Mvix Wireless HD Media Center (MX-760HD)

Average customer rating:

Mvix MX 76-HD media center......NONE BETTER

This is exactly what I was looking for

Very well done

Entertainment on the go or just at home!

Nice Work!

Mvix Wireless HD Media Center (MX-760HD)

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Portable Digital Media Players | MP3 Players | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
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Product Features:

Hi Definition Video Decoding: Supports resolution of 1920 x 1080i video output

Hard Disk-based Media Center - Home theater PC (HTPC)

Networked System: Supports Video Streaming via Wireless (802.1g) or LAN (10/100)

Endless Storage and Connectivity Options: USB2.0, USB-Host, Wireless 802.1b/g, LAN (10/100), DVI, S-video, Component, Composite

DivX® (3/4/5), Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, WMV-9, ASF(WMV9), DAT, DVD(IFO, VOB), ISO, HD-level TP, TS, TRP, MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, PCM, AC3, DTS decoding including down-mixing, DTS pass through, BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG

ASIN: B000LLH86W

Product Description

Experience a hi-definition media file playback and take your audiovisual experience farther than ever before. The MvixTM Wireless High-Definition Multimedia Center (MX-760HD) provides an unprecedented file format support and literally puts life back in your digital media content. This hard drive-based multimedia center, built around linux-based architecture is a true home-theater PC offering endless possibilities.The MvixTM Hi-Def 802.1G Multimedia Center links to your home network and plugs all your digital media content directly into your TV. You can now access all your multimedia files (music files, videos, and photos) and play it on your large-screen plasma or HDTV. It features the wireless 802.11g technology with WEP infrastructure to deliver maximum wireless signal rates (of up to 54 Mbps) for streaming digital media. The MvixTM player supports over two dozen media formats, including high-definition video (WMV-9 or MPEG-4 format). The media center is capable of accessing files no matter where they are stored - on it's internal hard disk drive (not included), on your Personal Computer, External USB Storage or even a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box. It provides an easy way of viewing your digital photo files or a slide show with background music. It is even programmed for automatic decoding and convenient bookmarking (playlist) of multiple files within a folder.Installing and setting up the MvixTM MX-760HD is a breeze. Simply pop-in a typical 3.5inch hard drive (NOT INCLUDED), transfer all your media content from you PC and you are good to go. The built-in Setup menu and a full-featured Remote offer optimal flexibility and control over the entire system. Simple firmware upgrades keep this media center updated with support for latest file formats.

Customer Reviews:

Mvix MX 76-HD media center......NONE BETTER.......2007-09-14

I received the MX 760-HD media center as a gift. I had been extremely frustrated with my prior, off the shelf, media center. I am not a geek, but not a technophobe either. I sit on the IT committee of a large company. I found the MX 760 - HD to be extremely easy to set up. I installed a 300 gig HDD internally. It took minutes. I set up the software; again, in minutes. I plugged it in to my home entertainment and holy cow; it worked right off the bat. Easiest, fastest menu driven media search I have seen anywhere. My wife uses it; and she has virtually no interest in anything "tech". It has openned up a whole new level of access to my media. Every new TV or stereo system should come bundled with this thing. These designers actually gave this device some thought; somewhat rare today, in my opinion. Run right out and buy this thing; if you're in the market for a media center.

This is exactly what I was looking for.......2007-08-21

This player is a must. I've been using it for 3 months now and I'm very pleased. As soon as I connected it to the network I was able to browse the shared folders in our home network and could play 99% of the movies (a 2TB digital media library)

PROS:
1- It's an external storage
2- It's a network storage
3- It's an HD player
4- It's a multimedia player
5- It's plays ISO images!!

CONS: (No show stoppers)

1- No HDMI, I use a convertor
2- Wireless - No WPA - I can live with that
3- Problems playing WMV - I'm still glad I bought it.

Very well done.......2007-06-21

I purchased this unit to replace my aging (and audio only) Prismiq. This unit does a great job at playing video, but has no audio playback features. It will play either one track, or an entire folder, but lacks playlist capability and is hard to use.

On the video side, it works great. I do not have a hard drive in mine, but rather stream everything over the network. HD content cannot play across the network (if you're interested in doing that), but my DVD files and other media all look great. The quality is at least as good as my progressive scan Yamaha DVD player, and HD media will play fine if using an internal drive (IDE only - no SATA).

The instructions are not very useful, but there is an online forum of owners that provides every piece of information you ever would want for this unit - including customizing the firmware.

The O/S is Linux based and the firmware is open-source. This made me very happy after getting stuck with the Prismiq after they went out of business. Even if Mvix were to fold, development could (and probably would) continue for this device in the public domain.

I highly recommend this for any videophile, and likely audiophiles will love it in the near future, too.

Entertainment on the go or just at home!.......2007-06-21

I have owned my Mvix MX-760 since January and 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 (the only extra adapter needed was a $15 coax/cable tv converter for hooking it up to a hotel tv with cable input only)j

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.

