LinkTheatre HD Digital Media Player Uncovered
Is the Buffalo LinkTheatre HD Digital Media Player the right digital media player for your home? This high definition media player has some very strong points, and a few weaker points you need to know.
One of the strongest features of the LinkTheatre HD Digital Media Player is connectivity. It can used as the media streamer for content stored on your PC, or a Macintosh. You can configure the LinkTheatre digital media player to connect to NAS devices on your home network. Network attached storage devices are a great way to store files, keeping them ready on the network, but not requiring direct connection to a PC or media player. Additionally, you can connect USB hard drives, or USB connected cameras. The LinkTheatre can also join into a DLNA network, giving it access to all the movies you have on a DLNA media server.
One place the LinkTheatre falls flat on it face on is HD output options. 720p and 1080i are nice, but without 1080p it is lacking a major standard many people demand for the highest possible quality.
The LinkTheatre HDD digital media player supports MPEG2, MPEG4, WMV9, H.264 for wide support of most media types. You can include MP3, WAV, WMA, AC-3, and AAC formats for audio.
This is not a wireless media player, so it will require having a network cable located near it. Connectivity for your audio and video gear is well covered with an HDMI video connector, Optical audio connectors, Analog video and audio for older systems, and component video connectors.
One really nice feature not found on many systems is the LinkTheater HD Digital Media Player’s ability to automatically backup-transfer files from your digital camera or video camera to an attached USB hard drive.
As you’re seeing this high definition media player can seamlessly integrate into your household. With the DLNA support it stands out from many other digital media player options. The glaring fault in the system is the lack of support for 1080p. This may not be a major issue for most users, but for home theater enthusiasts, it could discourage a purchase.
The LinkTheatre HD Digital Media Player is a strong contender, but we need to explore one other fault often reported. Buffalo Technology is not known for the finest customer support in the world. It is not an issue of refusing to help, it many times is just an issue of getting through to support. It is rare you would need to call support on any product from Buffalo, since they have good documentation, and have good quality. In those rare times you might call support, be prepared for spending a little extra time on the phone.
Should the LinkTheatre HD Digital Media Player be your choice for your home theater system? If you want to have DLNA support, with a low entry cost, it is one of the best. For true HiDef enthusiasts you may want to wait for 1080p support. Only you can make your final choice.
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