View source for D-Link DSM-520 Wireless HD Media Player

[[Image:DSM520.JPG|thumb|300px|right|D-Link DSM-520 UPnP Media Player]]
==D-Link DSM-520 UPnP Media Player Overview==


==Basic Specs==
Video Support: SD and HD MPEG2.  No H.264 support.  Does support WMV.<br>
Video Output: Composite, Component HD, HDMI.  480i, 480p, 720p or 1080i.<br>
Audio Output: Analog and Digital audio output. (Only analog tested)<br>
Network: 100Mbps Wired Ethernet and 802.11G Wireless

==Media Player Evaluation==
MythTV Version: 0.21svn revision 13117 (May 2007)
Media Extender: D-Link DSM-520, firmware version 1.02
Network: 100 Mbps wired ethernet
Display: Connected to 27" 720p LCD Panel via Component Video

MythTV was recognized as soon as the DSM-520 got an IP address. Basic functionality looked promising. My list of "pros" is much smaller than the "cons", but in using it I thought the DSM-520 was pretty close to a usable device. But, in the end, I returned it to the store. One of the MythTV features most important to me is the commercial skipping, both automatic and manual. A device that cannot speed me past the commercials is a non-starter for me.

Video playback was Generally Smooth. Did get out of sync and not recover when backend was overloaded. Playback froze a couple times after doing a lot of FF/REW.

Pros:
    * Good video playback for many HD files.
    * Effortless setup / interoperability with MythTV. 

Cons:
    * Some video failed to display, 1080i material - possibly too high bit rate. 
    * FF/REW pretty much unusable, barely faster than normal playback.  Speed of FF/REW appears to be related to bit rate of video. 
          o Jump mode FF/REW disabled in DSM-520
    * No bookmarks or any way to resume from anywhere but beginning of file.
    * Response time is not great for remote control input.
    * No easy way to switch among UPnP servers, must go into setup.

Didn't Test 
    * Digital Audio output - and support via MythTV streams.  I only had simple analog stereo hooked to my display 
    * HDMI / HDMI->DVI - I didn't have a HDMI->DVI cable handy so I just used component.  Shouldn't matter much. 
    * Myth Music / Gallery / Video - I didn't have these installed on my backend box.

==MythTV Suggestions==
    * Add option to control categories displayed in UPnP menus.  
          o Hide "LiveTV" Items from all menu areas (at least optionally).
          o Put "Default" Group at top menu, maybe with a different name.
          o Order programs newest first
    * Any improvements in playback control would be great (if possible)
          o Skip commercials on server side (Jump in MPEG stream based on cut points)
          o Pseudo-bookmark via noting last playback point sent to UPnP client & resuming at that point.  Could even present different menu options to allow choice of where to resume.

==Screenshots==
These screenshots try to give an overview of what the UPnP interface is like when accessing via UPnP rather than a native MythTV client.

===Root Menu===
DSM-520's Root menu, selecting "My Media" takes you to the MythTV content.
[[Image:RootMenu.jpg]]

===Myth Menu===
Top level MythTV menu, giving the main content areas: Recordings, Music, and Videos.   Notice the mini view of the program being played.   I was playing the program, and navigated out into the menus, it continued playing and displayed in the little PiP window.
[[Image:TopMythMenu.jpg]]

===Recordings===
This menu gives all the options for Recordings groupings.
[[Image:ShowRecordings.jpg]]

===Recordings by Title===
List of recordings by title.  This has many titles that I didn't record, maybe as a result of the Live TV recording behavior of MythTV.
[[Image:ListNames.jpg]]

===By Group===
Selected the "By Group" option.  Live TV has a lot of junk in mine, "Default" has the programs I recorded.
[[Image:ListGroups.jpg]]

===Recorded Programs===
Selected the "Default" option, which shows my list of recorded programs - oldest first.
[[Image:Programs.jpg]]

===Black Screen===
This shows the result of playing a 1080i file which might be at a bit rate too high for the DSM-520.  The file Info is showing, and the audio is correctly playing, but no video.  Obviously, the displayed bit rate is incorrect.  This recording plays fine with a native MythTV client.<br>
[[Image:BlackScreen.jpg]]

===TwonkyMedia UPnP server screen===
This is the equivalent of the MythTV top level menu, for another UPnP server, TonkyMedia.  It is a much better menu, with large icon and highlight bar.   
[[Image:Twonky.jpg]]

==External Links==
[http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=DSM-520 D-Link DSM-520 Product Page]

[[Category:UPnP Clients]]