PRISMIQ MediaPlayer Reviews

• Great product, but beware if you have wireless-B

  
  By A17DI33TIFUJEU on 2003-12-28
  OK, starting with the bad - if you intend to use the wireless aspects, you pretty much must have a wireless-G network. This is not only so that you can stream video (as pointed out on the PRISMIQ website) but also because the set of wireless-B cards that PRISMIQ now supports/recommends is a hodgepodge of discontinued or difficult to find cards. Found out the hard way that my Linksys WPC11 card (probably the most widely available B card out there) is not supported (even though the documentation enclosed said it was :X) So, I was essentially forced to upgrade to a wireless-G network (at least PRISMIQ supports the most commonly available Linksys G card).

  Once I got past that hurdle....all smiles. What a great product. Beats the pants off of any similar device in terms of breadth of functionality (audio, video, images, web, IM) but also in terms of connectivity (S-video & coax digital audio outs). Quibbles:
  1. Browser stinks (same as in most hotel on-TV browsers - weird resolution, no cookies, no javascript, no activeX - so basically almost unusable, but that's OK, not why I bought it)
  2. UI for audio tracks a bit cumbersome in that the listing is not artist-album but simply a flat album listing, meaning if you have 400+ CD's like me it can take a loooong time to scroll to find your desired album. Hopefully this will get worked out in a future software update.

  Otherwise, a really great product. Sound quality is excellent & video quality is very good. Setup is a snap (provided you have the right card ;)), though it helps to set it up using a TV next to your PC to save you round trips.
  
  

• Check the prismiq.org forums before spending money on this

  
  By A2H40KZGXRGFQB on 2004-04-07
  This product has great potential but the people at Prismiq constantly ignore its users.
  Check out www.prismiq.org
  These forums are hosted by Prismiq but they simply ignore most of the postings. The main issue you'll encounter is the dreadful way you navigate your MP3 collection. This is the #1 complaint in the boards and has been for quite sometime. They've recently released an update but it added Rhapsody support and didn't even touch on the MP3 navigation problems. I bought this in December when it was $250 and now it is $200. I knew there were problems but Prismiq support was very active and assured everyone they would be fixed. Now that the XMas rush is over, support has disappeared and they ignore the numorous request for enhancement. They also fail to address this as a major problem with their device.
  My advice to anyone considering this product is to look for something better. If you decide you want this despite my warnings, checkout out prismiq.org and read the user comments and notice the lack of Prismiq responses to those comments.
  Oh, one thing they did do with all the complaints, they created a Complaints section and moved them in there.
  
  

• Good , but not perfect, product

  
  By A2KO62DCXXULDY on 2004-07-05
  I already have a linksys wet11 hooked to a router in my living room for XBOX and my PS2. Therefore, I cannot comment on the wireless card problems that people are having. With my setup the unit was plug and play with no problems.

  1. Audio Navigation - I have an assortment of MP3, Ogg, and FLAC files on my computer with a total of about 18,000 music files in total. The native interface has some problems that have already been mentioned. My main problem was the lack of FLAC support. I decided to download a product called "slimserver" from the internet that works as a server for Ogg, FLAC, MP3, etc... files. It has a much better interface and works with the Prismiq's web interface (see Prismiq's forum for installation instructions). The only problem would be the fact that the built in web server on the Prismiq is slow. However, once it is up and running, songs can be added to your playlist on the fly and the sorting (genre, artist, album, etc.. is great). It even adds the ability to add Moodlogic (which I have tested)and Itunes (which I haven't tested) playlists.
  2. Rhapsody support - This is great for addicts of the service. I wasn't interested until Prismiq offered a 30 day trial. With a selection of over 600,000 songs, it has allowed me to dig deep into many artist's portfolios before wasting money on a CD. As of now, Rhapsody will not play through the Prismiq digital outputs.
  3. Pictures - The ability to get your digital photos on your TV is a great feature. It allows you to create a a slide show with a specific folder and also allows you to play a specified song whenever the slideshow is being seen. It will also allow the slideshow (without an audio file attached) to run while you listen to the internet radio or your music files. The pictures are not the quality of Roku's HD device, but they are good enough on my 57 inch HDTV through the S-video output.
  4. Movies - I have a Tivo, so this doesn't get a lot of use on my Prismiq. I do have a few home movies that look great on the device. I am also able to take advantage of the widescreen format of my movies.
  5. Web interface - If you have DSL or a cable modem, you will not want to use this device for web surfing. It is very slow. However, I have bookmarks setup for slimserver, internet radio, and my email. Without the web interface, I would not be able to use slimserver and the product would not get nearly as much use. Therefore, I am happy that they have included the ability.
  6. Other features - News stories, local weather, screensaver (you can customize with your own picture), chat (I have never used).

