Friday, December 03, 2004
I-O DATA's LinkPlayer Review
First, I would like to apologize for all of the amendments to my review. There were so many new features, that I had to add them after my initial review.
The Linkplayer is a DVD player that does more than any player I have seen. I already have several DVD players, so the reason I bought this player was because of it's abundant media server capabilities.
The first thing I did was follow the instructions to set up the player in my living room. It has an Ethernet plug in the back that I hooked to my router in the living room. After hooking the unit up to my receiver and television, I went to my computer and installed the software that was provided on a CD. The software did everything and it took me less than a few minutes to have the computer connected to the DVD player in my living room.
The next thing I did was setup the folders on my computer that I wanted the Linkplayer to see. This was very easy as well. I did not even need the instructions to setup access to the folders.
The main reason I liked this player was because it has a USB2 port built in. It will recognize hard drives, compact flash cards, cameras, etc.. when they are plugged into the USB2 port. I have a Maxtor 200GB external hard drive that I use to back up my huge music collection. I plugged it into the Linkplayer. Within seconds, the unit adds the drive to it's list of sources (DVD, Network, etc). I clicked on it and it had all my files in three different folders (Videos,Photos, Music). I played some mp3s and it worked beautifully! The only downside to the setup is that the Linkplayer cannot access the Linkplayer software because it is stored on the computer. This means that the player just shows the folders that are setup on the hard drive rather than setting up it's own folders for Genre, Artist, and Album.
They are coming out with a hard drive in the near future that will have the software built in and therefore it will be able to set up Genre, Artist, and Album without having to access the computer.
The next thing I tested was photos. The component outputs upscale to the desired settings (480P, 720P, 1080i). In my case, I used 1080i to upscale my photos and movies to high definition. The photos were very detailed and the upscaling added clarity that you would normally only see on a computer screen. The only downside is that the Linkplayer has a 2048x1532 size limit. I had to scale down most of my photos using Photoshop, but they still looked great on the TV.
The movie mode is where this player really performs. I downloaded some Divx HD files and the player had no problem playing the files back over my connected network. Next, I downloaded a WMV9 Hd file and the video playback of the HD Imax Coral Reef Adventure was stunning. The downside was that the audio was non-existent. I sent I-O Data and email and they said they would add the sound codec for WMV9 to their next update that is scheduled to appear on December 23rd.
Next, I saved a played an HD file that I recorded OTA using my ATI HD Wonder card. I then played the video back in my living room over the network. To my surprise, the player actually played back the DD5.1 sound from the file! This means that I can archive any HD movie I record on my hard drive and have access to all of them from my Linkplayer in my living room!
The main limitation to this unit is the way it handles large music collections. When I click on the Artist folder, it brings up a list beginning in alphabetical order. The issue is that it only includes nine artists per page. Then at the top, it has a numeric list (1-9, 10-19, etc..). I have several hundred artists on my computer and there is no easy way to find an artist that starts with "S" (for example). Therefore, I usually just listen by Genre or I dig through the folders that I have alphabetized on my computer. This is not a severe limitation, but it is the players biggest problem (from my perspective).
The other issue is the very short component cables that are provided with the unit. The unit has a D4 to component cable that is required for hookup. The problem is that the cables are only two feet long. This is not an issue for me because I have a Copperbox that I use to add several different components to my system sitting on top of the Linkplayer. (Note: IO Data now offers female output cables for plugging into any length cable you wish)
I will provide more information on this player as I have more time to test it. Also, the update in December will have so many new features that it will require more testing.
Here are some pictures from my television:
This page is what the linkplayer pulls up when you turn it on.
Notice that there are five choices:
They consist of the DVD drive (Lost in Translation), the USB Drive, the network path to the AVEL Linkplayer software, the Advanced Linkplayer software, and the Linkplayer UHDL.
The USB drive usually takes a few seconds to be recognized, but I will hopefully not need the USB drive when the UHDL excepts files over 2GB. I will update when I-O Data updates the size limitation.
This is the page that comes up when you choose the network or the USB drive.
