Media Streamer recommendations

[markronz]

I have a Linksys E4200 Router, and I have an external hard drive hooked up to it.  This is where I store all of my video files.  What I'd like to do is get a media streamer box for my TV, so that I can stream videos directly off my NAS.   I bought a refurb WD TV Live Plus a while back, and when it's working, it actually does a great job.  It can connect to my NAS and streams videos well.   It also has USB ports on it, that allow me to make another external harddrive into another NAS, which is great.  It also works well with Netflix and other streaming services too.  The problem is, it doesn't always work.  Probably because it was a refurb, but it doesn't always turn on, and I have to sit there and unplug and replug it in for a minute or two at a time to get it to start working.  Also it only recognizes my usb external harddrive about half the time.  I tried to update the firmware on it to the hacked B-Rad firmware for it, to see if it'd be any better, but it did not help.  Anyway, I'm going to be returning the streamer.  I am just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for what media streamer I should get instead?   Like I said, it needs to be able to stream videos from NAS, and stream Netflix.  Anything else is just a bonus.

I was looking at a Roku, but it doesn't have a way to stream files from a NAS easily.  At least not without having another computer running plex media server.   I would prefer not to have another computer in the picture, I just want the files to stream directly off the NAS.  So the Roku doesn't seem like a good option.

I was also looking at the Boxee Box.   The price tag is a bit higher on this one.  And the reviews are all over the place. Some people love it, and some hate it.  But it is supposed to easily connect to NAS drives, and should be able to stream netflix, I hope.   I read some reviews where people had issues with Netflix on it, which would be a big issue.

Other than that, I have not found any other media streamers yet of interest, so I thought I'd ask.  Anyone have any streamers they use, that can do what I'm looking for, and that they enjoy?

[whammoed]

I use googleTV with gtvbox app with a sony blu ray player.  Logitech has a stand alone device if you don't need a blu ray player.  gtvbox works directly from shared network folders and plays my mkv containers nicely.  Also has a chrome browser built in which is nice from time to time.

[J_K_M_A_N]

If you can get an ATV2 jailbroken with XBMC on it, that works quite well. I have 2 of them with Harmony remotes to add some buttons. You can stream netflix in the apple part of it and stream all your other videos in XBMC.

J_K_M_A_N

[Vigo]

I use a pogoplug and stream it through my PS3. Has been working great as long as I leave the pogoplug plugged in all the time. It takes hours to scan through and index the HD's attached, and does it every time the power is reset. The nice thing is that doubles as a cloud drive and I can stream music and photos as well.

[yotsuya]

I use a Western Digital WD TV Live box. I can stream from a network share, and even plug a USB drive directly into it. Does Netflix as well. You do have to add on a wireless card (USB-type) if you want to go wireless.

[markronz]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!   I will definitely have to look into those options.   I don't know much about ATV2, but it looks interesting.  The 720p part is what doesn't excite me, but I'm not sure that it's a deal breaker yet. 

Similarly I don't know anything at all about googleTv either.  I will have to look into that too.   

I don't have a PS3 however, so that one is out.

And Yotsuya, that's the device I have now, the refurb one that isn't working.   It seems like it would be a good device, if it worked.   I must just have a bad box or something...

[shmokes]

I second Apple TV. Honestly, for most people's streaming purposes 720p is not much of a hindrance. It will be someday, but for now 720 content is a good compromise between filesize and quality. And if you're downloading content rather than ripping it yourself, by far the majority of content out there is 720p or less. By far almost seems like an understatement.

[markronz]

Yeah I think you're right about the 720p thing.  I'm not sure on the forum's stance on discussing jailbreaking devices.   So I guess I won't outright ask if it's easy to do so.  I do see that there are people on eBay who are willing to do it for you, for a price.  So that's an option I suppose.  I will have to look into that a little more.  

But it looks like an ATV2 used would be like $90.  then perhaps another $40 to jailbreak it.