  Overall, I am happy with this device. It does have some flaws and if you have a lot of files, you will not be happy unless you have the slimserver setup. It is not the last device that I will buy because I will upgrade with a HD device that plays FLAC files natively sometime in the future. However, for now, it has provided me with a lot of fun!
  
  

• This should be a zero start

  
  By on 2003-12-21
  Expensive, bad support. Good idea, bad execution. Beware, hardware only support MPEG1/2, other format are transcoded first. There is other product out there cost less and support MPEG4 hardware decode.

  Overall, I think the frontend of the server and the box are low quality work. Using Linux but unwilling to deliver the code base. FF/RW doesn't even work properly on most movie.

  Server side keep sending out discovery packet non stop (kind of like a low yield packet storm) but the player still from time to time lost connection.

  Last thing, the case design is horrible, cheap plastic. Remote is bulky, uncomfortable to use, and feel cheap (imagine a HP calc with a $5 calc).

  If I were you, I will try other products in the market or wait a little while longer. Huappauge MediaMVP is more configurable in terms of the front end (but you have to do manual transcoding if it is not MPEG1/2, but peoples are working on replacing the server).

  I personally use Sony RoomLink, which I think is better except it requires Sony GigaPocket (only come with Sony computer). But Sony hardware which is expensive, so I brought one of this PrismIQ box. What a bad mistake.

  I am currently looking forward to hookup my Huappauge MediaMVP, which the case design is not that nice either. But still 10 times better than PrismIQ. The remote is more a normal design, with my not so bad experience with Hauppauge PVR250 card, I have some hope for the MediaMVP.
  
  

• Beta Testing for $200

  
  By A3VXKIOLLW66BA on 2004-01-15
  I received my Prismiq unit and set it up very quickly. Unfortunately it didn't work right away. Prismiq only supports a very limited number of old 802.11b cards, so I had purchased a brand new 802.11g card that was supported by Prismiq (for an additional $60). However, before I could get the card to work I had to install a firware upgrade to do that, and the only way to install a firmware upgrade was to get the product on the network. That meant disconnecting my Linksys router and moving it to my Prismiq, then using my laptop to install the firmware upgrade.

  After the upgrade the card worked and I was off and running, or so I thought. I was running the Prismiq software on a very old PC (PII 350 MHZ, 196 MB RAM), and it didn't work very well (dropped connections, artifacts in the playback of MP3's). I needed a new machine badly anyway so I bought a new PC (2.4 GHZ P4, 256 MB RAM). After getting it all setup I fired up the Prismiq and tried playing 1 album of MP3's. I couldn't even get through 10 songs without dropping the connection and artifacts in the MP3 playback. I played with my wireless router trying different channels to no avail. My laptop (also on the wireless network) gets 100% connection according to its software, so the wireless connection is good (the laptop is right next to the Prismiq). The laptop can accept streamed MP3's flawlessly, so it has to be a Prismiq problem.

  After all this I am sending back my Prismiq today. Besides the fact that it didn't work very well, its GUI MP3 inteface was the worst I have ever seen. It basically (without some manipulating) will list all your songs in one window and you can search for the ones you want, but it won't dynamically sort by artist or title (e.g. Itunes/Windows Media Player). This has been complained about explicitly for months on Prismiq's own forums and nothing was done in there latest software release.

