High Definition players are on their way

[cat6man]

Good news........The high def train has left the station.

I've done a little research and the HiDef media players are going to be all over the place soon.

Many new devices, based on the sigma designs 8260 chip reference designs, will be hitting the stores shortly.

http://www.sigmadesigns.com/pdf_docs...ia8620L_br.pdf

For example, IOdata's linkplayer2 is already capable of playing back
720p and 1080i, in both mpeg and TS formats, over component connections. JVC will be coming out with their PRO version of the linkplayer2 in the fall as well with an HDMI output.....oh by the way, for only $250 this is also a high def capable DVD player!
They also support MP4 playback, DivX.......

http://www.iodata.com/usa/


Rumours are that a linkplayer3 will be announced shortly

http://www.iodata.com/usa/forum/showthread.php?t=461

So, BTV folks: I sure hope you are working with someone like
IOdata to integrate your software and give us HiDef, DivX,
MP4 and other state of the art capabilities.

Now, there are h/w multiple reference designs based on the 8620, one which has a DVD player included and one without. I assume the one without DVD player would be the closest to a high definition mediaMVP but I can see getting one with an included DVD player as well
since it eliminates one more box and a few sets of wires...and only costs $250 LIST.

It seems like the golden age of media players is about to arrive!

Now we need it integrated with a great recording capability.
Most of what I see coming is playback only but a BTV/IOdata
recording functionality would be a huge winner, in my opinion.

The playback hardware and platforms are already available from
multiple vendors (IOdata, Buffalo Tech) and lots more are coming.
BTV support for HighDef and integration with a solid client such
at the IOdata LinkPlayer2 would be a great product.

There is much value added from a solidly integrated h/w client and
s/w + media server solution
Let's hope snapstream is ready to make it happen.

[TV Scheduler]

No need to get excited. Playing HDTV is so easy I could post a complete example program in VB6 and it would be shorter then many posts.

Bob

[cat6man]

Bob,

I'm looking to send it around the house to various TVs without the
use of any other computers at each TV set.........that requires a media player and a high speed LAN connection, right?

Just playing it back on my PC is not of any interest here.

I'm also anxiously waiting for BTV to be able to record HDTV, and
not just over the air.

[drei]

Originally Posted by cat6man

Bob,

I'm looking to send it around the house to various TVs without the
use of any other computers at each TV set.........that requires a media player and a high speed LAN connection, right?

Just playing it back on my PC is not of any interest here.

I'm also anxiously waiting for BTV to be able to record HDTV, and
not just over the air.

So are you saying these devices will be network capable out of the box? I ask this because you said "I'm looking to send it around the house to various TVs without the use of any other computers at each TV set"
I guess what I'm asking is will you need to have a separate device at every TV you want to watch HD content on?

[cat6man]

yes.....you will need one device per TV, just as with a
mediaMVP today (but with much more functionality and quality)

now i need a much bigger hard drive to store programs in HD

[mrgrocery]

What cards do you think they should have support for to capture HD?

Originally Posted by cat6man

Good news........The high def train has left the station.

I've done a little research and the HiDef media players are going to be all over the place soon.

Many new devices, based on the sigma designs 8260 chip reference designs, will be hitting the stores shortly.

http://www.sigmadesigns.com/pdf_docs...ia8620L_br.pdf

For example, IOdata's linkplayer2 is already capable of playing back
720p and 1080i, in both mpeg and TS formats, over component connections. JVC will be coming out with their PRO version of the linkplayer2 in the fall as well with an HDMI output.....oh by the way, for only $250 this is also a high def capable DVD player!
They also support MP4 playback, DivX.......

http://www.iodata.com/usa/


Rumours are that a linkplayer3 will be announced shortly

http://www.iodata.com/usa/forum/showthread.php?t=461

So, BTV folks: I sure hope you are working with someone like
IOdata to integrate your software and give us HiDef, DivX,
MP4 and other state of the art capabilities.

Now, there are h/w multiple reference designs based on the 8620, one which has a DVD player included and one without. I assume the one without DVD player would be the closest to a high definition mediaMVP but I can see getting one with an included DVD player as well
since it eliminates one more box and a few sets of wires...and only costs $250 LIST.

It seems like the golden age of media players is about to arrive!

Now we need it integrated with a great recording capability.
Most of what I see coming is playback only but a BTV/IOdata
recording functionality would be a huge winner, in my opinion.

The playback hardware and platforms are already available from
multiple vendors (IOdata, Buffalo Tech) and lots more are coming.
BTV support for HighDef and integration with a solid client such
at the IOdata LinkPlayer2 would be a great product.

