We have shown 802.11b just doesn't work for video and and our friends at
HD
Beat have shown 802.11g can't really support HD. So we were very excited when
we saw that
Netgear started shipping the XE104 85 Mbps Wall-Plugged Ethernet
Switch. On paper the 85Mbps should support multiple streams of HD. But would
that be true in the real world?
Setting up your network with these devices is as simple as plugging in cables.
You plug one adapter into the wall near your router and then connect it to an
open port on the router with an Ethernet cable. On the other end you plug the adapter in the wall near the
networked device and then connect it by an Ethernet cable. There is no configuration
required.
Using them for video streaming proved to be
tricky. Between some sets of outlets, we could stream
flawlessly. Between others, we couldn't even get enough bandwidth
for SDTV. On the good outlets we were able to get as many as
three DVDs streaming simultaneously, we were also able to stream an mp3 file and a WMV HD
clip simultaneously. But it was very dependent on
the outlets we chose.
Results will
vary. As you can see from Kevin Tofel's post at
HD Beat, the
XE104 didn't work out for him. This is a promising technology
that will hopefully one day live up to its expectations, but sometimes
it hurts being an early adopter.
We
had a little help testing the Netgear units with our new friend, the
Squeezebox. Not as "plug and play" or "user friendly" as other
devices on the market, but every bit as powerful and fun to listen
to. The Squeezebox is made by audiophiles, and it shows. It
sounds great. But what is it?
"Squeezebox lets you easily access any song in your music collection,
from any room in your home. It delivers pure digital sound without the
hassle of
shuffling through CDs. From its simple remote control, Squeezebox gives
instant access to any music on your computer, plus hundreds of
crystal-clear
internet radio stations."
It's a wireless ($299 US) using 802.11g or
wired ($249 US) device that allows you to play any of your digital
music from anywhere accessible by your network. Setup may be a
little IT intensive for some - if DHCP, Hosts and Gateways are a
foreign concept to you, you might want to enlist some help. But
once it's setup, it's great. The display comes alive with output
about the current song, visualizations, a clock, or even Internet
information like a streaming news ticker. It includes an IR
remote for easy control and access to your entire music library.
One of the most powerful aspects of the Squeezebox system is that the server you install to run it, called SlimServer,
is an open source project. Anyone and everyone is allowed, even
encouraged, to add features and expand the functionality of the
system. As such, just about any portable device can control the
music network including universal IR remote controls, Sony PSP, PDAs
(PocketPC and Palm), Bluetooth enabled cell phones, laptops, tablet
pcs, and the list goes on.
The system is so
powerful, Ara prefers it to the other major alternative. I'll
still take the ease of use of that other one.
Listen to the show for much more detail...
