Cisco-Linksys Media Center Extender Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It plays our recorded TV, pictures, DVDs ripped to XviD (not DVDs in the player), and music from the other room with an interface that looks just like Vista Media Center. Wife acceptance factor = high. We are using wired ethernet (100) and a 1080p tv via HDMI. The supplied remote is good. Speed of menus is acceptable (even faster, if you turn off transitions in the setup). FF, rewind, pause, etc. are all fine for Live/Recorded HD TV -- looks perfect on our 1080p tv.
XviD files are a little slow to start up on the DMA2100.
I had realistic expectations and we are happy!
NOTE: This note is ONLY for people with a Linksys Etherfast DSL/Cable router. If you have that router, your computer will not detect the DMA2100 unless you also go into the router setup and set Filter Multicast to Disable (which is NOT the default). Thanks for wasting my time, Linksys. After the change, it works great.


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Sharing your photos, music and movies on your computer with friends and family has been made easy by the DMA 2100 Media Center Extender from Linksys. The device allows you to view digital photos, movies and high definition programs on your TV, and listen to downloaded music on your home theater sound system. It even enables accessing digital content and Internet services from your Microsoft Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate Media Center PC and wirelessly stream it to your home entertainment system. Its single learning remote helps you to easily navigate menus. The media extender uses existing high-speed Wireless-N home network.

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D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, I'd like to say that I firmly believe that digital media players similar to this one are the future of digital home entertainment. A simple and inexpensive device like that allows you to stream digital media to your home theater from your laptop, desktop or a dedicated media server located anywhere in your house. This is a great idea. This technology is here to stay. It's just a question of maturity. And, sorry to say, D-Link DSM-510 is not quite there yet.
I truly liked its design simplicity. There are no frills, but all essentials are there - WiFi, Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio and USB port. Exactly what I needed, no more and no less, in a small and neatly done package with clean and straightforward user interface.
However, the device is palgued by fimware bugs that eventually made me take it back to the store where I bought it.
First, the most obvious and the most stupid one is the absence of the on/off indicator. The blue light on the front panel goes on once the power adapter is connected and remanis lit whether the device is turned on or off. So you have to turn your TV on to tell whether it's on or off.
Second, there's no on/off or reset button on the front panel. Well... there's no buttons whatsoever, period. And boy, will you miss that reset button now and then. The only way to turn it on or off is by using remote control.
The most annoying thing is, the device's video output goes completely dark for no apparent reason once in a while and won't come back even if you power cycle it using remote. The device appears to be alive (you can ping it), but video output remains black no matter what you do. The only way to remedy from this is to physically disconnect power supply (there's no reset or power button, remember?)
I upgraded to the latest firmware version (1.01), but to no avail. By the way, firmware upgrade is done via Internet and went very smoothly, although at some point you're left wondering if it's hung up or what? Just be patient and wait for a couple of minutes for it to finish.
I'm really surprised and disappointed that D-Link's QA have not caught this nasty "black screen" problem. Hopefully, it can be fixed with a firmware patch. But until then, the DSM-510 goes back to the store shelf.
And D-Link, take note. If you want to enter consumer market, you have to change your attitude. Consumers are less forgiving than computer geeks you sell your networking stuff to. They won't tolerate bugs that require reaching behind the box and pulling the power cord.

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MediaLounge Wireless HD Media Player 802.11g USB HDMI Viiv

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Cisco-Linksys Media Center Extender with DVD Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My initial impression are (1) if all you want is a media center extender to do what it is intended to do, then this is definitely the purchase you should make; (2) do not expect anything other than just the media center function and dvd function, that's all your going to get; (3) if the video, music, or picture is not supported by windows media connect *** AND HAS THE CORRECT BITRATE*** it is not going to play; (4) even if your media center pc can playback a file doesn't necessarily mean the extender will play it back, all the processing of the file is done on the extender and the only codecs that get supported are those listed in windows media connect.
I was expecting better codec support from Linksys, but it looks as if Linksys only has their name on the product. It really should have Microsoft on it. You don't need a Vista PC for playback of the dvd function. For you people that like to encode video on your computer and are thinking about using an extender to view it, be careful which format you choose. If it not listed as a supported file by windows media connect you can best believe it is not going to play.
The wireless worked pretty well. I have wireless-n and video playback was great, but navigating through the menus with wireless was sluggish. A wired connection was more responsive but still a little sluggish. Startup time until you get to the main menu is between 30-40 seconds. The unit is absolute noiseless. Even the dvd drive is quiet during playback, fastforwarding and rewinding.
This purchase was not for me. Like i've said many times before, you'll only be satisfied if your files are supported in windows media connect formats. I could not get WMV files to playback, but I could get WMV9 files to playback. I tried a DivX file in a AVI extension and it played fine.

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Sharing your photos, music and movies on your computer with friends and family has been made easy by the DMA 2200 Media Center Extender from Linksys. The device allows you to view digital photos, movies and high definition programs on your TV, and listen to downloaded music on your home theater sound system. It even enables accessing digital content and Internet services from your Microsoft Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate Media Center PC and wirelessly stream it to your home entertainment system. Its single learning remote helps you to easily navigate menus. The media extender uses existing high-speed Wireless-N home network and includes built-in upscaling DVD player.

