D-Link DSM-320 Wireless Media Player, Audio/Photo/Video, 802.11g Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My expectations were fairly low after having read all the other reviews, but I really liked the option that you get from adding a home media drive from D-Link to this set-up (DSM 602H/4H). I've been waiting for a media server that doesn't require me to keep my PC running in my bedroom 24/7. The network drive from D-Link and this media server looked like an awesome combination.
In an effort not to repeat everything that's already been said ... here are the things I believe haven't been mentioned yet ... first and foremost, don't expect to spend any less than a solid weekend getting this up and running .. and even after you do I expect multiple hours will be spent updating firmware etc. over the next few months (at least I hope there are firmware updates coming)
The physical connection was easy and intuitive, but getting the player up and running and connected to my wireless network was a royal pain. I tried to use my media drive as it is advertised by D-link, but apparantly that's not possible without a firmware update. Of course, that firmware update is still in beta release ... do I need to say more. It actually royally p*sses me off that D-Link advertise the combination of the media home drive and the media server, before they can actually deliver that option. I wrote a glowing review of the home media drive, but that was before I updated the firmware to enable use with the media server ... after the firmware was updated, I can't access the management interface for the drive for more than one or two pages before the device has to be restarted (read pull power plug and re-insert) .. the drive doesn't seem to stream the media evenly, so every single song comes across with large gaps where nothing is playing ... pictures don't come across in the right format and shows up on the screen in some oddly twisted aspect ratio ... the media server software that's resident in the media drive firmware update apparantly doesn't read ID3 tags correctly either; it doesn't pick up genres, and artist and album data isn't alphabitized
On a slight possitive note, the media server software running off my PC works much better. It streams evenly, ID3 tags seem correct and pictures are correctly formatted. I still haven't been able to stream a single movie across the media server, but that's personally less of an issue for me personally.
Oh, and although I didn't want to repeat other reviewers .. I have to say this ... THE REMOTE CONTROL ABSOLUTELY STINKS ... worst piece of hardware I've ever held in my hand ... period ... and that includes all those awefull Sony-Ericson phones I've tried over the years ;-)

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D-Link's DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter is a next generation multimedia product that streams all your favorite media files to your home entertainment center.It supports 802.11g wireless standards with transfer speeds up to 54Mbps. The DSM-320 supports all popular media formats including MP3, WAV, and WMA for audio files, MPEG1/2/4, AVI, and DivX4/5 for video, and JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PNG for images. Plug the DSM-320 directly into your TV to easily access all your media content through the user-friendly TV interface with the included remote control.Experience your digital media like never before with the DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter.

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Cisco-Linksys WMA11B Wireless Digital Media Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)...
First Impressions:
Nice packaging. Nice looking device, it's not much bigger than a four port hub. It has both the Cisco and LinkSys logos on the face. Vertical or horizontal mount. The package contained the device, quick setup poster, and a CD.
Installation:
I have an existing server, running Win2K Server, that I store my MP3 collection on. This product works by installing an agent on a PC and then connecting the device over a hard wired LAN or WiFi (802.11b). My setup allows me to use either LAN or WiFi and of course I chose the wired setup for max bandwidth and so I could actually listen to music and use my phone or microwave without dropping packets and thus songs. The agent installation was flawless and the media adapter and my server were talking within a few minutes after cracking up the box. Once the agent is installed on a PC, you really only have one option: Point the agent to your media. So of course I decided to point it to my entire (29 gig) mp3 collection which began in a single MP3 folder. Well, it starts to "Search" and then simply would disappear. No error, no nothing. Ok, maybe my collection was too big, so I start dragging my genre folders which were maybe 1 gig a piece...same thing happend. Ok...so I decide to drag a single album over to the agent and finally it seems to take the 6 songs in the folder and I rush over to my TV to fire up the device...it was able to play three of the songs and then the entire folder disappeared and thus I had no music to pull up anymore. After a few reboots and trying different folders I had similar results. My trade, I'm an IT guy...so there were no 'technical user' issues...I can assure you of that. To this day the device is flakey. It forgets entire folders for no reason at any given time. I've even loaded XP with similar results.
Audio:
The sound is on par with my expectations, though I wish for the price the device would have at least coax digital out. Your stuck with a pair of RCA, which I hooked a pair of Monster cables up to for optimal sound. The unit is equipped with an Intel StrongArm 400 MhZ (The same processor the latest PocketPCs use) and thus is pretty good at decoding and playing the MP3/WMAs.
Display:
The menus are sloppy. There is absolutely no customization on for menus either. There are NO visualizations while songs are playing. You can't see anything important like bit rate or most of an ID3 tag (genre, year, etc.). You are stuck with an unsizable screen that shows you the track name and album name and running time. That's it. Plus they use such a huge display, that a band or song title with a long name (13 chars +) gets lopped off. Sloppy stuff all around on the visuals. Again, I expect more.
Photos:
Photos are displayed well. No real problems here. The device sure could flip through them faster though with this processor. One plus is the ability to play MP3s while viewing photos. However, some lag does occur on larger photos. Whether this is due to bandwidth, processor, or a combination I'll leave up to the "engineers" over at Linksys to figure out and hopefully fix over the next decade or so...
Support:
This is where the stars began to seriously dive. ... I doubt the engineers who designed this paper weight released this as a stable product under their free will. It's a joke.
Conclusion:
... I would recommend looking at the new Gateway DVD/MP3 network device or waiting as this market opens up more. We will all want to stream over DivX movies, MP3s, and every other type of media soon. I'm just going to wait a few years while they refine this technology better.

