TiVX M5000 newbie... advise please

[guygamps]

Hello, I currently own a basic Linksys wireless media player, it supports MP3s / WMAs and JPEGs... i.e Music and Pictures. It only cost me £40 and has more than served a purpose... prooving the principe to me for playing back media in my lounge from a PC in my office.

I now want to change it for something similar (wired or wireless doesn't matter) that supports video playback as well.

But... I have also just bought a Samsung 40inch LCD HiDef TV, and though I have no HD content, something that supports HD, and has a good upscaler, would be worthwhile.

Initially I was looking at devices like Zensonc / Momitsu, which combine an upscaling DVD player with network media player, and I still haven't ruled out a) Momitsu V888N (not avaiable yet) or Helios X3000.

But... the best upscaling engine would seem to be Faroudja, and the only player mentioned on this forum that has Faroudja scaling is OPPO, but it does't have network media playback. I really want to get the best from my large DVD collection too, so... I am close to concluding on buying 2 items, a new DVD player (only) with good upscaler - maybe a Denon 2910/ Marantz 6600 or possibly the Oppo 971.... plus a new networkable media player.

As well as MP3s / WMAs and JPEGs, MPEG2 support is essential. I have been transferring 20 years of camcorder tapes to my PC, editing them, and saving them back to my HD as rendered MPEG2s... maybe I should have chosen DiVX or MPEG4, but I chose MPEG2s because I considered them more universal. So I now have a huge library of home made movies on my PC that I would like to watch via the media player.

I have shortlisted Pixel Magic MB100 and the TiVX M5000. One feature is especially is drawing me to the TiVX, that is file transfer to it's internal storage via the network. I like the idea of local storage, since it "stresses" the network less and heh! another few hundred Gig will always be useful. But I can't see the point of a networked device if you have to unplug everything and carry it to the PC/Server to get things on to it. I update my library almost weekly with new content so it's a non starter to do that.

My concern is this, I have read it is FTP transfer, which I have no experience of. Does this mean the PC does not mount the TiVX drive as an external hard disk (like via (USB). Is that right? sorry to sound thick, but can anyone explain how FTP transfer to the TiVX via a network... works, is it easy? what do I need to do it (Cute FTP has been mentioned).

Links to sites I can download HD content for playback on the TiVX would be handy too.

Thanks...


Guy

[Crivens]

At the basic level you can FTP to the Tvix from the Dos command prompt. I wouldn't advise it though...

If use a frontend (FTP client) like CuteFTP then it is simply a matter of running CuteFTP then selecting which device to connect to (I have 3 wireless Tvixs). You then get an explorer type view (almost identical) from the Tvix. Everything is pretty much like being in explorer, and you can either drag (or copy/paste) from explorer itself into the Tvix directory on CuteFTP or use the sidebar in CuteFTP that has another explorer view of the PC's hard drive. Once the file starts transferring you will see an update at the bottom of the screen showing the progress. I don't know if it is a problem with CuteFTP or the Tvix (lack of Multithreading I'm guessing) but once in progress you can't really do much else with that particular Tvix. In CuteFTP I found a way round it is to use a scheduled transfer. So you build up a queue of all these files that you want to transfer sometime in the future to set destinations on the Tvix, then when finished take away the schedule and get them all to start. It then starts transferring one at a time and you can go do something else. I transferred something like 9gb over a wireless link and that can take some time. I find over a 54g wireless link I can get a 300mb file sent in about 3 minutes. It aint super speedy (USB2 is best) but I don't have to haul my machines around and don't need network wires all over the place. If you are interested then try Linksys Game Adapters. Basically makes devices with network ports (but no wireless) become wireless. Fairly straightforward to setup and has the nice effect of making desktops without wireless become wireless.

So to sum up, FTP clients like CuteFTP are not much harder to use than Explorer really.

Cheers

[Hi-Jack]

Faroudja is a de-interlaze chip, not an upscaler so it has only influence in
improving the image a little, hardly noticeable. Ragrdless of your choice to
use TViX, Helios or Momitsu, it will be based on the EM8620 chip so again
upscaling abilities and quality remain the same.

If you want the best "total experience" go with the TViX.
If you want a great player and need DVD playback, go with X-3000 or SZ1350.

The TViX has a great + considering it allows FTP filling (no network needed
during playtime) it's internal disk you choose and can be moved around
very easily.

Enjoy
Hi-Jack

[guygamps]

" If you want the best "total experience" go with the TViX.
If you want a great player and need DVD playback, go with X-3000 or SZ1350."

Well I have decided to go for a TVIX and ordered it today from KJ Global including 250GB storage for £254 inc VAT.

I will carry on with my Pioneer DV747A DVD player for a while for retail DVDs, I'll run it in Component mode, and later change it for Denon / Marantz with upscaler plus Faroudja chip when funds allow. Although a 2 box solution (as opposed to Helios X3000), I have some DVD Audio and SACD disks which the Helios won't play so would need to keep another player anyway. This way I will (eventually) get the best of both worlds, great Media player, and when I can afford it, great DVD playback with DVDA and SACD support.

If only the Helios X5000 which is sold as an audiophile product support DVD Audio and SACD disks, quite bizarre that it doesn't considering the audio expertise emphasised in their product information.

Guy

[am1968]

Here's an example of the TVix upscaling a standard DVD on a 42" plasma, which doesn't look to bad :)

http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0225ap5.jpg

[Crivens]

Upscaling to what though? Looks pretty nice though.

Cheers

[am1968]

Forgot to say :oops: Upscaled to 720p connected via DVI to HDMI cable.

[guygamps]

That looks very nice, DVD saved to PC hard drive ot TVIX hard drive I presume.

What software did you use to load your DVD on to our PC as a hard disk image or file. I was looking at Slysoft Clone DVD.

What file format do you recommend to a)to avoid any quality loss b) maintain menus / scenes etc c) maintain DTS - if the disk has it - or otherwise AC3/Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track.

My TVIX will be connected digitally e.g via DVI-HDMI to LCD TV and via digital audio to my Pioneer AX3 home cinema amp. So if I go down the route of loading my DVDs to my PC, I will still want 5.1 surround sound when played back off the TVIX.

Thanks


Guy

Cool Forum!

[am1968]

I have a hard drive in the Tvix, but play DVD's from both the PC's hard drive and that in the Tvix.

I use DVDdecryptor to create an iso image (approx 10 mins) and this keeps all the menu features etc of the original DVD.