The midsize remote control features an intuitive button layout. Most navigation tasks are readily handled with the remote's four-way directional keypad and its center-mounted Enter button. Video, Music, Photo, and Home buttons facilitate shortcutting directly to key menus. On the other hand, there are a lot of buttons on the remote, and many of them won't be used that often.
Features
The LinkTheater Wireless-A&G provides broad file format support, although it's not completely comprehensive. Compatible video spans MPEG 1, 2, and 3, XviD, DivX, and WMV (DRM and non-DRM) files, but notice it doesn't support WMV HD or files ripped from DVDs--both of which are becoming common on non-Apple media streamers. The LinkTheater outputs video and images at resolutions up to 720p, which makes it equal to the Apple TV, but a step behind the Mvix MX-760HD and the Netgear EVA8000. In the audio realm, it's compatible with MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA (DRM and non-DRM), and Dolby Digital 5.1 AC3 files, along with PLS and M3U playlists. That's pretty good, but open-source music fans will lament the lack of OGG or FLAC support. We also noticed that the LinkTheater wasn't able to play AAC files ripped at 256Kpbs--which is the format that non-DRM files bought from the iTunes store come in. It also can't play standard DRM'd files from the iTunes store, which is possible on the Apple TV as well as the Netgear EVA8000. You can instead get compatible music from services such as Urge or Napster, which offer DRM WMA files through subscription plans, and on a pay-per-download basis. Unfortunately, the unit can't stream Internet radio stations without using your PC as a conduit, and it doesn't support Rhapsody. Playable still image files include JPEG, BMP, and PNG.
Thanks to its UPnP and DLNA support, the LinkTheater is compatible with numerous PC server applications. The installation CD-ROM includes Mediabolic's server. We also tested the unit with Windows Media Player 11 and TwonkyVision. All of the applications we tested generally worked well. If you want to play DRM-protected WMA and WMV files with the LinkTheater, you'll have to use Windows Media Player 11 or Intel Viiv as your server. Unfortunately, unlike the LinkTheater DVD, the LinkTheater Wireless-A&G cannot use iTunes as a server.
Setup is very simple. After installing, configuring, and running any media server applications you want to use, you simply log the LinkTheater onto your network, use the remote to select the desired server application, and begin navigating the application's file library. The LinkTheater is compatible with WEP (64 and 128 bit) and WPA network encryption.
The LinkTheater's connectivity is a weakness as the absence of an HDMI or DVI output makes the unit seem dated. Video jacks include composite video, S-Video, and a D4 connector, which is converted into component video plugs by an included adapter cable. (D4 is a Japanese standard of no use in the United States.) For audio jacks, the unit has analog and optical digital outputs, but there's no coaxial digital output. Although you probably won't need it, it's good to have the Ethernet jack in case you run into wireless networking troubles such as persistent interference.
Performance
With the LinkTheater set up approximately 30 feet away from our wireless router and a thick plaster wall separating the two, wireless streaming performance was excellent. We watched several lengthy DivX files and other videos without experiencing significant hiccups. While we didn't run into any glitches, we should note that it wasn't that surprising considering the LinkTheater couldn't stream any high-definition content. Outside of video, the unit smoothly played high-resolution still images as well as audio tracks. Audio quality was good through the unit's analog outputs, but the sound was naturally better through the digital connection. Video and images looked sharp displayed on our HDTV.
The unit successfully played files from our USB 2.0 flash drive as well as from our USB 2.0 hard drive. We did run into a snag when we tried to fire up playback of a nonsupported file format from the flash drive. The LinkTheater displayed a "buffering" message and froze, forcing us to reboot it by disconnecting the power cord.
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Where to buy
Buffalo LinkTheater Wireless-A&G PC-P4LWAG:
$159.75
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$159.75 | Yes |
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