Apacer Media Player At Tesco

[jaideeguy]

Just thought that I would inform those interested in a media player that has all or most of the specs of the WD and others available here that Tesco Lotus [in CM] has a promotion on the Apacer AL460 @ 2,500thb and the newer version that I didn't see too much difference in Apacer AL670 @ 1,000thb more.

http://ap.apacer.com/products/AL460

For me, I like the small size and with no internal memory, so I can just insert a usb drive and/or notebook external drive and whenever traveling, and stuck in a hotel room with crapy cable, I can just plug in my own media. Has HDMI and composit outputs as well as ethernet for streaming.

Check it out if you're in the market for a media player......the cheapest I've found so far in LOS and Apacer is a respectable name.......but sale and stock may end so, you snooze/you loose.

[nidge]

I have the same model, i bought it about 3 months ago. It's perfect fpr me. I have a TV on my bedroom wall and it's only plugged into this box, (hdmi). I download all my tv shows from the net and watch UK tv each night in bed.

[Jdietz]

Got one, happy with it.

Only thing it doesn't do, and the 670 will, is decode DTS 6CH, but I just re-encode and add AC3 6CH to the files that don't have it.

Otherwise, it has played everything I throw at it and the price is right.

[likewise]

Just bought one at our acer store for 1900 baht. Now connecting, easy enough Box straight to TV.

Now I got a problem though since I wanted to connect it with my home theatre system.

I got my TV connected to my home theatre system with HDMI cable, now if you want to connect the media player it seems that my home theatre system would need 2 HDMI outputs which it doesn't.

So sadly enough, I got it too work HDMI TV to HDMI media player then using the jacks you get with the player connected those from player to home theatre...... Now only my 2 speakers will play so no more surround ???

Anybody any info how to solve this ?

Thanks

[astral]

I think you have bought the wrong HDMI cable.

Read this article for details.

[likewise]

I don't think so, before when my tv was connected to home theatre (dvd player) with same HDMI cable as I am using now it was working perfectly, I mean all speakers of teh system worked.

However there the dvd player only has an HDMI output it seems impossible to connect it the way the manual says which is is : tv to theatre set and media player to theatre set.

IT works now but only 2 speakers of theatre system work, no more surround ? Wondering if it is wrongly connected but I see no other way of connecting ?

Connection set up now is : HDMI TV to media player, media player to dvd using white/red/yellow jacks ?

Any tech nerds around ? Would love to have my surround sound back ?

[richard_smith237]

Hope this isn't a daft question...

Will it also stream TV... i.e. iPlayer / Hulu / youtube ?

[likewise]

should do if you connect it to internet. I'd just be happy if the dam_n thing gave me my surround sounds back lol

[nocturn]

where did you buy it? in bkk? shop name?

[nocturn]

I don't think so, before when my tv was connected to home theatre (dvd player) with same HDMI cable as I am using now it was working perfectly, I mean all speakers of teh system worked.

However there the dvd player only has an HDMI output it seems impossible to connect it the way the manual says which is is : tv to theatre set and media player to theatre set.

IT works now but only 2 speakers of theatre system work, no more surround ? Wondering if it is wrongly connected but I see no other way of connecting ?

Connection set up now is : HDMI TV to media player, media player to dvd using white/red/yellow jacks ?

Any tech nerds around ? Would love to have my surround sound back ?

this is your problem in bold.

red=right

white=left

yellow=video

you are only sending the amp as stereo signal.

without knowing anything about your "home theatre" i would speculate you would have to send the composite signal to your tv's composite in and HDMI to your amp.

you would get some degradion in picture using composite video rather than hdmi.

Edited August 17, 2011 by nocturn

[stgrhe]

without knowing anything about your "home theatre" i would speculate you would have to send the composite signal to your tv's composite in and HDMI to your amp.

Most receivers and processors have limitation in their conversion capabilities and composite in and HDMI out is likely to be one of those. One likely needs at least component in to be able to get a HDMI out signal from the receiver.

[likewise]

Indeed, dvd has no HDMI in so no way of getting surround back, bit of a bummer but will have to do with stereo sound.

[ignis]

where did you buy it? in bkk? shop name?

err ? very clear in the OP's post.. available here that Tesco Lotus [in CM]

[nocturn]

where did you buy it? in bkk? shop name?

err ? very clear in the OP's post.. available here that Tesco Lotus [in CM]

yes, i saw that after posting.

re the stereo issue:

from what the op has said, i gather that his home theatre is one of those dvd/amp combo things.

I have one as well and for 5.1 it has only an spdif in for 5.1 audio. the quandary i had was that my laptop only had one hdmi out. Once hdmi was engaged, to get video signal to the tv, i could no longer get sound to the amp.

this was the solution:

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B003U1Y8SQ

the switch splits the audio out of the hdmi signal and sends it to the amp with a toslink cable. works a dream for about 50 bucks delivered.

so now, hdmi out from laptop into switch. Hdmi out from switch to tv, toslink from switch to digital in on dvd/amp.

i suppose the caveat is he should have bought the the next level up apacer for 1000 baht more in the first place.

think i will give that one a try.