As my intro stated, "...pretty much loved every minute of it", early on there were a couple of those times where the unit seemed like it could use a bit of help: it froze occasionally fast forwarding, the interface was limited to 8 charactor naming, connecting as a network attached storage unit, etc...........that may sound negative but it brings me to the most impressive part of this unit and the Mvix Company,

THEIR SUPPORT IS INCREDIBLE,

it's like they read your mind, it seems like before I even had a chance to email them a concern, they had a firmware update that tweaked the problem and opened up a couple more features...the unit is forever evolving with software only upgrades which are as easy to install as starting a movie, song or picture slide show.

Nice Work!.......2007-06-16

The primary reason I purchased this unit was to play Divx movies and ISO rips of DVD's. For that use, the Mivx is perfect. It plays perfectly off the internal hard drive, and fairly well wirelesly, especially Divx files. Very easy to set up and configure... far easier than I expected.

Viewing pics and listening to music is possible, and it works, but you can tell wasn't the primary design.

All in all, no complaints. Nice work!

Average customer rating:

Perfect unit with easy to use interface
Great Product, Great idea
works well after upgrading firmware
Excellent product, A++ service
Big Picture, Big Sound, Tiny Little Box!

MviX (4000U) Multimedia Center / HTPC

Manufacturer: Mvix Multimedia Players
ProductGroup: CE

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Portable Digital Media Players | MP3 Players | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
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Product Features:

Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U
JPEG Slideshow Player, External HDD Portable Enclosure
S-video, Component Video, Optical Audio, USB 2.0, RCA 2-CH, Coaxial
Video Up-Scaling: 1920 X 1080i, 1280 X 720p, Compatibility: NTSC / PAL / AUTO

ASIN: B000CFCEQG

Product Description

MviX (MV-4000U) Multimedia Center is the next evolution in portable entertainment. It enables you to enjoy your favorite movies, home videos, music and digital photo files on your TV or home-theater system. It is a highly customizable and scaleable portable media player with an ability to render dozens of video (such as MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, DivX 3.11, 4x, 5x, XviD, DVD (IFO, VOB), VCD), audio (such as AC3, MP2, MP3, DTS pass through, WMA, OGG), and digital pictures (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. It works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive when connected to your PC. The MV-4000U provides a great value for your money. Its extremely competitive price and remarkable set of features provide the biggest-bang for your buck.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect unit with easy to use interface .......2007-01-26

I received this unit last week and had already bought a 250GB WD hard drive at BB - it took me 10 minutes to install it and another 30 minutes to figure out that i needed to format the hard drive before hooking up the unit to my TV! As always I should have read the manual. I connected per USB to my desktop and formatted the drive as per the manual. I then copied my DVD collection to the drive as well as some music (MP3) and turned on the TV. The unit was on and I could not see anything - I had to read the manual to find out that the unit wont work while it is hooked up to the Desktop in hard drive mode... again maybe I should learn and read the manual.
I disconnected the drive and now it worked! I set the video to component 720P out and the picture is as good as my high end DVD player! Music was great too.
The remote is easy to use - no issues with anything else either. I already had the latest firmware and the CD that came with it only had a Windows 98 driver (people still use that???) and an electronic copy of the manual (a nice printed version was included). Both are also available on the manufacturer's website so no big deal. The site is actually very useful if you have any issues or just want to see some pictures of the various units.
Overall I am very satisfied with the ease of use and quality of the product. There were some minor scratches on the unit but that did not bother me. Also, I did purchase an extra power cord so that I can have one installed near my main tv and one near my PC so I do not have to keep on dragging them from one room to another. I have not tried the ethernet/network connection - usb 2.0 transfer is good enough for me.
I do plan on buying their high end unit in the future but for now I am very happy with my purchase.

Great Product, Great idea.......2006-08-16

This is a perfect product for me. I have 400+ dvds and they are all scattered around in 32 -72 pack cases. With a 300Gb HD and some patience I've copied most of the movies we regularly watch over for easy access as well as my music.
It works as advertised. The remote could be a little bigger/ergodynamic, but you get used to it quickly. Very satisfied and recommend it enough that I bought my parents one and have talked several others into buying with positive reviews from them as well.

works well after upgrading firmware.......2006-08-08

The reason I bought this device is so that I could back up all my kids' DVDs in one place. Once I placed the order, I grabbed a 250 GB hard drive, put it in my PC, formatted it, and copied about 60 DVDs. I used DVD Shrink to save it in ISO format. I prefer ISO images because it's just 1 file. Once I got my Mvix, I popped in the hard drive. However, the Mvix would not play the ISO files. I found that the firmware was not the latest, so I downloaded the latest from the Mvix website. Once installed, the Mvix has worked flawlessly, never crashing or freezing. Navigation is pretty quick, and the movies start playing right away.

I have the Mvix hooked up to a standard definition 36 inch CRT TV using the included S-video cable, and the picture quality is just like DVD quality. I've never experienced any stuttering or audio problem. It's just like watching a DVD, but more convenient. I haven't tried any formats other than DVD, such as DivX, because it takes too long to encode in these MPEG4 formats.

The Mvix is barely larger than the hard drive, and hence fits anywhere. The unit does make a humming noise, which is probably from the fan and vibration of the hard drive. As soon as the movie starts playing, any sound from the movie will drown out the noise. I do think the fan is essential in cooling the hard drive. I have experience with prior PC hard drive enclosures without fans. Those units can get very hot after the hard drive has been spinning for over a couple hours. And hot hard drives can lead to early failure.