  In my opinion I would wait for the new Linksys wireless product to come out later this quarter. Linksys is a more reputable company so you can expect, at the very least, better software.
  
  

• This product is AMAZING!
  By on 2003-12-03
  I love this device. It does 802.11G, the only product to offer it (I think). My house is Wireless. I can send Video, Audio, my photos, and I can access the Web, my email and Instant Messenger. Better yet, I can stream commercial free Internet Radio stations to my stereo. This is the best product I have seen! Finally, I found a device that will allow me to enjoy my home movies, my entire MP3 collection (I have close to 20,000 songs), my digital photo library..... all of this is displayed and enjoyed in my living room on my big screen TV. I may end up buying a second one for my Master Bedroom. I'm telling you, this device is awesome!
  
  
• It's one of the best !
  By A2Q7YFUMKAIKNI on 2003-12-12
  I have been looking for a media player - and was astounded to find Prismiq. I was only looking for mp3 and jpg player but this one has two features which are really awesome -- the Internet Radio (which I have programmed stations from all the over. I used to use stream ripper to rip and burn on CD to listen in the living room) and second, the MPG Player (imagine watching your mpgs and divx in your living room in the big screen).

  The jpg slideshow with music is wonderful. The mp3 allows m3u import which is great since I use MusicMatch playlist.

  Additional thing to consider: the RCA output is not very good at least not on my Sony Dream system. The coaxial digital output is great but is in RCA coaxial not optical. So you need to go to Radio Shack or Frys to get a $15 converter and optical cable $15 - plug them into our optical input of your receiver. It is incredible then! Both Mp3 and 128kbps streaming radio come in amazingly well with surround sound now!

  Last thing is the output - it has 4:3, 16:9 and 2:235:1 but the 16:9 didn't quite work with my plasma- but was ok with the 2:235:1. I am running 4.0.1 software. Not sure.

  This is an awesome product!
  
  

• Mine works fine
  By on 2004-01-16
  I see some other reviews and wonder what these people are talking about. Maybe they need to upgrade their software or something, which is free to do and pretty easy though a big download. But seriously I use mine every day with my family - I have rotating snapshots going with all my music streaming over my wireless network and almost never have any problems at all. I've started previewing my camcorer video that I put on my hard drive before I press dvds for my archive. with picture in picture on my tv I surf the web while watching news and that's cool too. Now it's only $200 - what else do you have for $200 that can do all that? Anyway very cool product that i bought for my brother for xmas and he loves it too.
  
  
• The most frustrating Xmas ever
  By AB4XZDKENNHTP on 2004-01-29
  I have finally sent this back after a month of trying to get it to play more than one song before locking up. It simply does not work as advertised. It locks up constantly, the media server software is a CPU hog (I have a P4 3Ghz) and crashes all the time, the media manager software is amateurish, it constantly loses connection to the wireless network and when it does so you have to hard reset the unit. I mean losing the connection is one thing but having to pull the plug is ridiculous. The interface is very poor and slow. Tech support is laughable. They actually told me that they didn't know when they could help me because they were too busy working on their new DVR hard drive version!! Disappointed is a great understatement.
  
  
• Completely Worthless
  By A3H1F4APK7QY5U on 2005-02-06
  This product is the largest waste of money ever. It dosen't do half of the things that it claims it does, it almost never plays DIVX or XVID files correctly, and its not even supported by prism anymore. Thats right, prism has stopped updating their software and pretty much left this product out to dry so they could work on new hardware. The hardware interface is horrible, the computer interface is horrible, and every time i turn of the player there is a 50/50 chance that it will freeze when starting up next time. If you want to waste your money, then this is the product for you.
  
  
• This thing is GREAT! It's a Got-To-Have for 2004.
  By on 2003-12-21
  I have had my Prismiq Media Player for 4 months now and I LOVE it. Through a very cool control screen on my TV with voice cues, I now have access to ALL of the digital camera pics, MP3s, and movies/TV shows on my 2 PC's. (I can also now listen to my favorite internet radio stations on my stereo.) It's easy to use, and an incredibly fun and spontaneous way to access your media collection for your own enjoyment, or to share it with friends who come over to visit.

