PlayOn!HD Media Player Review

[BLASTO]

Hi,

Just had a chat with the dealer about the pricing, and he's not ready to reduce even a single rupee, not even by let going the HDMI cable. So, keeping this in mind, i guess people going for Xtreamer can consider PlayOn! HD Mini cost wise, but WDTV Live is still selling for a lesser price, so the it's left to the buyers choice.



cheers.

Whats the price of WDTV Live in india? Is it less than 7.7k you mentioned for playon mini?

Got it for 6k in the US.

P.S: Playon mini costs more than WDTV live in the US too. By ~$30.
Its $149 in the US without including shipping charges (when my friend enquired). So even 7.7k looks like a (very) good price.

 

[sam9s]

No body mentioned, Play On Also plays Real Media files (RM/RMVB), I am not sure how much would that count but it sure is an added extra format.

 

[migasmahn]

No body mentioned, Play On Also plays Real Media files (RM/RMVB), I am not sure how much would that count but it sure is an added extra format.

In addition, there are trial firmware for YAMJ (Yet Another Movie Jukebox) development which is still in beta testing.

Link:YAMJ Development

For me, i don't mind spending more for a product that comes with good community support, warranty and of cause development (adding more features along the way). Unlikely, some other brands/products, the CS which is not even close to what AC Ryan provides.

Anyway its my 2cents.

 

[bansal98]

I have a couple of questions on POHD. It would be very helpful if the owners could answer them.

1. Can we install the HDD in the player and then connect the player directly to the PC to transfer files? I know that we can connect a USB thumbdrive and copy the files to the internal HDD but I am concerned with loading the HDD first time around. Looks like we have to open our PC case and connect the HDD and copy the files.

2. I am planning to use POHD purely as a MP3 transport and then use my AV receiver to act as a DAC. I understand it can be done but it would reassure me if someone could try it and let us know how it works. And if there is any quality difference.

Thanks,
Manish.

 

[migasmahn]

I have a couple of questions on POHD. It would be very helpful if the owners could answer them.

1. Can we install the HDD in the player and then connect the player directly to the PC to transfer files? I know that we can connect a USB thumbdrive and copy the files to the internal HDD but I am concerned with loading the HDD first time around. Looks like we have to open our PC case and connect the HDD and copy the files.

2. I am planning to use POHD purely as a MP3 transport and then use my AV receiver to act as a DAC. I understand it can be done but it would reassure me if someone could try it and let us know how it works. And if there is any quality difference.

Thanks,
Manish.

For the first time after installing the HDD, POHD will prompt to do a HDD format. After you have done with formatting HDD using the player, you can then plug it to your PC via USB for file transfer. It will recognizes it as external HDD

Cos i just got the player. So far, only connected POHD to TV via HDMI, yet to plug it to Amps. :lol:

 

[bansal98]

For the first time after installing the HDD, POHD will prompt to do a HDD format. After you have done with formatting HDD using the player, you can then plug it to your PC via USB for file transfer. It will recognizes it as external HDD

Cos i just got the player. So far, only connected POHD to TV via HDMI, yet to plug it to Amps. :lol:

Thanks Migasmahn. After much trawling through web forums on their site, I found that out just now. Can you please try the MP3 transport thing and let us know. Thanks!

 

[sam9s]

In addition, there are trial firmware for YAMJ (Yet Another Movie Jukebox) development which is still in beta testing.

Link:YAMJ Development

For me, i don't mind spending more for a product that comes with good community support, warranty and of cause development (adding more features along the way). Unlikely, some other brands/products, the CS which is not even close to what AC Ryan provides.

Anyway its my 2cents.

Yea I am following the developing team as well on the fourms and I can with no doubt say, their staff is very responsive and very fast in bringing up the updates, almost all your queries are answered and what ever is promised in firmwares is delivered....unlike Xtremer I presume....

I am waiting for Commercial release of YAMJ and then would update the firmware till then I am just following the development team/members to learn as much as I can on the product.

BTW ordered it already and should arrive in couple of days.....

 

[migasmahn]

BTW ordered it already and should arrive in couple of days.....

Cheers! Hope you enjoi it as much as i do.

 

[aneelr]

Yea I am following the developing team as well on the fourms and I can with no doubt say, their staff is very responsive and very fast in bringing up the updates, almost all your queries are answered and what ever is promised in firmwares is delivered....unlike Xtremer I presume....

I am waiting for Commercial release of YAMJ and then would update the firmware till then I am just following the development team/members to learn as much as I can on the product.

BTW ordered it already and should arrive in couple of days.....

