media hub - Gizmodo

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Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Review: An HD Video Decoder That Actually Works
Linksys Media Hub Babysits Your Video, Music and Pics, Streaming Locally and Remotely
Nyko Media Hub Beefs Up Newer, Wimpier PS3s

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skierpage
09/27/09

In reply to Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Review: An HD Video Decoder That Actually Works
Fascinating. You cart 500GB of movies back and forth between your TV and PC, but the thing you cart around has no UI. But storage-only didn't work for music, instead people carry storage plus a player with them. if the same holds true for videos, most people will dock their iPod video/HD Zune.

Or better yet if you're going to rename files and surf the net, the player evolves into a netbook you plug your netbook into your TV over HDMI. You can unplug and continue watching, and the UI stays the same.

Could Gizmodo please do an apples to orange comparison of these three approaches? Thanks!
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Cash907Censored
09/27/09

In reply to Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Review: An HD Video Decoder That Actually Works
Awesome.

My WDTV has already been doing this for a year, for $50 bucks less, and isn't fugly as shit like this thing.
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jabber
09/26/09

In reply to Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Review: An HD Video Decoder That Actually Works
Where's the remote?
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skierpage
09/27/09

@jabber: There's a pic in the PDF... here you go. Looks like the WD TV HD. remote, a few more buttons.
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mpjohnst
09/26/09

In reply to Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Review: An HD Video Decoder That Actually Works
WHY OH WHY doesn't a manufacturer open the UI to skins or run like Android or something that can be customized? Seagate, you build great hardware... I'll give you that. But open up the software! The internet super nerds (no disrespect) would get Boxee up and running on this in like 2 weeks. There is no way I would use this to browse through 200+ ripped DVDs, media files, trailers, etc... let alone make my family or friends try to do it!

So close, but still so very, very far...
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skierpage
09/27/09

@mpjohnst: I don't think people want open UI software, they want to carry the same UI with the device. My TV has a UI to look at pictures on USB, but it's not my image viewer of choice, so I never use that feature, I just plug my laptop into the computer.

For an extra $100, you'll soon be able to get a netbook with HDMI out and you then have a choice of UIs and you can continue watching away from the TV.
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ZLevee
01/07/09

In reply to Linksys Media Hub Babysits Your Video, Music and Pics, Streaming Locally and Remotely
Not bad, but for not much more than their top version, you can get last year's model of the HP MediaSmart server
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weatherman
01/07/09

In reply to Linksys Media Hub Babysits Your Video, Music and Pics, Streaming Locally and Remotely
These NAS things are starting to sound pretty appealing to me. Did some research this morning and found that there are quite a few options. This looks like it is great as far as the interface and ease of use for non-technical people, but the cost is a little more than I want to spend on a networked storage device. I found this other NAS adapter from Linksys that allows two USB hard-drives to be connected via ethernet to the router, which seems ideal, but it's not quite as user friendly and seems to have been discontinued by Linksys. There's the upcoming Addonics USB NAS adapter, but that looks even less user friendly and really designed for straight FTP. Maybe I just need to do more research into this, but if anyone wants to point me to other solutions that allow for webstreaming, I'd appreciate it.

Until then, I'm going to explore this LiveSync thing, which seems to offer quite a bit of functionality, though there really isn't much documentation on it from Microsoft.
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weatherman
01/07/09

@weatherman: on the subject of Microsoft LiveSync aka FolderShare, can anyone tell me if it only syncs between two computers that are on, or if it provides a space in "the cloud" for storing files? I'm seeing that Microsoft also has this Skydrive thing that has up to 25GB of online storage space, but I can't tell if it's automatically connected or even possible to connect with LiveSync.
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B1663R
01/07/09

In reply to Linksys Media Hub Babysits Your Video, Music and Pics, Streaming Locally and Remotely
looks idiot-proof. if they add better support for firefox or opera (especially opera mobile and wii), I'm down for sure.

pricing model looks a little wonky.
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Joshua Foster
01/07/09

In reply to Linksys Media Hub Babysits Your Video, Music and Pics, Streaming Locally and Remotely
Remote access. BUT much better if it had a remote.
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DontFeedTheTrolls
01/07/09

@Joshua Foster: If you need a remote for this you should probably rethink your streaming media setup.

PS. I heard you're getting recalled. Back to the BHR you go!! :P
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