Mvix intros MX-780HD wireless HD media streamer

Maybe it's just us, but here recently it feels as if there's been quite the outpouring of HD media streamers. Next up is Mvix's MX-780HD, which doesn't innovate much in the design department, but does include space for your own HDD along with support for wired Ethernet or 802.11b/g/n WiFi. Best of all, you'll find 1080p output via HDMI, and there's file support for DivX, XviD, AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF, AAC, OGG, AC3, MP3, WMA, JPEG and lots, lots more. There's also component outs and coaxial / optical audio ports, but we're still teetering on whether that cute LCD on the front makes this thing a bargain at $299.99.

[Via Unplggd]

[AJ in the East Bay @ Feb 29th 2008 3:05PM]

Still too expensive.

[Jeff @ Feb 29th 2008 4:17PM]

and a bit fugly too. :)

but i agree. if these little AppleTV/HTPC/PS3 knockoff media streamers are going to sell, they're going to sell to cheap people who probably won't spend over $199 at most.

[seaweed @ Feb 29th 2008 3:07PM]

sounds nice if a little pricey shame about the lack of support for youtube and MKV files too

[August Young @ Feb 29th 2008 3:32PM]

is there anything that will play mkv?

[Alex @ Feb 29th 2008 3:34PM]

Popcornhour

[Me @ Mar 1st 2008 3:14AM]

XBMC.

[Shadowise @ Feb 29th 2008 3:15PM]

Guess I won't be ditching my HTPC until I see something capable of handling my 1080p .mkv files. Hi-Def .wmv's don't really do it for me.

[Alex @ Feb 29th 2008 3:20PM]

Unless it plays 1080p .mkv's (Level 4.1 encodes) it's not worth it for me.

[Mark @ Feb 29th 2008 3:20PM]

Funny, I was just looking at this through a retailer's web page. So much for breaking news here :)

So, when will Engadget post something about the Tvix M6500A? Yeah, it seems like pretty much the same thing, but more expensive and no wifi. But what's this? Optional ATSC tuner?

Who knows which to get- as with everything, it really comes down to the support it receives after you've bought the thing.

[owls @ Feb 29th 2008 3:25PM]

$299? Why not spend another $100 and get a PS3, you get BD playback and the ability to play games.

[Toadlet @ Feb 29th 2008 3:33PM]

Page 32 of the manual: It plays Doom.

Well, the movie anyway.

[Digittt @ Feb 29th 2008 3:41PM]

Assuming this approaches the reliability and stability of the MX-760HD, and you've got an extremely digital doorstop. Stay away! They've been talking about this for a while, but they still haven't got a firmware that works any near a finished product level on their old product.

Expect more of the same.

[rob @ Feb 29th 2008 3:51PM]

if this supported netflix "watch instantly" it would be a no-brainer

[TheCow5 @ Feb 29th 2008 4:15PM]

Popcorn Hour supports more formats(MKV, MOV (H.264), MP4, RMP4, ect.) thank this does.
Cost less (209$) after shipping and all.
Popcorn Hours interface is far better than this, its equal to Windows MediaCenter 2005's interface.
and you can add an HDD inside it and/or attach a USB HDD onto it and/or plug into your internet. I hope one day you will able to rent movies online.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Feb 29th 2008 7:23PM]

Right, and it definitely works as a NAS device!!

[Nutsy @ Feb 29th 2008 4:51PM]

Dont be fooled. Anyone who buys this will get ripped off like everyone who brought the 760 [I did] The Mvix community has tryed hard to get Mvix to fix Numirouse bugs and fix the set features.

Please NO ONE buy this.

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 6:43PM]

Numirouse... french for numerous? ;p

[Nutsy @ Feb 29th 2008 8:15PM]

Im dyslexic...


No really i am.

[Kylearan @ Feb 29th 2008 5:18PM]

Overpriced waste of cash. File support is OK, but lack of MKV and H264 (and OGM) kills this one, dead in the water.

Besides, it looks like the same exact thing as the 760HD, but with a black exterior and HDMI port. Whoopie! The front LCD is a waste of space and is annoying when watching in the dark ...

This would be a decent entry level streamer 2 years ago. Today, just not good enough.

