So I've been looking into a Media Streamer Device for around the $100 CDN mark that will work with DNLA sources and hopefully do it's own decoding as well - I want it to play HD MKVs (1080p), music, dvd isos, pictures, and maybe Netflix.
I've looked into chip manufacturers (Signma and Realtek), then into devices (TViX, NMT, Dune HD, LG, Western Digital, Sony, Apple), and now I am wondering you guys thoughts (if you have any at all). One person at work got a Dune HD TV 101 for $100 off eBay, but I can't find them now, which is a hell of a deal!
Anyway, I am leaning a bit on the Western Digital TV Live: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330 or the plus version (if I can really find the difference between the two as they are the same price now).
I was hoping I wasn't the only one to go down this road here and was looking to see what you guys think.
If you are looking for 1080P and MKV I would almost forget about using DNLA since it is such a broken standard and exclusively look for the cheapest way to run a little XBMC box. Also reliable 1080p is hard to achieve at that price point.
If you are going to go DNLA then pick a REALLY good DLNA server and then narrow your search based on known working devices.. MKV container support via DLNA is inconsistent per device.
For DLNA servers I would now almost exclusively recommend SERVIIO, followed by miniDLNA.
Also when doing 1080P your bit rate will be very high and if you are doing it over WiFi even wireless N will have dropouts in speed.
HW suggestions:
1. Apple TV if you don't mind a little hacking to put XBMC on it.
Pro:
-Can't get much smaller
-Built in wifi
-Remote
-no fans
Con:
- 720p
-h.264 is accelerated for HD playback but not other codecs
- heading into a new year with new rumors.
2. Used 360 ($129 pre owned, paired with a good DLNA server..
Pro:
-Another gaming system
Con:
- Some server side trans-coding will be needed.
3. A Samsung or LG blueray player... However I can't recomend it as support for these tends to be very hit or miss.
4. Up your budget and build a Atom / ion2 system for under $300 guaranteed to play 1080P with XBMC and also small.
Pretty much what Lazy said.
I recommend the Samsung/LG player. I have an LG and it streams MKVs like a boss (plus it's pretty quiet, and also plays discs).
Forget wireless though if plan on watching 1080i/p stuff though, it sux on all platforms
Quote from: Mr. Analog on January 04, 2012, 09:23:23 PM
Pretty much what Lazy said.
I recommend the Samsung/LG player. I have an LG and it streams MKVs like a boss (plus it's pretty quiet, and also plays discs).
Forget wireless though if plan on watching 1080i/p stuff though, it sux on all platforms
I can often get away with playing 720p over 802.11g, and on occasion a 1080p will play, I just better not want to seek around at all. The player has to be set up to buffer quite a bit to make that work ;D
FYI My Samsung player hardly works for DLNA over wifi, it often hangs and disconnects.. Over a wired connection it works fine.. It comes down to buffering and there is no way to adjust that on most embedded devices.
Hey Guys,
I really appreciate your input everyone and if the budget was higher I would expand my horizons, but the budget is around the $100 mark. And these devices are actually very plausible now at this price range, putting out 1080p and trans-codes on it's own or consumes a DNLA source. XBMC devices are nice, but typically again cost more, and I am no longer in the market to really "hack" devices with other firmware anymore (I want it just to work :D). I was just hoping someone else here had experience or done the research like I have been.
No worries about it, as I can always ask for one for the good old B-Day and give it a try :D. Like I said there are a few people around the office that have varying devices from this price range now and I have been checking with them as well to decided on one to try myself.
I'll let you know how I make out if I do get one.
Well, you're either spending time or money, pick one :D
Quote from: Melbosa on January 05, 2012, 08:26:22 AM
And these devices are actually very plausible now at this price range, putting out 1080p and trans-codes on it's own or consumes a DNLA source.
