Roku SD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A few months back when my husband had started talking about the Roku box, I admittedly thought it would be a big waste of money. We aren't TV watchers and thus have lived on basic cable for years, but we do have our dedicated "movie nights" where we routinely enjoy watching movies together. We've had Netflix for about 6 years now and we've never gone back to traditional rentals. I thought our unlimited DVD rentals from Netflix was all we needed. It can't get any easier than picking a movie and having it show up at your door two days later, right?
I was wrong. ;)
Since we have jumped on the Roku bandwagon, I've gotten a lot of questions from others around me who are now considering the purchase. I find there is a lot of confusion about what exactly the Roku does, so here we go. The Roku box streams media (movies, TV series, podcasts, music, etc) to your TV in real time. You don't need a Netflix subscription for it to work, but it hugely enhances the enjoyment of the Roku box as it is undoubtedly the most popular feature of the device. With your basic unlimited Netflix subscription (beginning at $8.99/mo or $7.99/mo if you only want the Starz Play streaming media with no DVD option) you have unlimited access to watching streaming videos on your TV at any time of day or night. All you need is a TV (of any kind, new or old) and an internet connection. Cable or DSL is required for good performance of the streaming media. I wouldn't try this on dial-up. You can set it up via traditional ethernet cables or set it up on your wireless network in minutes.
One thing I've noticed in talking with people is that a lot of people may already have a compatible streaming device in their home and not realize it. If you own a PS3, Xbox 360 or Tivo, you can stream Netflix to your TV and you do not need to buy the Roku. Rumors of it coming to the Wii are on the horizon but are not confirmed, to my knowledge. Also, some select Blu-ray players and internet connected HD TVs are compatible as well. Check with Netflix for more information. Again, you do not need to buy the Roku if you already have one of these devices in your home!
The other main feature of the Roku is the ability to stream Amazon on-demand. If you have ever purchased a movie on Pay-per-view, Amazon on-demand will seem instantly familiar. You can rent movies digitally and stream them to your Roku (or other compatible device) any time for a fraction of the cost of your typical Pay-per-view movie. Amazon's digital rentals range in price from $0.99 to $3.99 for newer releases. Each rental has a specific rental time. Some you can enjoy and watch as many times as you like for a full 7 days and others for 24 hours. You also have the option to purchase media this way which is usually the same price or less than what you would pay for the DVD. This allows you to stream it any time and as many times as you like until the end of time. Without taking up shelf space! Pretty nice. You are also able to download it to your PC and/or portable media device for enjoyment on the go. You can download it as many times as you like. As long as you have your Amazon account, Amazon will remember what titles you have purchased and you will have access to it forever. It works just like Amazon's MP3 downloads.
The lesser known features of the Roku include instant access to 12 additional channels which include (in addition to Netflix and Amazon on-demand), MLB.com, MotionBox, MediaFly, Blip.TV, Twit.TV, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Frame Channel, Flickr, Mobile Tribe, and my absolute favorite, Pandora. If you have an account at Pandora.com, it takes seconds to link it to your Roku and start enjoying your music channels instantly. The Roku also supports different Pandora accounts if you have the need. Being able to listen to Pandora on our beautiful surround sound setup any time of the day or night is blissful. My 4-year-old's favorite feature, aside from the plethora of children's titles available on Netflix instant play, is the MediaFly channel which streams 5,000+ audio and video podcasts. Among them, two of my son's favorite video podcasts, Ultra Kawaii and Sesame Street. You have the ability to add your favorites to a list that you can quickly access at any time. My husband is in love with the Twit.TV channel which streams all of their internet shows, including This Week in Tech. The Flickr channel also has a really neat feature that showcases random artistic photos and is actually quite interesting to watch and is never the same. There is really something for everyone in this growing library of channels and it is far more than I expected from the Roku.
Being the new spokesperson for Roku (I kid ;), I also hear a lot of concerns of TVs not being compatible with the Roku. No one should be concerned with this because the Roku ships with all cables needed to hook up to any TV, new or old. If you don't have an HD TV, you might be purchasing the SD version which will connect to any TV with the standard red, white and yellow cables. If you do own an HD TV, you will receive both an HDMI cable and the standard red, white and yellow, just in case. The same goes for the HD-XR version. As far as compatibility goes, there should be no reason that everyone can't have a Roku box, regardless of their type of TV.
In the same vein as the prior concern, there seems to be worry from the less than tech savvy movie lovers out there, fearing setup will be complicated and frustrating. Not so. Roku is able to hook up to your router via a standard ethernet cable or link seamlessly with your existing wireless network in a matter of minutes. Anyone can set this up and avoid frustration completely. It's very straightforward and simple and the onscreen prompts will guide you the entire time.
Now that we know what the Roku can do, I'm sure you want to know, does it actually DO them? Absolutely, YES! Obviously with the SD version, you will be viewing in SD, but the HD and HD-XR Rokus stream HD beautifully. We read some reviews that recommended using the wired ethernet connection to avoid hiccups during viewing, but we have had none whatsoever with our wireless network running on a cable internet connection. I would suggest trying the wireless first as it takes only minutes to do and requires no additional hardware, and if you have problems (which I tend to doubt) you can go the ethernet route. It should not be necessary as long as the Roku is within reasonable range of your router. Keep this in mind when choosing where to set up your Roku.
Navigation of the Roku menus is extremely simple and intuitive. There are your four directional buttons, select, home, and your standard fast forward, rewind and pause/play. I love the simplicity of this remote as our remote collection contains numerous remotes with countless confusing buttons that I have never even used. Don't be fooled by it's looks, however, because this remote is all you need to quickly and effectively access all of the Roku's features. I also wanted to point out that if you lose your remote and you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can download an app that acts as a remote for your Roku. Sweet!!
Last but not least, you need to carefully consider which Roku you purchase. As nice as it would be to have an all-in-one box which includes all features at one price, currently you have to choose from three versions: the SD, HD and HD-XR. To put it plainly, they ALL have the same exact features. The only difference being the SD is limited to streaming only SD content, the HD can stream all HD and SD content, and the HD-XR can stream all HD and SD content and also includes an as of yet unused USB port (maybe for an external hard drive in the future?) and the ability to link with your "N" network. Given that the price difference is marginal, I would probably grab the next best up from what you are currently needing. If you have any intention at all at any point in the near or distant future to buy an HD TV, get the HD version. It's $20 more and you will spend much more than that getting a new box if you ever do get a new TV. Also, if you are at all enticed by the possibility of having an external hard drive to play all your own media, get the HD-XR. It's not been said what they intend to do with this USB port, but I think it seems fairly obvious what their plans are for it. You may not want to invest the money in a feature that is not yet supported, however. I do think it's a bit cheap to charge $30 more for a feature that should have been standard on all versions, but it is what it is.
In the end, if you love movies and like to save money, you will not be disappointed with the Roku. You will never have to visit a rental store or buy a pay-per-view rental ever again! And you may even save a nice chunk of change from canceling some channels that will now become obsolete with your new toy. If you are at all on the fence, rest assured that you will get your money's worth from this device. It's worth every penny.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Roku SD Player

