Streaming box with best file support?

[LifeIsOnTheWire]

Hi everyone. I have been thinking of buying a WD TV Live Hub 1tb. Locally, they go on sale for about $169. It seems like an incredible value (1tb hdd, and probably the best file support around).

My only concern is that it is quite old (3 years old, i think), and it appears to have been just discontinued. My concern with this is that app support (as limited as it already is) may die as soon as Youtube, or Netflix makes a minor change to their licensing, or API agreements.

Aside from that, it does almost nothing else. Which is fine. But some other boxes (Netgear NeoTV, etc) do some really cool things, like Widi (miracast), etc.

I have already bought (and returned immediately) an Asus Cube (google TV) for having terrible file support.

I would like something that supports as many file types as possible (x264/h264, divx/xvid, and also for Audio it needs to support things like DTS/aac/mp3).

Alot of streaming boxes, these days, claim to support h264, but only support MP3, and maybe AAC. DTS audio seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle, in alot of boxes.

The WD TV seems to have the best file support I can find. Can anyone recommend anything else with equal file support for less than $150, and more modern apps/features?

A big plus would be support for NBA Game Time, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[nsafreak]

When you say DTS audio I presume you're just talking about DTS Core audio, correct? If that's the case you might also want to consider the WDTV Live without the HDD since you can get it cheaper and easily hook up an external hard drive if need be. However if you want DTS MA audio then you're going to have to consider another unit and the units I'm aware of that do support it such as the Dune HD and Popcorn Hour are a good bit more expensive. The WD units will essentially play only the DTS Core portion of DTS MA streams and not the full MA stream.

 

[smitbret]

Something like this booting straight to XBMC with something like an OpenELEC distribution:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856119081

Otherwise WDTV Live is your baby.

 

[LifeIsOnTheWire]

yes, the non HDD version of the WDTV is the one I am now aiming for. it is $70 cheaper, and i already have a 1tb USB hdd.

im headed to Best Buy to pick one up now.

an observation; its kindof strange that none of the more current, and popular streaming boxes find the need to make better file support. The Roku 3 would be my choice if it offered more codec support

I guess theres more money in selling devices that appeal to people who dont understand such things.

 

[poofyhairguy]

There is a few things holding back better file support:

-Few people acquire non-DRM media files and play them locally. Most users need some sort of content portal- ala Hulu and Netflix- so the best use of resources is ease of access to these portals (aka Roku)

-To legally play DTS tracks they must be licenced. That adds to the cost to add a feature that few users care about

-Unlike on Blu Rays and DVDs, media file encodes can be all over the map. Some people do crazy stuff with their encodes which can make compatibility a constant time drain.

-I think many who want to play local files eventually "upgrade" to a HTPC based system. It is hard to have a premium product in this segment


If you really want a sub $150 box that will play every type of file, buy this and throw XBMCbuntu on there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/261374419206?lpid=82

 

[smitbret]

yes, the non HDD version of the WDTV is the one I am now aiming for. it is $70 cheaper, and i already have a 1tb USB hdd.

im headed to Best Buy to pick one up now.

an observation; its kindof strange that none of the more current, and popular streaming boxes find the need to make better file support. The Roku 3 would be my choice if it offered more codec support

I guess theres more money in selling devices that appeal to people who dont understand such things.

It'll work, but the one complaint that you'll have is that scrolling through media gets more and more sluggish as your library grows. It's exactly this reason that I have been looking at something else as my Movie collection moves to 4 digits.

My Raspberri Pi Model B booting OpenELEC/XBMC from an SD card is quicker than the WDTV Live Hub and behaves just like a dedicated box.

 

[bearxor]

-I think many who want to play local files eventually "upgrade" to a HTPC based system. It is hard to have a premium product in this segment

Probably right. I went the opposite way though. Had a full-out htpc with 4 ATSC/ClearQAM tuners and 1 cable card tuner (back when you could only get one at a time) and completely eliminated it for a boxee box and DirecTV. That decision was mostly due to Microsoft's decision to not take the living room space seriously.

Although I have been thinking about it again. Now that you can actually get Cable Card tuners cheap and you can install them on any computer, I've been taking another look at it. Honestly, Windows 8 seems like the perfect HTPC OS. Media Center for live TV, plex for local files, apps for Netflix and hopefully HBO and others soon. The problem is that some of the apps don't work well with a remote, like Netflix.

I want one box that will do my live TV (including protected content), dvr, local files, streaming video services and mirror my phone display. All easy to use for my 53 year old mom that lives with me. Why is this seemingly so hard?

BTW, I used one of those Acer Aspire Revo's as an xbmc machine for a short time and can confirm that it had no issued playing back anything.

