HD200 and usb dvd?

[Homebuilder]

Can you hook up an external usb DVD player, or Blu ray player?


Will it play out of the box if the discs are unencrypted?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Homebuilder

Can you hook up an external usb DVD player, or Blu ray player?

Yes

Originally Posted by Homebuilder

Will it play out of the box if the discs are unencrypted?

No

Gerry

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Yes



No

Gerry

So, you can hook one up, but it won't play discs? I haven't tried, but that seems like a pointless exercise.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by mikejaner

So, you can hook one up, but it won't play discs? I haven't tried, but that seems like a pointless exercise.

Unless you have burned media you had on a drive onto a DVD disc.
I haven't tried it either. But if it recognizes the DVD and you burned some MP3s or some photos onto the DVD then it becomes worthwhile. What if your friends come over with their latest vacation photos burned on DVD? Wouldn't it be nice just to throw it in that USB-DVD you hooked up? (Then again it could be very boring.) Or any other media that you burned.

Gerry

[Texas-Hansen]

Curious question, can I connect a USB DVD drive to the USB port of the HD200 to play DVD's from the HD200?

* merged *

[Texas-Hansen]

Thanks mods for merging with the existing thread.

So, the answer is cannot play "out of the box" DVDs via USB DVD player connected to HD200.

Which leads me to my next curious question, anyone know why? Is it a licensing thing associated with the encryption? It seems odd it cannot play them since it's not affecting the original disk's encryption and, IIRC, I think most DVD drives' cost includes a DVD or Blu Ray software license.

It really would be a neat idea if this could be done. That way I can get rid of my DVD player and use SageTV with DVD drive connected to play any rented DVDs.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Texas-Hansen

Thanks mods for merging with the existing thread.

So, the answer is cannot play "out of the box" DVDs via USB DVD player connected to HD200.

Which leads me to my next curious question, anyone know why? Is it a licensing thing associated with the encryption? It seems odd it cannot play them since it's not affecting the original disk's encryption and, IIRC, I think most DVD drives' cost includes a DVD or Blu Ray software license.

It really would be a neat idea if this could be done. That way I can get rid of my DVD player and use SageTV with DVD drive connected to play any rented DVDs.

If you connect a usb drive to the HD200 how would it decrypt the DVDs to play? DVD drives by themselves don't decrypt.

Gerry

[Texas-Hansen]

Originally Posted by gplasky

If you connect a usb drive to the HD200 how would it decrypt the DVDs to play? DVD drives by themselves don't decrypt.

Gerry

That's a very good point. Thanks. I guess it would take a HD200 software upgrade that includes a DVD software license in it. It makes sense not to see that happen given the cost. Guess I'll leave my DVD player hooked up.

Thanks again.

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by Texas-Hansen

That's a very good point. Thanks. I guess it would take a HD200 software upgrade that includes a DVD software license in it. It makes sense not to see that happen given the cost. Guess I'll leave my DVD player hooked up.

Thanks again.

I feel your pain. It would be so nice to do that. Are you using the HD200 in standalone mode to play movies in the car etc.....? If so, it might be advantageous* to rip DVD's to a usb stick etc.... then plug that into the back of the HD200. Otherwise, if you have the disk space, ~10GB, on your SageTV server, just to put them there temporarily.

[Texas-Hansen]

Originally Posted by mikejaner

I feel your pain. It would be so nice to do that. Are you using the HD200 in standalone mode to play movies in the car etc.....? If so, it might be advantageous* to rip DVD's to a usb stick etc.... then plug that into the back of the HD200. Otherwise, if you have the disk space, ~10GB, on your SageTV server, just to put them there temporarily.

No, my thought was a USB DVD drive hooked up to the HD200 so that I could play rented DVD movies via the HD200 and free up a TV Input and not have to mess around with changing inputs to watch a rented DVD. Plus, then I can get rid of a piece of equipment (old standalone DVD player).

I run the HD200 as an extender using SageMC and have Sage Media Server on my WHS.