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The Linksys Wireless-B media adapter lets you bring the digital pictures and music stored on your computer to your home entertainment center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the media adapter displaysyour digital photographs on the TV for the whole family to enjoy. And your digital music collection is finally freed from those little computer speakers and can play in full glory through your stereo system.
The Wireless-B media adapter sits by your home stereo and television and connects to them using standard consumer electronics cables. Then it connects to your home network by Wireless-B (802.11b) wireless networking or, if you prefer, it can be connected via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling. Using the included remote c ontrol and the user-friendly menus on your TV, you can browse through the digital pictures on your computer by folder, filename, or thumbnail. You can view pictures one at a time, or watch an automatically created slideshow of all the pictures in a given folder. The media adapter supports five popular picture formats: JPG, GIF, TIF, and BMP. Use the remote control's Zoom button to get a close-up of the details in your pictures. You can also use the remote to browse your MP3- or WMA-formatted music collection by title, artist, genre, folder, or playlist. Choose the music you want, and let the Wireless-B media adapter play it through your stereo system. You can even let music play in the background while you browse your pictures.
Power and Simplicity

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Sonos Controllers ? Wireless control of your Sonos Multi-Room Music System Review

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(More customer reviews)I have two CR100 controllers in heavy use for almost 2 years now. From that experience, I can say that they are solid and hold up flawlessly. I don't remember ever having to reboot. Personally I think that the size and weight are a plus for this purpose. The CR100 is well-designed: It does an excellent job controlling the sonos system. I like that it wakes up just by shaking it. On the downside: screen is mediocre quality and does not show full album and track names, searching large music libraries (e.g. Rhapsody) can be a challenge. Battery life is so-so, but good enough. And when compared to an Iphone or an Ipod, the CR-100 feels like a Chevrolet Lumina next to a Porsche: old-fashioned, clumsy, and looks a bit cheap for $399. But it does the job. The CR100 is at least 2x too expensive for what it contains. I'm waiting to an iphone app to control sonos. Technically that is possible and I would be willing to pay for that.
Update October 2008:
One of my CR-100 died spontaneously last week. This is disappointing: a product at
this price point simply should not die within 3 years of purchase. Since it was
out-of-warranty, Sonos replaced it by a new one for $100. Sonos tech support is
excellent and fast, but I have mixed feelings having to pay $100 to replace a faulty product.
Update November 2008:
The Iphone Sonos app is out! This totally obsoletes the CR-100, since the Iphone
with a brilliant touch screen is so much easier to use than the CR-100. Sonos did a great job
in designing this app: it is nearly flawless. Searching for music is much easier
using the keyboard interface than with the click-wheel of the CR-100.
And... its free. I expect Sonos to discontinue
the CR100 soon, since a $220 Ipod touch or a $200 Iphone does a much better job
at it than the $400 CR100. From any angle, the iphone is far superior.

