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HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch
Netgear Stora NAS Shares Your Files...on the Web!
Netgear Digital Entertainer Live Streams PC Media to the Television
So Long, Stupid Media Streaming Boxes, You Sucked
Netgear's 4-Bay ReadyNAS NVX Plays Nicely with Time Machine
Netgear Jumps in the Mobile Broadband Game With the WWAN 3G Mobile Broadband Router
Netgear ITV2000 Internet TV Player Lets You Watch BBC News Whenever You Feel Like It
Netgear EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite Set Top Box Coming Out In February
Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite To Cost $400
Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite: HTPC In a Set Top Box
Netgear Launches GearHead Home Network Support Service, Has Geek Squad and Firedog in Their Crosshairs
Netgear's 200 Mbps Powerline Adapters Are $170 For HD, $150 for AV
Netgear's WGR614L $69 Open Source Router
Netgear HD/Video 5 GHz Wireless-N Kit Reviewed
NetGear Expands Lineup of ReadyNAS Storage Devices
Wi-LAN Sues Everyone and Their Mom (Really) Over Dubious Wi-Fi Patents
Buffalo Banned from Selling 802.11a and 802.11g Gear in the US
Netgear's Storage Central Turbo Is Finally Shipping
Sneak Peek at Netgear's Next Skype Phone

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bonedog73
11/06/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Will any of these give me Hulu on my TV? I need something that will do that. I have a roku and ps3.
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Edited by bonedog73 at 11/06/09 10:57 AM bonedog73 was starred bonedog73 was unstarred

Cash907Censored
11/06/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
I got my dad the WD HD TV last Christmas, and he loves it. I love it because it just works right out of the box and plays every format I throw at it, yet it's simple enough for a 65 year old man who's afraid of the iPhone to use. I bought a 2 pack of seagate 2.5" external drives from Sams Club for 130 bucks back in January, and once a month I'll pop over to my folks house and swap out the drives, leaving him with fresh movies and tv episodes to watch. He loves to brag to his friends about how his kid is so sneaky, and gets him "Hollywood movies that are still in theaters."
He's happy, I'm happy, WD TV gets two thumbs up. #hdmediaplayers
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bigdave914
11/06/09

@Cash907Censored: The WDTV is the first gen with out ethernet, this article is about the WDTV Live also know as WDTV 2. Its got eithernet and some other differences. #hdmediaplayers
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Cash907Censored promoted this comment bigdave914 was starred bigdave914 was unstarred

Cash907Censored
11/06/09

@bigdave914:
Yeah, I'm aware of that thanks. Thanks to a recent firmware update, the only difference between the WD HD TV and the WD TV Live (version reviewed above) is the newer model has an ethernet port. #hdmediaplayers
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Cash907Censored was starred Cash907Censored was unstarred

KassiaHaoe
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Why is it called "Apple TV Killers" if you think Apple TV is a poor product?
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Duckspwn:Loves Approving Reds promoted this comment KassiaHaoe was starred KassiaHaoe was unstarred

Duckspwn
11/05/09

@KassiaHaoe: Because they killed Apple TV in terms of performance? #hdmediaplayers
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ossuary
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Good article. I have been looking over this info for a while now and glad to see it collected.

i like the idea of the Patriot, BUT I just don't see them following up with sequential firmware updates like WD will do (and has done with the previous WD TV).

I LOVE the specs of the Popcorn Hour box, but at that price and size, I would go for a PS3.

For features, support, and price, I think I am going with the WD TV Live (as soon as it actually freaking shows back up in stock somewhere). #hdmediaplayers
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Unknown2U
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
This is what I plan to do. Currently I rent 2 HD-DVRs for $16 a month each.

My PC has Windows 7, I purchase this thing next year: [www.cetoncorp.com]

I rent 1 cable card for $4 a month. That device will allow me to record up to Six Live HD Channels Simultaneously.

Then I just use my Xbox 360 to watch TV.

Beats the PS3, let's face it. Most people watch more TV than they do movies. #hdmediaplayers
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Xeno promoted this comment Unknown2U was starred Unknown2U was unstarred

Xeno
11/05/09

@Unknown2U: You'll be happy, this I know from experience. The Creton 6 tuner card will cost more than any of these boxes however. These are all in one single purchase devices. It's not a apple to apple comparison. #hdmediaplayers
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Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred

Unknown2U
11/05/09

@Xeno: Well I have read that the Centon adapter will be like $300. That's what the company is aiming for. Plus you get a real TV experience.

