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Product Reviews:
Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender WMCE54AG |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Roll Out The Red Carpet!!!!!!!!
Comments: This is the almost all useful, cool, and slick looking electronic I have ever used. This works so great and FINNALY, Linksys came out with something people actually need. great JOB Linksys and keep up the great work. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Love it... however has limitations
Comments: Short review since this product is discontinued. Really like and use this product often. The Media Center PC with this is really been a useful, affordable concept for us. We do not pay for anything extra like digital or some other DVR monthly service and we have way more to watch than we have time for. I really like to play music on it too, although I wish there were some added features like a better screen saver.
If you are considering getting this be aware that you are dependent on the PC working more than the Extender working. If you have PC problems you will also have Extender problems. Network problems, same thing. The Extender may be working perfectly well and not working at all for you if you do not have a powerful enough PC, have a week wireless router, or have too much running on your PC or want to upgrade (subjective) to Vista, etc. |
Rating: 1 (out of 5)
Summary: POS - DO NOT purchase THIS PRODUCT
Comments: I have1on my closet. I have never been so frustrated with a product. It plays my digital music collection well, does photos well, weather, and a lot of add on's, however it will not play 90% of HBO shows. Other than this it is a prety great concept. The Tv guide is quicker and better than TIVO, however the fact that it will not play protected content HBO kills it for me. Mine is in the closet gathering dust and I now have a Tivo that plays any show I record. Now thats what it is supposed to do. Linksys support is terrible. I'll never own another product from them. I had 12 months of correspondence with them and they could never fix my HBO problem. |
Rating: 3 (out of 5)
Summary: Works with Issues
Comments: I originally purchased this to work with my Windows XP media center PC. Setup was relatively easy. I use a wired connection, as I have found wireless does not do too well with Media Center Extenders. Though it has component output, it cannot put out anything beyond 480P. It connects well; however, it can not play any item that is coming through the Digital Tuner of my Media Center PC, nor can it play any of those items. The remote that comes with it is the older RC-6 Microsoft designed remote, it's functional however not pretty. I believe Sony makes this remote, it appears like the same remote that came with my Sony-XL2 Media Center computer.
It also cannot stream any DIVx or H264 items. We recently upgraded the main computer to a Vista PC with a cable card tuner. This box will not work with Vista. I think if you are serious about a Media Center PC extender, then get the X-Box 360. It's a better solution: it gives the capability of playing Games and DVDs, plus can output HD; and Microsoft is constantly releasing updates for it. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Great Device -- Know Its Limits
Comments: I have2of these in my house, and by and large am pleased with them. They do what I want them to, however they do have limitations.
Pros:
-Able to access XP Media Center media from a TV (particularly helpful for me as I have a huge CD collection and huge home video library loaded on my computer)
-wireless
-simple menu
-access to online media
-quiet and sightly device -- will not add noise or ugliness to your home entertainment center
-great sound; decent video
Cons:
-Does not play all video file types (AVI's and MPEG2, in particular)
I found an update for my 1st extender that allows me to play
AVI's without any extra steps -- unfortunately I can no longer locate
this update, and must use an app called "Transcode 360" to play AVI's
on my second extender. This introduces extra steps and delay in
playing AVI's on the extender
-online media access can be flaky -- not all sites play well; media libraries at many sites are less than impressive; many sites require installation of additional software (on your Media Center PC -- NOT on the extender)
-setup CAN be simple, however there can also be issues that take a bit to troubleshoot
-will not work with Vista (important if you plan to get a new PC anytime soon)
-not high def -- decent video (just fine for 480i TV's), however not high def or wide screen
-periodically lose connection to PC -- sometimes when I turn1on, it will not connect to PC. May need to restart PC or extender. Eventually it works, however is a pain when it happens.
Overall:
I know I wrote more cons than pros, however I am getting what I want from this device, so am almost allly happy. I would love to see it be more seemless for me, and perform a notch or2better in terms of video clarity and reliability.
This is a decent device that will allow you to access PC-based home media on your TV. If you are considering this for online content, your mileage may vary. DO NOT CONSIDER IF YOU HAVE OR WILL SOON GET MS VISTA. Know what it is you want it to do and be sure that is possible before purchasing. And finally, shop around -- this is a discontinued device and prices can vary widely at different retailers. |
