DivX player with USB 2.0 - Cheapest

[Unkit]

Hi, I'm looking for the cheapest Good DivX player. I don't really care about whether or not it will play cds/dvds I just want it to be able to play files once through an external hard disk (fat32 -6gb 2.5" so should work just like a usb stick)

I got a portable media player of ebay, but i have 2 problems with it, 1, the remote is the same frequency as my 5.1 and I am forever getting no audio. Second, I get 3 strips of fuzzy video when I use it with the provided 3.5 to 3rca cable (operating via a VGA cable to a monitor works beautifully)

I would like to spend as little money as possible, but I dun want something that is going to either not play in decent quality or die on me sometime soon.

I live in Townsville, so the only choice of stores I have are:
Harvey norman
Retravision
Tandy
Dick Smith
Wow
Chandlers

and the usual department stores like target and Kmart. I would like to keep the budget under $200 if at all possible.

Alternatively, does anyone know how to convert VGA to svideo or RCA without quality loss?

[andw]

Perhaps the new LG? -NH101 (or something like that - there is a recent thread here with info about it).
It is supposed to do USB2 (or at least it's new Zoran chipset is suppposed to support it).
That would probably be the cheapest you would get USB2 support for.
(have a look at some of the threads just below this one, it should be in one of them)

[jokiin]

N100H I think the model is, seems to be conflicting reports around though about the USB2.0 support

[andw]

N100H I think the model is, seems to be conflicting reports around though about the USB2.0 support
Maybe Unkit can confirm when he buys one. :PI

[bac]

N100H I think the model is, seems to be conflicting reports around though about the USB2.0 support

Even if the USB 2 is working, it's very unlikely it will provide anough juice to power an external HDD.

[jokiin]

Even if the USB 2 is working, it's very unlikely it will provide anough juice to power an external HDD.

Agree, there are some conflicing reports about the capabilities of this model over on Whirlpool at the moment.

[andw]

Also, according to reports on Whirlpool, it is taking about a minute (or so) to load files http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=558374 (*)
Could be that it does not do USB2 speeds.
Jury is still out on whether it is really USB2 or not at this stage.

(*) you need to have been a member for a certain period or have a certain amount of posts to read in this section, so I will quote below....
User #7423 2740 posts
Center Link
Just picked one up yesterday from the good guys for $199

Mainly for the USB connection. Connected a 5g usb drive and it played files from it fine except it took almost 1 min to load.

Just wondering if this would work. Buying a external hard drive like * This One on ebay? and just plugging it in and it will work fine.
posted 2006-Jul-18, 3:26 pm
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User #27925 571 posts
daft
did you try it?
did it work?
slower?
posted Wednesday at 6:31 am
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User #50020 32 posts
leon
I got 120 gig external harddisk to connect to that dvd but it didn't work. 4gig usb is working well except too slow to load it. posted Wednesday at 7:20 am
User #27925 571 posts
-------
daft
bought one yesterday... refused to play dvd+rw discs... it grind and churned and then spat the disc out.. think i got a lemon :(

720p upscaling looked blurry, 576p was the best.. think i might swap it for a pioneer

[Unkit]

Actually, the confusion about the usb2 is what prompted me to post this. I want that will definately use usb 2... not because of the speeds, the files I download are not that high quality, but because I don't think usb 1.1 would support a hard drive.

Just out of curiosity, did anyone recommend to the person with a 120gb hard drive to make smaller fat32 partitions instead of the NTFS one s/he is most likely using?

thanks for all ur help guys/gals
ankit

[andw]

...
Just out of curiosity, did anyone recommend to the person with a 120gb hard drive to make smaller fat32 partitions instead of the NTFS one s/he is most likely using?

thanks for all ur help guys/gals
ankit
No they didn't, probably a good thought - I shall do that now.

By the way, USB1.1 will support a HDD, as long as the player can provide enough grunt (power supply wise) to power it - but it will be slow, and may get choppy.
I retrofitted a Zensonic Z340 to do it- http://www.wisexv.com/z340/z340usb.htm
based on what some had already done on their LG's http://phorums.com.au/showthread.php?t=101333
Both of those are USB1.1, but the playback can get choppy in fast motion areas.

[Unkit]

Contrary to the popular problem I have no problems with power supply. I have a 240v to USB charger, which I can plug the "power only" part of my usb cable into, and the other part, into the dvd player.. But I do want it to be able to support at least a 36gb (max fat32 partition as far as I know).

Thats quite interesting, because I have a toshiba 4200, which is only usb 1.1, it works perfectly with usb sticks, but as soon as I try to plug in an external hard drive, the hard drive powers up, and then powers down... I guess this is a unique problem to the computer then..


Thanks for all ur help.

[andw]

...at least a 36gb (max fat32 partition as far as I know).....
That is a nasty restriction that Microsoft put in to Windows XP (probably to force people to use NTFS).
You can do bigger than 32G, but not with Windows XP partitioning software.
(Note that Windows XP will happily read and write on FAT32 partitions larger than this, they just won't make one)
see http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=27253&DisplayTab=Article

[Unkit]

Just wondering if anyone had the chance to try an external hard drive with either the philips or lg. Also, have you guys seen the lenoxx players with usb and card support for $80? Too good to be true right?

[GeeJay]

I bought 2 of the Lenoxx MP4 players 512MB MP4-2000 for $99 ea from Retravision Pacific Fair on the GC a couple of weeks ago, they were marked as $349 but supposedly overstocked.
They are brilliant little things... the transcoding software works well so my son and I watched a few eps of Family Guy on a flight to Proserpine last week...the vid quality transcoded from XVID is very good no fuzziness and the 2.5" screen even allows you to read text so they do works well for vid...seem to work ok for MP3s too.
These are very much pocket devices though, the USB works fine but unsure if its USB 2, it included AV in as well as out and records from any vid device in .asf format...


GeeJay

[Unkit]

Hi, sorry, I may have been unclear in my post. I was actually talking about the DVD players that do divx and have USB in, and SD card in.

[GeeJay]

Aaah in that case sorry....but the little player is still quite good and does support sd/mmc cards but obviously won't play DVDs :dD

[Unkit]

Don't need it to play dvds, just play from a portable hard drive..

i got one of the players of ebay, it was CRAP quality to begin with, and over the last few days, my one just totally died.

ankit

[tytin]

Hi, sorry, I may have been unclear in my post. I was actually talking about the DVD players that do divx and have USB in, and SD card in.

I bought an LG DN100H, tried to plug a pocket hdd 80gb, the hdd light up but
the disc didn't spin. I guess not enough voltage to power pocket hdd.

[andw]

A few have mentioned this in the past.
If you have an external USB power supply it might work.

[tytin]

Just wondering if anyone had the chance to try an external hard drive with either the philips or lg. Also, have you guys seen the lenoxx players with usb and card support for $80? Too good to be true right?

I forgot to mention, the LG DN100H manual said the USB feature can support
USB 1.1 , so I assume it is USB 2.0 , but only work with flash drive (Fat or Fat 32).

[Unkit]

Hey all,

Just thought I would let you know I got a Lenox chepie from Harvey norman ($89). Plugged in my HD, even though it was only supposed to play MP3s from a portable hard drive, it plays avi files without a problem. Don't have a test cd or anything, otherwise could have given proper report. (i'm on a 256k connection)

doesn't play .wmv files though.