Congrats on the HD media extender and Sage Server system

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by pez

here are pics of the front and back (or vice versa).

Looks pretty good for various connectors, but it looks like its missing the normal audio-out connectors. I can hook it up to a SDTV with the composite or s-video connectors, but it only has digital out, or full 5.1 analog connectors. Unless the 5.1 can be used for just L+R by reconfiguring the output.

[Kirby]

Yeah, need normal L+R audio out for the bedroom TV. Hopefully it has a setting to use the front outputs for that.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by 95TBird

ok... Lets see... List of things to do...

1. get new HD Media Extender

2. Put Better System board & CPU from Client PC into Server

3. Sell Server System Board, CPU, Case, Etc.. on EBay

I'm thinking the exact same thing

[bhyman1]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Yeah, need normal L+R audio out for the bedroom TV. Hopefully it has a setting to use the front outputs for that.

Originally Posted by ke6guj

Unless the 5.1 can be used for just L+R by reconfiguring the output.

I bet this is the case.

[MTuckman]

Sign me up for one! Considering their track record, I'll even pay for it now to be in the beta program and wait a couple of months for it!

[ybrew]

While a DVD player would be 'kinda' nice, how important is it really?
Since this is an HD extender, it's likely most of us salivating over this already have a decent upconverting DVD player ($80 player or better) or some may even have an HD-DVD or blu-ray player.

Personally I think I want one dedicated device per function.

[smcg]

From the picture Pez posted, it looks suspiciously similar to the Snazio Net Cinema HD. The site says it's for Mac but maybe it can run off a sage server instead?

From the Snazio website they have something very similar but with a DVD player, so maybe everyone will be happy eventually?

edit: Further Specs

[JUC]

Nice call! Looks identical to me. Now--lets get an official word....

[jquinlan]

Originally Posted by smcg

From the picture Pez posted, it looks suspiciously similar to the Snazio Net Cinema HD. The site says it's for Mac but maybe it can run off a sage server instead?

From the Snazio website they have something very similar but with a DVD player, so maybe everyone will be happy eventually?

That is exactly what it looks like, good find, and the DVD added is only a few more dollars. They should be able to support both clients but you never know about the firmware on the device, maybe they did not want to work with the DVD hardware. That may require the encryption firmware for the DVD player and if SAGE is writing custom firmware again, that could get them into a license issue.

Options are better then no option.

[insomniac]

nice find. Suspicious may be an understatement!

[reboot_this]

Originally Posted by ybrew

While a DVD player would be 'kinda' nice, how important is it really?
Since this is an HD extender, it's likely most of us salivating over this already have a decent upconverting DVD player ($80 player or better) or some may even have an HD-DVD or blu-ray player.

Personally I think I want one dedicated device per function.

oops... I do have an "upconverting" dvd player... never thought about a built in dvd not having the "upconverting" feature. I'm also new to the hdtv scene since I just got my first hdtv for christmas and keep forgetting that it has all of those sweet connections on the back, I have just been trying to make everything pump through sagetv so things are seamless (so people don't have to remember to choose an input on the tv in addition to what they are doing with sage)

Originally Posted by smcg

From the picture Pez posted, it looks suspiciously similar to the Snazio Net Cinema HD. The site says it's for Mac but maybe it can run off a sage server instead?

From the Snazio website they have something very similar but with a DVD player, so maybe everyone will be happy eventually?

I was looking forever for a similar product late last night but had no luck, kudos to smcg for finding something that looks IMHO to be the same exact thing!

[jquinlan]

Here is the Net DVD Cinema Player:


and the back:

[smcg]

Originally Posted by insomniac

Suspicious may be an understatement!

Well, I'm an understated kind of a guy

I'm seriously thinking of buying one of these now and using it as just an ordinary media player until Sage get round to supporting it. Who knows, it may already work with a normal extender licence?

Be a bit of a bitch if it turns out to be a different piece of kit though. Ah well, the price of being an early adopter.

[jquinlan]

Product Image


http://www.snazio.com/Links/CinemaHD..._Overview.html

[smcg]

Originally Posted by reboot_this

I was looking forever for a similar product late last night but had no luck, kudos to smcg for finding something that looks IMHO to be the same exact thing!

The joys of Froogle UK! I typed in 'dvi network player' and it was the third result.

[ybrew]

Originally Posted by reboot_this

oops... I do have an "upconverting" dvd player... never thought about a built in dvd not having the "upconverting" feature. I'm also new to the hdtv scene since I just got my first hdtv for christmas and keep forgetting that it has all of those sweet connections on the back, I have just been trying to make everything pump through sagetv so things are seamless (so people don't have to remember to choose an input on the tv in addition to what they are doing with sage)

Get a harmony remote (i've got and love the 680). Some recommend the 880/890, but feel one first and make sure you like the button layout.

Once you get a harmony, you never have to worry about changing inputs again.

[jquinlan]

Originally Posted by smcg

From the picture Pez posted, it looks suspiciously similar to the Snazio Net Cinema HD. The site says it's for Mac but maybe it can run off a sage server instead?

Here is the back picture that matches the one at CES:


They may have three products that are compatable:
http://www.snazio.com/Links/Net%20DV...nema(Spec).htm

Thanks again smcg for this great find.

[Kirby]

Looks identical, but I bet you will find the one at CES was based on a different chip. The specs for this one at Snazzio doesnt seem to support H.264 or VC-1 (hence the WMV9 name on the CES version).

[reboot_this]

Originally Posted by ybrew

Get a harmony remote (i've got and love the 680). Some recommend the 880/890, but feel one first and make sure you like the button layout.

Once you get a harmony, you never have to worry about changing inputs again.

oops! (again)... I already have a URC MX-900 Genesis (another xmas gift) that I have in the living room. I'm still tweaking how I want it set up, but I'm lovin' it... just don't have another one for the bedroom yet, but I'll get it... (that and two RF modules)

sweet, just found out my hd vizio tv (in bedroom) has discrete commands for video input switching! So I could set everything (video+device switching) up through the MX-900 to be transparent to the user!

Awaiting beta testing for the new hd media extender (with dvd or not)

[smcg]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Looks identical, but I bet you will find the one at CES was based on a different chip. The specs for this one at Snazzio doesnt seem to support H.264 or VC-1 (hence the WMV9 name on the CES version).

This page says both players use the Sigma Designs EM8620L chip which according to this "provides highly-integrated solutions for products requiring high-definition MPEG-4.10 (H.264), SMPTE 421M (VC-1), WMV9, MPEG-4.2 and MPEG-2 decoding".

Of course, Snazio may not have implemented it in firmware but I don't see why not. Then again, you would have thought they would be shouting about it if they had.