Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys Media Center Extender with DVD

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

My initial impression are (1) if all you want is a media center extender to do what it is intended to do, then this is definitely the purchase you should make; (2) do not expect anything other than just the media center function and dvd function, that's all your going to get; (3) if the video, music, or picture is not supported by windows media connect *** AND HAS THE CORRECT BITRATE*** it is not going to play; (4) even if your media center pc can playback a file doesn't necessarily mean the extender will play it back, all the processing of the file is done on the extender and the only codecs that get supported are those listed in windows media connect.

I was expecting better codec support from Linksys, but it looks as if Linksys only has their name on the product. It really should have Microsoft on it. You don't need a Vista PC for playback of the dvd function. For you people that like to encode video on your computer and are thinking about using an extender to view it, be careful which format you choose. If it not listed as a supported file by windows media connect you can best believe it is not going to play.

The wireless worked pretty well. I have wireless-n and video playback was great, but navigating through the menus with wireless was sluggish. A wired connection was more responsive but still a little sluggish. Startup time until you get to the main menu is between 30-40 seconds. The unit is absolute noiseless. Even the dvd drive is quiet during playback, fastforwarding and rewinding.

This purchase was not for me. Like i've said many times before, you'll only be satisfied if your files are supported in windows media connect formats. I could not get WMV files to playback, but I could get WMV9 files to playback. I tried a DivX file in a AVI extension and it played fine.

I have always been a big fan of Linksys products and I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Linksys DMA 2200. Setup out of the box was pretty easy but when I started using the product I noticed a slew of little issues that, together, make this product not worth the investment. Below is a list of the issues I've experienced:

1) DVD playback freezes/skips slightly every once in a while. This is just infrequent enough to where you might be willing to live with it. It seems that when the wireless network connects or disconnects (due to range or signal strength issues) the DMA pauses for a split second to regain its bearings. There is a little on screen notfication that the network is disconnected (or reconnected as the case may be) and this causes the DVD playback to pause for a split second. I'm not sure why Linksys thought it was important to interrupt my movie to let me know that the wireless network was down especially when I'm not using the network at all, but they do and it's annoying.

2) Remote is terrible. First of all, it feels really cheap. Secondly, it doesn't have any "universal" capabilities that work. Based on reading documentation about this product before I bought I was hoping that this remote would enable me to consolidate at least two of the four remotes I have. No luck. It didn't work with my Samsung LCD TV, my Motorola set top box or my audio system. Looks like I'm going to have to shell out another $200 for a Harmony remote. :-(

3) DVD Playback options are scarce and system doesn't act intuitively. No option for slow motion, no frame advance, very limited fast forward or rewind options. No easy way to get back to the DVD menu. The logic of the DVD player is very confusing. It's clear that Linksys makes networking equipment and not entertainment devices. When trying to get to the DVD menu or the scene selection I often found myself stopping the movie altogether with no way to regain where I had left off. Lots of other little annoyances with DVD playback.

4) It's very slow to respond to commands. I haven't seen the tech specs for this product but I have to assume that in order to get it to the sub-$300 price point, they put a really slow processor and very limited memory into this product. With the device started and "ready" it takes a good 2-3 minutes to respond when you put a DVD into the drive. Interestingly, though, connecting to media using the extender works pretty well.

5) 802.11n is not ready for prime time yet. Despite some of the reviews I've read, I was not able to get Wireless N networking to work with my set up. I installed the top of the line Linksys WRT600n router into my network and, although I could get a signal, it was always weak and was never stable. The dissappointing thing was that the distance between the wireless router and the DMA was only about 40 feet.

In summary, I think Linksys' heart was in the right place with this product but they haven't had enough time to get all the details straight. Plus, let's be honest here, they are networking experts not home entertainment design pros. They should have partnered up with someone who knows how to make a good DVD player so they could give the best of both experiences.