With built-in Wi-Fi, Roku SD Player is the easiest way to stream instant movies and shows from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video directly to your TV. Now at our most affordable price ever, the SD Player comes with everything you need to access a world of great entertainment on your terms including the FREE Roku Channel Store to access even more shows, music, and more instantly to your TV. No wonder Roku is Netflix members' top rated streaming player.

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RCA/MSN TV 2 Internet and Media Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a computer person, but with some trepidation after reading some of the negative reviews on Amazon, I installed two of the MSNTV2 units over the holidays - one to upgrade my parent's original WebTV and the second for my Mother-in-Law whose visoin is poor. The former is using dial up while the latter is hooked to a cable broadband system. It is important to note that my parents did not use some of the features other reviewers miss from the earlier WebTV products, so for them all their needs are covered. Both `parents' primarily use these systems for email and basic web use, including shopping, music channels and photos. With that background, here are my notes about the units:
Pros:
1.Easy to hook up and easy to use. Nothing fancy or difficult whether upgrading an existing account or establishing a new one. Both units were quickly operational without any glitches (well, see one con below regarding USB).
2.Resolution is far better vs. my parents original WebTV unit, where blue type on a dark blue background on the email screens made reading very difficult. The new higher contrast `dark letters on white background' are much better and the pixel definition is also improved. The resolution improvement is easy to see on some web sites where my parents couldn't read anything before but now the text is legible. Again, this is no match for my laptop, but it is good enough for general use.
3.Related to the above, the new text size +/- buttons make it easy to change the text size on a web page for improved readability. Also, the `resize' button can help with those pages with cramped type. Great features for those with vision problems and they work easily.
4.While the keyboard lacks any TV controls for volume, etc. the keyboard does include ample `one-touch' keys for all the basic email, web and media needs. And neither of the two units had any glitches with the keyboard communications causing dropped letters, etc. that others have cited. One of the units has the keyboard within a foot of the main box, but the other is separated by about 12 feet and worked perfectly unless the signal was blocked by an object.
5.The greater range of file formats that can be viewed is a significant improvement vs. the prior WebTV (not Plus). Electronic greeting cards that were previously unreadable worked perfectly and the ubiquitous pdf files on the web are a great addition. (Almost humorous is the fact that Microsoft's MSNTV2 cannot read Microsoft's .ppt or .pps PowerPoint files! Hmmm . . . I would have really thought a simple PowerPoint reader like those you can download for PCs would have been built in. After all, it would seem in Mr. Softy's best interest to insure that all of their core software could at least be viewed on their own WebTV product, right?)
6.On dial-up the speed is perhaps slightly quicker, but only marginally. In fact, at times it seems to be slower, but that is usually when viewing pages or files that were previously not viewable on the original WebTV. These files, like animated cards and pdf files are often significantly larger than others so they seem slow. On broadband things pop up quite quickly in general, with occasional times when MSN seems to be thinking about it before it sends the page. But once it does, the page pops up quickly. This really shows up when displaying a large .pdf file vs. the dial-up installation.
7.While not perfect, Microsoft's media player does a good job of displaying most videos and playing many, but not all, radio / music stations. Having the media player as a `separate' application is nice since a music station can be playing in the background while surfing the web or reading emails.
Cons:
1.There are still limitations on file sizes and file types (like the PowerPoint noted above) so this is not a solution for someone who wants a `simple computer'. This is a web reader, email client and limited media player that is far easier for non-computer people to use. Not for me personally, but a perfect fit for my parents and mother-in-law.
2.Nice of Microsoft to take the meaning of `Universal' out of their implementation of Universal Serial Bus (USB)!! Okay, so this is not a PC so maybe it is too much to expect it to handle all USB devices, but when I bought a recommended model of USB 802.11 b/g adapter the MSN's site specifically states as being compatible, I would have thought it was! I intentionally avoided any of their recommendations that stated `only version x.x' or some other disclaimer, buying a quality DLink G122 adapter. Plugged it into the MSNTV2 and, voila - a big box stating that the device was not compatible with MSNTV2. I checked it in my laptop just to be sure it was working and, of course, it was. But back into the MSNTV2 and the same `incompatible' box popped up. Fortunately, I could move the cable modem and wireless router to where the MSNTV2 box was so I hardwired it via Ethernet and that worked as it should have. So even if you follow MSN's recommendations on USB adapters or printers, you have the potential that it will not work due to some change in software made by the adapter manufacturer. Be sure you have return privileges on your USB purchases! (FYI, I did try my wireless travel mouse and that worked nicely, including the scroll function that another reviewer said didn't work. Perhaps because mine is a Microsoft mouse?a)
3.No memory expansion? It seems that it would have been relatively easy to allow a plug in of extra memory to allow larger pages to load. I had only one site, featuring lots of photos, not load, but it caused the unit to freeze and a box come up saying to power the unit off and then on to free up the memory. Minor glitch, but plug in memory is relatively cheap - why not allow it.
4.While USB card readers will (theoretically!) work so you can transfer photos, etc. it would have been a lot nicer if Microsoft had built in front loading slots for a few basic memory types like CF and SD.
5.Not sure why Microsoft included the separate remote control. Yes, it works some basic web functions, but it is not a real universal remote (didn't work with my mother-in-law's Panasonic TV and has no VCR or DVD functionality) and the web functions that it has are all easily found on the keyboard. I would gladly give up this remote for memory expansion or a built in card reader.
In summary, after reading some of the `horror' stories that other reviewers have posted I feared that indeed the product was poorly built and worse than prior generations. Maybe the bugs are worked out and the quality of manufacture improved, but having bought and installed two units I have to say that, in general, they work as advertised. Yes, the N-USB (Non-Universal Serial Bus) is a potential headache and the occasional file type or page size problem will crop up, but for their intended uses, both units worked quite well right out of the box. Heck, I have had more problems getting a PC to do what I want at times, so the minor glitches here seem minor in comparison, especially for the targeted user group.
So if you do not need a full PC, only want basic email, internet and media playback, and you understand / accept the limitations of the MSNTV2, this could very well be an excellent solution for you. However, if you need much more functionality, and you are willing to put up with the more complex demands of a PC (software upgrades, security and virus issues, etc.) then a PC of some type is your only solution. (Having spent a couple of very intense days helping a friend clean up mass quantities of viruses and spyware from two of their PCs, I now realize that some PC users probably shouldn't be PC users! Or at least they must have some basic understanding about keeping virus and spyware software updated and active!) I can tell you that both my parents and mother-in-law think this generation of MSNTV2 is perfect for them.


