it out with a selection of my programmes.

Comes up with menu, selections, etc., just like a media player.

The only thing it wouldn't play was VOB/IFO files.

Looks like separate media boxes could become a thing of the past!

the opposite in fact..

Media boxes now do so much more than just play files.. For a start they categorize your library, download the meta data and cover art, sort it by genre etc etc etc.. They can do tricks like pause on the downstairs TV and resume at the same point on the bedroom system.

More than that tho is the online media, streaming netflix, hulu, iPlayer, etc etc etc.. Theres 'channels' of niche content like MMA video apps, news, etc etc..

TV is going IP, and media boxes will become ever more popular as a means of accessing that content.

[LivinLOS]

I'm watching the Italian Cooking channel in 1080p on my Boxee and watching a Netflix movie on the Roku right now though I paused both for the speedtest. In Thailand I'm concerned that I will have to employ a VPN to get to content and that most VPNs won't likely support the data rates.

Use an IP header spoof solution rather than a VPN.

But you may still struggle (to get full bitrate) 1080p I think on average lines.

[Phil Conners]

These are supposed to be the next greatest thing for media boxes

http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1454wt_1240

looks like you can have one shipped to thailand for like $130 or less...

plays everything and runs off of Android OS so there is tons of active development and support.

This one as well is supposed to be an up in comer

http://www.vizio.com/costar/overview

Wow that's two interesting boxes. I already have both a WDTV Live and an AC Ryan that allow me to watch videos stored on my NAS, but with Overplay I find I'm watching more and more online content, so I'm back to using the old netbook as neither of my old media players have much online features.

One thing my experience with Android on mobile phones has taught me is that the one thing that matters is community interest in the device. This is why the HTC and Samsung phones are so popular, you can get all sorts of software (ROMS) for them. You may find a very nice no-name (or also-run) Android phone but if you rely on the vendor for updates you may sometimes wait forever and end up with a very expensive paperweight.

This is relevant for this thread as it is probably going to be the same case with these new Android media players. Both Vizio and G-box looks great, but for me the success will depend on community interest - that there are "hackers" out there that will keep providing the latest Android updates when the vendor becomes more interested in pushing new boxes rather than software updates.

[LivinLOS]

I must be missing something in this discussion. I have several media players & a media server on a wired LAN. The media players can display real time bandwidth of whatever is streaming. Sometimes that can reach 50Mbps. How could a 6Mbps WAN connection possibly work? I have trouble even getting it to work via wifi on the LAN.

Because no one is defining what kind of 1080p..

Full bitrate blurays are up at 50 Mbps.. Netflix I think is up at around 8 for the fullHd. Iplayer streams HD at about 3.5 Mbit.

1080p != 1080p

[NaMah]

I must be missing something in this discussion. I have several media players & a media server on a wired LAN. The media players can display real time bandwidth of whatever is streaming. Sometimes that can reach 50Mbps. How could a 6Mbps WAN connection possibly work? I have trouble even getting it to work via wifi on the LAN.

I see that AppleTV and GoogleTV both recommend that you have 10 Mbps in order to stream HD content so I'm not sure why it works at 6 Mbps. I'm watching both boxes right now and they are both set to 1080p. I'm also reading/posting to ThaiVisa from my desktop (connected via ethernet) and just replied to some email on my Galaxy SII which is connected via WiFi so that is 4 devices. My speed tests never show me getting over 6 Mbps and AT&T says I'm too far from the central office to get higher speeds (there is 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps service available). There are lots of people on the Roku and Boxee user forums getting 1080p streaming with very low bandwidths

I'm pleasantly surprised because I wasn't sure I would be able to stream at all. I kept my satellite service active until I was sure my streaming setup was going to work consistently and finally cancelled the satellite (Dish Network) this week. Its interesting to be able to watch what I want on demand and I was surprised at how much free content is available. I was paying $89.99 USD per month for satellite service and now just pay $7.99 USD for Netflix and about the same for Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime.

