Multimedia Device for playback? at DVinfo.net

John Hewat · November 25th, 2007, 12:58 AM

This isn't an editing question so much as a playback one.

I've been seriously considering buying something likt this for a while now.

It sounds like a good idea for my purposes.

A lot of what I shoot I playback later on my Bravia and it would be just as simple to store it on a HDD and play it off of one of these devices.

I have heaps and heaps of DVDs and Blu-Rays that I could just rip to the HDD and play from there. It seems like a really good idea to me.

My questions are:

1. How do they go with Blu-Rays & HD-DVDs?
2. How do they go with some of the unusual codecs needed to playback HDV and HD footage (specifically Z1, V1 and EX1 footage).

Do they understand Cineform and MP4 well enough or would it just flounder?

Thanks for your help!

Bill Ravens · November 25th, 2007, 10:14 AM

Interesting device.
First, to answer your questions:
1-BD and HD-DVD is a recording format on a kind of DVD. This device has no DVD player. However, it will play all the BD and HD-DVD formats, so it should play these files directly from its hard drive.
2-It plays the codecs that they advertise. AVI is a shell and not an actual codec. Cineform is a codec that plays under the AVI shell, however, this device doesn't have the Cineform codec so I assume it won't play. MP4 is listed as a playback codec, so, I assume it will play.

Now, a few questions of my own:
1-They don't say what size hard drive comes installed in the device
2-They don't specify the hard drive I/O rates.
3-One of the models seems to come with SATA. Can one connect SATA drives thru a port multiplier?(requires opening the case

John Hewat · November 25th, 2007, 04:57 PM

1-They don't say what size hard drive comes installed in the device

You can buy it without a HDD or with a 320GB one for a bit more money. I'd buy without one and just attach a much larger one later.

Has anyone on here had any experience with one? I've been interested for a while but I'm too frightened to be a guinea pig...

Ron Evans · November 26th, 2007, 07:50 AM

Wouldn't a Sony PS3 do much the same thing, comes with hard drive, Blu-Ray disc player and plays games as well.

Ron Evans

Bill Ravens · November 26th, 2007, 08:10 AM

I found a review of this device which basically said the device needs a lot of fiddling with to get it to work right.

Len Imbery · November 26th, 2007, 11:06 AM

Hi....I've got a similar device...a Mediagate HD350 which I thought would work like the one you're looking at....
It's great for playing Iso files from ripped DVD's which I rent and time-shift for later viewing....I store the iso files on it's internal HD and they play well except with only 2 channel audio for some reason....
I've tried all sorts of files from captured HDV but The 1080i footage that looks great and should be working, doesn't have any audio for some reason....If I try other file formats, the picture quality just isn't there with the compression although the sound works then....
I guess it's another one of these things that just aren't quite ready for prime time!
Len

John Hewat · November 26th, 2007, 08:32 PM

Sounds like too much of a hassle for me. Think I'll abandon the idea.

However...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Wouldn't a Sony PS3 do much the same thing, comes with hard drive, Blu-Ray disc player and plays games as well.

Ron Evans

I already own a PS3 and never realized that you're absolutely right. I'm going to start testing this!!

John Hewat · November 27th, 2007, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Wouldn't a Sony PS3 do much the same thing, comes with hard drive, Blu-Ray disc player and plays games as well.

Ron Evans

Well, it didn't detect my 500GB external HDD (which I always thought it would) so I can't play ripped discs or my HDV footage.

And the codec support is minimal.

I plugged in my 1GB flash drive which it detected but it didn't recognise the mov, mpg, wmv or mp4 files.

I didn't try AVI but there's not much point anyway, since I can't plug anything other than a little flash drive.

November 25th, 2007, 12:58 AM	#1
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	Multimedia Device for playback? This isn't an editing question so much as a playback one. I've been seriously considering buying something likt this for a while now. It sounds like a good idea for my purposes. A lot of what I shoot I playback later on my Bravia and it would be just as simple to store it on a HDD and play it off of one of these devices. I have heaps and heaps of DVDs and Blu-Rays that I could just rip to the HDD and play from there. It seems like a really good idea to me. My questions are: 1. How do they go with Blu-Rays & HD-DVDs? 2. How do they go with some of the unusual codecs needed to playback HDV and HD footage (specifically Z1, V1 and EX1 footage). Do they understand Cineform and MP4 well enough or would it just flounder? Thanks for your help! __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions

November 25th, 2007, 04:57 PM	#3
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	1-They don't say what size hard drive comes installed in the device You can buy it without a HDD or with a 320GB one for a bit more money. I'd buy without one and just attach a much larger one later. Has anyone on here had any experience with one? I've been interested for a while but I'm too frightened to be a guinea pig... __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions

November 26th, 2007, 11:06 AM	#6
Len Imbery Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada Posts: 106	HD devices Hi....I've got a similar device...a Mediagate HD350 which I thought would work like the one you're looking at.... It's great for playing Iso files from ripped DVD's which I rent and time-shift for later viewing....I store the iso files on it's internal HD and they play well except with only 2 channel audio for some reason.... I've tried all sorts of files from captured HDV but The 1080i footage that looks great and should be working, doesn't have any audio for some reason....If I try other file formats, the picture quality just isn't there with the compression although the sound works then.... I guess it's another one of these things that just aren't quite ready for prime time! Len

November 25th, 2007, 10:14 AM	#2
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	Interesting device. First, to answer your questions: 1-BD and HD-DVD is a recording format on a kind of DVD. This device has no DVD player. However, it will play all the BD and HD-DVD formats, so it should play these files directly from its hard drive. 2-It plays the codecs that they advertise. AVI is a shell and not an actual codec. Cineform is a codec that plays under the AVI shell, however, this device doesn't have the Cineform codec so I assume it won't play. MP4 is listed as a playback codec, so, I assume it will play. Now, a few questions of my own: 1-They don't say what size hard drive comes installed in the device 2-They don't specify the hard drive I/O rates. 3-One of the models seems to come with SATA. Can one connect SATA drives thru a port multiplier?(requires opening the case

November 26th, 2007, 07:50 AM	#4
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Wouldn't a Sony PS3 do much the same thing, comes with hard drive, Blu-Ray disc player and plays games as well. Ron Evans

November 26th, 2007, 08:10 AM	#5
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	I found a review of this device which basically said the device needs a lot of fiddling with to get it to work right.