Hands-On Review: Linksys DMA-2200 Extender for Windows Media Center

think i would still get an xbox 360!! cheaper and you get a games console which does all off the above!

I have got one of these, never got it to work though.
The extender keeps disconnecting after 30 min, lots of reports of this over at the linksys and thegreenbutton forum.

With the cooler running Jasper chips coming out in a few weeks,
The XBOX is about to get a whole lot quieter.
The power supply will go from 200w down to 150w with jasper.

You mentioned that the remote is “…the only viable option for controlling the device”. That’s not strictly true, any MC remote will be able to operate the DMA2100/2200 straight out of the box. The reverse is also true, the Linksys remote can operate a Vista MC machine. The only keys that don’t work are some of the DVD specific buttons functions and the key that accesses the Linksys’s settings menu, all of which can be programmed onto any MC remote that has a learning function (e.g. Philips SRM5100).

Also the GUI’s shuddery menu can be resolved by simply turning off the “transition animations” by going into MC’s settings>General>Visual and Sound effects.

Terry,
Like you, I’m a beta-tester to the core. I like nothing better than getting to know a product so well, that I wouldn’t dream of contacting Tech Support. Not the case with my DMA-2200.

With the Windows Home Server (WHS) project, I believe we were spoiled rotten! As quick as we all found deficiencies, the WHS team worked miracles and I for one, have never been happier with a RTM product from Microsoft, as I am with WHS. The backup and over-the-network restore feature works incredibly well. I’ve had to rely on it and I can attest to it working as promised!

OK…let’s talk DMA-2200. I didn’t find out about them until they were being sold commercially. The reviews I’ve read, like yours, didn’t seem to check out the user forums to see what problems owners were having (and idiot me, I failed to check out the forums too!). Unlike WHS, updates for the DMA’s have been few and very far between.

My Mom always said start with the good things: The function of watching live and recorded TV at the remote location works well (now). Certain features via the wimpy remote control are s-l-o-w to react, but they do work none-the-less. DVD works well too.

First, some basic info about my hardware setup:
I have a WHS with all of the updates.
I have a HP Media Center PC (MCE) running Vista Home Premium. It has all of the updates; works well and can see and utilize all of the shared media (Music, Photos, Videos, Public/User file shares) on the WHS and from other MCE Pc’s on my network. As far as I can tell, all of the “local” Media Center functions on the HP work well.

My DMA-2200 is setup with a home surround receiver using the optical digital sound connection (this works well). The monitor I use is a ViewSonic flat screen that does not have HDMI, so I first tried-out the composite video (RCA jack), S-video, then later switched to the component video (R-G-B) for the cleanest video. That too works well.

First issue I had: The Wi-Fi signal always shows full strength on the DMA, yet it dropped out intermittently. I have line of sight between the router and DMA, yet every so often (at a really good part of a show…), poof!, momentary loss of signal. I ran the DMA’s “Network Optimizer” fifty times…but it still happened. I even ran a Wi-Fi signal tracker and it showed the router was not the culprit in the dropouts.

So, now I have the DMA hard-wired with an Ethernet cable and it works better (so…by-by WiFi). Occasionally (only once or twice a week), I do get a little pixilation on the screen, indicating (I’m guessing) a less than optimal bandwidth moment. It only lasts a few seconds. I think a faster/better network switch might fix that. Note: There was a bulletin sheet that shipped along with my DMA (inside the box) that announced that the DMA has issues with Gigabit switches (I only have a 10/100 switch, so it’s not my concearn). This might have been fixed with the latest update, but until I upgrade to a gigabit switch, I won’t know for sure.

Next problem: I have occasionally “lost” the pairing of the DMA to the MCE host PC. I can’t explain why, just every few months, I have to re-pair it to the MCE and everything rolled along fine again. This has been an issue for MANY of the 2200 (and earlier 2100) buyers. After my last re-pairing, LinkSys came out with a the previously mentioned update, so it might have addressed this problem too …I’m waiting to see if it ever happens again.

Biggest problem: The DMS refuses to “discover” and connect to the same remote media that the host MCE has access to.
I have thousands of Family pictures in the WHS “Photos” share.
I have hundreds of my own CDs that I have ripped into the WHS “Music” share.
We have converted most of our family functions videos to MPEG and I have those stored in the WHS “Video” share.

