Media players: why you need them and how to use them. Building a home network Network media player

Not all television devices can be called "smart". Smart TV technology is gaining popularity, but what about those with older TVs? Fortunately, it is not necessary to spend money on a modern model - there are special consoles. With this article, you can choose best media player for TV. With such a set-top box, the possibilities of Smart TV no longer seem so far away.

NVIDIA SHIELD + Okko

• good speed
• powerful tv box
• opportunity to play computer games
• regular updates

• truncated play market

The advantage of this device is an incredible level of detail when watching movies and TV shows. Sports matches are played in such a way that a sense of presence is created. Support for 4K with HDR. Included is a six-month subscription that provides access to OKKO cinema films.

Dune HD Pro 4K Plus

• metal case
• support for all popular video formats
• smartphone control

• one pair of batteries included
• HDMI cable quality
• overpriced

Technical testing of Dune HD Neo 4K was successful. In general, this model has few flaws, but they can be explained by the features of the Realtek platform and firmware flaws. Suitable for connoisseurs of the tandem "home server and normal content" as well as for "dune fans". At the moment, the Dune HD system is much more powerful than the competition. Because the price is quite high.

Selenga A4

• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• support for popular formats
• light prefix
• convenient remote control

• not identified

This smart box from Android 7.1.2 contains 16 GB of internal memory, as well as 2 GB of RAM. With the excellent Selenga multimedia center, TVs, monitors or projectors turn into full-fledged computers. It is possible to install applications, watch movies and TV online. Opens access to games and various widgets.

On other OS

Apple TV 4K 32GB

• the ability to install software from the App Store
• design
• quality
• comfort
• can play with joystick

• defective remote control
• few applications

The Apple TV 4K is billed as a mini PC. After all powerful processor The A10X Fusion and 32GB of storage are no joke. Movies and series are streamed with the latest 4K HDR special effects. High Dynamic Range is a technology that provides the most realistic reproduction of color and fine details. You can use Apple TV 4K as a universal media player, with the ability to install applications from the App Store. Various devices iOS are able to "be friends" with the prefix. For example, with a flick of the fingers, the iPhone turns into a remote control.

MiraScreen G2 WiFi Display Dongle

• convenient
• powerful

• sometimes the signal goes off
• requires reboot

Individual interesting design Dongle MiraScreen G2 will distract from everyday life. Suitable for use at home or on the go. The features of the player are: high-definition image, wide compatibility with various operating systems, as well as easy connection. The switch button changes Airplay modes to Miracast.

AnyCast M4 Plus

• simple connection

• hanging video
• maximum - 1080p

Miracast (Anycast) M4 is wireless device, which allows you to play content from your smartphone or tablet on your TV. Connects via HDMI connector, as well as via WiFi. Suitable only for broadcasting static images, the video hangs on it.

Inexpensive models (up to 3000 rubles)

Google Chromecast 2013

• quality
• speed
• ease of use

• business interruptions occur
• small set of supported services

There were no comments on the design and hardware configuration of the player. The device quickly responds to user actions. The real picture quality is expressed by limiting the format to 720p. Therefore, on a monitor with a large diagonal, it is not necessary to count on greater clarity. The sound is stereo only. Live streaming of content from a smartphone is not possible.

Recently, the TV has evolved from a simple “box” for watching analog TV programs into a high-tech device that can be compared with a computer in its functionality. Modern models can be included in a home local area network. Some people use them to surf the web, chat with friends via Skype, and play games. Of course, the hardware of the TV will not pull powerful 3D shooters, but you will definitely leave Angry Birds.

But here's the catch: only SmartTVs have all of the above functionality, the price of which often exceeds the cost of a regular TV and a powerful computer combined. Of course, many consumers have very serious doubts about the need for such a purchase. It is right, since the media player for the TV will turn the old LCD model into a good analogue of the “smart”, and for all the pleasures you are unlikely to pay more than five to six thousand rubles.

What it is?

It would be foolish to continue talking about such devices without digressing and describing this concept in some more detail. So, what is a media player for a TV?

If you are a user of gadgets on the Android mobile OS, then you can imagine a kind of mini-computer under its own control. Have you heard of the Raspberry Pi? So, the media player is the same "Blackberry" based on an ARM processor. Unlike the mentioned mini-computers, it already has a proprietary shell from the manufacturer, usually based on Android with the addition of some specific services and programs.

Roughly speaking, this is such a miniature for which your TV acts as a monitor.

Advantages

In principle, you can easily guess about the positive aspects of this kind of technology yourself. Having bought a media player for a TV for only four to five thousand rubles, you will make a modern entertainment center even out of outdated technology.

Given the speed of Android development, you don't have to worry about the lack of any applications: players for video and audio files, browsers, programs for We have already said that there is even Skype! Of course, in this case, you will need to purchase an additional webcam, but it also does not cost too much.

In addition, portable devices can be connected to such devices in combination with the ability to launch torrent clients, which makes any media player for TV a real treasure for connoisseurs of watching movies.

Easy setup and security

If you somehow follow the news of IT technologies, then you have probably heard about the scandal that erupted around SmartTV from LG. Recall that at that time users caught too smart technology in espionage. Not only was it very difficult to turn off targeted advertising in the settings (the option was hidden far away), but even after the corresponding checkbox was removed, user information continued to be sent to the company's servers.

Of course, the Android OS is far from perfect in this regard. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands of malware, which may pose a risk to your personal data. But there are also important differences.

Firstly, for Android there are many effective antivirus programs. Secondly, if you have not so deep knowledge in the topic, you can install not only a different firmware on stationary media players, but even a new operating system! In any case, instructions for installing special ARM builds of Debian and Ubunu are found on the net without any problems.

As you can understand, no such fundamental feature is provided in SmartTV. Moreover, even with updating its firmware, problems may arise, since not everyone has a normal wired Internet, and such a technique is simply not able to recognize a USB modem.

Where can content be played from?

Unlike Smart TV or any other, it is easy to “pick up” a movie or a musical composition from a home local network, from an external hard drive or NAS server, which are currently insanely popular. Some of them have a built-in HDD, to which you can upload music and video, and no one canceled playback from a flash drive.

Keep in mind that a portable media player with a supply of movies will fit into your pocket, becoming a faithful and indispensable companion on a business trip or travel.

LAN settings

Unlike the aforementioned "smart TVs", you are unlikely to encounter problems. Most commonly used wifi network. As a rule, the device will immediately "hook" to the home wireless network, requiring only a password to enter.

If you want to connect the gadget via a wired connection, there may be more difficulties. So, for sure, you will need to enter the IP address of the set-top box itself, and other attributes. When setting up a digital media player, you will have to contact the manufacturer, study the procedure for setting up connected devices on their website.