Then the GoogleTV blu ray version is $180 here  otherwise around 200 elsewhere.
The Logitech Revue is like $140 from what I've seen.  At that price, I might as well chip in the extra $40 and get the blu ray one.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

[Vigo]

I don't have a PS3 however, so that one is out.

Works on Xbox 360 as well.

[shmokes]

Yeah I think you're right about the 720p thing.  I'm not sure on the forum's stance on discussing jailbreaking devices.   So I guess I won't outright ask if it's easy to do so.  I do see that there are people on eBay who are willing to do it for you, for a price.  So that's an option I suppose.  I will have to look into that a little more.  

But it looks like an ATV2 used would be like $90.  then perhaps another $40 to jailbreak it.

Then the GoogleTV blu ray version is $180 here  otherwise around 200 elsewhere.
The Logitech Revue is like $140 from what I've seen.  At that price, I might as well chip in the extra $40 and get the blu ray one.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

Jailbreaking an Apple TV is really easy and also legal. I don't know, however, if there are any issues with newer firmwares, i.e., if you buy a new one will it come with a new not-yet-jailbreakable firmware version.

[yotsuya]

And Yotsuya, that's the device I have now, the refurb one that isn't working.   It seems like it would be a good device, if it worked.   I must just have a bad box or something...

Whoops! I don't know why I mentally skipped over that when reading. 

Mine works fine. I don't have the same issues you report, but I bought mine brand new. Maybe it is a bad refurb. 

[Donkbaca]

Why not just use an xbox 360?

[J_K_M_A_N]

You would want an older ATV2 for now. The new ATV3 does 1080P but it has not been jailbroken yet. Also, I don't think there is a jailbreak for the newer iOS 5.01. I think 4.4.4 is the last one to have been broken. Apple doesn't sign that firmware anymore but I believe there is a way around that still. (Just search for seas0npass for the jailbreak)

If you can hold out, the ATV3 will be a bit nicer (if it can be jailbroken). It has more memory (so XBMC will run a little better) and does 1080P. But who knows how long it will be before they jailbreak it. And if XBMC will be able to run on it once it is.

J_K_M_A_N

[Green Giant]

I am all for buying a cheap E-350 APU all in one micro MB and some ram, hooking up an old HD you have lieing around, and powering it with a cheap-o power supply you have lieing around.  For around $110 you have a fully functioning Windows 7 PC that can run WMC or XBMC or MB or whatever.

Then drop the whole thing in a fish tank and fill it up with Mineral Oil.  You have a media streamer and a conversation piece in a SUPER SUPER silent machine.

[shmokes]

And if XBMC will be able to run on it once it is.

At least this shouldn't be an issue. Newer versions of iOS are fully backward compatible with software made for older versions of the OS. So once jailbroken I can't imagine XBMC would discriminate. At the very worst I'd think it maybe couldn't take advantage of some new features or something, but it should at the very least run as well as it does on ATV2, and probably better since the usage of more memory would probably be automatic.

[2600]

I'm keeping an eye on the apple tv3, but may go with the latest popcorn hour or dune hd players.  I have blu-ray rips to folders that I currently stream across the house and only a few players can play them.

[Donkbaca]

There is no WAY apple TV will play blu ray rips.

[koz319]

You may want to check out the Popcornhour or Dune series of media streamers, although they may be pricey.

Koz

[shmokes]

There is no WAY apple TV will play blu ray rips.

I think it doesn't matter so much that it's a Blu-ray rip but rather what settings were used to make the rip. A Blu-ray could be ripped to a variety of different containers and resolutions. The Apple TV has no way of knowing what the source media was. It's just knows what format the ripped file is in. And a jailbroken Apple TV with XBMC has pretty wide compatibility with various containers/codecs. And for all I know it's capable of downscaling a 1080p rip to its 720p output. At any rate, I've played lots of 720p Blu-ray rips on my jailbroken iPad 1.