SRDVD-100U vs. AVeL LinkPlayer2

[f3nX]

Hello, I just bought myself a Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV(TH-42PX50U) and was wondering which DVD player is better to play HD movies on? I'll be using the player also to stream movies from my computer so it has to have a good network capeability. And sometimes I play PAL dvds so it would be a big plus if it played both PAL and NTSC.
Please help me decide which DVD payer I should buy.

[wwjd]

I have been using a Linkplayer2 for about a month now. I struggled with the same question and I am still struggling with it to some extent. Wondering just how much different the video would look upconverted (100U) as compared to not (Linkplayer2).

My LP2 has worked flawlessly and I am very happy with having gone the LAN route. It is great to have my recorded video and digital pictures at my fingertips. I used to burn 5-10 DVDs a week, since getting the LP2 I have not burned a single one. Also, when I play around with encoding I can view it instantly on my big screen TV.

The main problem I have with IO Data is that their tech support sucks. I suggest that you spend an hour or so viewing their support forum. It should give you some idea of what their tech support is like.

If you plan on playing any of the WMVHD commercial stuff you had better have a high end CPU in your computer. My P4 2.53 does not cut it, so for now I can not watch commercial WMVHD at all, not on my computer and not on TV using LP2. For some reason WMVHD pegs my CPU even when playing with the LP2. For clarity I can get WMVHD video to play but it studders to much to be watchable.

Good luck!

[wwaag]

So, exactly what's the difference between these 2 models? They're both manufactured by I-O Data from what I gather. Is up-conversion for pre-corded DVD's the only advantage? Just curious since I am seriously thinking of purchasing one of these players, primarily for the networked capabilities and playing WMV-HD files that I've generated. Thanks.

wwaag

[wwjd]

The 100U, which is only available through JVC, says that it can up convert to 720p, thus making a commercially available DVD look more like HD stuff. I have never seen upconverted video so I can not comment on whether it is really a good thing or not.

The 110U has DVI out where as the LP2 has D4 to component out. The difference in price is about $125. Is it worth it, I could not say. I was a bit impatient and my budget is anemic so I ended up with the LP2.

I really enjoy the LP2 and I am very pleased that my wife likes it as well. It mostly works like a DVR but with the extra added flexibility of being able to work with the video before viewing it. She really likes being able to watch all of our family videos and digital pictures with a few clicks of the remote.

[f3nX]

So SRDVD-100U is same as LinkPlayer2 only 100U has few new features, right?

[wwjd]

That is correct. It is made by IO Data but sold through JVC. I think the main additional feature is that it will up convert. If you look around the IO Data site you should find a comparison chart between the LP2 and the 100U. That may help you to decide.

[Megahurts]

I've had the LP2 for 5 months. The LP2 will accept Divx/Xvid, Mpeg1/2 and TS (HD transport stream) files up to 1920x1080. It will play them back in all resolutions up to 1080i from a DVD, USB port, and a network.

[MozartMan]

SRDVD-100U has DVI output, LinkPlayer2 doesn't.

[wwjd]

MozartMan wrote:

SRDVD-100U has DVI output, LinkPlayer2 doesn't.

Which is precisely what I said, the 100U will upconvert and the LP2 DOES NOT!

The LP2 will play 720p and 1080i but it does not up convert 480p or i to 720p for example.

I have played 1080i TS with out any stutter. But I mentioned earlier in the post I can not play commercial WMVHD video smoothly, it stutters and pegs my CPU. Other types of files do not behave this way.

[f3nX]

Can SRDVD-100U play PAL and NTSC ?

[MozartMan]

I have played 1080i TS with out any stutter. But I mentioned earlier in the post I can not play commercial WMVHD video smoothly, it stutters and pegs my CPU. Other types of files do not behave this way.

wwjd,

Those commercial WMV HD files are probably 1080p.

[wwjd]

I have Stormchasers, Coral Reef and T2. All three have the option to play 720p or 1080p. The 720p stutters less than the 1080p but still stutters and pegs my CPU.

The bottom line is that ALL commercially available WMVHD has DRM and ALL of them require a very fast CPU. There are no DVD players that can play one of these. They are intended to be played on a PC and no where else. I do think that IF you have a Dual Core >3.0GHz, fast ram and a high end video card you should be able to play these disks smoothly on your computer and that if you can play them smoothly on your computer you may have shot a playing them on your TV using the LP2 or the 100U.

As far as I know no one has been completely successful in decryting DRM.

My point is do NOT plan on using the LP2 or the 100U to play commerical WMVHD disks. You can play lots of other formats and you can play WMVHD that you encode but not the commercially available disks.

[f3nX]

I tried playing commerical WMVHD on my pc AMD64 2.21Ghz, 1GB of ram and it was lagging every few seconds. Anyways, im not planning to play WMVHD videos for now. Im curious if 100U plays PAL, on their website it says that it plays "1" North America, nothing else. What if I stream it from my computer, it still wouldn't play PAL?

[Dragonsf]

I have the japanese version of the Linkplayer (without DVD loader) and it plays everything (NTSC and PAL). I'm using both D4 and DVI and enjoy on both upscaling. This is of course the 2nd generation player (with WLAN support). Streams are fed from IO-Data LanDisk via WLAN.

[Megahurts]

The LinkPlayer2 DOES output a PAL, 480i, 480p, 730p and 1080i signal through the D4 connector to the component inputs of a HDTV. It will upconvert 480i/480p to 720p or 1080i.

Streaming PAL files from a computer does work as well as backup (region free) PAL DVDs.

[f3nX]

Ok, im going to order 100U tonight. Thanks for your help guys!

[wwjd]

Megahurts,

Take a look at the link below in the 'High Definition' section, IO Data makes it very clear that the LP2 DOES NOT UP CONVERT. Also, if it is upconverting(upscaling) my 480p stuff to 720p then it is doing one heck of a lousy job. Believe me, I really want the LP2 to upconvert but it does not. Upconversion is not just a function of having the right connector, it has to be built into the electronics and it is not.

http://www.iodata.com/usa/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=AVEL&ts=2&tsc=&sc=AVEL&pId=AVLP2%2FDVDLA

[MoovyGuy]

MozartMan wrote:

SRDVD-100U has DVI output, LinkPlayer2 doesn't.

Which is precisely what I said, the 100U will upconvert and the LP2 DOES NOT!

The LP2 will play 720p and 1080i but it does not up convert 480p or i to 720p for example.

Hang on, that's not exactly right. The LP2 will not upconvert DVD content. It will spit it out progressive, but not up converted.

All other forms of content, IS upconverted to output resolution that you have chosen for the unit. So if it's set for 720p, that's what everything, other than DVD, gets converted to. Likewise with 1080i.

I've had an LP2 for about 6 months now and it can be a wee bit quirky, but I love the thing ....

Wonder what an LP3 will be like?

[Krispy Kritter]

There is also a player by Buffalo that I was reading about earlier. Very similar...there are a few posts here about it...just do a search.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=GO&Range=1&bop=and&Range=1&descri...buffalo&page=3

[Dragonsf]

My AVLP2/G-2 does upscaling from any source (DivX,wmv or mpeg). As is doesn't have an internal DVD loader, maybe the other models don't.