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Wireless media bridges span the airwaves
The way we experience music is changing. Not long ago, you’d hear a song on the FM dial, wait for the album to hit stores and then throw it in the CD changer when you got it home. Today we listen to satellite radio, download individual songs over the Internet and the only reason we touch our CDs is to rip them for playback on our iPods. Like I said, things are changing. Die-hard audiophiles will tell you the sky is falling and compressed music is the embodiment of pure Evil. I take my music a little less seriously and for my wife and I, convenience is priority number one. Judging by Apple’s profits last year, it’s safe to say many of you feel the same way. If so, you probably have a PC somewhere in your house bursting with MP3 files. With all of that music at your disposal, it makes perfect sense to want those tunes in the living room so you can enjoy them on your stereo system. Enter the wireless media bridge.
Product offerings in this relatively new “bridge” market vary quite a bit, ranging from inexpensive music-only devices to pricier high definition-capable audio/video media receivers. I’ve gathered a few of each type here, hoping to shed some light on your current options.
Please note that the feature sets vary significantly in this roundup and this was not a head-to-head competition. The grades assigned are based primarily on ease of use and overall execution. None of them are perfect, but they all share one primary goal. They all aim to bridge the gap between your computer and your stereo, between your office and your living room. Depending on your specific needs, some will accomplish this goal better than others. –Greg Robinson
Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
Media Support: Music
Grade: B-
www.linksys.com
Price: $99
Consisting of a small box (less than 6″ square and 4″ high), an AC adapter, and a CD-ROM, there’s not much to unpack here. Step one is installing the software, but this process isn’t as “quick” as the manual promises. Unless I missed something, it’s impossible to configure the bridge by connecting it directly to your PC via Ethernet cable as the manual suggests. My PC only saw the bridge when the bridge was connected to my router. After a few hiccups, the wireless connection worked as advertised and my PC’s tunes found their way to my living room. The Music Bridge works with any player (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) and you can listen to any song, including purchased downloads. The only major drawback is that you have no control over the music you’re hearing. Commands such as Pause, Next and Stop must be entered at the computer. There’s plenty of value here provided your PC isn’t too far from the stereo.
Logitech Wireless Music System for PC
Media Support: Music
Grade: A
www.logitech.com
Price: $149
Logitech’s Wireless Music System for PC (WMS) is rather unique in that it does not require a home network. Even if you have a network, it provides no way of connecting to it. The WMS is a self-contained system that places a 2.4GHz wireless transmitter near your PC (connected via USB) and a wireless receiver near your stereo (connected via analog audio cables). Like the Linksys, Logitech’s WMS sends the audio output (not the files themselves) from your PC to your stereo, so you can use any player and listen to any song. The WMS goes one step further by providing a (tiny!) remote control plus buttons on the receiver unit, allowing you to pause, select the next track, etc. There’s even a Fixed/Variable switch on the receiver unit, which when set to Variable allows for volume and mute control using the supplied remote. With its affordable price, painless installation, sleek appearance and integrated music control, Logitech’s Wireless Music System is a slam dunk.
D-Link DSM-520 Wireless HD Media Player
Media Support: Music/Photos/HD Video
Grade: B
www.dlink.com
Price: $249
Part of D-Link’s “MediaLounge” suite of products, the DSM-520 plays sibling to the PlaysForSure™ -certified DSM-320. Its chief advantage over the 320 is its ability to stream high definition video in WMV9 or MPEG-4 formats. iTunes music and Quicktime videos are not supported. Accessing DRM-protected audio and video files is possible if you use Microsoft’s Windows Media Connect software. Listening to music and browsing photos are easy enough thanks to a clean interface but inefficient use of screen real estate and large fonts makes searching somewhat time consuming. Also, even when using a wired network connection, lag time while searching was sometimes frustrating. The biggest drawback posed by the DSM-520 is its PC client software. Unlike the Buffalo and Acoustic Research units, the D-Link doesn’t allow you to segregate and identify shared media folders as containing music, photos or video. This makes for somewhat clunky folder navigation. Although you can browse album art as image files, the DSM-520 doesn’t display that art for the song currently playing. Many of the DSM-520′s issues seem easily fixed with software and firmware updates, so I’m hopeful the DSM-520 will continue to improve.
Buffalo Technology LinkTheater
Media Support: Music/Photos/HD Video/DVD
Grade: B-
www.buffalotech.com
Price: $299
Buffalo’s wired/wireless LinkTheater is at the top end of the spectrum when it comes to media compatibility. In addition to streaming music, photos and high-definition video, LinkTheater also features an integrated progressive-scan DVD player and front panel USB port. Video output is selectable between standard definition and high definition (720p or 1080i). Sadly, Apple fanatics should probably look elsewhere; although it supports MP3, WMA and even DivX HD files, LinkTheater does not support iTunes music or Quicktime videos. LinkTheater does not (yet) hold Microsoft’s PlaysForSure™ certification but you can play DRM-protected music and WMV-HD video files provided you’re running Microsoft’s Windows Media Connect software on your PC. Unfortunately, if you access your PC’s files via Windows Media Connect, you lose LinkTheater’s attractive (though often frustrating) interface and you’re relegated to using a very different, bare-bones UI. Hardly perfect, the LinkTheater is a complex device that has plenty of potential if they can make the software easier to navigate.
Acoustic Research Digital MediaBridge
Media Support: Music/Photos/HD Video
Grade: B+
www.araccessories.com
Price: $349
Like the other file streamers in this group, the MediaBridge does not support iTunes or Quicktime files. Also, DRM-protected files were off limits at the time of this writing, but a firmware update is expected soon to add this support. In addition to a USB port on the back panel, you’ll also find both component video and DVI outputs for connections to your HDTV. Music playback is enjoyable using the MediaBridge thanks to fast folder browsing and on-screen album art downloaded from your PC. Queue management is available but a reordering function would be a welcome addition. The wired/wireless Digital MediaBridge from Acoustic Research was unveiled very early last year at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, but it didn’t become available until very late in the year. Apparently, they wanted to refine the software and improve the consumer experience. I’m glad they waited; the Digital MediaBridge is a joy to use. With a smartly-designed PC client and an intuitive TV user interface, the MediaBridge gets a lot more right than it does wrong.
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