This is the page that appears when I choose the Video tab on the intro page.
It lists all available movie folders.
This is the Photo Page.
It will pull up all available pictures in thumbnail format. I have all my files in one folder so you do not see any other folders. If there were more folders, a thumbnail for each folder would appear. The photo mode allows the user to assign a music folder to each slideshow/folder. The program also gives the user the ability to choose how long to display each picture.
This is a photo that I have on my computer. The picture is actually much sharper than it appears here. There were issues related to the light in my living room, taking a picture of the TV and my camera. You can get an idea of the picture quality by noticing the hair that is seen on the bees leg in this shot.
This is the music page generated from my network.
Notice that the Linkplayer program created an Artist, Album, and Genre folder by using the tags on my mp3 files. Also notice the folders that I created for each alphabetical letter. Each letter contains folders for each artist that begins with that letter.
This is the page that appears when I choose the Linkplayer generated Artist folder.
The problem with this page is the fact that only nine artists appear on each page.
The other problem is that the user can only navigate based on the numbers at the top right corner on the page. Notice that this page only provides access to 36 artists. This means I have to cycle through a lot of pages to get to the 100th artist.
In other words, this makes it difficult to find any artist without cycling through many pages. Also, I have to cycle through each group of pages, so there is no easy way to get to an artist that starts with "T". This is my biggest complaint with the player. I have emailed the company and they are looking into a more functional setup. Currently, I just use the alphabetical listing of folders that I created to find a particular artist.
To see the photos in a larger size, go to this photo page
Added 12/03/04: A few new things I have learned:
1. The WMV9 5.1 Audio Codec will not be added until 2005.
2. The specifications on this unit say it will play MP3s up to 192K. I have tested 320K MP3s over the network and off of the USB port and they play without any issues.
3. It has been suggested that the 300GB UHDL unit will cost $499 with a $99 discount to people owning or buying a Linkplayer.
4. The USB port specifies that it will play 1600x1200 photos. At this point, I have been unable to play files of this size from the USB port. The network specs for photos seem to be correct. According to the company, the reason I was having a problem was because I was saving my files using the "progressive" mode on Photoshop. I will test the theory and save the file in interlaced mode when I get a chance.
My conclusion is that this player is an unbelievable bargain. The UHDL will make the product even more attractive.
On a personal note, the customer service for this product has been stellar and the company has promised several firmware updates already. I have dealt with a few small companies that are very difficult to reach and this company exceeds all expectations for handling my questions.
December 5th Update:
I installed the new firmware and Divx HD clips now lock up my system. I sent the company an email, so how they answer it will determine if I roll it back or not. (12/8/04) The company is still checking on this problem, therefore I have rolled back the firmware.
December 9th Update:
I sent Linkplayer the following question:
Do you think it will ever be possible to record television shows with the linkplayer hooked to a UHDL device?
Here is there answer:
Actually I-O DATA Japan is selling this application with TV tuner products. We are planning to release a TV tuner/recorder product in USA. However, the market potentilaity is not so big. Then I hesitate to do. Perhaps we will build a new relationship with Plextor, and this combination can provide it. I'll keep updating new info for you.
I am not really sure how to interpret this, but it does look like they are researching the marketability of this type of product. If they could record OTA HD directly onto the UHDL, I know I would be interested in that feature.
December 11th update:
I had three questions from ChePazzo on the Prismiq forum that I am currently working on:
1. Does it support mulitple audio and/or video streams?
From what I understand, it is possible to get a picture on two screens simultaneosly while the machine is not upconverting to a HD signal. I have not tested this, but I have read about it at AVS forum. I do not believe that the machine is capable of sending out two different streams. I will test this in the near future, but I am pretty sure that is the case.
2. Does it support on-the-fly aspect ratio changing? ie, can I play a 4:3 immediately after a 16:9 and have it look 'right' without visiting the global setup options first?
