First this is awesome player with huge I TB capacity.You can dump all your personal photos, videos, movies, songs and watch/listen at a click of button. Included remote (mini keyboard) is good but it will take some time before to get used.
I tried with MKV, JPG, AVI, BMP, MP3 formats and it works well.
Sometimes it is struck but that is fine we can't expect powerful processor for less than $200. Not yet tried with Netflix.
But for web browser it is like basic only you can't read text as letters are very small.
PROS:
1. 1 TB hard disk
2. Runs almost all formats with Ease
3. Bearable starting and running speed
4. Can run Music and photos simultaneously
5. Include WIFI USB which is good if you are setting home network.
6. Included HDMI cable
7. Joystick (Player Control Pad) is awesome when you are watching YouTube or searching.
8. Can run for older TV's with composite AV cables
9. Pretty fast when copying files to hard disk. Copied 60 GB in 1 hour.
10. Good YouTube app but some times alignment goes crazy may be video issue.
CONS:
1. Provides beta web browser i.e., you can't play anything out of website which ruined my happiness. If it supports Flash it would have been instant hit.
E.g. can't play any video from CNN, CNBC!!!!
This reduces 1 point in rating.
2. Struck when it can't run file types. But "Eject" button is helping to move back to home screen.
3. Very very small letters when you are typing. Literally invisible. Just assume you are typing correctly! Could have been better if input window enlarges when typing.
4. No Zoom functionality except for photos.
Nice-to-have
Could have provided home screen back ground music.
Printed Manual atleast for some items like key board, navigation, home network setup.
Lengthy cables like power cord, HDMI, composite cables.
I was happy to take delivery of this product. I have my old HDTV relegated to basement duty and this media player promised, and delivered on the amount of content I could deliver to it. Specifically, I needed a Netflix player, and a player capable of handling the high definition over the air recordings hosted on my Linux MythTV server (and delivered via the UPnP AV protocol). And, ideally do so without too much wasted standby power.
So, yes, the hardware has shown itself quite capable of playing 1080i and 720p MPEG2 video streams, and put out Dolby Digital over its TOSLink optical port. And it has a Netflix player. In addition, the recent software update brought support for VUDU with its high bitrate HDX format. This is a superior format that lower powered devices like Roku or Apple TV are apparently unable to handle for pure performance reasons. And it logged into my Pandora music account, and has player apps for several other online services. Setup was plug and play easy. Energy usage was pretty good. And yet I'm not satisfied.
The software is not competitive with other devices. I have a Roku and an Apple TV in the house and both of those platforms are beautiful, consistent and easy to navigate. This ScreenPlay is just a mess. Navigation varies between apps, such that the way you get out of the UPnP app is different from the way to quit the Netflix app, which is different from how you get around in the VUDU app. Transitions are slow, User interface elements are primitively drawn. While you can store photos on the device, and it has a slideshow feature, it is embarrassingly simple and ugly compared to the gentle or eye catching transitions on other devices or PCs.
The strongest bit of software is strangely, the newest. I like the VUDU app quite a bit. It's well organized, feature filled and delivers what is reputably some of the highest quality streaming content available. As an added bonus, I got a free HDX movie rental when I activated this device.
This unit comes with a Terabyte hard drive, which can be used as a NAS and to store content for internal playback. Unfortunately, I'm at a loss to setup a secure username/password of my own choosing. Apparently, there is a standard username/password pair, but that seems intolerably insecure. Similarly, I have media files on a password protected network share and the ScreenPlay can't see them because I'm never asked for my credentials. Luckily, my mythtv server can see them and provides them via UPnP although that seems a bit roundabout.
Energy efficiency is pretty good. Not 2nd generation Apple TV good (the Apple TV gets along on a single Watt playing NetFlix), but pretty good. Playback tends to use about 11 Watts, while instant on sleep drains 8 Watts. Alternatively, you can setup the machine to basically turn itself off when you hit the remote's power button and that is immeasurably low power (as measured by a Kill-A-Watt). You lose instant on, non-instant on takes 40 seconds, but it's a nice option to have for an infrequently used device. I'm particularly impressed because my other 1080i MPEG2 capable HTPCs are Intel Atom based machines that soak up 30+ Watts on idle, a sickening waste of power.
Related to energy efficiency is fan noise. The fan is noticeable if not oppressive. One more reason to turn off the unit when not in use. It's unfortunate they could not get the power usage low enough to passively cool.
The remote is sort of cute, but infrared remotes are notoriously unreliable for typing, and this is no exception. Be prepared for any given keystroke to be lost during text entry. I'm also taking some time to getting used to using the right circle of navigation arrows, when my hands seem to always want to use the left media playback control circle. Also, for having so many buttons, where is the dedicated Netflix button?
The device comes with a browser. Don't bother. Browsers on the wall are a bad idea, and the implementation doesn't convince me otherwise.
So to summarize, a nice piece of hardware driven by substandard and uncompetitive software. Its only competitive advantage for me comes from its ability to play high bitrate video formats like VUDU HDX, and over the air MPEG2, something neither Ruku nor Apple TV are likely to gain on their current generation hardware. Also, it has an optical audio output, which my Roku XS does not have.
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This seemed like more than the WD Live as it has a Browser, that was the reason for my ordering it, along with a cool, full keyboard remote.Sadly the Browser is useless, slow and quirky and really serves little purpose. I was also hoping that one could assign a VPN to the box allowing access to streaming media from the UK. Which it doesn't.
It did pick up my network, but does not recognize a USB hub, so you are limited to what you can connect to the 3 USB ports.
My reasons for giving it 2 stars, rather than 1, are it actually comes with a wireless dongle along with an HDMI cable. Many other manufacturers do not include this.
It will not playback BluRay files, again a drawback. But others seemed to stream over my network without any hiccups.
There is so little information about this product, even on iomega's website, which is why I ordered it in the hope it would work with my set-up.
So in conclusion, it's basically the same as a WD Live, it has Netlfix, Pandora, Mediafly etc. So if that's what you want and it fit's your needs, then choose whichever is the cheapest !! But if you are buying it for the browser, better you opt for GoogleTV.
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Setup was easy. Updated firmware and connected via ethernet. Netflix worked fine, but what I bought it for was streaming video from my PC. Some files worked...but froze more than I found acceptable...others were not compatible even though they were formats listed on the box (and Iomega's site) as playable formats.The remote was horrible. Sometimes you hit the center button of the directional pad to select something, sometimes you don't and it's MUCH smaller than pictures make it appear. I'm no technophobe at all and was really hoping this would work as advertised...sadly it doesn't. I sold it and await something better...though I'm close to going with the Boxee Box. I had thought about considering the Iomega TV with Boxee (settop box not yet available), but with the way this Iomega product disappointed me, I doubt I'll go that route.
If all you want to do is watch Netflix or load Divx files to the hard drive and watch them, this unit might satisfy you. Anything more than that most likely will disappoint...
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In the last 6 months I have had nothing but problems with this product. The wireless adapter went out about 2 months ago and then the remote went out so now its a big brick sitting on the shelf that cant be used... Thanks Iomega I will never purchase product from them ever again... DO NOT BUY!!!
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