For you pros this must be a very "simple" question, but very hard to find the answer!

All I want is a home, stand alone player that can play simple unmodified "wmv" or "mpg" (mpeg) or "avi" video files, such as those you download from a website with a product demo or tutorial.

I've gone to http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers and see a load of formats [VCD SVCD CVD mini/cDVD XVCD XSVCD DivX/XviD/MPEG-4 MPEGISO DVD-MPEGISO JPG Images DVD-JPG Images] but this doesn't answer *my* question.

I have a zone free player that plays DVD, VCD, CVD, JPG, etc. etc. but it won't play any MGP or WMV video files off my computer when they are burned onto a DVD or CDR.

I'm sure that there are plenty of conversion programs to modify my files so they can be burned and played.

I was considering the Neuston DVX-1201 until I saw it was discontinued (and a little pricey). Is there a cheaper solution to play the basic WMV & MPG files "as is" in a stand alone box?

Thanx,

Siam

Hi Siam and welcome to the forum

My Philips DVD 640 can do all those things (even from dvd discs) , except .AVI and the DIVX formats.

Lemme guess .. you want .avi playback because your digital camcorder/camera pops out the types of files ?

Thanks for the quick reply, Mr. B.

As for AVI, I just threw that format in. More interested in WMV and MPG and really for on-line tutorials and real estate "walk around" clips downloads etc.

I'm in the US and can't find a 640 anywhere.
Any other inexpensive US-sold players that will do this?

Thanks!

Siam

Try vinc.com and search for model Bravo D3 under Latest News. It comes out this month and will do wmv - HD. Has DVI out, not sure what other video outputs it has. Lists for around $350, but you should be able to find it cheaper if your patient. It states:
"The Bravo D3 will also include DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW playback. The Bravo D3 is the first DVD player capable of playing MPEG2, MPEG4 and WMV9 in High Definition. Audio decoding includes WMA9, WMA Pro, WMA lossless, Dolby Digital, MP3, MPEG-1/2 (layers 1, 2, and 3) and MPEG-4 AAC. The player supports Dolby Digital and DTS® multi-channel audio pass-through on Toslink optical and S/PDIF coaxial digital outputs. The player features NTSC/PAL output in composite and S-Video formats with interlaced or progressive component video output in 480i, 480p, 1080i, 720p and user-definable linear and non-linear resolutions.

Any form of decoded content can be output in a direct digital DVI-HDTV video RGB format. "

the DVD -640 DOES NOT i repeat DOES NOT support WMV, doesnt even support WMA, so go for the bravo instead.

http://www.iodata.com/products/produ...VDLA&ts=2&tsc=

try this one, I've been shopping around for a real good that does everything (including networked) one myself. Though I will say this is NTSC/US/Canada? only.