Pleasing playback
This lack of joined up UI construction is compounded by playback flaws. Some of the pre-programmed video feeds only pop up a terse "Function not supported" message when you try to play any of their listed videos. I got this with some Blinkbox offerings too.
Very good media format support... almost
Playing content through DLNA and USB showed mixed results. DLNA doesn't mandate a wide array of video formats, but it happily served up Xvid AVI and H.264-encoded 720p HD .M4V files without hitch. Likewise 1080p H.264 off a USB stick, though it wasn't happy with Reg Hardware's 720p MKV test file.
If metadata is present, it will present videos by their title rather than their filename. But it didn't seem to want to present the contents of my DLNA-accessible Shared Music and Share Pictures folders, though.
OMB's web browser, desptite a section in the manual and a WWW button on the remote, is absent too, though to be fair the box isn't being promoted as being capable of surfing the web.
Verdict
For 90 quid, the DPS-1000 is a passable way to get BBC iPlayer and Lovefilm on your TV if it doesn't have them anyway, and you get good local and network media playback too. It's not as good looking, but it has more features than the Apple TV 2, for example. But it could have been so much better if a bit more effort had been put into the otherwise clunky UI design. ®
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Digital Stream DPS-1000 BBC iPlayer set-top box
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?
