Network media players?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Noozer
  • Start date Start date
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Noozer

I'm looking for a box for my livingroom that will connect to my network and
play media files from my Linux server.

I've found a number of units online, but there's always something stopping
me from purchasing. Some don't support many file formats, some cost $500,
some have negative reviews, some require Windows sofware running on the file
server.

Can someone suggest a box that will play the main audio and video file
types, connect to my wired network, and support component and DVI/HDMI
output?
 
Noozer said:
I'm looking for a box for my livingroom that will connect to my network
and play media files from my Linux server.

I've found a number of units online, but there's always something stopping
me from purchasing. Some don't support many file formats, some cost $500,
some have negative reviews, some require Windows sofware running on the
file server.

Can someone suggest a box that will play the main audio and video file
types, connect to my wired network, and support component and DVI/HDMI
output?
Click to expand...

A client box, Linux or otherwise, with the cheapest
current generation video card that meets your needs.
A PC or HTPC is still the best way to go. If you
are like most of us you probably have most of a
system, in parts, laying around. If not there are
plenty of barebones system offers, (without monitors,
you will be using your livingroom display device
anyway).

Luck;
Ken
 
A client box, Linux or otherwise, with the cheapest
current generation video card that meets your needs.
Click to expand...


I agree this route, or integrated video even better, would
be a good cost, heat, power, and size savings. There is one
remaining issue building *discrete* system for the job, that
if Noozer wants to be able to play MPEG4 in HD, the current
generation of video cards from nVida & ATI offer more
hardware acceleration, easing the processing, performance
level necessary from the CPU. If one were to use a CPU
optimized for low heat like a Via C(n) or Geode, or reuse an
old processor, alone it might not be able to keep HD
framerates high enough without the video card acceleration
to assist. There was no mention of HD nor higher (Mpeg4/10,
etc) compressed video though, so it might be a matter of
budget vs future functionality.

Asus, MSI, et al are also making some interesting barebones
HTPC oriented products now, though I've no idea about their
HD playback/performance capabilities.
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/barebone-asus-digimatrix/index.html
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/msi-mega-pc/index.html
 
A client box, Linux or otherwise, with the cheapest
current generation video card that meets your needs.
Click to expand...

I've had a PC in my livingroom for a while. I'm trying to get rid of it now.
A 400 watt PSU, several fans, huge case, don't make for a good media
machine. Even if I went with one of the mini systems out there I still have
the hassle of getting all the software to play nice, then worry about power
outages scrambling the OS, etc.

I'm looking for something simple. Something that just works. No waiting for
it to boot. No wondering if it's been hacked into a spam bot. etc..
 
Noozer said:
I've had a PC in my livingroom for a while. I'm trying to get rid of it
now. A 400 watt PSU, several fans, huge case, don't make for a good media
machine. Even if I went with one of the mini systems out there I still
have the hassle of getting all the software to play nice, then worry about
power outages scrambling the OS, etc.

I'm looking for something simple. Something that just works. No waiting
for it to boot. No wondering if it's been hacked into a spam bot. etc..
Click to expand...

There certainly is a market for such appliances, I even
have an original Buffalo HD "Link Theater", but I have
moved on to a PC so that I could have something that
can handle HD AVC video (as well as anything else
that may come along).

I also find it a little odd that someone posting to "alt.
comp.hardware" should have such a negative impression
of building their own PC. I actually find that my Antec
"Sonata II" with an A8N-E and several hard drives, and
the fans to keep everything cool, runs quietly and looks
pretty good, next to my Stereo rack.

Luck;
Ken
 
Noozer said:
.... snip ...

I've had a PC in my livingroom for a while. I'm trying to get rid
of it now. A 400 watt PSU, several fans, huge case, don't make for
a good media machine. Even if I went with one of the mini systems
out there I still have the hassle of getting all the software to
play nice, then worry about power outages scrambling the OS, etc.

I'm looking for something simple. Something that just works. No
waiting for it to boot. No wondering if it's been hacked into a
spam bot. etc..
Click to expand...

Consider a useful laptop, such as a Thinkpad. IBM use to have a
good selection of used machines available. Mount something trouble
free, such as Ubuntu, on it. Just leave it on, drawing 10 watts or
so. Linux doesn't need continuous reboots.
 
Can someone suggest a box that will play the main audio and video file
I also find it a little odd that someone posting to "alt.
comp.hardware" should have such a negative impression
of building their own PC. I actually find that my Antec
"Sonata II" with an A8N-E and several hard drives, and
the fans to keep everything cool, runs quietly and looks
pretty good, next to my Stereo rack.
Click to expand...

