Another newbie "what streamer" type post...

[jmbillings]

So, I was in John Lewis last nigth and saw the Netgear EVA700. Hmm, quite cheap (even cheaper online) and sounds handy... basically, I currently have a Netgear MP101 for music and an HDTV (720p only) and no HD source.
I like the idea of viewing photos on the tv (giant digital photo frame) and also streaming HD content to the TV (still don't want to give Sky any more money!)

After some reading, it seems the EVA700 isn't so great, and then, after browsing more forums and websites I found a whole load of other devices. Now, it seems a lot of issues stem back to the particular chip in the device and whether it decodes .mkv files - presumably buying a non-mkv device would be a bit of a no-no right now? Or is there plenty of content in other formats?
I'm also aware my 54G network won't deal with streaming HD stuff (I think...) so a box of Cat5 cable is going in my boot tonight from work...

This looks good - abigs but not sure about the mkv'ness of it.
Other items I've looked over today are the Rapsody N35, the MVIX MX760 and the TVIX MP-4000, but again, not sure about some of the technicalities...

Needless to say, I don't have much cash to spend on this so anything costing over the £170 mark is prolly a no-no. Is there anything out there or am I best off waiting? I like the idea of upgradeability with a hard disk, but it wouldn't need to have on initially.

James.

[DISCODV]

Originally Posted by jmbillings

So, I was in John Lewis last nigth and saw the Netgear EVA700. Hmm, quite cheap (even cheaper online) and sounds handy... basically, I currently have a Netgear MP101 for music and an HDTV (720p only) and no HD source.
I like the idea of viewing photos on the tv (giant digital photo frame) and also streaming HD content to the TV (still don't want to give Sky any more money!)

After some reading, it seems the EVA700 isn't so great, and then, after browsing more forums and websites I found a whole load of other devices. Now, it seems a lot of issues stem back to the particular chip in the device and whether it decodes .mkv files - presumably buying a non-mkv device would be a bit of a no-no right now? Or is there plenty of content in other formats?
I'm also aware my 54G network won't deal with streaming HD stuff (I think...) so a box of Cat5 cable is going in my boot tonight from work...

This looks good - abigs but not sure about the mkv'ness of it.
Other items I've looked over today are the Rapsody N35, the MVIX MX760 and the TVIX MP-4000, but again, not sure about some of the technicalities...

Needless to say, I don't have much cash to spend on this so anything costing over the £170 mark is prolly a no-no. Is there anything out there or am I best off waiting? I like the idea of upgradeability with a hard disk, but it wouldn't need to have on initially.

James.

The EVA700 is quite outdated and does not support HD. You need to look at the EVA8000 which supports HD and the new beta firmware allows MKV playback.

There are still a few bugs with this unit, but netgear seem to be working very hard with new beta firmare releases to resolve them.

[jmbillings]

Originally Posted by DISCODV

The EVA700 is quite outdated and does not support HD. You need to look at the EVA8000 which supports HD and the new beta firmware allows MKV playback.

There are still a few bugs with this unit, but netgear seem to be working very hard with new beta firmare releases to resolve them.

It's interesting you say that - as the box for the EVA700 said it could do HD via component, but I did wonder why the 8000 had the HD suffix!

I see one or two suppliers are perhaps in the price range for that one, so could be worth reading up on (i'd sort of discounted it till now...)

[rhubarbe]

Keep reading.

I have had six of these devices. None of them, except the TVIX HD M-4100SH (stupid name to try to remember) was really any good. I sold my 4100 and now I can't make up my mind whether to buy another or wait in the queue for the PopCornHour AV100.

Sigh.

I should give that Abigs HD Multimedia Drive a miss. If it isn't a recognised name it will lack firmware support. This means that what annoys you about it when you buy it (oh yes, it will, it will) will never get fixed by firmware update.

EDIT: Having been browsing I think that the Abig thingy above is the same rebadged as the Ellion product being sold by Scan.

[jmbillings]

I am certainly getting the impression that none of these streaming thingies are much cop! Every one I've looked up so far seems to have people suffering woes... I guess it's like a lot of things, you obviously hear more people with problems than not, it's the nature of forums, but perhaps the technology for these is still a little bit hit and miss...

I think whatever I get, I'll make sure it's from somewhere I can return it!

My original plan was to build a small PC and run one of the many media centre freewares out there, but the cost of that was a bit too much at the moment...

[rhubarbe]

HTPC? Another mug's game. I have MKV for sale right now. There isn't any software that will play .ISOs or my camcorder AVCHD files. OK, VLC and Nero Express may do but you can't fire them up from within MCE's GUI.

MCE, with its childish, huge icons that behaves like nanny and smacks your leg if you try to do something naughty.

