Buffalo LinkTheater PC-P4LWAG review: Buffalo LinkTheater PC-P4LWAG

Network media players are taking off as a product category--thanks to Apple TV--but plenty of people are still put off by price tags that start at $300. The Buffalo LinkTheater Wireless-A&G (also known as the P4LWAG) comes in at a price that undercuts many of its competitors ($250 list, as low as $200 online), and it achieves this by dropping some cutting-edge features--there's no HDMI, DVI, 802.11n, or even Mac support. Even still, there's room for a basic, inexpensive network media player and the omissions might be acceptable if the rest of everything else ran smoothly. Unfortunately, we feel the sluggish interface really hampers the LinkTheater's usability as a network media player. To be fair, this is a 2006 model, and there are definitely plenty of things to like about the LinkTheater--its DLNA compatibility, ability to stream from networked attached storage, exceptionally stable wireless performance, and extensive (but not quite comprehensive) file format support. And while we can't help but think that most users would be better off spending the extra for the Apple TV or even the Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD, the LinkTheater might still have a niche for Windows users who can put up with the sluggish interface, want stable streaming, and don't want to spend a lot of dough.

Design
With dimensions of 1.85 inches tall by 11.02 inches wide by 4.88 inches deep, the LinkTheater Wireless-A&G has a mini-component size and shape. As a result, you can't stack full-size home theater gear on top of it. With the exception of a power button, the unit doesn't have any front-panel controls, nor does it have a front-panel display aside from a translucent segment of the faceplate through which Power/Standby and Link Status indicators shine. This is a common design for digital media receivers, and it's not problematic, because the unit is easily configured and commanded with the remote control and TV-based user interface--but make sure you don't lose the remote. We understand why Buffalo put the USB 2.0 port on the front panel: it makes it quick and easy to swap out devices such as USB flash drives. But the addition of a rear-panel USB port would've enabled keeping a dedicated USB hard drive more neatly connected.

A USB port up front is nice for quick flash drive hookups.

Around back, the LinkTheater Wireless-A&G has dual Wi-Fi antennas, which may contribute to its solid wireless streaming performance. Its assortment of wireless technologies includes 802.11a, g, and b, but not 802.11n, a higher-performance standard for which several digital media receiver manufacturers, including Buffalo, have announced upcoming support--and Apple TV already supports it.

The exact file navigation and playback menus you see in the user interface depend on the PC-based server application the LinkTheater is using. You can browse menus, navigate to different screens, and even hop over to a different server application's menus without interrupting playback, which is a definite plus. We also were pleased with the LinkTheater's ability to pick up on tag information; we had no problem browsing by artist or album.

On the negative side, the unit often froze up for a few seconds while a new screen was loading, particularly when we attempted to scroll long media file lists. The sluggishness in browsing files is almost a deal breaker--there would be times when we'd try to access our music files, and it would take close to a minute before the next screen came up. We didn't experience any similar issues with the Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD or Apple TV in the exact same configuration, so we're confident it's not an issue with our Belkin N1 wireless router or Dell laptop. Another quip: you can't zoom or rotate digital images. We should also note that navigation is strictly by directory when using a USB-connected device as the media source.

The LinkTheater's remote is mostly intuitive, but a bit cluttered.

The midsize remote control features an intuitive button layout. Most navigation tasks are readily handled with the remote's four-way directional keypad and its center-mounted Enter button. Video, Music, Photo, and Home buttons facilitate shortcutting directly to key menus. On the other hand, there are a lot of buttons on the remote, and many of them won't be used that often.

Features
The LinkTheater Wireless-A&G provides broad file format support, although it's not completely comprehensive. Compatible video spans MPEG 1, 2, and 3, XviD, DivX, and WMV (DRM and non-DRM) files, but notice it doesn't support WMV HD or files ripped from DVDs--both of which are becoming common on non-Apple media streamers. The LinkTheater outputs video and images at resolutions up to 720p, which makes it equal to the Apple TV, but a step behind the Mvix MX-760HD and the Netgear EVA8000. In the audio realm, it's compatible with MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA (DRM and non-DRM), and Dolby Digital 5.1 AC3 files, along with PLS and M3U playlists. That's pretty good, but open-source music fans will lament the lack of OGG or FLAC support. We also noticed that the LinkTheater wasn't able to play AAC files ripped at 256Kpbs--which is the format that non-DRM files bought from the iTunes store come in. It also can't play standard DRM'd files from the iTunes store, which is possible on the Apple TV as well as the Netgear EVA8000. You can instead get compatible music from services such as Urge or Napster, which offer DRM WMA files through subscription plans, and on a pay-per-download basis. Unfortunately, the unit can't stream Internet radio stations without using your PC as a conduit, and it doesn't support Rhapsody. Playable still image files include JPEG, BMP, and PNG.

Thanks to its UPnP and DLNA support, the LinkTheater is compatible with numerous PC server applications. The installation CD-ROM includes Mediabolic's server. We also tested the unit with Windows Media Player 11 and TwonkyVision. All of the applications we tested generally worked well. If you want to play DRM-protected WMA and WMV files with the LinkTheater, you'll have to use Windows Media Player 11 or Intel Viiv as your server. Unfortunately, unlike the LinkTheater DVD, the LinkTheater Wireless-A&G cannot use iTunes as a server.

Setup is very simple. After installing, configuring, and running any media server applications you want to use, you simply log the LinkTheater onto your network, use the remote to select the desired server application, and begin navigating the application's file library. The LinkTheater is compatible with WEP (64 and 128 bit) and WPA network encryption.

The LinkTheater's connectivity is a weakness as the absence of an HDMI or DVI output makes the unit seem dated. Video jacks include composite video, S-Video, and a D4 connector, which is converted into component video plugs by an included adapter cable. (D4 is a Japanese standard of no use in the United States.) For audio jacks, the unit has analog and optical digital outputs, but there's no coaxial digital output. Although you probably won't need it, it's good to have the Ethernet jack in case you run into wireless networking troubles such as persistent interference.

The jack pack isn't impressive, and you need to use the adapter cable for component video.

Performance
With the LinkTheater set up approximately 30 feet away from our wireless router and a thick plaster wall separating the two, wireless streaming performance was excellent. We watched several lengthy DivX files and other videos without experiencing significant hiccups. While we didn't run into any glitches, we should note that it wasn't that surprising considering the LinkTheater couldn't stream any high-definition content. Outside of video, the unit smoothly played high-resolution still images as well as audio tracks. Audio quality was good through the unit's analog outputs, but the sound was naturally better through the digital connection. Video and images looked sharp displayed on our HDTV.

The unit successfully played files from our USB 2.0 flash drive as well as from our USB 2.0 hard drive. We did run into a snag when we tried to fire up playback of a nonsupported file format from the flash drive. The LinkTheater displayed a "buffering" message and froze, forcing us to reboot it by disconnecting the power cord.