  I've read all the reviews, and this is the one that has won all the awards (PC Mag Editors Choice, TechTV, Cnet, Electronic House, and a lot more). There are a couple of "me-too" new products on the market that claim to do what this thing does, but read the specs very, very carefully. The others support far fewer media formats and, if they do video at all, handle only low bitrate video (so your movies are going to look very bad). None of the other boxes include the ability to surf the web and do instant messaging like the Prismiq does. None of the others are software upgradeable like the PRISMIQ either.

  No, I don't work for the company...I just really love this product.

  (BTW, I had a couple of questions and used the free tech support. The people at Prismiq seem to take pride in their technology and really like to help out their customers.)
  
  

• Dial-up Quality Audio
  By A1S31H0R0ULY2B on 2004-01-01
  I bought the PRISMIQ MediaPlayer to replace a broken 25 disc CD player. I have my entire music library on my computer in Windows Media format. I wanted a device that could play that media from my computer over my wired network. The PRISMIQ MediaPlayer looked like a perfect fit. Unfortunately the audio playback quality is terrible.

  I used the MediaPlayer for several hours. On average, every other track I played was distorted. The distortion included slow play, intermittent pauses, play stopping halfway through the track, etc. It felt very much like listening to streaming media over a 28.8 modem connection.

  I experienced the distortion both when I was navigating the menus and when the MediaPlayer was idly playing music. Navigating the menus caused immediate and reproducible problems. When I left the MediaPlayer alone to play music I experienced fewer problems. But there were still many problems. I consider 1 distorted track per 100 tracks played too many for a device in this price range. My experience was closer to 50 distorted tracks per 100 played. That is not acceptable at any price.

  As an earlier reviewer said; the PRISMIQ MediaPlayer is an excellent idea poorly executed. Even if the audio playback worked perfectly this product is poorly designed. The software is something only a Linux fanatic could love.
  
  

• Just nightmares!
  By A3IJMGVOWPBCPJ on 2004-01-19
  Setting up the WiFi with this product is close to an impossible task. I see that it obviously works for other people, therefore the raving reviews. I bought the Prismiq Media Player after doing a lot of research, and based on the opinion of other users I thought it would be the best "Digital Audio Receiver" to buy. I was dead wrong. I started by buying the recommended cards - with their routers, just to find out that Prismiq did not support certain versions of the cards - actually, some of the versions that they support are no longer available! After sending the card and router back, I got yet another card / router combination - again from their recommended list, just to find out that the Media Player does not recognize this card either!

  What I have is $200.00+ paper weight sitting in my living room!

  To add insult to injury - Prismiq's "customer service" support is non-existing. Just try calling their toll free number - you'll be placed on hold, just to be forwarded to an answering machine - and of course, they will not return calls. I sent them an e-mail explaining my problem, and I have yet to receive an answer.

  I'm thinking of going with the Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless Music system. I wish I had done so from the beginning.

  I emphatically do not recommend this player to anyone.
  
  

• This product should be a Beta. Don't buy it ....Yet.
  By A3OLTP8FRQOJJH on 2004-04-16
  I was so excited when I bought this unit. I have a had it over a year now. It has been sitting on my receiver turned off for the past 9 months, only to be turned on hoping the next update will "fix and improve" the unit. Every so often updates come out with so-called "fixes and improvements" but the main issues are still not taken care of. The user interface is awful. An 8-Track had better navigation between songs and organizational tools are non-existent. Don't plan on sorting 100's of MP3's with this unit. The unit has no DD 5.1 support. It only has 2 channel output. The unit cannot be controlled from a PC. It can only be controlled from the basic on-screen (TV) interface. The unit also has problems completing a video. The web browser is slow and only usable for the most basic of sites. You must also leave a computer turned on AND logged on for the Media server to work.The software that runs on the PC is massive (100Mbytes) and a resource hog but still has hardly any features. This unit has potential but is not ready for prime time. Don't be fooled by the reviews or wow factor. I thought the unit was cool the first time I used it only to be disappointed afterwards. It is up to version 4.1 as of this review and still has away to go. Keep an eye on the PrismIQ but as of April 2004 I would keep looking...
  