That is exactly why I purchased my Samsung Blueray player... It was around $100 and promised to play mkv files... however as I have warned... WiFi and codec reliability on these devices is spotty at best. DLNA seems to depend on running a DLNA server that has a workaround for nearly every device on the market.
I have experimented with the following DNLA / UPnP servers:
TVersity
MediaTomb
PS3MediaServer
miniDLNA
uServe
Twonky
Serviio
NONE of them are perfect, I have tested them with the following devices as DLNA clients: XBOX 360, Samsung C6500 Blueray Player, Windows media player, XBMC4XBOX, AcePlayer on iPhone.
Issues encountered:
- Suppository supported codecs will not play MKV files for example some device want the server to send the mime type mimetype="video/x-matroska" others want "video/x-mkv" so you ether need a server that has template files or one that explicitly supports your device.
- Pause does not work, no really on some media servers pause does not work for my Samsung
- Fast forward / skip does not work on many media types and devices
- Random disconnects due to unexpected commands (some devices are hyper sensitive to what commands are expected and time out if commands take longer than ms to complete
- media thumbnails, very few of the servers seem to support this, and it can also depend on the devices expected image size restrictions if it works (both my xbox with the new dash and my Samsung display thumbnails with serviio)
- codec supported but not the container... really good media servers will strip an unsupported container format and report a false one to the device along with supported streams... not exactly trans-coding, just stripping... It takes less resources (ps3mediaserver, serviio do this as well as trans-coding).
- DNLA search ( so far I haven't found any device and server combination where this works)
- basic DLNA is just a list, if you want nice organized virtual folders you need a good DLNA server.
before purchasing ANY device, go search for it in your DLNA servers forums and over at http://www.avsforum.com/, it is a good way to find out which devices have a POS UI (most of them in the $100 range) and what issues users are having.\
FYI my Xbox 360 and Blueray player both have high Wife Approval factors are near your price range and do other stuff... the Blueray player has lost some favor however since I moved my media server to the basement and started having issues with it over WiFi.
Since I am setting up a second TV in my house and am basically broke (TV was over budget but too good of a dial) YES, I have been looking at the devices in the $100 range as well I was looking at what some SmartTVs had built in playback IE spending an extra $100 up front for the features and always came back with ISSUES when following up on the devices, Especially for your requirement of 1080p MKV, sticking to Xvid just about anything works, but you are limited in the quality available.
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 09:19:06 AM
That is exactly why I purchased my Samsung Blueray player... It was around $100 and promised to play mkv files... however as I have warned... WiFi and codec reliability on these devices is spotty at best. DLNA seems to depend on running a DLNA server that has a workaround for nearly every device on the market.
I have experimented with the following DNLA / UPnP servers:
TVersity
MediaTomb
PS3MediaServer
miniDLNA
uServe
Twonky
Serviio
NONE of them are perfect, I have tested them with the following devices as DLNA clients: XBOX 360, Samsung C6500 Blueray Player, Windows media player, XBMC4XBOX, AcePlayer on iPhone.
Issues encountered:
- Suppository supported codecs will not play MKV files for example some device want the server to send the mime type mimetype="video/x-matroska" others want "video/x-mkv" so you ether need a server that has template files or one that explicitly supports your device.
- Pause does not work, no really on some media servers pause does not work for my Samsung
- Fast forward / skip does not work on many media types and devices
- Random disconnects due to unexpected commands (some devices are hyper sensitive to what commands are expected and time out if commands take longer than ms to complete
- media thumbnails, very few of the servers seem to support this, and it can also depend on the devices expected image size restrictions if it works (both my xbox with the new dash and my Samsung display thumbnails with serviio)
- codec supported but not the container... really good media servers will strip an unsupported container format and report a false one to the device along with supported streams... not exactly trans-coding, just stripping... It takes less resources (ps3mediaserver, serviio do this as well as trans-coding).
