D-Link's MediaLounge PC-on-TV DPG-1200 now shipping

Remember that DPG-1200 that got overshadowed by the outpouring of other media streamers landing at CES? Welp, D-Link has just announced that its PC-on-TV Player is finally shipping to eager customers and will soon be channeling web-based content directly to living room (or bathroom, kitchen, garage, underground bomb shelter, etc.) televisions for the marginally respectable price of $239.99. For those in dire need of a refresher, this MediaLounge device links up to your TV via VGA / component / composite and connects to your PC via WiFi; the bundled remote can then control the on-screen action, bringing YouTube, Google Video, Veoh Networks, etc. material from the intarwebz straight to your set. Whether or not the convenience is worth the cost, however, is totally your call.

[OSnix*-geek @ Apr 21st 2008 4:34PM]

And no HD support whatsoever..... why?

[MrCrispy @ Apr 21st 2008 4:36PM]

Every time I see one of these, I'm reminded of XBMC - about a million times more powerful, elegant and capable, and ~1/2 the price. If only the original Xbox was still around.

[Mark @ Apr 21st 2008 4:37PM]

No HD support....FAIL UPON FAIL.

[ShadowMaker @ Apr 21st 2008 4:42PM]

Of course the Wifi reception in your underground bomb shelter will be lousy...

[Ellianth @ Apr 21st 2008 5:18PM]

Umm.. why would it be lousy? The router would be INSIDE the shelter, not outside it. Otherwise it'd get destroyed when the rest of your house gets bombed.

[telepheedian @ Apr 21st 2008 5:56PM]

...along with the computer that it would presumably be linked to.

[4honor @ Apr 21st 2008 4:43PM]

Worthless... Any media boxes without HDMI is junk imo... Why not just go buy a Wii and use software to do that? Geez, people wasting money making useless junk...

[Michael @ Apr 21st 2008 6:41PM]

3 flaws in your logic #1 good luck finding a wii, #2 didnt you just say its a waste without an hdmi port, last time i looked wii doesnt even pull hd resolutions...AND! last but not least...#3 why wouldnt you just buy a used xbox 1, softmod it and toss xbmc on there?

[4honor @ Apr 21st 2008 6:54PM]

#1 I have a Wii, so do my friends; #2 I don't use my Wii as a media center, it's my gaming machine. However, if I want, I can perform the same task as this D-Link device; #3 Why don't I go buy a HTPC? Why don't I buy a PS3? Why don't I just hook up my laptop to the TV? Why don't I just watch it on my computer? There could be hundreds of alternatives, the Wii was just an example, not a flaw.

[aqtrans @ Apr 21st 2008 8:33PM]

Wii doesn't have any software (besides some half-assed online 'software') to do this currently. I hope that someone does make something like this for the Wii.

[looseinthedeuce @ Apr 21st 2008 4:44PM]

HTPC or nothing at all. This thing is NOT worth the cost.

[socalreinvestor @ Apr 21st 2008 4:50PM]

Popcorn hour cost les$179 and runs circles around this POS.

[Evan @ Apr 21st 2008 8:37PM]

Yes, but the D-Link will sell because you can buy it stores like Sears. Where can Joe Six Pack walk into a store and buy a Popcorn Hour?

[torqueo @ Apr 21st 2008 4:50PM]

*hugs his Popcorn Hour A-100... scratches his arms in doing so*

[HalfJoey @ Apr 21st 2008 4:53PM]

Its seems like its just for internet videos and videos on your computer not HD movies. HD support would be nice though. I wish there would be a solution for Netflix Instant Watch on the TV other than me hooking my laptop up to my TV.

[Steve @ Apr 21st 2008 5:56PM]

I am 100% sure that this costs $199.99, not $239.99. I work at Sears, and we've had 5 of them sitting in our back room for two weeks. They ring up at $199 where I work, and other sites (*cough*Gizmodo*cough*) are reporting them to be $199.

[mapkook @ Apr 21st 2008 6:15PM]

http://www.dlinkshop.com/product.asp?sku=3782255

[jim killer @ Apr 21st 2008 9:19PM]

for $100 or $150 more you could either get a Xbox 360 or PS3 with Blu-ray that can do the same thing. What a waste.

[tojfs7931 @ Apr 21st 2008 11:52PM]

People still use Veoh?

[Sham @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:07AM]

D-Link is one of the most unapproachable companies that exist on the face of earth. They really don't care. Please guys don't buy any modem or router or anything from them. I'm writing this bcoz of very bad personal experience.

[JohnA @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:08AM]

For someone looking for a good HD media streamer (stand alone, no xbox or ps3) that plays nice with all the usual codecs, what do you recomend do you recomend?

[druja @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:13AM]

I purchased the DSM-520 D-Link had before this product. I really wanted to like it, it sounded good on paper. The software D-Link puts on these things is absolute crap. It crashed easily, videos skipped, it couldn't do basic internet radio streaming reliably, most of the radio stations they listed didn't even work, etc. You can really tell when the people designing a product don't actually use it themselves, and this was the case. The single software update they released in a year was more buggy than the previous version. It does absolutely nothing well. Buy something else, don't waste your money.

[MC @ May 2nd 2008 3:02PM]

the DSM-520 is awesome!! AS long as you don't use the PC software that came with it. I use Nero Mediahome instead and it's fantastic. I can stream all of my DVD collection, plus my media center stuff (after conversion for now) plus I have access to my Rhapsody server and can stream googles of internet radio and other audio with no problems. I've also tried TVersity and is works great as well. I am streaming HD video 1920x1080i to the unit with no issues on wired Ethernet. Don't even go there with wireless. You can't stream HD video on 802.11g at a video rate worth watching - don't even try. The only drawback o this device is that it doesn't play H.264 AVC which is what the world needs to be going to NOW!!

[sladehayes @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:30AM]

If you're in the US just wait a little bit and get the DivX Connected D-Link box (D-Link DSM-330). Its more stable, better interface and plays back everything.

[xplode @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:11AM]

requirement: windows pc = FAIL

my house is windows free as of 2007, yay!