has anyone experienced one of these Hard drive media players?

click here

i was looking at them and thought of the possibility for using it as a cheap in car Mp3 / divx player. pretty much all youd need would be a power supply, screen and spare hard drive. i dunno how it would be for usability and compatibility tho ...

any opinions?

the audio isn't too bad, but certainly not pro-class SQ
I am looking at something similar currently.

yeah im not too woried about the SQ - mp3s and divx movies generally arent the best quality anyway.

im more concerned about how the OSD and usability of it goes
and if its practicable for car use.

have to check the power supply requirements, but shouldn't be too hard to do

I've bidded on one to try it out

These things look pretty nice and interesting. Looks like they use 5v/12v (as per add). Did you end up bidding on one Pulse-R?

If you get one please post up some feedback on it, like how well the interface is designed and how well it plays videos and stuff. Thanks.

I have been running one of these for around 1.5 years now with no issues. Just make sure you regulate the input voltage so that it does not exceed 12v.....

how does it go? would it be an ok substitute for xbox media center?

i already have a dc-dc power supply from jaycar so that shouldnt be an issue...

lost the bid
maybe next time...
look good though, seem to be going for around the $90 mark...

Altronics have something similar

I would get one if it was real cheap, Another type is on eBay for $39.99 Buy it now, with 5v dc in @<=800ma. No problem for a little regulator from Dick Smithies.
They seem to be good units but my concern is, codecs.
But, if i did come across a file it could not play, i suppose you could convert it into a suitable format for the player with this great program Super
It would be a good alternative to powering up a PC just to watch movies, i think i saw a similar model that had a Lan socket, but this one could be shared on the network via USB, and its a external HDD for your PC in or out of car. mmmm
Anyway, one of these and a little LCD screen would be cheaper than a portable dvd player maybe, eBay $50-$350, and a little more flexible in playing media.

The unit I am currently playing with is the Linksys NSLU2 - running Debian Linux... seems to work OK, but the interface is terrible... If I can get a USB-VGA adapter (they do exist) I may be able to get a desktop running, and maybe even WinCE or similar.

Holey slug mother of Linux.....Might get a desktop going? now that would be a hack...
Can you use a USB hub on this Pulse-R to increase the number of drives/devices you can use?
Whow, i just Googled...

1 The Linksys NSLU2 Network Storage Link functions as an adapter for your network, letting you connect and remove USB flash and hard drives as needed. It works with a variety of off-the-shelf USB hard drives and flash memory keys, but unfortunately, the NSLU2 is as slow as molasses when it comes to moving files around.

The Linksys NSLU2 contains an embedded Linux-based file server that, together with the NSLU2's hardware, lets you connect a pair of USB drives to an Ethernet network. Powered by an Intel 267MHz XScale processor, the NSLU2 works with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux networks. But we were disappointed to discover that when you connect a drive for the first time, the NSLU2 insists on formatting that drive, destroying any data you've stored there. This happens only the first time you use the hard drive with the NSLU2.

2The NSLU2 from Linksys is a small, sub $100 device that can be used for a variety of tasks. NSLU2 stands for Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives, a description which pretty much summarizes the original purpose of this device. However, the NSLU2 (or Slug, as it's often referred to) can be used for other tasks thanks to alternative firmwares provided by the NSLU2-Linux project. Since the device offers two USB ports, one can also connect a USB disk and run a full Debian system on it.

I always wanted to get a xbox and run Linux on it, maybe it could be a carputer, certanly they are a media player out of the box, and the more flexable a system is, the more you can use it.
I heard running USB ports on them are good for K/b, mouse, etc.
Still a lot of work to get these to run the way we want, but thats why some peeps like the challenge.
Just don't show off to non geeks, they don't understand things that they cant throw wads of cash at....
(I get- 'why dont you just buy XXXXX-000 and do without the trouble' -a lot)

does anyone know if these use any sort of OSD showing files/ names/ playlists etc?

edit: these = hdd media players

Yes, they have a simple menu like a digital camera, but depends on the model, some have better osd's, but till i get my hands on one ? I heard the better ones can browse your lan to play/transfer files.

You get what you pay for, as the basic ones are on eBay for $14 'buy it now'

i got one of those ebay $39.99 HDD media players...(2.5" hdd)
read the instructions it says to format to FAT32 on win 2000/XP
i dont even get that option, only NTFS...and hence it doesnt play anything
i tried on both my laptop and desktop PC, but cant format to FAT32
so now i got an overpriced usb 2.5" external HDD which i only got 80GB since thats what it states is the limit.....
not too happy about it, but at least it wasnt a huge waste of money...
still have a functioning portable hdd but couldve had more GB for the $

musta been on some killer smack that day ^^^^

finally got around to formatting it to FAT32 and testing a few new shows and music.... seems to work fine so far
now gotta see how it goes incar but i'll only be using it for music...got no screen. hrmmm...and i just sold 2 bloody screens too.
anyways sorry to dodgy chinese ebay sellers for dissin the product

IT WORKS!!! now its a justified $15 more than a regular HDD case lol

Were you trying to format it with Windows 2000? I think it only allows you to format in NTFS (I could be wrong though).