- DNLA search ( so far I haven't found any device and server combination where this works)
- basic DLNA is just a list, if you want nice organized virtual folders you need a good DLNA server.
before purchasing ANY device, go search for it in your DLNA servers forums and over at http://www.avsforum.com/, it is a good way to find out which devices have a POS UI (most of them in the $100 range) and what issues users are having.\
Thanks for that Lazy. AVS forums, while a fantastic resource, is the elitist of the bunch. Have to take it for what it is worth when you research through there (and I have on this topic).
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 09:19:06 AM
FYI my Xbox 360 and Blueray player both have high Wife Approval factors are near your price range and do other stuff... the Blueray player has lost some favor however since I moved my media server to the basement and started having issues with it over WiFi.
I probably am not doing the WiFi solution as my house is wired for Ethernet in every room. So while the devices may have WiFi I probably will be using wired.
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 09:19:06 AM
Since I am setting up a second TV in my house and am basically broke (TV was over budget but too good of a dial) YES, I have been looking at the devices in the $100 range as well I was looking at what some SmartTVs had built in playback IE spending an extra $100 up front for the features and always came back with ISSUES when following up on the devices, Especially for your requirement of 1080p MKV, sticking to Xvid just about anything works, but you are limited in the quality available.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough as per my intent. This device will NOT be replacing my XBox or PS3 as a media device, and will NOT be my primary viewing system. If I was looking at that I would be buying something like a TViX or Dune HD $500 plus model with a lot of expanded features, or building my own HTPC again.
Why the $100 or so range? This is for our bedroom TV, to watch TV shows in 720p or the occasional movie at 1080p. So not so high of a use nor does it have to be the greatest GUI or have the highest functionality.
Why the Music or Picture functions? To be used as a backup if the main TV is down.
Why the 1080p/Trans-coding functionality? Encase we want to watch a movie or encase we have both TVs in use, want to be able to watch 2 different sources at once.
Why the DNLA compatibility? For a fall back encase the device's inherit abilities cannot play the source, can try this as an alternative.
Basically I want a device that can do about 70% of what my PS3+DNLA does already.
Is that more explanatory?
Quote from: Melbosa on January 05, 2012, 10:24:54 AM
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough as per my intent. This device will NOT be replacing my XBox or PS3 as a media device, and will NOT be my primary viewing system. If I was looking at that I would be buying something like a TViX or Dune HD $500 plus model with a lot of expanded features, or building my own HTPC again.
Why the $100 or so range? This is for our bedroom TV, to watch TV shows in 720p or the occasional movie at 1080p. So not so high of a use nor does it have to be the greatest GUI or have the highest functionality.
Why the Music or Picture functions? To be used as a backup if the main TV is down.
Why the 1080p/Trans-coding functionality? Encase we want to watch a movie or encase we have both TVs in use, want to be able to watch 2 different sources at once.
Why the DNLA compatibility? For a fall back encase the device's inherit abilities cannot play the source, can try this as an alternative.
Basically I want a device that can do about 70% of what my PS3+DNLA does already.
Is that more explanatory?
That does clear it up, however since my research was geared to 99% feature complete solutions the Apple TV with XBMC is the only solution that I have to suggest... And at that I am not currently using it my self, just recommended from another tech here that has had lots of issues getting Wife approved solutions, so if it works for him it must be fairly complete. The Apple TV can decode 1080p mkv (h264 codec only) via XBMC but the output will be 720p.
If your only experience with DLNA is PS3media server + a PS3 your view of compatibility will be a bit optimistic since that server was originally custom developed for ps3.
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 11:10:18 AM
If your only experience with DLNA is PS3media server + a PS3 your view of compatibility will be a bit optimistic since that server was originally custom developed for ps3.
You should know better ;). I started with TVersity the same time you did and have moved through many DNLA/PnP Server solutions through the years just like you. PS3MS is just my current one and I have yet to try your newest recommendation. I know the "headaches" that come with them and know it won't be perfect ;).
