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| Porn Users Forum » Anyone have experience with devices that allow you to play files on a TV? |
| 1-26 of 26 Posts | Page 1 |
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| 11-27-09 10:19am - 5504 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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rearadmiral (0)
Active User Posts: 1,453 Registered: Jul 16, '07 Location: NB/Canada |
Anyone have experience with devices that allow you to play files on a TV? Anyone have experience with devices that allow you to play files on a TV? I know that there are several out there. I'm only aware of the one that Western Digital makes. (Type WD TV in your search engine if you aren't aware of them) My issue is that although the list of supported file types seems extensive, most of them (including the WD TV) only support version 9 of WMV and no earlier versions. Using mediainfo (thanks to GCode for the tip on that) I found that only about 25% of my near-2TB collection will play on one of these. I'm not about to spend the months converting everytyhing. Does anyone have any experience with these things? If so, how has the experience been? Do you have compatibility problems? Finally, why would the companies that manufacture these things only make them compatible with WMV9 and not earlier versions too? Is it cost? Do they have to pay to licence the code? Thanks | |
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| 11-27-09 03:12pm - 5504 days | #2 | |
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Jeffrey99 (0)
Active User  Posts: 106 Registered: Nov 04, '08 Location: Good Ole Midwest USA |
I have no experience with the WD one but really there are a ton of ways you can do it. I have 3 devices that can stream from my pc to my PV. Both my video game consoles (Xbox 360 & PS3) can stream easily from pc to tv. The other one is my DirecTV box, however it's not as easy as you can't fast forward through videos. The program I use to stream to all three of those is TVersity and it's free. AS for the WD TV, IMO if your gonna spend $129.99-$149.99, I'd buy a PS3 or 360 instead. Atleast then you can get also get video games out of it or Blu Ray if you go PS3. | |
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| 11-27-09 04:38pm - 5504 days | #3 | |
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james4096 (0)
Suspended Posts: 132 Registered: Mar 02, '09 |
After all the talk here earlier I was very close to getting the WD player and later the popcorn hour. I still might, but I had issues with the supported file types. I'm actually disappointed with the media player capabilities of my xbox 360. It forces you to use windows media player on your host computer to stream files. You have to share media through wmp so that is the server. I think that was a poor choice, I found it to be buggy. Sometimes files don't show up or take too long to play. They need to just allow you to read smb shares from your xbox 360. Also the file format support isn't great. You can play less types/codecs than windows media player and no divx I believe. I don't have a ps3, but I don't recommend the 360 as a media player. Honestly in terms of file support and network connectivity, an original xbox modded with xbmc has to be the best. However, the processor can't handle 720p or greater vids. Personally I've decided to get a media pc and just connect that to my TV. | |
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| 11-27-09 05:31pm - 5504 days | #4 | |
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hodayathink (0)
Active User Posts: 312 Registered: Mar 27, '09 Location: Illinois |
WMV9 is, I believe, backwards compatible, meaning anything that can play 9 should be able to play anything before it. And the PS3 does DivX between 3 and 5, I believe. | |
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| 11-27-09 05:37pm - 5504 days | #5 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User  Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I was actually thinking about saying that, but I thought most people would see that as a radical solution. But a barebones PC with a latest generation video card, with HDMI outputs, would eliminate all the file type problems. Put it in a small tower, or even a mini-ATX portable type enclosure, and it would be killer! Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 11-27-09 08:19pm - 5503 days | #6 | |
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Reg Berkeley (0)
Active Webmaster Posts: 22 Registered: Apr 01, '07 Location: Las Vegas, NV |
Yup, did that in late 2005. Wireless card to my main CPU with all the storage. Just play file with VLC. | |
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| 11-28-09 06:16am - 5503 days | #7 | |
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rearadmiral (0)
Active User Posts: 1,453 Registered: Jul 16, '07 Location: NB/Canada |
I'm thinking that a dedicated PC is the way to go. Thanks for the input. M | |
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| 12-10-09 01:58pm - 5491 days | #8 | |
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davidx (0)
Active User  Posts: 6 Registered: Dec 10, '09 Location: toronto |
I purchased one of these Then I returned it this is why All of my files on my external hard drive are avi or mpeg which means its compressed when it is played on a tv without being uncompressed it looks like garbage. Also there is no skip button incase you like to what different parts of the movie like I do. your going to be sitting there with the '32x' fast forward on for a while I hope this helps David when it comes to porn I have to see everything I hate that side angle crap! | |
