Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased this unit to replace the previous version (Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD Media Player (STCEA101-RK)) that didn't play MKV (high definition) video files.
CONSIDERATIONS
1. The previous version only displayed 6 items on the screen and it was somewhat difficult to find things with a large number of files. I have a 1.5 TB external drive to hold my movies. Both versions allow me to keep multiple files within a folder, which is handy for a TV series. This newer model displays a whole lot more on the screen--every file on the hard drive--10 at a time. You will need to learn to use the settings available from the Menu button on the remote to view folders and files according to your taste. I have over 300 files on the drive and most of them are TV series, so the interface is somewhat of a challenge if you don't use the Menu button. The unit plays one file after another, so a series with 10 episodes will play all 10 episodes in the order of their alpha-numeric file name.
2. NO S/PDIF coaxial output. This one has an optical outlet for sound, as well as stereo outputs using an A/V mini-plug.
3. Documentation/instructions need major help.THE GOOD NEWS
1. It plays every video file format that I use. It will play a DVD image and most other video formats, including MKV. The audio and video quality are excellent. I compared a DVD movie using a high-end DVD player, my Blu Ray player and a ripped version of the movie using the Seagate FreeAgent player. The movie looked best on the FreeAgent player. It apparently up-converts the video signal, and does a great job of it. It's like having a Blu Ray/DVD player without the delays.
2. My video source is a DLP projector displaying on a 92-inch screen. The long length of my video cables (75 feet) requires me to use component video cables, not HDMI. This unit can output video in both component and HDMI formats, so it's the major reason for me buying the Seagate versus the Western Digital equivalent.
3. Movie, picture and music folders show up 10 at a time. Individual thumbnails show up 10 at a time. Selecting a music album brings up 10 thumbnails of the songs. Click on a song and it shows the song's run time and 4 adjacent songs within the album. Use the Menu button to View List and you'll get a clearer view of the titles. You can play a music selection while viewing pictures.
4. If you have hundreds of movie/music/photo albums, you might find this interface to be a challenge. However, you can quickly scroll the list by holding down the remote up/down buttons to find what you want. Lists of your music files can be searched using the on-screen keyboard--kind of a "clunky" way to do so.
5. The remote is a standard IR type, so you can train your universal remote with its commands. Power off/on is done only via the remote, and the external drive powers off when the unit is off.OTHER
Immediately after installation, I connected to the Internet to download the latest (26MB) firmware update. The unit did everything on its own and the process took about 15 minutes.
All cables except HDMI and optical audio are included.
Connecting to my home network was simple, once I figured out how to find the on-screen keyboard (you have to hit the remote's OK button at the Network log on screen for it to appear). I was able to play music from my network while scrolling through my pictures on the network.
Wow! This box connects directly to a number of web sites, including Netflix, your local weather forecast, CNN, Youtube, etc., etc. Even a stock market overview!
It operates similarly to a netbook without the keyboard.
Very cool device for the money!Developer Recommendations:
1. Add a wireless keyboard (you can access an on-screen keyboard via the OK button on the remote).
2. Allow it to appear as a media server on networks.
3. Expand the Internet interface to use typed input.
4. Add coaxial.
5. Improve documentation so the buyer knows how to use it! (you can download the documentation from the Seagate website).
UPDATE 04/06/2010
After 2 months of use, the box decided it could no longer access the Internet--even though it could find other computers on my network that can access the Internet through that same network. It also decided that every time I turned it on, it wanted me to perform an Initial Setup process. It lost my audio settings and the only way I could access them was to remove the power plug from the unit before turning it on. Updates from the Seagate website were of no help in addressing the problems. I contacted Seagate and they are replacing the unit by RMA. I like the box enough that I have just purchased a second one for backup.
UPDATE 10/08/2010
FYI, I was playing all videos from a networked Windows XP laptop that has 5 external hard drives attached (8TB of space). One frequent issue I have is that the Seagate has trouble finding my XP laptop on my wired network if it's the only one on the network. If there are two or more turned on, it finds all of them. Today I installed Windows 7 on the laptop to use is as a media server. That didn't work as well as I had hoped. I finally found a fix on the Seagate blog. Simply enter the IP address of the computer that has the files on it and the Seagate will find everything on the PC! This is a great box, but it someone at Seagate needs to work on the software that operates it. I'd buy the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex TV STAJ100 but it seems to have the same limitations that this one does.
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Seagate FreeAgent Theater+1080P HD Media Player STCEA201-RKThe FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player provides an easy way to store and move your photos, movies and music from your PC or Mac computer to your TV, allowing you to share and enjoy your digital media in a comfortable, social environment such as your living room.From your home computer, use the included sync software to automatically copy all of your media files to the FreeAgent Go drive, or simply drag-and-drop files directly to the drive. By then docking the FreeAgent Go drive into the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, connected to the TV, it puts your entire media library at your fingertips with 1080p high-definition playback and crystal clear surround sound audio. With the front-mounted USB port, you can also plug your digital camera, digital camcorder, USB flash drive, or external USB hard drive directly into the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player and enjoy the same high-quality viewing experience.With the built-in Ethernet port or optional Theater+ wireless adapter, the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player can connect to your home network to access content from shared devices, including networked computers and NAS (network attached storage). The network connection also allows the Theater+ HD media player to access internet content such as pictures, weather, stocks, and more.Navigating through your media library is intuitive with the DVD-like user interface and compact remote control. Browse your files with a familiar folder structure view, thumbnail view or filter by media type such as movies, pictures or music.
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