Network Video Players
Jim Martin
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Mar 26, 2008 10:25 PM
Play your video, photo and music files on your TV from a networked PC. We put five network players to the test
You’ve built up a large collection of digital videos, music and photos on your PC’s hard disk, but unless the system lives in your lounge it isn’t particularly easy or comfortable to watch or listen to it all.
You could spend over $2000 investing in a dedicated media-centre system, but a far more affordable option is a network media player. Instead of a large, noisy PC, a compact, silent – or virtually silent – player is much better suited to a living room, and has all the right outputs to connect to your TV and hi-fi while streaming the content from your PC upstairs.
This month, we round up a selection of models that claim to do a great job for a fraction of the price of a media centre. From the Apple TV, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 to network specialists such as ZyXEL, there’s a wide range of players to choose from.
Apart from the obvious bonus of being competent games consoles, both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have internal hard disks and so can store media locally, as well as streaming it from a PC. They can also double up as your DVD player, and the PlayStation can even play Blu-ray movies in crisp 1080p. If you want to spend as little as possible, ZyXEL’s DMA1000 is more affordable and has plenty going for it.
Many of these streamers can handle high-definition ‘PC’ videos such as WMV-HD, DivX and H.264, but none guarantees to be able to stream this wirelessly – indeed, the ZyXEL doesn’t have Wi-Fi at all. If you plan to watch HD videos, you’ll need to stick with traditional cables; we look at the options in the buyer’s guide on page 77.
And rather than using manufacturers’ bundled software or Windows Media Player, third-party alternatives can widen format support. We look at a popular free option, TVersity later in this feature.
How we test
Plus how we work out the ratings
We test network video players by attempting to play a diverse range of video files on each model to find out which has the widest format support. We also test music and photo support, and assess the overall user experience with each device, since format support isn’t the only consideration.
At the bottom of each review, you’ll find four ratings: Performance, Features & Design, Value for Money and Overall. We don’t pluck these out of the air; they’re calculated using a mixture of objective and subjective ratings.
Performance
The Performance score is a combination of each unit’s responsiveness to remote-control commands, its image quality and how many of our test files it was able to play. For the tests, we use a Sony VAIO notebook as the “server” PC. This runs Windows XP Media Center Edition, and we install Windows Media Player 11 so it has the latest version of Windows Media Connect.
We load the library with around 20GB of music, photos and videos, including standard and high-definition WMV files. The full list of test files is as follows: WMV, WMV-HD (720p), DivX (SD, AVI), XviD (SD, AVI), H.264, VOB, FLV, QuickTime (720p), QuickTime (SD). Naturally, not all these formats are supported by Windows Media Player, so we install the bundled media-server software for each device and check if any extra formats are supported, and whether performance is better or worse.
We connect the notebook to a D-Link DIR-655 wireless router using an Ethernet cable to ensure there are no bottlenecks, and connect each video streamer wirelessly to the router using WPA/WPA2 security.
We then try playing each type of video in turn to find out if it plays smoothly (both video and audio) or if it can’t be played at all. Our second test is to view a photo slideshow; we look at the transitions and general responsiveness. Finally, we play a few different music albums, and check whether tracks are listed in the correct order and whether album art is picked up correctly.
We repeat all these tests by accessing the files from a USB flash drive where devices have USB ports, again noting whether the videos stutter or don’t play at all.
Features & design
Since this Labs is focused on the video-streaming aspect of each device, we give the most weighting to video format support. We take audio and photo support into account, too, as well as looking at the types of playlist that can be used.
Inputs and outputs are rewarded as well. HDMI is the preferred interface, although a wide range of options is useful, too. We favour standard connectors rather than proprietary interfaces (like the Xbox 360’s), as it’s cheaper to buy standard replacements. Media-card readers, hard disks, optical drives and network connections are taken into consideration. The quality of the hardware, the noise it produces and the design of the remote control are all also taken into account.
Online services such as radio, movie trailers and YouTube are awarded points, although those that require a paid subscription don’t gain much credit. Finally, we reward warranty cover.
Value for money
The Value for Money score is based on a weighted combination of the Performance and Features & Design scores. We then factor in the price (including delivery) for a bang-per-buck result.
Overall
Finally, the Overall score is a straight average of the other three ratings. It
may appear slightly higher or lower than expected due to rounding.
Test Results
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| Click to enlarge |
Buyer’s guide
Connections, file formats and more
Choosing a video streamer is a complicated business. There are many factors to consider, including video formats, whether you want to play files locally as well as remotely, and whether you can route a network cable to your player or need to access files wirelessly. Then, you need to decide if you want a built-in DVD player and whether you’d take advantage of the gaming capabilities of the Xbox or PlayStation.
The number of variables means there’s no single video streamer that will suit everyone, so even if the Labs Winner doesn’t appeal, there may be others that meet your needs.
Wireless vs wired
If you’re planning on using a wireless network connection to stream video, it’s worth bearing in mind that none of the devices on test are capable of streaming HD video reliably. Even Apple’s TV with its draft-n Wi-Fi couldn’t stream an HD QuickTime movie trailer when used with a D-Link DIR-655 draft-n router, and that was just 10m away in the same room. Only the Xbox 360 managed to stream the entire WMV-HD clip flawlessly; others either played sections smoothly but paused every few seconds, or were jerky all the way through.
