HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

D Perez — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:28:32 GMT

Popcorn Hour or SageTV HD Media Extender...see no reason to touch the HP Media Extender...

HP MediaSmart Connect Review

Satviewer2000 — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:58:33 GMT

Hmmm, $350 vs $179 for a Popcorn Hour. Popcorn Hour has component output, HDMI, can play 1080p, can hold a hard drive, can view web content (YouTube etc), has a faster and newer Sigma chipset ... I think I'll pass too.

HP, despite having reliable (albeit overpriced) products, is usually a step or two behind cutting edge technology.

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

TV Guy2 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:26:37 GMT

Chris made an excellent list of supported file formats/codecs.

You actually don't have to rename .ts, .mp4, .m4a and a few more file types as long as you install HP's software on your PC (The MediaSmart Services gateway). HP's server exposes those files automatically.

HP's list of supported Codecs can also be found in

h10025.www1.hp.com/.../document

Thanks

TV Guy2 (working for HP)

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

TV Guy2 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:17:12 GMT

The Connect like other devices, indeed allows simultaneous s/pdif audio out and HDMI or Component video out.

So, you don't need to use component to get s/pdif out.

Thanks

HDMI vs. S/PDIF Audio

Paul — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:51:18 GMT

You state that you "had to move to SPDIF and Component to really test the unit," making the HDMI cable moot in that it limits transport to 2-channel PCM audio. However, in every example I've ever heard of, you can use the HDMI connection for video and supplement it with 5.1 audio via S/PDIF. Is that somehow not possible here? In other words, you have suggested that you can't get multichannel audio unless you transport video via the Component output.

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

hd — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:46:16 GMT

I bought an HP Mediasmart TV with this function built in. It was the only thing I liked about the TV. It definitely worked, but the server software that had to be installed on the computer would drop occasionally. I do recall a lag issue, and now that i think about it, it was a pain. I never knew if the computer went offline or not, so I had to keep checking it. Overall, though, I thought it was a good idea that worked acceptably.

I'd have kept the set, if it only looked good. The TV itself was terrible (black levels were just blobs of black), so I returned it. But the Mediasmart end of things was decent. For this to be integrated into a TV is definitely an idea whose time is here.

Now I use a networked Vista MC laptop connected to a Philips HDTV, which looks and works much better.

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

chrisl — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:45:45 GMT

The MediaSmart UI is all done locally, so your network connect has no impact on it at all.

re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

Leonard — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:27:22 GMT

Seems promising though for h.264 .ts content recorded via the Hauppauge HD-PVR. I assume the Mediasmart UI can be used to access the content from recording directories updated by Sage or BTV. 5.1 audio output is expected as a firmware update to the HD-PVR (hopefully soon) so the component and optical cables should work for this as well. Wondering just how slow the interface will be though via 802.11n vs ethernet.

Project HTPC » Blog Archive » links for 2008-07-01

Project HTPC » Blog Archive » links for 2008-07-01 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:33:58 GMT

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re: HP MediaSmart Connect Review Part 2: MediaSmart UI

Robert Lominski — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:09:48 GMT

Wow, a slow user interface and it still won't play any of the movies I have converted to MKV (h.264) formats. Thanks, but I'll pass!

Rob