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D-Link DMS-320 Media Adapter
I have had the DSM -320 for a while. This is what I have learned /experienced.
System Config - 1-DSM-320 device,1-MediaMVP device(Linux) , 1- Windows XP Pro; 2 - Windows 2000 Server ; all have the latest service packs; XP has the firewall Turnoff; Router D-Link DI-626 (WEP on with 64 bit encryption key - Turbo G turned on - With external Directional Antennas - distance between antennas = 55.4 feet - Signal Strength - 60% Not good???) ;ISP - Broadband Cable - Comcast.Net . Distance between remote and DMS-320 BOX = 25 feet. DMS Unit runs very hot - No vent holes?!
General Summary :
Things seem to work ; well ; sort of; nothing worked at all until DMS – 320 release 1.04 and D-Link Media Server 1.02 on XP; Video, photo or audio files over 2gig will not work; (This is most likely due to the DSM-320 OS ,which is compressed Linux (?), and mostly likely using SAMBA Shares (?). This system has never worked even with the new Open Source SAMBA Code version.(Microsoft made changes to the SMB structure or whatever). This needs to be fixed quickly !!! Supposedly version 1.05 will correct this by the end of the year (2004).
Other comments:
The remote is just “weak†(IR) tx/rx and very poorly laid out. You will have to get uses to it. I doubt if they are going to upgrade/change this remote unit but it would be nice !
There is no “skip ahead†(Chapter Marks) on current playing video file function.
I do get a pause about once/twice a night for 1 to 2 seconds due to loss off WI-FI link (Reason unknown). My wireless network is using directional antennas.
Quality of Video and audio output - Very good (Composite). Unit External Appearance = good.
Play Formats : VOB (Some times ; under 1.5g) , MPEG (Some Times; under 1.5g), MP3 (playlist - maybe).
Wintv card (PVR-350) output file will play (Mpeg-2) if fewer than 2 gig in size; (My experience ,Wintv & TiVO files are ALWAYS over 2 gig in size).
The AOL services ok. Works well. 6 months free is nice. Do you really have a schedule/program you really want to listen to all day?????
The rhapsody services looks like it will work but they want too much Personal Info to sign up or do a 30 trial;
Mostly likely these services will appeal to American teenagers and North American new college kids with money to burn. Both are way too expensive for my “easy listening†low cost style.
In reality, the current DSM-320 system is nearing final BETA version; It has a long ways to go; I would wait 6 months before purchasing unless you like to troubleshoot and experiment; DLINK “track record†on fixes is not good. On this product, I hope , they do better.
DLINK really has a great product but they must move foreword quickly with good results. Supposedly version 1.05 corrects many of these above issues by the end of the year (2004).
The Hauppauge WINTV MediaMVP (Linux ???) works well ; BUT only plays their MPEG-2(?) encoded files. This device functions without error on a Win 2000 server/Workstation network. No wireless !
System Config - 1-DSM-320 device,1-MediaMVP device(Linux) , 1- Windows XP Pro; 2 - Windows 2000 Server ; all have the latest service packs; XP has the firewall Turnoff; Router D-Link DI-626 (WEP on with 64 bit encryption key - Turbo G turned on - With external Directional Antennas - distance between antennas = 55.4 feet - Signal Strength - 60% Not good???) ;ISP - Broadband Cable - Comcast.Net . Distance between remote and DMS-320 BOX = 25 feet. DMS Unit runs very hot - No vent holes?!
General Summary :
Things seem to work ; well ; sort of; nothing worked at all until DMS – 320 release 1.04 and D-Link Media Server 1.02 on XP; Video, photo or audio files over 2gig will not work; (This is most likely due to the DSM-320 OS ,which is compressed Linux (?), and mostly likely using SAMBA Shares (?). This system has never worked even with the new Open Source SAMBA Code version.(Microsoft made changes to the SMB structure or whatever). This needs to be fixed quickly !!! Supposedly version 1.05 will correct this by the end of the year (2004).
Other comments:
The remote is just “weak†(IR) tx/rx and very poorly laid out. You will have to get uses to it. I doubt if they are going to upgrade/change this remote unit but it would be nice !
There is no “skip ahead†(Chapter Marks) on current playing video file function.
I do get a pause about once/twice a night for 1 to 2 seconds due to loss off WI-FI link (Reason unknown). My wireless network is using directional antennas.
Quality of Video and audio output - Very good (Composite). Unit External Appearance = good.
Play Formats : VOB (Some times ; under 1.5g) , MPEG (Some Times; under 1.5g), MP3 (playlist - maybe).
Wintv card (PVR-350) output file will play (Mpeg-2) if fewer than 2 gig in size; (My experience ,Wintv & TiVO files are ALWAYS over 2 gig in size).
The AOL services ok. Works well. 6 months free is nice. Do you really have a schedule/program you really want to listen to all day?????
The rhapsody services looks like it will work but they want too much Personal Info to sign up or do a 30 trial;
Mostly likely these services will appeal to American teenagers and North American new college kids with money to burn. Both are way too expensive for my “easy listening†low cost style.
In reality, the current DSM-320 system is nearing final BETA version; It has a long ways to go; I would wait 6 months before purchasing unless you like to troubleshoot and experiment; DLINK “track record†on fixes is not good. On this product, I hope , they do better.
DLINK really has a great product but they must move foreword quickly with good results. Supposedly version 1.05 corrects many of these above issues by the end of the year (2004).
The Hauppauge WINTV MediaMVP (Linux ???) works well ; BUT only plays their MPEG-2(?) encoded files. This device functions without error on a Win 2000 server/Workstation network. No wireless !