I've been trying different various networked media players since they appeared. They've all sucked to varying degrees.
Recently I've tried two and kept one. The one I returned (just so you know) was the D-Link Media Lounge DSM-320 (http://www.d-link.com/products/?sec=1&pid=318). It's a wireless-capable model that does photos, music and video. The unit offers component video and digital audio and sets up quite easily (although I couldn't figure out how to get the unit's MAC address for my wireless filter in the short time I had it). The unit worked very well for photos and music. Frustratingly it did not offer a view of either by folder just by "library" (using folder names in a flat directory structure for images and ID Tag information for music). Even more frustrating it didn't understand either the "Track Number" set in the file information of my WMA or honor the playlists for them I had constructed. However it played them all very well. The real problems came with video support. Through wireless video was nearly unusable, however through a wired connection what it play played well. The main problem was that it played very little. It would play a few of my MPGs and AVIs but offers no support for WMV files. Files with high bit rates (for example those recorded from Hi-def sources) or uncommon sizes just wouldn't play. Other files played but had no audio sync and still others played, just barely, with constant break up and artifacts. The unit was $200 (although D-link has announced two more, one with a built-in DVD player and another with a built-in Hard drive). After having it for a few days and hitting the support forums I noticed a marked trend of all problems getting the "this problem will be addressed in the next firmware release" answer. In short support seemed pretty poor from what I saw. So I returned it (to Best Buy). I then ordered the Avel Linkplayer (from I-O Data) from Digital Connection (http://www.digitalconnection.com/Products/DVD/avpl2.ASP). Product page is here: http://www.iodata.com/usa/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=AVEL&ts=2&tsc=&sc =AVEL&pId=AVLP2%2FDVDLA This unit costs $250 but is also a full featured DVD-player (although it also lacks Wireless capabilities). You install a small server application on a PC or Mac (this is needed for the D-link player as well). In this application you define which folder are made available to the player via the network. Network set up with a DHCP server (as in my LinkSys router) was completely painless. The player takes a while to turn on (essentially this is a Linux PC so the boot process takes a while), but no longer than 5-8 seconds (which annoys my wife to no end). The player is also pretty ugly compared to my stylish Sony player its replacing and the front panel controls are minimalist (the Sony had a complete complement of controls including a joystick). My biggest annoyance with the player is the power switch: it's a push button switch which needs to be pressed manually to turn the player off. Although you can turn the "power" off from the remote (which actually just puts the unit to sleep) a signal is still sent to the component outputs in this state. This means that my auto sensing component switch-box won't disengage from this DVD player automatically as it would with a unit that truly powered down. It's a small price to pay and completely invisible if you don't have such an automated switcher. Lastly in the negative column is the fact that as a Japanese product the unit won't work at all with non-learning universal remotes (or, frustratingly with the Fisher Price "InteracTV" unit). Avel states clearly on their FAQ that they just don't provide codes for such remotes. That's it for the bad: the pluses far outweigh them. The unit has a full compliment of outputs (component video is provided by an included D4-to-component connector). There's also a front-mounted USB port which can accept computer media placed on a USB memory device or even from many flash card readers. The unit is a high-definition unit from the ground-up. It can play DVDs at native resolution (generally 480p) but can, itself, handle any standard HD resolution (480i, 480p, 720p or 1080i). I think the picture quality is amazing, but I'm no expert. On my 32" Samsung CRT set to 1080i DVDs are markedly sharper. But all of that's honestly just gravy - the networking options are why you'd really buy this thing. Any they don't disappoint. Turning the unit on places you into a navigator menu: it will display icons for a DVD in the drive, a Flash device in the USB port and an icon and computer name for each server found on the network. Clicking on a server offers you the choice to explore photos, music or video. Photos actually work much worse on this than on the D-Link player, but seemingly only because the server software attempts to create thumbnails for each image (which sends the host computer's CPU usage through the roof). However photos are organized in the same folder structure as they are on your computer and are thus very easy to find. Music playback is incredible. The unit supports MP3, ACC, WMV, and Ogg Vorbis. You can explore music as folders, by genre, artist, etc. Playlist support is still lacking and the unit unfortunately does not honor the track number in the files (it lists them alphabetically). If you're the type to embed the track numbers in the filename or you just don't care about the track order then you're set. You can also set a music folder to be played when viewing folders or a photo folder to be shown when listening to music. Where the unit really shines is video. The unit supports WMV (the only unit I've seen that does) and DIVx - both in High Definition resolutions. WMV support is generally good although I've only two HD files to test (one plays perfectly the other plays fine but with no audio). The unit also supports xVid and MPEG (1 and 2). So far about 90% of what I've thrown at it plays just fine. The unit has no trouble playing most of the video I download from newsgroups (even the high-resolution stuff from LOL and the like) and Torrents. It plays nearly all the high-quality video I've tried - sometimes better than my computer does (for example we downloaded episodes of "Desperate Housewives" which have severe audio-sync issues in Windows Media Player, but play fine on the LinkPlayer). Some files lack audio (a lack of the right audio CODEC) and some are flakey (odd bit rates or resolutions). Those few files that don't play are generally the smaller computer-only files (things that you might download from joke website or the like). If you're not the networking type these files should also work if simply copied to a USB-able memory device or recordable CD/DVD (I've only tried a handful so far - but they all worked). Of course the device also supports standard VCD/SVCD discs as well. I've not tried it yet (it's still in beta and I haven't needed it) but Avel also offers a direct-show capable "Advanced Server". In effect this pipes anything that can be viewed or listened to with Windows Media player to the Link Player. It can also support files with DRM schemes that the LinkPlayer doesn't natively handle. I'm going to be trying this soon as the advanced server also offers greatly enhanced playlist and large-library management. Using the include "basic server" CPU usage is negligible (except, as noted, when creating photo thumbnails). When not in use directly the CPU usage is nothing, but even when streaming high-quality video CPU usage never reaches more than 10% on my system but generally stays less than 5% (albeit my system is a 3.04GHz P4 with a Gig of RAM). There also seems to be pretty complete Mac/iPod support but I've no way to test that. Support for the product seems quite good - however (as you might have noticed from the product website) the support is definitely not provided by native English speakers. If you're already used to Japlish then you should get along fine, but otherwise you might find it frustrating. For example here's partial instructions to the FAQ: "Please try to check this page when you meet setup or working trouble. You need to choose the question category ex) AVeLLink Server, Files, Screen, USB, or something. And then, you will arrive the goal by the instructions." Expect a lot of this if you want to read through the company information or instructions. I've just been completely enthralled with the player so far. The issue with the power/sleep state is continuous frustrating (and something that I hope might be fixed with a firmware update, but I'm not holding my breath). But this player has played nearly everything we've thrown at it with no problems at all. Future firmware releases are already planned which will add enhanced format and DRM support. There's even talk of adding basic web browsing to the machine (remember, this is just a Linux-based computer). Also if you really want wireless Avel has announced that a wireless version of this unit will be available sometime in 2005. If you're looking for a device in this class and can't afford (or don't want to afford) a full home-theater PC this box is the closest you'll find out there to Nirvana. If you download video (whether from UseNet or P2P) regularly and have regretted not being able to get that video to your expensive (and more comfortable) home theater system you should seriously take a look at this unit. If you'd like me to test anything or have any other questions feel free to ask. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:145373 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
