Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD Media Player Reviewed

[flamaest]

What a painful review.. I am sorry you had to go through this.

This unit GUI and features are so 10 years ago. If the unit didn't boast about playing HD content, I would just recommend running and getting an xbox [and load XBMC] for 50 bucks at gamestop.

Netflix and Revision3 are the only saving grace on this, but everyone does this now. If you need 10-foot GUI appliance, just a get a RoKu if you are pinching pennies.

Q: Revision 3 has a ton of HD RSS feeds, I wonder why the FAT+ did not included them as HD feeds in the but Revision 3 line-up?

Fabian.

 

[Unregistered]

I took mine back

I bought mine at best buy when the price dropped to $71. But, alas, netflix with a quality of 3 or 4 out of 4 would only play for a few seconds and then my onkyo receiver would read that there was no signal, and the tv would go into screen saver mode. I returned it a few days later. I hear they are coming out with a new device, hence the price drop on the FAT+. I think I will wait for Google TV.

 

[thiggins]

It wasn't really that painful. As I noted in the review, the NETGEARs EVAs cost much more money and do less.

I do love my Roku box. But its main drawback is that it doesn't play any local content. If it did, it would be my #1 recommendation for an inexpensive media player.

 

[danthecan]

Good review, Seagate actually went the extra mile compared to the other Realtek 1073 chipset players out there, the stock Realtek GUI is incredible primitive.

This site tracks most media players with what chipset they are using and you can see dozens of Realtek clones. The Tvix N1 Cafe and the Mede8er are like the Seagate in that they try to improve the player.

I wouldn't count on the GoogleTV as a killer media player, it might play some internet TV content but anything that is sitting on a local network server (MKV/AVI/MP3 etc) I cant image Google will allow such playback.

That said the Google TV is using Intel's Atom CPU so XBMC could probably be made to run on Google's platform.

Boxee Box is still the best looking unit hopefully they wont be delayed past its summer launch time.

 

[thiggins]

Interesting site. Thanks for the link.

Unless Google makes nice with content providers, they'll have the same problem as Boxee and everyone else: all dressed up and no content to play....

 

[ddh819]

FAT+ netflix quality compared to a Wii?

I have Netflix streaming on a Wii, connected via component cable to an SDTV, and I'm pretty satisfied with the picture quality. How do you think the FAT+ netflix streaming would look compared to the Wii, if you are connecting the FAT+ via HDMI to an HDTV, and you are only getting 3 dots?

 

[thiggins]

How do you think the FAT+ netflix streaming would look compared to the Wii, if you are connecting the FAT+ via HDMI to an HDTV, and you are only getting 3 dots?

I have no idea. I've never used Netflix on Wii.

 

[ddh819]

Does the FAT+ work with USB memory card readers, so that you might be able to view pictures from an SD or CF card?

 

[pmcd]

Netflix works fine on the Fat+. The fact you can only view your instant queue is a negative. The Wii is also good, in fact better. The PS3 and Apple TV are really good at it.

philip