Overall, the Mvix is highly rated.

Excellent product, A++ service.......2006-04-22

I bought this unit about 2 months ago. I am using it with a 400GB Harddrive. It is so great to have all my divx movies and mp3 music on one unit. Very user friendly and inexpensive.

I also received some A+++ service from the US distributor.

I can strongly reccomend this unit to anyone.

I would certainly buy again from this seller.

David

Big Picture, Big Sound, Tiny Little Box!.......2006-04-12

The Mvix MV-4000U is a combination external hard drive enclosure/media player. You insert any 3.5" IDE hard drive into it, connect it via USB to your computer, and transfer over your music, photos and videos. Then you connect the stylish little device (it's less than 8 inches tall) to your TV or home theater system and enjoy all of your media in your living room or home theater without the need for a dedicated home theater PC.

The Mvix player supports JPG and MP3 files, of course (for photos and music), but it also supports pretty much all of the most popular video file formats including AVIs (with Divx or Xvid encoding), MPEG-1, MPEG2 and MPEG-4, as well as DVD rips (in both ISO and IFO format).

If you've got a growing collection of music, movies and photos on your computer, and you'd like the convenience and quality of being able to enjoy these on your home stereo, TV or home theater system, then check out the Mvix MV-4000U. Also worth consideration is its slightly more feature-packed sibling the MV-5000U which adds a small LCD display and support for wireless broadcast of your audio content over FM frequencies.

For a comprehensive review, check out www.bigpicturebigsound.com.

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD)

Average customer rating:

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD)

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U Playlists
JPEG Slideshow Player, External HDD Portable Enclosure, LCD
S-video, Component Video, Optical Audio, USB 2.0, RCA 2-CH, Coaxial
Video Up-Scaling: 1920 X 1080i, 1280 X 720p, Compatibility: NTSC / PAL / AUTO

ASIN: B000OTNOLY

Product Description

Introducing one of the finest Hard-disk based media centers.... Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center w/ LCD provides the joy of watching your favorite videos, movies, music and family photos on your TV or home-theater projector. Based on a highly customizable, scaleable and portable technology, Mvix MV-5000R enables rendering dozens of video, audio and digital image (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. The Mvix Multimedia Center is based on a hybrid functionality of a Hard-Drive Enclosure and Multimedia Player. It uses a 3.5" P-ATA / IDE HDD (not included). When connected to the PC, it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive. Simply drag-and-drop all your media content from your PC to the device, connect it to your plasma or LCD TV and enjoy all the media in your living room!! The MV-5000R makes a versatile video or music player for your Car, RV, or even Boats. It enables you to backup all your DVDs at a single and portable location. Now, you can carry your movie library in small pack the size of a book! This highly portable, on-demand, personal video center is perfect companion for travel, vacations and long-drive with kids. Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center is a comprehensive 4-in-1 device. It is compatible with very large-sized hard drives (750GB+). Its design allows you to swap and upgrade its storage capacity in a matter of minutes. Customize your Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center for what your need. Simply download your MP3s, DivX®, AVI, Xvid, DVD (VOB/IFO) movies and JPEG photos via the USB2.0 port and you are good to go. Use this "loaded" multimedia unit to play those files on a wide range of products like TVs, Home-theater Systems, Projectors, Hi-Fi Systems, Car Audio Systems, etc. The Mvix Multimedia Center comes with a highly functional and ergonomically-designed IR remote control. MvixTM MV-5000R is RoHS compliant

Mvix (MX-760HD) HD Wireless Media Center (750GB HDD Bundle)

Average customer rating:

The Best Entertainment Center

Mvix (MX-760HD) HD Wireless Media Center (750GB HDD Bundle)

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Drive Enclosures | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Bundle Includes: 1 x MX760HD plus a 750GB PATA (16MB) HDD Bundled
Hi Definition Video Decoding: Supports resolution of 1920 x 1080p video output
Hard Disk-based Media Center - Home theater PC (HTPC)
Networked System: Supports Video Streaming via Wireless (802.1g) or LAN (10/100)
DivX® (3/4/5/6), Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, WMV-9, ASF(WMV9), DAT, DVD(IFO, VOB), ISO, HD-level TP, TS, TRP, MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, PCM, AC3, DTS decoding including down-mixing, DTS pass through, BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG

ASIN: B000MVQF9M

Product Description

Experience a hi-definition media file playback and take your audiovisual experience farther than ever before. The MvixTM Wireless High-Definition Multimedia Center (MX-760HD) provides an unprecedented file format support and literally puts life back in your digital media content. This hard drive-based multimedia center, built around linux-based architecture is a true home-theater PC offering endless possibilities.The MvixTM Hi-Def 802.1G Multimedia Center links to your home network and plugs all your digital media content directly into your TV. You can now access all your multimedia files (music files, videos, and photos) and play it on your large-screen plasma or HDTV. It features the wireless 802.11g technology with WEP infrastructure to deliver maximum wireless signal rates (of up to 54 Mbps) for streaming digital media. The MvixTM player supports over two dozen media formats, including high-definition video (WMV-9 or MPEG-4 format). The media center is capable of accessing files no matter where they are stored - on it's internal hard disk drive (INCLUDED 750GB PATA HDD), on your Personal Computer, External USB Storage or even a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box. It provides an easy way of viewing your digital photo files or a slide show with background music. It is even programmed for automatic decoding and convenient bookmarking (playlist) of multiple files within a folder.Installing and setting up the MvixTM MX-760HD is a breeze. Simply pop-in a typical 3.5inch hard drive (INCLUDED 750GB PATA HDD), transfer all your media content from you PC and you are good to go. The built-in Setup menu and a full-featured Remote offer optimal flexibility and control over the entire system. Simple firmware upgrades keep this media center updated with support for latest file formats.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Entertainment Center.......2007-06-14