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If you're a serious music lover, and you're looking for a quick, intuitive way to access your entire digital music collection, then look no further than the powerful, handheld Sonos Controller CR100. Tap into songs, albums, and even playlists from anywhere in your home, inside or out. That's because the Sonos Controller uses SonosNet, a secure wireless mesh network that extends the range of your controller throughout your entire home. Forget about running to your PC every time you want to pick a new tune, skip a track, or crank up the volume, just grab your CR100 and your music is at your fingertips.
Watch a demo of the Sonos Digital Music System.
The CR100 works in tandem with both of the Sonos ZonePlayers -- the ZonePlayer ZP100 or ZonePlayer ZP80 -- to control digital music throughout your home. In fact, you can use up to 32 controllers for each ZonePlayer. With multiple controller functionality, Sonos brings digital music control to every room and floor in your house.
Browsing and Queuing Browse your digital music collection by artist, album, genre, track, name, composer, or even playlist. The CR100 also empowers you to queue the right tunes for the right moment -- with this controller you can build, edit, and save playlists right from the palm of your hand. Of course, what you may want to hear might differ from your spouse working upstairs. Sonos has covered all the angles so you can have multiple music queues. Use any Controller to build a separate queue of music to play in each zone or a group of zones throughout your house. If you desire, you can pipe classical music into the kitchen while there's a rock opera blasting on the back porch -- Sonos gives you the tools to make music happen where you want to hear it.
The Screen and Controls The high-resolution, 3.5-inch LCD color screen makes everything on the screen bright and easy-to-see, including full-color album artwork, if available. You can view full-screen or thumbnail views of album art, plus detailed track information from this palm-sized device. Sonos designed the CR100 with a backlit screen and buttons, which makes it easy to operate in low-light conditions. You can even adjust the brightness of the LCD and buttons to suit your style or extend the battery life. The scroll wheel makes it easy to flip through large music collections and make selections, or you can power scroll by letters to jump ahead to find an artist, album, or track.
The Controller's button layout is intuitive and provides complete music management and control. Two buttons are dedicated to providing direct access to the Controller's main menus -- Music and Zones -- for quick, snappy control. The CR100 is also designed to conserve battery life with a movement sensor that automatically turns the Controller on when you pick it up, and a light sensor that only turns on backlighting when it is needed.
Also, be sure to check out the Sonos CC100 Charging Cradle, which serves as a handy charger and holder for the Controller.
Sonos In Depth The CR100 is just one part of a complete Sonos Digital Music System. To make your system complete, you'll also need a Sonos ZonePlayer. With the ZonePlayers in the rooms of your choice, you can play the same song in different rooms, or different songs in different rooms. You can have up to 32 Sonos ZonePlayers throughout your house -- from the bedroom to the backyard. Connect your first ZonePlayer to your router and all the others work wirelessly. Choose between the ZP80, which connects directly to your home theater or stereo, or the ZP100, which features its own built-in amplifier. Or better yet, choose both for the ultimate in multi-room music.
With the CR100 in hand, you'll have instant access to all your digital music, plus Internet radio, subscriptions to online audio services, and even music from your favorite CD or MP3 player. Turn off the upstairs music while you're downstairs. Change the song in the kitchen from the den. To start listening, just pick a room, pick a song, and hit play.
If you're just getting started with your Sonos system, you'll want to check out Sonos' ZP80 and ZP100 Digital Music System Bundles, which combine two ZP80 or ZP100 units respectively with a Sonos Controller. The bundles offer an easy, economical way to get in on the Sonos action. Then, when you're ready to expand you can purchase a ZP80 or ZP100 for more rooms in your home.
If you choose to extend your system with a ZP100 you can use your own speakers with it, or connect a pair of Sonos SP100 Loudspeakers, which are aesthetically and acoustically designed to look great with your Sonos Digital Music System.
What's in the Box Sonos Controller CR100, AC adapter, power cord, and controller documentation.

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Creative Labs Xmod Wireless Music System with X-Fi Technology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Xmod Wireless comes in 2 parts, a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter connects very simply to your PC via USB and it functions as a USB soundcard, applying X-Fi sound enhancement to any sound or music that is passed through it. Compressed audio like AAC, WMA and MP3 files are upscaled to 24 bit quality and surround sound effects can be added.
You have to experience this to appreciate it. It really does make your music sound better. Sometimes the improvement is more subtle than at other times, but the quality X-Fi provides really shines when you connect the receiver end of the Xmod Wireless to a good set of speakers that you might have in your theater or family room.
So, on to part 2 of the package. The wireless receiver. This enables you to control and listen to your music anywhere you place the receiver in your house. Your PC music collection is streamed around the house with top notch quality and fidelity. I have my receiver connected to my theater setup and the sound is fantastic. You can purchase additional receivers if you'd like to play your music in multiple rooms.
Cool things about the package overall. The range is great and there is no lag. Plus, it just works. You don't need to have your own network or anything running already. Just turn on the receiver and transmitter and away you go, nothing to fuss with. If you do have a network running, this won't interfere with it at all. I think both units are stylish as well. They fit right in with high end equipment and they are pretty small.
You also get a remote for each side and there are inputs so that you can connect an MP3 player. With the remotes, you can skip tracks, pause tracks, turn on and off the X-Fi features, etc.
I don't really have any negatives other than the price, but I still think it's worth it. Sonos has products with similar features that cost up to $1000. Xmod Wireless gives you what you need with better audio technology for a lot less. It would also be nice to have a small display on the receiver unit so you can see what you are browsing.
Overall, Xmod Wireless is highly recommended. The unique combination of a driverless and simple to use USB soundcard with a high quality streaming device is an excellent way to introduce your PC to your home theater setup or to any room of your house.


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Play music from your PC wirelessly in any room, Make your MP3s sound better than CDs, Connect in seconds - no configuration needed.

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