Digsy Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I've decided to have another go at adding some basic media streaming to my legacy AV system. I had a bash at this early this year but made a bad choice of hardware (SlingMedia) and wound up having to argue with DABs over sending about £300 pounds of kit back as "not fit for purpose". There is a pretty good sub forum on AVForums about this kind of thing, with one flaw - all the "which one should I buy" threads tend to get ignored, or replied to exclusively by people who just recommend whatever they have. I'm guessing that while these things are getting more widely accepted, they are still too geeky to be considered mainstream AV so everyone does their own research and either is or isn't happy with what they end up with. There are actually a few options out there now but they are not marketed in such a way that you can compare a few side by side, or even several on one website. Does anyone on here use one? The AC Ryan HD mini caught my eye (but again only because several people have one on AV Forums and there is a lengthy thread about them - I have no idea how they stack up against the opposition). Alternatives seem to be Popcorn Hour and WDTV. Minimum requirements are: Must play MP3 audio and DVD ISO image files. Must have component and composite video outputs. Optical audio output would be nice although I won't use it initially. Must support wired ethernet and NAS. Nice, fast GUI for indexing files is a must-have. If it can work in tandem with another system on the same network (i.e. pause in one room, resume in another) that would be beneficial as I plan to have two units. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I Minimum requirements are: Must play MP3 audio and DVD ISO image files. Must have component and composite video outputs. Optical audio output would be nice although I won't use it initially. Must support wired ethernet and NAS. Nice, fast GUI for indexing files is a must-have. If it can work in tandem with another system on the same network (i.e. pause in one room, resume in another) that would be beneficial as I plan to have two units. Any thoughts? A cheapy Pc with Linux and XBMC will meet all but two requirements.... 1. TV - There are ways of doing it, but not cleanly 2. The pause and restart in another room (I'm working on that myself) See my choices over the years -> http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=134427 Gav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Acer Aspire Revo with the Nvidia ION chipset http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200537 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Acer Aspire Revo with the Nvidia ION chipset http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200537 Indeed, and I've run a few of these on a setup I did for someone a while back. Lovely cheap units, sadly the wifi doesn't cut it for HD but that isn't the acer's fault Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Indeed, and I've run a few of these on a setup I did for someone a while back. Lovely cheap units, sadly the wifi doesn't cut it for HD but that isn't the acer's fault That is where these little marvels come in, I stream full 1080p with the earlier 401 model using twonky media server on a QNAP NAS http://www.ebuyer.com/product/185148 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny g Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Agreed Wez, I run the Devolo equivalents and get about 91Mbps around the house. Perfik for HD streams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Something like this? http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161663 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRalphMan Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Or this http://www.svp.co.uk/electronics/av-home-cinema/hd-players/sumvision-cyclone-mkv-v2-full-1080p-hd-player-and-enclosure-mte-01049_retail-boxed.html DOH... Great minds and all that Daman. Been looking closely at this and all seems good so far.. Just make sure you get the MK2 as the MK1 does not down dohdah DTS... So you'll only get sound on DTS files through an amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Thing is, majority of these standalone players have SUCKY interfaces, which is what leaves them firmly in geek territory, part of what I have strived for has been a useable slick interface for the entire family EDIT : Just had a look at the sumvision UI... and in a word UGGGGH This is a proper UI That said, I did come across this for the sumvision stuff.... http://www.mediaplayerworld.com/index.php?topic=110.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 I'm after a standalone solution, not a media PC, so the Sumvision type of product is what I am after. As far as interface is concerned I'd rather have a fast, well organised one over a flashy one even if it turns out to be mainly text based. Something ike you get in the seat back entertainment system on a long haul jet these days would be fine. I gather from my rather limited research that some of the stand alone players allow third party software to be installed for the GUI anyway. As I don't need the player to have an internal hard drive (everything will be on NAS) then the player itself can be really cut down. Sub £100 is what I am aiming for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/182438 Seems to have good reviews too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/182438 Seems to have good reviews too Doesn't seem to be a network player from the spec sheet - rather a USB media player. I do believe they do a network version though. I've started to get some feedback via AV Forums as well now, but it seems my requirements list puts me a bit higher up the price range than I expected... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Doesn't seem to be a network player from the spec sheet - rather a USB media player. I do believe they do a network version though. Oops, just checked and you are correct, might need the slightly more pricey version then, still under £90. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/179464 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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