Playing AVI, MKV on Samsung TV? no chances

I have to apologize a bit:

I did try the following: NAS Synology DS408 as DNLA server + Samsung 8700 LED 3D and most format are recognized (some exotic wmv audio codecs were not working but who has wmv anyway)
When I did try with USB, nothing was working.

My father has a Samsung LED 7000 46 inch of december 2009 and this model dont play anything at all though USD and DNLA, I did bought a WD live media streamer for him yesterday evening (I did twitt a lot about it)

Attention they may be firmware differences between America, Europe and Japan.
We have 4 Samsung in the family: 2 LED 8700 3D 55′, one LED 7000 and one old Le32 so I am quite satisfied (even if the Panasonic kiosk 3D demo is really a lot better than the 3D demo of Samsung)

The video codec on the television (listed in the manual) are the only formats that the television will play with DLNA. All three values have to match up (codec, resolution, audio codec) for the file to be streamed!

So in other words, you’ll NEVER find any video that match all these values except if they are meant to be played on the Samsung.

So all your peer to peer (Bittorent, eMule) video found legally (or illegally on internet) have a lot of chance to be not playable at all. In fact these Samsung LED TV are FAR away from a VideoLan (VLC) solution.

Only the codec below in the manual are programmed to play – and that is through the Samsung PC Share program.

(table extracted from the manual of a Samsung 8700 3D TV)

And what do I use?

Nothing for now on my TV, I have a computer hook to a projector and use VLC 100% of the time. I am not for a dedicated player like the pop-corn C200 as it has way too many issues (stability, heat, supported codec), my next move would be to buy a small Atom/Ion 2  like the Shuttle XS35GT

Shuttle Offers New XS35 Slim PC in Three Ready-to-Ship Configurations at Leading Retailers in the U.S. and Canada
City of Industry, CA — Aug 18, 2010 — Shuttle, an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance small form factor (SFF) PC solutions and creator of the XPC, is now shipping its new XS35 slim PC in three ready-to-ship (RTS) configurations — everyday, media, and high-definition — at leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada, including online at Newegg.com and SuperBiiz.com (formerly eWiz.com).
The Shuttle XS35 Made for Everyday
Designed to fit seamlessly into the everyday lifestyle, the Shuttle XS35 “everyday” edition (model no. XS35-702) is a mere 1.5 inches thin, yet packs in a dual-core Intel(R) Atom(TM) D510 processor, on-board Intel(R) GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of memory (supports up to 2GB), a 160GB hard drive, and built-in wireless (802.11b/g/n). There’s even a built-in slim optical drive bay should users wish to add in a DVD burner in the future. Others features include 5 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a D-sub connector.
The Shuttle XS35 Made for Media
With more performance, more space, and more capabilities, the Shuttle XS35 “media” edition (model no. XS35-704) adds in a few upgrades. It comes with the same dual-core Intel(R) Atom(TM) D510 processor and on-board Intel(R) GMA 3150 graphics as the “everyday” edition, but features more memory — upgraded to 2GB, more storage — upgraded to a 320GB hard drive, and more entertainment options — upgraded to built-in slim DVD burner. It also comes with built-in wireless (802.11b/g/n), 5 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a D-sub connector.
The Shuttle XS35 GT Made for HD
The top-of-the-line ultimate slim PC, the Shuttle XS35 GT “high-definition” edition (model no. XS35GT-804) comes with a dual-core Intel(R) Atom(TM) D510 processor and the latest next-generation NVIDIA(R) ION graphics with true 1080p HDMI output. Performance is maxed-out, with 2GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and a built-in slim DVD burner (also supports Blu-ray). Like all XS35 models, it comes with built-in wireless (802.11b/g/n), 5 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a D-sub connector.
The small, slim, and power-packed XS35 is ideal for everything from home entertainment to business as well as industrial applications such as digital signage, healthcare, and point-of-sale (POS) or thin clients. It can be mounted behind an LCD TV or monitor where needed, and brings all the benefits of a 100% passively cooled, fanless PC — it’s quiet, energy-efficient, and virtually dust proof and maintenance free.
Shuttle has even teamed up with Warner Bros. to bring the future of entertainment to your living room with more movies, more fun, and more style. As part of the launch of the ultimate slim PC, Shuttle is Going the Distance for you — and giving away a new XS35, along with prizing from Going the Distance and Shuttle.