There are a couple requirements. If you are upconverting to a HD signal, the machine pulls everything into 16:9 mode. Therefore, 4:3 material will be stretched to fill the screen. If you decide not to upconvert (480i & 480P), the machine will play back the feed in it's OAR. Added 12/29 Actually, I finally tested this and the zoom function (via the remote's zoom button) works on network files and will show the movie in 4:3 or 16:9 format. Here is an explanation from I-O Data.
3. Can it play a file that is currently being appended (ie, PVR recording)
I have no way to test this. I would guess that it would depend on the software you use to record. My guess is that the software would have a problem sharing the file and writing to it at the same time. This is just a guess because I have no way to test this feature. I am not an expert in this field, so take my comments with that understanding.
December 12th:
I downloaded some software from Momitsu's website. It acts as a substitute for the I-O Data software. This software gives the user the ability to shuffle play every song on their computer and/or play all of the subfolders in any directory.
It also has the ability to work as a web browser. It interacts with the favorite list of Internet Explorer and works great. I would love to see a keyboard that makes it easier to utilize the internet, but it works pretty well if you have a lot of links set up. It appears to be faster than the Prismiq internet browser.
It is also supposed to make it easy to use Internet Radio, but I have not been able to test that feature at this time.
December 29th Update:
1. The DivxHD lockup problems have been fixed.
2. The customer support at I-O data also told me they are going to release a "remote-PC" option in 2005. This will allow the user to take over a computer desktop and control it from the Linkplayer.
3. They have several other features added to their newest firmware update, but I still have to test them all.
January 16th Update:
I received the UHDL 300GB server with the built in Linkserver software. I will provide a separate review of this soon. Right now I am disappointed that the Linkplayer does not recognize files that are over 2GB that are stored on the server. I have been assured that this will be fixed with an update.
NOTE: This has been fixed, but some of the functionality was lost. Not a big deal, but you may want to read one of my UHDL reviews for more info.
Added notes:
If you want to continue upsampling with the Linkplayer, you should not download firmware after Nov 2005.
I have updated to the most recent version (March 2006?). The Linkplayer now has much better Rhapsody support from the main menu. Since I have moved the Linkplayer to my bedroom, this is a great additional feature (for me)!
Any questions can be left here in my guestbook.
The Linkplayer is a DVD player that does more than any player I have seen. I already have several DVD players, so the reason I bought this player was because of it's abundant media server capabilities.
The first thing I did was follow the instructions to set up the player in my living room. It has an Ethernet plug in the back that I hooked to my router in the living room. After hooking the unit up to my receiver and television, I went to my computer and installed the software that was provided on a CD. The software did everything and it took me less than a few minutes to have the computer connected to the DVD player in my living room.
The next thing I did was setup the folders on my computer that I wanted the Linkplayer to see. This was very easy as well. I did not even need the instructions to setup access to the folders.
The main reason I liked this player was because it has a USB2 port built in. It will recognize hard drives, compact flash cards, cameras, etc.. when they are plugged into the USB2 port. I have a Maxtor 200GB external hard drive that I use to back up my huge music collection. I plugged it into the Linkplayer. Within seconds, the unit adds the drive to it's list of sources (DVD, Network, etc). I clicked on it and it had all my files in three different folders (Videos,Photos, Music). I played some mp3s and it worked beautifully! The only downside to the setup is that the Linkplayer cannot access the Linkplayer software because it is stored on the computer. This means that the player just shows the folders that are setup on the hard drive rather than setting up it's own folders for Genre, Artist, and Album.
They are coming out with a hard drive in the near future that will have the software built in and therefore it will be able to set up Genre, Artist, and Album without having to access the computer.
The next thing I tested was photos. The component outputs upscale to the desired settings (480P, 720P, 1080i). In my case, I used 1080i to upscale my photos and movies to high definition. The photos were very detailed and the upscaling added clarity that you would normally only see on a computer screen. The only downside is that the Linkplayer has a 2048x1532 size limit. I had to scale down most of my photos using Photoshop, but they still looked great on the TV.
