internet appliances

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.

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!

It just flat out didn't work when it arrived. Installed the software, then plugged it all in and nothing. Just one green light. I tried both wired and wireless. I sent it back after reading the number of folks experiencing similar problems. I tried calling support first, but just got to hear music before it hung up on me.