Linksys Media Center Extender with DVD

Great idea, but weak DVD player [Posted on 2008-03-16]
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.

Read On! [Posted on 2008-04-06]
Be sure to have a wireless "n" router if you are trying to connect wirelessly as the signal wasn't strong enough for HD video. The extender was only about 20 feet from the router. The ethernet port on the DVD extender went bad; probably just bad luck on my part. Linksys is sending a replacement. I did have to pay to ship it back. With 10/100 wired ethernet it is kinda slow to access media center and to just watch a movie. I did upgrade to wireless "n" but have not been able to see if that speeds it up as the extender is out for replacement. The good is once it actually gets going it works well both with a movie and media center. If you have movies, music, etc... you can only access them from media center. I also recently purchased a d-link dns 323 storage device which has set-up for storage to the extender. I think it will take some time to get set-up so that media center accesses from storage. I would purchase this again. There is also a logitech product that does similar functions!

Ok, but still not as good as a 360 [Posted on 2008-05-21]
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.

Wire this up and you are set!!! [Posted on 2008-06-14]
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.

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