Essentially, if you want to watch HD videos, you’ll need to use an Ethernet cable. If running a cable is out of the question, there are two options. One is to invest in a pair of HomePlug adapters. Then you can use the mains wiring in your house instead of a network cable to link your video streamer to your router. All you need is a spare power socket next to the router and video streamer. Unfortunately, the basic 14Mb/s HomePlug 1 devices offer a throughput of only around 5-10Mb/s, so you’ll need 85Mb/s HomePlugs for throughput that’s fast enough for HD video (around 15-20Mb/s). A pair can be picked up for around $150, so it isn’t a cheap option.
Alternatively, look for a video streamer that can play such files locally, either from an internal hard disk or externally from a USB flash drive, hard disk or via DVD. This isn’t ideal, though, as it means your videos aren’t stored in a central location – a crucial factor if you plan to have multiple video streamers in the house.
File formats
Another consideration is format support. If you want to watch DivX and XviD files – the most common formats on the internet – your options are limited to the Philips and ZyXEL. There are ways to convert DivX and XviD videos to other formats on-the-fly (see Server software on page 80), but these can lead to a drop in quality. The Apple TV has the most limited support, but if you already have a large iTunes library and are happy to buy videos from the iTunes store it may be the best option, partly because the interface is one of the best on test.
Gaming and user interfaces
Even if you don’t particularly want a games console, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have their advantages as video streamers. The Xbox 360 is a Media Center Extender, which effectively allows you to locate your PC running either XP Media Center Edition or Vista Media Center in a different room, yet still see the same interface on your TV. You can also make use of any digital TV tuners installed on the PC to watch digital channels on an analogue TV, or watch recorded shows stored on its hard disk.
The PS3, on the other hand, has a Blu-ray drive, so can replace your existing DVD player as well as play Blu-ray movie discs. It also has media-card readers for playing files locally and four USB ports so you can plug in a keyboard and mouse for internet browsing.
The Xbox’s interface is leagues better than ZyXEL’s, and noticeably better than the PS3’s, too.
It might sound trivial, but the user interface can make a huge difference to the overall usability of a streamer. For example, it’s incredibly fast to find the album you want to play in Media Center (or using the Apple TV) because thumbnails of the album cover are shown. But others that don’t show album art can be harder to navigate.
Physical considerations
It’s important to choose a player that matches the audio and video connections on your TV and hi-fi, since adapters aren’t usually included in the box and can be expensive. HDMI is the most convenient interface, since it carries
both video and audio in one cable. If you have an older TV, component is the best alternative for HD signals (audio has to be connected separately), while, if you have it, SCART can be a useful connection for non-HD TVs (this also carries video and audio). Setting both the player and TV to RGB scart mode will provide the best quality.
You’ll get the best quality audio from a digital S/PDIF interface, but make sure your amplifier has a matching input, since there are two types: optical and coaxial. All bar the Philips have stereo phono outputs, which almost all amplifiers have. The Philips only has a SCART output, for which you’ll need an adapter to phono audio.
Lastly, don’t forget about noise. All but the Xbox and PS3 are essentially silent, as they don’t have any fans. The PS3 has a fairly quiet fan that’s easily masked when you’re listening to music, playing games or watching videos, but the Xbox 360’s din could prove annoying. The fans in the main unit have a relatively low pitch, but the huge power supply has a small, high-pitched fan. As long as you can place this well away from where you’re sitting, however, it shouldn’t be audible.
Server software
We’ve tested the video streamers with their
own software and Windows Media Connect,
but there are other options open to you. Take TVersity, which is a completely free media server, available from http://tversity.com
Not only has it shown itself to be more reliable than most of the other software we tested this month, but it’s also capable of doing more. For example, it can transcode video on-the-fly, so even if your video streamer doesn’t support a particular video format chances are TVersity can transcode it to a format it does support. This is done on-demand, so there’s no need to convert the file before playing it. It’s great news for devices like the Xbox 360, which can’t handle XviD or DivX files, even when acting as a Media Center Extender.
Of course, the quality of the transcoded video will depend on the power of the PC that TVersity is running on. You can alter the resolution of the converted video and adjust it until you find the optimal setting for your system. You need a dual-core CPU for HD video.
TVersity isn’t just limited to video and music, either. It can also play internet radio, internet TV, podcasts and RSS/RDF/ATOM feeds on your TV using your video streamer. It’s fast when it searches through large libraries and it also supports keywords, too.
Serving without a PC
If the media streamers on test have a flaw, it’s that they require a networked computer to be left on at all times. If you’re storing all your media on a notebook, it won’t be available if someone takes it away from the house.
The alternative is to use a NAS (network attached storage) drive that
has a UPnP media server built in. Most NAS drives come with UPnP media server, and the whole device will consume far less power than a PC or notebook. If the NAS drive has a DLNA logo, it’s also UPnP compatible.
The A-Listed Maxtor Shared Storage II is one example of an UPnP NAS drive. The 1TB version costs $561 from www.megabuy.com.au and, as it uses a RAID1 disk array, all your data is backed up automatically. It can also play protected AAC files, as it’s an iTunes server. We can also recommend Synology’s DS-106 and DS-207 barebones NAS drives, having used them as media servers for over 12 months.
This article appeared in the
March, 2008 issue of PC Authority.