Sometimes we forget our target audience I think when we post here, as well a live on so many forums. I hope it works out in the end, and like I said I'll keep you in the loop.
Quote from: Melbosa on January 05, 2012, 11:42:34 AM
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 11:10:18 AM
If your only experience with DLNA is PS3media server + a PS3 your view of compatibility will be a bit optimistic since that server was originally custom developed for ps3.
You should know better ;). I started with TVersity the same time you did and have moved through many DNLA/PnP Server solutions through the years just like you. PS3MS is just my current one and I have yet to try your newest recommendation. I know the "headaches" that come with them and know it won't be perfect ;).
Sometimes we forget our target audience I think when we post here, as well a live on so many forums. I hope it works out in the end, and like I said I'll keep you in the loop.
O I remember, and it wasn't a comment to be-litter you or anything... it was simply a warning of the struggle I had after adding a new client device. You see I managed to get my xbox 360 working rather well with my NAS and Twonky, then I tried adding a new client my blueray player, that on paper has excellent codec support and should mop the floor with the 360. The initial result was that the blueray player played FEWER files than the xbox, could not pause, and could not skip ALL FILES. I literally had to start from square one again with the DNLA server in order to support more than ONE DLNA client that I has already spent a lot of time testing to get working.
That is all I was saying, hence the repeated suggestion to review the DLNA server and known working devices.
It sounds like you are in the same boat as I am, you just want your home home stuff to work, leaving the techie stuff for work, no more hacking...
If you find a device that works you can bet I will be VERY VERY interested.
I'm with Lazy on this, supporting multiple different devices can be a horrible chore. If PS3MS is working for you, how about busting your budget and just getting another PS3? Sure, it's a hundred dollars more than you were hoping to spend on a different device, but at forty dollars an hour, as soon as you hit two and a half hours of trouble-shooting the supposedly "supported" device that you bought for cheap, you've spent all those savings plus you'll have built up a bunch of frustration.
That said, if you're willing to trade free time for not-insignificant savings, from what I've read it's not uncommon to have to update firmware on devices that you buy. Unfortunately I can't remember any specifics, therefore I wasn't posting earlier.
Lazy: you must be typing on a phone with auto-correct ... "suppository supported codecs", "be-litter" ... I'm not trying to pick on spelling, just these are kinda funny mistypes.
Quote from: Thorin on January 05, 2012, 01:42:41 PM
I'm with Lazy on this, supporting multiple different devices can be a horrible chore. If PS3MS is working for you, how about busting your budget and just getting another PS3? Sure, it's a hundred dollars more than you were hoping to spend on a different device, but at forty dollars an hour, as soon as you hit two and a half hours of trouble-shooting the supposedly "supported" device that you bought for cheap, you've spent all those savings plus you'll have built up a bunch of frustration.
LOL yeah I could go the route of another PS3 - but then I would need two PS3MS' to support simultaneous streams of 1080p when it happens - so I would need another DNLA running anyway, and at that point I can just select one more compatible with the cheaper unit. I'm hoping not to have to go to the DNLA much with these devices, and the WD TV Live box the two have in the office here have had good success without needing a DNLA server in the mix.
Quote from: Thorin on January 05, 2012, 01:42:41 PM
That said, if you're willing to trade free time for not-insignificant savings, from what I've read it's not uncommon to have to update firmware on devices that you buy. Unfortunately I can't remember any specifics, therefore I wasn't posting earlier.
You are so right, but it is right in the interface on the modern media streamers GUIs. Click a button and let it download, install and reboot.
Quote from: Thorin on January 05, 2012, 01:42:41 PM
Lazy: you must be typing on a phone with auto-correct ... "suppository supported codecs", "be-litter" ... I'm not trying to pick on spelling, just these are kinda funny mistypes.
LOL I was thinking the same thing.
PS3MS can't handle two HD streams at once, or the machine that PS3MS runs on can't handle two HD streams at once?
