Media Player with 1080p

[raymondu999]

Hey all.

I've got a new home theatre rigged up, and I'd like to add in a media player/server of some sort. The TV naturally came to mind, but then I realised that it didn't have 1080p support, only 720p. This is a dealbreaker for me.

What I really want is a system that can plug in to my HDTV through HDMI, but then interface through a separate receiver system to plug into my audio setup. I *don't* want the audio to plug through the HDMI to the TV. It doesn't need to have its own internal storage as I have all of my content on external drives which I can connect through USB anyways. Looking around online I've found something like the WD TV HD, but I'm not sure that it allows the audio to go through a connection other than HDMI when I'm using HDMI for the video.

Anyone?

Thanks.

 

[waw74]

mac mini?

you can do optical out separate from HDMI.

I just got the new one last week, and it can handle 1080 with no problems.

I've got a 35GB encode of star trek, and it plays that sitting about 90% CPU (out of the 200 from 2 cores), over gigabit e-net.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

The Mac Minis are awesome HTPCs, but they do cost a lot more than an appleTV. Buy an Elgato EyeTV, purchase Remote Buddy and download Plex, and you'll be in heaven.

 

[raymondu999]

Scarlet, you hit my sentiments exactly on the Mac Mini. However I have a separate TV tuner and all that, and this will just be a video player for my TV, so I don't think an EyeTV is quite what I'm looking for.

 

[roidy]

Hey all.

I've got a new home theatre rigged up, and I'd like to add in a media player/server of some sort. The TV naturally came to mind, but then I realised that it didn't have 1080p support, only 720p. This is a dealbreaker for me.

What I really want is a system that can plug in to my HDTV through HDMI, but then interface through a separate receiver system to plug into my audio setup. I *don't* want the audio to plug through the HDMI to the TV. It doesn't need to have its own internal storage as I have all of my content on external drives which I can connect through USB anyways. Looking around online I've found something like the WD TV HD, but I'm not sure that it allows the audio to go through a connection other than HDMI when I'm using HDMI for the video.

Anyone?

Thanks.

All of the media players like the WDTV or Popcorn Hour will output video through HDMI and sound through optical at the same time, it would be kind of pointless giving you an optical out if you couldn't use it

 

[raymondu999]

My primary concern is I can use the white/red rca on the wdtv hd, while using hdmi to pump out video, as I've just bought it

 

[roidy]

When you said you wanted to connect it to a receiver I assumed you would be using optical. I would imagine that the stereo RCA connectors will output audio regardless of what other connectors are being used. As you've just purchased one then I guess you'll find out soon enough