[IBOOD] Freecom Media Player 320 GB with LAN - €199 (excl. delivery)

Basq

Freecom Media Player 320 GB with LAN

* Freecom NETWORK MEDIAPLAYER-3.5” kit
* 320 GB HDD
* With footstand
* Remote control
* Power adapter
* USB cable
* AV cables (composite/component)
* Weight 450g (without HDD)
* Dimension 57 x 150 x 185 mm
* USB Interface 480Mbps USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 Compatible)
* Network Interface 10/100 Mbps LAN (RJ-45)
* HDD Type 3.5” IDE HDD
* HDD File System NTFS / FAT32
* TV Type PAL / NTSC
* Supported Formats: Movie MPEG 1/2/4 (MPG/MPEG/AVI/M2V/DAT/VOB/IFO etc.) DivX/XviD (except GMC/Qpel option applied) Music MP3/OGG/Vorbis/WAV/WMA (except WMA9 pro.lossless) Photo JPG (JPEG)
* Video Output COMPOSITE S-VIDEO COMPONENT Y/Pb/Pr (480p/720p/1080i/Progressive Scan)
* Audio Output STEREO L-R DIGITAL COAXIAL / OPTICAL (DTS Pass-Through Only)
* Operating System Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP / Mac OS 10 or higher
* Free helpdesk support
* Quick install guide
* 2 year warranty

Price: € 199,00

Experience a new level of computing and home entertainment with the Freecom portable Mediaplayer-35, the player that covers all AV-file formats. The Freecom Mediaplayer-35 is a cost-effective, dedicated hard drive based mobile multimedia player that seamlessly delivers digital media (video, audio) from your PC to the television, projector or Hi-fi set. Enjoy digital media and information in the comfort of your living room. Freecom has now developed a fast hard drive, a JPEG viewer, a MPEG 4 video player and a MP3 music player, all in one unit! This new portable system is built for easy data sharing with friends and family. Enjoy your movies, songs and holiday pictures anywhere you go. Watching movies on a PC Monitor and listening to MP3 files on a small PC speaker system are now a thing of the past, as are difficult burning sessions creating CDs and DVDs. Simply drag and drop your audio and video files from your PC to the MediaPlayer-3, take the portable MediaPlayer-3 to your living room, connect it to your TV of HiFi and you`re ready to go! Keep it simple! Because of the LAN connection this device can also be used as a network streaming device!

Buy it here!

Would be buying this if i didn't buy the Argosys Media Drive already!

slayerking

Looks like a super little gizmo.
If I didnt already have two external hard drives I would have snapped it up:mad:

briman1983

I was just about to post about this but got beaten to it. Looks a nice bit of kit and also nice on the eyes. It's 350Euro on the freecom website but I would never expect them to be that competitive.

amby666

briman1983 wrote:

I was just about to post about this but got beaten to it. Looks a nice bit of kit and also nice on the eyes. It's 350Euro on the freecom website but I would never expect them to be that competitive.

The 250gb is about €250 delivered from SPV.
320gb is out of stock. €199 + delivery is a good price. Mostly good reviews on SVP.


.

godtabh

basquille wrote:

Would be buying this if i didn't buy the Argosys Media Drive already!

Me too. But thats what happens with ibood. Its all about the impulse buy. They'll probably have this one again in a couple of weeks only cheaper

forbairt

I've used the 250gb one before and its quite nice ... played anything I threw at it.

I'd be getting this if I actually watched telly

Nice feature with this as well is its a LAN drive

Mr E

Great gizmo (I have one), but it has 2 downsides:

- It won't play HD files (e.g. 700mb rips of 45 minute TV shows)
- It doesn't have subtitle support (so it can't play SRT/SUB files on foreign language movies)

Otherwise its a fantastic investment, and €120 off the retail price is a bargain.

Basq

Probably not as noisy as the Argosys..

.. if they get it again in the next few weeks (which they more than likely will), i'll buy it and sell the Argosys.

Sniipe

Hey TmB, I was about to buy this but then saw ur quote "It won't play HD files..." What format are they in? If I don't have a HD tv should I not worry about it since I wouldnt download it anyway?

