WD Share Space Network Storage System

This high-speed network-attached storage system with capacities up to 8 TB and a space-saving footprint gives you all the benefits of a big time data center without the need for a big time IT department. Perfect for centralizing and sharing data and multimedia files on a small office or home network. Key Features Big capacity, small footprint - Offered in 2, 4 and 8 TB capacities, this small-footprint four-bay system takes up very little space and provides plenty of storage to go around. RAID capability - Offers multiple RAID configurations for data protection and speed -- RAID 0 (Striped), RAID 1 (Mirrored) and RAID 5. The RAID 5 mode,...

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Modix HD3510: Fully Adequate DVD Player Replacement

At first glance, the white box of the Modix player looks like a normal external hard drive case. On the front is a large display and lots of function buttons, while the A/V and USB ports can be found on the back, where you can also attach an external power supply. Once you turn on the device, a menu structure will appear on the hard-to-read display. You can navigate either with the remote control or using the many buttons on the front. Package information , Package Contents   The player can be controlled without a remote control, using the buttons The remote control is pleasant to hold Some buttons on the remote control...

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Codec Compatibility

Test format / Codec THEbox AC-3 yes 3ivx D4 no Canopus Soft DVSD no DAT CD-Video yes DivX 3.11 yes DivX 3.20 yes DivX 4.1 yes DivX 5.03 yes DivX 5.2 ...

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Player Setup: Not Much Of Use Here

Lots of setup options? Don't be fooled by its looks. While the player's preference list contains all the absolutely critical functions, it dispenses completely with any instructions or explanations. Users are left scratching their heads over mysterious acronyms and jargon in both English and Chinese. The manual also lacks clear answers regarding what kinds of effects a modification might produce. Selecting the TV standard Two language versions are available The on-screen text can be deactivated Resetting the screen File sorting (De-)activating the screensaver Source:- http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hard-disk-drive-video-players-hit-mainstream,1107-8.html...

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Setup Menu: Audio And Video

Not needed, since the remote has buttons that do the same things Setup Menu: Slideshow Image display settings   Source:- http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hard-disk-drive-video-players-hit-mainstream,1107-7.html...

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Not Many Setting Options Either

The main menu on the setup page To get to the setup menu you have to push a button on the remote control. You'll search in vain for many menu options to configure, though. The menus are superfluously large, making it seem as if you have a lot of options to set, but you really don't. Setup Menus: Photo Settings Slideshow setting options Source:- http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hard-disk-drive-video-players-hit-mainstream,1107-6.html...

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Spartan User Menu

The main menu is frugal and dispenses with all manner of frills The player can be unpacked and hooked up in a jiffy. Besides plugging in the small power supply, all you have to do is connect the box to a TV. The unit only functions without the PSU when it's plugged into a USB port on a computer, where it functions just as an external file storage device. The HP-25OTG likewise requires an electrical socket somewhere within a cable's reach of the power supply to work on the road. A piece of protective plastic inside the remote prevents the battery from running down before purchase, and is easy to remove. Once you've done so, the remote control...

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Here's How The Multimedia Player Looks Inside

The actual hardware is mounted inside the unit with four tiny screws. A small board is visible containing the 2.5" hard drive; all other components, including the decoder chip and flash memory, are located next to the drive. The back of the board is nearly devoid of components, as the player doesn't need much hardware for its decoding work. Compact board with pre-mounted 2.5" drive The back of the player board Source:- http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hard-disk-drive-video-players-hit-mainstream,1107-4.html...

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Contents

  The hard drive player uses an internal 2.5" notebook hard drive The unit that houses the hard drive comes in a small cardboard box containing all the important accessories. The only thing missing in the standard set is a SCART adapter, which you need, however, for most TV sets you use one without a cinch input. If you opted to buy the HP-25OTG version without hard drive, you'll have to open up the unit initially to install one; the tools for doing so are included.     Compact and convenient     Where are all the buttons, you ask? There aren't any more!   Source:-  http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hard-disk-drive-video-players-hit-mainstream,1107-3.html...

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The Test Candidates In Detail

THEbox HP-25OTG: Portable Hard Drive With A/V Support     This silver aluminum box is extremely compact, and not only acts as a digital storage device for video and audio files, but is also the ideal playback companion for when you're on the go. While the remote control unit is fiddly-looking, it has a nice feel in your hand. To keep it tiny, the HP-25OTG has no display of its own and no control knobs save for an "on the go" (OTG) button, one press of which copies data from an external USB device to the built-in hard drive. This is a neat function if you want to quickly save some photos from your digital camera but don't have...

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Hard Disk Drive Video Players Hit The Mainstream

Introduction External storage with DivX, XVid and DVD output. DVD players can be found in almost every living room today, having long ago replaced VHS VCRs. Many of these players can even play back files encoded in DivX and MP3. But there's a big catch to using these formats, too: you have to squeeze the files onto a blank DVD so that you can stick them in the standalone player. And that in turn means that you have to have your own DVD burner and lots of blank DVDs. One new alternative is the use of hard disk drive (HDD) players that are based on a 2.5" or 3.5" IDE (ATA) hard drive. These video players dispense completely with optical media;...

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