Formats and other "buns"

As for the number of supported photos and videos, in this case, these devices are beyond any competition. In addition, the media player will be indispensable for those who have an HD video camera at home. Why? Judge for yourself:

• Write to disk? Expensive, tedious, and the optical drives themselves are already gradually becoming a thing of the past.
• It is simply inconvenient to watch from the small display of the camera itself.
• Of course, you can use a computer monitor for the same purpose, but professional videos will look much more colorful on widescreen TV.
• Finally, you can connect system unit or a laptop to a TV, but not everyone can handle the settings.

Media players are different...

In order to choose the best media player, it is highly advisable to follow some of the guidelines below. First, the appearance and dimensions of the device must be in harmony with the appearance of all your equipment. It may seem absurd, but if the gadget stands out against your plasma panel, it will catch the eye even when watching a movie.

However, the technical characteristics of the player are much more important, which must include the following parameters:

• The more supported formats, the better. The MKV codec in their list is required. Ideal for imitation - software media player "classic".
• It is highly desirable that only the most efficient chips are used (like Sigma Designs 8634/8642).
• It would be nice if the player supports playback of Blu-Ray disc images.
• If you are a beginner, you should be interested in the option to automatically scan your home network for public folders.
• Is it possible to watch IPTV? It is perfectly!
• For the same beginners, it will be much better if the technique itself sets the mode for displaying the image on the TV screen.
• In the case when the buyer classifies himself as a connoisseur of music, it is highly desirable to have HD-audio (DD TrueHD/Master Audio) decoders.

Some disadvantages

Of course, nothing is perfect in the world. Media players are no exception. What are the shortcomings of the technique we are considering? How serious are they and interfere with watching movies and listening to music?

You need to start with the fact that the Android platform without a stable and fast Internet is of little use. Of course, you can try to watch a movie on a device you just bought, but no one can guarantee that there will be the necessary codec or a sufficiently "omnivorous" player.

Everything needs to be downloaded from the network, so you won't envy the proud owners of a GPRS/EDGE channel in this situation. However, in their case best solution there will be a connection of a laptop or computer to a TV, since they will certainly be able to cope with setting the image output, but it is unlikely to do without a normal Internet. In a word, a network media player that is completely dependent on the availability of an Internet connection is definitely not suitable for us.

The convenience of use

If possible, be sure to turn on the device while still in the store, try to cope with its management. Often there are cases when the media player itself is quite good, but its menu and navigation through it are so terrible that it is impossible to use the device normally.

The same item should also include the size and ergonomics of the console. Today on the shelves you can find a lot of such devices, in which the remotes are more like a horseshoe for a flea in size. It is not known what designers are guided by, but in the dark you definitely do not get to the right button.

Avoid remotes that have only a couple of buttons: they look nice, but it's much more convenient to launch many functions with a single press, rather than circling through several menus. If possible, you should purchase a universal control device that includes the functions of a mouse and keyboard.

Please note that the keyboard, mouse and webcam in most cases will have to be purchased separately. The cost of specialized devices (a special camera for the player) is often much higher than that of their conventional counterparts.

Don't forget the platform too. ARM processors are not very productive devices, so films at maximum resolution can noticeably slow down. However, this statement is far from being true for all devices: almost any Sony media player is almost certainly deprived of this drawback.

Instead of an introduction, we would like to draw the attention of buyers to the reduction in cost and progress of Smart TV systems over the past year. The ability to connect drives and wide support for various formats are now available even in the most inexpensive TVs. This is great, but the functionality of the "boxes" threatens media players entry level. Up to complete disappearance.

Players are different

The "injection" of multimedia functions into the TV today can be performed by several classes of devices: the successors of DVD players, computers and tablets paved their way to TV screens.

The most time-consuming type of media players are nettop class models. These avant-garde mini-computers impress with their compactness and stability, and the quality of components, the performance of ultra-low-voltage processors and desktop OS capabilities cannot be compared with the potential of other media players. All the power of computer browsers, content playback programs and file-sharing networks can now be obtained within a quiet and compact "box".

Nettops: media players outside - computers inside

The problem is that the domestic use of these, in fact, desktop computers is hardly compatible with the tasks of a set-top box. Choosing and buying a remote control, finding a suitable media shell and setting up a DVB tuner will require serious patience, and therefore turn the project into a long-term project. We leave this method to experienced and determined fans of the PC platform, and we offer you to get acquainted with the world of nettops in numerous news and reviews on the site.

The next subspecies of media players are devices based on Android OS. Attempts to endow TVs with the functionality of smartphones and tablets have become a trend in recent years: familiar and ready-to-use applications, OS adaptation to high-resolution displays, and inexpensive processors have had a positive impact on the spread of such devices. The disadvantage, as in the case of nettops, is the mediocre adaptation of the system to new controls: manufacturers have to “reinvent” the Android interface, taking into account the lack of touch input, and users have to get used to the specifics of using the “lazy” Air Mouse.

Standing apart among these media players are mini-computers of the Android Stick format. These miniature (the size of a large flash drive) devices are deprived of a digital tuner and have only an HDMI connector. But they can boast of an affordable price and a powerful operating system.

HDMI Stick - compact media players based on Android OS

The main role in the media player market is played by devices running Sigma Designs and Realtek platforms - direct descendants of hardware DVD and Blu-ray players. Drive Loss optical discs it is compensated by the introduction of streaming services, “omnivorousness” and, sometimes, a standard HDD connector in the media player case. Being more household than computer equipment, this class of devices rarely allows installation third party applications and services. The efforts of the developers lie in the plane of ease of management and picture quality.

Classic IPTV set-top boxes are still relevant today

Our guide will focus on the last two categories of devices.

In the dark forest of characteristics

Buying a media player can be treated differently. Nothing prevents you from being guided only by the budget for the purchase of the device. And such an approach will not necessarily result in disappointment, since the functionality of even the most budget models today satisfies the needs of an undemanding user. We will try to identify priorities for those who want to get the most out of the media player with minimal investment.

Interfaces

Variety of interfaces in the era digital broadcasting is coming to naught, so the ideal candidate for connecting a media player would be a TV equipped with an HDMI input and support for resolutions from HD Ready and higher. The digital connector will ensure maximum video quality and greatly simplify the output of multi-channel audio to your home theater. The HDMI specification allows you to transmit digital sound to acoustics in an unchanged form (bitstream technology), which makes it possible to use the full potential of a high-quality audio system on media players running Sigma and Realtek platforms. Things are worse for set-top boxes based on ARM Cortex chipsets. In their case, the sound potential is most often limited by the transfer of a stereo stream (LPCM) already processed on the set-top box to the TV.

When it comes to connecting a media player to an outdated TV, the situation becomes much more complicated. In the absence of an HDMI connector, you will have to choose from the following analog interfaces:

• composite output. Referred to on devices as AV Out or RCA. Uses familiar for the second decade "tulips" to output video and stereo sound. The quality of sound and video with this connection method leaves much to be desired, and if possible, we recommend using alternative connectors.

Composite interface

• component output. Referred to on devices as YUV Out or YPbPr. It is based on all the same "tulips", but the video signal is transmitted through several cables at once, and the final picture quality is the best among all available analog interfaces.

