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HdMediaPlayer posts

Patriot's $130 Box Office 1080p media player streams on the cheap

by Darren Murph posted Oct 18th 2009 at 7:02AM


Eying a Popcorn Hour device, are you? We know Patriot isn't exactly the first name you think of when pondering your next media streamer, but the $129.99 price tag affixed to the black box shown above definitely piqued our interest. Like most of its rivals, this one features a 2.5-inch HDD slot (though you'll need to bring your own drive, obviously), a trio of USB sockets, 10/100 Ethernet for content streaming, UPnP support, a rather decent file support list and a bundled remote. There's also an optional USB WiFi adapter for those not keen on running 80 feet of Ethernet cabling through their den, and while the GUI won't revolutionize your life, it certainly ain't bad given the low barrier to entry. Too bad it's still stuck in that painful-to-watch "pre-order" stage, huh?

[Via thegadgetsite]

QNAP ships NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:58PM


It sure took 'em long enough, but QNAP has finally come around and delivered its NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player here in the States. If you'll recall, we actually toyed around with one way back at CeBIT, and while those camped out in Osaka have been enjoying the spoils for months now, the Yanks in attendance have been forced to wait. According to QNAP, the DLNA-compliant media streamer is now shipping in America, though a quick look around our favorite web stores has turned up nothing. We're sure that'll be remedied in short order, though.

[Via HotHardware]

Gallery: QNAP ships NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player

Seagate launches FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, we go hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 9:39AM Featured Story


Remember when Seagate introduced its Betamax-esque FreeAgent Theater HD way back at CES this year? Of course not -- you were locked onto the Palm Pre keynote. At any rate, the next generation of that very device somehow made it through the product development stage and now sits in our very hands, and we have to say, it's no more modern in person than it is in press shots. Equipped with the usual assortment of ports (HDMI, component, composite, Toslink, Ethernet and two USB) ports, the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gets all of its content from a FreeAgent Go USB 2.0 hard drive (sold separately or in a bundle) or whatever you shove into those USB sockets. You can count on 1080p output and a pretty standard UI, and while it's wired-or-die right now, Seagate's hoping to pop out a USB WiFi adapter ($69.99) for it next month.

We've yet to really put this player through its paces, but we can say for sure that it's not made for abuse. The mostly-plastic box is staggeringly light, and one drop from atop your AV rack could lead to utter disaster. Furthermore, this is really only useful for those wound tightly around Seagate's finger; the bulk of its functionality relies on having a FreeAgent USB drive at your disposal, and if you've selected any other portable HDD, you'll have to deal with connecting it the old fashion way and ditching the "clean look." At $149.99 sans an HDD, it's one of the cheaper options on the market, but it still can't beat Popcorn Hour's heralded lineup when it comes to value and format support. Those looking for an all-in-one deal can opt for the $289.99 bundle, which throws in a 500GB FreeAgent Go drive. Have a look at retro exemplified in the gallery below.

Gallery: Seagate launches FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, we go hands-on

WD TV-2 spruces up Western Digital's already attractive media player offering

by Paul Miller posted Aug 16th 2009 at 2:30AM

Western Digital really hit a sweet spot last year with its $130 WD TV HD Media Player. The thing pumped out 1080p over HDMI at an attractive price, and that's all most people really needed. The newly leaked WD TV-2 revisits the formula, but adds in network playback over the new Ethernet jack, DTS audio decoding, and a component video plug for folks caught in the technological no man's land between composite and HDMI. Outside of that there's a just plain silly amount of codec support, which is hard not to love. No word on price or a release date, but the leaked photos and detailed specs seem to imply this thing is ready for prime time.

QNAP intros NMP1000 network media player, we go hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Mar 4th 2009 at 9:46AM Featured Story


While swinging by QNAP's CeBIT booth to check out its array of recently launched NAS devices, we happened upon a demonstration that was showcasing a brand new device: the NMP1000. Short for Network Multimedia Player, this set-top-box is pretty much like every other HD media streamer already out there, as it connects to networked storage and pipes out audio and video content to one's TV via a customized user interface. What we saw looked pretty slick, even though it was inexplicably connected to the LG display via S-Video. As for specs, it's boasting a Sigma Designs SMP8635 processor, 256MB of DDR RAM, room for one 3.5-inch SATA drive, a single gigabit Ethernet jack, dual USB 2.0 sockets, one eSATA port, HDMI 1.3 / component / composite / S-Video outs and a bundled remote. It supports just about any format on the map, and the on-hand representative told us it should be out next month for "somewhere under $10,000." Have a look at some in-action shots below.

