# Buying advice: BR+HDD+Network+Streaming



## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Hi to everyone,

I searched all the forum and I could not find a specific thread which 

discussed this problem:

I need a good quality device that can preform 3 functions:
1. BR/DVD player that handles lots of different formats,
2. HDD (possibly standalone BitTorrent enabled) for media recording & 

Sharing with all TV/Projectors/PC in my home,
3. Network enabled for sharing and streaming Netflix, Hulu, Amazon 

Direct and Vudu (in this order).

I own an Oppo93 (modded BR/DVD Region Free) and does almost everything 

except HDD Recording and sharing and is not compatible with Hulu and 

Thanks in Advance!


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## GoNoles (Jul 7, 2012)

Have you looked into Popcorn Hour and Dune network machines? I had a PCH 300 series, but they are still buggy. Have a Dune HD D1 right now.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I too was just thinking Dune. However, being in Japan, I would imagine you have choices that we in the US can only dream of. A big part of it is the Hollywood Studios hold considerable sway in Congress. This restricts the BDP's like you describe. Even in Europe, things are more consumer friendly. For instance, the Panasonic 2012 Plasmas offer a USB Connection to an External Hard Drive for TV Recording. In addition, this Fall the PS3 in Europe will offer DVR Capability. None of this is coming here alas.
Cheers,
JJ


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

*Sorry, small OT...*



Jungle Jack said:


> Hello,
> ... However, being in Japan, I would imagine you have choices that we in the US can only dream of.


It's actually true the opposite. 

In this country they are obsessed with rules, regulations, policies... _*everything*_ must be strictly foreseen and planned for. Nothing can be left to the even the slightest interpretation. :nono: 

An example for all: if you go to a restaurant and order a pizza margherita but you ask for it without the basil leaves, they will, very kindly, say that they cannot! (It happened to me) :coocoo:

For electronics it's even worse: *everything* is translated (or left in) in Japanese and modified for this market: from keyboards (understandable) to internal chips and motherboards, from router's radios to telephone handsets, from GPS navigators to cameras, from toasters to refrigerators... and internally a little chip, or block, or firmware or... will make sure that it will only work with Japanese appliances!

I bought in Europe a new thermos for my German made coffee machine and it would not fit: the Japanese version had a different cap! :coocoo: :unbelievable:

The upside is that if you remain in this "Apple" style "locked in own world" fobia and mentality then you do get the best parts: Japanese firmware versions of projectors, cameras, etc have the most finely chosen or tuned chips and parts with the smallest tolerances in the world. :sn: They call it: "Japanese market ready"... :foottap:

The downside is that you cannot use 90% of western devices/services here!:rant: Netflix, Hulu, Sky etc... are all "Japanized" with content in Japanese language only but, worse, much less choice. DVR and BR: same identical models (for example OPPO 93) but with locks and limitations which block region free software and hardware bypass of the DRMs. :nono: Or the same camera model but with only Japanese menu or a remote control for the identical same A/V receiver which won't work on the identical same model sold in Europe and so on...:coocoo:

I started importing my own stuff from abroad 11 years ago and ever since I keep my home a "Japanese retarded free zone"!

To be fair, this country has amazing other qualities (trains that arrive within a second of the scheduled time, courtesy and service beyond imagination, quality standards of products in general... problem is that we live in an ever more interconnected world and the "Apple" mentality simply doesn't survive. The economics environment is the first that has taken the hit: the Japanese system which once led the way, today is facing harder, faster, more cost effective competition which is biting away markets and revenues.

In Japan:
OPPO-93 is listed at 94.000yen = 1,254$ for the privilege of having their device "region safe"!!!
Netflix monthly fees = double and are "Japanese market ready" (less choice)
Buffalo Air Station Giga 802.11n has Japanese firmware = you cannot run DD-WRT on it as the same broadcome chip has a small hardware lock...
and so on.

Sorry for the rant but I wanted to deflate the myth "being in Japan you have a choice...". It's the other way around, my friend! Be careful what you wish for! Sorry for the OT! Just venting some pent up frustration!