  
• BRUTAL!
  By A3ESZVP5QGFBI0 on 2004-12-06
  This thing is ridiculous. First, I tried both the wired and wireless configurations. The wireless configuration is very difficult to set up; I HAD to call tech support to get it to function as most of the listed, supported wireless adapters that I tried did NOT work. I will say that tech support answered the phone right away and was helpful; albeit, this product is great in concept, but severely poor in implementation. When it does finally work, it is slow at best - on both wired and wireless. If you are using WMAs, look elsewhere, they sound horrible; skipping constantly with constant static. There are other devices to consider, I just chose this based on the awards and editorials I had read; I must say that there is no way these people that gave these awards to Prismiq used this device - it is just plain awful. If you want a beta product, go ahead waste $200, if not look somewhere else. The device I ended up using was the Linksys Media Center Extender - if you can get your hands on MCE 2005 or have MCE 2004 - check out the Media Center Extenders, they are awesome! You can even use your Xbox!
  
  
• Insecure
  By A2L141S4A2AEW7 on 2004-01-08
  Unfortunately, the Prismiq Media Player only works on insecure wireless networks. As of 07 January 2004, Prismiq does not support WPA.

  When asked about security, Prismiq support recommended that I disable WPA on my wireless network and rely on the very insecure WEP instead. They made no mention of additional steps that I might want to take to better secure a WEP encrypted network, such as not broadcasting the SSID. Is this an indication of how seriously Prismiq takes network security? Does the Prismiq media player pose a risk as an easy point of entry into a wireless network? I returned mine.
  
  

• Not for Everyone, but Great for the Price
  By A3MU44H4XGLME9 on 2004-02-22
  I'm surprised at the flood of negative reviews here. While most of the criticisms are valid, they miss two points. First, while I wouldn't recommend the PRISMIQ to my Grandma, I'd recommend it to anyone who can diagnose simple computer problems, which is most computer owners that I know. I have no experience with the phone support, but the online support (http://www.prismiq.org/) is excellent. So anyone who can install a new driver in their computer can deal with any problems they encounter with their PRISMIQ.

  Second, while some of the features don't work as well as I'd like and the interface can at times be slow and frustrating, this device is competing with other products that cost as much as TEN TIMES what the PRISMIQ costs. At the end of the day, it does what I want and it does it for only $200. That can't be beat.

  If they continue to improve this product (they come out with firmware updates about every 6 months or so, and occassionally add new beta features like a Linux server and Ogg Vorbis support), it could eventually become a 5-star product.
  
  

• Media Player or Prototype?
  By A36T74IFSE1K1V on 2004-01-05
  After receiving unit the first thing I has to do was download updates and flash the firmware. Not bad, I'm computer savvy enough to handle and seeing all the rave reviews, just a step hoping they improved and made things even better. OOPS, Their list of supported network cards wasn't quite up-to-date requiring a trip across town and another 80 bucks (thankfully AMAZON has a friendly return policy). Well, the new one wasn't completely supported so my home office has a tv, vcr and a Prismiq with a network cable attached to my "wireless" router. I figured a couple of days of inconvenience and the rec room would be an entertainment center........WRONG!

  Tech support calls and emails for 3 weeks, re-writing linux code and I have given up. I believe the hardware is sound BUT that the software should still be at Prismiq's R & D department. The enclosure is flimsey and now I'm taking my office space back and waiting at least a year. The wireless media player has not arrived at my house anyhow.

  I must give credit to their tech support dept., they are nice and patient. I wish they had a product to be proud of as mine won't browse, play any kind of media or let me look at pictures.

  Lastly, I recommend you order the wireless keyboard as the remote control didn't work when mine arrived. You'll be able to imagine doing anything constructive or practicing your typing while you tell tech support the things they already suggested and you already tried on the last call.
  
