Buffalo Link Theater PC-P3LWG/DVD Review

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Co-Published with Laptop Magazine

Not only does this wireless media player offer progressive scan DVD playback, it also plays back premium flicks downloaded from sites like Movielink, and features both Web browsing and Internet radio. It can even load image and video files directly from a USB drive. At $349, the Link Theater isn’t cheap, but it’s an amazing value when you consider everything Buffalo crams into this sleek silver box.

The Link Theater is one of the few wireless media players to support true high-definition playback. We played sample 720p movies downloaded for free from wmvhd.com, as well as “enhanced quality”"feature films from Movielink.com (such as Friday Night Lights and Closer), and we were impressed with the video quality on our ViewSonic N1750w LCD TV. The Link Theater can also handle just about any XVID or DIVX high-def video file with full support for Dolby 5.1 surround, all with jitter-free playback.

In tests, the Link Theater streamed all of our content accurately, smoothly, and consistently. Some video images looked pixilated at first, but that was caused by interference on our wireless LAN. After that was addressed, the Link Theater never had any problems with high-quality audio files, photo slideshows, or high-def videos. (The player uses 802.11g with frame-bursting enabled.)

Pros
• Streams high-definition video
• 720p Progressive scan DVD player
• USB port
• Built-in Web browser

Cons
• Setup program slightly confusing
• Unlocking DRM content too technical

Full review of the Buffalo Link Theater PC-P3LWG/DVD on Laptop Magazine.