Soarer

TmB wrote:

Great gizmo (I have one), but it has 2 downsides:

- It won't play HD files (e.g. 700mb rips of 45 minute TV shows)

That's a bit of a downer, isn't it?!:(

Is there anything similar that will play HD content?

monkeyfudge

Does anyone know what it means when iBood send you an email with "Beste iBOOD'er!" as the subject and with absolutely no content in the email?

Anyone else get that?

scargill

if this could record too I would buy it !! Anyone know of such a thing ?

animaal

Soarer wrote:

That's a bit of a downer, isn't it?!:(

Is there anything similar that will play HD content?

You'd be looking for it's big brother, the MG-350HD. I have one of these, and I'm very pleased with it. It has wifi, and plays HD divx content.

Mr E

To answer some of the above questions:

HD movie files are usually 1280x720, or 1920x1080. As stated in my example, if a downloaded TV show is 700mb and 40-45 minutes long, then its HD. Regular 350mb 45 minute shows are perfect (as are 700mb full length movies).

It does not allow recording....

daveg

Anyone else having problems ordering? When I try to get past the address/email etc details page I get the following error:

De opgegeven gebruikersnaam is reeds in gebruik

Anyone know what that means?

daveg

Finally got passed that and now it won;t take my visa card? Wtf?

MOH

animaal wrote:

You'd be looking for it's big brother, the MG-350HD. I have one of these, and I'm very pleased with it. It has wifi, and plays HD divx content.

That doesn't list a DVI/HDMI connection - presume it has one?

daveg

Just in case anyone else has the same probs I had it turns out my CC company (MBNA) have a block on on-line dutch companies due to an increase in fraud. They ensured this went through for me. If your card is declined whilst trying to order this ring your CC company.

LeperKing

animaal wrote:

You'd be looking for it's big brother, the MG-350HD. I have one of these, and I'm very pleased with it. It has wifi, and plays HD divx content.

That looks the dogs nuts! A viable replacement for XBMC.

Questions....
1) Is there any special software needed on the windows server, or is it simple windows file sharing?

2) Is it possible to change the HDD out for a smaller one, as all my media is on a NAS?

3) How loud is it?

LK

Gryzor

animaal wrote:

You'd be looking for it's big brother, the MG-350HD. I have one of these, and I'm very pleased with it. It has wifi, and plays HD divx content.

where did you buy this??

5h4mr0(k

LeperKing wrote:

That looks the dogs nuts! A viable replacement for XBMC.

Questions....
1) Is there any special software needed on the windows server, or is it simple windows file sharing?

2) Is it possible to change the HDD out for a smaller one, as all my media is on a NAS?

3) How loud is it?

LK

1) only if you want to write from the PC to it. (It comes with NDAS for this) For streaming from the PC there's nothing else needed (apart from sharing the directory)
2) Yes. (It'll run without a HDD, but can only use it for streaming then.) Depending on software running on the NAS, you might be able to stream from it.
3) I have the MG-35 (same as the one in the iBood offer) and it's pretty quite. Bit of a hum. Nothing more.

skywalker

TmB wrote:

Great gizmo (I have one), but it has 2 downsides:

- It won't play HD files (e.g. 700mb rips of 45 minute TV shows)

Why not? Their just divx files at the end of the day.

Mr E

Here is a thread on an MG-35 Yahoo Group I'm a member of (since Freecom have stopped doing firmware updates, these guys have started writing custom firmware.... use at your own risk!). Anyhoo, here is the thread:

> > As far as I know, the MG 35 will not play 720p material or any
> > material with a width greater than 720.
> > What you are experiencing (audio but no video) is "normal".
> > The AC3 fix is needed to be able to have ac3 audio in an mpg file.
>
> Aarhg! Is this true? No High Definition video can be played by this
> mediaplayer? What is the point of 720p and 1080i modes?
>
> I have purchased this media player mainly because of high definition
> video; where is this limitation mentioned in the specs?
>
> Is this an hardware or firmware limitation?
>
> If it should be able to play HiDef content (720p, 1080i), please could
> you point me to a test avi to download?
>
> HD
>

I am no expert but believe it is a hardware issue (more specifically
the chip inside the unit). There is a width limit on 720.

The 720p and 1080i capabilities refer to the vertical resolution of
the output and I think the unit upscales all material to 1280*720
when it is set to output 720p.

I don't think the limitation is mentioned in the spec's.

The new model HD 350 is supposed to handle HD material, although I am
in the UK and have not seen it on sale anywhere.

Zascar

Anyone know if you can connect this dorectly to a router and access it through the network? If it was a wireless router can you stream to laptops etc?

5h4mr0(k

Zascar wrote:

Anyone know if you can connect this dorectly to a router and access it through the network? If it was a wireless router can you stream to laptops etc?

It can see the shared devices on the network.
For PCs etc on the network to see it, they need to be have NDAS installed and the box needs to NDAS enabled on it. That needs the MAC address of the device - it may be printed on the unit, or you may have to get it from Freecom... (I have the Mediagate version and it came with it)
It doesn't have wireless.

Scruff

Maplin have something silimar. saw it in the shop here for €116 without a HD but with a 320gb hd from dabs it works out the same price or even slightly cheaper inc delivery
It doesnt have wifi but can also be plugged into a router directly. Plugs in tv as well.

Sniipe

bought this from Ibood, just wondering what the story is with delivery; there is no postal tracking from what I can see. I'm expecting great things from this; I hope to bung my music, photos and series onto it and fingers crossed I'll be able to stream from a shared folder on a network PC.

yop

Be prepared to wait for Ibood, slow as a wet week god bless them, they tell you that it is been delivered today, then it does not arrive for 3 or 4 days!! A bit shambolic with delivery but good prices

daveg

Any idea what were looking at? 5 days? more?

yop

Dave, I think I was waiting over 2 weeks with them sending it here and there and every wrong where, got it in the end so did not mind, but for at least 3 datys it was arriving

Sniipe

I got this today in my email:

Dear iBOOD'ian,

Thank you for your order on iBOOD.
We have shipped you your order today.

You will find more information about your order underneath.

Your order:
1x Freecom Media Player 320 GB with LAN at EUR 199.00

Subtotal: EUR 199.00
Postage charges: EUR 12.50

---

Total amount: EUR 211.5

All prices shown are including VAT

Address given for delivery:
Mr. XX XXXXXX
XX XXXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XXXX XXXX
IRELAND
Galway
Ireland

Have you placed more orders on iBOOD.com than is show above? Go to iBOOD.com, and check the status of your other orders at "your iBOOD".

Have fun!
Keep watching the website for more spectacular offers!

Team iBOOD
http://www.ibood.com

---

this is an automatic e-mail


looks like we've another bit to wait considering we ordered it on the 6th.

beecee

Anyone got theirs yet? Still waiting...

daveg

Mines been shipped but not delivered as yet. Really annoying they don't supply tracking numbers.

panman

Mine arrived just before lunch today. Packaging was in bits to say the least but the drive was'nt tampered with. Havent had a change to use it yet.

beecee

Wow! It "arrived".... well the ripped envelope did with nothing in it!!! What a joke... They don't even package it up?!? Disgraceful...

Anyone know do they accept responsibility for these things? Do they normally replace or just give money back?

BAH!!!

Basq

Christ!! :eek:

Get back to Interlink about it first...

Sniipe

Mine was delivered - the same as panman, open package but the freecom package wasn't tampered with. I know the local interlink guy at my end, he said thats the way he got it.

Beecee, get onto ibood and interlink pronto and demand a refund/re-ship.

On a lighter note, I've tried mine out, its a whiz on the network and works for all my formats so far... still testing it tho.

5h4mr0(k

For those that have got theirs, there was a new release of the firmware for it a couple of weeks ago
You can get it from
http://www.airlinktek.com/english/atboard.php?param=e_sw

daveg

So what does everyone think? I'm really impressed so far.

beecee

I think that I'd be more impressed if I could get the bloody thing. Still trying to get some joy from their customer support (rang again an hour ago - told me he'd definitely ring me back within 30 mins... Bah!)

I think since I put the phone number up here they've probably been inundated with phone calls from Ireland

At least it sounds like it's good if it ever turns up! :rolleyes:

beecee

Cool... Got it. After a few more phone calls it was shipped on Tuesday and arrived today!!! On my birthday and everything

Hope it's worth the wait!

daveg

beecee wrote:

Hope it's worth the wait!

