[advid]

....I've just returned (to QVC) a Philips 500g Multimedia player... I thought it would do what I wanted - but NO !

I just wanted an easy to use device to transfer files from my PC to my TV ...

It 'says on the tin' both stated on QVC and on the Philips box that it supports MP4 - I've just purchased a Samsung VP-HMX 20c HiDEf video camera and the Philips doesn't even recognise MP4 files... (both in HD and standard SD format) - they just don't show up on the menu (?)

My camera (Casio Exilim) saves in AVI format and although the Philips sees them on its menu it doesnt play them (screen goes blank the back to menu) ?

What a load of @(>'$%!...

I can play Divx - AVI - MPEG - MP4 - and loads more video and audio formats on my PC with no problems - is there some sort of HD/Multimedia device that will do what I want...

(I'm hard wired with 2 PC's linked in my back (work) room) _ I don't really want to go wireless..so don't suggest transmitter/sender device)

Surely there must a reliable easy to 'plug in and play' box that will play all formats that are playable on a PC and allow me just to plug into my TV and view ???

..Any advice or help most welcome !

[daggad]

The Popcornhour maybe..?

Welcome To Popcorn Hour

[glesgaguyav]

Or

Home

[advid]

WOW - so - how much is this little beauty..... ?

Home > Products > TVIX HD M-6500A

[Mr Lazy]

£299 without hard drive.

Whereas the Popcorn Hour will set you back around £140-150 incl. shipping at current exchange rates.

They have the same chipset.

Have a search through this forum to gather opinion as to which is best:
Streamers & Network Media Players - AVForums.com

[advid]

>>>>£299 without hard drive.

Whereas the Popcorn Hour will set you back around £140-150 incl. shipping at current exchange rates.

They have the same chipset.

...bearing in mind that this price is WITHOUT a hard drive... would I not be better off buying a little laptop with HDMI output and just using it plugged into my TV whenever I want to view any stuff from either my VideoCam/Digital Camera or any other stuff (MP3's / JPEG's ect) that's on the Laptop ?
As I've already mentioned both my (wired router) desktop PC's seem to play anything (MP4 Hi-Def - MP4 SD - and all the Divx - AVI - MPEG - MOV stuff as well with no problems)
Also I could plug into it another Hard Disk containing MultiMedia via one of the laptop's USB ports and play and use that as well ??

I agree - it won't be as convenient as a 'nice little box' placed on a shelf with my TV setup but at least a laptop could serve other uses....

The only 'inconvinience' that I see with this is that it wouldn't have a remote control unit so i'd have to get out of the old armchair to stop / start /play ect. !

..... Am I going down the wrong route with this idea - comments / more advice please !!

[Mr Lazy]

Originally Posted by advid

would I not be better off buying a little laptop with HDMI output and just using it plugged into my TV

Sounds like too much hassle to me (but see my screenname!). Fine if you can afford it but you would need a pretty decent laptop (very fast cpu and a good spec graphics card depending on the res of your HDTV) and that would cost a lot more than the 150 for a PCH and without the convenience. You don't necessarily need a hard drive the idea of the PCH etc. is that you stream over a network (ie. from one of your PCs perhaps via HomePlug 200mbps) and anyway hard drives are dirt cheap now. I would also doubt that the output from the laptop would look as good as either the output from a PCH or a Blu-Ray player, but I am willing to be corrected.

The only 'inconvinience' that I see with this is that it wouldn't have a remote control unit so i'd have to get out of the old armchair to stop / start /play ect. !

You could use a remote if you used Media Center.

[advid]

>>>don't necessarily need a hard drive the idea of the PCH etc. is that you stream over a network (ie. from one of your PCs perhaps via HomePlug

>>>>You could use a remote if you used Media Center.


I'm 'hard wired' and don't really want to go down a wireless or other type of network if I can help it ....

I've got XP Pro on my PC's - does this me an 'upgrade' to Vista ? (this is another thing i DO NOT want to do...)

[Mr Lazy]

Originally Posted by advid

I've got XP Pro on my PC's - does this me an 'upgrade' to Vista ?

Nope.