There is much value added from a solidly integrated h/w client and
s/w + media server solution
Let's hope snapstream is ready to make it happen.

[TV Scheduler]

Originally Posted by mrgrocery

What cards do you think they should have support for to capture HD?

FireWire! No TV card required.

As for TV cards.... What's the point of making a TV card that doesn't meet the standards set out for the operating system. If it doesn't say it works in MCE don't waste your time with it.

Bob

[cat6man]

respectfully disagree....i have no intention of using MCE and it shouldn't
be needed.

the devices i mentioned were all for playback and have no need for MCE,
many are using UPnP.

as for recording, firewire from a cable box is probably the best way to go,
then all we need (SOON!!!) is BTV software (Sage has been hacked/modifed to do that already-- no official Sage release for HDTV yet) that records from the firewire directly into HDTV 'TS format'.

the players such as the IOdata will play back TS files
(they are just packaged forms of high defn MPG).

[Rich A]

AFAIK this is all well and good. But consider the fact that you'll also need to get a true HiDef display device to make full use of the playback. Granted a 1920x1080 HD frame does look like WOW on my home theater screen. Much better than any standard def playback. However the native max resolution of my projector is only 800x600. So at best everything is sorta down-converted to a 720p frame. If I really wanted to actually SEE the full high def. frames, I'd have to get a PJ that could do (at max HD) 1920x1080. Which might be in the area of multi-kilo-bucks. Heck I don't even know if they make such a thing? (projectors that is)

Of course any of the better 17 inch LCD monitors could get up to and past that resolution easy.

Even though I watch full frame HD on my screen, it's really only "showing" an 800x600 max frame.

[cat6man]

Rich,

correct......i'm looking to get a High Def TV sometime this fall (finally).
i've only got a 26" tube set and 2 19" sets, all of which are >10
years old.......but i'm fussy about HDTV and waiting for the right set
of featuers/quality/price...........hopefully this winter the stars will align.
i'm hoping to have the hi-def recording infrastructure ready at that time.

for now, i have 3 PVR-USB2 recording devices.
2 set up for standard definition cable.
1 is hooked up to my MOT6200 HiDef cable box which BTV controls
via USB-UIRT.........i currently use the S-video out of the 6200 to
the S-video input of a PVR-USB2........i am looking forward to recording
HDTV from the cable box directly via firewire under BTV control (hopefully
SNAPSTREAM are working hard on this behind the scenes).

[TV Scheduler]

Originally Posted by cat6man

respectfully disagree....i have no intention of using MCE and it shouldn't be needed.

Using MCE has nothing to do with it. DirectX is a collection of tools that must work together for everything to work.

For example, this page http://tvscheduler.net/atsc.html will display an image from your Hi Def TV card if it meets the standards.

Why should SnapStream and everybody else write new code to support a new TV Card? If I understand the BTV 0MB recording problem correctly, it was caused by SnapStream using low level code. They solved the problem by tossing the old style code and using the standardized method.

Standards are good but the guy that writes the operating system gets to write the standards. If the hardware will work in MCE then it meets the standards.


Let me put it another way....

If you're not smart enough to make your product meet the standard then you're not smart enough to build a product I want to buy.

Bob

[mrgrocery]

Originally Posted by TV Scheduler

FireWire! No TV card required.

As for TV cards.... What's the point of making a TV card that doesn't meet the standards set out for the operating system. If it doesn't say it works in MCE don't waste your time with it.

Bob

What about those people who don't have firewire output on their HD recievers? How many HD recievers(sat, cable or OTA) actually have firewire output? Or am I missing something hear?

[cat6man]

at least for cable boxes, it is mandatory that the cable company
offer you a firewire enabled connection IF YOU ASK FOR IT.
it is an FCC mandate. typically if you don't ask, they say nothing
since they want to sell you their verson of a PVR for an additional
monthly fee.

as for satellite, etc, i don't think the fcc rule applies there so it may
or may not be there.

[cat6man]

bob,

i agree that it should be standards compliant....the XP protocol stack
(and MACs as well) support the firewire interface if you have the
appropriate drivers for the cable box (which you have).
communicating via firewire with the 6200 should not be a big deal
for snapstream (or am i missing something here?)

by the way, how do you use your 3 6200 boxes?
are you recording via firewire?

[cncb]

Originally Posted by Rich A

AFAIK this is all well and good. But consider the fact that you'll also need to get a true HiDef display device to make full use of the playback.

I'm not sure I get your point here. There are millions of people watching high-def right now on DLPs, CRTs, etc. It is hardly unobtainable - you don't need a $20,000 projector to enjoy HD.