Customer Reviews

Sony LF-PK1 LocationFree Player Pack for PC and PSP

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

got it from local store
worried a bit because of some pretty negative comment, but the price is too irrisistible (cheaper than legacy Slingbox), then give a try
generally I am satisfied with this product
Setup: it is pretty easy, press and hold the setup button on the unit when adding device; channel add/delete is NOT centralized, you need to add/delete on each device connecting
Picture quality: this is OK on high setting, NEVER use auto rate setting on PC over LAN, use the highest rate when using over LAN
on high rate setting, the picture quality is pretty similar with Slingbox (note: up to 3Mbps bandwidth)
you can resize the window, but there's NO full screen option on PC
on PSP, you have 4 picture mode: original, normal, full, strectched (depends on your preference), to get the best compromise, use rate 4 (you can use 5, but you may experience interruption)
the base unit has 2 sets of A/V input (one of them has S-Video, just use regular cable)
all the testing and experience are based on LAN
the software requires key to install, not like Slingplayer, which is pretty straightforward, but the software on Locplayer is more simple
conclusion: get this if you have PSP (with software ver 2.5 and higher, the most current version is recommended), if not, get Slingbox (the slingplayer has full screen option)
note: this base station also has wifi AP built-in, but there's no way to hide SSID or disable wifi, then make sure you have good WEP or WPA setup

Great product. If you're a gadget fiend as I am, then you'll have no problems figuring out how to use it. The "Quick" documentation is terrible, but readable.

The PC configuration of the base station is a lot better than the one that's formatted for the PSP. If you do install, install the PC first if at all possible.

Quality of the picture is great on the PSP, but lacking on the computer. It could feed better resolution to PCs but it lacks the support. It also wouldn't be bad if the player could support Mac/Linux. The PC player GUI is terrible looking but functional. PSP one is sharp and works like a charm.

As usual with Sony, the design of the box is superb. Very sleek looking. Could use some work in better functionality, but it's nothing some firmware updates couldn't solve if they got around to it.

If you need to stream to a PSP, use Sony's LocationFree.
If you want to stream to Pocket PC, check out the Slingbox.
Both products stream to a PC. Compare the licensing cost of the clients for PC Streaming.

Some more tips on usage and comparisons between Sony's LocationFree and the Sling Media's Slingbox
http://www.slingcommunity.com/forum/thread/10083/

Also check out Sling Media's Slingbox reviews here on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMLXHW/

I'm streaming content from the ReplayTV. Works out quite nicely.

Installed using the quick guide and could not get my computer to recognize the base unit. After trial and error I found that my anti virus software was blocking it on my network. There is a installation DVD that actually describes this but doesn't do it in detail. Then I needed to set up my router differently to set it up for "on the go" use (hotspots, and remote).

After getting it up and running, the picture quality was really bad. I adjusted the "rate" manually and it works pretty well, with average picture quality. I can control my Tivo using the remote on-screen.
I have yet to use it "on the go" at a hotspot, but I will try that next.
I bought this instead of the slingbox even though it's cheaper, because it's a Sony. I'm not sure if the picture quality is better with a slingbox.

I would rate it a 3 out of 5 because of the difficult installation.

Got my PSP working literally right out of the box. (about 2 minutes) Got it working on HOT-SPOT right off the bat too.. Was a bit confusing though on getting the laptop to work (but then again) I didn't read the instruction either.. once I read the instructions got it working and configured the way I wanted it.
Seen the Slingbox too, but the slingbox doesn't offer built-in WIFI. Only part I have yet to get working is 2 PCs with the software installed at the same time.. It keeps saying that machine is already registered, ( Supposed to be a 4 license software ) but it's easy enough to change the registered PC. Highly Recommended for the techie-must-have-all-gadgets-type-person.

Got this unit for my kids PSP. Was able to get the unit working at home with the PSP (make sure the PSP is running 2.7). The PSP had problems connect from remote. Called Sony and got a level one support person. She was not able to solve my problem, but was able to get a support person call back to solve my setting issues.

Ok its expensive... The picture is great... Easy to setup... Controls even Tivo. I also have owned the slingbox which is super also. If you have a PSP then get the location free. If you don't have a PSP then the slingbox is good choice. Only drawback is Sony is greedy or desperate to sell the PC client software for $30 dollars(Pathetic). However, the software is pretty nice.

I bought this unit on a whim. I read the instructions and had it up and running in less than thirty minutes on my lapotop and also mne and my 2 kids PSps. The only part that was a little challenging was setting up the DNS server but if you follow the instructions you can get it set up pretty fast. The picture quality on the PSP is great, Its ok on the notebook but you also have to remember its streaming so don't expect high def. I use it to watch TV at the airport or pretty much anywhere theres a hotspot and have never had any trouble.
A kewl thing, i went to a conference and some of the guys were complaining cause they were going to miss 24. I told em no problem theres a 2 hour difference between here and Dallas so we got back from dinner in plenty of time to watch it on my notebook from the Seattle time zone. Like I said its not high def but we got to watch the show. It sure impressed my associates. As for the sling, its ok but only one hookup where the Sony has a cable hookup and 2 video audio RCA hookups. It also can be used as a wirless access point in your house, Sling box ca'nt. And from my wifes point of view the sling box is "not going in my house" its not the most attractive piece I've seen.
Hope this helps

I got the box to be able to watch the world cup from my office on my PSP.

Setting this thing up on a PC might be fairly easy, even more if you are on a static IP. However, I am on a Mac and on a dynamic IP (I have never met anyone who has a static IP), needless to say this whole project was doomed from the beginning. The manual and the website is practically useless. Sony suggests hooking up with a "online static IP provider", but that is a massive project on its own. I got it to work by trial and error, mapping ports and testing the whole thing - unfortunately I couldn't test it on my own wireless network - I had to go down to a local hotspot to see if it was working, for every change I made. (spent two days on that)

Then there is the quality... You need to sit very close to the basestation to be able to view things at the best setting without glitches.. viewing it away from home, you probably need the fastest upstream possible, because the quality I am getting is very much below average... bad enough for me not to be able to use it as intended (yes, that was watching soccer :-)

If you like spending time getting badly documented gadgets to work, only to be surprised by the low quality of the outcome, then I would highly recommend it.

I bought this unit because I wanted a small TV in a room where I had no connection to my Dish-TV receiver. Rather than trying to run cable to the room, this seemed like an interesting alternative.

I was a little concerned about quality, but the unit broadcasts over 802.11g, and I thought that should be plenty of bandwidth.

However, the quality of the image I get looks like something you would download from the internet. From a long distance, it looks good, but from up close there are tons of compression artifacts and faces are hardly recognizable. If this is what it looks like directly over wireless-G, I can't imagine what it would like like if I tried to look at it across the WAN.

You probably wouldn't notice the poor picture on the small screen on a PSP, so I would guess it would work well for that. However, don't by this product expecting to get a decent picture on a computer monitor.