Before I Bought my Mvix MX-760HD, I had the 5000U Media Center. The 760HD has
Everything I've ever wanted in a device like this. High Definition Videos option is great. I can number every feature:
1. Video: Excellent.
2. Pictures: Excellent. No more opening Notebook for others to see my pics.
3. High Definition: Better than My High Definition TV.
4. Networking: I can share my videos wired and wireless.
5. USB hosting. State-of-art. Never thought I could open my another extrenal drive to browse my stuff in it.

I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS PRODUCT.

Silvestre Perez
silvestreperez@hotmail.com

Mvix (MX-760HD) HD Wireless Media Center (500GB HDD Bundle)

Average customer rating:

One Word " Amazing "
Disappointed but Hopeful
I'm pretty happy with this little thing.

Mvix (MX-760HD) HD Wireless Media Center (500GB HDD Bundle)

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

All Home Theater Systems | Home Theater Systems | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics

Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Product Features:

Bundle Includes: 1 x MX760HD plus a 500GB PATA (16MB) HDD Bundled
Hi Definition Video Decoding: Supports resolution of 1920 x 1080i video output
Hard Disk-based Media Center - Home theater PC (HTPC)
Networked System: Supports Video Streaming via Wireless (802.1g) or LAN (10/100)
DivX® (3/4/5), Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, WMV-9, ASF(WMV9), DAT, DVD(IFO, VOB), ISO, HD-level TP, TS, TRP, MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, PCM, AC3, DTS decoding including down-mixing, DTS pass through, BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG

ASIN: B000LYAAGY

Product Description

Experience a hi-definition media file playback and take your audiovisual experience farther than ever before. The MvixTM Wireless High-Definition Multimedia Center (MX-760HD) provides an unprecedented file format support and literally puts life back in your digital media content. This hard drive-based multimedia center, built around linux-based architecture is a true home-theater PC offering endless possibilities.The MvixTM Hi-Def 802.1G Multimedia Center links to your home network and plugs all your digital media content directly into your TV. You can now access all your multimedia files (music files, videos, and photos) and play it on your large-screen plasma or HDTV. It features the wireless 802.11g technology with WEP infrastructure to deliver maximum wireless signal rates (of up to 54 Mbps) for streaming digital media. The MvixTM player supports over two dozen media formats, including high-definition video (WMV-9 or MPEG-4 format). The media center is capable of accessing files no matter where they are stored - on it's internal hard disk drive (INCLUDED 500GB PATA HDD), on your Personal Computer, External USB Storage or even a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box. It provides an easy way of viewing your digital photo files or a slide show with background music. It is even programmed for automatic decoding and convenient bookmarking (playlist) of multiple files within a folder.Installing and setting up the MvixTM MX-760HD is a breeze. Simply pop-in a typical 3.5inch hard drive (INCLUDED 500GB PATA HDD), transfer all your media content from you PC and you are good to go. The built-in Setup menu and a full-featured Remote offer optimal flexibility and control over the entire system. Simple firmware upgrades keep this media center updated with support for latest file formats.

Customer Reviews:

One Word " Amazing ".......2007-03-26

it is a must have, if you are a movie lover , you got to get one.
i bought 3 so far , and i cant Imagen my life with out it.

Disappointed but Hopeful.......2007-02-23

I had been eyeing the previous generation of MVIX boxes for quite some time. When I heard they were going to offer a network enabled version I decided to wait and then I ordered. Getting it so early I expected some glitches but even with those expectations I have been very disappointed.

From a hardware design perspective the device is outstanding. I was able to quickly install my media harddrive into the device and plug it into the TV within minutes. It booted up fairly quickly and I immediately went to start testing some media - that is where the disappointments began.

AUDIO PLAYBACK

I first went to play some music. The navigation system is clearly not advanced as newer handheld devices but my music library is structured nicely into hard drive folders so I didn't mind too much. Playing a single song or an entire album was easy to do. I started to wonder about queuing up music from various folders.

NOW PLAYING - JUKEBOX MODE???

I struggled to find some sort of "Add to Now Playing" capability to no avail. The user manual referenced a Jukebox mode and the remote had a "Jukebox" button that seemed to be what I was looking for but the device did not work as described. After contacting tech support I learned that their developers have no clue what a Jukebox actual is (although their manual writer must have). My definition of a Jukebox is a device where you can queue up tracks on the fly. There definition of a Jukebox is a button that you have to press to get the PREV and NEXT buttons to work while listening to an ablum.

