No support for most Hi-Def video files in a high-Def streamer seems to make it a doorstop IMHO.

...is that it's the first gadget I've seen that lets you stream video to a TV, *and* has its own screen for listening to audio without having to turn the TV on, both in the same box. Shame about the software, then, as having good, intuitive software is an essential part of that experience.

Peter

Why would anyone pay an extra £249 for an extra 500GB of internal disk drive when they can connect another USB drive to it?

Virgin's record button doesn't record from the EPG, and Sky's is incapable of showing you info from anything other the channel you're already watching and not from those you flick through across the bottom of the screen.

"In addition to the two standard USB ports, there's a USB-A socket for attaching the S800 to a PC as an external drive."

The single USB port you call an A port is actually a B port. The dual USB ports at the A ports.

Good article tho. I just wish my ReplayTV would record HD as I like the user interface. If the AppleTV would ship with a couple digital tuners to be a PVR I'd buy one of those. Seems like no one wants to make a device for my recording needs. :-(

If the 500GB one costs 250 quid then why on earth does the 1TB model cost 500 quid? That simply does not make any sense. In fact it is an obscene ripoff.

Hold on a minute, how much is the 250GB one??? 125 quid by my reckoning - a bargain....

"it's the first gadget I've seen that lets you stream video to a TV, *and* has its own screen for listening to audio without having to turn the TV on, both in the same box"

Bollocks. You evidently haven't been looking very hard. Back in 2006 I bought the Rapsody RSH-100, which has its own screen (and controls) built onto the front, so it could be used in the absence of its remote control. Handy for music without having to turn the TV on. It's old tech now, but does somewhat nullify your statement. See it here:

http://rapsody.com.ua/eng/tovar/rsh100.php

http://www.rapsody.ch/

http://www.kjglobal.co.uk/acatalog/Rapsody_RSH-110_3.5__HDD_based_.html

At the moment, I know you can find it for £69 in online retailers (add your own drive), and probably cheaper on eBay. It's a decent piece of kit. There are now newer models out, if you look around I'm sure you'll find them - the RSH-300, for example, is the same basic design but HD-capable.

You're right, in fact, that I hadn't previously seen the Rapsody gear -- but AFAICT the ones that have screens (RSH-xxx) can't do streaming (i.e. don't have a network connection), and the ones with a network connection (N3x) don't seem to have a screen.

Peter