Network Media Players

I've always been a fan of network media players. This love started with Roku SoundBridge M1001, way back in 2007.

Roku
Roku had an optical out that I connected to my Harman Kardon Amp. To stream the music I connected Roku to my laptop / external hdd using my wi-fi. It was a wonderful experience and gave a some boasting rights too. The only challenge I faced was the display, which was pretty small and so when browsing the song list I had to sit pretty close to the unit. Also, there was no Video Streaming available. Later on I discovered an iPhone app to control the Roku and it really changed my iteraction level. I could compose the playlist of the fly, mute, change volume etc. from the kitchen and without being in front of the unit. All that ended when I returned to India. The device did not survive the travel and I lost a great friend.

Roku has since come up with some really strong products that stream from Netflix and other sites like Youtube, Hulu etc. but they do not stream media from your collection and hence have limited utility for me. I bought their latest offering HDXR(2009), but returned it once I understood the limitations.

Xtreamer
Later last year I saw Xtreamer Pro in my brother-in-law's house. It was a boxy device, that contained his entire collection (Audio and Video). I liked it as it allowed local storage upto 4 TB. Though it did allow network connection, I think wi-fi dongle was an expensive accessory and bringing Wired Network to the player meant an ugly creepy wires crawling up and down the walls to reach the player.

iOmega Screenplay DX
Last month when browsing through Croma store in Mumbai,I chanced upon iOmega and Western Digital media players. I returned home and started my research. Between the two, I chose iOmega over WD for its Wi-Fi connectivity in the same price.

Essentially for Rs. 13000 you get
- 1 TB Space
- Wi-Fi Dongle
- Ability to connect to Internet and play Youtube, Netflix etc. (Only YouTube is useful in India as Netflix and other streaming sites are blocked).
- View most of the known Video / Audio Formats

I could get it for much less in the US but now its no longer an option.
Last weekend we watched BhejaFry-2 from YouTube on our TV, through iOmega Screenplay DX. I reserve my views on the movie, but the streaming was flawless. I wholeheartedly recommend iOmega to anyone wanting to set up home Media House. Its truly value for money.