It is. I've had a mine a few weeks now. Well impressed!!

jArgHA

Thinking of maybe buying this item but I have a question:

Can you transfer files to the unit via ethernet? I am wondering whether I can have the unit downstairs by the TV and have an ethernet cable running upstairs to my PC, so I can copy media without having to bring the unit upstairs each time..?

If not, then what exactly is the LAN functionality of this device for?

jAH

5h4mr0(k

From earlier in the thread...

5h4mr0(k wrote:

It can see the shared devices on the network.
For PCs etc on the network to see it, they need to be have NDAS installed and the box needs to NDAS enabled on it. That needs the MAC address of the device - it may be printed on the unit, or you may have to get it from Freecom... (I have the Mediagate version and it came with it)

Sniipe

well impressed with my box. the lan function works a charm.

FastFullBack

Sniipe wrote:

well impressed with my box.

Nice to know!!!:D

degsie

Sniipe wrote:

well impressed with my box. the lan function works a charm.

Hey, where did you get that sig! Need to change mine now

Sniipe

This is for sale again. More memory and wireless, from a quick glance at it.


link

Freecom Network HD mediaplayer 400GB WLAN
€ 239,00

Freecom Network HD mediaplayer 400GB WLAN « back
Brand: Freecom
Type: Network mediaplayer 350 WLAN
400 GB capacity Wireless HD compatible multimedia player
Connects to your network via Wireless LAN (54 Mbps) or Ethernet connection (10/100 Mbps)
Stream AV files from any computer within your network directly on your TV/HiFi
Can also be used as USB 2.0 external harddrive and as Network Attached Storage device (NDAS)
USB Host port: add USB storage (hard drive
usb stick etc) and play back files from this USB device
Video Output: HD DVI (480p / 720p / 1080i / 1080p) HD Component Y / Pb / Pr (480p / 720p / 1080i) S-Video / Composite
Audio Output: Stereo / Digital Coaxial / Optixal 5.1 surround (DTS downmix to stereo)
Interface Wireless LAN 802.11g – LAN
Hard Drive type: 3.5” IDE (P-ATA)
Media decoding chip Sigma Designs EM8621L
Supported file system NTFS / FAT-32
Supported format Video: AVI: MS-MPEG4v3/DivX/Xvid (except GMC/QPEL option) / WMV9 / WMV: WMV9 / MP4: MPEG4 Video / DAT: MPEG1 / VOB: MPEG2 / MPG/MPEG: MPEG1/MPEG2
Audio: MP3 / OGG Vorbis
Photo: JPG/JPEG
Firmware upgradeable to ensure you have the latest features and updates
No cooling fan ensuring noise free operation
Minimum system requirements PC: PC with Pentium-II 233MHz / 64MB RAM / CD-ROM drive / with Windows 2000/XP - Please note that AV streaming via (W)LAN is only possible on Windows PC’s (uses Windows file sharing) - MAC: MAC OS X or higher / available USB port / available LAN port / (RJ45) or WLAN adapter (802.11G)
Measures only 57 x 150 x 185 mm in size making it ideal for portable use
Including remote control for easy operation
Comes with all appropriate connection cables
2 years manufacturer’s warranty and unlimited free helpdesk support

More Information
This new Freecom Network Mediaplayer WLAN connects to your wireless access point, thereby opening a world of multimedia entertainment. You can now play back any multimedia content stored on any computer in your network, and watch it on your TV. Or you can store movies and/or music on the built-in 400 GB harddrive and enjoy them directly from the player on the TV, without your PC having to be switched on. This new generation Freecom mediaplayers are powered by the latest generation Sigma Design chipset, and it is HD compatible. It is firmware upgradeable, to ensure you always will have the latest updates and newest features. Because of the small size it is also ideal for data transportation and Freecom has an unlimited free helpdesk support.

Sniipe

I have the wired version of this hooked up in my kitchen. Very handy, have loads of music on it and some series.

I like it a lot. Quality is good, This one says HD... don't know really what thats about...

Gran Hermano

Must say I'm tempted to pick one up, but with the price of the cheap Dell
PCs (as posted in this forum) I can't see any benefit in getting this instead
of a PC and using that instead.

Scruff

ohhh very tempting.....with the wifi i could have this connected to the tv and connected to my wifi network... anyone buy it???

/edit
hmmm....i see what yer saying Gran Hermano...hmmmm....could do the same with the pc...