Linksys shows off two new Media Center Extenders

Want to spring out of your Windows Media Center situation, but don't have any good options? Well, you're in luck, because the good folks over at Linksys have whipped up a couple of wireless Media Center Extenders which might just do the trick... or wreck your home life. Feast your eyes on the DMA 2100 and DMA 2200 (pictured), two new offerings from the router-maker sure to please some of the people some of the time. Specs are thin right now, but what we do know is that the DMA 2200 sports an upscaling DVD player, both units have a "learning" remote, and the Extenders will be available sometime in November. For now, enjoy the photos, and your wild dreams of "sharing photos, music and movies" with friends and family.

[Thanks, Gordon]

[DarkSamus @ Sep 26th 2007 10:21AM]

This is not the Extenders for Media Center is it? The one that can play divx/xvids?

[Chris @ Sep 26th 2007 4:17PM]

Yes, it is.

[BoneJob @ Sep 26th 2007 10:28AM]

Price it under $300 and I'm sold.

[KB @ Sep 26th 2007 10:30AM]

Do people actually use this stuff?

[lschenavar @ Sep 26th 2007 11:32AM]

I have a Buffalo Linktheater at home and love it.

[JS @ Sep 26th 2007 12:58PM]

I just use a DVI > HDMI cable from my video card to my TV...but then again, I'm technologically spoiled :-)

[recho @ Nov 8th 2007 10:42PM]

I use a D-Link DSM-320 media player with a Buffalo network storage device. I love it and it's not to hard to use. I download movies from bittorrent and watch with the whole family on the big screen TV.

I'm looking to upgrade my media player and I will definitely buy this if price/features are right!

[Lauren the Ghoti @ Sep 26th 2007 10:39AM]

This looks like a great out the box solution for Windows Media Center. Unfortunatley I already set up my *wired* WMCE with the xbx360 so I'm going to have to wait.

And yes you can play any media on your PC through this on your Home Enterntainment system.

Unlike the crApple TV where you have to lobotmize yourself into using only iTurd content with this you can use any content(xvid,divx,bin). Of course its not sleek and shiny to jam up our asses so I can bet the iTards will have a problem with it.

[aaron @ Sep 26th 2007 10:48AM]

well said...

[Mike @ Sep 26th 2007 10:50AM]

"...sleek and shiny to jam up our asses..."

What a classy broad...

[Rick @ Sep 26th 2007 3:42PM]

Gates couldn't have dreamt that sheep responce any better.

[Raymond Isaac @ Sep 26th 2007 10:57AM]

I use the D-Link DSM-520. It seems very similar to this device, except without the DVD player and can only upscale to 1080i. I've been thinking about getting a second box, but this one might edge out a second D-Link purchase.

I'm wondering if it will use MythTV as well? My D-Link will, as well as Mac OS X media servers. Which leads me to say, screw windows only media players!

[Notung @ Sep 27th 2007 5:53AM]

Man, the problem with all that devices usually is their lousy interface and poor user experience.

D-Link's, Linsys', TVIX's, etc.

I just don't get how these people that make such affordable full of "open" features, don't expend a little time or hire a good professional and better that part of their product.

Don't get me wrong, Apple TV is really a conceptual piece of crap, something that they think we should buy because they are good at selling stuff, a "my way or the highway" style, but guys, their interface is cool, period (usability is not as cool anyway). We have criticised SONY because their approach with ATRAC and closed platforms, and these guys tend to do the same thing, and for whatever the reason people does not care this time. Next year they will tells everybody how to dress I am afraid.

So, the quetion is that is a cool feature for that type of devices to have an extra thing called MCExtender, because, now they are talking coolness, apart from playing DVIX at HD, and so on. I like Extenders better than just media players, apart from the incredible XBMC, of course

[Patrick @ Sep 26th 2007 2:51PM]

Finally! Vista extender with DVD.Here's to hoping it's a reasonableprice...I'll take 2.

PS, Josh, try to sound a little less enthusiastic next time. Maybe if they put a big silver apple on the top of it, you'd be more excited.

