Western Digital TV

[KYR]

As a lot of you may be aware, I'm into the whole "Home Theatre Entertainment" bit and I currently have an old PC connected to my Amp and Plasma in my media room. The PC is old and slow and doesn't have a lot of storage capacity.

Just noticed this new Western Digital Media Player on the market.

http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/136510-wdtv-584_386.jpg

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=572

Anyone know anything about it? Anything else similar to it on the market?

I know it's WD and I've had issues with them in the past.

[G]

So that does what, let's you play the HD content you put on your USB HDD, on a tv?

[KYR]

You can attach your external hard drive from your PC or even a flash drive with divx/avi files etc on it and watch on your TV. Doesn't have to be HD.

I download a lot of TV and movies. This saves having to convert files and burn to DVD. I could watch directly from my external hard drive.

[Funky Fly]

Why not just connect your pc to your TV as a monitor and play them that way?

[KYR]

I already do that with the old PC. The new PC is in a different room. I could network via something like D-Link routers but that also comes at a cost and I don't think the quality would be as good.

[Funky Fly]

Ah, I get you.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

I already do that with the old PC. The new PC is in a different room. I could network via something like D-Link routers but that also comes at a cost and I don't think the quality would be as good.

You've still got to physically move your HD to the TV room right? You could just hook it up to the old PC that's connected to the TV? Have you tried running HD content off it? (if you watch a lot of HD content).

How much is that box? Over here, it's only £20 cheaper than an XBox 360. If it's anywhere approaching XBox 360 cost, I would just get one as it can do the same thing with a FAT32 formatted external HD. Even better, you would have the option to network it with your other PC if you ever did decide to take the plunge.

EDIT: These two bad boys support networking as well and seem better than the WD TV

http://www.zyxel.co.uk/web/product_family_detail.php?PC1indexflag=20051111175909&CategoryGroupNo=795F474F-B7FF-4B6C-84B4-F9744ADAD251

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/uk/Products/Consumer+Products/Digital+Media+Adapters/Digital+Media+Player/ShowCenter+200.htm

The Zyxel is the best budget one out of all 3, but you have to use HDMI as there is no component

The Pinnacle is a little more expensive, but has WiFI, can play DRM protected files and can listen to MP3s/internet radio if hooked up to a hi-fi without going through the TV.

[KYR]

Thanks.

Those products haven't made it out here yet as far as I can tell, but I'll investigate if/when they'll be released here. In the interim I'll check out the XBox option.

Transferring my external HD from my (fast) PC to the media room is not a big deal - I've got a small 120GB portable I can use for that.

The WD Media Player retails for $199 here (I have seen it on special for as low as $169) so much cheaper than an XBox.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Yeah, I thought you guys got screwed on game related prices.

With everything I've posted here, none of them support real DiVX so not all files will work. Not so much a problem now due to XViD being more commonly used, but something to look out for.

The best money no object idea that I've used is a PS3. I've ripped on it in the VG forum a lot as a games machine, but as a media centre, it's pretty damn terrific.

[Downunder]

Mate piss off down to The Good Guys and pick up one of these for arond $300:

http://www.lacie.com/us/products/range.htm?id=10049

http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?id=10263

500GB HD and plays pretty much anything.

Me - I'm a cheap bastard so I got one of these from China: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10486 and whacked in a spare HD I had laying around, it's OK - does the job, just not very pretty GUI. But I don't give a shit, it plays all the TV shows ad movies I download.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

That link you posted has 250gb, 320gb and 1tb versions. Don't get me wrong, they look awesome. Especially that 1tb one.

[Downunder]

Yeah, that was the US versions - I have only seen the 500GB version avalible in Australian retail stores

[KYR]

Thanks :y:

Will check out Good Guys on Saturday.

[Downunder]

Tell them Gareth sent you - they won't have a clue who I am.

[Downunder]

To be fair to WD, I have never had any problems with their HD's