Click Here to see more reviews about: RCA/MSN TV 2 Internet and Media Player

The MSN TV 2 Internet and Media Player lets you access the Web or digital media on a PC right from your TV and the comfort of your living room, bedroom, or kitchen. Whether you're listening to MP3s, viewing movie trailers, or watching video streams of concerts, news, or other programming, MSN TV 2 consolidates all your home entertainment in a space of your choosing.Now you'll be able to create digital photo slideshows and set the mood with music from MP3s or commercial-free Internet radio. Enjoy videos, music, and photos saved on your PC through your TV or home entertainment system. You can also access Web sites, send and receive e-mail, and chat with others. When used with a television offering picture-in-picture, MSN TV 2 even lets you keep a Web browser window open while you watch TV. Imagine being able to look up player stats while watching the big game or hunt for additional perspectives while watching news commentators. The supplied remote control operates the MSN TV 2 set-top box in addition to most televisions.MSN TV 2 is a perfect addition to your home broadband network and works great as a primary e-mail and Internet access point if you're using a dialup account over a regular phone line. The system includes a wireless keyboard and remote control (all batteries included). A subscription to MSN TV is required; see details below. What's in the Box The MSN TV 2 set-top box, a wireless keyboard, a remote control, keyboard and remote batteries, an installation CD-ROM, a 6-foot audio/video interconnect, a user's manual, a quick-start guide, an AC/DC power adapter (for the set-top box), a registration card, and warranty information. Note: Use of this hardware requires a subscription to MSN TV Service or MSN TV Broadband Service. Use is subject to acceptance of the terms of service upon registration. MSN TV dialup services are available as a local call in most areas. In some areas, long-distance toll charges may apply. To check local access, call (866) GO-MSNTV. Windows Media Player features and commercial-free Internet radio requires a broadband home network and a subscription to MSN TV Broadband Service. MSN TV 2 only supports Windows Media-compatible music and video.

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Roku HD-XR Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First let me say I own a Roku and LOVE it! NetFlix and Roku are a marriage made in heaven as far as I'm concerned, and they are saving me tons of money and treks to the video store. The picture, ease of use, wireless capabilities, quality of video content... everything is great!
But as a consumer it's important to understand the differences between the 3 Roku offerings so you can make an informed decision on your purchase. It does seem odd that Roku has simply not put out one device at one price for everyone with all the bells and whistles, but for now, you have to choose one... based upon your needs and budget.
THE DIFFERENCES IN ROKU PLAYERS:
Roku HD Player is capable of wired or wireless hook-up, but not at the fastest speed available from a 'N' wireless network. HD content streams to this device flawlessly (if the content is available and your home network is sending a proper signal), despite not being 'N' network ready.
That being said, Roku came out with Roku HD-XR Player which WILL stream the fastest 'N' network standard, provided the rest of your home network is also working with the same standard. That being said, this device is not at all necessary if you don't have all the devices on your home network using the 'N' standard, because the speed will only go as fast as the device with the slowest connection which is probably the 'B or G' standard.
The third device is available on Roku's website. Roku SD, which streams in standard definition, will not stream HD content, isn't capable of surround sound audio like the other two and does not have a HDMI connection. It only supports the red/yellow/white (composite video and audio) connections, but it will connect wirelessly or can be hardwired to the internet, working on a 'B or G' network. The Roku SD is about twenty bucks less than the Roku HD and , so again, consider your needs before buying. **Anyone with a standard def TV and who doesn't plan to upgrade to an HDTV with HDMI ports any time soon, would probably want this version.
The Roku HD-XR Player is a jump up from the HD model in wireless capabilities. All the Roku offerings will give you years of enjoyment by boosting your NetFlix subscription, streaming Amazon On Demand media and boosting your viewing library. What the HD-XR has that the others don't: 'N' network capabilities and 1 USB port for firmware upgrades and possibly, other media hook-ups via USB, but at this time Roku doesn't even bring up the USB on their website so I tend to wonder about this being a selling point. Is it worth the extra cost? Only you know the answer to that question.
MY CONCLUSION:
The quality of the streaming video on my 'G' network is perfect; standard and HD content, via my Roku HD, but since I don't have a 'N' network, nor do I expect I will in the near future, I saved myself a bit of money and didn't buy this one.
The only reason I give this product 4 versus 5 stars is because of the price bump for the ability to use an 'N' wireless network when frankly I believe it should be considered a standard feature, not an extra. The USB port, whatever it's used for, should also be standard on all models. Again, it would be wonderful to have one Roku with all the potential connections and wireless ability, and perhaps in the future there will be, but for now you need to consider these three: Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR.
To may your own informed choice, evaluate your needs and buy accordingly. While the Roku products are not media storage devices or DVR's, they can give you a tremendous boost in your enjoyment of NetFlix and expand your viewing library.

