MviX MV-5000U reviewed

The MviX MV-5000U, yet another product trying to seduce its way into your livingroom, got a glowing review from Tom's Hardware for its audio / video capabilities. Bought as a case or equipped with a 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, or 300GB hard drive, the MV-5000U packs standalone audio, video, and photo viewing capabilities, an IR remote control, FM transmitter, a small LCD display, optical, coaxial, RCA composite, S-Video, and component outputs. Whether connected to your computer via its USB 2.0 cable, or left on its own by your TV, the MV-5000U handles MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, AVI, DVD and XviD on the video side of things, and MP3, AC3, WMA, OGG, and DTS on audio. Considering Tom's Hardware says this thing can do everything it says it can, and with a slick TV setup interface to boot, we just can't understand why other hard drive manufacturers have been holding out on us for so long. There are a couple downers for the MV-5000U, though: no network interface and no second USB port.  Don't hang your head MviX, you did good, real good.

[aparaty cyfrowe @ Mar 13th 2006 5:20AM]

first :)

[Zico @ Mar 13th 2006 5:46AM]

Great idea, only problem is that some of these drives have a vastly inferrior processors making accessing the mp3s and videos a chore. Hope this one is better...

[step @ Mar 13th 2006 6:08AM]

HVX-3500 from Mediaman is popular in Korea as well

[Steven Noble @ Mar 13th 2006 6:49AM]

I've looked at the description of these MViX things a couple of times and I still just don't quite get it. I mean do you take a portable computer up to it and feed it the video. Or am I supposed to unwire it from my entertainment system, carry it over to my desktop and then back? I guess if you are a forward thinker than you could archive all your dvd's to this thing in a day and then you have them all ready to go. But what I really want is a box like this that I can get media to with out moving it. I don't even think I need a network connector. An optical drive would be fine. Let me pop a dvd in and watch it and when I'm done I leave it in and it will back it up so I can leave my dvd on the shelf afterwards. Or I'll burn tv shows from my mythtv box and I'll carry the dvd over. I just don't know who's willing to carry this thing back and forth. Perhaps there's a niche I'm not thinking of.

[dalton @ Mar 13th 2006 7:10AM]

Yeah, without network access, what does this thing do again? I mean, sure, it's probably pretty cool on it's own, but if I have to unhook it from my TV and carry it over to my computer every time I buy a new CD, sorry, no dice.

[Klaus @ Mar 13th 2006 7:41AM]

This product is probably powered by a SIGM chip, a chip known for very limited DivX support.

[Bubbalitz @ Mar 13th 2006 7:41AM]

What doesn't get a "a glowing review from Tom's Hardware"?

[Lawry @ Mar 13th 2006 7:42AM]

This thing looks cool, but isn't this a little late?

[n2k @ Mar 13th 2006 7:54AM]

Tvix HD M5000U kicks it's ass...

http://www.tvix.co.kr/ENG/Products/HDM5000U.aspx

[otakucode @ Mar 13th 2006 10:39AM]

Since it's titanically underfeatured bordering on the pointless compared to a modded Xbox running XBMC, I assume it's pricetag will reflect this and be somewhere under $100?

[sandiegosteve @ Mar 13th 2006 10:42AM]

This seems like the Mediagate... but the MG is a network device.

http://www.airlinktek.com/english/prod_mg35.htm

Got one and love it.

[Sasha @ Mar 13th 2006 10:43AM]

Yeah, I have this exact unit. I picked it up localy in Canada, figure that, the guy sellls these out of his house down the street from me. At first this was great. I found it a bit awkward, running back and forth between my computer and TV just so I can upload more media to it, NO network support SUX, USB 2.0 is ok, but still seems like forever when sending media to it, I cant wait to get my hands on the new belkin wirelss USB to see if I can leave in connected to my TV %100 of the time. I found that a modded xbox does a much better job than the mvix, I've actually changed over to that, for the cost, I figure its cheaper and eaiser to work with.

[ChucklesHB @ Mar 13th 2006 10:51AM]

You should REALLY look at the modix HD-3520. I have the 3510 and bought the 3520 back in Jan. when it came out. They've fixed the bugs with the latest firmware and it's... GREAT!!

http://www.divxtech.com/

[dvddesign @ Mar 13th 2006 1:06PM]

This is a mixed bag. For all it's features, (I've got something like this myself at home...) it really does need to have ethernet access built into the unit. It does wow people when I show it off, but the fact that you've gotta whip out a USB cable constantly to get more data onto it is a bummer. How I currently have my setup, I do have a computer right next to where it sits. Where this would really benefit someone is the ISO support. I get a lot of WOWs from people over the fact that you get a whole library of DVD's into a box so small, and so accessibly.

I like the fact that some of these boxes will give you DTS out of the optical out too.

[PaulC @ Mar 13th 2006 1:15PM]

I e-mailed Mvix awhile ago. On their website they listed a wi-fi enabled version, which they said they expected to be out in March.

One of the nice features is the ability to play DVD's ripped in IFO mode.

[starwxrwx @ Mar 14th 2006 4:58AM]

seems exactly like my old-v TviX. With the TViX you also have to unplug it every time u want to add data, but at least they give you two power cords!

Seems a bit late for the same functions. An "HD" box would be better (my TVIx craps out on high res xvids), and ethernet or wifi seems a must for new products.

Otherwise just buy a mac mini - same size!

[Musketeer @ Mar 14th 2006 6:02AM]

I think these kinds of units are going to be huge the next 12-18mths. Its true to say right now there are quite a few options out there but no one has really nailed it with one of these yet.

I got myself one of these:

http://tinyurl.com/gwo2e

and threw a 300 gig hdd. It aint perfect but I still love it. This one has ethernet which helps.

[Esat Emiri @ May 28th 2006 6:17AM]

My MV-5000U: I can't view any video in my TV set.
Other features are OK.
I can't find any new software for europian side.
Please help me

Regards

Prof. Emiri

[jeremy @ Mar 8th 2007 10:33AM]

i just use it like an external hard drive,but instead of burning movies i download or have ripped,now i just bring it with me,and hook it to my tv,and play,i like that i don't have to "shrink" dvd's anymore,i can rip them at full size,no more 4.7 gig limitations,plus, i go to a friends house,or family,i can bring my movie collection with me..and add some to it at their house as well..plus,i never watch tv shows on tv,i always download them commercial free in HD..lol,have not burned a dvd or cd in i don't remember how long

[Yanto @ Jul 28th 2007 3:36AM]

I've been looking around to purchase this kind of media player.
So far I found MviX MV-5000U is the best choice for me.
Yes you need to move it around between TV and PC. But it has a radio and can play mp3 files without monitor.
The other brand is lack of this feature.

Am I right?

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[Franklin @ May 12th 2008 9:10PM]

I think the above comment is basically spam.

Anyway I have the MV-500U and it has performed very well. I have a 500 GB IDE hard drive installed into and have put virtually every TV show I have on my computer in it as well as close to a hundred movies. When I say TV shows, I mean every episode of ever season of Star Trek Voyager, DS9, Next Generation, 4 seasons of Star Gate Atlantis, All the Simpsons, DragonBall Z..you name it holds it, so I really don't see the gripe with having to go back and forth between the TV and the Computer. Put a big drive on in and you problems are solved.

I have found that it does have a problem playing the bigger Xvid files that are ripped at a higher resolution. But that was only two movies so far. The rest are great. Also for you folks that don't like those long painful trips of greater than 100 Feet to you computer you can get these units with wireless built right in so you can view or transfer the files directly from you Pc if you have wireless router.