Underneath my TV is a collection of boxes, each with a different purpose in life and it was this that got me thinking – why is there not a combined all-in-one device that does all of these functions and more? What devices then are under there? The first is the cable tuner but this can be swapped out for a Freeview HD recorder for example. Freeview by the way is the UK Free to air channels and there is 50 TV channels and 24 radio stations. Next up is my DVD player, this is not used as much these days but always handy to have. Last on my list is my media player, this can handle movie’s streamed from my NAS box and such. My Goal device would be all of these combined into one box that connects to the network – but, do this thing exist?
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All-In-One PVR – does one exist?
Choosing the right media device
(Betamax for the win)
Technology moves on and people try and find easier and better ways to manage and watch media, be it video, pictures or even music on there TV. It was not that long ago that it was quite simple, you bought a DVD Player that suited your price range and features, plugged it into your TV and you can now go out and buy movies on DVD. Storing 100′s of Movies presented an issue and there had to be a better way – and now there is, media streaming devices come in many shapes and sizes as well as cost and functions – this post serves as a grounding on what to look for.
HD TV Media Player £80: plays most video & audio formats
WDTV
- HD TV Screen
Western Digital are about to launch a Media Player that costs £80 which enables you to play most video formats MPEG1/2/4, WMV9, AVI (MPEG4, Xvid, AVC), H.264, MKV, MOV (MPEG4, H.264) along with many other music and photo formats, upto a resolution of 1080p via a USB HDD plugged into the device. This in turn is then connected to your HD TV via HDMI which you can control via the provided remote control.
Combined with a My Passport portable drive (sold separately), this player is the most convenient way to play HD movies or user-generated videos, listen to high-quality digital music and show high-resolution slideshows of your family photos on your TV. Also works with popular USB drives, and digital cameras, camcorders, and portable media players that can be recognized as mass storage devices.
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Designed for My Passport, works with many other USB storage devices – Play content from most popular USB drives,and digital cameras, camcorders, and portable media players that can be recognized as mass storage devices.
Full HD video playback and navigation – up to 1080p – Experience the spectacular picture quality of HD video and crystal clear sound clarity of digital audio. Use the included remote control to navigate through your entertainment choices using our crisp, animated HD menus.
Collect without limits – There’s no limit to the size of your media collection; just add more USB drives for more space.
Advanced navigation
Photo viewing
Movie viewing
Music playback
Access two USB drives simultaneously – Two USB ports on the player let you connect two USB storage devices and access them simultaneously. Our Media Library feature aggregates the content on both drives into one list sorted by media type.
HDMI and composite video connections – The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port lets you connect to the highest quality HDTV or home theater. Additional composite (RCA) outputs ensure compatibility with virtually all television sets.
Includes free media conversion software – ArcSoft MediaConverter™ 2.5 — a fast, easy-to-use application that converts photo, video, and music files into formats optimized for use on the WD TV HD Media Player.
Ultra-compact design – Fits easily into your entertainment center.
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Ideal For
Hassle-free playback of HD movies, home videos, digital music, and photos on your TV.
System Requirements
- My Passport portable hard drive or other USB storage device with supported video or audio content stored on it.
- Standard or high definition television with HDMI or composite video connections
Package Contents
- HD Media Player
- Stand for My Passport portable drive
- Compact remote with batteries
- Media converter software (Windows only)
- Composite AV cable
- AC adapter
- Quick Install Guide
You can buy one at PLAY and is due for release 17/11/2008.
Supported formats Include:
| Music – MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV/PCM/LPCM, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, AIF/AIFF, MKA | |
| Photo – JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG | |
| Video -MPEG1/2/4, WMV9, AVI (MPEG4, Xvid, AVC), H.264, MKV, MOV (MPEG4, H.264) | |
| Playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL | |
| Subtitle -SRT (UTF-8) | |
the link to the device is HERE – for all the specs.