ROKU HD-XR PLAYER SPECIFICATIONS (per the Roku website):
*Note the USB port isn't even listed as a feature.
Networking
Wi-Fi (802.11N/B/G "dual-band") with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support
10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)
Video Outputs
Composite video (480i)
S-Video (480i)
Component video (Y/Pb/Pr - 720p/480p)
HDMI (720p/480p)
Video Modes
16:9 High Definition (HD)
16:9 anamorphic
4:3 standard
Audio Output
Stereo (L/R RCA)
Digital Optical (Toslink - Stereo/Surround)
Digital over HDMI (Stereo/Surround)
Remote Control
NEC protocol, supported by various universal remotes
Power Input
5V, 2.5A provided by included AC adapter
Power Consumption
6 watts peak, 4 watts in standby
Size
5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)
Weight
11 oz (300 grams)UPDATE: 10/31/10
After using this item almost daily for over a year (even got a second one for a bedroom unit) I'm still convinced Roku's are fantastic devices for almost any home. We still have cable, but it's not piped to my daughter's room (the location of the second unit) and she doesn't mind a bit. With the upcoming addition of Hulu streaming to the Roku... the selection just keeps growing! A fantastic deal for $9 a month Netflix subscription.
As for missing the 'N-wireless'... I still don't. Could be because I've not upgraded my home network, but truly the speed of the uploads with this one are sufficient for my needs and my home network is stable and provides excellent picture quality with my set-up. I would say that if I buy a new one in the future, the recently upgraded units are the way to go though. Unless they significantly drop the price in this one. The newer ones have 1080p ability and the 'n-networking' as a standard. If you're going to pay the same amount for this one versus that one... it's a no-brainer to choose the upgrade.
The differences in the 'upgraded' offerings...
Roku HD:
Doesn't play 1080p...nor does it support 'n' or any other bumps in perks. It does however have wireless capabilities and is the cheapest of the offerings. Roku HD Streaming Player.
Roku XD:
Does play 1080p full HD video **(assuming the Netfix offering CAN stream in full HD - not all the offerings are in full HD)**, have an instant replay button, have extended range wireless (b/g/n compatible), and probably offers the best deal for most consumers as the mid-range offering. Roku XD Streaming Player 1080p
Roku XD/S:
Offering the most bang for your buck, this Roku has dual-band wireless N (the latest wireless standard and potentially the fastest if your home network is set up for it...), extended range wireless (b/g/n compatible), have an instant replay button, component video and optical outputs, and a usb port for playing music, videos and photos. Your Roku must be upgraded (available in 11/10) via software upgrade - done wirelessly by the Roku - to make this function work.
Roku XDS Streaming Player 1080p
Overall, my impression of the Roku is unchanged. It's a great device that just keeps getting better. I love it and will continue to be a loyal Roku and Netflix customer for years to come.
UPDATE: 12/21/10
The Roku HD that I purchased 14 months ago stopped locating my wireless network. Attempts to reset to factory settings, reboot, etc... didn't work so I checked the Roku.com site for support. The first call to support yeilded surprising results. The tech said they would be sending me a FREE replacement to my Roku. I informed her it was no longer under warranty, but this didn't matter, which totally floored me! I was told that all I needed to do was fax the proof of purchase (a copy of my invoice from Amazon) and call them back to let them know I'd sent it. I did this and the second support tech confirmed that they'd received the fax and would be sending me a new unit (not sure which one yet) and a pre-paid box to return the defective one.
I'm stunned by this, as my Roku is two months off of warranty. I was going to purchase a new Roku (as my current unit is not the current model sold by the company), however now I'm hoping to be back on track within 3 to 5 business days, and loving this product and company all the more!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Roku HD-XR Player

Now featuring extended-range wireless, Roku is the easiest way to stream instant movies and shows directly to your TV - over 50,000 and counting, from Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and more. The top-of-the-line HD-XR model uses the latest wireless standard (Wi-Fi "N") to deliver the best quality video virtually anywhere in your home. It's so easy and powerful; no wonder Roku is Netflix members' top rated streaming player.

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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.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys Media Center Extender

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.

