Disconnected UI
The other sections - WebTV for YouTube, Flickr and so forth, and Home Media for USB and DLNA file access - present a UI that's unpolished and disjointed. The DSP-100 lets you set up user accounts, but these only hold YouTube and Flickr login details - the Twitter and Facebook "widgets" are handled separately.
BBC iPlayer is the first thing on the menu
Worse, they require you to have your computer running so you can enter a code into the OMB website, then go to Twitter to grant the widget API access before you can log in. What a palaver.
The selection of Widgets - own-window applets presented on the Home screen and, if you wish, during content playback - is pre-set and seemingly unchangeable. So is the hotch-potch collection of video feeds - plus a Games channel with three, play-them-once casual games - in the Web TV section.
Browsing any of these is straightforward, but searching is separate - there's a key on the not at all bad remote control for that - and limited to YouTube and Home Media only.
There's a separate Setup section - again, only accessible from a button on the remote - which can only be quit by navigating down to the Cancel or Apply on-screen buttons. The remote's Back button, which works as expected everywhere else, triggers nothing here.
Next page: The DPS-1000 UI in Pictures
COMMENTS
Get Real!
"...its iPlayer support having rendered my DVR redundant in less than a twelvemonth."
As long as you only watch BBC, have an uncapped Internet service, don't want to keep anything more than 2 weeks (so no long holidays) and are happy with the picture quality.
Streaming vs broadcast
It's the general issue of streaming vs broadcast. The author has binned broadcast "in less than a twelvemonth" in favour of streaming. Good luck to him. I am in the "get real!" broadcast camp with my trusty topfield PVR and seperate MP3 players. Streaming clogs up the internets, quality is an issue, and you have to involve your entire home IT ecosystem everytime you want to listen to Thin Lizzy. On the other hand, my hi-fi connected MP3 player boots in under a second.
Re: re: Get Real
iPlayer is fine for those with good ADSL which handles the higher definition mode with ease, but for those with slow connections the standard resolutions is choppy.
Blu-Ray players
I don't really see how the £90 price tag is enough to differentiate it from players like the BDP-S370, which does all that and plays Blu-Ray discs so is somewhat more useful into the future.
No wi-fi
If this had wi-fi, I'd buy one for my parents, they have no PVR or streaming capabilities. But as far as I can see, it's wired only, and all options for getting a wired connection where I'd need it are either expensive (relative to the box) or a hassle.
For myself, I'm also in the "get real!" camp, I have iPlayer access on my TV via my V+ box and my HTPC, but never use it. Only having stuff available for 7 days or whatever is weak, and anyway I watch a lot of non-BBC stuff, so recording rules for me.
BTW the "More Info: Digital Stream's site" link actually points to "www.theregister.co.uk" right now?
