GoVideo D2740 Network DVD Player
GO VIDEO D2740, NETWORK DVD PLAYER
GoVideo's slim D2740 is a true 21st-century entertainment device: it will play your commercial and homemade DVDs, sure, but it also spins MP3 music and JPEG image CDs and--as if that weren't enough--it'll stream audio, images, and video files from your PC right to your TV at the touch of a button. Streams may include JPEG, TIFF, and BMP images; MP3 and WMA audio formats; and MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 video formats. Compatible physical media includes DVD-R/DVD-RW, video CD, Kodak Picture CD, and MP3 and WMA CDs. The Wi-Fi 802.11g-capable D2740 is compatible with existing wireless home networks, allowing instant out-of-the-box set-up and use. Just open the box, install the D2740's server software (PC only), hook it up to the TV, and start enjoying its innovative capabilities. If your home isn't networked yet, the unit still operates as a full-function DVD player. Besides routing content from your hard drive to your home theater, the player also offers the ability to stream audio from RealNetworks' Rhapsody music service to any TV or stereo system in your home. This means you can enjoy any of more than 650,000 songs at the touch of a button and view your personal Rhapsody library right there on your television. With Rhapsody, you'll be able to browse by artist, album, and song title in a library of more than 50,000 albums. (D2740 owners can sign up for a free 30-day Rhapsody trial by visiting www.listen.com/govideo; the Rhapsody music service is available from RealNetworks for $9.95 per month). An intuitive graphical user interface simplifies operation. User-upgradeable onscreen "skins" give operation a personalized look and feel, and the unit's upgradeable firmware ensures that you'll be ready for future DVD formats, too. A headphone output with a dedicated volume control facilitates private listening--perfect for tuning into Internet radio in your living room while the rest of the family reads or sleeps. Top-of-the-line component-video outputs (switchable between progressive-scan and interlaced) help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the D2740 stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver, and--in case your existing receiver is merely "Dolby Digital ready" (with multichannel RCA analog inputs), the D2740 decodes Dolby Digital 5.1 to six discrete analog signals (left, center, right, left/right surround, and subwoofer). What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, an installation CD-ROM (PC software), a user's manual, onscreen user interface skins, a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and warranty information.
GoVideo D2740 Network DVD Player Accessories
GoVideo D2740 Network DVD Player Reviews
If the D2740 was only a wireless media player, I would have given it four stars. The UI is simple but good. The software that you install on your PC is good but it takes forever to search for media. I like that the D2740 will connect to Real Media player to allow streaming of internet radio stations.
I ripped all 650 of my CDs to MP3s and packed them away. The D2740 makes it easy to search by song, artist or album. You can also create playlists on the host PC and access the lists through the player.
The wireless connection is quick enough to stream video, just make sure that your PC has the horsepower (and video power) to stream. I have an older PIII laptop that could not stream well and the video was choppy. My 3.2 GHz machine with a decent ATI card has no problems pushing the video over the network.
Now the bad... the DVD player is pretty bad. It plays video DVDs OK, but it will not even recognize my DVD-A's. My XBOX is a better DVD player.
Another mini-peeve is that GoVideo puts a sticker over the display screen that is almost impossible to get off. I have had this device for 5 months and still have not been able to get the sticker residue off completely... what were they thinking???
Pros - Good streaming capabilities, good media search function, wireless connection decent
Cons - DVD player is bad, PC software has slow new media searching function.
I've had this unit for a few months now and really like it. Streaming media wirelessly from my PC is great..saves tons of time and money burning CDs and DVDs. Does mpg's great and most avi's. Xvids can be a pain(out of sync audio), but you can use a program called mpeg4modifier to unpack the bitstream and then they work fine too. Only 2 things bug me about this player: 1) The remote is the worst! Have to press buttons repeatedly for it to work, even when pointed directly at the player. I fixed this by buying a Kameleon(sp?) remote from Radio Shack. 2) Their support stinks. I filed an online support request for the remote, sent many follow up emails, and they simply don't respond. Overall though, very happy with the player.
The GoVideo D2740 media player connects to your home network and plays photos, music and video files that already reside on your home computer. It supports a good variety of formats and the interface is simple if not speedy. I had one setup problem due to WEP (it likes you to enter all 4 keys) and one due to Norton Worm Protection (they don't coexist) but after adjusting those settings it works fine.
