sime303

I bought a Pioneer that had been chipped to be code free and region free with a DivX supported USB port on the front a few years ago. It works very very well and it seems like it was one of the main features of the DVD player, plus I can play any DVD from any region on it because of it being modded.

I bought it long before the PS3 came out. That will be my next purchase.

USBound

we use the 360 over wireless ... no issues period with direct streaming or Netflix.

we also have 2 media players (old WD) that simply plug in an external HDD... great for the kids room and no Ethernet required.

Rumplestiltskin

I used the 360 for a few years, putting whatever I wanted onto a USB stick to play from (avoiding any network latency).

A month or so back I added a PC connected to the TV by HDMI and now connect to a UK based VPN which allows me to watch BBC iPlayer (including live stream) ITV Player (again, including live stream), 4oD and five.tv - and I'm loving it

emailrob

Yep I have one, and the previous WD TV without the networking functionality.

Its a great box. If you can, I would highly recommend running a cat 5 cable from the box to your router. Wireless support is good, but streaming full 1080p can be an issue, especially as wireless can have so many issues (like walls and distance).

I run a cable through the roof, and of course speeds are excellent.

Even my wife has managed to start using the box to watch things on!

For those more tech savvie, playon media server serves you up Hulu and iplayer (if you have a UK VPN), as well as some other sites.

Bob

now if only there was a vpn thing for the wii....can't be arsed to get a proper proxy to watch iplayer through it as I hardly bother with iplayer, but be nice for the odd thing now and again

emailrob

Yeah I know. I just sucked up the £5 a month I pay, although admit I don't use it THAT much. I also use it to download full radio shows that INCLUDE the music, not like the podcast stuff which doesn't.

I VPN on my PC back to the UK, and use PlayOn to stream on the Wii as well. Works well, although not as good quality (expected) as WD Live direct to the HD TV itself. PlayOn has to do some transcoding and stuff I guess. But still watchable.

hobbes79

Yeah, I ran a cable from the router through the basement. Transformed the box into an excellent bit of kit

dave2702

If you have a VPN and and Iphone take a look at

http://iphone.tvcatchup.com

There's what looks to be all the freeview channels available for streaming and I'm told it's only about a second behind the UK broadcast

tokolosheman

Got a PS 3 for Christmas and now simply download the TV shows via newsgroups onto my laptop and stream to the TV using Windows media player server...works like a charm.

hobbes79

Another cool trick I noticed with this device to help a Brit...

If you install a free media server on your PC (I went with tversity) it has the ability to stream video and radio the wdtv doesn't support by default.

IP complications rule out the iPlayer, but at the touch of a button I can listen to BBC Radio 1, radio 2, Capital FM, etc, etc.

Pretty neat

Undefeckable

I built one of these a couple of weeks ago. Impressed the hell out of me.

My previous box died (I used a Asus Bookcase PC previously), and couldn't replace it over here.

Total project cost was about $270, and it wasn't rocket science either.

http://tinyurl.com/yfka4nr

Bob

Anyone faffed around with the hacked firmware for the WD live?

Seriously thinking of getting it for $110...and then sticking my old usb wifi adapter on it and getting another one for the puter that's better...

but then again, also like the looks of the Popcorn Hour A-200 - http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinesto...option=catalog

And the Dragon Tech one looks pretty nice too - http://www.sundialmicro.com/dragon-t...2089_1491.html

Both a bit more money, but can shove a drive in them easily enough, plus that one on thinkgeek.com

Chances are though, I'll just shove a usb thumb drive in it to watch stuff, but be nice to check out youtube and what not, though I hear hulu doesn't work on the WD without paying extra?

hobbes79

Word to the wise, the WD Live is only compatible with certain USB wifi adapters. And that list is relatively small.

But from my aborted attempt to try wireless, I do now have a spare that works. If you ever want to semi-permanently borrow it, just let me know!

Haven't bothered with the hacked firmware. Don't see that it offers anything significant at the moment.

hobbes79

The WD thing runs youtube fine.

It can run Hulu through a media server which can be downloaded for free. But your PC effectively encodes on the fly so you need a pretty stout spec computer. Mine couldn't handle it and stuttered along, though it showed it worked in theory.

Bob

Hmmm...well my usb adapter is a model down from one listed and g rated, so if we go for this, I'll give that a go first and then upgrade the adapter on the puter.

Better option than the Popcorn which only works with their adapter, but that's $20 for a very decent sounding one.

Dragon is just way to pricey and the Mivo sounds like it suffers from over heating when using a hard drive so that's not looking good either.

Either way, looking like the WD is the best option for value for money...so it's on my birthday wishlist...if shit happens, I'll get something nice a week before the missus gets made redundant