Get 17% OFF

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NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Live (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Traditionally known for their routers and network devices, Netgear offically entered the growing home media player market this September with the Digital Entertainer Live. After owning the superb but ethernet-less Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player, I was looking for a device that could play all the 720p/1080i/p MKV videos directly off my D-Link DNS-323 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure - NAS server and D-Link DNS-321. I didn't want to have to copy files off the network onto USB hard drives then walk them over to my media player just to play them on my TV. After testing this device for several hours, I am disappointed and can say that the EVA2000 is definitely not ready for prime time.
First is the question of what resolution this device actually supports. It is not listed here on Amazon, in Netgear's press release, or on the product specifications page, and no mention is made on the box except the phrase "HD TV media player". Netgear is perhaps deliberately vague on this point. If by "HD", they mean being able to connect to an HDTV, then that is true. If they mean "HD" as in 720p/1080p, then it is not true.
Despite having HDMI out, this device does not output at 1080p at all. It also doesn't play 720p files as far as I can tell. Every one of the hi-res MKV's I tested off my external hard drive failed (18 random movie files @720p and 1080i, H.264 encodes), producing an "unable to display video of this resolution" error. Similarly, the AVI's and WMV's at 720p that I tested also failed. As far as I am able to determine, it can play only up to 480p. I tried a 720x400 .MKV that did play, so Matroska support is working, but I was unable to fast-forward or rewind the file. Other low resolution .AVI files, .MP4's played without an issue.
The device did not recognize any MKV's off my NAS through UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). MKV files on my other server, running Twonky (DLNA software) did show up, however, they could not play since they were 720p.
Next is the lack of subtitle support, or non-Western character sets. The supported system languages are German, English, and French. No Unicode support means filenames and folders will be illegible, showing up as empty squares instead (see picture in gallery).
For internet TV, this product works as described. YouTube and other streaming videos work flawlessly. You can watch videos from all over the world. There are literally hundreds of free internet channels listed, divided by world region. I tested a few CCTV channels (China), Aljezeera English, an Indian channel, Odoroku.tv (Japan), C-SPAN, some Spanish channels, as well as some random others. Almost all of them worked without a hitch, after a brief period of buffering (length depends on network conditions). A few sites couldn't be reached, or failed to buffer and kicked me back to the channels menu. Again, because these are free sites streamed from the web, picture quality is very low, though watchable and a nice option for those who don't want to watch them on their computers. You can bookmark them for fast retrieval. I found the variety of sites listed here to be a pleasant surprise. They represent a wide range of interests and are from all over the world. (These are all free sites you can access from your computer also.)
The picture quality is usually terrible, however, since most internet videos are low-res videos (320x240) that are heavily compressed. When blown up 5x or more to fullscreen on your HDTV, the compression artifacts will be much more apparent and you'll see a lot of macroblocking and pixelation. On a smaller, non-LCD TV, this might be acceptable.
Because you'll be spending a lot of time pushing buttons to navigate around, due to no keyboard or mouse, I've included a series of screenshots to give you a better idea of how the interface works. Remote control response time can be sluggish, so you'll be seeing the revolving dial a lot. Worse is that you can't hit "Back" on the remote to cancel a read command. You have to wait until it finishes trying to read the file or network. During web streamed videos, I couldn't fast-forward. Searching for videos was easy through the onscreen keyboard, but overall I found the interface clunky and not all that attractive, made worse by that spinning dial that popped up with almost every command I pushed.
Lastly, is the lack of an optical output. For wireless, you will need to buy the dedicated Netgear wireless kit. A third party USB wireless dongle (AirLink 101 AWLL6070 150Mbps 802.11n Wireless LAN USB 2.0 Adapter) I tried did not work.
To sum up, this product fails to meet expectations and went back to Amazon Returns after 2 days. It is NOT capable of hi-def playback. It only plays back standard def video. If you enjoy watching blocky internet streams on your TV and don't care about hi-def, then maybe this device would be of value. There is no way to select stream quality from the sites that offer HD streams.
At $150, with no gigabit Ethernet, no optical out, and no hi-def, this product does not compete favorably against other devices already on the market or soon to be released, like the WD TV Live ($120), which adds network support to the already solid and popular WDTV; or the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+HD ($135) and ASUS O!Play - TV HD Media Player ($99), which, like the WDTV Live, is networked and plays 1080p.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Live (Black)

Play your movies, music and photo collections stored on USB storage devices and computers right on your TV. Enjoy YouTube and other Internet video LIVE.n vao voas the loghsl geo Loreum ebspom thleo lakdyog alkdoeon vao voas the loghsl geo Play movies, video, music and photos stored on USB drives, computers or NAS Enjoy YouTube on your TV, without a computer Watch pay-per-view new release movies on-demand without a subscription Watch Live Internet TV from around the world via VuNow (1-year service included) Browse and play popular movies and shows from Hulu, Netflix, Amazon VOD, CBS, CNN, and ESPN and more using PlayOn on your PC. (free trial in box) Search for Internet video using key words Works with older TVs and new HDTVs Easy to use remote control Wirelessly connect to the Internet by using the Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter

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Airlink AWLL6070 Wireless 802.11n USB Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this because I read that it works well with Linux. It worked exactly as expected although you do need enough tech savvy to download, compile, and install a driver (the open-source RT2870 driver from the Ralink website is the right one). It connected to my Linksys 802.11n router at full speed and very stable. Considering that other manufacturers charge 2-3 times as much for the same thing, and don't have good Linux support, this is a steal.

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Extend the range of your current Airlink101 or other wireless network with new 150N Wireless USB Adapter. Wireless N USB Adapter is great for environments with the need for higher wireless data traffic. This USB adapter is fully backward compatible with 802.11b/g and RoHS compliant

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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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Netgear Roku XD Player NTV250 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My ultimate goal is to rid myself of subscription cable television! My cable provider does not offer a la carte pricing, therefore I must subscribe to literally 100's of channels to get the roughly four HD channels I want (at almost $100 a month). So I decided to give this a try and see if it fits my needs, and so far, so good.

On my connection(s):
1.Via Ethernet to home router.
2.Via HDMI to 1080p LCD.
Setup took less than ten minutes to complete, including hardware registration with ROKU and Amazon Video on Demand. I was pleasantly surprised how fast the player found my account at Amazon and all of my prior video purchases were waiting to be viewed on the player. The remote is simple with only twelve buttons.
On viewing content, the player buffered very quickly and began playing almost immediately. There is quite a bit of free content that can be viewed as well, and was easy to get via the on-screen guide, etc. Will end this review with... I've only had it for a few days, so my opinion could change, and if it does, I will update this review.
Update 12/15/2010
Many reviewers have experienced issues connecting wirelessly, so I decided to try it for myself!
My wireless connection and settings:
Router: Netgear Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit model WNDR3700
Broadcast SSID: Enabled
Security: WPA2-PSK[AES] (8-63 characters or 64 hex digits)
Video Network: Enabled
I disconnected my Ethernet connection, and selected settings, then wireless. The player displayed every wireless connection it could find (all my neighbors were listed). I found my SSID, entered my credentials and within 30 seconds I was connected and scanning my Amazon account.
With the above said, I did not encounter the same issues as other reviewers trying to connect wirelessly. I understand their frustration and that is what prompted me to try wireless for myself, and unfortunately, I did not have any problems. I feel for my fellow consumers and hope they have found a product that suits their needs, however, this works for me and I am extremely pleased. Now, as for wireless, I am going back to Ethernet, it is faster! I am going to purchase another unit for the living room.
I hope this helps, best regards!