There are android applications available that act as a remote control for the Roku and Boxee units and have voice input for search queries etc. You can just say "scuba in Palau" and see video after video of scuba diving in Palau. I've been watching lots of video of Thailand. Great stuff.

[tigerbeer]

I must be missing something in this discussion. I have several media players & a media server on a wired LAN. The media players can display real time bandwidth of whatever is streaming. Sometimes that can reach 50Mbps. How could a 6Mbps WAN connection possibly work? I have trouble even getting it to work via wifi on the LAN.

I see that AppleTV and GoogleTV both recommend that you have 10 Mbps in order to stream HD content so I'm not sure why it works at 6 Mbps. I'm watching both boxes right now and they are both set to 1080p. I'm also reading/posting to ThaiVisa from my desktop (connected via ethernet) and just replied to some email on my Galaxy SII which is connected via WiFi so that is 4 devices. My speed tests never show me getting over 6 Mbps and AT&T says I'm too far from the central office to get higher speeds (there is 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps service available). There are lots of people on the Roku and Boxee user forums getting 1080p streaming with very low bandwidths

I'm pleasantly surprised because I wasn't sure I would be able to stream at all. I kept my satellite service active until I was sure my streaming setup was going to work consistently and finally cancelled the satellite (Dish Network) this week. Its interesting to be able to watch what I want on demand and I was surprised at how much free content is available. I was paying $89.99 USD per month for satellite service and now just pay $7.99 USD for Netflix and about the same for Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime.

There are android applications available that act as a remote control for the Roku and Boxee units and have voice input for search queries etc. You can just say "scuba in Palau" and see video after video of scuba diving in Palau. I've been watching lots of video of Thailand. Great stuff.

I saw some information about an

MK802 II Android 4.0 Mini PC Google TV Box Internet Wifi Player

anyone had information as to whether one could get an android box in Thailand?

also Netflix is not available in your area is what it says on their website. I reckon you need to use a proxy server that you need to pay for every month?

TB

[Jayman]

I must be missing something in this discussion. I have several media players & a media server on a wired LAN. The media players can display real time bandwidth of whatever is streaming. Sometimes that can reach 50Mbps. How could a 6Mbps WAN connection possibly work? I have trouble even getting it to work via wifi on the LAN.

I see that AppleTV and GoogleTV both recommend that you have 10 Mbps in order to stream HD content so I'm not sure why it works at 6 Mbps. I'm watching both boxes right now and they are both set to 1080p. I'm also reading/posting to ThaiVisa from my desktop (connected via ethernet) and just replied to some email on my Galaxy SII which is connected via WiFi so that is 4 devices. My speed tests never show me getting over 6 Mbps and AT&T says I'm too far from the central office to get higher speeds (there is 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps service available). There are lots of people on the Roku and Boxee user forums getting 1080p streaming with very low bandwidths

I'm pleasantly surprised because I wasn't sure I would be able to stream at all. I kept my satellite service active until I was sure my streaming setup was going to work consistently and finally cancelled the satellite (Dish Network) this week. Its interesting to be able to watch what I want on demand and I was surprised at how much free content is available. I was paying $89.99 USD per month for satellite service and now just pay $7.99 USD for Netflix and about the same for Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime.

There are android applications available that act as a remote control for the Roku and Boxee units and have voice input for search queries etc. You can just say "scuba in Palau" and see video after video of scuba diving in Palau. I've been watching lots of video of Thailand. Great stuff.

I saw some information about an

MK802 II Android 4.0 Mini PC Google TV Box Internet Wifi Player

anyone had information as to whether one could get an android box in Thailand?

also Netflix is not available in your area is what it says on their website. I reckon you need to use a proxy server that you need to pay for every month?

TB

try ebay.. there are several and they will ship to Thailand. Looks like you can have one here for less than $130. I posted some links several posts up.

[beano2274]

There is a media player on ensogo on special offer, but as it is on ensogo the details are in Thai only

http://www.ensogo.com/retail/cube-x-zyte-20082012.html