MediaMan-HVX-3500 Multi-Player

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.playengine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_phpshop&page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&Itemid=11&category_id=&product_id=127' target='_blank'>http://www.playengine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_phpshop&page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&Itemid=11&category_id=&product_id=127</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The MediaMan is the first serious step towards centralising all of your digital media. Imagine a unit where you can easily create your own folders, download and arrange your entire media collection and take it with you anywhere....well imagine no more and read on....The MediaMan supports 3.5 inch IDE drives which allows you to choose the size of hard drive you need for your media. Once fitted, the hard drive can easily be formatted as if it were an external disk and then you can simply organise your DVDs, videos, music and photos. After loading the MediaMan, it can be connected to your TV and a comprehensive menu system allows you to view all your media in comfort and is easily controllable via the MediaMan remote."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/mediaman.jpg" /><br /><br />One word: WOW. 8O If this thing is as good in real life as it is on paper, this is one slick media player. I particularly like the option to do DVI output, or analog component, at 720p or 1080i. It's so refreshing to see something other than composite or S-Video. Imagine slapping a 750 GB drive in that beast. Yeah baby, yeah! The list of supported file formats is killer as well; it includes AVI, MPG, VOB, IFO, ISO, MPEG, DAT, MP3, WMA, OGG, and JPG. DivX support is also included, although they only specify 5.x support, I hope 6.x is also supported. The unit without a hard drive is £126, which is about $234 USD.

[Darius Wey]

This is awesome. Not only is it packed with features, it looks good too!

DivX support is also included, although they only specify 5.x support, I hope 6.x is also supported.

There are firmware updates being released every month. Perhaps DivX 6.x support will come eventually, and WMV support as well.

[Felix Torres]

Hardware features look good.
Software features are about two generations behind the hardware.
I d/l'ed the manual and, unfortunately, the media playback user interface is essentially a file manager.
You navigate the file system (it supports NTFS, at least) and select the file you want to play.
No built-in database/library, no ID3 tag display for files while navigating, no nothing.
You can create playlists, up to three.

Seriously needs a real mediaplayer interface.

Too bad, cause the pricing and the hardware looked good, even with the lack of WMV-support. I was hoping that it would be non-techie friendly, but the playback interface is even less-featured than the MP3 playback features in DVD players....

I'll keep an eye on it, though; maybe they'll add a better player later.

[Damion Chaplin]

It sure looks like an awesome product, but I think it's sending mixed messages...

Is this an NAS or a portable media player?
If it's an NAS, it's unreasonable for me to be disconnecting and reconnecting it everytime I leave. And what if the wife wants to watch/listen to something while I'm gone? SOL I guess.
If it's a screen-less PMP, then the software needs revamping, and it needs synchronization software to sync with my home collection. And now we're talking about serious data duplication. How long would it take to copy over 400GB from my NAS? :roll: Keeping everything current on the portable unit may prove unwieldy.

As Felix said though, at least it supports NTFS.

[Jason Dunn]

Yeah, the lack of Ethernet connectivity seemed a bit curious to me... :?

[Felix Torres]

No, its not a NAS--no ethernet.
Its essentially a barebones mediaplayer/jukebox.
But, as you said, they muddy the waters with a car kit but TV-based interface.
(Maybe they figure Surfer dudes will take it to beach in their Mystery Machines? :wink: )
The USB connectivity is for loading it up from the PC.
A lot of what it does seems to be because the Hardware components allow it but the software guys don't seem to know how to live up to all the capabilities in the chips.

Like I said; worth keeping an eye out for a version 2.0.

But the window of opportunity for this kind of effort is starting to close; the XBOX360 is getting close to shutting the window, if the PS3 doesn't get there first.