I'm going to have to try running multiple streams through the Xbox360 and a couple of laptops all at the same time, to see what happens with TVersity (since it's running on a pretty old machine with a pretty cheap video card that was bought for its silence, not it's power - 8400 GS).
I think the problem he is trying to avoid is when two devices require a trans-code, then it is unrealistic to even expect a fairly high end machine to do two feeds a real time. However if one is trans-coding you should be able to serve another as long as it is native.
Quote from: Thorin on January 05, 2012, 02:26:28 PM
PS3MS can't handle two HD streams at once, or the machine that PS3MS runs on can't handle two HD streams at once?
The server it runs off of won't have the ability to trans-code two 1080p movies at the same time, based on bandwidth and ram it has. PS3MS can do as many as your hardware will allow. My server will do two 720p tv shows at the same time. Or music, pictures and a 1080p movies at the same time.
Quote from: Thorin on January 05, 2012, 02:26:28 PM
I'm going to have to try running multiple streams through the Xbox360 and a couple of laptops all at the same time, to see what happens with TVersity (since it's running on a pretty old machine with a pretty cheap video card that was bought for its silence, not it's power - 8400 GS).
Depends on your source that you are streaming in relation to your bandwidth available and the hardware of the computer. 480p sources are easier to stream. Also depend on how heavily it has to trans-code the source.
Ah yes, multiple on-the-fly transcodings.
So this device you're looking at, it just reads directly from a network drive and then does its own transcoding?
Well trans-coding no, decoding yes - and direct network share access yes, NFS and Samba. This one has codecs for lots of formats: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330, so it natively can play a lot more than the PS3, so shouldn't need to use the DNLA server for trans-coding as much as the PS3 does.
Quote from: Melbosa on January 05, 2012, 03:14:15 PM
Well trans-coding no, decoding yes - and direct network share access yes, NFS and Samba. This one has codecs for lots of formats: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330, so it natively can play a lot more than the PS3, so shouldn't need to use the DNLA server for trans-coding as much as the PS3 does.
Hmm now I am going to have to swing by Costco again, because I think I saw it on sale recently but ignored it due to some previous negative reviews... But that may have been for older models.
Looks like Western Digital has called several year models almost EXACTLY the same thing... Looks the the NEW GOOD one WD TV Live costs more than an Apple TV. On the plus side it support 1080P.
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 03:57:38 PM
Looks like Western Digital has called several year models almost EXACTLY the same thing... Looks the the NEW GOOD one WD TV Live costs more than an Apple TV. On the plus side it support 1080P.
The new good one is the Hub which has a built in 1TB Harddrive and a DNLA trans-coder. But the latest one I linked you is at Memory Express (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX36756) for $99.99 and is fairly decent - not as good as the Hub, but decent. It isn't a whole-one-stop solution though. Its a $100 solution ;) - and it does Full 1080p.
Quote from: Melbosa on January 05, 2012, 04:06:49 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on January 05, 2012, 03:57:38 PM
Looks like Western Digital has called several year models almost EXACTLY the same thing... Looks the the NEW GOOD one WD TV Live costs more than an Apple TV. On the plus side it support 1080P.
The new good one is the Hub which has a built in 1TB Harddrive and a DNLA trans-coder. But the latest one I linked you is at Memory Express (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX36756) for $99.99 and is fairly decent - not as good as the Hub, but decent. It isn't a whole-one-stop solution though. Its a $100 solution ;) - and it does Full 1080p.
I had seen the non-hub one listed for $114, but you are right Memx has the basic good one for $99... Have to poke around for some reviews.
Better watch for CES devices
Always Innovating HDMI dongle brings Android to your 'dumb TV'
http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/07/always-innovating-hdmi-dongle-android-tv-video/
I managed to get my boxing day TV mounted and setup, this left me in need of a media streamer on the old TV... Not wanting to wait for shipping I picked up a LG ST 600 http://www.lg.com/ca_en/tv-audio-video/video/LG-ST600.jsp .