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Now you can instantly watch your favorite online entertainment on TV. Watch movies and TV shows from Netflix or Amazon Video On Demand, listen to Pandora, catch the latest ballgame, and more- it\'s all available whenever you want it.1 Features Watch movies and TV shows in stunning HD Simple remote control Built-in wireless Watch on your TV-no need for a computer A growing line-up of instant entertainment (free and paid) Browse from thousands of choices Watch it instantly or queue it for later Find new movies by categories Search for titles Pause, rewind and fast forward Activate up to 6 NETGEAR Roku players with one Netflix unlimited membership Disclaimers 1Works with any Netflix Unlimited plan. Each NETGEAR Roku Player sold separately. For best video quality 1.5 Mbps broadband speeds recommended for each device.

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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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NETGEAR EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a pretty cool unit. Setup is a breeze and it even came with a DVI cable to hook up to my TV. It also has RCA cables. I have almost 1TB of movies in various formats(.avi .wmv .mpg) and it plays every one. Sometimes I cannot use the skip function if it doesn't fully support the file but it still always plays it. Transferring the files over was a bit harder. It was going to take 7 days to copy 1TB of files over from my server to the hard drive on the unit that I put in it. I even tried a direct cable and it was just as slow. I don't think it does any conversion but it is very slow. When you add a new hard drive in this unit, it formats it with Linux. When I put the drive from the Digital Entertainer in my Windows server it wanted to format the drive. I had to boot into a Linux OS and then I was able to copy the files over very quickly. The software that comes with the unit is pretty nice also. It lets you tag each movie file with information from the Internet Movie Database. It even displays a box cover. This unit also stores and plays music as well as Youtube videos streaming from the Internet. It will connect to your network by wireless or wired, or it can simply be a standalone unit. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the search feature in the unit. When I want to search for example, the movie "Zoolander", I input the letter "Z" from the remote and instead of filtering every movie that starts with "Z", it lists every movie with the letter "Z" in it like this...
American Zombie
Brazil
Crazy People
Dazed and Confused
Hot Fuzz
Zoolander
It's kind of a convoluted search in my opinion. Other than that, the Digital Entertainer is a top notch unit. It has a very user friendly interface with a nice remote control. It also has 2 USB ports and it can play media directly off of those or the media can be transferred to the hard drive. Netgear did a good job on the Digital Entertainer Elite!


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The NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Elite HD EVA9000 series (EVA9150 includes 500GB hard drive) connects your TV and home entertainment system to your computer network, letting you experience your high-definition videos, digital music, and photos on your HDTV and high-quality sound system, directly from your PC. The Digital Entertainer Elite also makes it possible to enjoy streaming media from the Internet--such as YouTube, Internet radio, Flickr photos, RSS feeds, and podcasts -- through your HDTV and home entertainment system.
Watch 1080p Media on Your HDTV from the Integrated Hard Drive or Your PC You've downloaded your favorite shows and movies from the Internet, and you've got hours of home video stored on your computer. Thanks to the Digital Entertainer Elite, you no longer have to restrict your viewing to your computer; you can now watch your digital collection in the comfort of your television room, directly on your HDTV.

The Digital Entertainer Elite can also stream videos and feeds from the Internet to your HDTV, bypassing your computer entirely, for the ultimate viewing experience. And best of all, you can enjoy your videos and photos in full high definition of up to 1080p, thanks to the system's automatic up-converting feature.

Huge Hard Drive for Storage With an integrated 500 GB hard drive, the Digital Entertainer Elite can even store your digital media, making it one of the world\'s largest video jukeboxes. You no longer have to store your movies and photos on your computer's hard drive--it will do that for you, letting you free up space on your computer.

The hard drive also allows you to watch your videos, even when your computer is off, and buffers streamed videos, so even if your network performance is inconsistent, you still enjoy glitch-free video. You could also choose to install a larger Hard Drive (standard SATA) for even more storage capability in the future (go to www.netgear.com/eva9000drive for Hard Drive compatibility list).

USB Connectivity For added versatility, the Digital Entertainer Elite sports two easily accessible USB ports for instant access to content via USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPods, or any other USB storage device. This means you can upload your digital content directly to the Digital Entertainer Elite.

Push 'N' Connect Wireless Technology NETGEAR's exclusive Push 'N' Connect wireless technology provides an easy way for the user to connect to a WPS-secured wireless network with a simple push of a button. With Push 'N' Connect, you don\'t need to key in long and complex wireless passwords. And it is dual band wireless-N compatible, so you get the fastest WiFi connection possible at speeds of up to 300 Mbps when coupled with a Wireless-N router.

Plays a Wide Variety of Formats The Digital Entertainer Elite offers compatibility with a wide range of formats, far more than Apple TV, Media Center Extender, Xbox 360, and other competitors offer. It supports video formats--such as AVI, DivX, WMV, MOV, and more--and audio formats--such as MP3, WMA, DTS 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio, AAC, and more. The Digital Entertainer Elite also supports 40 Mbps bit rates, providing you with the best quality audio/video possible.

Energy Efficient Design The Digital Entertainer Elite is a NETGEAR Green product, so you know you're getting an eco-friendly product. Its efficient power supply and automatic power-saving mode consumes as little as 0.01 watts of power.

Need More Storage? If you are a media enthusiast and have more video than one hard disk drive can hold, the Digital Entertainer Elite works seamlessly with NETGEAR\'s ReadyNAS DUO, NV+, and Pro products. Just dump all of your HD Videos on the ReadyNAS, and stream directly to the Digital Entertainer, it's as simple as that.

Compatible with Windows (including Vista), Macintosh, and Linux computers the Digital Entertainer Elite measures 2.0 x 17 x 10 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 5.56 pounds. It's backed by NETGEAR's one-year warranty.

What's in the Box Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), 4-device Universal Infrared (IR) Remote Control (2 AA batteries included), power cable, localized to the country of sale, Ethernet cable, RCA stereo-audio/composite-video cable, HDMI cable, installation guide, Windows/Macintosh (Intel-based OS-X) resource CD, and warranty/support information card.



