Discless DVD Player?

March 17, 2006 6:37 AM

I need to create a public information display system. Its only purpose will be to play a looping 10-30 minute video on a 27-32" NTSC display. It will be installed in a traveling exhibit. The whole thing needs to be durable, and I would prefer to forgo using a DVD player or anything with portable media or moving parts (including hard drives). I am wondering if there are any solid state play back devices. Something small that the attendant would only need to power on and press play. Anyone know if such a thing exists and where I could find it.

My ideal would be a little black box with two buttons-on and play. The video files would be loaded into solid state memory and video out would play on an NTSC screen. I am not too worried about the video format or codec, as long as it's broadcast quality. Prefer it be relatively expensive (<300).

posted by squink to technology (6 comments total)

This is the first search result for 'solid state video playback'

http://www.remotemedia.co.uk/videoplayers.htm

Seems like any of those would fit the bill.
posted by empath at 6:45 AM on March 17, 2006

CF Cards are about as solid-state as you are going to get and there are a few Portable Video Players which run directly off a CF card instead of a notebook drive. This one has video out.
posted by JJ86 at 7:03 AM on March 17, 2006

This device from Neuros is a recorder as well as a player, all on CF, SD or Memory stick and at $150, pretty good value (shop around for the older model at less than $100).

Cheaper still, but bulky, is a DVD player with a USB port or Flash memory socket. I have one from Quartek, the 815, but no links as it seems to be discontinued. I found it for about $60 and it plays DivX straight off the card.
posted by grahamwell at 7:15 AM on March 17, 2006

Thanks. I swear I googled, but lack the foo to get the results I was looking for. Seems obvious now. I'll look into these suggestions.
posted by squink at 7:44 AM on March 17, 2006

Whatever you do, buy a backup or make sure that the display you are placing the playback device in has enough space to insert a DVD player if necessary. If the device fails on the road, you need to have options...
posted by Roger Dodger at 8:06 AM on March 17, 2006

This portable player uses a laptop hard drive.
posted by glibhamdreck at 11:25 AM on March 17, 2006