AVerMedia QuickPlay For Viewing Clips ON HDTV?
 

Has anyone heard of/or tried the AVerMedia QuickPlay video converter, for viewing HD clips from a notebook computer on an HDTV? You can get it for $70. It has componant outputs.

Just wondering if this might be a super cheap solution for watching raw HD transport clips from the VLC player, or WM9/DIVX HD clips from a DVD+R.

Sorry if this is just too low budget of a question to post here.....:(

Kevin,

Unfortunately, there is no free lunch!

As I understand it from reading all the AVer literature, none of these converters put out a HD signal - it is all NTSC (or PAL) TV-based. Even though there is component output on the QuickPlay there is no mention of HD as the format so it is almost certainly just a NTSC-based signal i.e. 525 line (480 active), 60 fps. This is the same as you get from the component outputs on a lot of medium priced DVD players.

Gerald

Thanks for the update Gerald.

I wonder if there are any affordable convertors out there that would let you take a componant HD video feed out of a laptop?

It depends on what you call affordable. Cheapest good one I've seen is around 200.00 or so.

Thanks Douglas. What is it?

I've downloaded several raw M2T clips from the HC1, and they play back perfectly on my P4 2.8 ghz notebook with the VLC player. Full screen, while it's de-interlasing. I was really surprised with that.

I'm running my notebook in 1280 by 800. Those clips look great!

Let's see now... Hmmm

You could just connect your laptop straight into your HDTV, but you'd need to have the relevant DVI connectors to get the right HD image on screen... and use Powerstrip for the dual screen setup.

Then again you could use either the Roku Photobridge media player or the Avel Linkplayer from Io-data. Both do HD, but the Avel has the advantage of playing WMV9 HD as well as HD from standard DVD disks with WMV9. The Roku also has problematic PAL HD playback. NTSC HD playback is fine. Both work equally well on wired LAN connections.

The AverMedia Quickplay converter cannot handle any HD signal.

If you are serious about HD/HDV, you may end up having to bite the bullet and purchase a HDV camcorder, rather than downloading clips, and then buying HD capable media players...

Even a HDTV (if you don't have one already) would be preferable to a media player.

The whole HDV concept was envisioned as a complement to HDTV. It was meant for owners of HDTVs, so they could get more out of their HDTV investment.

If you want to do the HDV thing right, get a good HDTV - then the HDV camcorder, then the whizz-bang networkable media player... otherwise you just won't see what HDV is really capable of.

Thanks for the reply Steve. I already have an HDTV. The reason I was asking is that I would like to have a way to play back the HD files from something other than the camera (so I'm not putting extra wear on it), before I consider purchasing an HD camcorder.

You'd think if Sony is introducing HD cameras they would close the loop by introducing consumer HD DVD decks for the footage.

Thanks for all that information. I'll check into those.

Sony has indeed released (well it was announced a couple of months ago anyway) their own HD network media player... the only problem was, you had to link it to a VAIO computer. So, it wasn't really any use to those who have the more usual non-brand name PCs.

There's also the Buffalo HD media player... and a whole new batch are about to hit the streets, which should up the HD viewing experience ante, while lowering the cost!! Zensonic Z500 is just one...

Thanks again for all that info. What a difference from last year. It feels like things are really starting to give now towards HD :)

I guess one of the pitfalls for those getting into HDV is that many HD capable products are geared up promotions wise, for the Home Theatre market. Then there are others that are targeted towards the HTPC sector.

To many who aren't aware of how HD is being developed to target these seemingly individual brackets, it can sometimes appear as though there's little support via 3rd party devices for the viewing and distribution of HDV material.

The shift that HDV users need to come to grips with is - we aren't just dealing with camera technology. To truly get the most from a HDV investment, there's much research into Home Theatre, Digital Video Broadcast technology and it's application in HTPC's that should be undertaken.

There's times that boards and forums such as these just can't cover the intertwining threads of related technology that could ease the anxiety of those who aren't aware of such developments.

The hardest thing many HDV camcorder owners shall end up having to deal with, will be deciding how and what will give them the HD/HDV experience they are after, rather than whether it's available or not...