Group test: Networked media players

First we looked at how to get your media onto your PC, and then we outlined how to set up your home multimedia network. But the final part of the jigsaw is the networked media player itself. This device selects the item you want to play - be it photos, audio or video - from an on-screen list, and streams it over the network from the PC to your TV set and audio system. All of the players examined here support both secure wireless (Wi-Fi) and wired (Ethernet) connections for maximum flexibility - and all but one are compatible with high-definition video. Audio-visual networking may be cutting-edge, but it's not unaffordable; our cheapest entrant sells for a mere £85. So, what are you waiting for? Overview Price: £130 More info: D-Link Supported wireless security protocols: WPA, WEP Local storage support: USB Analogue video connectivity: composite, S-video, RGB Scart Digital video connectivity: HDMI Audio connectivity: analogue stereo, coaxial/optical digital (with 5.1 passthrough) Format support: DivX/XviD (to 720p), WMV version 9 (transcoded by PC), MP3, WMA (transcoded), JPEG, BMP Max. resolution: 1080p (upscaling), 720p (media compatiblity) DRM support: DivX VOD (Video-on-Demand) only Playback of DVD .ISO images or VIDEO_TS folders: No Sequential playback of folder's contents: No D-Link DSM-330 The D-Link DSM-330 is the world's first player to officially support the 'DivX Connected' initiative discussed last month, although others are waiting in the wings. Like uPnP, DivX Connected looks after the organisation and selection of streaming devices and content. However, uPnP devices tend to vary enormously in terms of their on-screen appearance, media-compatibility and usability. DivX Connected replaces such chaos with a set of common standards for compatibility and user interface. The latter is superb in its slickness, which should even impress those who spend time with modern gaming-consoles. A nicely-rendered menu structure gives you the opportunity to choose from video, audio or photos. A selection of thumbnails grabbed from your content are casually 'thrown' onto your screen; select one, and a list of the folders (with yet more grabs, depicting the available content) is shown. The desired file can then be selected for playback. It's fast - and easy. Some online content is also available. The connectivity of the DSM-330, which is configured with friendly 'wizards', is excellent. HDMI (up to 1080p) is supported, as are various analogue video options. Standard and hi-def DivX content (currently up to 720p) can be played, as can both standard and hi-def WMV9 files. However, MPEG video is refused - as is WAV audio. Audio buffs will find the latter a disappointment, especially if they're feeding high-grade audio equipment from one of the DSM-330's digital outputs via a 'no-compromise' audio DAC. Another disadvantage is that DivX Connected is currently Windows-only - and no NAS boxes yet support it. In addition, support for anamorphic widescreen video on standard-definition TVs has not yet materialised. Indeed, the only video output option for such sets is 4:3, and so modern movies and TV programmes are displayed 'letterbox'. Despite this, performance is good overall. AV quality, especially through HDMI, is excellent if the video is well-encoded. Bizarrely, DVD-sourced DiVX encodes with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound will only play if the .divx extension is renamed to .avi. Verdict Plus points Sets the standard for usability, crisp pictures Minus points Limited media compatibility, no standard-def widescreen mode

Overview Price: £200 More info: Falcon Supported wireless security protocols: WEP Local storage support: USB, internal self-fitted hard drive (IDE/SATA) Analogue video connectivity: composite, S-video, RGB Scart, component Digital video connectivity: HDMI Audio connectivity: analogue stereo, coaxial/optical digital (with 5.1 passthrough) Format support: MPEG-2 video (with subtitle support), unencrypted DVD ISO images, MPEG-2 TS (transport streams, e.g., digital TV recordings), MP3, WMA, WMV9/ASF, DivX, XviD and JPEG. Hi-def WMV/MPEG-2/DivX/XviD content (up to 720p, plus 1080i MPEG-2). Max. resolution: 1080p DRM support: None Playback of DVD .ISO images or VIDEO_TS folders: Both Sequential playback of folder's contents: Yes Falcon MVIX MX-780HD The compact MX-780HD is unique in this test insofar that it can store media 'locally' on a self-installed HDD. This isn't included, but drives of up to 1 terabyte in size are supported. After the drive is installed, the box can be plugged into a computer via USB; it's then recognised as an external drive and your media can be copied to it. Once this operation has completed, the player can be connected to your AV equipment and will behave as a self-contained multimedia jukebox! You don't need to turn on your screen to navigate through audio content, thanks to the MX-780HD's front-panel LCD screen. So, we're off to a good start. However, the MX-780HD is also a networkable media player - built-in are Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Instead of relying on uPnP/DLNA NAS drives and servers like the Pinnacle and Solwise, though, the device instead seeks out shared folders on your networked PCs. In other words, you don't need to install any further software if you've already set up a home PC network. And as if this wasn't enough, you can copy multimedia to that self-fitted hard drive over the network thanks to a technology called NDAS (Network Direct Attached Storage). The MX-780HD was easy to get going via Ethernet, but the unit's Wi-Fi capabilities leave much to be desired. You can't simply choose from a list of available connections, and there's no signal strength indication. Furthermore, the wireless range is disappointing. Media content is 'categorised' in the usual way - music (audio), movies (video) and photos - with an acceptably-smooth handset-driven menu system that, helpfully, horizontally-scrolls long filenames. There's also a 'MyList' playlist and Internet radio. Multimedia compatibility is great; the MX-780HD is the only player of the group to access direct DVD 'rips'. Because all disc-navigation is retained here, you might as well be watching the original DVD! Video and audio performance can be excellent with no scaling 'nasties' and, thanks to the digital audio output's 'passthough' function, 5.1 soundtracks can be enjoyed in all their surround glory. Our sample, alas, had a tendency to crash from time to time. Other bugs included erratic forward/reverse 'search' playback and occasional lip-sync errors. We also discovered that the picture would 'roll' vertically if set to UK-standard 50Hz 720p/1080i via HDMI, making the visibly-inferior component output essential here. We hope these glitches are ironed out soon...

Verdict Plus points DVD 'rip' compatibility, jukebox potential, decent AV performance Minus points No H.264/x.264 support, noisy cooling fan, bugs, poor Wi-Fi

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