Component Interface

• scart. In fact, it is not an interface, but a "container" for transmitting an RGB image with low image quality by modern standards. Rarely found among media player connectors and, as a rule, it comes in the form of an adapter from a composite connector or an S-Video interface.

SCART socket

• S video. The least common interface in media players and TVs. Structurally, S-Video is a slightly better alternative to the composite connector. This development did not gain much popularity among TV manufacturers, and today it often catches the eye among the connectors of outdated computer video accelerators.

S-video connector

Media players with an analog tuner on board have practically disappeared from retail, and support for the DVB-T2 digital broadcasting standard has come in their place. The digital television network in Russia is rapidly expanding, but broadcasting in this standard is still far from widespread. The presence of a digital signal in a particular locality should be checked in advance on the website of the operator of the all-Russian digital television broadcasting or from local providers.

Form factor and network communications

The usual trick on video recorders with the definition of the flagship "by eye" is no longer relevant. In the media player segment, the bulkiest model is not always the most productive. The dimensions of the new players are dictated only by the number of connectors for connecting to a TV, as well as the presence of a compartment for hard drive.

It is also not worth unconditionally giving preference to media players with a HDD connector: in the absence of a “home video library”, this function will very soon cease to be in demand. Connecting a media player to a PC, constantly removing the drive to write new files, or painstaking work with the web interface of a torrent client is tiring. But playing files from the local network will be faster and more efficient. In the case of an Android-based mini-PC, an additional argument for such use is the characteristic lack of ports for connecting drives: the only USB connector occupies wireless keyboard, and the weak current in the device does not allow you to connect the USB Hub without mains power.

A capacious drive on board will shelter any collection of media files

Fortunately, media players without support for data exchange over the network are rare today. Even budget models are able to offer an Ethernet connector or Wi-Fi support for receiving content via DLNA or a Samba server. If possible, you should use the RJ-45 connector - wireless playback of Full HD video will require support for Wi-Fi 802.11n and the presence of a productive router in line-of-sight conditions.

The unequivocal advantage of Android-based media players is the support social functions: clients of Facebook, VKontakte, Skype and other instant messengers work quickly and are always updated to the latest versions. Some media players are equipped with support for webcams via USB-OTG, and the second half of 2014 was marked by the release of the Android Stick with a video camera and microphone in the device itself. Alas, the power of the mini PC's Wi-Fi transmitter leaves much to be desired, and in order to play 1080p video over a network, you will most often need a USB to Ethernet adapter.

Playback formats

With some reservations, we can say that the "omnivorousness" of modern media players has reached almost peak values. Over the past few years, there have been no models left on the market that would not be able to play video files in Divx / Xvid, H.264 and MPEG 1/2 formats. Concerning sound files, you should pay attention to the presence of support for high-quality audio in DTS, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD formats. Some media players are deprived of sound support in this format (due to the lack of a license for a codec or the design features of the chipset), so it's better to avoid an unpleasant surprise in the form of a "silent movie" in advance.

As for containers, the popular AVI, MP4 and MKV are easily played even in budget models, which means that any modern model is suitable for watching movies in the DVDRip, BDRip, BDRip-AVC and BDRemux standards.

Problems with the selection of a media player haunt only lovers of "full-format" Blu-ray and surround video. 3D movies are often distributed as ISO images or file folders. A truly convenient playback of such a video can only be provided by media players that support the ISO BD3D standard, but with the proviso that the movie will be navigated through a simplified BD Lite menu. Support for 3D HD video in other media players will be limited to the "heuristic" launch of the M2TS file from the folder structure or the complete lack of support for the standard. Unfortunately, support for the full Blu-ray specification has fallen into oblivion along with optical discs. The aggressive lobbying for copy protection called Cinavia played a role in this.

Devices developed in close cooperation with content providers stand apart - in the pursuit of copyright compliance and the promotion of purchases in online cinemas, media players receive a limited list of compatible codecs and / or streaming services that are relevant only to foreign audiences.

Governing bodies

The interface of the Sigma SDK and Realtek SDK operating systems was developed taking into account the capabilities of a standard remote control: therefore, controlling such media players does not require additional skills from users of a TV or game console. Support for computer keyboards and mice is present in many models, but practical use does not represent - multi-stage menus are easier and faster to master using the same remote control than using the mouse cursor.

The comfort of a TV versus the functionality of a computer

Media players under Android control there is another extreme: to compensate for the lack of touch input in these products, only multifunctional remote controls with a QWERTY keyboard and Air Mouse mode, which are not particularly ergonomic, can compensate. In the end, all Android Stick users are moving to control through a full-sized set of computer keyboard and mouse - controlling a media player from the couch will never be easy.

Performance and hardware platform

The confrontation between Sigma and Realtek chipsets is painfully reminiscent of the picture on the PC processor market. The Sigma Designs platform typically comes with a finer workflow and superior synthetic performance. The stability and speed of operation of the SMP series chipsets are overshadowed by the high cost of the platform for manufacturers - media players based on Realtek and Sigma that are equal in price will differ in functionality not in favor of the latter.

Realtek media processors are much more flexible. Thanks to a loyal pricing policy, they have become much more widespread. As is often the case in budget products, a number of annoying flaws have plagued the RTD series platforms for a long time - advanced users media players will nod in the direction of a well-known flaw, when video playback at a frequency of 23.976 frames / s was accompanied by constant jerks. The next negative moment occurred already through the fault of careless manufacturers of set-top boxes: ventilation problems in models equipped with an HDD slot led to overheating and unstable operation of a whole family of media players. Today, all these problems have been eliminated, and the competition between the two chipset manufacturers is on an equal footing.

Comparison of the performance of these platforms can be done "the old fashioned way", guided only by the operating frequencies of the processor, however, the lion's share of the load in the SoC of media players falls on hardware decoders. The efficiency of content playback for these devices is beyond the competence of benchmarks.

Nevertheless, performance measurement in "synthetics" remains the only possible way SoC classification. Specialized multimedia processors and competing chips based on the ARM Cortex architecture can be divided into five classes (in descending order of performance).

For buyers who are not ready to analyze the market in search of the ideal media player, we have prepared a list actual systems Smart TV for every budget and needs. The market leaders will not necessarily appear among these products, but the ratio of price and functionality allows us to recommend these models for purchase with confidence.

Upvel UM-521TV

CPU	Rockchip RK3188 (Cortex-A9), 1.6GHz x 4 cores
Graphics	Mali-400 MP4
RAM	2 GB
HD support	1080p
Operating system	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Connectors	1x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1.4 1x micro USB card reader (SDHC)
Video format support	MKV, AVI, WMV, MOV, FLV, RM, RMVB (MPEG4, H.264, VC1 codecs)
Support for audio formats	MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, APE
Network connections	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 (b/g/n)
Additionally	App Store Google Play, compatible with standard USB keyboards and mice
Estimated cost	4500 rub.
Price.ru

The UM-521TV media player is the most successful candidate for revitalizing the TV screen social networks, online entertainment and other applications for the Google platform. The quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and stock Android Jelly Bean will appeal to customers for whom timely access to news feeds and videos means much more than painstakingly selecting content for long-term viewing.

