The big downside is that it's only 10/100, not Gigabit, so you're limiting to filling Terabytes of data at just 8MB/s. Yawn.
Genuine question as I am having a really dense moment (and it is doing my nut in). How did you get a transfer rate of 8MB/s from the original 100Megabit/s?
The big downside is that it's only 10/100, not Gigabit, so you're limiting to filling Terabytes of data at just 8MB/s. Yawn.
Genuine question as I am having a really dense moment (and it is doing my nut in). How did you get a transfer rate of 8MB/s from the original 100Megabit/s?
You get 12.5MB/s when converting from bits to bytes, but due to protocol overheads and other assorted little things, you get roughly 8MB/s from most 100Mb networks
The big downside is that it's only 10/100, not Gigabit, so you're limiting to filling Terabytes of data at just 8MB/s. Yawn.
Genuine question as I am having a really dense moment (and it is doing my nut in). How did you get a transfer rate of 8MB/s from the original 100Megabit/s?
You get 12.5MB/s when converting from bits to bytes, but due to protocol overheads and other assorted little things, you get roughly 8MB/s from most 100Mb networks
Ah, Thanks for that. I got 12.5MB/s but when I read the 8MB/s I doubted my own calculation (I hate it when that happens).
I had assumed something like overheads came into play but wasn't 100% sure.
Originally Posted by lacuna For not a lot more money you could have a PS3 which does basically everything that this box does (although no bit torrent) plus a lot more.
Originally Posted by lacuna For not a lot more money you could have a PS3 which does basically everything that this box does (although no bit torrent) plus a lot more.
or technically for free you could use an old pc
Personally I would still prefer to pay the extra and build a HTPC so I can have a decent GPU hooked up for gaming on the TV when required and also the practicality of doing everything properly... lol
I have only two main issues with the HTPC route and that is the extra cost and the lack of support of MKV files through MediaCentre. Other than that, the benefits far out weigh the cons for me.
Originally Posted by Nedsbeds Do any of these sort of boxes play dvr-ms natively?
Would love something that could integrate with media center in some way
Not according to Play On's website - no support for .dvr-ms or .wtv. You can use MCEBuddy to automatically convert Media centre (sorry - center) recordings to a supported format, but MCEBuddy has to recode the recording. Very easy to set up but it means whichever box records your tv then has to stay on to recode the recording as well. If your HTPC was designed to be low power/low noise, it'll probably take a while to chug through the recode, & it's definitely not an integrated solution. (I try not to think too much about the fact that lack of support for dvr-ms and wtv filetypes is probably due to DRM issues - my blood pressure is high enough as it is... )
Quote:
Originally Posted by SchizoFrog Personally I would still prefer to pay the extra and build a HTPC so I can have a decent GPU hooked up for gaming on the TV when required and also the practicality of doing everything properly... lol
I have only two main issues with the HTPC route and that is the extra cost and the lack of support of MKV files through MediaCentre. Other than that, the benefits far out weigh the cons for me.
MKV support in MediaCentre is fairly easy to sort out if you have the right codec pack. I think, iirc, Shark 007 is the pack specifically designed to work alongside media centre and it does enable MKV support.
& for me, the advantage of a 'real' HTPC is support for iplayer, 4OD and all that sort of stuff. But then I'm a geek, and I love tinkering. I would not recommend a HTPC if you want plug and play...
Originally Posted by GW42 & for me, the advantage of a 'real' HTPC is support for iplayer, 4OD and all that sort of stuff. But then I'm a geek, and I love tinkering. I would not recommend a HTPC if you want plug and play...