The card pays for itself in one year if I get ride of my two DVRs from the cable company. #hdmediaplayers
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Xeno
11/05/09

@Unknown2U: I understand. Currently I love my CC tuners and will probably build a new WMC box with a Centon Tuner. What I'm saying is that these boxes serve a simpler task and even the most expensive of them is $300. #hdmediaplayers
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Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred

diamonddnice
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
do you really need to kill apple tv? its not like it's popular like an ipod. Isnt' this kinda like saying, "which soft drink will be the Fresca killer?" #hdmediaplayers
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omgwtflolbbqbye promoted this comment diamonddnice was starred diamonddnice was unstarred

Vermifuge
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Out of these 5 "Apple TV Killers" do any of them work with the iTunes store? #hdmediaplayers
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matt buchanan promoted this comment Vermifuge was starred Vermifuge was unstarred

dallasmay
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
The best ATV Killer Ever

[store.apple.com] #hdmediaplayers
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matt buchanan promoted this comment dallasmay was starred dallasmay was unstarred

Hank Scorpio
11/05/09

@dallasmay: I've been thinking of going that route, mostly because the WD doesn't have Netflix/Hulu, etc. With a Mini, I can play literally anything (including the Flac-HD files that I can't burn to a disc that's readable by my Sony BD player).

I'm hoping WD will add those, or Roku will add Hulu and the ability to play media off a connected drive (which is rumored). But, if neither of those things comes to fruition by the end of the year, I'll probably go with a Mini. #hdmediaplayers
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RoboBagins
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
The more I heard about this, the better deal it sounds to build a nettop XBMC [lifehacker.com] #hdmediaplayers
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tucker
11/05/09

@RoboBagins: i would love to see this post redone with that nettop included in the comparisons. #hdmediaplayers
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tucker was starred tucker was unstarred

Justin Paulson
11/05/09

In reply to HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
Can you really call it an AppleTV killer when the thing was barely breathing anyway? #hdmediaplayers
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OCEntertainment promoted this comment Justin Paulson was starred Justin Paulson was unstarred

MrBlahBlah
10/05/09

In reply to Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch
for $140, you might as well throw in a few extra bones for airport extreme. I refuse to pay over $100 for any router, even if that means sticking with my Tomato-based WRT 54GL
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MrBlahBlah was starred MrBlahBlah was unstarred

IN THE FACE!
10/05/09

@MrBlahBlah: blah blah airport blah blah

At least we got that out of the way...
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IN THE FACE! was starred IN THE FACE! was unstarred

EdaFonzie
10/05/09

In reply to Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch
@MaDog That's completely irrelevant, N is backwards compatible with B and G, that was always present in every pre-N spec and definitely in the finalized spec.

Having an N router means you get to use all bands but can enjoy the latest spec if you have supported devices.
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badhatharry approved this comment EdaFonzie was starred EdaFonzie was unstarred

badhatharry
10/05/09

@EdaFonzie: Yeah, B and G stuff will work with N, but what madog is saying is that the B and G items will drag your speed down to those levels. Your N devices will be wasted.
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yuki333
10/05/09

@badhatharry: Not exactly, I run an N router in my house and I'm the only one with an N compatible card so It's set to send out B, G, and N frequencies , but while they're connection is 54Mbps mine is usually around 144Mpbs. Yes it is diminished somewhat by broadcasting both, but I still have greater speeds, not to mention that it runs on the 5.0Ghz spectrum so suffers much less interference from some phones and microwaves.
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badhatharry approved this comment yuki333 was starred yuki333 was unstarred

madog
10/05/09

@EdaFonzie: As (that's some) badhatharry said, it's not completely useless and is backwords compatible with previous mainstream wireless specs. It's just that I'm sure there are many other people in a similar position as myself that have a cell phone, game console, and old computer using the G spec, and a newer computer using N spec.