TVZor TVZ100ZT

CPU	HiSilicon Hi3716C (Cortex-A9), 1 GHz
Graphics	Vivante GC800
RAM	1 GB
HD support	1080p
Operating system	Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich
Connectors	3x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1.4 S/PDIF (optical) composite output SCART RF IN RF OUT card reader (SDHC)
Video format support	MKV, AVI, WMV, MOV, TP, TS, TRP, M2T, M2TS, MP4, DAT, MPG, FLV, RM, RMVB, (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD, H.264, VC1 codecs)
Support for audio formats	MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg, M4A, WAV, FLAC, APE, AC3, DTS
Network connections	Ethernet LAN 100M, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 (b/g/n)
Additionally	TVZor media shell (IPTV, OTT, WEB TV), Multiscreen function (iOS / Android), YouTube service support, compatibility with standard USB keyboards and mice
Estimated cost	3000 rub.
Price.ru

The ideology of the TVZor media player goes against fashion - the model belongs to a small class of devices developed in collaboration with content providers. In the Russian market, a limited selection of streaming services rarely boasts of success with buyers, but the TVZ100ZT has every chance of turning the tide. For only 3,000 rubles, the buyer receives a media player with a rich bundle, a programmable remote control with a QWERTY keyboard, a DVB-T2 tuner, an online media library and a set of connectors for connecting to a CRT or LCD TV.

Unfortunately, there is no trace of the functionality of the Android system, and access to files on the local network is closed. But 20 stably working IPTV channels are supplemented with a pack of free series in the online store, and support for formats for digital media is in no way inferior to "full" and more expensive competitors. More details with TVZor TVZ100ZT

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

CPU	Allwinner A20 (Cortex-A7), 1 GHz x 2 cores
Graphics	Mali-400 MP2
RAM	1 GB
HD support	1080p/2160p
Operating system	Android 4.2.2
Connectors	2x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1.4 S/PDIF (coaxial, optical)
Video format support	ISO BD3D, MKV, AVI, WMV, MOV, FLV, RM, RMVB (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD, H.264, WMV9, VC1 codecs)
Support for audio formats	MP3, WMA, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, APE
Network connections	Ethernet LAN 10/100 M, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 (b/g/n)
Additionally	Media shell iconBIT (IPTV, OTT, WEB TV), Google Play store, USB webcam support
Estimated cost	3000 rub.
Price.ru

IconBit Movie3D IPTV

"Functionality over performance" - the Movie3D IPTV model is based on the obsolete Allwinner A20 chipset, and the proprietary shell adjacent to Android leads to extremely slow navigation through the device's menu. In contrast to these shortcomings, the player has a rich feature set and a reasonable price. Working with custom IPTV playlists, support for stereo pairs of the BD3D ISO standard, numerous streaming services and access to the Google Play app store cannot fail to please budget buyers. Beginners will also enjoy the abundance of free content, while experienced Android users will appreciate root access and the ability to install third-party apps. You can learn more about IconBit Movie3D IPTV in our review.

ASUS O!Play Mini Plus

CPU	Realtek RTD1185, 500 MHz
RAM	256 MB
HD support	1080p
Operating system	RTD OS
Connectors	1x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1.3 1x eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo S/PDIF (optical) composite output card reader (SDHC/MS/xD)
Video format support	MKV, AVI, WMV, ISO, VOB, MOV, ASF, TS, TRP, M2TS, MP4, DAT, MPG, FLV, RM, RMVB (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264, VC1 codecs)
Support for audio formats	MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg, PCM, M4A, WAV, FLAC, AC3, DTS
Network connections	Ethernet LAN 10/100/1000 M, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 (b/g/n)
Additionally	YouTube, Flickr, Muzee Internet Radio + TV, etc.
Estimated cost	4800 rub.
Price.ru

ASUS O!Play Mini Plus

In the O!Play Mini Plus model, ASUS engineers chose not to get involved in the pursuit of smartphone features. The lack of support for Blu-ray ISO images and shortcomings in the online component will be accompanied by fair complaints from users. However, this model is aimed at practitioners and its main goal is to conveniently play content from local and network drives. Gigabit Ethernet, a card reader and an eSATA connector allow you to take any video and music fully armed. The level of implementation of these functions directly speaks about the quality of the media player. The presence of a composite output will allow you to play Full HD files even on older TVs. But among enthusiasts, O!Play Mini Plus is not respected, since the media player is based on the infamous revision of Realtek MD chipsets, which means that the device is completely closed for flashing at home.

Google Nexus Player

Google Nexus Player

Google presented its vision on what should be a set-top box based on operating system Android. A model called Nexus Player, developed in collaboration with ASUS, is finally on sale. The interface and functionality of the base Android has been adapted for easy use on the TV screen and content streaming. The media player supports Google Chromecast functions, allowing you to broadcast videos, music and photos from your computer, smartphone or tablet to your TV screen. A distinctive feature of the interface is the automatic ranking of applications and multimedia files according to user preferences.

The basic kit includes a multifunctional remote control with an integrated microphone, and a game pad is available for an additional fee.

Nexus Player is based on the quad-core Intel Atom platform, clocked at 1.8 GHz. The graphics component is based on the Imagination PowerVR Series 6 video accelerator, and the memory subsystem has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. internal storage. Wireless communications are represented by Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1, and among the communication connectors there is HDMI and Micro-USB. The cost of new items is 99 US dollars.

Undoubtedly, Personal Computer or a laptop is the most versatile tool for working with media content. The ability to install any codecs and use any players attracts many users. However, from the point of view of convenience, in addition to the sole viewing, there are certain complaints about this decision. First, you need to ensure that the device is connected to a widescreen TV and / or receiver, which can be difficult if they are located remotely. Second, you need a remote remote control and setting up a program or multimedia shell for it. Thirdly, you need to pay attention to the system configuration and the choice of software. Of course, many users successfully cope with these tasks, but all this takes time and experience.

An alternative to this approach are ready-made network media players. After their minimal configuration, the user gets the opportunity to comfortably work with video, music, photos, online services and broadcasts on big screen over the network - using the media library on a PC or NAS. At the same time, the cost of the solution can be significantly lower than that of the simplest computer.

Another couple of options that are worth mentioning are watching videos through modern game consoles and players built into TVs - but today we will not talk about them in detail.

We list in the table the comparative advantages of modern media players and computers for solving the problem.

Currently, there are many models of media players on the market, differing both in capabilities and in cost. In general, the minimum list of functions looks like this: work over a network and from USB drives, HDMI output for connecting to a TV or receiver, video support up to Full HD inclusive, built-in tools for working with online resources. Additionally, the following may be available: built-in drives, an optical drive for BD and DVD discs, a built-in wireless controller, network storage services, as well as downloading files from p2p networks, the ability to install additional software. Detailed reviews interesting models can be found in the "Multimedia" section of our website.