The movie mode is where this player really performs. I downloaded some Divx HD files and the player had no problem playing the files back over my connected network. Next, I downloaded a WMV9 Hd file and the video playback of the HD Imax Coral Reef Adventure was stunning. The downside was that the audio was non-existent. I sent I-O Data and email and they said they would add the sound codec for WMV9 to their next update that is scheduled to appear on December 23rd.
Next, I saved a played an HD file that I recorded OTA using my ATI HD Wonder card. I then played the video back in my living room over the network. To my surprise, the player actually played back the DD5.1 sound from the file! This means that I can archive any HD movie I record on my hard drive and have access to all of them from my Linkplayer in my living room!
The main limitation to this unit is the way it handles large music collections. When I click on the Artist folder, it brings up a list beginning in alphabetical order. The issue is that it only includes nine artists per page. Then at the top, it has a numeric list (1-9, 10-19, etc..). I have several hundred artists on my computer and there is no easy way to find an artist that starts with "S" (for example). Therefore, I usually just listen by Genre or I dig through the folders that I have alphabetized on my computer. This is not a severe limitation, but it is the players biggest problem (from my perspective).
The other issue is the very short component cables that are provided with the unit. The unit has a D4 to component cable that is required for hookup. The problem is that the cables are only two feet long. This is not an issue for me because I have a Copperbox that I use to add several different components to my system sitting on top of the Linkplayer. (Note: IO Data now offers female output cables for plugging into any length cable you wish)
I will provide more information on this player as I have more time to test it. Also, the update in December will have so many new features that it will require more testing.
Here are some pictures from my television:
This page is what the linkplayer pulls up when you turn it on.
Notice that there are five choices:
They consist of the DVD drive (Lost in Translation), the USB Drive, the network path to the AVEL Linkplayer software, the Advanced Linkplayer software, and the Linkplayer UHDL.
The USB drive usually takes a few seconds to be recognized, but I will hopefully not need the USB drive when the UHDL excepts files over 2GB. I will update when I-O Data updates the size limitation.
This is the page that comes up when you choose the network or the USB drive.
This is the page that appears when I choose the Video tab on the intro page.
It lists all available movie folders.
This is the Photo Page.
It will pull up all available pictures in thumbnail format. I have all my files in one folder so you do not see any other folders. If there were more folders, a thumbnail for each folder would appear. The photo mode allows the user to assign a music folder to each slideshow/folder. The program also gives the user the ability to choose how long to display each picture.
This is a photo that I have on my computer. The picture is actually much sharper than it appears here. There were issues related to the light in my living room, taking a picture of the TV and my camera. You can get an idea of the picture quality by noticing the hair that is seen on the bees leg in this shot.
This is the music page generated from my network.
Notice that the Linkplayer program created an Artist, Album, and Genre folder by using the tags on my mp3 files. Also notice the folders that I created for each alphabetical letter. Each letter contains folders for each artist that begins with that letter.
This is the page that appears when I choose the Linkplayer generated Artist folder.
The problem with this page is the fact that only nine artists appear on each page.
The other problem is that the user can only navigate based on the numbers at the top right corner on the page. Notice that this page only provides access to 36 artists. This means I have to cycle through a lot of pages to get to the 100th artist.
In other words, this makes it difficult to find any artist without cycling through many pages. Also, I have to cycle through each group of pages, so there is no easy way to get to an artist that starts with "T". This is my biggest complaint with the player. I have emailed the company and they are looking into a more functional setup. Currently, I just use the alphabetical listing of folders that I created to find a particular artist.
To see the photos in a larger size, go to this photo page
Added 12/03/04: A few new things I have learned:
1. The WMV9 5.1 Audio Codec will not be added until 2005.
2. The specifications on this unit say it will play MP3s up to 192K. I have tested 320K MP3s over the network and off of the USB port and they play without any issues.
3. It has been suggested that the 300GB UHDL unit will cost $499 with a $99 discount to people owning or buying a Linkplayer.
4. The USB port specifies that it will play 1600x1200 photos. At this point, I have been unable to play files of this size from the USB port. The network specs for photos seem to be correct. According to the company, the reason I was having a problem was because I was saving my files using the "progressive" mode on Photoshop. I will test the theory and save the file in interlaced mode when I get a chance.