REMOTE CONTROL

Despite the remote control having dozens of buttons most specifically labelled with unambiguous behavior (e.g. PREV/NEXT/F FWD/F RWD/etc) - most of these buttons dont actually work while listening to music unless you put the device in "JUKEBOX" mode. This mode makes it impossible to actually navigate around the media files, it simply enables the PREV/NEXT buttons. Additionally the fast forward and rewind buttons still don't work in this mode for music files. I have the feeling this is because they try to have the small led and controls on the front of the device have most functionality exposed. This is a bad design choice because it renders a fully functionaly remote to only limited use.

VISUALATIONS/SCREEN SAVER

One would assume that while in this Jukebox mode (which makes it impossible to navigate around) they may consider some sort of visualization, cover art (if a jpg file were on the harddrive), or screen saver - but you would be wrong. It simply displays a small progress bar over the existing file listing maximizing burn-in potential for Plasma TV owners. The device is capable of playing music while viewing pictures - it is particularly confusing that they wouldn't use this capability to look for AlbumArt.jpg (or something similar) and display that along with ID3 TAG information while playing music.

PLAYLIST ORDER

When playing an album there are two options for Sequential or Random. Early versions of the firmware on Random seemed to favor Track1 90% of the time and produced play orders like Track1, Track4, Track1, Track1, Track5, Track1, Track1, Track1, .... although it seems to have gotten slightly better with one of the firmware upgrades although, because the rest of the audio playback functionality is so bad, I rarely actually use the device for listening to music.

VIDEO PLAYBACK

I next went to my video files and chose a DIVX video file as well as some DVD VOB files to test out playback. Things looked pretty promising on this front until I hit the fast forward button a few times... As I went to 2x and 4x fast foward things worked great - I hit 8x fast forward and the entire device locked up forcing me to reboot it. Early firmware upgrades focused on new closed caption formats and additional codecs which seemed like bad priorities given this major flaw. I have read the firmware upgrades. I have read in one of the firmware upgrades indicating they have just fixed this but I haven't tested yet.

NETWORK/WI-FI

Even despite my initial dislikes the reason I waited for this device was that I didn't want to have to have the device next to my computer or carry it back and forth to my computer to update my media files.

After accepting the few bugs in media playback I went into the wireless configuration options and set up a link to my LinkSys router. After a few minutes I was able to verify that the device was connected to the router and quickly tried to browse to the network harddrive from within Windows. It didn't work.

I then started to read the manual closer and was confused by the protocol/file sharing options that it was telling me to do. It finally dawned on me that all the instructions where for how to enable your PC to stream content to the MVIX device to play remotely. There was nothing about how to actually transfer media files on to the internal harddrive of the actual MVIX device. A terrible terrible feeling hit me at this point. My whole reason for waiting for this device and paying the extra hundreds of dollars was for the Wi-Fi connectivity. It had never even remotely crossed my mind that someone would create a network enabled harddrive device that wouldn't actually act as a network harddrive or FTP server.

NOTE: I know there are some users that just want this device to stream content from their PC - but if that is all that one wanted it makes no sense to have an internal 500MB HardDrive in the device. I wanted this device to BE the media server not the just the media player.

I read the manual closely and examind the MVIXUSA website and noted that they never actually claimed to support maintaining media files over the network - you must use USB for this. When I contacted tech support they said that they hoped to get this into a firmware upgrade but it was not there now and they never claimed it was (and they didn't). But they clearly also downplayed the absense of such an obvious feature on their website.

There latest firmware upgrade appears to add additional Wi-Fi security options but does not address this shortcoming. This strange prioritization scheme was mirrored in the video issue above. They seem to place a much higher priority on adding to the list of protocols and codecs supported for the 10% over actually fixing or adding the features that 90% of their customers could benefit from.

SUMMARY

Despite all of the complaints above this is still a very nice piece of hardware with a lot of potential. Possibly the open source community will step in and really take advantage of this. The firmware clearly is geared more around watching video and seems to have tossed music and picture playback in without the proper thought. It would seem that if someone were actually focusing on the audio jukebox behavior it wouldn't take much time at all to create a nice interface with some basic cover art. I also fully expect that they will get some sort of network file update capability in the firmware soon otherwise this device simply will not sell as more people write reviews like this one.

I'm pretty happy with this little thing........2006-12-20

In response to an earlier blog post on OS X wireless video streaming solutions, fearless reader Scott noted the Mvix MX-760HD as offered by ThinkGeek. Out of all the possibilities posted, this seemed the most relevant: wireless, internal hard drive (entirely optional), USB connectivity, DivX and XviD playback, and composite video connectoids (along with others). After talking with Rich Knitter, MvixUSA's Director of Marketing, he agreed to send me a review unit with the hope that I also get step-by-step sharing instructions for (the as-yet-tested) Mac OS X.

Hardware setup was easy - the unit comes with a stand (which seemed a little loose until I found the center sweet spot), USB and composite video cables, a driver CD, remote control (a block of plastic with a central keypad similar to, but not as good as, a TiVo), the requisite power cables, and a 5dBi antenna. While the unit does support HD and progressive scan and all those other high-falutin' feel-goods, you'll need to supply your own cables. For this review, I've only used composite video.

