High-Definition Wireless Media Players with DVD drives? Which one!?!?

Tyler Durden

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Here is a list I am compiling. Do any of them stand out amongst their peers as THE one?

Are there any more to be added to the list, and I there any I should remove.

Buffalo Link Theater, http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=96&categoryid=18
AVeL Link Player 2, http://www.iodata.com/usa/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=AVEL&pId=AVLP2/DVDLA
H&B DNX-8620, http://www.hb-direct.com/EN/P_84.html
Digitalrise Xstream Player, http://www.digitalrise.biz/products/dvb_player/xstream/
Quartek WHD 500-V9, http://www.quartek-system.com/index2.htm
Snazio SZ1350, http://www.snazio.com/
Zensonic Z500, http://www.z500series.com/
TransTechnology DVX-700, http://www.trans-technology.com/default.asp?PAGE=DVX_700_SERIES

I want to stream high def video from my PC and play through my Sanyo Z3.
I greatly appreciate any help.
 
i have the buffalo and its superb, it was a toss up between that and the avel unit but in the end it was too much money and isn't officially available here so didnt want any probs. the buffalo is can be region free and its wireless is superb, i can play almost any transport stream and every kind of divx/xvid inc hd. it does struggle on very high bitrate stuff over the wireless but thats understandable and all other stuff plays fine, although over the wired lan it plays anything flawless or as i do just use the dvd drive.

hi-def is just awsome and it really was one of my best buys, the imax stuff in hd is stunning.
 
emporor, I have a linkstation wired to my xbox for playback at the mo, but that buffalo jobby says it'll play directly from a linkstation without needing a PC - perfect.

But what HD stuff do you play? Can you copy a WMV-HD to a HDD? Or do you need to play it from the PC (not possible in my setup really)

I'll be getting a HD setup soon, and XBMC with 720p is one option, but if this will do the job better...
 
The Snazio is getting good feedback on the AVSForum site. It has DVI output as well as component HD. I believe it can be persuaded to upconvert DVDs to HD DVI output, as well as play all regions.
 
The Snazio is the only one I would consider to replace my Roku... Don't expect wireless HD to work reliably...
 
I'm quite pleased with the snazio. Multiregion handset hack and macroviosn hack are very easy to find. Overall a nice piece of kit.
 
You have to note that most of them only support 720P WMVHD, not 1080P, like the buffalo for example, and i don't think they can handle 5.1 wma audio..
 
PaulB said:
I'm waiting for the Trans-Gear 700 which has an option for an internal hard-drive http://www.trans-technology.com/default.asp?PAGE=DVX_700_SERIES

Due in the next month or so. The hard drive makes all the difference for me and makes life so much simpler in dealing with Hi-Def files (just swap the drive from the PC into the 700).
Paul


ooooOOOOOOoooo i like the looks of that :clap:

Al
 
Just noticed that the Digital Rise Xstream and the TransTechnology DVX 700 are the only two to support 1080p.

Not sure if that is important or not!?
 
richard plumb said:
emporor, I have a linkstation wired to my xbox for playback at the mo, but that buffalo jobby says it'll play directly from a linkstation without needing a PC - perfect.

But what HD stuff do you play? Can you copy a WMV-HD to a HDD? Or do you need to play it from the PC (not possible in my setup really)

I'll be getting a HD setup soon, and XBMC with 720p is one option, but if this will do the job better...


wmv stuff is a fickle subject with the buffalo unit, ive had no probs playing stuff(although its been stuff ive downloaded, not originals) but others report originals as not working, officially it doesn't support drm. the stuff i watch on it is mainly movies and lots of imax stuff which is stunning, the 20gb version of gladiator is awsome, and recent episodes of lost have been very nice too. as long as ntl don't ban me for downloading too much ( i had the letter last month ) then this will definately do until sky hd as its just superb.
 
meansizzler said:
You have to note that most of them only support 720P WMVHD, not 1080P, like the buffalo for example, and i don't think they can handle 5.1 wma audio..

I think they are all using the same Sigma EM8620L chipset and therefore thay should all support the same resolutions. Some are being advertised at 1080i and some at 1080p.

I just spoke to a guy from TransTechnology and he has said that Sigma is saying the chipset is compatible with 1080i but it has been seen working with 1080p, although he did say that this is not likely to be a guaranteed feature of their player.
 
snazio player any day if the week really happy with it and with the new firmware should be even better
 
I ordered a Snazio on the weekend to playback Xvid, .ts files etc. I currently use my Xbox to playback SD material to my CRT TV, but need an HD playback device for when my 506XDE arrives. The Snazio seems to tick all my boxes - not bothered about the DVD drive (although it will replace my existing player which doesn't have a component or upscale at all), but will play over the network, as I currently do on the Xbox.
 
I have gone Snazzio to replace my Roku
 
Nic Rhodes said:
I have gone Snazzio to replace my Roku
I'd be interested to hear how you get on Nic...
 
I really like my Roku but saw a Snazzio working when I was staying with Elliot, talk about simple.
 
Does anyone know how the various softwares compare to one another?
 
....and where are The Snazios available from?
 
Joe at The Media Factory is the guy to speak to. Forum sponsor
 
They are not available until the end of this month. :( If people do have these machines, where did they get them from?
 
I spoke to one of the other guys there, he said that Joe was to have a meeting with the people from Snazzio and that the machines should be available at the end of the month. Even the Snazzio web site has a pre order option for £234 and that says they are available at the end of the month.
 
They seem to be selling quite well; UK stocks are dry, so mine is being shipped from Holland by tomorrow, so should have it early next week I hope. That's from www.snazzishop.co.uk .
 

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