That's not to say that the EVA9150 isn't an improvement over the EVA8000 - it not only tidies up a number of niggles but also adds extra features such as support for 802.11n and a 500GB internal hard drive. It feels a lot more finished than its predecessor and overall the interface appears more polished than before.
Easy to use, but is it worth the money?
Yet, are all the differences are worth the considerable price hike? Certainly, it appears this device is another exchange rate casualty, with it retailing at $400 in the US, almost matching the figure in sterling, but its ease of use may be a price worth paying for some.
Verdict
The EVA9150 is a very good network streamer with comprehensive format support and good quality playback. The new additions such as the hard drive and 802.11n support are welcome features and, overall, it's more refined than its predecessor. However, its price tag lets it down - if it was £100 cheaper it'd be much easier to recommend but, currently, it's just a bit too expensive. ®
More Network Media Player Reviews...
Archos TV+ 250GB |
SiliconDust HDHomeRun |
Solwise DMP-1120w |
Netgear EVA8000 |
Netgear EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite
COMMENTS
Waiting
I'm waiting to see what Nintendo will do wit their Wii in this respect. As soon as they role out an upgrade/software to stream media from your internal network they will be tapping into a large userbase v.fast.
Re: Getting there
"Well it sounds very nice - anything that can handle MKVs immediately gets a gold star from me. "
Looking at the netgear site I see " MKV (with AC3 only) "
That seems like a big limit since MKV can contain almost anything...
With the latest update the WD TV is a much better MKV player, still not perfect though.
A PS3 or XBOX360 will do it too
Either of the current beefier consoles will do most of this too with the right free software ( PS3 Media Server) on an existing PC. The PS3 plays Bluerays and Rental disks etc without having to rip them first too. They will play games too.
Standalone on its own
"...let it operate as a standalone unit all on its own."
And what else may "standalone mean", other than "on its own"?
WD TV
Unless you really need the Network side of things, it's far cheaper to get the Western Digital TV too.... plays everything i've thrown at it so far and with minimal fuss!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001ILFDCK?ie=UTF8&tag=spoavetstu-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B001ILFDCK
Or built a HTPC and do it properly.....