[Mark G @ Sep 26th 2007 10:53AM]

Sweet... I have been waiting a long time for a v2 extender. As for the question about whether people actually use this stuff, Hell YES! Extending media center to other rooms in the house is amazing. I watch recorded tv, listen to music, et. All within the sweet mce interface. so take that hater! hehe

[Hinten @ Sep 26th 2007 11:15AM]

Simple formula with Engadget:
Technology that's useful, multi-featured and priced for the masses = meh
Technology that does one thing and only barely so plus pricing for the enthusiast = Yeah!

It's a not so subtle form of technology elitism.

[Darkest Daze @ Sep 26th 2007 6:31PM]

I totally skip over their opinions and go to the specs. That way I don't have to hear how anything that's not Apple is the biggest failure ever, and then read how anything Apple is the best thing to ever be created. Same thing I do over at Gizmodo.

[Simon @ Sep 26th 2007 11:36AM]

I have a MCE-Extender... Its plays everything, videos (WMV Mpeg, DivX, XviD), Pictures, music. It's even sleek and white for the "iTards".... plays awesome games like Halo3 and Bioshock... it's called an "XBox360!"

[Mark G @ Sep 26th 2007 12:03PM]

This will not work with myth tv. There are other streaming hardware solutions that may fit your needs better.

[brownc4 @ Sep 26th 2007 11:42AM]

Did they intentionally try to make it match the original xbox?

[dj-kenpo @ Sep 26th 2007 11:58AM]

the software can't be anywhere as god as xbmc on the original xbox.

it always amazes me people buy these things. I just want to slap people and shout XBMC!

the only reason there's a market for devices like this is for people who have never heard of or used xbmc

[Zingerhill @ Sep 26th 2007 3:10PM]

I have a 360 and XBMC. XBMC is really nice, but I the processor is too slow for me. It really chokes on HD and even big photos load very slowly. Those are the big uses for me.

[hickhamt @ Sep 26th 2007 2:29PM]

the read link takes you to a dead linksys coroparate site page.. and if you try to navigate to something like it, you dont find it.. hmmm.. disconcerting... maybe they're just not as quick to update their site like engadget is when something new from apple comes out..

ps.. i had mce2005 and loved it.. i upgraded to vista ultimate and love the mce even more!... and i know alot of people looking for something to extend their media ... mce or not... so even if it's not a true windows mcx, any media extender is a great idea... and while it's nice to have an upconverting dvd player built in, the point of media center is to center the media.. meaning rip your dvd's and access them through media center, but when it comes to extending, i just wish more official mcx's supported vob files from ripped discs and hd content (from the drive, not tv)... im not 100% opposed to converting to divx, but still, i think an official mcx should be more like the xbmc and let you access alot more file types... a friend of mine bought one of the first gen models from linksys and was disappointed to find out that you cant stream ripped dvds from the hard drive and the file types supported were only like 2 or 3... also, a benefit for buying a media extender as opposed to a media center extender is that you dont have to register it with microsoft and go through a crazy media center plugin registration process... just my 2cents...

[Jim @ Sep 26th 2007 4:01PM]

I have to old original Media range extender from Linksys and love it. I wireless get the content from a computer upstairs that is hook to a 500 GB external drive and never have an issue. The picture quality is good (I watch it on a 57 Inch TV). I have tried hooking the computer directly up to the TV but the computer video outs appear to give me fairly crappy quality compared to when I route the video trough the media ranger extender.
I think it was one of my best purchases to accompany the Media center PC. I was always a bit worried that since it was not a really popular device I would have great difficultly finding a suitable replacement.

BTW: The Read link is broken.

[Lonnie McClure @ Sep 26th 2007 4:15PM]

I had the same thought when looking at the front of this; reminded me of the front of my original XBox.

The only fault I see with my XBox with XBMC is what Zingerhill noted; the CPU could be faster. It works great for the majority my content, but higher resolutions of H.264 encoded material, and 720p or 1080i content at broadcast data rates are simply too much for it. (I transcode my HD recordings to 720i at 8.5 mbps, which works fine).