Today, for our consideration, we have chosen the C-200 player of the well-known brand Popcorn Hour as an example. A year and a half ago, this model already participated in testing on our website, but since then some changes have been implemented in it, so let's talk a little about the device.

Popcorn Hour C-200 media player

This model belongs to the top class of modern media players. It is made in the format of standard rack-mount equipment and supports all current sources of media content. The basis of the device is the Sigma Designs SMP8643 chip, which is capable of playing video of all formats, with the exception of stereo Blu-ray. To connect to audio / video equipment, the player has a wide range of appropriate outputs - from composite video and stereo audio to HDMI 1.3a. An interesting feature of the device is a remote control that works via a radio channel. This allows you to freely choose the installation location of the device. The manufacturer also provided the ability to control the player via Wi-Fi with mobile devices through special programs for Android and iOS.

In some cases, a fairly large monochrome matrix screen may come in handy. With it, you can, for example, turn on the playback of audio compositions without turning to the TV.

The media can be connected via USB ports drives, SMB/NFS/DLNA network shares, and internal hard drives and optical drives. The mount for the latter in this modification allows you to simultaneously use a standard 3.5″ hard drive with quick replacement through a special compartment and a “thin” BD or DVD optical drive. They are connected to two SATA ports of the main processor.

Popcorn Hour C-200 supports a large set of online services, has the ability to change appearance interface and implementation of advanced network functions.

There is a built-in FastEthernet port for working with a local network. Additionally, you can purchase a proprietary 802.11n wireless controller, which is also installed inside the player. The WMP-ND02 model we used is based on the Ralink RT2880 + RT2850 chipset and allows you to work at speeds up to 450 MHz in the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands. Its three antennas are installed through the provided holes in the body of the device. Support for the not yet very busy 5 GHz band allows even high-definition video, including BD images, to be viewed wirelessly with this controller. But, of course, the user will also need an appropriate router. Alternatively, compatible USB dongles or Wi-Fi-Ethernet bridges can be used.

Assembly and connection of the player

First you need to deal with the hardware options of the device, in particular, the configuration of the drives installed inside the player. The most versatile option would be a BD optical drive and a hard drive. To install the first, you will have to be smart and attentive. A hard drive can be added at any time through the bay quick change on the front panel. The disc may already contain files and they will be immediately available through the player's menu.

In addition, you need to pay attention to the possibility of installing a USB drive inside the device. It can be useful for realizing the full operation of the BD menu, as well as the operation additional applications NMT. You can use any model of 2-4 GB. The advantage of this option is that the drive will not occupy external ports and will be constantly available to the player. You can also connect a hard drive to this connector if you want to increase the size of your media library and / or have a permanently connected mass storage device.

If an original wireless module was purchased, then it must also be installed inside the device.

The last thing you need to pay attention to is providing a comfortable temperature regime in the Popcorn Hour C-200 case. The manufacturer says about installing the fan in the place provided for it in the case only if there are problems in the operation of the player or disk. We would recommend doing this while constantly using the internal 3.5″ hard drive. In testing, when watching HD video for a long time or downloading torrents, the temperature of the used 1 TB Seagate drive reached 48 degrees.

After these operations, the body of the player can be closed and installed on workplace. Many other player models also allow you to install a hard drive inside the device for storing files and implementing additional functions. Very compact devices usually work only with external drives with USB or eSATA interfaces.

In addition to the power cable, at least you need to connect a TV or projector. The most convenient and high-quality option is through the HDMI port. If you need to have multi-channel sound through the receiver, it is connected between the player and the TV, and if the receiver does not have an HDMI port, you can use the player's digital audio outputs.

Basic player settings

In most cases, after turning on the player and TV, you will see the Popcorn Hour C-200 interface on the latter. If this does not happen, you need to check the settings of the display device and / or change the type of video output of the player through special combinations of buttons on the remote control.

The main settings of the player are to select the interface language, the parameters of the audio / video outputs and set the parameters network connection. For video, the best option is to use the digital output and enable the option to automatically select the frame rate depending on the parameters of the file being played, if supported by the TV. Audio setup includes an indication for formats audio tracks options for their processing - output to the receiver in its original form or decoding inside the player and mixing in stereo (“downmix”). The second one may come in handy when installing the player only with a TV without a receiver.

For media players we recommend using wired connection to the network. Only it can guarantee the playback of all variants of high-definition video from network resources. This is due to performance - the maximum video bitrate today is about 40 Mbps. A cable connection is capable of operating at this speed in any case. But the quality of wireless communication significantly depends on the state of the air - obstacles, interference and networks of neighbors. And not all of these parameters can be controlled by the user. 802.11g with its real speed under ideal conditions, about 25 Mbps can only be used on video files up to 15 GB per movie (very rough estimate). With 802.11n the situation is much better. With good hardware, it delivers speeds of 100Mbps or more, and the ability to operate in the 5GHz band further improves the chances of video playback without lag.

In this regard, the player model under consideration looks very good - its built-in controller is capable of operating at high speed and has support for the 5 GHz band.

A joint test of Popcorn Hour C-200 and WMP-ND02 card with one of the fastest routers - ASUS RT-N66U - showed that at 2.4 GHz in the presence of a large number of other wireless networks on the air, the player is capable of displaying files up to BD, however, during their viewing, friezes and scatter of the picture are possible. If you switch the adapter to the 5 GHz band, then there will be no problems - you can view files specially prepared for the test with a bit rate of 50 Mbps and higher.

Note that for the convenience of entering passwords for wireless networks and other text fields, you can connect a regular USB keyboard to the player.

As for configuring IP addresses, in most cases you can use the automatic receipt of them via DHCP from the router. However, if you plan to work with the device's own network services, it is better to set up a fixed address assignment in the router based on the player's MAC address.

Working with network resources

To view files from USB-drives, you just need to select the desired document in the player's browser. But working with network resources will require the creation and configuration of the latter. However, this is easy to do.

Most player models support SMB/CIFS, NFS and DLNA protocols. The first one is standard for Windows-based networks. The description of the network resource in this case consists of the name (or IP address) of the server, the name shared folder on it and the username / password of the user who has access to it.

We have already configured such resources on the NAS. For convenience, you can program a special user in the drive for access from the player, giving him read (or full) rights to the necessary network folders. A similar setting is carried out on a computer - select a folder and share it, not forgetting the list of users.

Next, you need to specify these parameters in the player in the " Network resources". Here you will also be able to enter your own resource name for the player. After programming all links, they will be available from the main menu of the device in the "network" section.

Using the NFS protocol can be useful for those users on whose computers Linux is installed. In addition, it is usually supported in modern network drives. For the player model under consideration, NFS does not have significant advantages, however, for less productive devices, it can potentially provide higher speeds (smoothly played video bitrate).