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| 12-10-09 04:52pm - 5491 days | #9 | |
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rearadmiral (0)
Active User Posts: 1,453 Registered: Jul 16, '07 Location: NB/Canada |
I returned mine too. The guy I spoke to about it seemed both managerial and technical and he offered an opinion as to why it only suuports wmv version 9. (It supperts other formats, but only version 9 of wmv.) Western Digital sells the WD TV thing as an HD box, but only version 9 is HD. It baffles me why they'd choose HD only over wider compatibility. Wmv version 9 doesn't seem to be too common on porn sites, and that's a problem for Western Digital. They've forgotten one very important lesson - porn drives technology. Do you think we'd have VCRs if the only reason was to watch Poltergeist at home? No! We have VCRs because men wanted to wank in the privacy of their own homes! Same with 4-head VCRs. The ability to freeze the frame with no stutter wasn't driven by the desire to freeze our favorite scene in Back to the Future. It was to do a frame-by-frame of a messy money shot across Ginger Lynn's face! Never before did mankind have that ability. So Western Digital may have shot itself in the foot. | |
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| 12-10-09 05:23pm - 5491 days | #10 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I don't know about that - that flux capacitor is smokin'! Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 12-13-09 06:48pm - 5488 days | #11 | |
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GCode (0)
Active User  Posts: 386 Registered: Feb 23, '09 Location: USA |
Yeah I looked in to these type of devices because I love watching my content on my huge lcd tv. However, so many sites encode their videos with so many different codecs that only play on certain devices. Honesly, I use my playstation 3 for most files but I still find many WMV's cannot be played back with this device. But, a computer and a solid media player can always find the right codec to display the content. So, if you really need to watch content on a tv, I would attempt to invest in either a quality laptop (that you would want for yourself in all aspects) or a cheap one just to plug in to your tv. I have had great results using my laptop plugged in to my tv via hdmi when viewing videos that cannot be played with my dvd player or ps3. My 2 cents.... Sexted From My iPad | |
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| 12-13-09 09:25pm - 5487 days | #12 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I wouldn't imagine that the integrated video in a laptop would project well onto a large screen LCD. Considering the cost of a high end laptop, you'd be better off with a small dedicated desktop with a high end video card. Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 12-13-09 10:51pm - 5487 days | #13 | |
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GCode (0)
Active User Posts: 386 Registered: Feb 23, '09 Location: USA |
Completely disagree for plenty of reasons. #1: A low end laptop with an hdmi out will look fine on a 42 inch lcd screen. Why? because a laptop with an integrated card that supports hdmi out is already good enough to showcase high resolutions. Is this tested? yes, because I have both a low end laptop and a high end laptop with both of them having an integrated video card and hdmi out. Both of these look just fine playing back 1280 x 720 ~4000 kbps using windows media player on full screen. #2: why would anyone want to lug a desktop to an area to a tv screen if a low end laptop can do the same thing. Enough said. #3: A desktop with just the right components and speed to view a video using any monitor including a non-lcd monitor (CRT) and looking fine will do. But, a laptop with the same specs projecting to a LCD TV is essentially the same as a desktop hooked up to a LCD/CRT monitor. Just, the refresh and response rate can be lower/higher but this will not affect the image as long as the computer is quick enough to play it. Meaning, you are just using the laptop as a desktop when you are connected to a LCD TV. With that said, I've had great results with almost any processor running in the realm of GHZ and a integrated video card within the past few years (within maybe 5 years). With all that said, almost any up to date laptop can display a fine image with an outgoing hdmi cable to a LCD TV. Sexted From My iPad | |
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| 01-03-10 06:32pm - 5467 days | #14 | |
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squirrel (0)
Active User Posts: 17 Registered: Jul 15, '08 Location: US |
I've had a WD TV device for about a year. I haven't been that satisfied with it. It's pretty finicky about what file formats it will play, and the ability to move around within a movie is a frustration at best -- often times, after you've fast-forwarded a ways, then want to resume playback, it'd put you right back where you started. And so on. Worst of all is how it keeps a big banner across about a third of the screen when you hit the pause button -- it's not for freezing the screen so you can see a nice still picture. So, I've been looking at alternatives. And I just found one and picked it up -- the Patriot Box Office. It plays all of the things that the WD TV won't play. It gives you a good, clear, unobstructed freeze frame. It has a "commercial skip" button that I presume advances the program one minute at a push. And it seems to work pretty well after moving forward, either with that or with the fast forward. Going backward has been a disaster, though -- so far, every attempt has put me back at the beginning of the program. Still, it's