Tonight I had my first play with Linksys’s DMA2200, over the last week I have been using the DMA2100 (see this video) and have found it pretty good, not quite up to the Xbox 360 as an Extender but its silent and small.
The DMA2200 is the 2100’s big brother. It has a built in upscaling DVD player and a few more connection options. The additional extender connections include an optical output and SCART connector (the 2100 has a adapter for SCART that is only a stand def cable). The other difference are a built in power supply so you don’t need the power transformer that the 2100 has, 3 wifi aerials for a better network connection and of course the DVD player.
In operation there is an extra menu option on startup for the DVD player and a LCD display on the front panel but once in Media Center it looks identical to the 2100 (and the LCD doesn’t do anything in Media Center mode). I felt the 2200 looked better than the 2100, the picture seems sharper but I could be imagining it.
The DVD player at first look seems fine, it upscaled the content and the menu was simple to use. My next test is to try a US region DVD to see what regions it will play.
So overall I like the 2200 better than the 2100, it looks better and of course in the living room a DVD player a must (well until I get all my content on to my Windows Home Server). I am going to see how I get on with it over the next week and I will be using it with wifi only.
I recorded an unboxing video and a video comparing the DMA2100 to a XBox 360 which will be out over the next week
Hello
I run media center 2005 not Vista. Do you know if the Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200 is comaptalble to handle the old Xp version or do you need to have the vista version.I hvae not upgraded because I like my od version more then the vist version?
Andreas – it will not work with XP. Only the 360 will work with XP.
Dlink’s extender does have some kind of propitiatory software to enable XP but you do not get Media Center just media sharing
Ian Many thanks
I had a look at the web , There is an older version of the LINKSYS WIRELESS A/G MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER WMCE54AG NR. This one will work with media center 2005 . Many thanks for you advise
Did you figure out how to access your media data on you Windows Home Server from the DMA2200 without having a Windows Vista computer running on your network?
LS,
does this mean that if I hook the extender to a WinXP MCE computer, I will have acces to all my folders via a standard Win foder tree ?
I do not much care for the WinMCE anyways, just need to access my files any which way…
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Last night I had my first play with Linksys’s DMA2200, over the last week I have been using the DMA2100…
I can’t wait to hear about the performance and DVD upscaling playback.
hi.
thnaks for your review Ian.
I’ve got a 2200 on back order from ISOMicro – hope to get a delivery date this coming week.
Do you find the box to be fairly quiet and unnnoticable in use? Also would like to know how wel the DVD deals with different regions.
regards
Andy
The box is silent, even with a DVD playing you can’t hear it. It’s is region locked 🙁
Hello
I run media center 2005 not Vista. Do you know if the Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200 is comaptalble to handle the old Xp version or do you need to have the vista version.I hvae not upgraded because I like my od version more then the vist version?
Andreas – it will not work with XP. Only the 360 will work with XP.
Dlink’s extender does have some kind of propitiatory software to enable XP but you do not get Media Center just media sharing
Ian Many thanks
I had a look at the web , There is an older version of the LINKSYS WIRELESS A/G MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER WMCE54AG NR. This one will work with media center 2005 . Many thanks for you advise
Ciao
It’s possible change the region codes?
Thanks
Ciao
Ian,
Did you figure out how to access your media data on you Windows Home Server from the DMA2200 without having a Windows Vista computer running on your network?
have you figured out a way to make it region free ?
I never did and I had to send the unit back
LS,
does this mean that if I hook the extender to a WinXP MCE computer, I will have acces to all my folders via a standard Win foder tree ?
I do not much care for the WinMCE anyways, just need to access my files any which way…
Thanx,
lucas.