D-Link's DSM-750 MediaLounge Wireless Media Extender Gets Reviewed

The boys over at Ars Technica recently got their hands on a D-Link MediaLounge DSM-750 Wireless HD media extender and put it through the gears finding that while it has potential, it's still not the best solution on the market. The DSM-750 makes use of Windows Media Center to move HD video content from your Windows PC or media center to your television, and Ars Technica found the overall D-Link experience to be fairly standard right from the moment of unboxing. About the same size as an Oppo DVD player, the DSM-750 features all the usual connectivity options: HDMI, component, composite, S-video, digital coax audio, digital optical audio, an ethernet port and an included antenna to make use of the D-Link's 802.11n or 802.11g wireless connectivity. Easy to setup, the extender allows you to use Windows' Home Server Media Center Extender interface which will lead you directly to a huge amount of free online content, yet you won't find a dedicated online store where you can buy or rent digital downloads.

A couple of major problems with the MCE interface include poor design forcing you to use sideways scrolling and slow loading times. Video playback on the interface is quirky and slow as well. Ars does point out that this may be a Microsoft issue rather than a D-Link issue; after all it's Microsoft software and similar problems are found on the Xbox 360. The DSM-750 interface suffers from some of the same problems though that could also stem from Microsoft's problems. In the end Ars Technica recommend the Xbox Media Center on an old Xbox as a better choice.

We'd like to point out that while this is a somewhat unfavorable review, to be fair to D-Link it's not a complete review. First of all the testing was done on the tester's wired ethernet home network and the wireless connection wasn't even tried. It's entirely possible that the problems with slowness stemmed from the tester's network and not from either the D-Link or Windows Media Center. Second of all the transmission of HD content wasn't even touched upon and for the record, try streaming HD content via a first-generation Xbox. Good luck with that. This is an interface usability review rather than a functionality review, so it only covers a small part of the overall puzzle. Stay tuned for our hands-on review of the D-Link DSM-330 in the next bit for a more comprehensive look at what D-Link's wireless HD media extenders have to offer.

Buy the D-Link MediaLounge DSM-750 Wireless HD Media Extender from Amazon

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