Ab Work Outs: D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, I'd like to say that I firmly believe that digital media players similar to this one are the future of digital home entertainment. A simple and inexpensive device like that allows you to stream digital media to your home theater from your laptop, desktop or a dedicated media server located anywhere in your house. This is a great idea. This technology is here to stay. It's just a question of maturity. And, sorry to say, D-Link DSM-510 is not quite there yet.

I truly liked its design simplicity. There are no frills, but all essentials are there - WiFi, Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio and USB port. Exactly what I needed, no more and no less, in a small and neatly done package with clean and straightforward user interface.

However, the device is palgued by fimware bugs that eventually made me take it back to the store where I bought it.

First, the most obvious and the most stupid one is the absence of the on/off indicator. The blue light on the front panel goes on once the power adapter is connected and remanis lit whether the device is turned on or off. So you have to turn your TV on to tell whether it's on or off.

Second, there's no on/off or reset button on the front panel. Well... there's no buttons whatsoever, period. And boy, will you miss that reset button now and then. The only way to turn it on or off is by using remote control.

The most annoying thing is, the device's video output goes completely dark for no apparent reason once in a while and won't come back even if you power cycle it using remote. The device appears to be alive (you can ping it), but video output remains black no matter what you do. The only way to remedy from this is to physically disconnect power supply (there's no reset or power button, remember?)

I upgraded to the latest firmware version (1.01), but to no avail. By the way, firmware upgrade is done via Internet and went very smoothly, although at some point you're left wondering if it's hung up or what? Just be patient and wait for a couple of minutes for it to finish.

I'm really surprised and disappointed that D-Link's QA have not caught this nasty "black screen" problem. Hopefully, it can be fixed with a firmware patch. But until then, the DSM-510 goes back to the store shelf.

And D-Link, take note. If you want to enter consumer market, you have to change your attitude. Consumers are less forgiving than computer geeks you sell your networking stuff to. They won't tolerate bugs that require reaching behind the box and pulling the power cord.

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Product Description:
With the DSM-510 enjoy streaming digital media content over an existing network from a PC to a home entertainment center. Access music, photos, and videos stored on a PC and play them on your television. Listen to high-quality digital music on a stereo system, share digital photos with friends and family, and watch your favorite high-definition digital videos on a big screen HDTV. Experience digital media like never before.

Main Features
Manufacturer: D-Link Systems, Inc
Manufacturer Part Number: DSM-510
Manufacturer Website Address: www.dlink.com
Product Model: DSM-510
Product Type: Network Audio/Video Player
Media Support: Not Applicable
Formats Support: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV, XviD, MP3, PCM, AVI, WMA, AIFF, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, JPEG2000, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, GIF
Network: Fast Ethernet , Wireless IEEE 802.11g
Interfaces/Ports: RJ-45 Network, USB 2.0 - USB, HDMI Stereo Audio Line-out, Composite Video Out, Toslink S/PDIF Out
Dimensions: 1.3" Height x 5.5" Width x 5.7" Depth
Weight: 0.6 lb
Standard Warranty: 1 Year(s) Limited

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