Netgear busts out the MP115 wireless digital media player
posted December 22nd 2004 12:15PM
In the crazy rush to get all sorts of wireless things connected to everything in your house, Netgear has released the MP115 Digital Media Player. This wireless entertainment bridge comes with its own software that collects your media and lets you play it back on your entertainment system, be it video or audio files. Supported formats include MPEG-1/2/4, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, MP3, WAV, and WMA. Good stuff, but let's go back to the fact that it comes with its own software. Why is it that every single media playback thingy needs its own software? Isn't everyone already using iTunes or MusicMatch or our fav, foobar2000? Do we need to use some other company's crummy interface? Sigh. For connections, the MP115 sports Component video, SCART for you Euros, S-Video, and analog audio. Nope, no digital audio interfaces. Merry Christmas to you too, Netgear.
What use has it when it doesn´t support dvix, xvid or other popular video compression formats...
I´ll stick to the Philips Streamium: http://www.streamium.com/products/sl300i/features.cfm
By and large, they come with their own software because the protocols those media players all use suck.
Force Apple to use RTSP/RTP in iTunes and everyone will be happy.
Does the steamium support divx and xvid?
I was using my Xbox with xbox media center, but I had to un-hack it to play Halo 2 on Live. Sad, but happy day.
Should I buy a new Xbox for home media or go with something like the Streamium? hmmm.
Engadget should do a roundup of all these digital media centre whatzits. I'd love to get one that wasn't too pricey, had reasonable codec support (like DivX and OGG), and didn't make you have to use some crappy, ugly, bloated, crashy conduit software they wrote in a day when Windows Explorer (and its Mac/Linux equivalents) is really just fine, thanks.
I agree with the editor. I am used to iTunes and less software I have to INTERACT with, is more.
As far as movies and XviD I just got a Philips DVP642. If you got, it plays it and it cost me $75!
Loving it.
I don't think wireless solutions are there yet. For now, I'm happy with burning a disc.
The Philips streamium supports Divx and Xvid, so there is a wireless solution. But I have to agree with you that it's a downside you need to install extra software for feeding the Streamium. I've seen it in action and it really is a very nice product.
From the Streamuim FAQ:
5. What kind of media can it stream?
For music, Streamium currently supports MP3 and mp3Pro codecs. For videos, MPG1, MPG2, MPG4, DivX 3, DivX 5, XviD are supported. You can also view JPG, GIF, and BMP images on your TV through Streamium.
The release says the Netgear MP115 supports Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP)servers ; so the default software isn't mandatory. Could try Musicmatch (w/UPnP server built it) or Twonkyvision (UPnP for Winamp)
You don't have to use the supplied software. I have a Netgear MP101 music player, and immediately dumped the Netgear software in favour of the much better TwonkyVision which also supports picture and video streaming to players such as the MP115.
If the makers didn't supply their own software, there'd be an outcry as no-one wants to be forced to seek out and evaluate alternative software if they don't want to. However, due to support for UPnP, alternatives do exist for those that want them.
I have to agree with DoomWolf. the Twonky software is much better than the NetGear stuff. Having said that, I don't think that it's as usable.
I know many people who would balk at stopping the service using a command line, installing the upgrade, then restarting the service from the command line. I'd say it's in need of an installer for most people's use.
I bought one of these and frankly its pants. I haven't managed to get it to play any more than a couple of tracks before locking up, and it doesn't even have a power button to power cycle it when it (inevitably) freezes. Press the wrong keys on the remote and it will freeze. It can't see its own server software but it can see MusicMatch - how dumb is that? A complete waste of time any money, a product not fit for sale.