- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 6 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
3.0 stars
"Could be great, but misses the mark"
Pros: Looks good, big improvements over previous versions, built-in wireless, PSP integration, generally very easy to setup
Cons: Only one computer can have the LocationFree software installed, software occasionally stalls or becomes choppy, PSP setup is not documented properly
Summary: I had a hard time deciding between the LF-V30 and the SlingBox Solo. I finally decided on the LocationFree because of the ability to use the PSP LocationFree player. The other key selling point is the built-in wireless function including the ability to use the device as a WAP, in case you don't already have a wireless router but want to take advantage of the wireless feature.
The one glaring problem that I'm having a very hard time overcoming is that you can only install one instance of the player software. You can load it again on another computer, but only after disabling the previous install settings from the LocationFree base. The process is far too annoying to be able to just switch when necessary. You are effectively bound to one device. Fortunately, the PSP has it's own player, so this doesn't affect the license limitation. It seems that you can purchase more licenses for about $30 per machine, but this is insane given the already high cost of the unit.
I was unable to find anyplace in the documentation that indicates that the LF base must be set to AP (instead of client) when connecting a PSP. I spent 15-30 minutes before figuring this out. Once setup, the PSP has a LocationFree wifi SSID, which I deleted since I already had a wireless connection configured and I wanted it to use my regular WAP. There may be some benefit to connecting directly, but I would have liked to have had the choice.
The LF-V30 has some great features, such as being able to setup a player remotely without having to have physical access to the LF base unit. Unfortunately, this feature is of limited benefit since you can only install one player.
Although the wireless and PSP features give this unit a huge advantage over the SlingBox models, the player limitation on the LF is such a huge hurdle that I'm not sure it's worth keeping. There will probably be an exchange in the near future...
- 2 replies to this review
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bradigan or anyone else: did you get a chance to capture the video. It seems like the popular capturing softwares are not able to recogize this input source.
Seems like a waste of money for me. -
that's insane not to mention dictatorial, given that they want to lock down your tv.
Where to buy
Sony LF-V30 LocationFree TV:
$99.99 - $249.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$249.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$99.99 | Yes |
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