The tech team of ACRyan is indeed doing a good job in interacting with their users, but firmware wise I guess they should still improvise. Like WD TV Live is already supporting for HD audio and still selling lesser than PlayOn, but HD audio support in playOn has gone in the wind. No news about that at all. The last 2-3 firmware's are very identical to each other with no much improvements. May be the next firmware should get some MAJOR changes.


cheers.

PS:-How much did you get the PlayOn for????

 

[migasmahn]

The tech team of ACRyan is indeed doing a good job in interacting with their users, but firmware wise I guess they should still improvise. Like WD TV Live is already supporting for HD audio and still selling lesser than PlayOn, but HD audio support in playOn has gone in the wind. No news about that at all. The last 2-3 firmware's are very identical to each other with no much improvements. May be the next firmware should get some MAJOR changes.


cheers.

PS:-How much did you get the PlayOn for????

From what i see in their webforum, it's the license issue that Realtek is facing and no official statement or response from Realtek. To be honest, any Realtek based media player (Xtremer, Astone, etc) would also have this same issue. Sad to say, it would take some time for Realtek to get all this licensing stuff sorted out. Meanwhile, i would still say patience training let Playon Dev Team sort it out once they find any solution.

As for WD Live TV, it's Sigma based media player therefore it should have not much issue as it is already mature chipset.

 

[sam9s]

The tech team of ACRyan is indeed doing a good job in interacting with their users, but firmware wise I guess they should still improvise. Like WD TV Live is already supporting for HD audio and still selling lesser than PlayOn, but HD audio support in playOn has gone in the wind. No news about that at all. The last 2-3 firmware's are very identical to each other with no much improvements. May be the next firmware should get some MAJOR changes.
cheers.
PS:-How much did you get the PlayOn for????

See most of the MAJOR changes(except HD audio) are already been taken care off, now they are more concentrating on tweaking the things and making it better customized. These days they are very much concentrating on getting the YAMJ working, the 4th trial is out and I see with each release lot of things improve, I am sure soon the commercial version will be out. About HD Audio, its gonna take time, its not a hardware issue, its something to do with licensing. Though if you check the specs of the player it does show "DTS Master Audio (passthrough core stream & downmix to stereo)" I wonder what is Passthrough core stream. WD Live also support only True HD I presume. Anyway as I said its not an hardware issue it gonna resolve, its just a matter of time...

BTW I got my POHD yesterday and I am on some experimenting now, will post my views very soon. I got it for 12500 including everything.

 

[migasmahn]

BTW I got my POHD yesterday and I am on some experimenting now, will post my views very soon. I got it for 12500 including everything.

Nice, welcome to the club. :clapping:

Cheers.

-P.S gonna try 4th YAMJ trial later... at the same time, may want to try tweaking the GUI

 

[soulforged]

I got it for 12500 including everything.

I presume everything means - wi-fi dongle and HDMI cable...am I correct?

 

[migasmahn]

I presume everything means - wi-fi dongle and HDMI cable...am I correct?

HDMI cable is bundled free with PlayOn!

I paid SGD$59 for Wifi-N dongle.

Total damage was SGD$308 inc. TAX.

 

[bansal98]

BTW I got my POHD yesterday and I am on some experimenting now, will post my views very soon. I got it for 12500 including everything.

I also want to know if you got the wi-fi dongle with it for 12,500/-? Also, was the dealer amenable to negotiation?

 

[aneelr]

No free WiFi-Dongle along with PlayOn! Even the HDMI cable is not free, if you do not want the HDMI cable the price reduces, which means it's not free. How ever with the PlayOn mini, letgoing the HIMI cable will not reduce the price.


cheers.

 

[bansal98]

No free WiFi-Dongle along with PlayOn! Even the HDMI cable is not free, if you do not want the HDMI cable the price reduces, which means it's not free. How ever with the PlayOn mini, letgoing the HIMI cable will not reduce the price.


cheers.

How much reduction is there in price if I don't want HDMI cable?

 

[sam9s]

I also want to know if you got the wi-fi dongle with it for 12,500/-? Also, was the dealer amenable to negotiation?

wifi dongle is not included, HDMI cable is. About negotiation, initially he told me 12500+12.5% VAT then later when I persuaded for a discount, he excluded the vat and I just paid 12500. Now was it a planned move by the dealer I am not sure but I think 12500 is a decent price.

 

[migasmahn]

No free WiFi-Dongle along with PlayOn! Even the HDMI cable is not free, if you do not want the HDMI cable the price reduces, which means it's not free. How ever with the PlayOn mini, letgoing the HIMI cable will not reduce the price.


cheers.

hyeah: in Singapore, its bundled free along with POHD and its $249 nett, even if you don't want HDMI cable, the price remains unchanged :sad:

 

[Raghav]

so are these the final prices:

POHD mini - 7.7k
POHD - 12.5k

Mini is value for money but POHD is expensive for 12.5k