a ton better than the WD TV. There are all kinds of "networking" and other issues involved with any of these things -- I've just been using them with the little portable hard drives. Oh, which the WD TV usually won't turn off when you turn it off -- supposedly fixed in a firmware update, but it sure wasn't working with my non-WD portable hard drive. The Patriot box does indeed turn off the portable hard drive when I turn it off. These things will also play "images," which I've found generally disappointing. The old Sony HDPS-L1 has TONS better image quality, especially if you resize your images to your TV's resolution size. And presuming you can figure out its really difficult naming conventions so that you can get it to do what you want it to do. And presuming you can find one of the things anymore. At any rate, I'm about as happy with the Patriot Box Office as I was disappointed with the WD TV -- so far, so good! | |
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| 01-04-10 07:45pm - 5466 days | #15 | |
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squirrel (0)
Active User Posts: 17 Registered: Jul 15, '08 Location: US |
Quick update: I'm still getting to know the Patriot Box Office. Let me clarify one thing and add another: 1. The "Commercial Skip" button goes forward 30 seconds. 2. There is (yay!) an "Instant Replay" button that goes backward 30 seconds. Bottom line, that handles about 90% of my "short attention span moving around in a video" requirements. I definitely prefer the "skip forward" means of zipping through a video -- the problem is usually "whoops, I've gone too far," so I need to bump back a bit. "Problem solved" with the Instant Replay button. I'm happy. | |
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| 01-05-10 05:16am - 5465 days | #16 | |
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mbaya (0)
Suspended  Posts: 891 Registered: Jul 07, '08 Location: new jersey |
Squirrel, I also have a WD for about a year. Very disappointing, especially regarding which formats are playable. I will check out the Patriot. Thanks for the advice. | |
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| 01-05-10 05:52am - 5465 days | #17 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I can't honestly say I've got a lot of experience with newer laptops, and I definitely haven't seen one with HDMI out, but I would still go desktop or mini tower over a laptop. 1. If it's part of an entertainment system, portability isn't any more of an issue than a DVD player or the speaker system. 2. Room for considerably more hard drive space. 3. For the cost of a laptop, you could get a mini ATX setup and still have money left over for a bunch of beer. 4. Related to 3, why pay for a screen you aren't using? Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 01-05-10 02:18pm - 5465 days | #18 | |
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GCode (0)
Active User Posts: 386 Registered: Feb 23, '09 Location: USA |
Ya almost any laptop has a DVI or hdmi cable out which can support HD inputs. As far as #1 of your response, I'm confused as to what you are describing as an entertainment system? Are you talking about the desktop being used as one or an area where a TV and surrond sound is hooked up (like in the front room/bedroom/basement)? My whole point of that was the fact that a laptop could be easily brought to a LCD TV (which was the reason for the post of the thread) and most newer laptops can be hooked up just fine. So, all you need is to carry a laptop 5 feet with a coord to hook it up to a tv. My main point of the second response was to explain that the tuners and receivers that are built to play 'computer' video files to your TV (like Western Digital thing) do not play all files and a laptop could while being extremely portable while a desktop is not. #2: so you are saying that you would unplug your desktop and lug it to your tv room each time you wanted to watch a scene then when you are done you will lug it all back to your designated area to hook it back up? Just because you have more hard drive space on the desktop? I'm confused in the logic in that. Isn't the point of a laptop being that you can go anywhere with it with ease. #3: Right on about that and that is a great suggestion. However, many people would need a step-by-step walkthrough to do that. However, this is probably the best idea to get all types of videos playing on your tv. But, I'm sure the majority of people eventually want a laptop anyways because they are really great now with all the features and I was just explaining to the user that this is possible to do with almost any newer laptop. #4: You can use the screen on the laptop for any time that you don't want to be hooked to the tv. All you need is a single hdmi/dvi cable and it's plug and play. Just un hook it when you are done watching the scene and move the laptop to wherever you want to browse the internet. The screen will get used a lot, this guy just wants to watch his scenes on a huge screen TV. I can't blame him. My first response to the user was to tell him that most units pre-made that can be easily hooked up in to a LCD/Plasma/LED TV which includes the tv tuners, PS3, X-Box 360, and so on do not support most video files for playback, so I think that a portable laptop is a quick fix to get all files to play back with the smallest hassle. By no means do I think that he should go fork over $400 or more on a laptop just to playback video files on his TV. I was just saying it was the easiest solution for me with the smallest hassle. By the way, I'm not trying to be a smartass and say that anything you are saying is incorrect or the wrong way to do things. I just think we may be thinking about something different or have not come to an understanding as to what we were both talking about. Thanks for the responses and ttyl. Sexted From My iPad | |
