Comments on: SanDisk Wants To Simplify Your PC To TV Viewing

By: SanDisk Kills TakeTV, Nobody Notices

SanDisk Kills TakeTV, Nobody Notices — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:26:10 +0000

[...] first wrote about TakeTV in October 2007 where I held back in saying that “SanDisk has a rather liberal view of the word [...]

By: Erik Herz

Erik Herz — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:34:34 +0000

I’ve tried the Apple TV, an iPod dock for my TV, and the Dlink media player. I think that the TakeTV concept will be very popular for these reasons:

1. Folks want content on their TV from other sources than iTunes
2. Network-based solutions incur video sputtering - a local disk is needed
3. Oncreen display and remote control are critical for 10 foot living room viewing

They still need to support more video formats and they should integrate the Miro RSS reader into their FanFare client so that they can really take on iTunes head-on.

I also think that TrustedFlash might be the right way to do DRM - when needed - do note that TakeTV does not require DRM for files but it may enable Showtime to distribute their great shows via FanFare.

… more here: http://podslug.com/blog/?p=111

Erik

By: cheela

cheela — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:14:26 +0000

What is the make and model of the DVD player(s) that can play video files (or multimedia?) from a USB thumb drive?

By: Harry Sun

Harry Sun — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:48:28 +0000

I have been using a pre-production prototype of this product for the past few months, and i have to say that it has made viewing a much easier process in general. for all of you crying about this “not so simple” device, it requires no more effort than transferring data to a usb stick. if you are talented and skilled enough to work out how to download a movie file, then this should not be too challenging for you…

By: DH

DH — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:27:55 +0000

I’d rather get a real media box, like the Mvix 760HD.

By: Rob Johnson

Rob Johnson — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:32:12 +0000

WhereverTV (www.wherever.tv) has both a free, web-version for people who don’t want to watch this content on a TV, as well as a portable device (no PC required) that connects to a TV and is truly “simple to use”.

By: Dan Humiston

Dan Humiston — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:21:09 +0000

Not sure how you can Apple TV is a poor example of a device that gets music/video content to the living room entertainment center. I have one and it works brilliantly. I’ve purchased many devices over the past 5 years to do this very thing and they have all fallen short: Gateway Connected DVD player (powered by D5), set top boxes from HP and Sonic Blue, gear from Sony. Apple TV was a breeze to set up and my 4 year old uses it to playback kids shows we purchase from iTunes. Works great.

By: Noclegi w Polsce

Noclegi w Polsce — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:17:19 +0000

Thanks for very interesting article. I really enjoyed reading all of your posts.
It’s interesting to read ideas, and observations from someone else’s
point of view… makes you think more. So please keep up the great work.
Greetings from http://nocuj.com.pl

By: Nilesh

Nilesh — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:09:31 +0000

Use a 4GB media card, Upload media files onto it, Place it in the DVD player that has a memory card reader and watch from there.

Why spend $100 for an useless device.

A better investment would be to buy a 4GB card for $30 and a DVD player that has a media card reader and also upconverts DVD signal for HDTV for $50 (eventuall most of us would change our DVD players to the one that upconverts). Sell current dvd player and your smaller SD card if you have one.

Also, can reuse 4GB media card with a digital camera.

Don’t get it !!

By: ronel Mor

ronel Mor — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:58:40 +0000

There is a big market of late adapters who will find this device a valid alternative to burning DVDs.
And yet, such a device will probably vanish quicker than expected.

A comment to ex-Sandisk:
Bah! - Your bitter and vindictive tone makes me wonder if SanDisk are better off with out you.

By: David Mackey

David Mackey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:56:23 +0000

Hmmm…Since I can’t just connect an S-Video cable?

By: bloggo

bloggo — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:50:01 +0000

Useless.

By: Noah Ready-Campbell

Noah Ready-Campbell — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:44:23 +0000

“As the photo above demonstrates, SanDisk has a rather liberal view of the word simplify.”

Hahahaha. Thanks, Duncan!

By: AnonTroll

AnonTroll — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:58:05 +0000

The average computer to tv setup is way more complicated for a consumer than it needs to be. For example, I have an HP laptop with s-video and audio out with a big screen tv with s-video and composite audio. You wouldn’t believe the trouble I went through to create a custom cable to connect the laptop to the tv, it’s ridiculous. No wonder this technology has mostly stayed in the showroom.

