Related Sections: HDTV Home Theater
Mediagate plays it all for $110
Pricing for networked media players is plummeting precipitously, and this Mediagate MG-M2TV just raised the bar on the lowest common denominator. What's the big deal? Well, this little box plays just about every video and audio format, including AVI, WMV9, MKV (pirates love this one), Xvid, and H.264, and you can plunk it down in your living room for $110.
Sure, it would be nice to have a home theater PC sitting there on your component shelf, but if your financial condition leans more toward the $99 Western Digital HD media player or the equally-cheap Roku/Netflix box — because the Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite or brain-dead Apple TV are priced way too steeply — this HDMI-equipped and 1080p-playin' hotshot might just do the trick. Just be sure there's Ethernet nearby, because Mediagate's soon-to-be-released Wi-Fi module is not quite ready yet.
Via Engadget
By Old Man Dotes at 6:42 PM ON 07/24/09
There's no Ethernet port visible in the pictures either here or at xpcgear.com, and it's not mentioned in the Input/Output section of the device specs, either. So I'll still opt for the Roku, thanks anyhow.
By murc at 9:37 PM ON 07/24/09
the roku is crap.
popcorn hour all the way.
By zarchitect at 5:19 PM ON 07/25/09
have the first mediagate and it plays all nicely but the GUI sucks - very cheap. no music search, no cd cover images, just an explorer "folder" list. Works but clunky. Hope they fix it - now, if they were to add a DVR function to it, you're screaming winner!
By dhcpandmodemadmin at 9:08 AM ON 07/27/09
roku is not the way to go. It spams the dhcp over 10 times every second if it cant get a offer it likes. Admins like me will disable your account if you have a device like this causing problems for the server everybody uses. Also if you look up problems with running one of these behind a firewall you will find alot of people with that problem and the fact that roku tech support no longer exists. That last fact alone should warn you away, don't buy something with no tech support then expect your ISP to support it.
By Tpole21 at 12:48 PM ON 07/27/09
This is just an upgraded DVD player. There is no network capability.
By brianbuys at 7:13 PM ON 07/28/09
"This is just an upgraded DVD player. There is no network capability."
Besides the fact this does not play dics..., who doesn't have an external usb hard drive or flash drive nowadays? a lot of ppl just need something to help them view these files on a TV and not really having to go through a PC. card reader is a great plus and supports component which many users are still stuck with as their "HD". has new korean firmware now and looks to be only $105 now at xpcgear
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"This is just an upgraded DVD player. There is no network capability." Besides the fact this does not play dics......More »