DVD / Home Thearte with USB NTFS formatted memory stick support

[Murtu]

I emailed my query to AVSA but would like some forum members comments

I need some advice please. Seemingly DVD players with USB ports are seriously lacing in keeping up with modern computer technology and even most Blue Ray players do not have USB ports.

Memory sticks can be formatted with FAT32 or NTFS formats. Basically without getting too technical, FAT32 was OK for Windows 94 & 98 but from Windows XP onwards NTFS was the way to go. FAT 32 does not recognize files larger than 4GB whereas all HD video files are larger than 4GB and cannot even be copied onto a normal single layer DVD.

My question is - are there DVD players with USB ports that can read NTFS formatted memory sticks or USB external Hard Dives? and of course can they play all the various formats besides the normal AVI’s, WMV etc. such as the large file sizes High Definition formats and DVD formats of MPG, DIVX, MKV, M2TS, VOB, ISO etc.?

I have looked at HD Media Players as well but they all are lacking support of all the video formats and are quite expensive. Seemingly no one has them on display so that they can be demonstrated to the public. From a quick glance it would seem as if the IOMEGA ScreenPlay Plus 1TB or the Director seem to be better than the Mede8er and the other available in SA. Has AVSA done any articles on the HD Player’s yet and in which month?

[Hi-Phibian]

Is ntfs compatible with macs?

[Robert_E]

My question is - are there DVD players with USB ports that can read NTFS formatted memory sticks or USB external Hard Dives? and of course can they play all the various formats besides the normal AVI’s, WMV etc. such as the large file sizes High Definition formats and DVD formats of MPG, DIVX, MKV, M2TS, VOB, ISO etc.?

Don't know about dvd players but the popcornhour does all that.

From a quick glance it would seem as if the IOMEGA ScreenPlay Plus 1TB or the Director seem to be better than the Mede8er and the other available in SA.

If had to choose between those two I'd take the 'Director', the Screenplay can only do 1080i

[Murtu]

Thanks for the response:

Not sure about the mac support but I "think" NTFS is a Microsoft supported disk format.

I looked at the PopcornHour but seems to be R4000 plus in SA - a bit expensive.

Saw a Sumvision Cyclone and a Sumvision Micro, http://www.gadgetsnews.co.uk/post/2009/08/11/Boom-with-latest-Sumvision-cyclone-multi-media-player-Review.aspx
Does anyone know if there are distributors in South Africa?

[Hi-Phibian]

FAT is supported by MAC and Micro so this may be the reason for sticking with FAT from a mnf point of view.

[Viagara]

Somehow I think copying a movie to a USB memory stick is considered piracy and I cannot see why a DVD(or Bluray) manufacturer would build in support for NTFS and thereby promote piracy.

[Shonver]

Somehow I think copying a movie to a USB memory stick is considered piracy and I cannot see why a DVD(or Bluray) manufacturer would build in support for NTFS and thereby promote piracy.

How are downloadable (paid for legitimately) movies handled?

[Viagara]

How are downloadable (paid for legitimately) movies handled?

I did not think of that, but I assume that you would have to write it to a DVD or BD or else view via some kind of streaming device.

I just think that viewing an HD movie on a USB memory stick is not the ideal way due to lowish transfer rates. Just my opinion off course

[Shonver]

I did not think of that, but I assume that you would have to write it to a DVD or BD or else view via some kind of streaming device.

I just think that viewing an HD movie on a USB memory stick is not the ideal way due to lowish transfer rates. Just my opinion off course

I have a Western Digital WDTV media player, and my Samsung TV also accepts USB. I have not seen any problems running off an external hard drive with these. I imagine it should not be a problem with the memory stick, either. And, BTW, both the units mentioned above do read the memory stick; I just have not checked what FAT system it uses, and I don't recall playing a movie off it.

Another BTW: media players like Popcorn Hour and Mede8er enjoy active support, with new firmware updates regularly released, and I am surprised to read the OP's remarks about them "lacking support of all the video formats". Which formats in particular do you find are not supported?

[Andrew]

Has AVSA done any articles on the HD Player’s yet and in which month?

Are you referring to reviews on Blu-ray players, Murtu?

[windshear]

I think most bluray players have USB support. My philips can do what you are asking and the OPPO i just got can do it as well with the latest firm ware. However there is a file size limitation that it can read. If i recall 4GB was the limit or thereabouts. I think they specifically used NTFS and it may have been the limiting size, like in days gone by with hard drive formatting size in NTFS.

[Viagara]

Why do I get the idea that I was on the right track concerning the intended use?

[BigWoodenSpoon]

Ntfs not supported on Mac, propriotery to microsoft.

[BigWoodenSpoon]

Or I should say doesn't support the mac os.
Xbox with latest firmware can read up to 16 gb flash drives IIRC.
And of course it reads NTFS

[GearSlave]

My Samsung BR player can read NTFS formatted partitions and open up 12GB MKV's, if that helps. In fact, I've connected my 500GB USB HDD to it and it reads it perfectly.