  

• Great device for getting your media to the livingroom
  By ATJAXKGW9LK8L on 2004-01-16
  This is a great device that (based on some previous reviews) isn't for everyone. It will allow anyone with reasonable home networking experience to play video, audio and digital photos on the home entertainment system. I went through three other competitive products before I found this one. Believe me, its by far the best. I've since found out that this company is the pioneer in home media gateways and that they do frequent FREE software updates.

  The kids love it for the internet radio and photo feature. I've been "backing up" my DVDs to the computer. With the MediaPlayer, I can watch any one I like without moving off the couch!

  My wife listens to her Jonny Mathis collection that she's stored on our PC.

  This prodcut works great for our family. I'm wondering if some of the previous posts are from Prismiq's competitors :)
  
  

• Answer to my Problems...
  By A274J75M4M49OT on 2004-02-22
  This little device has been a godsend. I have it set up in my bedroom as a way to listen to streaming internet-raido, MP3s, and my DVDs. I love it because I have instant access to the music or films I want. My wife loves it because it is totally quite. The unit is solid state. No fans or drives. So, as you lie peacefully, relaxing in bed, you do not have to listen to the annoying whir of a computer.

  I notice a lot of complaints about support. As a previous reviewer stated, this device is "not for Grandma". This, I believe, is in part because Prismiq is a small company. So you may not get all the bells and whistles you would expect with a release from a major company. But, their size gives you two advantages: 1. The unit, for what it does, is *very* inexpensive. 2. They closely listen to their customers and try to implement features as quickly as possible.

  Case: I had trouble viewing large MPG files that were created from DVDs I own on the Linux version of the media server. Support reconized the issue and quickly sent me a new version of the server which fixed the bug. I do not think you would ever get that kind of support from MS, Linksys, or DLink.
  I have never had issues with basic setup, operation, or upgrades on the device.

  Of course the device is not perfect. There are issues that still need to be worked on (quicker slideshow operation of pictures, better sorting of MP3s by ID-tag info, better interface for Linux server...) but Prismiq is aware of these and I feel confident they will address these issues in the coming months, as they have addressed every other issue that has cropped up with the unit.

  In closing, if you are a computer saavy tech-head, this is the device for you.
  
  

• A Big Disappointment...
  By A20DR5RTY9BSLL on 2004-02-11
  The main reason I was interested in a device of this type was to be able to access my entire music collection from my living room entertainment center, which offers superior sound quality to my desktop PC sound system (not to mention being a lot cooler to sit around with friends), but is on a different floor. Throw in the added ability to show slide shows of digital pictures, internet radio, video playback, and a host of awards from respected publications, and I thought I had found the perfect product. I couldn't have been more wrong!

  I use an 802.11g wireless connection, which has not been a problem, generally speaking. I have luckily not had any of the technical nightmares some of the other reviewers have encountered in this regard.

  My big problems with the device are mainly related to its interface and poor performance with playback. Considering that my primary concern was MP3 playback, that particular function of the device has been the biggest letdown. First of all, the ability to sort files is almost nonexistent. I have thousands of files in my music collection, which appear on the screen in more or less random order. The Prismiq creates playlists according to the names of albums (not artists). Good luck finding a file! There is an elementary search function, which can be extraordinarily awkward using the standard remote control, but beyond that, you are pretty much left to scroll through page after page of random files. If ID3 tags are supported, it could have fooled me, because the sorting options are not much different than if you were working from file names alone. Additionally, there is no support for album art, not to mention any other sort of musical visualization, which sort of defeats the purpose of integrating the television with the music. To top things off, sound quality is average, at best.

  As for the other features, expect the same skeletal, beta version feel. The web browser is so scaled down as to be useless, especially without the optional keyboard. It seems to have been thrown in as an afterthought. The picture slideshows take forever between images, even after "media processing," which is supposed to speed this up. Pictures don't look very sharp, and the viewing options are (surprise!) extremely limited. Likewise with video files- the supposed ability to fast forward and rewind with a scroll bar at the bottom has yet to reveal itself, despite upgrading to the latest firmware. The Media Manager software is a joke, and has the annoying habit of disappearing without a trace from my desktop, toolbars, or programs list, only to reappear on restart.

