Standalone DVD player for raw Sage files

[Fourth]

Does anyone know of a standalone DVD player (or recorder) that will play raw files that SageTV creates? I think they are MPEG-2, right?

I am getting tired of authoring DVD's just so that I can play SageTV files in another room.

[phenixdragon]

Correct, it is a MPEG2 file so as long as your DVD player can read them then you are fine.

***Edited***
I of course convert mine to DivX if I am going to keep the files since it takes up a lot less space.

[Fourth]

Thanks Brian. So, can anyone recommend a standalone DVD player that does this? The DivX thing is a good idea, so one that also plays DivX would be cool.

A perfect model for me would be a combo DVD *recorder* + VHS deck + wireless ethernet connection. But I have never actually seen one with all this, so a plain DVD player would be OK if it were small and played SageTV MPEG-2's.

[stanger89]

If you actually create a Video DVD and not just stick the mpg's on a disk, just about any DVD player can play it.

[glbrown]

Ahh, the SageDVD discussion, something close to my heart

In my search for the easiest, and most importantly, quickest way to archive content, a simple file copy to dvd wins every time. Sage plays these dvds just fine. VideoRedo is the quickest way to split and edit mpeg2 files so my archive needs are finally met.

You can always create a 'normal' dvd from the stored files if you want to spend the time at a later date however, there are a bunch of legal issues involved with this. I guess there are a bunch of legal issues with any copy and storage of broadcast content.

The key question in all this is: Is any pvr including Tivo, Replay, Sage, et al, really legal? Time shifting in itself involves copying content that you don't own.

[Cayars]

Just about anything you purchase or receive for payment is allowed to be copied (if it can) for YOUR OWN PURPOSE. This doesn't mean you can give a copy or the original to somebody else. It also doesn't mean that you can use both copies at the same time.

[mpcrider]

Originally posted by glbrown

The key question in all this is: Is any pvr including Tivo, Replay, Sage, et al, really legal? Time shifting in itself involves copying content that you don't own.

There is a Supreme Court case - Sony v. Universal City Studios (1984) - where the TV production arm of Universal wanted to stop Sony from selling Betamaxes.

The Court sided with Sony, saying that Betamaxes aren't infringing upon Universal's copyright “... if the product is widely used for legitimate, unobjectionable purposes or indeed is merely capable of substantial noninfringing uses ...”

This is typically taken to mean you can copy and watch later, as long as you don't distribute or charge for viewing.

[Fourth]

Thanks for the legal support, guys! At least now I know I won't get thrown in the slammer for recording Law & Order.

Now, if anyone could just point me down the path of fair use by recommending a good standalone player, I'd be grateful.

I find it hard to believe that no one is doing this already. I mean, is *everyone* going through the trouble of authoring DVD's just to play them in the next room? What a pain!

[gplasky]

Kiss Technologies has support for Divx in their DVD players if you go the Dixv route. But then again you're converting the mpeg to Divx before you burn.

Gerry

[glbrown]

Originally posted by mpcrider
The Court sided with Sony, saying that Betamaxes aren't infringing upon Universal's copyright “... if the product is widely used for legitimate, unobjectionable purposes or indeed is merely capable of substantial noninfringing uses ...”

This is typically taken to mean you can copy and watch later, as long as you don't distribute or charge for viewing.

This precedent sure didn't work for 321 Studio and DVD Xcopy a couple of weeks ago.

[Fourth]

Originally posted by glbrown
This precedent sure didn't work for 321 Studio and DVD Xcopy a couple of weeks ago.

That's only because the software circumvented the DVD encryption, an act which was made illegal by the DMCA of 1998. Look, I am a lawyer and I tell you I'm not worried about the legality of recording a TV show and watching it in another room of my house. I just want a standalone DVD player that can read MPEG's and maybe DIVX files so I can do it more easily.

Thanks for the KiSS suggestion, Gerry. That's getting closer. The DP-508 plays MPEG-4's ... does that mean they will play MPEG-2's too?

[bisbjerg]

From Kiss Technology's homepage:
Specifications

• Full DVD/MPEG-4/DivX®/XviD/CD/MP3/Ogg Vorbis/CD-RW/DVD+-RW compatibility

... full DVD compatibility - wouldn't that imply MPEG-2 also ?

[gplasky]

I wouldn't think so as far as he wants to play mpeg2 file. DVD would mean standard DVD/.vob files. He wants to be able to play a file with a .mpg or .mpeg extension automatically without having to create the foler structure, .ifo and .vob files. Technically a .vob file is a mpeg2 file.

Gerry

[Grasshopper]

Originally posted by Fourth
I find it hard to believe that no one is doing this already. I mean, is *everyone* going through the trouble of authoring DVD's just to play them in the next room? What a pain!

I can't speak for everyone, but I think lots of people are running Sage Client PC's in the next room, rather than DVD players. You can send the show to your client via a LAN connection, rather than burning a DVD and transferring via SneakerNet.

[gplasky]

Another option to look at is any of the networked DVD players from Go Video, Dell, Gateway, etc. These will play your mpeg2 files from the PC through the DVD player. I can't find any player yet that explicitly says it will play mpeg2 files from DVD+R/RW and/or DVD-R/RW. You may also want to check some of the high-end DVD recorders out for tha capability of playing the mpeg2 files.

Gerry

[Cayars]

I tried a GoVideo unit (they make the Gateway unit). I'd stay away from this unit as it doesn't handle high bitrate MPEG2 video files.

The device of choice right now iIMHO is the ShowCenter. However it doesn't have a DVD player built into it but it can play the VOB files from a DVD player in a computer or RIPPED to hard drive.

If you're not in a hurry and can wait it out a month or two I'd wait and check out the new DLINK units.

Carlo

[phenixdragon]

divx.com has a pretty nice player but it runs for about $300, but it will play DivX files along with pretty much everything else. I haven't really looked into it but what I did see it seemed pretty good.

[Fourth]

Originally posted by phenixdragon
divx.com has a pretty nice player but it runs for about $300, but it will play DivX files along with pretty much everything else. I haven't really looked into it but what I did see it seemed pretty good.

That is one of the KiSS players. They look great, except that I don't know if they play MPEG-2 off of a DVD.

[mwhitlock]

What about the Polaroid player that DivX.com has been pushing in association with Best Buy? Has anyone heard anything good or bad about it?

I'd love to have a set-top DVD player that can also play DivX, but I'm waiting until someone comes out with one that can read DivX video in Ogg Media (OGM) format in addition to the usual Audio-Video Interlace (AVI) format. For the record, I'm a huge proponent of Vorbis: all of my music that I've ripped from my CD collection is in Ogg Vorbis, and all of my movies that I've ripped from video rentals (*dodges the MPAA*) are in Ogg Media (OGM) format with DivX video and Vorbis audio. Gotta love it.

[Cayars]

mwhitlock,

Check out thee Pinnacle ShowCenter with a couple of open source replacement "skins". Does everything you just asked for.

Caro