Networked Hi-Def Media Player
 

Just a heads up...

With the latest firmware update 050321 for the I-O Data AVeL LinkPlayer2, you can now play TS files straight from the camera.

In other words, the m2t file goes from the camcorder firewire to the hard drive of the PC or Mac, and from there it plays through the LinkPlayer to your HD monitor in native format. Or you can burn the TS file to a DVD and play it that way.

The LinkPlayer also plays unprotected WMV-HD, Xvid, Divx, m2t, m2p and many others.

Thanks for the info. I wonder why I did not get an email like I did the last time they released a new firmware version.

Oh well, that's what is great about this community.

I'm real tempted to get a Linkplayer to play back transport streams and/or HD-WMV derived from edited Sony HC1 footage.

But there are a few (early) reviews floating around on the web that make me cautious because of statements like this:

"Unfortunately the HD component output of the LinkPlayer can best be described as soft. SD and upconverted material looks great, and while native HD material doesn't look bad by any stretch of the imagination, it just doesn't have that HD "ultra-real" look. .....we did a quick test with a couple of WMVHD files. We would switch between 480p and 720p output on the LinkPlayer with the same file, and then ask people in the room which one looked "better". The result was that nobody could tell the difference (ourselves included). "

Has anyone here also experienced this softness - or not???

I was one of the first Kuro-Obi owners in the US and the only time I have seen soft material was while playing WMVHD, I FREAKED OUT, then I played back the RAW MPEG material and the resolution was there.

I have found that if I shoot a little sharp, then the WMV-HD files look even better. But more and more I just use the M2T files.

There is a sharpness mod for the component YPrPb output of the LinkPlayer2 if you're ventursome, you desolder some components that comprise an L-C filter network on the output to "unsoften" the output.

Below are SMD (surface mount device) components.

Remove these inductors and solder wires across where they were, or leave a large solder blob to short the pads:
L65
L66
L67

Remove these capacitors (no wires or blobs here, just leave off):
C200
C201
C202

The components are all located within an inch of each other, on the circuit board near the YPrPb output terminals. The mod has been widely discussed at AVSForum. I've done it myself. It makes a nice improvement.

...or you just buy the new JVC unit (made by I-O Data) with DVI output.

In general, the I-O Data AVeL LinkPlayer2 is very rewarding, or frustrating depending on your tolerance for tinker. Many people find the installed EPO306D loader (DVD ROM) to be less than satisfactory with burned media. There's lots of discussion on how to replace it with a Lite-On SOHD-167T.

And then there's the matter of firmware updates. The unit will arrive with an old firmware, and an easy method for updating it. But you have to sequentially install all the firmware updates one by one until you get to the most recent. I-O Data has a history of breaking some things that were working when they fix something that was not. So when you arrive at a firmware version that fixes your problem, it's best to stay there and not continue upgrading just for the sport of it. In the case of most of the firmware upgrades, you could roll back 1 version to the previous firmware. But there is a dividing line at the version where they introduced the ability to playback DRM protected WMV-HD content. That was the biggest upgrade, and it broke some things, and you can't roll back to the pre-DRM version once you cross that bridge. They have had several upgrades after that one that re-fixed some of the things, but again once you get it working, it's best to stop upgrading. There have probably been 10 firmware upgrades to the LinkPlayer2.

In the end, it's remains probably the best of the digital streaming content players out there. If you have a PC based solution that works better for streaming content to your HDTV monitor, then count yourself lucky. I have been through several. Though flawed, the LinkPlayer2 has overall been better than any of them for playing m2t files, also WMVHD, Divx and others.

Thanks guys! That was very helpful. I had a year of fun with a Sampo while I was saving up for my first DVD burner... working through firmware updates that enabled stuff like miniDVD while breaking other stuff .... so I know exactly what you mean.

If I could also ask... what's the main differences between a Linkplayer and a Linkplayer2?

Linkplayer and a Linkplayer2?:

Don't know much about this!

LinkPlayer2 and Linkplayer Kuro-Obi:

HDMI out, upconversion, and some more.

Also, in my opinion it is second to the oppo DVD player as far as Upconverting goes.

Go to http://www.iodata.com for more info on this.

A bit off topic, but we are about a month out from the introduction of a HD-DVD player for $499 from Toshiba.

According to the HD spec[from what I've read] it should play both WM9 HD and H.264 HD files right?

One could just burn that type of file [sans menus] onto a regular DVD-R and be able to play it on the new HD players[blu-ray or otherwise]? [And of course, DVD Studio Pro Users can author HD-DVD already with the pre-liminary specs.]

I know space-wise, it isn't much[4.7 g or a dual layer 9.4]--but it seems closer now then ever before.

Any thoughts, information?

The Oppo isn't true HD. It upconverts SD DVDs nicely I'm sure, but it's utility for HDV playback at native resolution is basically of no value.

LinkPlayer1 did not playback HD, LinkPlayer2 was the first to do this.

