AMEX Digital announces Venice-V38HD media player
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 28th 2009 7:42PM
posted May 28th 2009 7:42PM
AMEX Digital doesn't seem to have found a gadget that it doesn't like, and it looks like media players are no exception, as evidenced by the company's new Venice V38HD device. Based on Sigma Designs' SMP8635/4 chipset, this one looks to pack just about everything you'd want short of a full-fledged media PC, including a hefty 2TB of storage, support for all the major video codecs, DVD backup / playback (no Blu-ray, though), HDMI output at 1080p, NAS support and other networking options, and your choice of silver or black color options, to name but a few highlights. No word on pricing or availability just yet, unfortunately, but you can at least get a closer look at the port situation after the break.
i hope VISA or MasterCard can release something with Blu-Ray
tu-duumm-tzzzzz
*dodges tomatoes and chair*
*throws un-dodgable tomato and chair*
i hope VISA or MasterCard can release something with Blu-Ray
tu-duumm-tzzzzz
*dodges tomatoes and chair*
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*throws un-dodgable tomato and chair*
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sounds like people from GAMEFAQS
I thought the original Slingbox was the ugliest SOB to ever sit in a media center cabinet, but this thing takes Fugly to a whole new level.
Hah, that's all I came to the comments to say too! There's no way effort was put into this look. It looks like something a Stormtrooper would be sitting within a few feet of when he's doing whatever the hell it is a Stormtrooper does at a series of electronic panels.
If it ends up performing better than the Popcorn Hour A-110 I won't care what it looks like.
Does it have a Dinner Theater Video Mode for Diner's Club Card Members?
1. What's going on in the front of the box?
2. Why, oh why do they still put composite connections on these devices?
I'm sure it is because they derive great pleasure in annoying you like this.
Nice though wonder how fast it can read all of the media you put on it. So far im happy with my PS3
No blu-ray? no dime...
This device really grabs my attention and I am really interested... If it had BluRay, than it would be a must have device for me. (Especially if it was less expensive than the PS3.
Get something like this that plays Blu-ray and has the XBMC interface and you have a winnar
I am actually looking for a little HTPC like this. I don't need the storage, I have external storage already. Does anyone know of a good cheap computer that acts as a good htpc with good looking 1080 output? I was looking at this but I have no clue on any of these computers when it comes to just ripped video playback.....
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/08/acer-rolls-out-the-aspire-x1200-home-theater-friendly-mini-pc-fo/
So it works with credit cards?
I'm looking into a media tank like device and so far have settled on a popcornhour a-110. If this thing has a built in bit torrent client and supports as many video playback formats it's defiantly worth looking into.
If this has some basic basic web browsing and can play back youtube / hulu / netflix, it will be an absolute winner. If it sells for under $200 this could dethrone the WDTV as the best set top media player around, but with 2tb of drives, I'm guessing it will be closer to $500.
this device is actually an itab 38 http://www.dbros.co.uk/userimages/procart3.htm
not sure about the firmware/OS but it is supposed to be inferior to the popcorn hour/syabas devices
All I'd want to know is can it play HD H.264 MKV files? If so, it could be a contender to upgrade my TVIX 6500 with
This is the SKYDIGITAL VENICE V36 from Korea. I have one and it rocks!!! You can buy one now from www.divxtech.com. That's where I bought mine (you can get them on ebay too). I bought it with no HDD in it and put a 1TB in there myself. Found the 1TB on newegg for 89.99!!! The Venice itself runs about 379.99 with Wifi adapter. And yes the current Venice can already do HD 1080p. It has good support for HD H.264 .mkv files and HD AVI files too! So unless AMEX is planning on doing something 20x better than the box already is....I don't understand the announcement!??! Altho based on the itab 38 screenshots from dbros....it seems to have a different GUI.
yikes! you could get the wdtv for $99. a network adapter for it for $20. mod it with unofficial firmware. and just stream it. or connect a hard drive and transfer files either thru the network or old fashion foot traffic.
That thing is just screaming for a Betamax tape.
So not only do they make an unfriendly rack design, they copy slingbox?
Esata Would make this thing for me - Oh well...
wow! very cool with new features .. yummy going to buy this one i can say this one is one of the cheap digital players
boo
I got one of those from divxtech. It is the ugliest thing I spent my money on. And this is what you can see from the pictures. Seen it from close distance (as I do) it just screams CHEAP. It is all plastic and even this one of the most ordinary type. The remote feels looks and works like the one that you buy in a two dollar shop for $1.5. The performance is far from acceptable, the support for media includes ONLY mpeg2 anything else just doesn't work... the on screen menus are just plain un-logical. If you turn it off with the dvd inside it will be trapped inside until you start it again. If you let the box on, after a while it just stops working, so that anything you do you have to reboot the box and WAIT untill it connects to the network and REBUILDS again and again the lists of directories to be played. The sound is awful, like when you listen to an old radio that dropped in a yoilet and it is not quite tuned on the post.
It's interesting how it supports 1020p but has a drive for DVD not blue ray. Where do you get a 1080p stream?
And those guys pretend just like divxtech that it their product... didn't even bother to change the box or something...
My advice: STEER CLEAN and avoid the stench...