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Seeing how addicted the Mrs. and myself were getting to our Media Center, we bought this device over the weekend to set it up in our bedroom so that we could at least stream basic movies, recorded + live TV and divx/xvid files. My overall impressions of the device were less than impressive.
Networking:
This thing of course has a RJ-45 jack, G and N wireless capable. We have a 802.11 G network in our relatively tiny 2 bedroom apartment and I was nearly confident it would have been enough to stream video. Surprisingly it wasn't. I wireless stream hidef content to my laptop in our bedroom from the PC in the living room but this thing was choking even on standard definition. I couldn't watch a movie for 20 minutes without a choking freeze... and a bad one at that. Had to reboot the device to free it from the choke. Though I'm certain that Wireless "N" would be absolutely skip-free, I was surprised to see its limitation on the "G" bandwagon
Connectivity:
Has a bevy of connectors in the back (as seen above). Nearly every type of video connection is offered, HDMI, Composite, Component and S-Video. I had connected it using the (included) Component cables and the interface display was crisp. Wired-Wireless network connectivity options are solid and short of the "optical audio out", they had component and coax-digital connections too, though I've only used the RCA connectors so far.
Remote:
Device also comes with a media-center-ish remote which I didn't fancy too much because the buttons felt slightly small in my hand. Moreover, even though its a "learning" remote, the instructions for setting it up to pair with the TV remote were off (it speaks of hitting the button marked "?" but there is no such button on the remote). Though it does work well even when not directly pointed towards the device, which was effective considering that when I'm lying in bed and watching TV, the device is "almost" hidden from view.
Interface:
My biggest gripe with this device is the interface. While the device interface itself (setup/options/etc.) are unique and I don't really have any comments on them, the media center interface looks and performs below Par. The main Media Center blue theme appears completely washed out (on the verge of white) than the actual deep blue media center interface. Moreover, the scrolling is not as smooth and inconsistent. It's fast sometimes, slow the other. I'm not sure if its my Wireless G network that was ruining it but I just didn't enjoy it, like I do on the main Media Center PC, which is absolutely smooth. Being a brand new product, I'm sure these can be addressed via future software updates and the device potentially caching menu items.
What it's Missing
- DVD Player (though the more expensive version has 1)
- No HDD/Storage (though there is a USB port, which presumably can connect external storage, would have preferred to get at least a 60 or 80 GB HD built in).
- No HDMI Cable
- Limited format playback (well just divx/xvid)
Conclusion:
It's going back
In all honesty, for a device costing nearly $300 (I paid $308 after taxes) and inability to play hidef content (mkv files) and no storage/HDD space, I'd much rather drop in an extra $100-$200 and pick up a slimline PC from HP AND have the ability to play anytype of file + get another 300 - 400 GB storage space, defintely worth the extra $$. But for those with a smaller budget and not restricted to movie/format compatibility issues, it's one to consider and test to see if it fits your environment and tastes.
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