Video
Streaming clips of the DSM 300 at the bottom of the
page.
D-Link
DSM-330
DivX Not so dodgy
Network media players sales are low. And there's no
real evidence to suggest that the Xbox 360 is used to
its full Media Center Extender potential in a significant
number of homes. With its fans whirring non stop, it's
far too noisy.
Media Center PCs are still not reliable or user friendly,
while a solution like the Xbox simply doesn't support
the breath of formats you've probably got on your PC
.
After a good few days this product, the £130 D-Link
DSM-330 HD Media Player, the answer looks to be a "yes".
Fantastic format support
The question over format support has always been whether
DivX and XviD are supported - and that's obviously not
a problem here.
DivX is a name that's well-known among those who often
download content from the internet. DivX will surely
ensure attention is directed towards boxes such as the
DSM-330, not least because of the exemplary support
for the kind of formats that go hand in hand with torrents.
The wireless mode doesn't match a wired experience,
but it stays refreshingly quick.
It's not that they're short on function; they're chronically
short on usability - absolutely crucial for a living
room device.
It's an open standard platform
As well as enabling you to stream music, photos and
video, DivX has given Connected some more interesting
things for us to talk about. Firstly, you're able to
stream content directly from the internet. This currently
works with DivX's Stage 6 video upload site. Also Google
maps , pulling live traffic data and maps from the internet.
Other applets will be added soon. Some buffering is
to be expected, but the experience works just like a
video on your network - you can forward, rewind and
pause the content whenever you want to.
And, since the platform is open, anyone can design plug-ins
for DivX Connected using its open source SDK. It uses
the Gecko rendering engine; the framework behind Firefox.
The interface is clear and crisp and pulls down images
for your media from the net. If there is no image (say,
for example, for some illegitimate content) a snipped
frame from the footage will be displayed instead.
One of the nattier features is the ability to resume
from the point last played, as if it were a DVD. The
rewind and pause functions work. That's not to say they're
exceptional, but if you'd used some of the Network media
players on the market, you'd be amazed at how often
such basics don't work properly.
Yet DivX Connected isn't without its flaws. It needs
server software to be operational on a PC unlike, say,
the Buffalo LinkTheater that can pull it from a network
drive. That's a serious problem in our book - if your
media is on the network anyway, why should you have
to switch on a PC to share it?
So what's it like to set up? Again, surprisingly comprehensive.
While setting up this box, a warning appeared on the
screen, telling us the network channel of our wireless
network was busy. It advised us to change it. A nice
touch.
Otherwise, the setup goes through a simple diagnostic
process depending on the way it's connected to your
TV (HDMI, SCART, S-Video, Composite and component are
all possibilities) and depending on whether you want
it on the wired or wireless network. Like the Apple
TV, 720p HD is catered for, but unlike the Apple TV
there is no integrated hard drive or iTunes/AAC support.
But that isn't what the DSM-330 is designed for. Instead,
what you have here is a box that contrasts with every
other example of the genre. And, what's more, it keeps
improving since we set it up, there have been two firmware
updates. The price isn't too bad either.
Features:
£130
Video Formats: DivX, XviD with MP3 or PCM, WMV9 (transcoded
on PC)
Audio Formats: MP3 (Up to 360 kbps), WMA (transcoded
on PC)
Supported Image Formats: JPEG, JPEG 2000, BMP
802.11g Wi-Fi or Wired Ethernet connection
HDMI, SCART, Composite, S-Video and Component video
outputs
RCA, S/PDIF, Optical audio outputs
720p HD support