Think you've hit the nail on the head there, my friend. A box like this one will certainly fill a gap very nicely, but it doesn't have the same appeal as building your own. I've just cobbled together a media centre PC (I hesitate to use the term HTPC, as it's not exactly an all-in-one) out of old components, and it was far more satisfying than just buying a box and plonking it under the telly. Especially when I didn't want to spend much money and had to rely on older parts/components (have you ever tried setting up an ATI Remote Wonder Plus these days? :fume: ). Plus, I don't yet have an HDTV (don't really need it at the mo) so had to source a graphics card that can output to a standard def. TV in a clear and legible way (got hold of an ATI All-in-Wonder X800 GT from these very forums - brilliant bit of kit!).
EDIT: And, as others have said, I can play games on my TV too - Audiosurf and HL2 work brilliantly, even on the meagre hardware I have :)
Think you've hit the nail on the head there, my friend. A box like this one will certainly fill a gap very nicely, but it doesn't have the same appeal as building your own.
Ah, but the great thing about these media streamers is that they have 90% of the functionality of a HTPC at a much lower price (unless you can build an HTPC for £100). That's what appealed to me. Plus my WDTV boots up in about 10 seconds from cold, whereas my old HTPC took about 50-60 seconds.
For tweakability and ability to play media, the HTPC will beat any media streamer, but I don't need all those options, and for iPlayer & 4oD, I have my Virgin Media Box. I suppose that's why media streamers seem to be increasing in popularity, with more manufacturers offering models. It's not the route for everyone, but for those who don't need all the functionality of an HTPC, media streamers are a great thing.
Originally Posted by pbryanw Ah, but the great thing about these media streamers is that they have 90% of the functionality of a HTPC at a much lower price (unless you can build an HTPC for £100). That's what appealed to me. Plus my WDTV boots up in about 10 seconds from cold, whereas my old HTPC took about 50-60 seconds.
For tweakability and ability to play media, the HTPC will beat any media streamer, but I don't need all those options, and for iPlayer & 4oD, I have my Virgin Media Box. I suppose that's why media streamers seem to be increasing in popularity, with more manufacturers offering models. It's not the route for everyone, but for those who don't need all the functionality of an HTPC, media streamers are a great thing.
I'm not sure that you can say it's "90%" of the functionality of an HTPC. Certainly if you're only looking at using the computer as an HTPC, as an appliance designed to play/record media and nothing else , you are right. But an HTPC is still a computer, no matter what interface you put on it or what you do with it. That means that all the benefits of having/using a PC can also be enjoyed through your HDTV - gaming, web browsing (if you wish), media streaming, ability to customise as much as you like....
Standalone media players/streamers fill a niche very well and at a very good price - you're probably right that you couldn't build an HTPC with the same capabilities for the same price. I did manage to build a "media centre" for less than £100, but that's with some reservations: I used existing/donated parts and bought very little, the case isn't exactly AV cabinet friendly, and it can't handle full 1080p HD (it can handle lower quality HD, but HD isn't a consideration for me, as I only have a standard def TV!). So it's not exactly on par with machines like this AC Ryan unit.
It's horses for courses I guess. I just prefer having something that can be more flexible when I need it to be and something I can tinker with when I want to. Hence why I've just installed Moblin on my netbook and spent over two hours compiling WINE from source code (because Moblin does not and will not have any pre-compiled WINE binaries), simply so I can use Spotify on Linux. Under Windows it'd take me thirty seconds to download, install, and start listening to music; with my way, I've learned a lot more ;)
I replaced my 10/100 switch yesterday with a 1 gig D-Link and did a before/after test. The connection was from my Windows Home Server to my Laptop both with 1gig nic cards. The Laptop connects to my TV via HDMI.