 

[TerryMathews]

Probably right. I went the opposite way though. Had a full-out htpc with 4 ATSC/ClearQAM tuners and 1 cable card tuner (back when you could only get one at a time) and completely eliminated it for a boxee box and DirecTV. That decision was mostly due to Microsoft's decision to not take the living room space seriously.

Although I have been thinking about it again. Now that you can actually get Cable Card tuners cheap and you can install them on any computer, I've been taking another look at it. Honestly, Windows 8 seems like the perfect HTPC OS. Media Center for live TV, plex for local files, apps for Netflix and hopefully HBO and others soon. The problem is that some of the apps don't work well with a remote, like Netflix.

I want one box that will do my live TV (including protected content), dvr, local files, streaming video services and mirror my phone display. All easy to use for my 53 year old mom that lives with me. Why is this seemingly so hard?

BTW, I used one of those Acer Aspire Revo's as an xbmc machine for a short time and can confirm that it had no issued playing back anything.

SageTV was the best. That's why google bought them and are using it for fiber.

 

[bearxor]

SageTV was nice, but no protected content.

I think they put a hack in place after Microsoft opened the platform, but it's my understanding it still used MCE to make the recordings.

 

[TerryMathews]

SageTV was nice, but no protected content.

I think they put a hack in place after Microsoft opened the platform, but it's my understanding it still used MCE to make the recordings.

You understood wrong.

The entire back end was a custom Java app, and would run on Linux.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I want one box that will do my live TV (including protected content), dvr, local files, streaming video services and mirror my phone display. All easy to use for my 53 year old mom that lives with me. Why is this seemingly so hard?

Because media companies are freaking out about the media capabilities of computers and mobile devices.

Much of what we were able to do in the analogue era only happened because they COULDN'T technically lock stuff down, or if they could they didn't take the segment seriously.

Now media companies look at all this potential with fear, so in came the cablecards, the DRM, the lack of mirroring options in devices that should have them like Chromecasts.




With that said OP I just bought an ION 2 nettop, complete with SSD, off ebay for less than $80. That will play every file I throw at it better than any official box with some XBMCbuntu. So keep an eye open for value.

 

[boomhower]

Get the WD. I have the Live and the Live Hub and love them both. Bought the Hub mainly for the interface and moved the live to my daughters room.

 

[bearxor]

You understood wrong.

The entire back end was a custom Java app, and would run on Linux.

No, I don't think I did.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/cablecard-tuners-come-to-sagetv-via-sagemctuner/

It looks like they eventually got a more native implementation in early 2011, but I was well out of the HTPC game by then.

 

[TerryMathews]

No, I don't think I did.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/cablecard-tuners-come-to-sagetv-via-sagemctuner/

It looks like they eventually got a more native implementation in early 2011, but I was well out of the HTPC game by then.

Think what you want, but a plugin isnt a part of SageTV any more than Start8 is a part of Windows 8.

I promise you, Frey Technology never utilized Windows Media Center in any capacity.

 

[bearxor]

Think what you want, but a plugin isnt a part of SageTV any more than Start8 is a part of Windows 8.

I promise you, Frey Technology never utilized Windows Media Center in any capacity.

I'm sorry. Let's be technically correct then. SageTV didn't get native cable card support until 2011. And even then it still (at least as of the middle of last year) doesn't support copy once content, which leaves out premium channels like HBO on most cable providers.

Is that an accurate assessment of the state of Cable Card support in SageTV?

 

[sep]

OP,

My main HTPC is currently an Acer Aspire Revo 3600 (dual core vs single core) like the one recommened by poofyhairguy. It also has an SSD drive. I don't have a problem playing any of my media (1080p, 5.1 DTS) over XBMC. An HTPC is the way to go and you dont' need a power house.

I also have two WD Live TV HD Products with two different firmware. One of them is easy to operate and also plays my content flawless. The other model's interface just plan stinks so I only use it in a pinch.

Going forward I want my media to stream to any device so I'm adding plex server service to my server.

*All of these play over a hardwired network. Content is stored on a basic WHS2011 server.

Good Luck!
-JC

 

[TerryMathews]

I'm sorry. Let's be technically correct then. SageTV didn't get native cable card support until 2011. And even then it still (at least as of the middle of last year) doesn't support copy once content, which leaves out premium channels like HBO on most cable providers.

Is that an accurate assessment of the state of Cable Card support in SageTV?

It was. But to be fair that was the state of high def PVR for many companies prior to the rule change in Oct 10.

Keep in mind Google worked on the compliance and licensing end of it. The limitations from when it was a standalone app no longer apply.

Are we done being pedantic over high def recording? Because I dont see what this really even has to do with my comment that SageTV was the best. I still think it was, and is. I'd literally kill someone with my bare hands if I could get SageTV on my terrible Time Warner DVR box.