I'm with John...if the Toshiba HD-DVD player will play WM9 HD and H.264 files from a 4.7gb DVD-R/+R that will be compelling! However, if it doesn't also play straight m2t (mpeg2ts) files then I would likely just stick with the LinkPlayer2 since it does this already.

Hopefully, there are better solutions on the horizon, like HD-DVD. The LinkPlayer2 has at least given me versatile playback of HDV files, if imperfect in its execution, nothing else I've tried seems able to beat it.

Hmmm...it hadn't really occurred to me that the first generation or so of HD-DVD players might be allowed that level of flexiblity - i.e. to willingly play raw wmv or H264 files from a red-lazer disk!

Given the near-obsessive push for DRM-lockdown of all things HD at present, I'll be real surprised if they do! Of course, I'd be very happy to be proven wrong on that....

How well does DivX HD content play on the LinkPlayer2? What are the maximum bitrates for DivX HD and WMV HD content, that the LinkPlayer2 can play directly from DVD?

Exactly the bit rates, I don't know, quite a bit higher than the rated specs, and it depends on the frame size. For WMVHD 720p30 12-18mp/s, but at 1920x1080i60 8-9 mbps.

m2t (mpeg2ts) 1440x1080i60 plays at 25 mbps

I don't know the limits for Divx-HD but it plays.

Thanks Tom. Those are bitrates from playing a disc in the unit itself (rather than from a file over a network), correct?

It's been awhile since I downloaded and read their manual, but as I recall, at least some of the specs written in the manual almost had to be wrong, being off-the-wall to low for HD.

The published specs are wrong. It handles bit rates way in excess of the ratings either from a burned DVD or streamed over the network. The specs also say you cannot upconvert std def DVD to 720p or 1080i....but it does.

That's good to hear Tom.

Does the LinkPlayer2 have the soft image problem, when playing DivX-HD files?

Does it play high definition content encoded with XVID ok?

How well does it handle dual layer media?

Does the JVC version of this player offer any additional benefits?

Will the LinkPlayer2 play WMV-HD files that use Windows Media Audio for the soundtrack? I've heard that the Buffalo PC-P3LWG won't.

No soft image from DivX-HD. Played Xvid nicely for me.
Not reputed to handle dual layer media well, although I have not tested this.
The JVC version includes DVI and wireless networking.
Does not handle WMA *pro* audio, but does output the regular WMA audio 2 channel via the spdif coax. I think the later firmwares may actually handle the WMA Pro audio downconverted to (2) channel and output from the analog audio outputs although I have not tested this.

Mine plays DL discs well.

JVC HAS NO WIRELESS!!!!!!!

Does the upconversion for standard DVDs work as well as PowerDVD?

My Linkplayer2 arrived yesterday evening. Plugged it in, turned it on, set the outputs to 1080i component and inserted a DVD-R with a raw 1080i .mt2 file. It played very very nicely - Wow!!

But...where to next? I have a LOT of reading i need to do on the forums about firmware and soldering. For example: does the soldering hack improve mt2 playback or just DVD, WM9, DiVX etc? Enquiring minds remain befuddled.

Also...nervously...the latest 2006 firmware, which CANNOT be rolled back from, is said to disable DVD upconversion through the component outputs. Yikes!

The filter mod offers the most noticeable improvement to the 720p output.

Be careful about going too far forward on the firmware upgrades. Stop upgrading somewhere before the April - Oct 2005 version if possible. The earliest versions would not play native m2t. Some of the later versions enabled m2t only to later break it yet again...(sigh). So be careful at each step and test the playback, for stuttering, and lip sync on WMV and m2t. The most stable firmwares were the one or two right before the major upgrade enabling wmv DRM playback. As far as I know, even the most recent continue to permit DVD upscaling. Go to the AVSFORUM.COM the area for std def DVD players for an encyclopedia of info on it.

Thanks Tom.

It was in some of the most recent AVSFORUM posts - within the last few days - where iI saw much weeping and wailing about DVD upconversion being disabled by this month's firmware!

I'll watch for further developments....

Guys, are you sure that AVL2 plays Dual Layer DVD's? Cuz manual specifically states that it doesnt. Thats why I never even thought of trying DL's on AVL2. Wow, i mean if it does then this player is da bomb.
The only issue i still have with this player is its 4Gb file limitation and its FAT only support (hence 4Gb limit). it would be also nice if it'd play m2ts off DVD-R at 25mbs out, not 19-20Mbs as it does now, the picture is softer than the original, at least in my case.

If the original drive doesn't play D/L disks (I don't know whether it does, or not) you can easily buy a computer DVD drive that does, and replace the original drive with that. The drive in the Linkplayer is just a standard computer-type drive with a normal IDE connector.

Regarding the "soft"image, if you havent already done so there's a fix that can be done with a little careful soldering to remove the highpass filter on the component outputs. I can send you a 'how to' link if you need one.