By: FJ

FJ — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:33:11 +0000

Hello from Neuros-
The solution does not look very attractive, but the price is. If Sandisk is targeting the less tech-savvy consumers, it is not a bad idea, but something that works like a fancy card reader looks like a stretch compared to what is out there. Not having at least a networking option is really a big limitation.
Ray is right, if you want a good media extender, the Xbox is a better choice. If you want to play videos only , the D-link series does not get raving grades from users, but it still looks more attractive than the Take TV. The Apple TV is OK but is stuck to play iTunes content. If you want to record content and have access and play network shares (content in the MPEG 4 format), take a look at the Neuros OSD.

By: for ex-sandisk

for ex-sandisk — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:13:21 +0000

It will be interesting to think of a box with P2P enhanced live streaming and VOD system inside, maybe intel inside too, but it must be cheap and easy enouph.

The cable system will go along the way of HDTV, while PC based video could use TV set for live and VOD streaming sometime. People in US could watch Noregian TV by a system named EUchannels.net, streaming from Oslo, with quality good enough on a 25″ flat TV, instead of from a samll 14″ notebook screen.

By: norelpref

norelpref — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:06:33 +0000

What’s the deal? I’ve got my PC in one room hooked into my TV in the other room (svideo cable, audio cable), I clone the computer screen, and I can watch whatever I’ve got on the hard drive. And I control everything from the couch with a remote.

Now I can see the need for a “media center” server integrated with a television/amplifier etc. for the living room which wouldn’t require any special configurations, but I’m happy with the setup I have.

By: kiapiz

kiapiz — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:57:36 +0000

Netgear EVA8000 does a much better job and you do not need to go back to your PC to record another content …. just stream it using wifi

By: Russell Heimlich

Russell Heimlich — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:38:12 +0000

But manual transportation is the only thing that will work reliably thus far for the non-techies. If people can operate a point and shoot digicam, than they can operate this. Same concept! Streaming video over the typical 802.11G network is a terrible experience. Until 802.11N takes hold, this is the way to go.

By: Michael Bailey

Michael Bailey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:31:27 +0000

Don - yeah, me too - I have most of that all worked out. Have a sample box here in my office - just need a bit of capital to make it a go.

By: Rajan Tawate

Rajan Tawate — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:28:30 +0000

This is nothing new….just copying your downloads to a usb drive and playing it on your tv.

Besides…the next wave in internet tv may not ride on hardware based solutions..which have a very high time-to-market but by innovate delivery mechanisms based on p2p networks…

http://www.meetingflex.com
Custom Social Networks

By: cyna

cyna — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:24:51 +0000

so I just put my old pc in a cabinet in the living room and hooked it up to the composite in my tv, and stuck a wireless nic. then I remote in with my laptop via tight vns and bob’’s yer uncle…

I use it for home movies and photos etc… works like a charm…

By: Fabian Schonholz

Fabian Schonholz — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:10:36 +0000

See, there you go. That is funny!!

By: ex-sandisk

ex-sandisk — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:04:09 +0000

This is exactly why I left the company, it stopped innovating. The people in charge are not thinking outside the box. This is just another typical example of bureaucracy stifling innovation of employees.

They failed to catch up with Apple Ipod, they did not listen and did not go the WiFi direction and now ITouch and IPhone is going to kill their Sansa marketshare. Yet again they make the same mistakes by introducing a piece of hardware ( i wanted to use crap but decided not to ) with yesterday’s technology.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:57:47 +0000

Phillips sells a DVD place with a USB interface. You can put movies on a USB stick or any drive that USE inferace(uses FAT so it needs to be formated under 20GB). The Player sells for $60. And since the player is already plugged in ti very easy to move movies

For the person that dotn want to move stuff. you MediaGate players that work great for under $100. The higher end ones sell for $250.

And The Xbox 360 is very good media extender. FOr the same price as the buffulo and other companies you get a much better extender, that can play games too.

Sorry this device is not only not worth it, it just dont even have the same functions as cheaper devices.