Gallery: QNAP intros NMP1000 network media player, we go hands-on

Western Digital HD Media Player gets a longer-term review

by Steven Kim posted Jan 8th 2009 at 12:15PM

Western Digital HD Media Player
The promise of Western Digital HD Media Player certainly intrigued on first blush, but an updated and longer-term review at GearBits after a firmware update didn't fare as well. The firmware update certainly boosted the capabilities of the little box, but like so many devices we've seen, the UI hurts the overall usability. It's certainly not easy to accommodate the myriad of media functions into a consistent and enjoyable UI that stays responsive under use. Add in the sneakernet limitations, and you've got a box that certainly can fill a niche, but we'd recommend you make sure it's a good fit for your use pattern before jumping in.

Western Digital's WD TV HD Media Player reviewed: pretty good, but has its quirks

by Darren Murph posted Nov 11th 2008 at 6:43PM


Western Digital's WD TV HD Media Player is an interesting contraption. Rather than being a self-sufficient media server, it simply acts as a bridge between your hard drive / USB key and your television. PopPhoto was able to corral a unit for review, and overall, they appreciated the media liaison's abilities. The actual connection was "pretty much plug 'n play," though the omission of an HDMI cable in the box was a bit of a bummer. The unit did a satisfactory job of parsing the information on the HDD and finding photos, songs and video clips, and the on-screen result was fantastic. Not everything was peachy, though -- for instance, large files introduced lag when rotating / changing, and DRM-laced material wouldn't play back at all. Furthermore, it chose to truncate iPod song names, which could obviously be annoying to some. All in all, the WD TV showed some promise but feel short in a few key areas, so you'd better give it some serious thought before plunking down $130.

WD TV HD Media Player smacked up, flipped, rubbed down

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 4th 2008 at 12:02PM


Western Digital's WD TV HD Media Player kept a low profile before hitting shelves this month, but with only $99 separating MaddHat.com from a thorough teardown, the inevitable next step was taken. Besides snapshots inside and out -- and the ubiquitous iPhone size comparison photo -- a quick runthrough with a variety of MKV-packed videos revealed delightfully nerdy results. The 1080p h.264 decoding was smooth, although some odd sharpening on 720p files while in 1080p output mode, and less than optimal results with 1080i-encoded files were noted. 1080p24 support didn't make it into the box, same for .ISO direct support -- no worries though, as it wasn't enough to stop the .m2ts files in the Blu-ray backups from playing directly. Good for the price, but with stiff competition -- Popcorn Hour anyone? -- being "good enough" in this sector is getting harder, pics and details are beyond the read link.

Western Digital quietly intros WD TV HD Media Player

by Darren Murph posted Nov 1st 2008 at 6:51PM


Well, what do we have here? With no fanfare whatsoever, Western Digital has apparently strayed from its platter-based roots and delved into the wide, murky world of HD media streaming. The WD TV HD Media Player purports to "turn your USB drive into an HD media player, allowing you to watch your favorite HD movies on your TV." For those still befuddled, look at it like this: it enables you to plug in your USB key or USB hard drive and play back multimedia clips up to 1080p on your HDTV via the HDMI / composite outputs. The 1.6- x 4.9- x 3.9-inch box ought not bog you down too much when looking to take it on a journey, and the $129.99 price tag isn't too painful either.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Movie Cowboy stores your HD media, outputs on-the-go

by Darren Murph posted May 15th 2008 at 8:25AM


Move over Mvix, there's a new vaquero in town, and it goes by Movie Cowboy. Comically titled as such by manufacturer Digital Cowboy, this portable HD multimedia hard drive comes ready to accept whatever 2.5-inch SATA drive you want to toss within, and after you've loaded it up with material via the USB port, you can slam it down in the bundled cradle for big screen enjoyment. Said dock boasts stereo / coaxial digital / Toslink audio outputs along with component / composite / HDMI video outs. The media player itself supports a respectable quantity of file formats, including WMV, DivX HD, MPEG1/2/4, XviD, ISO, IFO, VOB, AAC, WMA, MP3 and OGG. Not that we really see this thing heading Stateside anytime soon, but those in Japan can pick one up in the coming weeks for ¥24,800 ($237). Shot of the rear is waiting after the jump.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Continue reading Movie Cowboy stores your HD media, outputs on-the-go





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