Let's take a look at the setup using the Synology NAS as an example. After enabling the NFS server in the properties of the share, you must allow access to it from the required IP addresses. As a result, the parameters for data access will consist of the name or IP address of the server and the path to the shared resource (it will be shown in the settings window on the NAS). Usernames and passwords are not used in this case. Please note that in some cases it is necessary to use the "NFS TCP" protocol variant, which is also supported by the player.

To simplify the settings, you can use the built-in web browser - then you only have to enter the resource name and user data.

The third protocol by which the player can receive data from the local network is DLNA (formerly known as UPnP AV). It was conceived as an easy way to link numerous home network devices into a single whole, including PCs, players, game consoles, Cell Phones to share videos, photos and music. Unfortunately, even today and with certificates, you can meet with partial incompatibility of devices or lack of support for some functions.

To implement a DLNA server on a PC, you must use special software (for example) or regular Windows Media Player, which also knows how to perform this function. Server settings are usually minimal - you only need to select the folders in which the media content is located and allow access to a specific player. Unlike standard network protocols described above, sorting and searching for files on the DLNA server does not occur by directories (although this option is usually also provided), but by specially created indexes. For example, for music files, this can be information from tags - artist name, album name, release year. To compose them, the server must spend certain time things to consider when using it. The indexing process, depending on the server and its settings, occurs at the request of the user, according to a schedule, or when new documents appear.

Setting up a server on the NAS consists only of selecting folders for scanning.

The advantage of DLNA, which may be of interest to some models of players with weak processors, is the use of the HTTP protocol for transferring content, which is more "light" and allows you to slightly increase the maximum video bitrate available over the network.

DLNA resources in the player are connected automatically. They do not need to be pre-programmed anywhere.

Internet Services

Popcorn Hour C-200, like most others, has built-in clients for viewing content from such Internet resources as YouTube, SHOUTcast, flickr and dozens of others. None special settings you don't need to do anything to work with them. You just need to provide the player with access to the Internet.

Additional features

In our opinion, the most correct option for organizing media viewing on a home network is a network drive with a library and the required number of simple network players with access to it. This allows you to have a single place for storage and processing, simplifies the setup of the players, and they themselves can be compact and quiet, with a connection only to the network.

But this scenario is not always possible. For example, if there is no network drive, you want to have local media in the player to watch high-bitrate videos or the ability to use it offline or at a party.

In this case, the ability to implement additional functions by the player itself will come in handy.

So, on devices of the family, you can install a special set of applications that will allow you to use it in new scenarios. To store the program code, you need to allocate a special partition on one of the local drives. You can use the internal USB port by connecting a flash drive with a capacity of 2 GB or more to it. This will allow you to easily change the hard drive installed in the front bay without worrying about the performance of applications. On the other hand, installing on a hard drive will make it easier to use the data on the hard drive for built-in services.

Direct installation of programs is carried out from the menu "Maintenance" → "NMT Setup Wizard". If the player is connected to the Internet, then it can download all the data necessary for installation on its own.

During installation on a blank drive, new partitions are created - allocated for applications and for user files for the remaining space. Please note that by default file system data partition - EXT3, which is not available from Windows without special drivers, but files can be written to the disk over the network.

The standard set of applications for this family of NMT players consists of UPnP AV, myiHome, FTP, SMB, NFS servers and clients for downloading torrents and files from Usenet networks.

The first two servers can be useful if the player uses a capacious hard disk with a media library and there are other players in the local network. Through these protocols, other players will be able to access files on this device. You can also use SMB and NFS for this.

FTP and SMB will be useful for reading/writing data to the player's disk from a computer. Unfortunately, the system does not provide any access control to directories - there is a single user account (name - nmt, default password - "1234", but you can change it), which has access to all resources for reading and writing. Note that when installed applications NMT, you can change the device's network name and workgroup name.

The built-in torrent client allows you to download files directly to the player without a PC. In this model, two programs are installed at once. Perhaps it is more convenient to use the second - the well-known transmission utility. Its web interface is available at http://pch-c200:8077 and is password protected. If necessary, you can also provide control via the Internet - just configure the translation of port 8077 on the router to the IP address of the player. If the capabilities of the web interface are not enough, the Transmission Remote GUI or transmission-remote-dotnet programs will come to the rescue, which can be found on the supplied CD. For efficient download and distribution, you also need to open the port of the service itself (51413 by default).

When working with additional services, do not forget that although the processor used in media players does an excellent job of decoding video, if we talk about the functions of a network drive, an offline file download system or other non-core functions, then by modern standards it is relatively weak. Speed ​​characteristics are not needed: given that a 100 Mbps network controller is used, the write speed over the network ( SMB protocol) is about 6 MB/s, and reads are over 7 MB/s.

As you can see, setting up a network player on a home network is very simple and accessible to everyone. Using this type of equipment will allow you not to waste time on setting up a computer and software, but to use it for comfortable viewing of your favorite series on a widescreen TV in a large company.

(also Media Player Media Player or Media Center).

Many are familiar with the situation when, despite the many available TV channels, there is absolutely nothing to watch on TV. In such cases, a media player will come to the rescue - a compact device that can turn an ordinary TV into a multimedia entertainment center, showing your favorite movies and photos or playing music at will. In the article we will tell you how to choose a media player model and what characteristics to pay attention to.
A media player is a device for playing photos, videos and music that works in conjunction with a home TV, monitor or projector, as well as a speaker system. The advantage of the media player is its relatively compact size, thanks to which it can be moved to any room where there is a monitor or TV. The media player will be an excellent choice for those who often buy movies and music online and store their multimedia archive on their home PC, USB drives and hard drives. The fact is that most media players are equipped with standard USB connectors and even play content directly from the home network. To choose the best model that meets your needs, you will have to analyze the main characteristics, which we will do. .

What parameters to pay attention to

One of the main parameters of the media player is information carrier. To store media content, these devices use built-in hard drives external HDD as well as USB sticks and memory cards. Sometimes there is a slot for optical discs or the ability to connect an external DVD drive. The advantages of a built-in hard drive are undeniable, but the higher the volume of the disk, the higher the cost. Therefore, to save money, you can purchase a diskless model and connect external media to it.
The set of video and audio connectors on the body of the media player may differ significantly from model to model. : HDMI and cinch connectors. More equipped models have a 6-channel audio output, as well as S-Video and D-Sub. If a media player needs to display information without an HDMI output, pay attention to the presence of analog ports on the first one.
Many media players are equipped with a network interface for connecting to your home network and the Internet. For this, wired ethernet, which will save you from having to transfer content to the device's memory every time and will allow you to play movies hosted on home computer or NAS (). If this is not possible, support for the mode will come in handy. USB Slave. Thanks to this option, the computer detects a media player connected via USB as an external drive, which is convenient for replenishing the media library with files from the main PC.
Very useful is the ability of some models of media players to record TV broadcast directly to your hard drive.