[iRobot @ Feb 29th 2008 5:45PM]

I have this product -- MX-740HD (The white one), anyway. I REALLY can't recommend this product at all. The only thing Mivx is good for is straight rips of DVD, that's it. Anything more then that -- you're asking for trouble. If you like to tinker with video and you have the cash to throw away, well yes OK, but you will still be very disappointed.

The Mivx is not "quite" there yet... or at all. The problem is, it's "sort of a computer, but not really". So it only "sort-of" plays videos. If any little check-box on or off during the recording of an MP4 videos that's unknown to this player -- even older versions of WMV or DivX (h.264 forget it), the machine will not play it. And don't expect Mivx to "actually" come out with firmware updates or anything useful, because they won't. You are on, your own.

[NONE @ Feb 29th 2008 6:29PM]

popcornhour.com - that is all!!

[dave johnson @ Feb 29th 2008 11:47PM]

Now which Popcornhour are we talking about here???
The one that freezes every ISO that you through at it? or the one which auto-distorts the 16:9 videos !!... or is this the one that comes in candy boxes!? and no support staff or phone no. to call or send in for service. ... nuff said.

[Steve @ Feb 29th 2008 11:55PM]

I have their 760. What a disappointment. It has been buggy and the GUI is something only a programmer could love (or use). No hope for the untrained user. I keep thinking that one of their firmware updates might be a real GUI, but no luck. Too bad no one does anything like MyMovies for MCE. Nice artwork, actors, 10 foot GUI, ...

[Travis wu @ Mar 1st 2008 12:37AM]

I agree with Steve. Bought one from Newegg and returned it on the 2nd day. The GUI is truly ugly as as hell. I dont quite understand how such a product could even sell. Playing 1080i would kill the box once a while. I use xbmc in a moded xbox. with the MC360 skin it's pretty. Yes, I am very picky but a good product has to meet at least the basic requirements.

[Bendover @ Mar 1st 2008 7:04AM]

I have no clue what you guys are talking about Mvix. I have had one for over a year... and it works flawlessly.

Have pretty much loved every minute of it, after countless times of going on vacation with stacks of cds and dvds it is awesome to have them all in one handy unit that pretty much hooks up to anything

Everything about the unit works as advertised and better.....sound and picture are great, very easy to connect to a tv, home entertainment center, wired or wireless network, computer.....just about anything, and if you run out of space, just hook up another external hard drive, dvd drive via usb or even a usb flash drive/sd card adapter.

They have had 6-7 firmware updates in one year that not only tweak bugs but add newer functionalities ...the unit is forever evolving with software only upgrades which are as easy to install as starting a movie, song or picture slide show.

[biomi @ Mar 1st 2008 12:13PM]

According to the specifications page, it does not support 802.11n - http://www.mvixusa.com/product.php?product=mx780&page=specs

[Jona @ Mar 1st 2008 7:00PM]

All these media streamers do differ in an important way though - the user interface. Most of the time these things will be hidden away - hows about so details of the Ui that each come out with?

[user4 @ Mar 2nd 2008 11:14AM]

Does anyone know of standalone players DVD or HDD that will automatically pick up on SRT (and the like) subtitle files?

Thanks

[chadj77 @ Mar 4th 2008 1:45AM]

Bendover,
You must be out of your mind. I think you work for Mvix, Unicorn, your name fits perfectly of what they been doing to us for years now. Look at the Mv5000, only 1 update since the 760 came out. No firmware update in a yr now for the 760 and the software is still filled with bugs. Stay Clear of the new one until the fix the old one. Forever evolving??? How and when did this happen?? Check out mvixcommunity dot com and see how you were bentover bendover. :)

[chadj77 @ Mar 12th 2008 10:59PM]

Bendover,
You must be out of your mind. I think you work for Mvix, Unicorn, your name fits perfectly of what they been doing to us for years now. Look at the Mv5000, only 1 update since the 760 came out. No firmware update in a yr now for the 760 and the software is still filled with bugs. Stay Clear of the new one until the fix the old one. Forever evolving??? How and when did this happen?? Check out mvixcommunity dot com and see how you were bentover bendover. :)