Although there are too many small annoyances with this product for me to recommend it, I'm hopeful that much of what I've experienced will be fixed with firmware upgrades in the future. For now, I am returning this device while I can and will keep looking for a solution to retrieve my media from my PC.

I purchased the Linksys Media Center Extender with high hopes it would complete my home theatre. After many hours on line with Linksys tech support I reluctantly returned the item to Amazon. I could not get the Linksys MCE to work with my HP laptop running on 64bit Vista Ultimate. I even used two different draft N routers to no avail.

On the positive side, I found Linksys Tech Support to be readily available and very patient with my having to reboot and re-enter my WPA passphrase numerous time.

I will continue to look for an MCE that has Hi-Def capability.

We like the idea of combining both these two functions - DVD player and media extender. The extender seems to be working alright, but we have trouble with the DVD player not recognizing DVDs or taking forever to read it. Thinking of going back to my old DVD player, which is a shame.

I paired the DMA 2200 with a Linksys WRT610N wireless N Router. Setup was easy and Linksys recommends a wireless connection for best results. I have to say that I only use it for streaming TV shows and sports that I record with Media Center. So far I have had no problems with streaming High Definition football games from my outside antenna, or Standard Definition Programs off of cable. My PC is a P4 with two 320 gig SATA hard drives 2 gigs of ram and two Win TV Tuner Cards one is a Win TV HVR- 1600 the other is a Win TV PVR-500 , the operating system is Vista Home Premium. The only thing that I could say would be a concern is the startup, after turning the unit on, it takes about 45 seconds before the menu displays, also navigating through the menus is also sluggish. I paid $129.95 for this unit and for that price I think it's worth it.

I love that it makes no noise, and is very easy to setup. I think the only thing that I was disappointed in was the video quality was not as good as my Xbox 360 when used as an extender. It just doesn't have the smooth video animations for the Media Center UI, or the same color quality as the 360 produces. I tried it both on a large plasma TV and a regular standard def TV. I ended up leaving on the SD TV because on the plasma the color loose is more noticeable.

Since this is being used in the bedroom, and I got it at a good price, I'm still ok with the purchase. If it comes down to noise and heat, I would suggest this unit. If you are more worried about video quality, then stick with an Xbox 360 as an extender.

I could *only* get it to work on the wireless N. Then, it drops the connection with the PC about every twenty minutes even though signal strength is above 90% and there's no other traffic or interferance. Each time it drops, you have to reconfigure it, which for me means running up and down the stairs with the eight digit "code" to reconfigure it.

This product is a total waste of money! Shame on Linksys!

No more networking issue when it is paired with the dual band WRT600N. It has been working solidly without dropping and connected evertime when the Vista Media PC is on. I have set up the WRT600N (using WPA2 AES) with 5GHz for media only and the 2.4GHz for non-media traffic like internet and other networking. It is designed for wireless use. If it only works well with ethernet cable, I will not be satisfied at all.

The only complaint that I have is the not so-fast remote control response,
but I am realistic for the fact that remote plus remote equals slow.

I can tell you that I really like this product. These units work with a clear wireless connection. If that's not possible I highly recommend a connection using ethernet. If you can do the ethernet connection, you will be very satisfied. I own one of these without the DVD built in. I suggest you go with the DVD version. For whatever reason it seems to work even better than the non-DVD unit. These also work best when the computer that you are "extending" from is one of the more powerful computers on the market. You can put this computer anywhere in the home that you have room and not worry about it because of the extenders. If your home is wired with ethernet already, there is no reason not to get one of these and start using your Windows Vista w/ a tv tuner. They really are better than Tivo. Digital pictures you have taken look great on your large screen LCD. Music that is stored on a massive hard drive anywhere in your house can be enjoyed over your living room sound system. It all requires a little different thinking on entertainment management. So get started today, it's fun.

Be warned this device does not work well with Windows 7, I have spent hours trying to connect this and longer waiting for help from Lynsys support.

Basic DVD functions work but that is it