If the music tracks, digital photographs and video on your computer rarely get to see the light of day, a media streamer (a device that grabs them off the PC to play it on the TV or hi-fi) could set them free.

Linksys’s DMA2200 Media Center Extender is one such device and, as the name suggests, extends Microsoft’s Media Center software to a TV, allowing users to access all the media stored on PCs from the comfort of the sofa. The PC will need to be running Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium and needs to be switched on whenever the DMA2200 is in use.

What makes the DMA2200 stand out is its usability. Setting it up is a breeze and, with the Media Center display, browsing a media library is simple, with everything presented in a logical manner. Within seconds we had a slideshow of holiday snaps on display with a selection of handpicked tracks playing in the background.

Streaming video is just as easy and, since format support is determined by what Media Center can handle, few files won’t play. A selection of online video is also available, including free content from MTV along with subscription-channels. And, if the PC running Media Center has a TV tuner installed, you can also watch, pause and record live TV.

One gripe is that the interface isn’t as smooth flowing as Media Center on a PC, with a short pause often occurring before DMA2200 reacts to a button press on the remote. The DMA2200 can be hooked up to a network using wired or wireless connection.

Linksys has furnished it with the ability to talk using the latest 802.11n wireless standard, which boosts speeds and makes it possible to stream high-definition video wirelessly. However, unless you own a wireless router that supports the same standard, you’ll have to stick to slower wireless speeds, which are fine for streaming standard-definition video.

The box also squeezes in a DVD player. A non-DVD version (DMA2100) is available for £30 less, but this player is able to upscale standard DVDs for high definition screens. It’s no substitute for a Blu-ray video disc but it does make films look better. The jewel in the DMA2200’s crown is undoubtedly its ease of use.

We’ve seen plenty of technically impressive media streamers in the past that were let down by lacklustre user interfaces. Much of the DMA2200’s impressive usability is down to its close ties with Media Center. This is, however, its one big flaw – if you don’t have a Vista PC with Media Center up and running, you won’t be able to use it.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 7:40 pm and is filed under Computing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.