GOOD TO KNOW:
- Portable Multimedia player / adapter
- Stream digital content from any USB hard drive to your TV
- Compatible with most popular audio, video, and image formats
- Easy to set up and use
I was quite excited when I brought the unit home as my family like to watch movies and series that we've downloaded from the Internet, as they're not yet available in the country. Most of our viewing content thus sits either on an external hard drive, or on our laptops, which can be challenging, if you want to watch the content on your television set.
That's where this device comes in: it acts as the conduit between your television and your hard disk/laptop, and adds a convenient dimension to your home entertainment.
When I first opened up the box I was quite enchanted at the unit itself – it's sleek, black and small and it looks like it won't take up much space in our TV stand, and even if it did, it would do so and look good. About the size of a CD and the thickness of a double disc set, I found it was really easy to handle.
My television/entertainment system is somewhat of a complicated set-up that involves our DSTV and HDR (Hard Drive Recorder), as well as the TV itself that's wired into an amp. Because of all this, I wasn't exactly sure where I should install the device. My first thought was to plug it into the AV ports on the amp itself since everything else is running through there, but this didn't work. I thought about plugging it directly into the TV but then I wouldn't get to enjoy the surround sound the amp and speakers give me.
As a last ditch resort, I landed up plugging the unit into the HDR as I've plugged my iPod in here before successfully. I did try to install the device using the HD connector but since my TV is not an HD TV it didn't do anything, so I had to use the AV ports. It then took a few minutes to connect and for the menu screen to come up on the TV.
My next step was to plug in a USB drive with a variety of media on it, and it seemed that the ScreenPlay wasn't able to read anything off the stick. So I did what any other sensible person would do, and tried another USB drive, and the device read it with no problems.
I found the interface to be a bit basic and perhaps somewhat of a let-down after being so awed by the exterior of the device. Although to be fair, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The unit comes with a remote control that works the way it should, but does not, in anyway, looks like it should be partnered with the ScreenPlay TV Link. In fact it looked a bit like a 1980' throwback. From an aesthetic point of view I would have been more impressed with a sleeker, more modern remote.
As for the playback, the device worked beautifully and I liked the smooth transition from the menu to your viewing content, and back. The picture quality was impressive and I must say that I would definitely be interested inchecking it out in HD.
Turn ons:
- Small and sleek
- Looks good
- Picture clarity is excellent
Turn offs:
- Need to read the manual through from start to finish before getting started
- Remote control is not aesthetically pleasing at all
