500GB Inoi High Definition 7200 Rpm 16MB 3.5IN

Customer Reviews

Limited, but hits the interim sweet spot for digital video storage and playback

2007-12-31
The concept of having one's entire music collection at one's fingertips, stored and delivered by a simple device, is something that Apple's iPod has elegantly mastered. INOi's Hard Drive Media Player hits the interim sweet spot for digital video storage and playback, but it is an awkward, limited solution representative of a nascent product category.

The INOi 500GB Hard Drive Media Player is small, simple device that stores and plays DVD video and some Internet-sourced content on a television. The physical unit is comprised of a Western Digital 500 gigabyte hard disk enclosed in a hard drive case with USB and requisite audio and video connections. The bundle also includes a remote control, proprietary composite and component video cables, and an external AC adapter. S-Video connections are not supported. The hard drive arrives formatted in FAT32, with 435 gigabytes of usable space. Reformat it to NTFS to gain an additional 30 gigabytes of usable space (465 gigabytes total of usable space).

The INOi plays MPEG, MPEG2, and (most) DivX (3.11, 4.x, and 5.x) / xViD video files; MP3 and WAV audio files; and displays JPEG pictures. Content is loaded using a computer through a USB connection, by simply copying files and/or folders to the INOi hard drive. Content is also managed using a computer; the Hard Drive Media Player itself cannot arrange / delete files or folders, or make playlists.

INOi's Hard Drive Media Player has several limitations. DivX / xViD support is imperfect. Some files will play improperly, e.g., stutter at progressive scan (480p) mode but play OK in interlace scan (480i) mode. Upscaling from 480p to 720p can distort a video's aspect ratio. Other major online video formats such as QuickTime, RealMedia, and Flash are not supported. The latest DivX 6.x format is not supported. The INOi is not future-proof -- it does not support H.264 -- variations of which are used by HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, and at online stores such as iTunes and Amazon Unbox. JPEG picture support is meager; use something else to view your digital pictures on your television. The INOi does not preserve aspect ratio when viewing pictures, so pictures are stretched even when they shouldn't be.

The INOi Hard Drive Media Player works only with non-copy-protected digital content in today's mainstream video formats. Unfortunately, most DVDs sold at retail in America are copy-protected. Not all DVDs are copy-protected though, such as the recent comedy "Knocked Up", but it will take some searching to find them. Most digital videos sold online -- such as through Apple's iTunes Store or Amazon Unbox -- also use some method of digital rights management (i.e., copy protection) to restrict the customer's ability to play the video on only specific, registered devices. Videos purchased at these sites cannot be played by the INOi Media Player.

That said, the INOi Hard Drive Media Player is an attractive product, even given its limitations. One could purchase a low-end Windows-based computer for another $100 or so, but a computer adds complexity (boot-up sequence, etc.), and far greater power consumption. Although the product lacks true HD output (i.e., HDMI / DVI output), most available video content is at DVD (720 x 480) or lower resolution. Lack of H.264 support is acceptable for similar reasons; there is little H.264 content in existence. Finally, one could purchase a DVD player with DivX support, but INOi Hard Drive Media Player's spaciousness eliminates the need to shuffle around DVD discs. Those who require immediate H.264 support, networking capability, HDMI / DVI output can purchase higher-end products from MVix or TVix. Otherwise, the INOi Hard Drive Media Player hits the current cost / benefit sweet spot for digital video media storage and playback devices.

(Comparison shop with Iomega's ScreenPlay Multimedia Drive, which is a nearly identical product. One can purchase INOi's Media Player Enclosure if market prices for the Media Player Hard Drive are unattractive. The Enclosure product is the same Media Player, but comes without a hard drive -- you add your own.)

This thing is no gimmick -- innovation at its best

2007-12-18
This is an absolutely marvelous product, picture quality is superb. I have downloaded all my movies onto it and I can't see any reason to go back to using my DVD player. Just plug it into your USB connection on your computer, no software necessary. You will however need a good DVD ripping software to convert your movies.I bought the 320GB which was a mistake, get the biggest one available.

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Newnes Guide to Digital TV

The second edition has been updated with all the key developments of the past three years, and includes new and expanded sections on digital video interfaces, DSP, DVD, video servers, automation systems, HDTV, 8-VSB modulation and the ATSC system.

* A uniquely concise and readable guide to the technology of digital television
* New edition includes more information on HDTV (high definition) and ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) - the body that drew up the standards for Digital Television in the U.S.
* Written by an engineer for engineers, technicians and technical staff