I first tested without installing a hard drive because my focus was wireless streaming - I wanted my bevy of disks upstairs to combine into one voltronic horde of video bliss. Thus, after a quick load screen (in which DivX was misspelt as "Dvix"), I hopped into the Setup menu and started tweaking the network options. The UI isn't ugly (see the online PDF manual for some examples), though it does seem a bit syrupy at times, but not enough to be annoying. What was annoying is its sole support for WEP as a wireless encryption standard. I don't look forward to reconfiguring all my game consoles, laptops, and handhelds away from the WPA I had been using before. After tweaking my network (as provided by a D-Link DGL-4300), the MX-760HD connected to it just fine, without having to manually specify IPs, routers, DNS, etc.

That left me with just nailing down the actual wireless file sharing and, in the interest of keeping this review generic, I'll leave out the steps to sharing files with OS X. Suffice to say, it works just fine and isn't difficult to set up. Once your files are shared, head back over to the MX-760HD and have it "Refresh" its Movie file listing. Should everything go as smoothly as it did for me, they'll be a bit of a pause as it scans (and caches) the share, but your movie files should be displayed; anything not a recognized movie file is not shown. One of the things I continue to appreciate is the long file name listings: you can actually see more than six or eight characters, and pausing on any one title will scroll the rest of the title in place. I don't understand why they didn't use this same interface for the "Recent Items" screen, which is utterly useless in its current icon-based incarnation. Choose what you'd like to watch, and depending on the size of the video, it'll start streaming to you wirelessly in 10 to 30 seconds. Awesome.

Installation of the optional hard drive is also easy: no tools are required though I did have some troubles getting the single case screw back into place, and it took a few tries of concerted jiggling to align it just right. Mounting the MX-760HD's hard drive does require its power adapter which can cause a bit of frustration when it's entangled into the mass of cables behind your entertainment center. Having a laptop in the living room is one solution; a separate internal drive enclosure for drive swapping is another. MvixUSA recently reported that a firmware update will allow mounting over the network as a NAS/NDAS device, but no ETA on this support has been provided.

Of the 20 or so ancient but much-cherished Britney Spears music videos I threw at it, all showed signs of bad cropping - some had a healthy 20 to 30 pixel column missing from the left hand side. Modern day movie rips encoded at 16:9 receive this same chopping on the right side too. This is disheartening but my previous standby, a Philips DVP-642, also suffered the same problem. Digital video software really needs take these files, figure out what dimensions they are at runtime, then display them shrunk to fit into the TV screen with a surrounding border. Either that, or a Zoom Out (nearly everything has Zoom In, why not Out? Cheap solution!) Some folks have suggested this may be due to my use of composite cables, and I cheerful admit my ignorance and luddism.

Codec and playback support was strong: after testing the first few minutes of nearly 150 movies stored on the hard drive, only two or three gave the unit problems. QPEL support is missing, nor can the unit handle the MS-MPEG4v2 codec which all the DAP's MST3K videos are ripped as, though they admit this is a problem. There are no current plans to support these codecs in a future firmware upgrade.

I did not test the Photo or Music playing capabilities to any persnickety degree, but the smallest increment of time for image slideshows is three seconds, which turns into roughly six or seven if you're wirelessly streaming 2 MB digital camera files. It'd be nice if the unit could start caching and requesting early so that a more smoother and faster slideshow transition is possible. There does seem to be some issues with the "Recent Items" function in relation to photos or missing media or perhaps amount of media: after looking at roughly 50 images of a 500 image directory, I deleted that share leaving me with just movies to be watched. However, browsing through the media list to get to the "Setup" menu caused a freeze on the "Photo" item, which showed "Recent Items" that no longer exist. I don't know the cause, but it was about 90 seconds before I regained control. There doesn't appear to be any way to delete the "Recent Items" so, at the moment, I'm just avoiding that menu item entirely and used the "Setup" button on the remote. A day later, I am unable to reproduce this particular freeze.

Apparent "freezes" like this happened a little more often than I would like, and it always seemed related to the unit's rebuilding of a file list that I know has changed. After adding 100 GBs of movies to one directory, a new access to the hard drive caused the unit to appear unresponsive for nearly six minutes, nearly two minutes after I gave up clicking the "Down" arrow to check to see if it was working. Another down arrow finally teased a response, but my original request never happened. Accessing it again gave the lickety-split response I was hoping for and, save for these initial first requests after file modifications, access to large directories continues without incident. With that said, I dare not throw my 22,000 track MP3 library at it anytime soon (nor would I ever, as my sole desire is video watching).

I was unable to test subtitle support heavily, but there do seem to be problems with .sub and .idx files. Though it claims support for them, a Mvix help document suggests converting them to .srt instead; I was unable to get the files I had working (nor did I try to convert them). Another .srt file loaded with no problems, but the subtitles were in Italian so I am unable to confirm if they matched up with the video properly. There is support for timeshifting the subtitles backwards or forwards, and you can also change their position on screen. Finally, the color of the lettering can be changed from the default white to some others, but the font has black borders which should prevent any one color from being washed out by the current scene.

While there are problems here and there with the UI, I'm quite happy to have the MX-760HD as a central part of my video entertainment: I no longer intend to burn DVD-Rs anymore, and the wireless support removes the need for any other moving parts. Hopefully, future firmware updates will hammer out the remaining bugs, but until then, I'm quite happy to route around them: the advantages and other qualities make this combination of hard drive, streaming, and video too powerful to ignore.

