DVBLink Network Pack – it works (well at least in the UK and Europe – sorry USA)

I have been asked quite  a few times today what I think of the new DVBLink Network pack and I have to say my initial impressions are very good.

Once you have the DVBLink TV sources configured on the server it is incredibly easy to set up the network component:

• On the Server you install the Network Pack for server – no configuration is necessary it just appears as a plug-in in dvblink server.
• On the client install the Network Pack for client and run the client configuration tool (this last bit is not obvious) and then tell the client where to find the server. It says enter the ip address but I found the network name of my server worked.
• It should go off find the server and list all the channels available on the server.
• You then need to go through media center TV setup, cancel signal detection and manually add a satellite source and choose how many dvblink tuners you have configured on your server (up to 4 will be listed and I am not currently sure how it will work if you install more than 4 in your server)
• Once you have done this DVBLink should notice the change and pop up a message asking you to configure the tuners (in Expert mode – I don’t think there is another mode)
• Make sure your media center screen is not Full-Screen and say yes to the prompt
• You will then be presented with a list of channels and asked to map them to guide data – using match by name works pretty well
• And that is it

All of this took me about 5 minutes on my Acer Revo Ion unit and I had lovely DVB-T channels streaming but just acting like it was any other tuner in my box.

Very impressive.

Also remember DVBLink Network Server is a DLNA source and all your channels can be browsed just using a DLNA client (i.e. Windows Media Player or even a playstation 3) they appear under Recorded TV in the DLNA folder list (at the moment no programme info is shown but hopefully this will improve over time)

On the server side I am also very taken with some of the small user interface changes they have made. The new intelligent map channels by name is one example where it will look for partial names (e.g. British  Eurosport for Eurosport)

All in all very good first impressions. With a decent network I have not had any stuttering on streaming and have even managed to stream SD comfortably over just Wireless G (although I wouldn’t recommend it for HD.)