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| 01-05-10 05:05pm - 5465 days | #19 | |
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rome476 (0)
Active User Posts: 78 Registered: Aug 19, '08 |
What would you expect a low end laptop to cost at dell or best buy? rome476 | |
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| 01-05-10 06:55pm - 5465 days | #20 | |
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GCode (0)
Active User Posts: 386 Registered: Feb 23, '09 Location: USA |
Hmm, I'm not a big fan of dell or buying at best buy because prices are usually quite high. Honestly, there are plenty of places to find a nice laptop online. I'd check out www.slickdeals.net and look around their deals for laptops. As I said to RaggingBuddhist above, I would not expect anyone to buy a laptop just to run videos to an LCD TV and that being the only reason. I was just stating an argument that I found this the easiest way for me to get videos that did not work with my Ps3 and other recievers to an LCD TV. But, I bought my laptop about a year ago from lenovo which was about $450 at the time and it's extremely nice. It has hdmi out and does everything else great. Plus, it has a nice 17 inch monitor in itself which is great as well. Like all things, you have to shop around but I would never suggest going to a place like best buy to buy anything. They mark their prices so high, it's borderline robbery in my opinion. However, if you are just looking for a 'cheap' laptop to just run to a tv for videos, make sure that it has at least a DVI or HDMI output. Both can do HD videos but the DVI out on a laptop would need a dvi to hdmi cable if your TV does not have a DVI in. For these cables, I suggest www.dcables.net. Hope this helps. Sexted From My iPad | |
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| 01-16-10 01:47pm - 5454 days | #21 | |
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rearadmiral (0)
Active User Posts: 1,453 Registered: Jul 16, '07 Location: NB/Canada |
Squirrel - thanks for the tip. When I learned that WD TV would only play version 9 of WMV files that was the kiss of death for it as far as me keeping it. I never did get to experience any of the complaints that you reported. But... the Patriot Box Office still won't play older versions of WMVs than the latest, #9. This must have something to do with the HD capability the salesguy was mentioning to me. But this begs the question - why doesn't someone recognize that a lot of media exists in WMV format that is version 8 and older. I know it isn't HD, but I'd still like a simple way to play it. Don't these people realize that it's we porn viewers who dictate technological advances??? | |
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| 01-16-10 07:05pm - 5454 days | #22 | |
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squirrel (0)
Active User Posts: 17 Registered: Jul 15, '08 Location: US |
Yep, I've encountered WMV files that the Patriot won't play -- and indeed it looks like they're all WMV 8 files, so far. Though, the WD TV wouldn't play all kinds of stuff -- I'm not too experienced with all of the different formats, but the WD TV wouldn't play about half of the stuff I threw at it, while I've only found a few of these WMV 8 files that the Patriot won't play. Learning something new every day! | |
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| 10-22-14 01:04pm - 3714 days | #23 | |
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Cybertoad (0)
Disabled User  Posts: 2,158 Registered: Jan 01, '08 Location: Wash |
There are newer devices hitting the market for a few dollars that allow near all kinds of media playing. I just purchased a DVD player by Sony for 29.95 and it has a USB port and supports my 1.5 TB externals, and will place everything but AVI. Since 2007 | |
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| 10-22-14 05:39pm - 3714 days | #24 | |
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pat362 (0)
Active User  Posts: 3,575 Registered: Jan 23, '07 Location: canada |
^I finally bought a device that can read HD Drive as high as 2 TB and my Blu-ray player is also able to do the same. Long live the Brown Coats. | |
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| 10-23-14 02:40am - 3713 days | #25 | |
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AWpress (0)
Active Webmaster  Posts: 118 Registered: Nov 20, '12 Location: The Netherlands |
I've gotta say you can't beat an HDMI cable with a wireless keyboard and mouse. All three cost peanuts, and you eliminate all the headache of moving files between devices, format issues, and DRM- you're literally just using your TV as your computer monitor. Not an option if your TV doesn't take HDMI, but if your TV doesn't take HDMI it's not likely to look much better than your computer screen anyway. If your computer is too far away from your TV, you could use a laptop. Alternately, if you're feeling like a fun DIY project, you could make your own media device using a raspberry pi (tiny, credit-card-sized, barebones computer that goes for $35) | |
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| 10-23-14 10:59am - 3713 days | #26 | |
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Cybertoad (0)
Disabled User Posts: 2,158 Registered: Jan 01, '08 Location: Wash |
There seems to be a flood of devices from stand alones to DVD players all doing this. My TV will read but not as well as these little under $30.00 devices. Since 2007 | |
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