Some (OK, maybe only me) would expect that if media (any media) can be viewed on the MCE host pc (the PC that the DMA is paired with), that it would be viewable on the DMA…WRONG! The DMA-2200 has its own “search” feature for media …however, it CANNOT find any of my remote media.

I have tried in-vein to have the 2200 look directly at the WHS’s shares, but that doesn’t work either. I know it will not play all versions of certian types of video files, but I can’t even get it to recognize the folders. The troubleshooting information is useless in resolving this problem.

I’m not a quitter though…and generally I would be overjoyed to get in (up to my elbows). But LinkSys doesn’t seem to want to open this product to developers, so we have only them to look to, to fix (or maybe someday…improve) this product.

Regards,
Phil

KarriJo,
Thank you for taking the time to look for an answer. No, I had not found the KB in my previous searches. I will givie it a try and let you know. If this works a lot for DMA-2100 and 2200 owners will be pretty happy.
Thanks again.
-Phil

I didn’t want the hassle of trying to make one of these silly ‘extenders’ work on my network. Novel idea, but there’s limited file format support and too many other issues involved with it.

I plugged in a small green PC to my TV with MediaCenter on it, and I’m up and running in no time. No trouble finiding media on my server, no issues with file support.

My advice: forget this ‘externder’ and others like it and just use a small PC. More expensive, yes, but worth it.

Thanks mach1 & soaklord…we appreciate the input.

FYI – After deleting the “remote media” folders to watch, the DMA is back to normal, not requiring frequent re-pairing to the host PC… but again not able to display remote media.

mach1… I certainly could throw another PC on the LAN and have it do as you’ve suggested. In fact, that’s what we did previously. This whole exercise in futility, was an attempt to avoid that, because no matter how green the PC is, it’s still consumes two to three times the energy of the DMA-2200 extender.

soaklord…I’ll give your idea a close look and report back if tweaking is possible and can be made to work.

All:
This idea of a “thin client” media center (AKA…”extender”) is still a wonderful idea; and I firmly believe that stand-alone hardware is now at a point that it can happen better (than I’m experiencing). But until manufacturers “open” these products up to a wider beta testing and developer capable audience, the consumers that buy them are most likely to be disappointed when the devices don’t deliver on the promises listed.

Windows Home Server (as an example) is an incredibly useful product that was “open” to review and development…and look how great it works…Certainly (in my humble opinion) it’s the best MS product in a l-o-n-g time!

Terry,

Again, I wanted to express how much I enjoy (and use) your website.

I also wanted to give `yall an update as to my unhappiness with the LinkSys DMA-2200 Media Center Extender product…

I was recently encouraged that Linksys offered to exchange my DMA-2200. The new unit is a 95% joy to own…and ALL of the functions now operate as advertised…

The remaining 5% that I’m not so thrilled about is the (still) lame remote control and the painfully slow response that happens when you are attempting to back up (replay) or advance recorded TV shows. As far the remote, the best work-around I have found is to use the standard Media Center Remote (that came with my host PC)…in lieu of LinkSys remote. But the delay-part is something that if they can resolve…would honestly complete the product (from my perspective).

So, I am back on the Media Center Extender bandwagon and want all to know I had a “bum-unit” and it was/is not indicative of the typical Media Center Extender’s that I have had the opportunity to play with.

Happy Holidays to ALL!

I bought a HTPC recenlty and added the first (of 2 ment to be) extenders. I need to use WIfi connection.

I first installed a Linksys WAG160N for Nemo wireless access.

Pairing the devide is terrible. After i managed and tried to plat music files it needed to “update” files and that takes like 20 minutes. Music plays fine after that.

BUT.. After restarting the extender it could find the PC (first time because it didn’t manage to get the wigi connection); and if the extender cannot connect to pc; it goes into “installation mode” and you need to try and pair again (which keeps me busy for at least an hour).

IF.. i have it paied and try to run a “recorded TV” session it sometimes start with no moving pictures; or it gives the response “this tv channel is not available” (?? it is recorded tv??) or “Video not availlable; try and restart your pc”

All my stuff is less than 10 meter apart and hardly any objects. (single floor)
Still the singnal is “half” and quality is poor.

Next step for me? Trying my als router (not linksys; not nemo) again; because that used to have full network around the house.

Anyone got some tips on working with the extender on Wifi?
Anyone got it working “good” (perfect would be fine; but i’ll handle just good).

THANX

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