Re: Digital Media Streamers

Paul P wrote:
"Simon Dean" <sjdean@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:6dsp04F46qscU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I bought a D-Link DSM 510 the other day.

Nice bit of kit.


Yes it looks quite good!

Flaws:

1) Won't connect to my Windows Media Player for Media Streaming

That is because you have not set Media Player 11 correctly and you also need to look at your firewall settings.

It must be something there, but I can't figure out what. Firewall is
switched off, and appropriate permissions are set through Media
Streaming. Items are in the library. I've gone through it with D-Link
and there's nothing wrong with the settings. If you have any further
ideas I'd be glad to hear it...


2) Won't play MPEG2 (standard def) without breaking up every few seconds

That's down to your computer if you're streaming from it - or you will need to stop downloading huge files at te same time.

That's a strange conclusion you come to. What makes you think Im
downloading anything? Im not.

DivX playback works fine, as do MP3s, so the only thing I can think of
is just sheer bandwidth.

What kind of components are we talking about on my computer that could
be causing a problem?

Im running an AMD 64 X2 4800+ with 2 GIG RAM on an nVidia 590 SLI
chipset with two 7600GS graphics card.

While streaming, computer shows about 6% CPU usage and about 50% memory
utilisation.

And Im not downloading any files.

Got any other ideas?

3) Slow Menus / My Nokia N95 works flawlessly in terms of speed!

The DLINK is known for a slow menu and slow photo browsing.

I heard the photos were slow. I didn't know how slow the menus are. In
fairness, I did change my wireless config from b/g to g-only and things
have improved a little. But menus are still slow and MPEG2 still breaks up.

4) Tech support based in India - script based tech support

They moved from the UK 2 years ago which is why I stopped buying DLINK.


Just to be clear, it's not that I mind them being Indian, but it's the
fact they cant deviate from a set script. I went in at the
beginning telling them I setup everything as per the FAQ's and
instructions, reset the box, applied firmware etc and the box still
won't see the Windows Media Server.

But they can't acknowledge that. They have to go through set steps,
everything I went through before, and take 20 minutes of my time just to
tell me that I should try with a smaller library of on MP3.

5) Im not spending another £100+ on the ethernet over power or other UPnP AV Servers to get the thing working

You don't need to. If you can't follow the instructions then the technical support people will go through one of their scripts with you as it is obvious you have missed the most important setting off.

Eh? I've already followed the instructions and gone through their
scripts which mimic the instructions. Connect the device to the wireless
network, set Allow permissions through Media Sharing in Windows Media
Player and Add files to the library.

Wow. How do you reach the conclusion I'm not following the instructions
and have missed out the most obvious setting?

I even turned off the Windows Firewall on the off chance.

It works using Twonkyvision as a UPnP AV Server... I just have the
native problems with the D-Link of slow menus and possible problems of
being unable to stream 8Mbps MPEG2 files.

Reckon I got a case for sending this thing back?

No, not when you have not read the instructions,

<ooh here we go - time for the personal insults and faulty assumptions>

Why do you think I've not read the instructions?

taken advice

Why do you think I havent phoned them? I've already phoned them and gone
through one of their scripts.

or allowed the technical support people to tell you how to set it up
and set the computer for it all to work.

I've allowed D-Link to tell me how to set it up, but their scripts, FAQs
and Instructions just validate my already correct settings. I setup
Twonkyvision and it works. But I still have the problems with the menus
and MPEG2 playback as I've said.

In case you still think it must be a problem with my PC or Twonkyvision,
explain how my N95 connects wirelessly and flawlessly to the UPnP AV
server with no speed issues?

£150 on an unusable piece of garbage.

It isn't unusable - it's just that you can't use it!

No, I still maintain it is unusable for anything other than DivX and
MP3. You yourself mention the slowness of the menus and photos. Even
with DivX though the box will randomly stop responding and lose contact
to the server.

At which time my N95 remains firmly connected. So it's not a problem
with my wireless network or server.

Oh I realise they'll try and blame it on my otherwise working Wireless connection.

Why would they if everything is working - it's just down to your lack
of knowledge, refusal to believe someone knows more than you and knows what the correct settings on your computer are.

Wow. What an unusual and arrogant conclusion to draw based on such
limited information. Are you filling in the blanks? Obviously you know
more about the steps that I went through than I do.

I hope you can see how hypocritical that is after accusing me of
thinking I know it all preceeded by all your comments above about me not
reading the instructions.

Perhaps you would care to ask what steps I went through yesterday
instead of throwing accusations around that I must be some kind of thick
ignorant fool?

Because you're too ignorant to ask I will say...

I've read the docs, faqs and called support. All settings were
validated. Firewall is turned off. Media sharing setup through WMP.
Allow permissions set to the DSM 510, and in case you question, yes
there is a green tick. And yes there are items in the library. Despite
the assertions from D-Link that the server should then be listed on the
DSM, it isn't.

Someone should know something more about the Windows Media Player setup
than I do, and it won't be as obvious as the printed instructions that
have already been followed, so Im all ears if anyone has any thoughts.

Failing WMP, I installed Twonkyvision which works fine except for the
speed issues.

The box randomly loses connection to the server. My N95 in contrast
works fine with no speed issues on the menus and never loses the connection.

Anyone have any experience of this thing or other similar products?
If so, what would you recommend?

I recommend you read the instructions,

Already done it.

speak to DLINK

Already done it.

and then if they can't tell you which settings to change - come back again.

That's why Im here.

I know they will tell you as it's a very common error people make. I
recently bought a WiFi radio from ALDI and there was even a bit of paper inside the box reminding customers that Media Player 11 needs to have a setting changed in order to stream data.

Right, Ok. So I you think I must have made this school boy mistake
because somehow YOU know I havent read the instructions and followed them.

I don't like the idea of DivX, it's just a nice add on for me.

What is wrong with DIVX, is it something else you know nothing about
?

That's an odd assertion. I would say it's clear you know nothing about
DivX otherwise you'd know that converting from one lossy format to
another naturally reduces quality. That is why For Me, DivX is only a
nice addon. My source material is MPEG2 and I generally don't download
material off the internet.

I can tell the reduction in quality when converting from MPEG2 to Home
Theater format DivX. Can you?

I want MPEG1, 2, MP3, AAC preferably and maybe synthesized DVD support for VOB files or ISO rips. I want fast menus and wireless connection over g.

Why didn't you do some research FIRST, look at reviews and look at the various UK based support forums?

Surely you know that reviews are largely meaningless. Everyone has
different setups and different requirements, some people have different
expectations and what is gold to some complete newb is pure trash to
another. Often things are highly rated by people who have low
expectations or make excuses for things not working - ie like not being
able to stream MPEG2.

I didn't do all the research I should have done perhaps, but I tell you
my thoughts.

I saw the DSM330 advertised on the D-Link website which I liked. But I
wanted MPEG2 and NAS capability and heard some great things about the
510 including bits about it's server OS and media handling capabilities
- even if there was a problem with photos. It was a good price, had the
bonus of DivX playback and D-Link was a name I trusted. That must be
pretty poor research.

No point rushing to buy something when you don't know what it is or you don't understand how to change settings on a computer. Not everything is going to work by just plugging it in.

What the hell are you drivelling on about? Where do you get this crap
from? You've just made it up in your own mind! And you have the cheek to
accuse me of thinking I know it all.

Cya
Simon
.

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