Inexpensive and functional

As high-definition televisions proliferate, the standard Full HD began to appear even in the most accessible models of media players. So, with its low price (up to 5,000 rubles), the Western Digital TV media player plays video in resolution up to 1080p on home TV, and among its additional functions it provides access to popular online photo and video services, as well as connection to a home network. Externally, the device is big, but the presence of HDMI, S / PDIF, composite video and audio RCA interfaces allows you to connect WD TV to any TV. The number of supported formats is also impressive. In addition to the common ones, the list is supplemented by such formats as OGG and MKA (audio), TIFF (photo) and H.264 (video).
One of the most affordable media players (under 2500 rubles), HDM33 HDMI, also supports high-definition video. The model is made in a strict rectangular case, which contains USB connectors and a slot for memory cards. They are used to download media content. In addition to music and movies, the media player allows you to view photos in JPEG format with a resolution of up to 8 megapixels.
The FreeAgent Theater + media player has a good balance of price and features. The device provides video viewing on FullHD TVs and monitors, has Dolby Digital surround sound and is optionally equipped with a hard drive (250 or 500 GB). The drive is installed in a special docking station. In addition to the hard drive for storing content, you can use USB drives that connect to standard connectors. The device works with popular MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI/VOB/ISO) and MPEG-4 (AVI/DivX/XviD) formats with maximum resolution up to 1080p.

Balance of price and features

Mid-range media players offer an expanded list of supported audio and video formats, and sometimes features such as wireless connection to your home network (Internet) using Wi-Fi.
Concepts of balanced functionality and price (up to 7000 rub.) followed by the developers of the O!Play AIR HDP-R3 media player. This model supports all common video formats and is equipped with a rich set of connectors (eSATA, HDMI, USB 2.0), as well as Wi-Fi (802.11n) and a built-in card reader (SD/MMC, MS/MS Duo, CF). This will save users from having to place a computer or external hard drive next to the TV. Please note that the model does not have an internal HDD slot.
For a similar price, you can purchase the N-1 media player that works with USB drives and memory cards. The model also lacks a hard drive, which has a positive effect on the size of the device: it is miniature and operates almost silently. The media player is enclosed in a durable and stylish metal case that combines plastic and aluminum. Apart from removable media content can be downloaded from the home network, playing music and video directly from home PCs or network drives. An Ethernet connector is provided for this.
According to the schedule, the HDR12L model can record video from external signal sources. The device uses an internal HDD to store content, allows you to connect two USB drives at once, an external eSATA hard drive and delete, copy or move files through the built-in file manager. With a built-in BitTorrent client, HDR12L can download videos directly from the Internet. The player supports almost all popular video formats (including the AVCHD format used in camcorders), as well as the uncompressed FLAC audio format. You can buy HDR12L for 6950 rubles.

The most equipped

The most advanced media players usually include a built-in hard drive up to 1 TB, a wide range of ports and connectors, and many additional features.
It is to such models that the M-7000 belongs. This is a multi-format multimedia center based on a hard disk, whose volume can reach 2 TB. The player is made in an unusual cylindrical design, which, as it were, indicates its central position in the home theater infrastructure. Information about the files being played and the state of the system is displayed on a special display placed on the front panel. A rich set of connectors allows you to connect to the device not only memory cards, hard drives and flash drives, but also cameras and camcorders. The player does not have Wi-Fi, but there is an Ethernet port, which means that the media player is easily integrated into home network. The cost of TViX-HD M-7000 is 11690 rubles.
The Egreat EG-M35A media player is three thousand cheaper. The model supports resolutions up to 1080p and allows you to access the Internet through your home network, working directly with popular services YouTube, Google Video, iPodcast, Flickr. There is also a function for receiving Internet radio and IP-TV. To store information, the player has a built-in HDD, the volume of which can be chosen independently. In addition, it is possible to work with USB-drives. Like the TViX-HD M-7000, the Egreat media player is packaged in a stylish cylindrical body and is equipped with a text-character

Another advanced media player is the Iconbit HD400DVD, which also supports playback of many audio and video formats, including high-definition video (up to 1080p), and reproduces digital multi-channel audio. There are also analog connectors, which makes the media player universal. In addition to the hard drive, which the user can install in the player himself, there is a DVD drive with a fashionable slot-loading of discs on board. The cost of the model is 10590 rubles.

conclusions

It is necessary to consider the purchase of a media player in the context of the audio and video equipment you already have at home. First of all, the media player must match your TV both in terms of connection method (connectors) and in terms of parameters. If you have a good sound system and a large TV screen at home, you should take a closer look at the rest of the parameters. A couple of terabytes of disk space, which at first seems like overkill, can be very useful after purchasing a 3D TV and movies that support new standards.

Media players: why are they needed and how to use them?

What are media players? Why are they needed at all? What they can do, how to use them and why they are MORE CONVENIENT and BETTER than everything else (BluRay, DVD, CD). - Read more about it.

Media player is a player for videos, music and photo albums (photos).

The media player plays files that contain videos, music, or photos. The better the player, the more different file formats he supports. Using the best models, you can forget about the word "format" altogether: just select and launch movies, music, photo albums with standard buttons on the remote - just like on familiar BluRay, DVD, and CD players.

Why do you need a media player?
Because it's much more CONVENIENT than everything else that came before it - CD players, DVD players and BluRay players.
What exactly is more convenient? Here's what:
1) It is much easier, faster and cheaper to replenish your media collection - a library of movies, music and digital photos.
2) Cataloging and searching for media collection works becomes much more convenient. One or two HDDs with files are much more compact than racks and shelves. Finding and launching the desired file is much easier and faster than going through a disk archive for a long time. In addition, you can organize information according to any principle convenient for you.
3) Storing information in the form of files is more reliable than on disks.
4) Compared to the similar launch of files on a computer, using a media player is much more comfortable! You use it like a traditional record player - sitting on the couch in front of a big TV. Agree, it's just MORE USUAL AND CONVENIENT to watch a movie than at a desktop in front of a small monitor, holding the mouse, or than watching from a computer on a large TV, each time approaching the keyboard with a mouse to control it.

In addition, the player compared to the computer:
- quiet,
- more compact
- has fewer wires,
- turn on faster
- Easily operated with just one remote control
- hangs less often
- has a user-friendly interface like a familiar player, and not like a computer - both a small child and an elderly person who grew up in the pre-computer era can easily learn how to use it.

How to use the media player

It depends on the class (features) of the media player you are using. From the whole set that is now on the market, we can conditionally distinguish four classes of media players.

1) Players with USB port, no hard disk drive (HDD), no LAN connection (no network port).
This is the class of the simplest and most inexpensive models. However, they can work perfectly at the level for which they are intended.

Usage
The player is connected to the TV, media files are written to a USB flash drive (or USB disk), which is then inserted into the USB port on the player. We take the player's remote control, we find it on a flash drive required files, launch. We look, we listen - that's actually all!

