Wireless Digital Media Players / Internet-enabled Entertainment: Product Reviews

As expressed in our guide to wireless digital media players, today one can easily move music, video, and other digital media content around the house without wires.

Thanks to the development in software and wireless digital technology, today's wireless media players can enable even average home PC users to experience their entire digital collection in its full glory over a big screen TV and proper surround sound system without being tied to a PC.

In particular, wireless digital media players provide an affordable solution for ease of integration of digital content from a PC, a NAS, or any other device accessible through the home network, and the rest of your home entertainment system.

Priced at around three hundred dollars, these devices pull digital content through your home network, in order to play it anywhere in the house, say over an existing TV in the kids' room, a stereo speaker system in the garage, or a big screen in your dedicated home theater room.

Further more, the ever increasing array of wireless internet-enabled gear like the Samsung BD-P2500/BD-P2550 or the LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player, and the latest range of Panasonic Viera G10 series of plasma HDTVs, as well as the so-called 'instant' media players like the inexpensive Roku digital video player that can pull digital media content direct from the internet without the need for a PC, help make this whole wireless home entertainment integration a simple reality even for non-proficient PC users.

Yes... even non-proficient PC users can enjoy the latest in wireless home entertainment. You see, thanks to developments in wireless technology, installing a wireless digital media player or one of the latest 'instant' internet-enabled digital media boxes, is truly a simple straightforward process.

Digital Media Player Installation... a simple straightforward process

Wireless digital media players that pull content from your PC require the installation of the accompanying software that transforms your PC into a multi-media server. Such wireless media players include the D-Link DSM-520 MediaLounge Wireless HD Media Player.

Others like the Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite require the installation of a media utility driver to be installed on your computer. This will enable these wireless media players to play audio and video digital media content using your favorite media player application like Apple iTunes. Using a standard media player application would often represent a significant advantage since these would normally include a host of features that one gets used to and that are often missing from dedicated media server software that come with some wireless digital media players.

On the other hand, with the so called 'instant' media players and internet-enabled gear that do not pull content from your PC, you do not need to install anything on your computer. OK, not being capable of pulling content from your PC may be an issue with some but the fact that you can browse online content direct over your TV screen without any PC is surely appealing.

Part of the setup process of any networked wireless digital media player - like any other networked devices, requires you to configure the media player to join your home network. In most simple terms, all you need is to run the player set-up wizard and key in the wireless network name or SSID, the security type (WEP, WPA, or WPA2), and security key or passphrase when instructed so, to connect to your network.

Depending on your network security setup and the player in question, you may also need to open or unblock your firewall to allow the media player to connect to your PC, as well as configure additional network related information such as IP, channel number, and connection mode.

2009 is surely the year of internet-enabled wireless home entertainment. Never before we have seen such a range of products that offer not only the possibility to pull digital content from your PC, but equally appealing, direct from the internet without the need to switch on your computer!

Some of these boxes would even enable you to seriously consider cutting off that $100 TV subscription bill - thanks to tens of thousands of TV shows and movies available online via iTunes Store, Netflix, Amazon video-on-demand, as well as online portals such as Hulu and TV.com.

On our part, we have gone through what we consider to be the top wireless digital media players available on the market - in terms of features, performance, and affordability. We hope that our selection of digital media players and 'instant' digital video player boxes reviewed under this section would turn out to be of assistance to you in your selection process.

Reviewed Wireless Digital Media Players:

Product Guide Index

Apple TV

The original Apple TV was already a great product on its own; two years down the line, the upgraded Apple TV offers even more in terms of functionality and digital media content for the price.

It still suffers from the same original restriction - namely it would not interface with a non-HDTV; but if this is not an issue, then the upgraded Apple is worth looking into as a wireless digital media player for your home entertainment.

Read here to discover more...

D-Link MediaLounge DSM-520

Like the Apple TV, the D-Link DSM-520 is already two years old but it is still a capable performer.

It does not support 802.11n wireless technology; hence you should avoid a double wireless hoop when streaming HD media.

But it is still capable of delivering solid streaming performance even with HD digital media content. And its present price tag makes this wireless digital media player even more affordable than most of the competition.

More details available here...

NETGEAR Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000

You do not like the Apple TV but still want to play protected iTunes songs?

No problem, the Netgear EVA8000 wireless digital media player can do it for you!

In reality, the Netgear digital media player can do a lot more than just play protected iTunes digital media.

Overall, it is a capable and versatile wireless media player that supports a wide range of media file formats. It does not sports 802.11n wireless connectivity as some of the latest wireless digital media players, nor does it include a built-in hard drive as the Apple TV or the new Netgear EVA9150. But the latest reduced pricing we have seen online still makes this an interesting solution in wireless home entertainment integration.

More on this digital media player here...

NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Elite EVA9150

This represents the latest in what wireless digital media players offer today. It comes with a built-in 500GB hard drive - which unlike that of the Apple TV, is user-replaceable.

There are also a multitude of connectivity options including an HDMI port with HD upconversion to 1080p, and all sort of imaginable media file support.

Interesting is that this Netgear wireless digital media player supports simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation. This means that it can simultaneously transmit over both 2.4Ghz and 5.8GHz bands for maximum data throughput even over congested networks. And this apart from an interesting feature list that should prove extremely appealing to all those in the field of home entertainment.

As expected, the Netgear does not come cheap but if its price tag is within your budget, then it surely represents the best that wireless digital media payer technology offers today.

For our evaluation of the Netgear EVA9150, please click here...

Roku Wireless Digital Video Player

Are you seriously thinking of a way to cut that $100 Cable or Satellite TV monthly bill?

Well, the Roku digital media player can be your way forward.

It is one of the latest inexpensive 'instant' media players that can stream Netflix and Amazon video-on-demand products direct from the internet without the need of a PC.

It is no larger than a typical Cable TV modem and as your TV modem, it sits atop your TV - or HDTV - to provide you with direct access to digital media content over your wireless internet connection.

It would not provide an exact replacement to your monthly TV subscription but with its Netflix/Amazon digital media content bundle, it does provide a lot more for your dollar than most TV subscriptions from network providers.

More information on the Roku Digital Video player is available here...

If you have not already done so, we suggest going through our Guide to Wireless Digital Media Players. This should give you a better insight as to what wireless entertainment is all about, as well as introduce you to the different wireless standards and related security issues.

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