The results speak for themselves. I transferred a 208mb file
10/100 switch: 9.5mb sec and approx 21secs
1 gig switch: 40.5mb sec and approx 4 or 5 secs
I was going to get a WDTV Live and was kind of tempted by one of these but in the end I just ordered a popcorn hour a200 (which has gigabit ethernet with the caveat that it's a bit buggy). The main sellin gpoint for me was the YAMJ interface that you can put on it although the play on will do that now.
interestingly though, in the time since ordering the popcorn i softmodded my xbox and stuck xbmc on it and it's really very good indeed. in fact i believe that the interface may well be better than the popcorn hour. i also got a compnent cable and it'll output at 720p!
for anyone wanting a cheap streamer(or you can put a bigger drive in) for standard definition then i can highly recommend using an original xbox
Originally Posted by hardflipman interestingly though, in the time since ordering the popcorn i softmodded my xbox and stuck xbmc on it and it's really very good indeed. in fact i believe that the interface may well be better than the popcorn hour. i also got a compnent cable and it'll output at 720p!
for anyone wanting a cheap streamer(or you can put a bigger drive in) for standard definition then i can highly recommend using an original xbox
+1.
An original Xbox with XBMC is an absolutely ideal standard def media player - especially if you have the remote (which can probably be picked up on fleaBay for next to nothing). I only retired mine recently, after 5 years of service. Some of the later Xbox models, such as mine, can have seriously loud fans, but XBMC allows you to control the fan speed - either directly or by setting a target temperature.
Although you can get the Xbox to output at HD resolutions, it will absolutely not play HD video. Even a video encoded with h.264 at standard def resolutions will not play. Well... It'll play the file, as the mplayer core supports the h.264 and other HD codecs, but it'll be like watching a slideshow with a 20 second delay. The 733MHz processor simply doesn't have the power.
Unfortunately there is no processor that can currently make full use of gigabit LAN. Otherwise it would be implemented. As soon as there is, there'll be media players that will utilize it.
Other than that, the YAMJ feature is a welcome addition already. :)
Comments 1 to 25 of 39
ReplyGenuine question as I am having a really dense moment (and it is doing my nut in). How did you get a transfer rate of 8MB/s from the original 100Megabit/s?
You get 12.5MB/s when converting from bits to bytes, but due to protocol overheads and other assorted little things, you get roughly 8MB/s from most 100Mb networks
Ah, Thanks for that. I got 12.5MB/s but when I read the 8MB/s I doubted my own calculation (I hate it when that happens).
I had assumed something like overheads came into play but wasn't 100% sure.
:)
Otherwise nice little box. ;)
None of them have. I'd guess the Realtek chipset doesn't support it.
As for 8MB/s - it was a measured amount :o
Would love something that could integrate with media center in some way
or technically for free you could use an old pc
Personally I would still prefer to pay the extra and build a HTPC so I can have a decent GPU hooked up for gaming on the TV when required and also the practicality of doing everything properly... lol
I have only two main issues with the HTPC route and that is the extra cost and the lack of support of MKV files through MediaCentre. Other than that, the benefits far out weigh the cons for me.
Not according to Play On's website - no support for .dvr-ms or .wtv. You can use MCEBuddy to automatically convert Media centre (sorry - center) recordings to a supported format, but MCEBuddy has to recode the recording. Very easy to set up but it means whichever box records your tv then has to stay on to recode the recording as well. If your HTPC was designed to be low power/low noise, it'll probably take a while to chug through the recode, & it's definitely not an integrated solution. (I try not to think too much about the fact that lack of support for dvr-ms and wtv filetypes is probably due to DRM issues - my blood pressure is high enough as it is... )
MKV support in MediaCentre is fairly easy to sort out if you have the right codec pack. I think, iirc, Shark 007 is the pack specifically designed to work alongside media centre and it does enable MKV support.
& for me, the advantage of a 'real' HTPC is support for iplayer, 4OD and all that sort of stuff. But then I'm a geek, and I love tinkering. I would not recommend a HTPC if you want plug and play...
