You may remember me getting a bit upset by Paul Thurrott’s dismissal of the new generation of Extenders for Windows Media Center. Basically he said the extenders were no better than the old models and they were not worth looking at. I totally disagreed with that and it looks like Paul may have softened his stance on them. This week he has reviewed the Extenders from HP, Linksys and D-Links and seems to like the HP Extender the most (which is not surprising given it’s the most expensive)
The HP MediaSmart Connect is the best Media Center Extender on the market today and it features excellent non-Extender functionality through its vibrant and professional looking MediaSmart interface as well. This interface provides access to USB- and Pocket Media Drive-based content, as well as content found on your home network, on PCs and other compatible connected devices, as well a small but growing list of online services. It’s hard to overstate how much nicer the HP MediaSmart Connect experience is than that which you get with other Extenders. The hardware is better, the software is better, and the overall experience is just superior. No, the HP isn’t perfect. But in the world of Media Center Extenders, it’s the sweet spot. Highly recommended.
7 thoughts on “Paul Thurrott reviews Media Center Extenders”
He is still pretty dissmisive in regards to the Linksys. He states that DMA 2100 cannot stream properly 802.11n wireless or wired.
As I do this daily I think he needs to review the unit again.
He also says he is somewhat biased towards the HP extender because he likes it and although it is probably not, it feels faster than the DMA 2100 & 2200.
Quote:
AV connectivity. Excellent, assuming you’re going all-in with HD. While the x280n includes HDMI and component video out, it lacks any older composite- or S-video-style connectors at all. This is a device for the next-gen crowd, which I think is perfectly acceptable.
No mention that it does not support 1080p even though its supposed to be for the next-gen crowd.
He probably should install the latest firmware on the Linksys and review it again. It is more stable and faster with the latest firmware. I doubt there is any noticable difference between the two in extender mode. The only difference might be that from what I’ve read, the Linksys disables S/PDF when connected to HDMI, where’s as according to Chris Lanier, S/PDF is active on the HP if connected to HDMI. This might be the only real differentiater besides the non extender functionality of the HP.
Thanks Ian. That’s good to know that you can get 5.1 sound from S/PDF while sending the video over HDMI to your TV. I was hesitant to invest in a sound system assuming that I had to go component for the video in order to get 5.1 sound over S/PDF.
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"GBP","currency_symbol":"\u00a3","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
He is still pretty dissmisive in regards to the Linksys. He states that DMA 2100 cannot stream properly 802.11n wireless or wired.
As I do this daily I think he needs to review the unit again.
He also says he is somewhat biased towards the HP extender because he likes it and although it is probably not, it feels faster than the DMA 2100 & 2200.
Quote:
AV connectivity. Excellent, assuming you’re going all-in with HD. While the x280n includes HDMI and component video out, it lacks any older composite- or S-video-style connectors at all. This is a device for the next-gen crowd, which I think is perfectly acceptable.
No mention that it does not support 1080p even though its supposed to be for the next-gen crowd.
I had a day off with the kids and managed to put my back out so that delayed me unboxing HP’s new TouchSmart…
PingBack from http://windowshometheater.com/2008/07/26/post-roundup-4/
PingBack from http://projecthtpc.threesixty.cc/2008/07/26/links-for-2008-07-26/
He probably should install the latest firmware on the Linksys and review it again. It is more stable and faster with the latest firmware. I doubt there is any noticable difference between the two in extender mode. The only difference might be that from what I’ve read, the Linksys disables S/PDF when connected to HDMI, where’s as according to Chris Lanier, S/PDF is active on the HP if connected to HDMI. This might be the only real differentiater besides the non extender functionality of the HP.
i didn’t find that the s/pdf was disabled on either unit as that is how I connected it up to my receiver
Thanks Ian. That’s good to know that you can get 5.1 sound from S/PDF while sending the video over HDMI to your TV. I was hesitant to invest in a sound system assuming that I had to go component for the video in order to get 5.1 sound over S/PDF.