Ok here’s the deal: I’m looking for an external media player to hook with my 42’’ plasma (HDMI) and my sound system (RCA). BUT, there’s so many different boxes/ways to do it that, I must admit, I feel totally lost. Popcorn Hour seems the way to go until I saw Patriot Box, and then Popcorn Hour just issued a new version, and there are all the others…Gee. So I felt some of you folks might be in the mood to give me a helping hand. There I go with my wanted specs: I want it to have a storage capacity (300 gig +) and a home lan capacity (I currently have a linksys WRT-54G). I will probably use it wired but WI-FI would do. I will use this box as a MP3 Jukebox and a movie player. I’ll use MP3/AVI/MPG/ISO(DVD) formats. My budget would go up to 400$ if the hardware is worth it (upgradable/updatable). I’m fairly good ‘’going under the hood’’ to add/change hardware, use software/firmware etc…I’ll buy in Canada (I don’t want extra cost/delay/f*ckup with the customs) Big thanks to those who give a hint! Jeff
WD TV LIVE HD Media Player is great. It doesn't come with a HD, so you have to buy one, but you can hook it up wired (via Ethernet) or WI-FI, but you have to buy the WI-FI adapter for wireless. You might have to buy it online though, I've checked stores such as Best Buy and Staples, they say it's in stock, but it's only in stock online, not in stores.
Thanks for both replies ! I went for the WDTV Live: great price/value/functionalities. Now I need to hookup a Network Drive to the box. I'm thinking of 1-2 TB storage, something like Linksys NAS200 maybe but I have no experience in NAS. Any though/shared experiences appreciated... Jeff