I got a 3.5 inch one that I use in the car.. it actually works pretty well. I'll post some pics up sometime. It actually has decent codec support, apart from the fact that it doesn't play WMV files.

i look forward to the updates

so how did everyone go with the use of the hdd media players?



my question relates to the usability - when you turn the ignition off, and then back on again, will the os of the device reset and therefore you lose your place in the movie file or playlist or song?



if you could keep the device running on permanent power, it would chew too much battery to keep the hdd spinning. does the hdd keep spinning when not in use on these things?



and finally - if you ran it on permanent power, how would you somehow tell it that the car has been turned off and that its time to go into sleep mode?



the perfect solution would be some kind of onboard battery on the device that kept the info in its head so you could just have the device turn off completely and then when powered on it magically remembers the spot. - that one is up the device manufacturers.



im looking at the mediagate 25 http://www.mediagateusa.com/html/mg25.html

Let me answer my own question: yes it looks like the latest firmwares for the device sort this out. they seem to remember the last file played. someone did mention that this is only the case when you actually press the stop button, but the formware notes say that its good for sudden powerdowns too such as iginition switches.



will let you know in a couple of days as i have already ordered mine. hopefully the OSD is better than my headunit!

...cool

i'll actually be in the market for a portable media player now...somethinng on the 100-200gig scale (any suggestions?)

have since decided i'll be looking to install a carpc into my next car

Hi, this is my first post here, but I have been doing some research into this media thing too. I have a BF F6 Typhoon with the premium sound, color scree, and also a 7" touch screen below that., and a PC in the boot.



I was looking at the media player solution as well, as it is much smaller and easier to hid than even the smallest car pc case.



I have also now found that alpine offer a unit that plugs in to existing integrated audio/video units and basically coverts them into a proper deck, without the deck hehe. Alpine call it a vehicle hub pro. If you have a touch screen and one of the alpine units, along with the media player with a hard drive you can have all your media running through that, controlled by the touch screen, and the software in the alpine keeps your memory.



I have emailed alpine for more info, and If anyone is interested I can post it up as soon as I get it.



Thanks for your patience to a newbie ;-)

welcome to MEA hellion. goodluck with the alpine thing, im positive someone else will be in a similar situation!

Thanx enzo, so are you looking to put a media player in your car too? I haven't found anyone else here so far that has actually used one.

i was.

but im pretty positive that i'll be going all out carputer when i sort out my next car

im not onto trying to find a portable device with around 80-100gig of space lol...annnnyway

Enzo, the players come empty, so you can put a 1 terabyte hdd in them if you need to, and use ur deck to control it. Alpine also have a standard deck that you can control ipods and portable media with. I have a carputer currently, but i just want something that i can hide somewhere other than a boot or under the seat.



Cheers

hey guys , im currenty just bout to install my carpc but during the building process I did however consider using my hdd media player.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MediaGate-MG-35-Div...1QQcmdZViewItem
. I had bought that bout a year ago and its just sitting in the shed, The only thing i could find wrong with it was how am i goin to control it. It has remote but that means the ir receiver on the front of the unit must be visble and not in a stupid place.

Cheers guys , interested to see what else ppl come up with.

Kingsly

with the hdd media players (2.5" notebook hdd) you must format in FAT32 which limits the space you can use which is 80gb



not sure if any HU's with usb will work with NTFS which is something someone can look into...

been waiting on a screen to try using the media player with my system thru a/v as my ai-net usb add on is not compatible with my HU...or might get a newer HU

Hi TRD, if you use the DVICO brand or Media Gate or another reasonably well know device, you can put up tp a 750GB HDD into it which I am sure is more than enough to store DIVX and MP3 files.

As far as controlling it, as I said Alpine and Pioneer both have a couple of devices each that can be used as the front end system to control it. I havent tried how good it works, as I still need to save some money to buy it all.

I think if it works, it is probably a real easy way to have all your media in a car.

Cheers

2.5" hdd are still pretty small...no way they go up to 750gb yet
also negates the need for a power supply as it will run off usb 5V
my portable hdd media player is a standalone device and needs to be in FAT32 format or else it wont work.

as stated i already have the alpine usb interface but its not compatible with my HU. But all i need is a screen and i can use the hdd player as a standalone, also i dont think many if any HU's will take the divx format via usb so would have to use a/v input instead

does that make sense?

Hi Guys, I think you are missing my point, sorry I might not be explaining it properly.

The media player I want to use is either a media gate or DVICO brand, which use a 3.5" HDD, and the new HU's will support these, in the larger capacity too.

I just want feed back from anyone who has used it this way to see if it is worth it, and if it may be another way to do away with the larger car pc. The Alpine Vehicle Hub Pro has its own interface which takes over the factory HU and the factory menu of the Media Player.

All I want to know also is if it has a fairly seemless integration too?

Looks like I might have to buy one and be the gunea pig, lol.

Cheers guys

i think somewhere on the 1st page someone said they use the bigger 3.5" media player.. Still will need to verify whether a HU will read a proper hdd as some only accept flash drives

then for the bigger hdd you need to find a good power supply regulated at 12V or maybe use an inverter for 240V...(pretty sure the mediagate doesnt come with any car power cable/plug)
which may also introduce noise...

its definately been done anyway and works but not exactly sure about the way you wanna set it up. maybe try out the hdd media player at a car audio shop first to make sure it is compatible the way u want it before forking out all ya hard earned $$'s

Hi TRD,

Yes very true about the hard earned $$ hehe. But I walked into a few car audio places, and by what I explained to them, it seems I know more about car audio than the car audio guys lol. I might have to go to a proper retailer when I have a few hours.

In regards to the inverter, I already have a pure sin wave inverter in the boot so I think that should be good, and I have one of the switches in the Typhoon converted to a power on/off switch, so to run that to the media player should be easy enuff to do too.

Its just the media player itself I am not too sure about at this stage .

Thanks for all your input tho.

Does anyone have experience with any of the following?

- Mediagate MG-25
- Mvix MV-4000U
- TVIX M3100U

My brother has requested a media player for Xmas to play mainly music (so random/shuffle and playlists are important) but also for divx files, he doesn't need TV tuner, wireless or any extra features like that. Does anyone have any other brands/models that are decent for what he wants?