Entering the world of Media Players- but confused

[freedom]

Hi Folks
I had contemplated getting a media player sometime back but had settled for my laptop which i was using as a sort of HTPC. Connected it to my A/V and HDD's and usually watch movies, pics and at times music. I am not an audiophile so suited my needs
I am now looking at a media player but confused yet again as see many options
1. Need something that can play multiple formats: Here i see WD has good models( but which is the best) and even Xtreamer and Pop Corn Hour can do the job well
2. Will be nice to have 3D content playback as i have a need at times to play SbS 3D movies
3. Having wi-fi is great , i see latest models having that and i can stream via PC( YouTube videos etc)
4. If possible can have content played from iphone and iPad( not a deal breaker though)
I can get one from USA but i see choices as
Roku 3- Rated highest but lacks USB playback?
WD Live- decent pick but which model , there are many!
Xtreamer: Don't see it worth buying from the USA
PopCorn Hour: Looks best but costs a bomb, 3 times more than the above!

Any suggestions/thoughts and inputs please!! I can spend the amount but not sure if its worth $200+ to pay for a media player( PopCorn Hour A400)

 

[mathan]

Check out KDlinks HD 3D medial player. I'm using it and it is very good. I bought it in USA. It meets out all your requirement. It plays all format of video and audio files. Check the below link-

KDLINKS HD720 Extreme FULL HD 1080P 3D Media Player with Internal HDD Bay, Gigabit Network, Built-In Wifi (Realtek 1186 3D) - Home Products

 

[musicbee]

Popcorn Hour is good. You will not go wrong with it.

Personally though I'd recommend using an existing PC or an old laptop. Pretty much anything running Windows 7 and later with a shared drive/folder and on the network will achieve similar results. Additionally, a PC can always be upgraded in terms of h/w.

If you have the budget then consider something like a PS3 or a PS4. You get all the functionality and a Blu-Ray player and gaming rig in addition. I use both a PS3 and a HTPC (Intel i7) myself and I personally find the PQ in the PS3 is the best and comparable only with a PC and a dedicated GFX.

 

[rdevakumar]

I bought WDTV Live in 2012 through amazon and it is doing good. Except few plays most of the formats. Regular firmware update is provided. It has built in wifi and also supports wired network.

In amazon.com, "WD TV Live Media Player Wi-fi 1080p" seems to be the latest model ($80). The 2013 model is costing $56. I hope any of the model should be good enough.

 

[Falcon21]

media player will have some format constraints sometimes
but on PC you can play anything with basic VLC

 

[hemantwaghe]

Popcorn Hour is good. You will not go wrong with it.

Personally though I'd recommend using an existing PC or an old laptop. Pretty much anything running Windows 7 and later with a shared drive/folder and on the network will achieve similar results. Additionally, a PC can always be upgraded in terms of h/w.

If you have the budget then consider something like a PS3 or a PS4. You get all the functionality and a Blu-Ray player and gaming rig in addition. I use both a PS3 and a HTPC (Intel i7) myself and I personally find the PQ in the PS3 is the best and comparable only with a PC and a dedicated GFX.

PC streams DTS HD MA & Dolby True HD over HDI?
What about PS3

Does PS3 support everything like MKV , Flac?

 

[girish_sutar]

Have been using WD TV LIVE HUB with built-in 1 TB memory and life is really good with it...... [emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]

 

[girish_sutar]

Plays almost all formats and firmwares from WD keep them updated

 

[haisaikat]

PC streams DTS HD MA & Dolby True HD over HDI?

Yes many modern ones do support, read the GPU / Motherboard specs for similar phrases as below

• HDMI 1.4a with Stereoscopic 3D Frame Packing Format, Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
  
• Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI or DisplayPort with no additional cables required
  
• Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats

Does PS3 support everything like MKV , Flac?What about PS3

Yes, but you will need a media streaming server software (also called as UPnP / DLNA server) installed somewhere on the same network (Home LAN) which will decode on its behalf. Some examples are PS3 Media Server, Serviio, Plex, etc

 

[freedom]

Thanks folks, looks like many options still but cannot make up my mind. The KDLinks players looks good but not sure as did not hear the name a lot. Xtreamer has good players but prices are way too high as i see them. Popcorn Hour is rated high but again not sure if i should pay $220 for a media player. WD looks like the best, Roku3 cannot play USB if i got that right?

 

[edge111hussain]

Thanks folks, looks like many options still but cannot make up my mind. The KDLinks players looks good but not sure as did not hear the name a lot. Xtreamer has good players but prices are way too high as i see them. Popcorn Hour is rated high but again not sure if i should pay $220 for a media player. WD looks like the best, Roku3 cannot play USB if i got that right?

Well add asus to the list and ac ryan which are both very good.
By ownership i can tell you this, xtreamer is better than wd.
Xtreamer and ac ryan are at par.
Asus i aint sure but some models are really vfm.
The audio @ all of them suck. Aint anywhere close to even a basic BD player.
HTpc makes sense but will definitely be more expensive than a media player.

Just figure out whether htpc/media player/BD player/ps4 is your way to go and from there u can narrow down options.

 

[musicbee]

PC streams DTS HD MA & Dolby True HD over HDI?
What about PS3

Does PS3 support everything like MKV , Flac?

Not out of the box Hemant... but then my collection is only 1080P and DTS and online streaming video.

That said I've been playing with PS3 Media Server and its made a huge difference.

For FLAC I use PC anyways... the PS3 lacks support there too.

However as a media/entertainment network server the PS3 really shines. Content off of external HDD (or internal) is very good. Ditto for Blu-Rays. Even Netflix is very good on it.

Coming to the PC, well it does everything. Coming to HD Audio you might need the modern Intel i3 core or a separate card to stream HD audio.

Personally I prefer the PC and the GFX as I find the PQ is the best on it... but hassle free media players are easier for the parents and the wife. I have WDTV too, an older model, and I find it lacks in PQ in comparison especially on a 120" projector.