Mvix (MX-760HD) Hi-Def Wireless Media Center w/LCD (plus 300GB HDD Bundle)

Average customer rating:

Mvix (MX-760HD) Hi-Def Wireless Media Center w/LCD (plus 300GB HDD Bundle)

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Bundle Includes: 1 x MX760HD plus a 300GB PATA (16MB) HDD Bundled
Hi Definition Video Decoding: Supports resolution of 1920 x 1080p video output
Hard Disk-based Media Center - Home theater PC (HTPC)
Networked System: Supports Video Streaming via Wireless (802.1g) or LAN (10/100), NDAS
DivX® (3/4/5/6), Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, WMV-9, ASF(WMV9), DAT, DVD(IFO, VOB), ISO, HD-level TP, TS, TRP, MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, PCM, AC3, DTS decoding including down-mixing, DTS pass through, BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG

ASIN: B000R4WCU0

Product Description

Experience a hi-definition media file playback and take your audiovisual experience farther than ever before. The MvixTM Wireless High-Definition Multimedia Center (MX-760HD) provides an unprecedented file format support and literally puts life back in your digital media content. This hard drive-based multimedia center, built around linux-based architecture is a true home-theater PC offering endless possibilities.The MvixTM Hi-Def 802.1G Multimedia Center links to your home network and plugs all your digital media content directly into your TV. You can now access all your multimedia files (music files, videos, and photos) and play it on your large-screen plasma or HDTV. It features the wireless 802.11g technology with WEP infrastructure to deliver maximum wireless signal rates (of up to 54 Mbps) for streaming digital media. The MvixTM player supports over two dozen media formats, including high-definition video (WMV-9 or MPEG-4 format). The media center is capable of accessing files no matter where they are stored - on it's internal hard disk drive (INCLUDED 300GB PATA HDD), on your Personal Computer, External USB Storage or even a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box. It provides an easy way of viewing your digital photo files or a slide show with background music. It is even programmed for automatic decoding and convenient bookmarking (playlist) of multiple files within a folder.Installing and setting up the MvixTM MX-760HD is a breeze. Simply pop-in a typical 3.5inch hard drive (INCLUDED 300GB PATA HDD), transfer all your media content from you PC and you are good to go. The built-in Setup menu and a full-featured Remote offer optimal flexibility and control over the entire system. Simple firmware upgrades keep this media center updated with support for latest file formats.

Mvix (MV-4000U) Multimedia Player / HTPC + 750GB HDD Bundle

Average customer rating:

mvix

Mvix (MV-4000U) Multimedia Player / HTPC + 750GB HDD Bundle

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Digital Music Servers | Network-Ready Home Entertainment | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Mvix MV-4000U Media Center + 750GB PATA (16MB Buffer) IDE Hard Drive BUNDLED
Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U
JPEG Slideshow Player, External HDD Portable Enclosure
S-video, Component Video, Optical Audio, USB 2.0, RCA 2-CH, Coaxial

ASIN: B000M3X138

Product Description

MviX (MV-4000U) Multimedia Center is the next evolution in portable entertainment. It enables you to enjoy your favorite movies, home videos, music and digital photo files on your TV or home-theater system. Mvix HDD-based Media centers are ideally suited for Digital Signage (trade show displays), Home-theater Systems or Car / boat / RV audio video Systems. The MV-4000U is a highly customizable and scaleable portable media player with an ability to render dozens of video (such as MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, DivX 3.11, 4x, 5x, XviD, DVD (IFO, VOB), VCD), audio (such as AC3, MP2, MP3, DTS pass through, WMA, OGG), and digital pictures (i.e. JPEG) formats over your plasma TV, projector or home-theater system. Mvix uses 3.5" HDD (750GB PATA Hard Drive Bundled) and works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive when connected to your PC and almost like a DVD player when connected to the TV. The MV-4000U provides a great value for your money. Its extremely competitive price and remarkable set of features provide the biggest-bang for your buck. You can download latest firmware very easy through our website site and ensure that your player supports the latest video file format without any trouble. The setup is a breeze with easy to use interface. Brought to you by Mvix(USA), Inc. (www.mvixusa.com)

Customer Reviews:

mvix.......2007-05-20

The box does what it advertises but does not connect to a Mac. This is a serious flaw. The manufacturer is very flip about any Mac association. I have both platforms but the Mac continues to outperform the PC in key multimedia avenues. Overall, it got the 4 stars because it is a solid product.