When anything other than N is connected to an N router, it physically slows down the entire wireless network to become backwords compatible making the N device not access at it's potential. Whether it actually matters or ones Internet connection is fast enough to utilize it is a different story, but it's why dual band routers exist if I wasn't clear on that before.
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madog was starred madog was unstarred

IN THE FACE!
10/05/09

@madog: Yeah, since the tech specs on the site don't tout this as being dual-band I'm presuming it isn't. I've got the older WNDR3000 which is dual-band, but not gig-LAN. and DD-WRT works fantastic on it, if this one was dual band I would consider upgrading...

When working with a dual band router, you simply set one radio to be N only, and the other to be G/B or compatibility mode (depending on your software), DD-WRT sets them up as completely seperate APs with diff SSIDs and everything, you can even setup virtual APs based on one radio or the other with additional SSIDs for different auth protocols/DHCP servers/subnets/etc...

it is amazingly versatile.
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IN THE FACE! was starred IN THE FACE! was unstarred

badhatharry
10/05/09

@yuki333: Yeah, but edafonzie wasn't talking about dual band, just the fact that G and B will work with N.
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badhatharry was starred badhatharry was unstarred

madog
10/05/09

In reply to Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch
At this point I find N routers to be useless for many people. Anyone with multiple computers or other devices that use wifi but most likely still have B or G cards in them, like an iPhone or a Wii (or just about every phone and game system capable of wifi), wouldn't benefit to the fullest of the N spec. The fact that an N router will slow down the network if anything less than an N device is connected to it defeats the purpose in many scenarios (at least to my understanding).

If anyone is thinking about getting an N enabled router I would suggest getting a dual band router that can support both specs (G and N) individually and at their fullest speeds. At least until everything is N in the next couple years (when the next spec is being released), or unless you know all of your devices use it, or at the very least the B/G devices you own are not active at the same time as the others (and then when the speed is necessary).
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Edited by madog at 10/05/09 1:23 PM madog was starred madog was unstarred

Xeno
10/05/09

In reply to Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch
This is kinda tasty. I think I want to setup a N network in my new house for gaming and streaming WMC. I don't know if I want to wait that long though. Anyone have a N router that they really like?
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Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred

sirsycho
10/05/09

@Xeno: I really like the new Airport Extremes. I've had several N routers starting with the craptastic Linksys WRVS4400N (RMA'd a dozen times). I've also used the WRT600N and the Dlink DGL4500. They all had problems with dropping connections or just failing entirely after a couple of weeks or months. The Apple is by far the most consistent and reliable I've tried thus far... Simultaneous dual-band FTW!
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Xeno approved this comment sirsycho was starred sirsycho was unstarred

Xeno
10/05/09

@sirsycho: That's a possibility. I have had issues with that stupid application you have to run for configuring them in the past though. Why can't they be configured on a web page?
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Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred

sirsycho
10/05/09

@Xeno: I hear ya. I have a mac or two around the house nowadays so it wasn't too bad for my situation. My MSI Wind Hackintosh with Airport compatible WiFi card works much much better now.

I'm tellin ya, the only other "router" that worked as reliably was my dual-homed Linux box, but I'm trying to be greener these days (read: lower my power bills).

@torgreed: Totally agree on the WRT54G, I have one of those as well and a couple WAP54G, that I use at work with DD-WRT and they're rock solid. But alas, I wanted N at home and nothing has worked as well as the Airport so far, though in all fairness I haven't tried any Netgear stuff yet.
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sirsycho was starred sirsycho was unstarred

IN THE FACE!
10/05/09

@Xeno: Netgear WNDR3000, near-current DD-WRT, rock solid, encrypted PPTP VPN, DynDNS, advanced routing is a snap, dual-band N|b/g, wake on lan deamon, QoS, fully functional (and correctly supported) uPnP.

Only drawback is no gig-LAN, and a giant blue LED array bubble that (unless they recently fixed it) you can't turn off when using DD-WRT...

