I-O Data updates AVeL LinkPlayer with HDMI

It seems that a new networked DVD player cum media extender pops up nearly every day around here -- just recently, we saw models from Omisys and NeoDigits -- and now I-O Data has released yet another model called the AVeL LinkPlayer AV-LS300DW. Also available without WiFi as the AV-LS300D (but what fun is that?), the 300DW is a follow up to the AVLP2/DVDG that the company released almost two years ago, supporting the same MPEG-1/2, DivX, XviD, WMV9, MP3, AAC, WMA, and Ogg files as its predecessor. What makes the new model different is an HDCP-capable HDMI output, which brings in the possibility of streaming HD content as well as upconverting your DVDs to 720p or 1080i. You can pick up the wired version for $294 or the wireless model for around $30 more -- if you live in Japan, that is.

[Via Akihabara News]

[Wonderboy @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:04AM]

What's the deal with the Japanese getting all these toys all the time... do they have an unlimited amount of money to spend on new tech? How about we ship some of these over so I can finally spend some of my huge stockpile of cash (read: "so I can beg my wife to let me work one of these into the budget.")

[Josh Wardell @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:10AM]

We've been waiting a long time since they first mentioned they will soon be coming out with an Avel LinkPlayer 3 with will also have H.264 support. See http://www.iodata.com/usa/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=87

[Matt @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:22AM]

I have this unit without wireless and HDMI and it is amazing, it comes with software to stream from both mac and windows and you can plug an ipod into the usb andplay music thorugh it. It also plays WMVHD DVD's

[Jboy001 @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:53AM]

I also have an Avel LinkPlayer 2, bought it last year. It's a very hit or miss piece of hardware, crashes when powering down and sometimes needs a hard reset when inserting a new movie.

Never really had trouble streaming content though, using swisscenter and windows media connect. playing .ts mpeg2 files over the network is beautiful and keeping me from buying a HD-DVD player or Blu-Ray

My only real beef with the player is they removed component dvd upconversion with the latest firmware upgrades so now im stuck with a non upgradable player (i cant give up the wonderful upconversion).

[JL @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:57AM]

These units aren't limited to just iPod support.
If you go to iodata's website, they show a typical
configuration for the one available in the US as having a USB hard drive plugged into it so you can
play all of the supported media from the HDD.

http://www.iodata.com/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=HDL&ts=2&tsc=14&sc=HDL&pId=UHDL-160U

The link is from their NAS HDD page, but if you scroll down to the bottom it shows the USA version (the one sans wireless) with the caption:

Solution #4 "Best Friend of AVeL LinkPlayer"

[B @ Jun 23rd 2006 1:30PM]

I have the LinkPlayer2 - awesome peice of technology. It has given me no problems and it solved several. I wanted to be able to stream anything and everything from my server and this thing does it - very well. Got mine on Ebay for a steal.

[Lou @ Jun 23rd 2006 3:40PM]

You can buy these things in the US. I have 2 IO-Data players (LinkPlayer2). Just go to their website - they ship from CA.

They're awesome players and I never have a problem with them. They also release firmware upgrades regularly.

[Raymond Peck @ Dec 23rd 2006 2:15AM]

I'm happy with my LinkPlayer2 also, but like someone else noted it does have lots of idiosyncracies, primarily freezing when reaching the end of disks. So far, cold boots always have addressed these. It's a Windoze PC in a small box, what do you want? ;-)

I did upgrade the drive mechanism and the output filters (see avsforum for details) and both made a huge difference.

Looking forward to someone releasing a solid box like this that has h.264 support. Most European content is now in h.264 and I can't play it, not even on my 3GHz p4 PC, which is too slow. :-(