Smiles from the empire of the chrysanthemum...


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

*Re: Sorry, small OT...*



ascanio1 said:


> It's actually true the opposite.
> 
> In this country they are obsessed with rules, regulations, policies... _*everything*_ must be strictly foreseen and planned for. Nothing can be left to the even the slightest interpretation. :nono:
> 
> ...


Hello,
Thank you truly for the insights. I knew the pricing was way higher than in the US, but did not think Japan had things like the DMCA (Digital Milennium Copyright Act) and so forth. Well at least Heated Toilet Seats are ubiquitous! Also, we share the same Region Code for DVD/BD's...
Cheers,
JJ


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: Sorry, small OT...*



Jungle Jack said:


> we share the same Region Code for DVD/BD's...


JJ, we don't! Here movies are released, best of cases, 6 months after the US! MIB3 just came out! And the 2 snow white and evil witch movies are yet to play!:hissyfit:

But... maybe I was too strict in my depiction of Japan! :scratch:

There are, of course, advantages: I once blew a lamp on my Yamaha DPX1200 (LPJ427 = 600$) within 1 year (and only 820hrs of use) from purchasing the projector (15,000 US$ at the time). The shop replaced the projector (not only the lamp)! :gulp: The shop's case to Yamaha was: "You claim 2000 hrs depending on use - prove that it was my client's misuse that caused the failure and not a defective device". :unbelievable: 

I call this "service"! In this country the consumer/customer is right until proven otherwise. That's why there are such strict rules, procedures and rigidities. :foottap: They are inflexible (1 day past the warranty and all this would not have happened) but they are inflexible both ways. 

The real problem is cultural: we are not used to this level of service but also not used to this level of rigidity and closed mindedness. :huh:


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

*Re: Sorry, small OT...*



ascanio1 said:


> JJ, we don't! Here movies are released, best of cases, 6 months after the US! MIB3 just came out! And the 2 snow white and evil witch movies are yet to play!:hissyfit:
> 
> But... maybe I was too strict in my depiction of Japan! :scratch:
> 
> ...


Both Japan and the US do have the same Blu-ray Region Code which is what I meant to write. I have just written DVD/BD in so many instances that I am sometimes on mental cruise control.

Point being, just go to Amazon.Com and order BD's from here that are released sometimes before the Theatrical Release in Japan. For sure we are both Region A/1 for BD's.


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: Sorry, small OT...*



Jungle Jack said:


> For sure we are both Region A/1 for BD's.


I wish you were right... :rubeyes: but we're Region 2 :sad:


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

DVD's that is the case. For Blu-rays, we have the same Region.
In case you doubt:
http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2005/12/5857-2/
http://www.macworld.com/article/1052446/bluray.html
http://www.amazon.com/Persona-4-Collection-1-Blu-ray/product-reviews/B008DL4MSO
A/1: North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
That means there was a chance that Jim Jong Il had the opportunity to have watched Team America World Police as well.
And finally from Wikipedia: "Region code	Area
A	Includes most North, Central and South American and Southeast Asian countries plus the Republic of China (Taiwan), Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Korea."


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

I'm glad to be wrong! But then why MIB3 only came out now, in Japan? And not yet on BR?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

ascanio1 said:


> I'm glad to be wrong! But then why MIB3 only came out now, in Japan? And not yet on BR?


I would just start ordering from Amazon's US Website. MIBIII will be released on BD in Novermber. Here is the preorder link:http://www.amazon.com/Men-Black-Two-Disc-Combo/dp/B005LAIHQS


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

@ JJ,

I guess that we are on the same region, as you say, but cinema's just won't show films until much later... I don't get this timing differences... why? No idea!


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

It is all about a Movie Studio trying to maximize every last Dollar, Euro, Pound, Yen, etc from a major movie release. It also allows for the movies principal actors to attend openings and appear on TV in each market.

However, with more and more movies being pirated, these gaps are beginning to close with some movies opening up at almost the same time around the world.


