Question, what is a good media player for TV?

[Fugus]

Been trying to get me a media player for my TV that plays stuff off a portable hard drive with a decent amount of supported files.

So far I have tried the on board media player in my Samsung TV, quality looks good but it runs slow on anything but my flash drive and it has a limited support of formats. I have a Roku 3 I use for Netflix, it also advertised as a USB media player but found out the hard way it sucks as it only plays in a VERY limited number of formats and not even does that well with discs I ripped myself specifically with the device in mind and even then, they don't look as good as the TV's on board player, not wanting to bother with a PS3 due to its Cinavia as I rip my discs to the HDD to keep the kids from messing with them and destroying them (4 year old's exceed at that almost like they were trained to do so).

Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking for a player that has support for a USB hard drive with a large support of file formats and support for Netflix, Youtube and Pandora. I have been trying to read up myself but most reviews I come across care about nothing but how well it streams Netflix and how many other channels it can send over the internet.

And a little off topic but.... Why has it been over a decade and there still hasn't been a company that makes something that works as well as my modded original Xbox running XBMC?........... If only it was stronger for the newer files formats and had an HDMI slot....

[Jeleh]

Could do it the easy way and buy a cheap netbook and an HDMI cable.

[Klingers]

I'd suggest a WDTV Live. I've never met a media file I couldn't throw at it. IT supports DNLA, samba shares, you name it. Built-in apps for all the common streams like Netflix, and it comes with USB support as well.

They're also dirt cheap. Hit up google and take a look.

[Fugus]

I'd suggest a WDTV Live. I've never met a media file I couldn't throw at it. IT supports DNLA, samba shares, you name it. Built-in apps for all the common streams like Netflix, and it comes with USB support as well.

They're also dirt cheap. Hit up google and take a look.

Been reading up on it as we speak, this Roku 3 makes you wanna use it as a hockey puck when you try and watch a video from the USB port, sometimes it looks alright but blocky, sometimes it doesn't work at all and sometimes the video runs for a few seconds and freezes and had one where the video kept getting glitches and artifacts like some you see on the funny picture thread, and that is with stuff I encoded using Handbrake with the settings specifically to meet the requirements of the thing, you only get 2 or 3 possible encoding formats you can choose on that damn thing.

[Flura]

I have the AluPlay HD 2GB Version 1 and its pretty nice, the only "problem" is i have to switch off power evertime cause when i use the remote control of my TV/Sat it also turns on my Aluplay.

But there is a Version 2 maybe they have fixed it.

Maybe take a look at the Fantec RayPlay U3 too, seems pretty good too

*edit*
Sorry didnt read accurately, you need youtube etc. forget my post