  Overall, Prismiq had a good idea, which is the only thing that I can imagine has warranted all of the awards this product has garnered. The magazine reviewers might have seen this thing at the trade show and fallen in love with the idea, but I can't imagine that they actually used the device much, especially with a any significant number of media files. Maybe my opinion will change if Prismiq introduces some serious functionality upgrades, but for now, Prismiq's vision is still a year or two ahead this product, and I would recommend looking elsewhere.
  
  

• Completely Unusable
  By on 2004-02-12
  The main reason I bought this product was to play my MP3s and view my Digital photos. Dissapointed in both respects.

  If you do not have a wireless keyboard, and you have a lot of MP3s (eg more than 1000), this product is completely unusable.

  I felt like I was beta testing this unit for all the 6 months I used it.

  The GUI is extremely clunky -- it is impossible for a normal person to use the remote and navigate through the screen. They should have added automatic playlist generation for Genre/Artist, but they don't. Makes it even worse.

  The web-browser is a joke -- Fonts are ugly, navigation through hyperlinks is beyond painful, doesn't have 1% of the features of a modern browser.

  Interface to watch video is bad -- doesnt support many video formats. You cannot FF/REW through DIVX encoded AVIs.

  Interface for watching photos is also bad -- no zoom, navigation is slow, no easy way to crop/rotate.

  The server software -- looks & feels like an undergrad project. The software keeps crashing, it uses 98% of the CPU when scanning for media (which is every time when it starts up).

  I had the unit for about 6 months and then I got disgusted and sold it on eBay. If you want a comparable product with a similar quality UI, buy the Gateway Network Connected DVD Player (approx $200) or the Go Video Network Connected DVD player (approx $130 this week at my local Fry's!) -- the UI on these two units are also clunky, but each of these units at least have a progressive scan DVD player.
  
  

• Not for the faint of heart or short on patience
  By on 2004-02-21
  This is an intriguing device with a lot of good publicity but lackluster performance.

  I bought my Prismiq and after reading the documentation thought it would be an easy setup and that I would soon be wirelessly attached to my network looking at family fotos, listening to great music from the internet or CDs and chatting on line

  The setup was very frustrating. I had to buy a new wireless card because the one I own was not on the list provided in the box with the Prismiq player. Beware! The on-line list differs from what is in the box and there are sometimes version incompatibilities with the cards so that a card that is on the list works only, say, if it is version 1 or 2 but NOT version 4.

  I had to buy a second wireless card. This one was on the list and would still not link to my network. I had to buy additional ethernet cable so that I could link temporarily via ehternet to upgrade the firmware in the unit.

  The player works now, but the features are disappointing:

  1. Internet radio does not use RealAudio or Windows Media format When it began to play I could not stop it when I went to play music from MP3 files--I had to delete the playlist for the radio stations to get my MP3s to play.

  2. Online chat is awful. I chatted with a friend who is on AOL and the size of the text the system displays for the person talking to you is miniscule unless you are sitting with your face to the screen.

  3. MP3 play is decent most of the time

  The other annoying thing is the Media Player software that must be installed on your PC....it sits there whirring and clicking from time to time slowing down everything else you are doing

  Finally, I am sick unto death of offshore technical support. It may be cheaper for Prismiq, but the number of times I had to wait because people would not pick up the phone to call back was unreasonable.

  In short, the device is fair, the support is fair but you may want to wait for streaming media home theater systems which will be released by a major electronics company in a few months. More money, but better quality.
  
  

• Just what I was looking for
  By AI2H7DT6S0N1D on 2004-03-13
  I have been trying to find a solution for watching downloaded computer videos on my television for years. I have had the MediaPlayer for a few hours and I am very happy. I have watched videos and I am listening to a stream from WFMU as I type this. The audio quality is excellent. The only problem with the video is a problem with my files, not with the MediaPlayer. Obviously, when a video meant for the computer is stretched to a 32" television there will be some degradation. But, they are still completely watchable.
  