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Thanks for all the help! Really appreciated!

1. Software:
I'll have to do with Vudu, Hulu and Netflix for the time (until BR prices will fall or I will be able to rent them over the internet)
Any other ideas for watching 1080p films at a reasonable price (not buying BR)?

2. Hardware
Media-player+HDD+Network:
DuneHD max has no direct video out and buying a JVC I want that feature.
I guess that BD player will have to come separately but, at least, is there a good network mediaplayer which can:
stream Vudu & Hulu and possibly also Netflix,
1TB HDD,
independent internet download enabled
recording functions
PJ:
I'm strongly considering JVC X9, refurbished by JVC, with 2 yrs warranty, new lamp and free delivery at home.
Basically I will be buying a new X90 w/out e-shift and 1:10000 less contrast for 2,800$
I don't think I can get a much better value for money than that.
Viewing room:
Black velvet curtains all around.
Screen:
A 1.3 gain screen will be my next investment.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I would just order everything from Amazon US and have it shipped to Japan. Blu-rays are available here for well under $10. Just stock up and go with it. I am not too sure about what HD Streaming Servica are available to you in Japan. I know full well that the Broadband Speeds there are excellent.

Actually, I would check out TunnelBear. I downloaded so that I could watch the Summer Olympics live and without NBC's Coverage. Tunnelbear is a VPN and allows you to make your Computer appear as though it is either in the US or UK. It is amazing as BBC's iPlayer has tons of amazing material that is only available to folks in the UK. In addition, you could set Tunnelbear to the US and watch Hulu and be able to watch all the current US TV Shows for free as well.

Tunnelbear is free. Only if wanting higher amounts of data do you need to pay. Here is the link:http://www.tunnelbear.com/
I love it and highly recommend it to everyone.
Cheers,
JJ


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

I use an IP spoofer ""Tunlr". Result is like a VPN but much faster because you don't have any servers in between you and the source. Check it out. It's free.

No content streaming in Japan. Very few titles in English and super old... I'll have to stream Vudu, Hulu and Netflix Plus from the US.
No BD: at 10$/film, it will cost me some 200$/month! I watch about 5 movies a week!

I need a cheaper solution. Any recommendations for reasonably priced Full HD, 1080p films?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

I would again recommend ordering BD's from a US Website as the prices are much lower, release dates far sooner, have access to titles that are otherwise unavailable to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market), etc..
Or if you happen to be friends with someone who works for the US Military in Okinawa or elsewhere in Japan, I would imagine you could purchase BD's from the PX.


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

JJ,
Sorry to bombard you with questions...
How important is a direct video output from your media player if you have a good pj as JVCX30/70 that can do the upscaling of lower def content?
Is upscaling an important link in the image quality chain?
Or is it a simple conversion operation? As, for example, performing a font change on a pre-formatted document?
I ask this in view of the upscaled only video output of the DuneHD Max device.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

ascanio1 said:


> JJ,
> Sorry to bombard you with questions...
> How important is a direct video output from your media player if you have a good pj as JVCX30/70 that can do the upscaling of lower def content?
> Is upscaling an important link in the image quality chain?
> ...


Hello,
If your JVC does a good job with upscaling then you have nothing to worry about then. Many TV's and Projectors do not do as well with this and is where using either an AV Receiver/Surround Sound Processor, Blu-ray Player, or External Video Processor can come in handy.

Either way either the Source or the Projector is going to upsamplle to the Native Resolution of the Projector. As your JVC appears to do it well, I would set all Sources to Source Direct or Passthrough.
Cheers,
JJ


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## ascanio1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Which means I have to discard the original recommended DuneHD Max...

So we're back to OP.
I understand that I cannot have all functions together. So let's break them up in 2 devices:
device 1, BD player 
device 2, Media-player+HDD+Network which can stream Vudu & Hulu and possibly also Netflix, has at least 1TB HDD, recording functions and, if possible, also independent internet download.
Advice?


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