[mythtv-users] New thin MythTV frontend?: QNAP NMP1000 Media Player

[Brian Wood]

On Friday, October 01, 2010 07:51:45 am Tom Lichti wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 9:47 AM, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
> > On Friday, October 01, 2010 07:38:30 am Michelle Dupuis wrote:
> >> Wow nice box!  If the graphics are fast enough, and we can bump the
> >> memory, it's a winner in my eyes!!!
> > 
> > It's using the Sigma chip's hardware for video decoding, as does the
> > Myka, which has handled everything I have thrown at it so far, with the
> > exception of DTS, but this unit handles DTS, albeit only by
> > downconverting, but at least you can hear it.
> > 
> > Hardware video decoding is nice in some ways, the main drawback being
> > that it's limited to containers and codecs that are built-in to it,
> > anything new coming down the pike might be a problem.
> > 
> > But the hardware chip probably can't handle, or even help with,
> > flash/silverlight, and these days that's something you want in an HTPC.
> > Of course that's a problem with just about anything these days.
> > 
> > Hardware decoding also means that RAM is not needed as much as with
> > software decoding, or even VDPAU, so that 256MB might not be as limiting
> > as it first appears.
> > 
> > But, as I said, LOTS of potential.
> 
> $431 on Amazon. I'd rather take a Revo for $100 less, and I know it works.

That's WAY too high IMHO. I can get a Myka for $89 on closeout (I have two of them) which can do just about everything 
this unit can do, except for some software-based applications. 

Think about the general-purpose computer you could buy for that money, I've seen quad-core units with a VDPAU-capable 
graphics card, 2GB of RAM, a DVD burner and a 1TB HDD for well under that price.

AppleTV will grab people willing to spend that sort of money.

> 
> Having said that, the NMP-1000P seems to make more sense as a front
> end. No pricing on that one though.

So we wait and see.