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D-Link DPG-1200: Review

Posted to Wi-Fi Media Players 2009-07-07

Review: D-Link DPG-1200

If you have ever found yourself wishing you could view all your favorite photos and videos on your TV instead of being stuck in front of your PC for hours on end, then you may want to check out the D-Link DPG-1200. This media device is the answer to the techno-geeks prayers since it allows you to navigate around your PC with just the click of a remote. This allows you to enjoy all your music, photos and videos in the comfort of your living room while having access to all the features your PC has to offer.

The D-Link DPG-1200 works with any PC running Windows 200 SP4, XP SP2 or Vista with a minimum hardware requirement of 1.8 GHz Processor, 130MB free disk space, 512MB RAM for XP/200 and 1024MB RAM for Vista. This media device can either be connected either via a wired or wireless connection to your PC allowing you the option to connect to view your media on a TV that is in a completely different room from where your PC is located. It can provide a maximum resolution 720 x 576 for video and 1280 x 720 for photos. Connectivity to your TV is rather simple as the D-Link DPG-1200 supports VGA video, Composite video or Composite Audio and video. The device is dependent on your PC, it will display any compatible media that exists on your PC on your TV.

Rating:

3.4 out of 5

Features

Those who hate wires or who have a large expanse of area between their TV and PC will be happy to know that the D-Link DPG-1200 offers the user one of two different ways to connect to their PC. Users have the option to either connect via a hard wired Ethernet connection or via wireless with WPA, WPA2 or WEP security so they can safely and securely view their favorite media on any TV connected to this device, no matter how far away the PC may be. The wireless connection uses the 2.4 Ghz frequency range so anyone who has yet to upgrade their wireless home phone may notice some interference since both will be running on the same frequency range.

The D-Link DPG-1200 also comes equipped with a mouse like remote. While it may look like your average TV remote, it can do much more than that. It comes equipped with a variety of features, including a track ball and left/right click buttons so you can navigate around your computers desktop as if you were sitting right in front of it. You can even browse and watch videos from your favorite website, but internet access is required to utilize this feature.

The most unique feature of the D-Link DPG-1200 is its VeohTV feature. It allows you to watch your favorite web videos on your TV with the ability to record from any number of websites at the same time. In order to make this feature work, you will need to download and install an application on your PC. This feature can even learn your preferences and it can make recommendations based on those preferences.

Performance

While the D-Link DPG-1200 works quite well overall, it is not without its own flaws. While the product description claims that "If it's on your PC, It's on your TV", this claim is not all true, especially if you have any DirectX applications on your PC. This media player does not have the ability to utilize these formats, which could possibly eliminate a good portion of the content on your PC from being used.

Summary

In conclusion, the D-Link DPG-1200 may be the perfect solution for the average PC owner who is looking for an easier way to share their media collection with friends and family. With the ability view and record web based videos, this device provides the user with a wealth of features that may keep them busy for hours. If you don't mind the fact that this media player doesn't support DirectX applications, then the D-Link DPG-1200 may just be the way to go.

Pros

Wired or Wireless PC connectivity
VGA video, Composite video or Composite Audio and video connectivity
VeohTV
Mouse like remote

Cons

Windows Only