LaCie to launch DivX, TV-compatible hard drives

Hard-drive maker LaCie has announced the silverscreen, a 40GB USB 2.0 hard drive that can be hooked directly to TVs and set-top boxes. While the $249 drive seems a little steep if all you want to do is show off digital photos and play MP3 files (an 80GB version will go for $329), the drive has at least one useful feature: DivX-compatibility, which means that you can finally take that collection of downloaded movies and actually watch them on TV without having to hook up your computer or convert and burn them to DVDs. If you've downloaded a lot of flicks and are looking for an easier way to watch them, this may just be worth considering. Just get it before the MPAA lawyers get a good look at it.

[Thanks, Nick]

[encosion @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

omigosh! ..bring the price down, the capacity up a couple factors, add XviD support and that's my baby... .. . about time, well done LaCie!

[Martin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

You can get an Xbox- chip it and put a 160GB (or any size). And use XBMC (xboxmediacenter.com)

Xbox's are sold at 149 USD.
Chip + insallation maybe 100?
New 160 GB HDD 110 USD?

For 360 you get a media player.

[Kesey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

#1, XviD is supported...

Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB, ISO) and MPEG 4 (AVI, DivX�, XviD);
Audio: MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and AC3;
Photo: JPEG (up to 8 mega pixel)

[Marke @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

ya gotta wonder (I do anyway) with 7 megapixle cameras on the prosumer market, can 8 be far off, and are they setting a limit too far away from this coming week? (previous comment mentions an 8 MP limit on photos)

[Mike Krus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

well, the TVix by Divco does this also, works nicely. It has bigger drives also, but it a bit more expensive (for now)

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

#5, care to give us some link to the TVix? I can't find it

[Mike Krus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

#6: http://www.tvix.co.kr/eng/

[Gatchan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Well, there's some more drives like this out there:

Sites are in Spanish:

Best Buy's Easy Player HD Multimedia MPEG4, 40Gb for 179,00�:
http://www.bestbuy-int.com/default.asp?s=fichaProd&IdProductos=105

Woxter's POCKET DIVX 60GB for 163,00�
http://www.tiendapc.com/SDetails/$pid=134163$sid=3015

Best Buy even has a 2,5" external case to fetch any 2,5" HD for 99�

[robert @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

there are a ton of these player on the market

here is a tiny one for 139 bucks
http://tinyurl.com/55zsh

what i'm looking for is one that will play and record, just like an archos, but without the screen, i like the portability factor, i don't need the screen

does anyone know if there is one of these out there that can record as well?

[Brandon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

will it handle XVID files which are QPel enabled? I know my Philips dvp-642 doesn't.

[Leo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

#9 that looks cool... but does it play xvid?...site does not specify, can it download new firmware upgrade?
Thanks

[liquidrice @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

For a low $65.00 you can get a Philips DVD player that plays Divx. Philips DVP642

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=Philips+642&Submit=Search&Search=Search&country=&orderby=Name&hits=25

[gumbico @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

amen to that, the Philips DVP642 rocks! Just plop your XviD or DivX files (along with anyother mpeg file) onto a DVD or CD and it will play. It's dirt cheap and can be region hacked with just the remote. My only gripe is that if you have a DVD with multiple angles (like a music concert DVD), there's no way to turn off the angle indicator on the screen. =[

[ov @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

There're also enclosures that perform similar functions from modix.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050106/index.html

[longo213 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

What about XCLEF MBoxer HD-1200AV? Seems like product with very similar features. And, Xvid movies works ;)

http://www.mboxer.com/pro_e.htm

[Morten Skogly @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

One of the best solutions so far, minus for the tiny drive. I also like Modix (http://www.cooldrives.com/hdmohdpousb2.html) and the AIVX (http://www.cooldrives.com/aidimi2usbdr.html)

But I would prefer to have a device that had a screen and dvd player as well.

[hadi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Anyone test this silverscreen yet? Does all Xvid work on it!?
i am thinking of purchasing it, or something similar, the reason why i am so attached to this specific product is simply because of the brand name 'lacie'. they put out some of the best products out there in terms of 'external hd' and i am wondering if this baby is worth its 400 or so dollars!