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Cisco-Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender WMCE54AG Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I really like this product. I really like Media Center 2005. But more than anything else, I LOVE the IDEA of this product -- a networked device that helps unite the living room to the home office, giving you one place to put your pictures, videos, and music. This is a great generation one product. I can't wait to see what the next couple of generations bring.
That said, here are the things to be aware of when purchasing:
1) You need to know (or find someone to help you who knows) the basic fundamentals of home networking and Windows. This is not a completely plug and play installation.
2) You must have a very strong network connection between your Media Center 2005 device and your Media Center Extender. Ideally, you would have a wired connection (i.e., using old fashion cables). But I use the Wireless-G option and it works great now -- but I had to spend a good deal of time tuning the placement of my wireless router to ensure optimal connectivity between PC and Extender.
3) Be aware: TV content labeled as Copy Protected will not play on the Media Center Extender. For me, this means one very bad thing -- I can't watch 99% of the shows on HBO on the Extender. This is very disappointing for our family, because we enjoy HBO and actually use the Extender on our main TV in the house (with the Media Center 2005 PC in our home office). Pay TV channels are the only area we have had problems with this, though, so if you don't need to watch these channels on the TV where you are putting the extender, don't worry about it.
4) There are a few other things you can do on the Media Center PC that you can't do on the extender. Mainly for me--the extender can't play content on your Media Center PC DVD drive (I get around this by first burning the DVD to my hard-drive using a product called Pocket DVD -- a perfect solution to put my son's frequently watched kid movies in a place that's easily accessible).
Overall, if you already have Media Center 2005 -- buy this product--it's really cool to have a central hub for all this content with multiple TVs hanging off it.
If you don't already have Media Center 2005, and are considering it -- I recommend it. But be forewarned that it's still what I would call an "early adopter" solution. Be prepared for a few stumbles and bumps -- but it's sure to wow your techie buddies.

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Bring your Windows Media Center PC's digital movies, live and recorded TV, pictures and music out into the living room! The Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender lets you bring the digital entertainment available through and stored on your Windows Media Center PC to your Home Entertainment Center, without running cables through the house.Using a Wireless-A, Wireless-G, or wired Ethernet connection, the Media Center Extender displays home-made or downloaded digital movies and your digital photographs on the TV for the whole family to enjoy.And your digital music collection is finally freed from those little computer speakers and can play in full glory through your stereo system.You can also watch and pause live TV shows, or record them digitally for later viewing.Finding something to watch is easy with the free on-screen program guide.

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D-Link DSM-750 Wireless HD Dualband Draft 802.11n Media Center Extender Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the DSM-750 a few weeks after it debuted. It was shipped in it's factory box through another vendor **MALL... The box was slightly damaged, but all the parts were there and in new condition. I plugged it directly in and it auto-detected my router and my Windows Vista Premium 64bit PC. I connected with Windows Media Center and started to stream high-definition movies. My old DSM-320 videos, a collection of 500 GB of TV shows and movies, played perfectly too. I had access to my database of 5000 MP3s as well.
I really think that D-Link outdid themselves this time with the DSM-750. I see that a lot of customers gave this 1/5 stars, but my unit came fully functional, and not only satisfied but exceeded my expectations. I am glad that I waited 6 months for this product to come out. I would recommend this device for any Vista user with a Hi-Definition Television. It pairs perfectly with my Samsung 4661. I no longer use the 360 as a media extender/streamer with my DSM-750.

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D-Link DSM-750 Wireless HD Dualband Draft 802.11n Media Center Extender

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Adesso 2.4 GHZ WIRELESS SLIMTOUCH TOUCHPAD MINI KEYBOARD SILVER W/BLACK KEYS ( WKB-4000US ) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This unit will deliver silky smooth operation consistently if you follow these tips.
1. Don't forget to hit a key twice (recommend SHIFT) to wake it up.
2. If you are dropping keys or have choppy mouse movements:
A. Try swapping with known good batteries.
B. Reposition the USB adapter. I got much better range by using an USB extension cable to relocate the adapter. Just moving the adapter six inches away from the computer case made all the difference. It eliminated keyboard dead zones.
C. Avoid wireless conflicts between the keyboard and wireless router by locking your router to a different wireless channel. Try channel 11. I found lower channels would conflict with the unit. Conflict issue is indicated by choppy mouse movements coinciding with wireless activity. Possibly wireless phones or microwaves could interfere too.
D. Switch wireless router's operating modes away from 802.11b. Try 802.11g-only or 802.11n-only if possible. I was able to more channels wireless router channels when I changed modes.
E. If shortcut keys ( Alt- ) aren't working, it's because num-lock is on. I prefer to set the BIOS to turn off num-lock when booting.
F. 802.11 wireless activity will interfere with operation. Look for ways to reduce 802.11 activity.
G. Best to have a clear line of sight between keyboard and USB adapter. A couch's back or a body can greatly weaken the signal.
3. If the unit is dead, you may have accidentally pushed the USB adapter's tiny "sw" button. It's used to pair with your keyboard. Re-pair by pushing sw again and pressing keyboard's FN key within 15 seconds.
Thanks to the myriad of reviews, product works exactly as expected. Yes, it works well with Vista without drivers. Yes, it makes a great HTPC wireless keyboard. Yes, it has a flimsy feel. Yes, its a bit too expensive and needs competition.
I'm using a D-Link DIR-655 Wireless N Router. Excellent device. Recommended.

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Adesso 2.4GHz RF Wireless Mini USB KeyboardYou now can bring the keyboard to where you are most comfortable without any angle or direction limits. Ideal for living room multimedia PCs, conference rooms, mobile, workgroup project environments and modern office environments. The Wireless SlimTouch Mini touchpad keyboard featuring 2.4GHz RF connectivity, an ultra-slim, ultra-stylish design with clean lines, and an integrated touchpad. The Adesso Wireless SlimTouch Mini keyboard fits beautifully with contemporary PC systems, flat LCD monitors and Tablet PC's in modern office environments. It can sit in a conference room or office and can instantly go mobile easily fitting in a briefcase or backpack. When on the road, the USB mini-receiver plugs directly into a notebook or another PC providing connectivity up to 20 feet away.

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