Can't buy them retail anymore, but can prob find new ones on ebay hella cheap.
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IN THE FACE! was starred IN THE FACE! was unstarred

Xeno
09/21/09

In reply to Netgear Stora NAS Shares Your Files...on the Web!
I kind of want a NAS but I think I'll get a copy of Win Home Server and install it on one of my old boxes. It's hard to beat the feature set of WHS.
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Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred

Douglas J. Boehme
09/21/09

In reply to Netgear Stora NAS Shares Your Files...on the Web!
Are there any NAS devices like this that aren't gimped and will allow additional drives? I personally don't care if it has to be FTP only...it seems every time I read a review about an NAS device, it has issues. Just looking for a simple NAS device with RAID options (I'd settle for mirror only).
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Bandit promoted this comment Douglas J. Boehme was starred

drakino
09/21/09

@Douglas J. Boehme: Netgear also sells quite a few other good NAS devices under the ReadyNAS brand. They bought the company a little while back, and thankfully haven't ruined them.

[readynas.com] is the main site for the NASes and community around them. I bought an NV+, and while a little pricy, it's nice to have a small box tucked away with a UPS providing so many useful functions on the network. No more hassle of some PC case and loud fans acting as a NAS for me.
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AmphetamineCrown promoted this comment drakino was starred drakino was unstarred

AmphetamineCrown
09/21/09

@drakino: Amen. I like my ReadyNAS Pro. Haven't tried to stream HD, but will stream multiple Apple Lossless feeds to squeezeboxen all over my house.
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thePrototype
09/08/09

In reply to Netgear Digital Entertainer Live Streams PC Media to the Television
I have constantly been looking for a hardware solution that streams as easily from my Mac to my PS3, but it doesn't seem there is really another solution out there other than pickup up a used PS3.

I would love for Sony to release a set top box that supports the exact same protocols as the PS3 for DNLA streaming.
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G.O.B.: Come on! promoted this comment thePrototype was starred thePrototype was unstarred

G.O.B.: Come on!
09/08/09

@thePrototype: Would a nettop with a Linux media center distro suffice?
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G.O.B.: Come on! was starred G.O.B.: Come on! was unstarred

thePrototype
09/08/09

@G.O.B.: Come on!: That's not a bad idea, I've been looking at those, but for this I want to be really lazy and have a simple turnkey solution.

Plus for the cost of a nettop I could pick up a used PS3 and have Blu Ray Player.
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object
04/06/09

In reply to Netgear's 4-Bay ReadyNAS NVX Plays Nicely with Time Machine
4x 1 TB drives @ $150 = $600

Computer to run file server ~= $200

I fail to see how installing a free linux distro configured for easy file share warrants an almost 100% markup on the hardware costs. Maybe to people who did not grow up with a pc in the home, it's worth the convenience; I don't know. I just hope products like this die out when the younger generations grow up and call bullshit.
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object was starred object was unstarred

ScottRose
04/06/09

@object: Thaaaaank you.

I've been barking up that tree for a while, but no one will give me a good reason as to why they'd spend 2-3x as much for a NAS for .5-.25 the storage space as a file server that does so much more.

With software RAID (Windows has this native, and md on Linux) there's no need for expensive controllers. To do RAID right, you might need a couple of more el cheapo SATA cards for speed, but that's it.
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ScottRose was starred ScottRose was unstarred

ScottRose
04/06/09

In reply to Netgear's 4-Bay ReadyNAS NVX Plays Nicely with Time Machine
Aw, wish they made that same display that fit a 5.25 or 3.5 drive bay.. I'd love to have a constant view of storage space on my file servers.

But for $1500 I'd rather just buy another file server with like 8 TB of space, and no LCD display.
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ScottRose was starred ScottRose was unstarred

goglen
04/06/09

@ScottRose: You can get the Yahoo Widget for the ReadyNAS, which shows a translucent image of your NAS status on your desktop - fan speed, drive health, UPS minutes, remaining capacity.
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goglen was starred goglen was unstarred

ScottRose
04/06/09

@goglen: That's kinda .. the opposite .. of what I want, though.
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Eauboy
04/06/09

In reply to Netgear's 4-Bay ReadyNAS NVX Plays Nicely with Time Machine
Luv my ReadyNas Duo. Rock solid and runs SqueezeCenter.
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OGC
04/06/09

@Eauboy: If you had it in your bedroom, could you sleep with it on?
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Monty
04/06/09

@OGC: It depends on if you are one of those people that can sleep with a fan on in your room. I have the duo and the fan is certainly noticeable. That said, it sits in our guest bedroom, and no one has ever complained. Still, they are guests - so, I am not certain they would like my colorful response if they did.
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