Netgear ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition Network Attached Storage (RNDP600E)

NETGEAR Wireless-N Router (WNR2000)

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)

NETGEAR Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101)

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)

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D-Link DPG-1200 PC-on-TV 802.11g Media Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been patiently waiting for this device for about a year and, unfortunately, I came out disappointed. My hope was that I'd finally have a device to stream ripped DVD's (.vob files) and recorded TV shows through the Windows Vista Media Center interface, and this device couldn't cut it.
My experience started out bleakly: the setup wizard didn't work, and I spent about an hour on the phone with (fairly knowledgeable) tech support getting the device to the point that it could connect to my wireless N router. For those who care, the configuration involved switching to WPA TKIP only security. The part that really stings about this is that the router, a DIR-655, is also made by D-Link, the same manufacturer as the DPG-1200. Ironically my other wireless devices (e.g. an Apple TV) had no problem connecting to the network.
After slogging through just connecting to the network, the disappointment really came. When trying to display content from Windows Media Center, I found that if the interface wasn't maximized, the content would play alright for awhile, but when maximized, the TV screen went totally black, with only sound being broadcast.
To top things off, the display was pretty choppy and the thing disconnects every 30 seconds or so and eventually gets to the point where it can't reconnect without closing and reopening the PC-to-TV application on your computer. This last problem could probably be solved after a bit of troubleshooting with tech support, but the incompatibility with Media Center and full-screen video from the Media Center interface is a real deal killer.
Other gripes include the inclusion of only an RCA cable instead of the higher-quality component video, the inability to fully utilize my 52" LCD TV (there's a 6-inch black border around the TV display without fiddling with settings) and the device's maximum output of only SD quality (a bummer for video, and a difficulty when trying to read text, which is important if you're using your TV as a wireless PC monitor).
The bottom line is that if the device worked with Media Center and didn't drop the connection every thirty seconds, the other limitations could be overlooked to make this bleeding-edge device a mild success, but until a PC-to-TV device comes out that meets the basic requirements of working reliably with Windows Media Center and displaying .vob movies full-screen, then my recommendation is to pass on purchasing.
To be fair, though, I ordered the very day this thing came out, so I have v1.0 firmware and such. Hopefully some of the problems I mentioned will improve with time.


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D-Link DPG-1200 PC-on-TV 802.11g Media Player

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Netgear EVA700 Digital Entertainer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before I bought this unit, I tried the D-Link DSM-520 for about a month before giving up. This unit is identical to the DSM in function with one BIG difference-- it is stable! My advise to those not wanting to tinker- skip this technology for a year or so, others read on...
Install
~~~~
I hooked it up to a wireless router and PC with a few external hard drives and it works (almost) flawlessly. First of all, like others said, do NOT install the software that it comes with and also forget Intel Viv technology installs. Just install one of the free (or almost free) software like TVersity (my fav.), Wizd or Twonkyvision. However, except for Wizd, you can't search for a particular album/artist/genre. You have to scroll through menu after menu to find a movie/song/photo.
Media
~~~~~
I am currently streaming a few hundred CDs in FLAC (lossless format) which is noticeably better than the very best MP3 format. For DVDs, I simply have the server software pointed to the Folders that have the DVD (VOB) files. The player does a very good job of picking up subtitles automatically too. I have NOT installed the photo folder as I find the usage completely useless for my needs. I shoot 6MP raw format images. I can't see myself browsing through tens of thousands of images and then waiting for 1 minute for an image to load up!
Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~
All in all, a good system for those that are not intimidated by network setups and server programs but want an uncluttered music system and (almost) instant access to movies, music and photos.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Netgear EVA700 Digital Entertainer

The NETGEAR EVA700 Digital Entertainer connects your TV and home entertainment system to your computer network, letting you enjoy the movies, videos, radio, and photos that reside on your your PC on a larger screen and better speakers.
Easy Setup and Strong Security The EVA700 plugs into your home theater system with a variety of outputs including RCA, S-Video, Digital Coaxial/SPDIF audio, and HD component video. The Digital Entertainer has both 802.11g wireless for up to 54 Mbps speeds, and a wired 10/100 Mbps RJ-45 jack in order to connect the device to your home network. Support for Intel Hub Connect Technology makes the connection easy to set up.
In addition to the hard drive of your PC, the EVA700 also works seamlessly with the NETGEAR SC101 storage device. There is also a USB port on the front of the device, letting you play files saved on an iPod, USB thumb drive, USB disk, or digital camera.
The Digital Entertainer boasts hardware-based WEP 40/64-bit and 128-bit encryption, as well as WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK encryption for enhanced security.
Support for Many File Formats The Digital Entertainer can handle a large variety of file formats. Compatible audio formats include MP3 (up to 320 Kbps or VBR), WAV, WMA (up to 192 Kbps or VBR), M3U, and AAC. Compatible video formats include: MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, WMV (up to 1080p down-converted), and Xvid. Compatible photo formats include: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF, and GIF.
An included remote control lets you control all the media files on your home network--as well as from popular internet sites--from the comfort of your couch. The NETGEAR EVA700 Digital Entertainer is backed by a 1-year warranty.
What's in the Box EVA700 Digital Entertainer, infrared remote control (2 AA batteries included), power cable, Ethernet cable, RCA stereo-audio/composite-video cable, installation guide, resource CD, and warranty/support information card.

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Xtreamer WiFi Adapter Dongle USB Wireless N Antenna Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The product is good (better than the wdtv live that I previously owned) but some of my files (usually 1080p) are played with some kind of lag (a greenish color appear on the screen).
Other than that, I am happy with the purchase.

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The Xtreamer USB Wifi Antenna is designed to work with all Xtreamer Model (Compatible with Xtreamer SideWinder, Pro, DVD, iXtreamer, Ultra, Prodigy, PVR, Etrayz & Sync-X)This adapter also works with many other media players including the Popcorn Hour C200 and A200. It provides excellent wireless connectivity, allowing you to receive movies, music and pictures wirelessly via your wireless network.Utilizing the latest WiFi "11N" technology the antenna will provide fast, secure and reliable connections that are 175% stronger than other wireless solutions available in the market.This all-in-one device simply plugs into the USB port of your media player and you immediately have a wireless capable Media Player; making it easy to stream movies, music or photos from your computer across your home Wi-Fi network.If you don't have a 802.11n router, don't worry. Get two antennas, place one at your PC and the other connected to your media player and create a dedicated wireless network to ensure smooth uninterrupted streams of content. This adapter supports both Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc modes. Chipset o Ralink RT3070 Single ChipStandards o IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0), IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, Cisco CCX support, CSMA/CA with ACKFrequency Range o 2.4-2.4835GHzWireless Transmit Power o 20dBm(MAX)Modulation Type o OFDM/CCK/16-QAM/64-QAMReceiver sensitivity o 270M: -68dBm@10% PER o 130M: -68dBm@10% PER o 108M: -68dBm@10% PER o 54M: -68dBm@10% PER o 11M: -85dBm@8% PER o 6M: -88dBm@10% PER o 1M: -90dBm@8% PERSecurity o 64/128 bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES)InterfaceUSB 2.0 Hi-Speed, USB 1.1Antenna Type o Internal Omni-directional AntennasCertifications o CE, FCC