  
• PRISMIQ Has Poor Customer Service
  By on 2004-04-03
  Written 4/2/04. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.

  I purchased the Prismiq Media Player before Christmas and was unable to get it working. After numerous emails to the Support Center, they stopped responding to my messages for two momths. I asked to return it and they said that they needed to get a "RMA" - return merchandise authorization to me, which they never did. When I finally got a reply (late March) they told me to return it to the retailer, who after all this time refused to accept it.

  I have written to PRISMIQ senior management team, bypassing the Support Center: the CEO, Vice President, Marketing; Vice President, Sales; and Vice President, Operations. Hopefully, I will get some results.
  
  There are other ways to get MP3 files to your home stereo - I would recommend the Pro HiFi-Link, which is cheaper, easier to set up, and works well.
  
  

• Great Product
  By on 2004-04-16
  Love the UI and media format support. Install was simple, fast, and painless. Features are robust, does everything I want it to do. Internet Radio on the stereo and IM on the TV is especially cool.
  
  
• Not Ready for Prime Time - not even the Soaps.
  By A3EJHSKY5MUQP6 on 2005-01-20
  I agree with many of the negative reviews here. I say ditto. After trying several adapter cards and being no closer to being set up I gave up and returned the unit and all the adapter cards I tried
  
  
• A Shining Example of...
  By on 2004-02-17
  Wish you could see who is writing THESE reviews? This one is easy. All of the good ones are obviously people working for PRISMIQ. They sound self-congratulatory and bloated. The rest of the reviews are exactly what you get with this. A box that isn't ready for prime-time. Too bad to. Whoever makes the first one of these that really works is going to make a fortune!
  
  
• Not ready for prime time
  By on 2004-02-29
  Release notes are inconsistent with website regarding supported WiFi cards. You are required find a backdated card, because the drivers are locked in firmware. Fortunately I had a 3 year old Lucent card lying around to get the unit running.

  Once running, it did not perform nearly as well as I had hoped. 192kbps MP3's sounded very flat, and there were intermittent pops, sizzles & skips. It my be tolerable as background music during a party, but could not possibly serve as an acceptible method for listening to your music collection day to day.

  I expected to be able to drive everything from the PC. Rather, you must use the cheesy TV interface. Furthermore, you are limited in your ability to pipe any internet audio source through the device; the internet radio stations are posted (and limited) by PRISMIQ. Appears they are trying to sell subscription services as well.

  All in all, for the expense & hassle, it is cheaper and easier to buy a Sony CD jukebox to play my music library, and stick with Comcast digital cable for streaming audio.

  BTW iRock sells a $20 wireless trasmitter that broadcasts through the FM band that would probably serve up the same quality.
  
  

• Works as advertised for Pictures and music
  By A3HYFRYP149GXH on 2004-12-20
  Granted, the PC software can use a great deal of work on the user interface to make it easier to use, but other than that it works as advertised. I had an initial problem reaching as far as I needed to from the office to the TV/Stereo equipment. I'd put off buying a "G" wireless router and bought the Linksys "G" router as well as the extender. As it worked out the extender was not needed and went back. The signal from the "G" reaches the "B" card in the Prismiq just fine. The Prismiq server does churn a bit but the 3ghz desktop does ok with it. I installed the software on a wireless HP laptop and it was able to communicate its files as well. I have not used the video functions and supect I'd have to find a compatible "G" card for the Prismiq to make this possible. My first attempt at upgrading the card was not a success and since the "B" was working so well, stopped there. If you want to play music from your pc on a main stereo system and be able to show pictures on the TV, this little box does the job.
  
  

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• Memorex High Performance AAA Alkaline Battery 4 Pack
• Memorex High Performance AAA Alkaline Batteries, 12 Pack
• Rayovac I-C3 15 Minute NiMH AAA Size Carded 2 Pack
• Terk MINI RF Modulator, Compact

• PRISMIQ MediaPlayer Keyboard