I posted here hoping to find a piece of hardware that would work with my
network and wouldn't rely on any particular software running on the server.

I want a trouble free device that just works. With a PC I have to worry that
the OS will support the hardware. Then I have to add in a bunch of stuff...
hang and IR reciever from the front, ensure that it's dead quiet, worry
about heat, etc. I don't want to have to print a 10 page booklet just so the
wife can watch something.
 
Noozer said:
I posted here hoping to find a piece of hardware that would work with my
network and wouldn't rely on any particular software running on the
server.
Click to expand...

Well you got that, a PC can be setup to work with any
software that you may want to run on your server.
I want a trouble free device that just works. With a PC I have to worry
that the OS will support the hardware. Then I have to add in a bunch of
stuff... hang and IR reciever from the front, ensure that it's dead quiet,
worry about heat, etc. I don't want to have to print a 10 page booklet
just so the wife can watch something.
Click to expand...

You know that you can have your PC startup running with
any program you wish, right? You can setup a very minimal
OS, just as much as you need to enable the functions you
want. So that what the wife sees after she pushes that one
big button on your PC's case, is a menu of your own
construction. They could be as simple as these I made with
MMB:

http://photos.yahoo.com/[email protected]

Or you can run a PC with voice commands, for that
matter. There is no limit to what you can do to make
it simple.

But if you are dead set against using a computer (comp)
as your media player, you might have better luck asking
Google (the search engine) than at "alt.comp.hardware"

The most current review of my Link Theater, found with
Google:
http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Buffalo-Link-Theater-PC-P3LWG-DVD

There are plenty of others if you search using Media Player
or other general terms.

Luck;
Ken
 
Ken Maltby said:
Well you got that, a PC can be setup to work with any
software that you may want to run on your server.


You know that you can have your PC startup running with
any program you wish, right? You can setup a very minimal
OS, just as much as you need to enable the functions you
want. So that what the wife sees after she pushes that one
big button on your PC's case, is a menu of your own
construction. They could be as simple as these I made with
MMB:

http://photos.yahoo.com/[email protected]

Or you can run a PC with voice commands, for that
matter. There is no limit to what you can do to make
it simple.

But if you are dead set against using a computer (comp)
as your media player, you might have better luck asking
Google (the search engine) than at "alt.comp.hardware"

The most current review of my Link Theater, found with
Google:
http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Buffalo-Link-Theater-PC-P3LWG-DVD

There are plenty of others if you search using Media Player
or other general terms.

Luck;
Ken
Click to expand...
P.S. Newegg has the old HD Link Theater for $99, just
follow the link at the review site. Also note the user reviews
it is not for the technologically brain dead. (Well once you
have it setup and running, you can be fairly brain dead and
still operate it.)
 
The most current review of my Link Theater, found with
P.S. Newegg has the old HD Link Theater for $99, just
follow the link at the review site. Also note the user reviews
it is not for the technologically brain dead. (Well once you
have it setup and running, you can be fairly brain dead and
still operate it.)
Click to expand...

I was looking at this unit, but everything points to needing a Windows PC on
the network to serve the files.

Does this unit work without any special software installed on the network?
Can I simply plug it in and browse my network and choose my video or MP3?
(Assuming that the unit gets a good IP from my DHCP server)
 
Noozer said:
I was looking at this unit, but everything points to needing a Windows PC
on the network to serve the files.

Does this unit work without any special software installed on the network?
Can I simply plug it in and browse my network and choose my video or MP3?
(Assuming that the unit gets a good IP from my DHCP server)
Click to expand...

All media players require some form of streaming software
on the server. There are some pretty standard ones on most
server setups, but I have no idea how your server is setup.

The $99 Newegg offer and my old Link Theater is the
PC-P3LWG/DVD model. There are newer models that
were or are now being sold.

The Buffalo downloads for the P3LWG/DVD include
utilities for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. There is
also a User Manual you can download. There are also
a number of Plug-ins you can download to provide
support for many services, including Rhapsody, Flickr
and i-Tunes.

There is still some firmware updates/upgrades/beta
available from:

http://www.verenkoff.com/update.html

http://www.verenkoff.com/update1277.html

Another official download site:

http://site2.buffalotech.com/support/downloads-product2.php

This older box can be made to run well, but as I mentioned
some basic technical capability is required to get the most out
of it. Also, I personally use and recommend using a PC for this
purpose, not any Media Player.

Luck;
Ken
 
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