I was hoping, however, that it would be able to play or receive streaming media from the Internet. We have an on demand video service that would be great to show in other rooms. Oh well. Does any other device do that?
It's a nice device for showing video you captured on your TV without having to hook up the camcorder or burn a DVD. It's a nice device for listening to your music downloads on the family room sound system without a lot of gear or wires. But that's all it is.
Therefore, 3 stars based on limited features. But if that's all this class of products do then it works fine. Give it an extra star. I got mine for a very low price so I am not complaining. Basically, this class of device is not quite ready for prime time.
Although I purchased a different unit, the GoVideo 8440 Portable DVD Player, it played exactly 6 movies before dying. GoVideo replaced it with a refurbished model, which arrived in non-working condition. I received a THIRD replacement unit (new)from GoVideo, which failed within minutes out of the box. Please note that I have since discovered that GoVideo Inc. is NOT a member of the Better Business Bureau of Central/Northern Arizona and has MULTIPLE complaints against the company. Purchase at your own risk!!
First and foremost, this is a good sturdy player with a solid chassis; so it's by no means cheap like many other players out there.
2. The network and software was a piece of cake to setup and start using. Although there are no updates at the time of this writing, I like the idea the software and firmware can be updated if it needs to be.
3. I'm using a Linksys Wireless-G setup so I have yet to experience any lag or network slow-downs, even while using my full bandwidth on my computer and watching a file over the network simultaneously. There really isn't any waiting for communication sync either while browsing files.
4. The DVD player is awesome and really does read both DVD+R and DVD-R discs. I had previously purchased a Sony which said it did do just that, but didn't when I took it home and tried to use it.
5. The server software runs great on my Windows 2003 server installation (I use the server for my intranet including web development and now file serving).
6. The photo gallery and playing audio playlists worked flawlessly.
About Video Formats
- DivX plays but looks awful (audio came through fine)
- SVCD plays well, but will get choppy on fast motion scenes (I think its the stream having a hard time keeping up... the file is crystal clear on my PC and scenes with little motion).
- VCD plays the best (no choppiness), but is a little grainy... only because of the format
Now for the negative stuff which isn't really negative... just informative:
- The software does take an abnormal amount of time to launch on the intital boot. However, if you have a dedicated server/computer for this program, you shouldn't be rebooting all too often anyhow. Both when idle and being used, the software itself consistantly used about 5000k of memory (about the same as windows explorer).
- If you have lots of media, you'll spend a lot of time fixing your ID3 tags and creating playlists to make your overall experience better.
- On that note, ID3 tags are limited to title, album, artist and genre for audio files (you can only edit the title on video files which is frustrating, but wouldn't show up on the tv screen anyhow so I guess it doesn't matter). I highly recommend having a seperate ID3 tag editor onhand such as "tag & rename" just to make life simpler.
- You can't "lock out" playlists (ie - I don't exactly want my 5-year-old watching my "Sex and the City" playlist.
- It'd be nice if I could custom skin or style the network interface. It's not that it's bad, I just like to do that sort of thing.
- Only uses WEP security... would be nice if it used WPA as well. The GoVideo FAQs clearly state that the D2740 won't be supporting WPA.
- I've found that the player doesn't like to switch between the DVD player and the network. I often find myself powering off the machine after a DVD before switching to the network.
- The remote control isn't as sensitive as I'd like it to be. It needs to be pointed directly at the machine.
- The tray isn't as sensitive as I'd like it either. It doesn't instantly pop out when you push the button like other players. The tray does instantly come open when using the remote though.
- Similar to the D2730, getting the S-Video working is weird (its not auto-sensing like most DVD players; its manual), but it's clear how to do it in the instructions.
The main advantage to this player is that you get everything for your home media network in one package that isn't gonna break the bank. The Microsoft setup cost me for a dedicated computer, a custom OS and then $250 a pop for each set-top box and you can't really customize as much as you'd like to (in my experience anyway). This particular setup will only set you back about $200.00 and you don't need anything else other then an already existing wired or wireless network. I had mine setup and operable in only about ten minutes.
Despite its few minor flaws, I love this product! I suspect some firmware and software upgrades will resolve most of these very minor issues. I'll definitely be buying another one for my other television.
|