Mvix (MV-4000U) Multimedia Player / HTPC + 500GB HDD Bundle

Average customer rating:

Mvix (MV-4000U) Multimedia Player / HTPC + 500GB HDD Bundle

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Mvix MV-4000U Media Center + 500GB PATA (16MB Buffer) IDE Hard Drive BUNDLED
Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U
JPEG Slideshow Player, External HDD Portable Enclosure
S-video, Component Video, Optical Audio, USB 2.0, RCA 2-CH, Coaxial

ASIN: B000SSNGAK

Product Description

Mvix (MV-4000U) Multimedia Center is the next evolution in portable entertainment. It enables you to enjoy your favorite movies, home videos, music and digital photo files on your TV or home-theater system. Mvix HDD-based Media centers are ideally suited for Digital Signage (trade show displays), Home-theater Systems or Car / boat / RV audio video Systems. The MV-4000U is a highly customizable and scaleable portable media player with an ability to render dozens of video (such as MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, DivX 3.11, 4x, 5x, XviD, DVD (IFO, VOB), VCD), audio (such as AC3, MP2, MP3, DTS pass through, WMA, OGG), and digital pictures (i.e. JPEG) formats over your plasma TV, projector or home-theater system. Mvix uses 3.5" HDD (500GB PATA Hard Drive Bundle INCLUDED!) and works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive when connected to your PC and almost like a DVD player when connected to the TV. The MV-4000U provides a great value for your money. Its extremely competitive price and remarkable set of features provide the biggest-bang for your buck. You can download latest firmware very easy through our website site and ensure that your player supports the latest video file format without any trouble. The setup is a breeze with easy to use interface. Brought to you by Mvix(USA), Inc. (www.mvixusa.com)

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD) + 300GB HDD Bundle

Average customer rating:

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD) + 300GB HDD Bundle

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Drive Enclosures | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Bundle Contains: 1 x MV-5000R unit + 300GB PATA (16MB) Hard Drive
Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U Playlists
JPEG Slideshow Player, External HDD Portable Enclosure, LCD
Video Up-Scaling: 1920 X 1080i, 1280 X 720p, Compatibility: NTSC / PAL / AUTO

ASIN: B000OVDX68

Product Description

Introducing one of the finest Hard-disk based media centers.... Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center w/ LCD provides the joy of watching your favorite videos, movies, music and family photos on your TV or home-theater projector. Based on a highly customizable, scaleable and portable technology, Mvix MV-5000R enables rendering dozens of video, audio and digital image (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. The Mvix Multimedia Center is based on a hybrid functionality of a Hard-Drive Enclosure and Multimedia Player. It uses a 3.5" P-ATA / IDE HDD (300GB HDD INCLUDED). When connected to the PC, it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive. Simply drag-and-drop all your media content from your PC to the device, connect it to your plasma or LCD TV and enjoy all the media in your living room!! The MV-5000R makes a versatile video or music player for your Car, RV, or even Boats. It enables you to backup all your DVDs at a single and portable location. Now, you can carry your movie library in small pack the size of a book! This highly portable, on-demand, personal video center is perfect companion for travel, vacations and long-drive with kids. Its design allows you to swap and upgrade its storage capacity in a matter of minutes. Customize your Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center for what your need. Simply download your MP3s, DivX®, AVI, Xvid, DVD (VOB/IFO) movies and JPEG photos via the USB2.0 port and you are good to go. Use this "loaded" multimedia unit to play those files on a wide range of products like TVs, Home-theater Systems, Projectors, Hi-Fi Systems, Car Audio Systems, etc. The Mvix Multimedia Center comes with a highly functional and ergonomically-designed IR remote control. MvixTM MV-5000R is RoHS compliant.

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD) + 750GB HDD Bundle

Average customer rating:

Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center (w/ LCD) + 750GB HDD Bundle

Manufacturer: Mvix
ProductGroup: CE

Bundle Contains: 1 x MV-5000R unit + 500GB PATA (16MB) Hard Drive
Divx / AVI / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG 4 / Xvid / ISO / VOB / VCD (DAT) Video/Movie Player
MP3 / AC3 / MP2 / OGG / WMA / DTS Audio Player / M3U Playlists
Video Up-Scaling: 1920 X 1080i, 1280 X 720p, Compatibility: NTSC / PAL / AUTO
Portability, Scalability, Flexibility: Use it in Cars, RVs on Boats, Take it on Vacations, Ideal for Trade Shows

ASIN: B000TTPRPK

Product Description

Introducing one of the finest Hard-disk based media centers.... Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center w/ LCD provides the joy of watching your favorite videos, movies, music and family photos on your TV or home-theater projector. Based on a highly customizable, scaleable and portable technology, Mvix MV-5000R enables rendering dozens of video, audio and digital image (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. The Mvix Multimedia Center is based on a hybrid functionality of a Hard-Drive Enclosure and Multimedia Player. It uses a 3.5" P-ATA / IDE HDD (750GB HDD INCLUDED). When connected to the PC, it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive. Simply drag-and-drop all your media content from your PC to the device, connect it to your plasma or LCD TV and enjoy all the media in your living room!! The MV-5000R makes a versatile video or music player for your Car, RV, or even Boats. It enables you to backup all your DVDs at a single and portable location. Now, you can carry your movie library in small pack the size of a book! This highly portable, on-demand, personal video center is perfect companion for travel, vacations and long-drive with kids. Its design allows you to swap and upgrade its storage capacity in a matter of minutes. Customize your Mvix (MV-5000R) Multimedia Center for what your need. Simply download your MP3s, DivX®, AVI, Xvid, DVD (VOB/IFO) movies and JPEG photos via the USB2.0 port and you are good to go. Use this "loaded" multimedia unit to play those files on a wide range of products like TVs, Home-theater Systems, Projectors, Hi-Fi Systems, Car Audio Systems, etc. The Mvix Multimedia Center comes with a highly functional and ergonomically-designed IR remote control. MvixTM MV-5000R is RoHS compliant.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics