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About LinkBacksObviously your budget can be a factor, but if you want something that's going to "just work" then try this set up. It's what I have and I love it.
Mac Mini + Drobo loaded with 2 TB drives + Plex + Harmony One remote = Sit back and enjoy your media
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Obviously your budget can be a factor, but if you want something that's going to "just work" then try this set up. It's what I have and I love it.
Mac Mini + Drobo loaded with 2 TB drives + Plex + Harmony One remote = Sit back and enjoy your media
I had a HD player & HTPC sitting at my TV console..
HD Player:
Pro: Easy to use.. Pretty straight forward and the most important, the remote controller work just like any other TV, BR or DVD player so it feels familiar..
Con: Can't do anything else properly (A lot of makers out there claim they can BT, NAS, blar blar... quite BS) except play videos
HTPC
Pro: Its a PC, you can do anything with it! (FB, Youtube, FTP, VLC, anything..)
Con: I had quite an old system (2 ~ 3 years old) seems to have problem streaming v high quality BR from my NAS... Might be the video card (on gigabit lan)...
Unacceptable Con: I hate to use a mouse on a big screen TV.. First it is difficult to use and then it is a real pain in the neck (strain) even for 5 mins.
So my call is still a up to date HD player that can handle any video format and a good interface software...
**There are some player with the promise of Android but still inmature**
most of it has been said here but I have been using my TV for media play for maybe 10 years now, and have tried too many different things .... heres my opinion
- as said earlier cheapest is to just run an HDMI cable to the TV. or in my case for example, a DVI to HDMI cable (no sound) and sound cable (coaxial in my cas)
PROS:
- this is the cheapest method ofc
- your pc runs everything, so there is no limitation as far as formats go.
- no requirement for extra power for another device, and setup etc (least hassle)
CONS:
- the cable can be expensive depending on length, and might not be easily usable (or look good) depending on your setup , location of TV and PC etc
- there's no 'easy' remote control solution. (there is wireless mice and keyboards etc, but they are cumbersome compared to a simple remote control)
- certain tasks can't be performed on PC while viewing
HTPC:
all the same as above, some come with remote controls (some)... differneces:
PROS:
- dedicated device, no dependence on your main pc
- still can play all formats, and with dedicated software like boxee or XBMC etc, the management of your media and access to content is fantastic.
CONS:
- expensive
- setup hassles both software and hardware wise (cables, networking etc etc)
- another device using power
MEDIA PLAYERS:
these days, i think this is the best option because they have really come a long way over the past few years
PROS:
- dedicated device, PC is free
- proper remote controls
- lowest power use (even compared to turning on your pc to watch a movie)
- noise less
- least setup hassles (comapared to HTPCs) as what they can do , works out of the box
- some can actually enable you to use your TV as a browser / you tube player / facebook etc etc (to various degrees of usability)
CONS:
- no options in terms of skin / GUI , you get what you get
- no options in terms of features as compared to having loads of software to choose from in case of PC or HTPC
As I recommended earlier, I would recommend getting a media player, its not that expensive and its a good investment imo.
two good ones are:
WDTV Live - simple and easy to use, regular updates so I haven't come across a media file yet that it doesn't play. If you want to just watch movies and listen to music, this is it, excellent quality upto 1080p, and very easy to use interface and nice small remote control that is handy and does all you need to do. It has network and 2 usb slots, no built in drive though.
Boxee Box - best featured media player out there bar none. Loads of features, and now an actively growing app library too. comes with an amazing remote control with a qwerty keyboard behind it (still small and slick though). it doesn't have a built in drive, but has wifi , LAN, USB and card slots. hashes and organizes all your TV shows , music , movies etc that are on your network in a very intuitive way. thanks to the remote, I actually now use my tv for youtube and such.
hope this helps.
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