Think you've hit the nail on the head there, my friend. A box like this one will certainly fill a gap very nicely, but it doesn't have the same appeal as building your own. I've just cobbled together a media centre PC (I hesitate to use the term HTPC, as it's not exactly an all-in-one) out of old components, and it was far more satisfying than just buying a box and plonking it under the telly. Especially when I didn't want to spend much money and had to rely on older parts/components (have you ever tried setting up an ATI Remote Wonder Plus these days? :fume: ). Plus, I don't yet have an HDTV (don't really need it at the mo) so had to source a graphics card that can output to a standard def. TV in a clear and legible way (got hold of an ATI All-in-Wonder X800 GT from these very forums - brilliant bit of kit!).
EDIT: And, as others have said, I can play games on my TV too - Audiosurf and HL2 work brilliantly, even on the meagre hardware I have :)
For tweakability and ability to play media, the HTPC will beat any media streamer, but I don't need all those options, and for iPlayer & 4oD, I have my Virgin Media Box. I suppose that's why media streamers seem to be increasing in popularity, with more manufacturers offering models. It's not the route for everyone, but for those who don't need all the functionality of an HTPC, media streamers are a great thing.
I'm not sure that you can say it's "90%" of the functionality of an HTPC. Certainly if you're only looking at using the computer as an HTPC, as an appliance designed to play/record media and nothing else , you are right. But an HTPC is still a computer, no matter what interface you put on it or what you do with it. That means that all the benefits of having/using a PC can also be enjoyed through your HDTV - gaming, web browsing (if you wish), media streaming, ability to customise as much as you like....
Standalone media players/streamers fill a niche very well and at a very good price - you're probably right that you couldn't build an HTPC with the same capabilities for the same price. I did manage to build a "media centre" for less than £100, but that's with some reservations: I used existing/donated parts and bought very little, the case isn't exactly AV cabinet friendly, and it can't handle full 1080p HD (it can handle lower quality HD, but HD isn't a consideration for me, as I only have a standard def TV!). So it's not exactly on par with machines like this AC Ryan unit.
It's horses for courses I guess. I just prefer having something that can be more flexible when I need it to be and something I can tinker with when I want to. Hence why I've just installed Moblin on my netbook and spent over two hours compiling WINE from source code (because Moblin does not and will not have any pre-compiled WINE binaries), simply so I can use Spotify on Linux. Under Windows it'd take me thirty seconds to download, install, and start listening to music; with my way, I've learned a lot more ;)
Yup. It'll give you the option to format it when you turn it on.
I replaced my 10/100 switch yesterday with a 1 gig D-Link and did a before/after test. The connection was from my Windows Home Server to my Laptop both with 1gig nic cards. The Laptop connects to my TV via HDMI.
The results speak for themselves. I transferred a 208mb file
10/100 switch: 9.5mb sec and approx 21secs
1 gig switch: 40.5mb sec and approx 4 or 5 secs
interestingly though, in the time since ordering the popcorn i softmodded my xbox and stuck xbmc on it and it's really very good indeed. in fact i believe that the interface may well be better than the popcorn hour. i also got a compnent cable and it'll output at 720p!
for anyone wanting a cheap streamer(or you can put a bigger drive in) for standard definition then i can highly recommend using an original xbox
That said the sigma drivers make it only just better than 100Mbs currently. (going off the C200 experience I have).
+1.
An original Xbox with XBMC is an absolutely ideal standard def media player - especially if you have the remote (which can probably be picked up on fleaBay for next to nothing). I only retired mine recently, after 5 years of service. Some of the later Xbox models, such as mine, can have seriously loud fans, but XBMC allows you to control the fan speed - either directly or by setting a target temperature.
Although you can get the Xbox to output at HD resolutions, it will absolutely not play HD video. Even a video encoded with h.264 at standard def resolutions will not play. Well... It'll play the file, as the mplayer core supports the h.264 and other HD codecs, but it'll be like watching a slideshow with a 20 second delay. The 733MHz processor simply doesn't have the power.
Unfortunately there is no processor that can currently make full use of gigabit LAN. Otherwise it would be implemented. As soon as there is, there'll be media players that will utilize it.
Other than that, the YAMJ feature is a welcome addition already. :)
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