All about Networked Media Tanks (NMT)

[oj88]

To those who are an expert on NMT's, please help me out.

About a year ago, I got into the Media Center bandwagon and asked you guys if I should go HTPC or NMT (http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62492). Long story short, after considering a lot of factors, I built myself an HTPC running Windows 7 Media Center because back then, building an HTPC costs about the same as a mid to high-end NMT. And frankly, NMT's during those times were either flaky or insanely expensive.

Well, fast-forward 14 months later, I feel that the current offerings of NMT's have come to a point of maturity in terms of stability and media playability, and that the level of support (both from the manufacturer and the online community) have reached a level that will most likely offer as much future-proofing as an HTPC. So well, I decided to retire my 'HTPC' and use it someplace where its prowess can be utilized more efficiently; as an ordinary desktop. Besides, the Athlon X2 7750 runs so damn hot! Playing '2012' and 'Transformers' in HD tends to cause the CPU fan to turn at max RPM and the resulting fan noise can sometimes be heard clear across the room. I know it was a bad choice for an HTPC processor to start with. Nevertheless, it did its job well during the time I had it.

Moving on, here I am again asking the group. But this time, it's all NMT's.

So in your opinion, which NMT is the best in ALL if not, MOST worlds; Price, performance, stability, customizability, and media support.

A few choices comes to my mind since I began my research:
1. WD TV Live
2. Popcorn Hour A-200
3. Xtreamer Sidewinder

Kindly consider that I already have a Windows Home Server (WHS) which I built a few weeks ago. WHS hosts more than a terabyte of my collection of movies and TV series (still growing) and is shared among all family members that has a computer. It's also running a u******* client 24x7. That said, the NMT does not necessarily have to have a built-in hard disk or a ******* client. All it needs to do is play my movies off of the WHS through the wired (10/100/1000 mbps) or wireless LAN (802.11g)... and then some. Play Internet content, etc. is also a plus

So there.

[number001]

I was going to recommend the PCH C200 but since one of your needs is media streaming then the PCH A200 would be fine.

Check out the threads regarding these two NMTs at pinoydvd.

[badsekktor]

I agree, get the PCH A200. But wdtvlive and the xtreamer are also good players....

[wranglerboy]

nice thread sir OJ...i'm also looking for a NMT as a gift for myself this christmas.

have been gathering infos the last two (2) mos. so far xtreamer at cinema tube ang meron akong data (gumawa ako ng comparison table sa excel).

hope our friends here in tsikot can help us...TIA!

[oj88]

The PCH A-200 does seem to be the best of the bunch, at least on the list I made. But costing almost twice as much as the WD TV Live, is it worth it?

I've read negative comments with regards to the Xtreamer Sidewinder's LAN connectivity having some performance/speed issues (other than it's just 10/100 mbps). So that's out.

For now, it's a toss between the WD TV Live and the PCH A-200.

[Monseratto]

Be sure to buy a NMT from a company that would issue regular firmware updates even for phased out models . Popcorn is a good brand since they still update their older NMTs.

http://www.pinoydvd.com/index.php/board,139.0.html

[migs267]

Just to share.. Im using Xtreamer Media Player for almost a year now. So far I have not encounter any major problem aside from occasional hang-up which was firmware related issue and was immediately resolve by firmware upgrade.

I have a total 3.5 Terabyte SATA2 full of HD 1080p and 720p movies/concert/documentaries. Two(2)- internal 3.5inch hard disk connected to xtreamer via 2 USB port externally powered by cheap HD housing bought from CDR-King. So far the hard disk are still ok.

Xtreamer aftermarket support is high as they always release firmware upgrades for any bugs fixed found and modifications to improve their products. They also host a forum to support their consumers for any questions related to their products.

At 5Kph tag price, it is cheap compared to other well known hard disk media player device. It is also competitive as they incorporated most of the features found in top market media player.

Here are some of the features; iPhone RC Interface, Dolby TrueHD Down MIxing, BluRay ISO Support, Integrated File Manager, Password Folder Lock, XBMC Folder Style, Internet Radio, HD Graphical User Interface (GUI), Ultra Portable, 1080P PlayBack, Multilingual Support, 802.11n Connectivity, Live Internet Content, Movie Juke Box, NFS Client Support, Music Juke Box, Windows 7 Compatible, FTP Server, Subtitles & Playback TrickPlay, H.264 MKV Support, UPnP Web Getway, NAS Mode
Easy DDnS Support

http://www.xtreamer.net

[alnr]

im using xTreamer Sidewinder, no problems so far. just like sir migs267 said, support and firmware and software upgrades are always available...

[badsekktor]

Im not sure if the PCH A200 supports Blu ray files but i think it does. I believe it can also accomodate a standard HDD right? which i think is a plus for mobility and lesser power consumption.

Xtreamer can accomodate up to 500 gig mobile HDD and with its price, it is more attractive to budget conscious buyers. I think Xtreamer relased 2 new products which could accomodate standard desktop HDD which are more expensive than the sidewinder.

WDTVLive is small and sleek, only drawback i see is that there is no room for internal storage.

PCH firmware support is good, same with xtreamer, Im not sure about WDTVLive.

[Horsepower]

I take it you don't like Apple's Mac Mini?

[oj88]

My concern with the Xtreamer Sidewinder is the apparent slow performance of its LAN port. As quoted from http://www.digitalversus.com/xtreame..._9367_426.html

Networking is covered by a 100 Mbps Ethernet port. Wi-Fi is available in the form of an optional USB adapter. In both cases transfer speeds are low, at around 5.2 MBps for the wired connection or 3.0 MBps for Wi-Fi. This makes streaming 1080p videos housed in an MKV container a pretty painful process. The maximum transfer speed via the wired connection is 28 Mbps, or 15 Mbps for Wi-Fi. You'd therefore be better off sticking to 720p or SD videos for glitch-free viewing.

Take note of the following norm in describing bandwidth, in case you're not paying attention:

Mbps - megabits per second
MBps - megabytes per second

All of my SD and HD video collection are hosted on my home network, so LAN throughput is important.

[oj88]

I take it you don't like Apple's Mac Mini?

I don't get it. Wrong thread?

[oj88]

So I bought the WD TV Live. I know some of you are disappointed with my decision, so allow me to finish.

I decided to hold on the HTPC for a bit longer. But to make it bearable, I started looking for add-ins. Doing so, led me to the Media Browser plug-in. MB adds Cover Flow and automatic download of metadata (among others), making Windows 7 Media Center more polished. It really gave new life to my HTPC.





As for the WD TV Live, I installed it in my parents bedroom as a Christmas gift. They were ecstatic! Hindi lang pala ako ang nagsasawa na sa cable TV.

[badsekktor]

congrats! I would also prefer the WD TV live but it is not yet available when i purchased mine.

[Horsepower]

OJ88, apple's Mac mini is a good home theater media player that's why I asked if you don't like it. hehe

[oj88]

OJ88, apple's Mac mini is a good home theater media player that's why I asked if you don't like it. hehe

Oohh... You meant it in that context. My bad.

Anyway, I personally do not hate Apple in general. I agree that the Mac Mini presents a very good platform to build an HTPC. I just find the solution too expensive. I can't afford to pay 3-4x as much compared to a MS-based DIY HTPC.