I just ordered one of these. Has the Sigma EM8620L chip that plays Windows Media Video -HD (WMV9).

I hope to be able to unload my HTPC. I shoot the video with JVC GR-HD1, then convert to WMV9 with TMpgEnc Xpress 3.0

It's a networked player, but this first model has no Wi-Fi or DVI, just Ethernet 10/100. I think this model is manufactured in Japan, where it's already on sale in a more deluxe version that does include Wi-Fi and DVI. There's already a few scattered reports coming in. TUFU from Taiwan reports it plays WMV9 either burned to a DVD-R disk, or from a networked PC.

********************************************

Network DVD Player "AVeL LinkPlayer2" Now pre-order for the US
=======================================================
====

I-O DATA DEVICE USA, INC.
AVeL LinkPlayer News

Vol.01 Nov 02, 2004
http://www.iodata.com/usa/news/

=======================================================
====

Today's News:
http://www.iodata.com/usa/news/cult...=33&ts=4&tsc=23

[1] "AVeL LinkPlayer" Pre-Order Start!
Today, we have starts the pre-ordering for AVLP2/DVDLA. The 1st
shipping
has just limited quantity, therefore, USA regidence customers only can
buy them on our online web site. The shipping will arrive on the mid of
November 2004.

[2] "FAQ" & "Compare" pages are opened
And you better check these sites before purchasing. Try to check FAQ
and
Compare lists. We don't want you to make any misunderstanding before.

Thank you very much for choosing I-O DATA LinkPlayer!


If you don't want anymore this e-news, please let us know.
--
INFO <info@iodata.com>

Tom,

Just checked the pages on the player, and from what I saw, I hope you've got a DHCP enabled router/hub.....because without one you may have as much trouble as I've had with the Roku HD1000 connecting via LAN.

May be worth checking on what OS it's based on as well. Roku's Linux base doesn't overly help with app integration....

It may be worth checking whether the wireless LAN is capable of delivering the throughput required by HD.... I know lots of Roku users find it can't, but 10/100 can....

Also noticed from the pic of the rear that there weren't any component outs (could be mistaken), so how will 1080 be possible without DVI connector?

I hope it does work for you..... Just hope it doesn't involve as much fidling as the Roku HD1000 has taken for me to finally display all my HD footage.

Let me see if I can find the link for you. There's a PDF on the features.

Some highlights:
D4 to component cable included (answering your question about component)

8mb/s bandwidth:
Ethernet 100T
DVD+/-R/RW
WMV-HD 720p
Divx
mpeg2/4

No Wi-Fi on this model
****************************

hmm..
Then theres the BravoD3 mediaplayer, which is also WMV capable.. difference however is that this actually works out of the box..

Theyre very cheap too.. jsut do a google search on Bravo D3 and youll get a zillion

basicallywith this, u create ur WMV file, then copy it across to a DVD... wack that into ur D3 and Voila.. instant 1080i HD footage in 5.1 glory..

Vinc.com no longer lists the Bravo D3 under Products at their site. The references around the net refer to preview articles. It looks like they pulled it off the market. Even the price references are dating back to early 2004.

I have a question...

What is the format of the DVD that the WM9 files have to be "authored" to play?

Can one just burn a blank DVD with only the wmv file on it and these WMV players will play the file correctly?

If so, then it would be simple as I understand there is WM9-HD encoder coming for the Mac OS X.

John, you just burn the WM9 file to DVD, like a data disk. As far as menus and such like regular DVDs, I don't know.

>>Vinc.com no longer lists the Bravo D3 under Products at their site. The references around the net refer to preview articles. It looks like they pulled it off the market.

I don't think it has ever REACHED the market ... or has someone actually seen one???

As far as I know nothing like this has actually been available up until now, so if this is a real shipping product then that's huge, huge news. I wondered what had happened to these players after they were announced as pending products way back in January, but apparently the manufacturers didn't feel there was a sufficient market to ramp up production. The day these players are widely available is the day the HDV format really starts to become useful, because there isn't currently a decent and affordable alternative.

The I-O Data AVel LinkPlayer2 arrived two days ago.
If anyone is interested, I can give some impressions.

I shoot my camcorder footage with the JVC GR-HD1, and do non-linear editing with the included KDDI software bundle, in the native mpeg2 TS format. I encode it to WMV-HD 720p using TMpgEnc 3.0 Xpress. Xpress inputs the m2ts, and contains an excellent set of filters for correcting recording flaws caused by the poor latitude of the JVC single CCD image sensor.

I encode the video to WMV-HD at 9.2MB/s, and the audio to WMA9 at 192KB/s, and burn to DVD disk.

The resulting disk is portable, plays in Windows PCs, and now plays in my home entertainment system, connected to a 50 inch Samsung HDTV monitor.

The I-O Data in my observation, actually works better than advertised, successfully playing back WMV-HD disks of my own creation from the JVC GR-HD1, smooth and stutter free, at higher data rates than stated in the specifications. It also plays back 1280x720p30 mpeg2 program streams at 18.3MB/s problem-free.

...but will it play Sony FX1's 1440x1080 HDV file if encoded into WM9 and put on DVD?

The LinkPlayer2 supports 480i/480p/720p/1080i, but the media processor chip upon which it is based, the Sigma EM8620L (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/) only supports WMV-HD @ 720p. Put another way, you can decode WMV9 720p files and upconvert them to 1080i for output. But it will not decode native WMV9 1080i files.

It plays 1280 x 720p30 mpeg2 program stream files at 18.3MB/s, but the documents remain silent on whether it supports 1080i natively. It also plays back DivX-HD, but again no information on 1080i.

It also upconverts DVD-Video to 720p/1080i.

FAQ on I-O Data LinkPlayer2 here (http://www.iodata.com/usa/news/culture.php?newsID=46&tot=34&ts=4&tsc=23)

Thanks Tom... I guess it's good enough - I can always output FX1's edited project in 1280x720p30 after a little deinterlacing/resizing - and my guess is that the quality difference will not be visible.

Anyone tried the player's DVI output of WM9 1280x720 movie on quality HD monitor?

The U.S. spec version of the LinkPlayer2, the AVLP DVDLA does not include DVI output at this time. It is said to be coming in sometime in 2005. Versions shipping in Japan right now already have the DVI and wireless WiFi.

The WMV-HD 1280x720p30 via the component output to a Samsung HDTV 50 inch DLP monitor is not quite as sharp as the VGA output of a HTPC that is bit mapped 1 to 1 to the native panel, but it plays back very stable, stutter free.

Tom, I was hoping you could clarify something about the LinkPlayer2 that I haven't been able to determine based on the players' website. Do you know how 5.1 Audio is handled? I'm assuming that Dolby Digital is passed through either of the digital outputs, but do you know how DivX 5.1, WMA 5.1 (or WMV-HD 5.1), etc is handled. Is it possible to convert the audio to AC-3 or DTS before being passed via the digital out? Thanks!

Bobby, it will handle most or all of those audio output formats, but as far as I know, will not convert audio to another format, i.e. to AC-3 or DTS.

It will play AC-3 and DTS, WMA. It plays lots of formats, although some can be hit or miss.

Here is a link to a forum on the AVel LinkPlayer2 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=459759&perpage=20&pagenumber=1). Lots of information, many users and reports, 22 pages at present.

Thanks - I found that thread right after I posted my ? to you. Thanks for your response!