So far it seems to perform very well, however not having any 1080p content on hand at the moment I am downloading some samples to see how it does.
It has native share mounting support as well as DLNA certification... Like all of the Smart TVs the UI is not great but it works....
I will get back to you once I have had a chance to test it with more content... All of my standard content and Netflix all appear to play over WiFi so far and well so it might be a keeper.
Did a bit more testing with the LG ST 600 and so far it plays everything I have tossed at it, accept one movie that I think has some errors as most of my other devices have issues with it.
I was able to play 780p mov, mp4, avi and mkv files both directly over wifi/share and DLNA.
I downloaded a 1080p x264 trailer and was able to play it over wifi cleanly (may depend on bitrate)
This box seems very capable, my only issue is the UI which frankly sucks.
How much was the LG ST 600?
Quote from: Thorin on January 17, 2012, 12:45:02 PM
How much was the LG ST 600?
$89 at Costco. They also had the old WD from last year for $79.
Only picked up the LG since I could not find the new WD in store at the same price point locally.
It also appears to have active firmware support with a new release still in beta. However rumor has it LG will be releasing something new this year.
If you run plex for your media server apparently you get an optional xbmc style mode via one of the apps, but there are bugs with that addressed in the beta.
Price and codec wise it seems decent, can't really recomend it based on the ui.
Well my LG started to lock up so I took it back and picked up the new WD TV Live.
Man they aren't even in the same league.
The WD tv has a great ui!
Has its own tvdb medata data download library.
A better Netflix ui
IPhone remote app (great for typing in searches)
Supports HDMI control commands ( your tv can control it directly if it is new enough)
Normal size remote (lost the tiny lg remote all the time)
Wish I hand not wasted any time on the LG.
Hehe... sometimes it pays to listen to me... sometimes :P
Spent a lot of research on that little device and its competitors... now I just have to wait until after my wedding when I have time to go buy one! If you have any more feedback, please share as I would love to know it's faults or bonuses from anyone before I buy.
Have had a chance to play with it a little now:
Cons:
- The current firmware does a bad job of auto identifying files as TV for the meta data feature, IE a file named "Show Title 1x1.ext": or "Show Title S01E01.ext" would work but not "Show Title S01E01 - Episode Title.ext" Unfortunately this is what almost all of my newer content is named like.
- The UI could use some more text to label symbols (not just when they are highlighted)
- You can bookmark favorite folders etc but only for content in library mode.
- Sources can be confusing, it remembers your last source
- Managing which sources are in the library is buried rather deep in the setup menu.
Pro:
- Forgot to mention it comes with RCA connections, making it possible to use with older TVs
- Displays the local time and weather / temp in on the main screen.
Opinion is still far better than other devices I have used like this. Not as good as XBMC.
I have a feeling that once the bugs are worked out that Raspberry Pi + XBMC will far exceed devices like this.
The thing that put me off the WD was that the previous model got such so so, reviews and if you don't do some advanced year based filters it is hard to find info on the new one, hell even some screen shots showing that the UI is really decent also Costo and several other places are still trying to offload the old ones.
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-media-receivers/wd-tv-live-2011/4505-6739_7-35026900.html
There also appears to be some custom firmware floating around for the WD TV Live devices, haven't looked into it too much but it looks like they add some nice UI tweaks.
http://www.wdtvlive.net/
Ok annoyingly the media library feature does not like my episode naming standard so other than my movies the media library doesn't work that well.
However its IE is still far superior to my other devices and so far it has played everything I have tossed at it.
Just saw the Roku 2 Canadian units have arrived.. Saw them in London drugs.
Well Cinavia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinavia) finally showed up on my First Gen PS3 the other day, so I hooked up my WD Live in the living room. What a slick device!!!! Much better than the other 3 I have tried. Now I need another one for the house... anyone tried the new Roku?