Edited August 18, 2011 by nocturn

[Familyonthemove]

When I started reading the thread I thought "I must head to Tesco Lotus and get one of those" .... by the end of the thread I was thinking "sounds too complicated". (I'm a bit of a media dumbo and I've not progressed beyong the UBC box and DVD's, but I miss Top Gear!)

I have a good lap-top with HDMI output and a decent video card .... will this media player do anything that I can't already do with the lap-top (assuming I knew what I was doing)?

[nocturn]

When I started reading the thread I thought "I must head to Tesco Lotus and get one of those" .... by the end of the thread I was thinking "sounds too complicated". (I'm a bit of a media dumbo and I've not progressed beyong the UBC box and DVD's, but I miss Top Gear!)

I have a good lap-top with HDMI output and a decent video card .... will this media player do anything that I can't already do with the lap-top (assuming I knew what I was doing)?

should be able to download top gear, plug in hdmi and watch. (though of course nothing with computers is ever that simple). but yes, if you are happy watching in stereo you have all you need

[stgrhe]

Also, as I have written in a pinned thread, HDMI is not the same with every unit and equipment as there are several versions with, right now, version 1.4a being the latest. For 3D picture you need version 1.3 or better on all units connected as well as corresponding version of the cable. For audio return, i.e. audio from the TV without a separate audio cable, you need version 1.4a.

[stgrhe]

Also, as I have written in a pinned thread, HDMI is not the same with every unit and equipment as there are several versions with, right now, version 1.4a being the latest. For 3D picture you need version 1.3 or better on all units connected as well as corresponding version of the cable. For audio return, i.e. audio from the TV without a separate audio cable, you need version 1.4a.

[nocturn]

so i just bought the apacer al670.

as it is based on a realtek 1073 chip and not the newer 12 series, video could be better. it seems a touch grainy when compared with my vaios hdmi output, but the difference is negligible. Not a showstopper for the price of 3300 baht though

It does (happily) allow you sert it for pass through or raw hdmi, or send pure digital to the spdif so 5.1 support is very good.

downloading a dts encoded brrip now to see how it handles dts through the HDMI.

the ui is not that pretty, but it is certainly usable and the remote has decent functionality.

i have also ordered the n draft wirless usb adapter from apacer for 30 bucks off the web (they say it only works with the apacer wireless usb, unlike the wdtv, which supports a number of devices).

I have only experienced the wdtv live breifly at a friends, but for the money, the al670 seems well worth it.

time will tell.

[nocturn]

Hope this isn't a daft question...

Will it also stream TV... i.e. iPlayer / Hulu / youtube ?

not daft at all. it wont.

wdtv live will, but only hulu plus, not hulu. not sure about u tube. the only net connectivity on the al670 is a built in torrent client.

another shortcoming (though i am sure it is common to pretty much all of these players) is the inability to unpack rar files, so torrent down direct via thew player is only good if your source is not rared

though the internal torrent client has little appeal to me as i use a seedbox

[Familyonthemove]

When I started reading the thread I thought "I must head to Tesco Lotus and get one of those" .... by the end of the thread I was thinking "sounds too complicated". (I'm a bit of a media dumbo and I've not progressed beyong the UBC box and DVD's, but I miss Top Gear!)

I have a good lap-top with HDMI output and a decent video card .... will this media player do anything that I can't already do with the lap-top (assuming I knew what I was doing)?

should be able to download top gear, plug in hdmi and watch. (though of course nothing with computers is ever that simple). but yes, if you are happy watching in stereo you have all you need

Thanks! That'll do me. But I'll still drop in to Tesco .... because "He who dies with the most toys ... wins!" (Game of life for men)

[stgrhe]

Thanks! That'll do me. But I'll still drop in to Tesco .... because "He who dies with the most toys ... wins!" (Game of life for men)

But the richest man in the graveyard is the greatest loser.

[nocturn]

just an update. i just wached a 1080 brrip of Inception, ful DTS 5.1.

The Apacer 670 is well worth the money. for anyone considering this machine in bkk, I would say go for it. be warned though that the Lotus on rama IV only has one left. Also, you will likely have to find it yourself. the staff are cluless and 4 people told me they didn't have it before i finally found one guy who knew the difference between a media player and a bluray or dvd player.

they did not have the cheaper model, the AL460.

[astral]

just an update. i just wached a 1080 brrip of Inception, ful DTS 5.1.

Mind blowing, eh?

A whole new experience, in your home.

[nocturn]

just an update. i just wached a 1080 brrip of Inception, ful DTS 5.1.

Mind blowing, eh?

A whole new experience, in your home.

without having to set up the laptop. if only it did hulu. anyways well worth the very small cash outlay