[sydh]

I spent the last several weeks studying all the forums and reviews for probably every media player available, and I found there are serious "reported" problems with every single device. I note that many of the guys on this forum rate the Netgear yet I have seen toe-curling stories on other forums about this unit.
I came to the simple conclusion that because this technology is still quite new, there is no perfect unit available yet. Eventually, with this in mind, I opted for the Kiss 1600 made by Linksys, mainly because it has a very impressive file format compatability listing. It also has a pretty good quality DVD player built in, so my existing player could go and free up some connections.
The cheapest I could find it for was Play.com at £187. Most other retailers are around £200 so this was quite a bargain.
I have it connected by wireless to my Netgear router and it seems fine. I am using it to play VOB's, jpg's and audio. Even 5mb photos are minimal delay. Any HD video content will still need hard wire though. The interface is very basic but if you need something flashier, then there are other options on the net.
Hope this helps as another option.

[rhubarbe]

And yet you see I have read such horror stories of all KiSS devices, the 1600 being just another in a long line of disasters that I wouldn't touch one with, well anybody's.

I suppose it just depends what forums you read.

Five years ago I bought a TFT monitor and have used it happily at work ever since. It is now at the end of its life and I need to source another. While I was reading forums about new TFT monitors I happened upon one for the model I bought five years ago. If I had been buying it now I wouldn't give it a second glance.

And I can't make my mind up which of the current offering to plump for.

There is a moral here, but don't read too much into it.

[sydh]

My point exactly. As someone said previously, the very nature of forums always points towards the bad points of equipment. If you accept everyone's reports, then you just wouldn't buy anything. The main reason I bought the 1600 was the well documented compatibility. I believe it will accept more formats than nearly all the other units on the market. VOB was the big thing for me and I don't believe the 8000 will accept them. I have also read of stuttering video which I have never experienced on the 1600. Other reports have also stated that Netgear list several photo formats, yet jpg is the only format that works seamlessly. I have never used the 8000 so I can only relay other peoples problems. All I know is that so far, I have experienced none of the reported problems that others have found with the 1600.
What seems strange to me is the 1600 gets very little mention on this forum, yet the commercial review sites and magazines all give the 1600 some of the best reviews around. Most give 4 or 5 star reviews, yet the 8000 I have seen as low as 3 star due to it's poor compatibility.
Getting back to the original thread, maybe the only way to decide what to buy is to buy from a retailer that will exchange if not happy.

[rhubarbe]

Trouble is that most retailers don't stock many different types.

VOB: I read that the 800 does support them.

I want .ISO (full menu) and I know that the 8000 doesn't support the full menu but it will play them. I don't read that of the KiSS at all, which is a shame because I like its form factor.

What I really want (what I really really want), is one that will play native .MTS (AVCHD) files as well as .ISO full menu.

[sydh]

AVCHD is still a big problem due to it's youth. I do a lot of video editing for which I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, and even that has not been patched for this format yet. To my knowledge, the only video editor that supports AVCHD is Pinnacle Studio which is just too basic for my needs. Even MAC software is very limited. I'm just itching to go out and buy an HD cam but what is the point in shooting in HD and then converting it down to edit it. Not all the makers are backing AVCHD initially. Sony & Panasonic have implemented it and Canon have only just come on board in September. I think the format will only become a standard feature on media players when more AVCHD consumer camcorders are on the high street.

[rhubarbe]

Sony and Canon and Panasonic have implemented AVCHD. Who else, that's worth mentioning in the world of camcorders, were you waiting for?

Premiere Elements 3 supports AVCHD editing, and I believe the new Vegas Movie Studio does too. Even Nero Vision does.

I think you need to be buying one.

[DISCODV]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

Trouble is that most retailers don't stock many different types.

VOB: I read that the 800 does support them.

I want .ISO (full menu) and I know that the 8000 doesn't support the full menu but it will play them. I don't read that of the KiSS at all, which is a shame because I like its form factor.

What I really want (what I really really want), is one that will play native .MTS (AVCHD) files as well as .ISO full menu.

Not true, the latest beta firmware for the EVA8000 allows full DVD menus's on ISO's also they have added subtitle and video angle support - I think its still an evolving product with new features being introduced.

[rhubarbe]

I think just saying not true is a bit rich. This is the latest beta firmware you are talking about.

Not true any more would have been kinder.

[sydh]

Rhubarbe - Premiere Elements 3 & the new 4 do not import AVCHD. All the mags are complaining about it. V4 has just recently been released, but they have still not included it. Yes Vegas has it and I have also found Ulead have it, but these are all entry products. I have Elements 3 which is good for quick DVD authoring, but it loses all the clever stuff that full Premiere Pro has.
Anyway, the main reason I have come back is to let you know you are a jinx. My Kiss 1600 stuffed up tonight and I am now waiting for a returns number. Even though it maintained the wireless connection, it was intermitently losing the client software, thereby preventing the talk through to the PC. So I am now back to the "newbie" position again. You mentioned the EVA8000 reads VOB but the Netgear site and spec does not list this. Are you sure about this?