My conclusion is that this player is an unbelievable bargain. The UHDL will make the product even more attractive.
On a personal note, the customer service for this product has been stellar and the company has promised several firmware updates already. I have dealt with a few small companies that are very difficult to reach and this company exceeds all expectations for handling my questions.
December 5th Update:
I installed the new firmware and Divx HD clips now lock up my system. I sent the company an email, so how they answer it will determine if I roll it back or not. (12/8/04) The company is still checking on this problem, therefore I have rolled back the firmware.
December 9th Update:
I sent Linkplayer the following question:
Do you think it will ever be possible to record television shows with the linkplayer hooked to a UHDL device?
Here is there answer:
Actually I-O DATA Japan is selling this application with TV tuner products. We are planning to release a TV tuner/recorder product in USA. However, the market potentilaity is not so big. Then I hesitate to do. Perhaps we will build a new relationship with Plextor, and this combination can provide it. I'll keep updating new info for you.
I am not really sure how to interpret this, but it does look like they are researching the marketability of this type of product. If they could record OTA HD directly onto the UHDL, I know I would be interested in that feature.
December 11th update:
I had three questions from ChePazzo on the Prismiq forum that I am currently working on:
1. Does it support mulitple audio and/or video streams?
From what I understand, it is possible to get a picture on two screens simultaneosly while the machine is not upconverting to a HD signal. I have not tested this, but I have read about it at AVS forum. I do not believe that the machine is capable of sending out two different streams. I will test this in the near future, but I am pretty sure that is the case.
2. Does it support on-the-fly aspect ratio changing? ie, can I play a 4:3 immediately after a 16:9 and have it look 'right' without visiting the global setup options first?
There are a couple requirements. If you are upconverting to a HD signal, the machine pulls everything into 16:9 mode. Therefore, 4:3 material will be stretched to fill the screen. If you decide not to upconvert (480i & 480P), the machine will play back the feed in it's OAR. Added 12/29 Actually, I finally tested this and the zoom function (via the remote's zoom button) works on network files and will show the movie in 4:3 or 16:9 format. Here is an explanation from I-O Data.
3. Can it play a file that is currently being appended (ie, PVR recording)
I have no way to test this. I would guess that it would depend on the software you use to record. My guess is that the software would have a problem sharing the file and writing to it at the same time. This is just a guess because I have no way to test this feature. I am not an expert in this field, so take my comments with that understanding.
December 12th:
I downloaded some software from Momitsu's website. It acts as a substitute for the I-O Data software. This software gives the user the ability to shuffle play every song on their computer and/or play all of the subfolders in any directory.
It also has the ability to work as a web browser. It interacts with the favorite list of Internet Explorer and works great. I would love to see a keyboard that makes it easier to utilize the internet, but it works pretty well if you have a lot of links set up. It appears to be faster than the Prismiq internet browser.
It is also supposed to make it easy to use Internet Radio, but I have not been able to test that feature at this time.
December 29th Update:
1. The DivxHD lockup problems have been fixed.
2. The customer support at I-O data also told me they are going to release a "remote-PC" option in 2005. This will allow the user to take over a computer desktop and control it from the Linkplayer.
3. They have several other features added to their newest firmware update, but I still have to test them all.
January 16th Update:
I received the UHDL 300GB server with the built in Linkserver software. I will provide a separate review of this soon. Right now I am disappointed that the Linkplayer does not recognize files that are over 2GB that are stored on the server. I have been assured that this will be fixed with an update.
NOTE: This has been fixed, but some of the functionality was lost. Not a big deal, but you may want to read one of my UHDL reviews for more info.
Added notes:
If you want to continue upsampling with the Linkplayer, you should not download firmware after Nov 2005.
I have updated to the most recent version (March 2006?). The Linkplayer now has much better Rhapsody support from the main menu. Since I have moved the Linkplayer to my bedroom, this is a great additional feature (for me)!
Any questions can be left here in my guestbook.