I don't want to have to play with getting things to work anymore when it comes to HTPC stuff... I just want to buy a device, plug it in and set it to point at my shares and play... no more install this or setup that. I'm getting lazy in my later years I think.
Quote from: Melbosa on July 30, 2012, 01:54:56 PM
Well Cinavia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinavia) finally showed up on my First Gen PS3 the other day, so I hooked up my WD Live in the living room. What a slick device!!!! Much better than the other 3 I have tried. Now I need another one for the house... anyone tried the new Roku?
I don't want to have to play with getting things to work anymore when it comes to HTPC stuff... I just want to buy a device, plug it in and set it to point at my shares and play... no more install this or setup that. I'm getting lazy in my later years I think.
I've been pondering getting a USB/HDMI GoogleTV stick, mostly for Youtubing it up. But if I find one that works at least as well as my htpc for my video/music share, I might just decomission my htpc.
You should go look at my thread about using Plex Media server.
1. Its DLNA works well with the WD Live so you are good there.
2. The Roku 2 has a native app for Plex that gives you rich metadata
The Roku 2 is service dependent unlike the WD Live. The Roku has no built in way to view local network media, everything needs to be fed to it via a online streaming service or server... However using Plex it works very well.
Forgot to mention that Vizio will have a $100 android unit out soon
http://phandroid.com/2012/07/24/vizio-co-star-google-tv-pre-orders-open-at-100-shipping-august-14th/
Plex already has a VERY rich Android client and XBMC will be out soon as well.
I have been following your Plex thread, and had forgotten about the Roku 2's need for streaming server..... I like the WD's network share feature so I guess Roku 2 is out.
Quote from: Melbosa on July 30, 2012, 03:28:53 PM
I have been following your Plex thread, and had forgotten about the Roku 2's need for streaming server..... I like the WD's network share feature so I guess Roku 2 is out.
The WD works fairly well with PLEX over DLNA but you miss out on most of the Meta data displaying... It does however support folder and episode images over DLNA so it isn't bad. There was some talk on the thread that there may be a way to get the WD to work with the extended metadata and they where looking into it for Plex server.
Funny thing is that I HATED the WD direct mounting because it gathered its own metadata and was really fussy and slow about it... I much prefer the centralized Plex model so Metadata is collected and corrected ONCE for all devices.
Hmmm well I bought a Roku 2 XS today as it was on sale at my local London Drugs. Now to get my Plex on...
Going to ... Plex ... your muscles?
OK so first up my Roku 2 XS Review:
Pros:
- Dummy Proof to Setup
- Simplistic GUI
- Sexy with Plex, very Sexy stuff
- Crackle - Free Streaming SD Movies!
- IR + BlueTooth support
Cons:
- No Optical Out - Big negative for my home theatre setup - this one goes in the bedroom
- Not a lot available to configure in options - pretty limited to what you can set.
- Have to buy XS (top model) to get an Ethernet Port - WTF?
- Dashboard is not Customizable
In fairness I do not have an HDMI compatible receiver for my surround sound so I can't comment on how the audio works. Video looks fine.
Now my WD Live Review:
Pros:
- Dummy Proof to Setup
- Nice Themable GUI
- Works well with Plex, but wish there was an app/plugin now that I have seen what comes on the Roku 2
- Direct Network Share Access
- Lots of options to configure
- Remote is nicer than Roku 2
- Optical Out, Ethernet Out
Cons:
- No Plex App Support
- Takes a while to come out sleep mode
I constantly had issues with the WD forgetting my shares and favorites but I agree hardware and technical wise it is better. Also it isn't bad with Plex over Dlna.
However when the Roku is mated with Plex you get a Netflix like experiance for your home media collection.
The windows Plex client and the Samsung smart hub app (Smart tv and blueray players) UI is even nicer however those devices cost a lot more.
Till the android devices hit the market the Roku 2 is probably the cheapest and easiest client.