The JVC/IO Data SRDVD-100U does play back M2T @ 25 Mbps on Dual Layer DVD beautifully. The JVC (I believe) is 100% identical to the Linkplayer2, except for the JVC has DVI output, so it too should play dual layer discs. I play (40min max) M2T files on dual layer all the time, or (20min max) on single layer. The only playback issue I have is occasionally the first few seconds of a near full M2T DVD sometimes stutters. There is very poor support for these IOData Media Players, and all of their firmware upgrades do more harm than good. Mine is still on the original firmware and works great.

I have noticed that it is better to have a little black leader before the video to eliminate initial stuttering.

I think I got the very first customer owned LinkPlayer2 in USA eons ago. The support from I-O Data was up front, honest and friendly. They came out with more firmware upgrades than any product I own. I don't agree that all the firmware upgrades were worse. The first 2 or 3 were the best. The original firmware would not play m2t. After those first few, the next would fix one thing and break something else. Since you could only roll back 1 firmware version, some very keen enthusiasts came up with hacks and saved firmwares so you could have the version that did a better job with the things you wanted to be installed. At some point they issued a major update that revoked somehow that capability to roll back to any version. It added WMV9 DRM. At some version they disabled the std conversion upscaling. I stopped updating firmwares before it was too late, but I'd still like it if I could have rolled back one or two versions. So I still have WMV9 and the std def upscaling to 720p/1080i but some other quirks I'm stuck with. This product could never have WAF, it's always been quirky, you have to be a tweaker/hi-performance tuner-mechanic with it, but on the other hand, nothing else I've ever had to date could do so many things well, so I remain fond and inseparable.

If you want the full measure of picture quality it's capable of, it's essential to do the filter mod that Graham mentioned. You need some basic solder skills, a fine tipped iron, and confidence. If you do, piece of cake. If not, you could risk permanent damage to the motherboard. So I recommend it for the *HUGE* picture quality gain if you have the confident hands. If not get someone else who does. It's a very prominent, noticeable enhancement.

JVC owners didn't get the benefit (or curse) of so many firmware upgrades as the LinkPlayer2 got, but it has the huge advantage of not needing the filter mod to get maximal picture quality from the DVI output.

My LinkPlayer2 picture is very sharp, not soft, and it plays the 25mbps bandwidth of native HDV. I did replace the EVO loader with a Liteon drive. I had to try several brands to find one that would work, but that solved the freezing playback problem.

If you aren't getting the 25mbps bitrate from network playback, the Avelink Server may have a box checked that causes it to transcode everything, with a quality loss if it's doing that to your native HDV. So you would definitely want to look into that.

I guess I missed the info on the filter. Please post the link, or email me.

Thanks.

I don't have the pictures anymore.

1. Take off the lid.
2. Desolder inductors L65 and capacitor C202, L67, C200, L66, and C201, and replace the inductors with shorts. I just used solder blobs to short across where the inductors were. Don't short across the capacitors.

These items are just under the D4 connector.

Thanks. I will take a look.

I used to be fairly decent at soldering, but it has been over 20 years. So I geuss I will take it in to a local electronics shop to get the work done if it looks tough. Although unsoldering is a lot easier than soldering if you have the right tools.

Sounds like you can do it then. Just pick up a 25 watt iron with a fine tip at Radio Shack. Heat one side of the component and pry with a tweezer or needle nose plier. Heat, then lift. Heat, then lift. Easy does it. If you rip the solder pad/tracing from the glass, it may be ruined. If you try and heat with the tweezer or needle nose holding the component, the heat gets absorbed by the plier and may not melt the solder. Heat, then lift. One side at a time.

For the solder blobs, use the fine, thin solder. Heat the iron tip, then apply solder to the tip. Wipe the solder off the hot tip with a rag or damp sponge, but don't burn your fingers. This leaves a thin coating on the tip. Heat the area where the inductor(s) was with one hand, while holding the solder on the tip with the other. As the solder melts, a blob starts to form on the tip that runs down to the board. Keep feeding in the solder, then remove the iron and solder until the blob remains behind on the board. If it's too much, or you get the blob onto the wrong place no worry. Heat the blob again and use a "Solda-pult" (vacuum pump) to suck it away.

Blobs go where the inductors were (the "L" items). No blobs where the capacitors were (the "C" items). So remove 6 items and install 3 blobs. All the items are within an inch or two of the D4 connector, on the main board.

I have the JVC unit and it plays back mt2 from DVD. I use it for booth media, going DVI right into an HDTV, and it's tack sharp, just like playing directly from the cam.

What's also nice is having a set top box that plays windows media files, opening up possibilities with all my previous and existing projects (a majority of which are in wmvHD).

Because it looks, works, and sets up like a DVD player, I've had better success with inexperienced folks doing their own installations out in the field (no more late night frantic phone calls). No more unmanaged PC issues.

All along I was contemplating either a Blue-ray or HD-DVD player for this, and how what extra software and post process' I needed...

i just confirmed , AVL2 does play Dual Layer DVD+R. Very nice. As for that other fix - i dont think so. I got no skill for that.
Thank u guys for advise.