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Iomega ScreenPlay WiFi Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)the item was described compatible with iomega ScreenPlay HD which is not true,, the item is only compatible with ScreenPlay Director,,


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The Iomega ScreenPlay Director WiFi Adapter is a great accessory that adds wireless functionality to your ScreenPlay Director Multimedia Drive & TV Link Director (wireless router required). Simply plug the 802.11N WiFi adapter into your multimedia drive?s USB port, then enjoy wireless access to your entire collection of videos,music, and photos on your Iomega ScreenPlay Director Multimedia Drive.

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D-Link DSM-320 Wireless Media Player, Audio/Photo/Video, 802.11g Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My expectations were fairly low after having read all the other reviews, but I really liked the option that you get from adding a home media drive from D-Link to this set-up (DSM 602H/4H). I've been waiting for a media server that doesn't require me to keep my PC running in my bedroom 24/7. The network drive from D-Link and this media server looked like an awesome combination.
In an effort not to repeat everything that's already been said ... here are the things I believe haven't been mentioned yet ... first and foremost, don't expect to spend any less than a solid weekend getting this up and running .. and even after you do I expect multiple hours will be spent updating firmware etc. over the next few months (at least I hope there are firmware updates coming)
The physical connection was easy and intuitive, but getting the player up and running and connected to my wireless network was a royal pain. I tried to use my media drive as it is advertised by D-link, but apparantly that's not possible without a firmware update. Of course, that firmware update is still in beta release ... do I need to say more. It actually royally p*sses me off that D-Link advertise the combination of the media home drive and the media server, before they can actually deliver that option. I wrote a glowing review of the home media drive, but that was before I updated the firmware to enable use with the media server ... after the firmware was updated, I can't access the management interface for the drive for more than one or two pages before the device has to be restarted (read pull power plug and re-insert) .. the drive doesn't seem to stream the media evenly, so every single song comes across with large gaps where nothing is playing ... pictures don't come across in the right format and shows up on the screen in some oddly twisted aspect ratio ... the media server software that's resident in the media drive firmware update apparantly doesn't read ID3 tags correctly either; it doesn't pick up genres, and artist and album data isn't alphabitized
On a slight possitive note, the media server software running off my PC works much better. It streams evenly, ID3 tags seem correct and pictures are correctly formatted. I still haven't been able to stream a single movie across the media server, but that's personally less of an issue for me personally.
Oh, and although I didn't want to repeat other reviewers .. I have to say this ... THE REMOTE CONTROL ABSOLUTELY STINKS ... worst piece of hardware I've ever held in my hand ... period ... and that includes all those awefull Sony-Ericson phones I've tried over the years ;-)

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DSM-320 Wireless Media Player, Audio/Photo/Video, 802.11g

D-Link's DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter is a next generation multimedia product that streams all your favorite media files to your home entertainment center.It supports 802.11g wireless standards with transfer speeds up to 54Mbps. The DSM-320 supports all popular media formats including MP3, WAV, and WMA for audio files, MPEG1/2/4, AVI, and DivX4/5 for video, and JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PNG for images. Plug the DSM-320 directly into your TV to easily access all your media content through the user-friendly TV interface with the included remote control.Experience your digital media like never before with the DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter.

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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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Grace Digital Wireless Hi-fi Internet Radio Tuner featuring Pandora and NPR (GDI-IRDT200) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Wow! What a sweet device this is for the even the not so techo-inclined. Installation was a breeze as there were only 2 cables to hook-up: power, and RCA jacks. I piped it into my receiver and hit the power button and bingo! it found my network over it's installed handy dandy wireless network adapter (G). It prompted me for my password, which I entered (by turning the knob, which was kind of a pain) and it connected no problem. You can also wire your connection through the network cable slot in the back, however, no network cable was included.
After that, I chose internet radio and I had choices galore. The real beauty of this device is how you can personalize it. Got a Pandora account? Pipe it through this baby with ease. How about Live365? You can do that too. Want to search the internet radio via genre? No sweat. Absolutely amazing I tell you.
I created my Grace account, added stations online and podcasts and after unplugging the device and plugging back in (yah, they tell you to do that so it updates the streams), my customization was found on the device and away I went.
Here is the absolute frosting on the cake...I'm now streaming all of my music from my laptop and external hard drive to this device! Sort by genre, album, album artist, create a queue, you name it, this thing can do it. This kills the Windows Media Center that never worked right with my 360.
Who knew you could have so much fun with a radio??

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The Grace Digital Tuner (GDI-IRDT200) is a combination Internet radio and audio media streaming device that brings all the audio content of the Internet from your broadband connection directly to your home Stereo. With it users can listen to 16,000+ radio stations from NPR on-demand, FOX news, CNN, BBC, CBS to KROQ, over 35,000 podcast, 20,000+ On-Demand subscription streams or your personal Pandora radio stations - Free. The Tuner provides not only standard RCA connections to your home stereo but also two digital out connections for the highest audio quality experience as well as both Wi-Fi and an Ethernet connection to your home broadband router. In addition to the ability to play all the Free music in the world, music files from your PC or Mac, a SD or USB drive the Grace Tuner can also access Sirius Premium Internet radio services with a subscription directly from Sirius. The Tuner comes with a full featured remote control and is compatible with the free Grace remote control App for iPhone/iTouch. Connect all your digital music to your home stereo, with Grace.

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