2) Players with the ability to embed a hard disk drive (HDD), without connecting to a local network (without a network port).
These models are slightly more expensive than the previous diskless ones. They are convenient because you can record and store files on the HDD built into them. If the capacity of the HDD allows, you can copy your entire old DVD collection, all music / movies / photos from your computer to it and use only the player. A DVD player with disc racks can be immediately sent to the country: where there is a media player, you will no longer need all this!

Usage
To record movies/music/photo albums on the player's HDD, it is enough to connect the player to the computer as a regular external USB drive and copy the necessary files. Then the player can be connected to TV - watch movies, listen to music, flip through photo albums.
In addition, these players, like the previous class of players, are equipped with an external USB port for connecting external USBs to them. hard drives and flash drives from which players can play files. Many models have a function background music, i.e. when viewing photos can be accompanied by music. The most advanced models of this class can perform operations with folders and files, as on a computer - copy, move, delete, rename, create new folders - and all this is easy with a single remote control.

Note.
These players (described in points 1 and 2) can play both SD-video (cheap models) and SD- and HD-video (more expensive models). However, almost all new SD models are equipped with an HDMI output, and are capable of outputting an HD signal through the component and HDMI outputs, upscaling the SD picture to HD.
All media players of the following two classes (points 3 and 4) support real (720p, 1080i/p) HD video.

3) Players with the ability to connect to a local network (network port), but without Internet access - both disk and diskless models.
The advantage of these players is that in addition to everything that the models of the two previous classes can, they can connect to a local network and play files from all available network sources - computers, network drives (NAS, Network Access Storage), other network players ( in which the HDD is built in).

Usage
Player connects network cable to the router (network router), video-audio outputs - to the TV. Next, you need to go to the player settings (setup) in the section network settings and set the parameters corresponding to your local network. In most cases, the factory settings allow the player to automatically log on to the network immediately when turned on. Next, those disks / folders on computers and network drives (NAS) where the media files we need are located should be assigned a common network access so that they are "visible" from any other network device, such as a media player. After that, the media player will "see" all network drives / folders and will be able to play the files recorded in them, and not just files from its local HDD or USB drives. The obvious advantages of such a connection are that, firstly, the player has access to many more places where files are located, and, secondly, it is not necessary to copy files to the player (or connect external USB devices to it) - the entire media collection can be stored across multiple network devices(or on one network server of large capacity). For example, if there are several rooms in an apartment or cottage, each of which is equipped with a TV and an audio system, it is enough to have only ONE network media server where all movies, TV programs (recorded by a TV receiver), music and a collection of photos will be stored. Each room can use its own network media player and watch something different - from the server over the network, without the need to first copy the files.

4) Players with the ability to connect to a local network (network port), Internet access and the ability to remote control(With remote computer) - both disk and diskless.
This is the most advanced category of media players. They have many uses, depending on the user's wishes, the technology available to them, and (often) the degree of familiarity with the topics "media players / computers / computer networks/ Internet”, because a number of initial settings still suggest some immersion in computer topics. But after the settings are made, anyone can use the player, regardless of the amount of knowledge and age. What such players can do (in the most general terms):
- play files of almost any format (naturally heavy HD-video files of tens of gigabytes);
- play files - from the internal HDD (if any), from external USB sources (disks, flash drives), from external eSATA drives (some models), network drives (within the same local network), from remote Web servers (via Internet);
- download files (movies, music, photos) from the Internet (using the BitTorrent protocol);
- reproduce IPTV channels and Internet TV;
- play the contents of popular Web media resources (YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Yahoo Weather, etc., up to viewing boxes Email);
- perform file operations (copying, moving, deleting, etc.);
- have the ability to remotely control (over the network and via the Internet): control settings, playback of files (file selection, remote start, stop playback), turn on / off, download new files from the Internet, etc.;
- make it possible to install new software, including alternative, which significantly expands the range of player capabilities.

If there are several rooms (not necessarily adjacent), each of which is equipped with a TV with a media player and Internet access, then you can either run the media player autonomously in each room, or control the entire system of media players from one computer. This computer can be either on the same local network with the players, or remote and connect to each player via the Internet (see the figure below). Even a pocket communicator, such as an iPhone, is suitable as a computer. The players themselves can be either on the same local network or outside of a single network.

From a remote computer, you can launch files on each player, stop playback, change settings, turn the player on / off, etc. For example, you have a player at home (it is turned on and connected to the Internet), you are visiting, and your friends also there is a similar player (also with Internet access). You want to watch a movie or photo album, or listen to music that is recorded in your home. What is needed for this? Just connect to your home player and play files from it as from a remote web resource. You can thus easily exchange files with other owners of the players, without rewriting files - just keep the players online (and know their IP addresses, of course).

How can I add content to my home media library? Here are some of the fastest, easiest and most common ways.

1) Many ISPs have one or more FTP servers, which contains thousands of video and music files. All you have to do is download needed by the computer and dump to the player's disk (if the player has a built-in disk), or to network folder computer, or to a separate network drive. Such downloading is free, traffic within the provider's network is usually not charged.

2) Go to any of the Torrent trackers and just download what you are interested in. And completely free! Torrent tracker– Web-portal, which contains an extensive catalog of films / music / photos / software / games / etc., from where special<*.torren t> files, which in turn, when opened by the program torrent client, allow you to easily and quickly download the necessary media files - movies / music / photos / games / software / etc. Popular torrent trackers contain a truly huge database - you can find and download almost any movie (from Hollywood novelties to classics and "art- hausa") or music. The most popular torrent trackers: ; http://torrents.ru http://tfile.ru ; http://opensharing.ru
The most advanced players (the category described in point 4) usually have a built-in torrent client. Can run<*.torrent>file directly on the player, and the player will start downloading on its own, without the help of a computer (naturally, the player must be connected to a working router, and the router must be connected to the Internet).

3) Go to any movie or music Web resource that offers a download service (free or paid); files on such resources are often stored on the well-known file storage http://rapidshare.com (or similar) - from there you can download using the links indicated on the resource pages. If the download is paid, it is proposed to pay via SMS. The amounts are usually ridiculous.

The colossal convenience of media players, their capabilities and flexibility of settings are worthy of several separate articles. A short use of such a device is enough to understand that DVD and BluRay players are already far from yesterday, if not the day before yesterday, and by and large they are not needed. What you REALLY NEED to have at home is the following:
- HD TV (display, projector) + separate audio system (stereo or 5.1);
- a local network connected by a router with Internet access;
- at least one computer connected to the local network (for recording new media files);
- network drive (NAS) for storing the entire collection of media files (the role of NAS can be performed by the same computer or another computer);
- media player (disk or diskless); if it is with the function of connecting to a local network, then there are much more opportunities;
- if you watch TV, then you will also need a PVR receiver (satellite, cable or terrestrial, depending on which channels you want to watch), preferably connected to a local network.
On the media player, you watch movies and photos, listen to music, watch IPTV and Internet TV channels, YouTube videos, etc. On the receiver, you watch TV channels coming from satellites, by cable or from the air, if necessary, record your favorite TV shows and movies, replenishing media collection of files.

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