You also can use the TuneView to display your iPod-based photo slide shows, although doing so involves a bit of a hack. You toggle the remote into "iPod mode," which gives you remote control of the iPod's menus, but without the screen feedback on the remote. That means walking up to the iPod so you can see the menu on its tiny screen and navigating to the photo section. Once you're there, however, you can toggle the photo slide shows--complete with transition effects and background music--onto the TV for sofa-friendly viewing. Just be sure to follow Keyspan's instructions to the letter--in our initial evaluations, we kept overlooking the final pivotal button push that activates the TV display.
It's worth noting that the limited photo support is the fault of Apple, not Keyspan. But when and if Apple further updates its developer tools, it's possible that Keyspan could deliver improved photo navigation--and other improvements--in a future firmware upgrade. Both the remote and dock are upgradeable via the USB ports, and quickly downloading and upgrading the latest firmware added alphabetical navigation to the remote--very useful for jumping through playlists that are dozens or hundreds of songs long. But we had a few other gripes that about the remote that would need to be addressed at the manufacturing level: the buttons sometimes stick, the batteries don't fit quite as tightly as we'd like, and the screen emits a high-pitched whine when illuminated.
As good as it is, the Keyspan TuneView does have its shortfalls: the buttons sometimes stick, the batteries don't fit quite as tightly as we'd like, and the screen emits a high-pitched whine when illuminated. None of those are deal-breakers, but the TuneView's bigger problem may be the strong competition in the iPod accessory world. Chief among them is the updated 2007 version of DLO HomeDock Deluxe. For $150 (list), the HomeDock Deluxe delivers a very similar feature set--remote control of music and videos from your iPod--and unlike the
Keyspan will soon be releasing a companion product called the TuneView USB that uses the same remote to interface with a PC or Mac that's running iTunes (though we were less than enthusiastic about the similar Hercules Tunes Explorer Wireless). But controlling an iPod connected to a home audio/video system is a much more appealing prospect, and in that regard, the TuneView for iPod excels. While we'd like to see fully integrated photo support--and a lower price--the TuneView remains far superior compared to competing products such as the $100 Apple iPod AV Connection Kit and the $90 Belkin TuneCommand AV, neither of which offer onscreen feedback--on a TV or a remote--when navigating your iPod from across the room.
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Keyspan TuneView for iPod:
