Wyplayer in Network media streamers

Media players might be ten a penny, but there aren't many that can boast twin TV tuners, support for a dizzying array of video and audio codecs, and wired and wireless networking to boot. Wyplay's Wyplayer promises all that and more.

Its black, unshowy exterior is unassuming enough to disappear in the lounge, but as those specs prove, it's got it where it counts. The rear panel provides a 1080p-capable HDMI socket alongside a composite output, and there are analogue audio outs as well as optical S/PDIF. Draft-n wireless is complemented by a 10/100 Ethernet socket at the rear, and there are three USB ports.

The price at the top of the page is for the driveless version. With the 1TB drive option costing a 120 Euro premium, though, we'd recommend buying an aftermarket HDD. Installation is easy.

It's straightforward to use too. In fact, rival manufacturers could learn a great deal from the brilliantly realised remote. The clickable rotary dial is a star, making light of anything from selecting menu items to fast-forwarding and rewinding through media files. And it isn't over laden with buttons either, which keeps things nice and simple.

Features-wise, it still isn't as sophisticated as Vista or Windows 7's Media Center software, but there's an effective EPG that allows you to record shows with a single button press, time-shifting allows for pausing and rewinding of live television, and swapping between channels is rapid and glitch-free.

There are annoyances. Some will miss Windows Media Center's ability to easily record an entire series, and it's a shame you can't use both of the twin TV tuners to record at once. Due to hardware limitations you can only record with one and watch TV with the other.

But, when it comes to off-air entertainment, the Wyplayer leaves most media streamers standing. In addition to supporting a broad range of video and audio codecs - including HD WMV and MKV files - the Wyplayer's web services feature gives access to YouTube's huge array of video clips from the comfort of your sofa.

Audio playback is more sophisticated than rival devices too, with the Wyplayer boasting the rare ability to create music playlists on-the-fly.

We did encounter some problems with some MKV files, however - problems we hope that Wyplayer's frequent firmware updates will soon sort out. But in general, the Wyplayer is an impressive device, and it largely succeeds in living up to its lofty aspirations. Only that hefty price puts us off.

Author: Sasha Muller