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#1 | |
Bringin' Back The Sexy
Posts: 8,470
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Western Digital TV
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://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. You need to be THIS HOT... ![]() To ride the KYR Train Step aside, if you don't wanna ride! Quote:
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#2 |
Selectively Social
Posts: 16,336
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So that does what, let's you play the HD content you put on your USB HDD, on a tv?
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#3 |
Bringin' Back The Sexy
Posts: 8,470
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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. |
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#4 |
The Satanic Mechanic
Posts: 52,521
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Why not just connect your pc to your TV as a monitor and play them that way?
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#5 |
Bringin' Back The Sexy
Posts: 8,470
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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.
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#6 |
The Satanic Mechanic
Posts: 52,521
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Ah, I get you.
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#7 | |
BAY BAY
Posts: 36,524
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Quote:
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_f...4-F9744ADAD251 http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSit...Center+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. Last edited by #BROKEN Hasney; 12-16-2008 at 01:59 PM. |
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#8 |
Bringin' Back The Sexy
Posts: 8,470
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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. |
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#9 |
BAY BAY
Posts: 36,524
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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. |
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#10 |
God Bless America
Posts: 37,905
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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 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. |
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#11 |
BAY BAY
Posts: 36,524
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That link you posted has 250gb, 320gb and 1tb versions. Don't get me wrong, they look awesome. Especially that 1tb one.
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#12 |
God Bless America
Posts: 37,905
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Yeah, that was the US versions - I have only seen the 500GB version avalible in Australian retail stores
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#13 |
Bringin' Back The Sexy
Posts: 8,470
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Thanks
![]() Will check out Good Guys on Saturday. |
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#14 |
God Bless America
Posts: 37,905
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Tell them Gareth sent you - they won't have a clue who I am.
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#15 |
God Bless America
Posts: 37,905
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To be fair to WD, I have never had any problems with their HD's
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