GoVideo D2740 Network DVD Player

If the D2740 was only a wireless media player, I would have given it four stars. The UI is simple but good. The software that you install on your PC is good but it takes forever to search for media. I like that the D2740 will connect to Real Media player to allow streaming of internet radio stations.

I ripped all 650 of my CDs to MP3s and packed them away. The D2740 makes it easy to search by song, artist or album. You can also create playlists on the host PC and access the lists through the player.

The wireless connection is quick enough to stream video, just make sure that your PC has the horsepower (and video power) to stream. I have an older PIII laptop that could not stream well and the video was choppy. My 3.2 GHz machine with a decent ATI card has no problems pushing the video over the network.

Now the bad... the DVD player is pretty bad. It plays video DVDs OK, but it will not even recognize my DVD-A's. My XBOX is a better DVD player.

Another mini-peeve is that GoVideo puts a sticker over the display screen that is almost impossible to get off. I have had this device for 5 months and still have not been able to get the sticker residue off completely... what were they thinking???

Pros - Good streaming capabilities, good media search function, wireless connection decent

Cons - DVD player is bad, PC software has slow new media searching function.

I've had this unit for a few months now and really like it. Streaming media wirelessly from my PC is great..saves tons of time and money burning CDs and DVDs. Does mpg's great and most avi's. Xvids can be a pain(out of sync audio), but you can use a program called mpeg4modifier to unpack the bitstream and then they work fine too. Only 2 things bug me about this player: 1) The remote is the worst! Have to press buttons repeatedly for it to work, even when pointed directly at the player. I fixed this by buying a Kameleon(sp?) remote from Radio Shack. 2) Their support stinks. I filed an online support request for the remote, sent many follow up emails, and they simply don't respond. Overall though, very happy with the player.

The GoVideo D2740 media player connects to your home network and plays photos, music and video files that already reside on your home computer. It supports a good variety of formats and the interface is simple if not speedy. I had one setup problem due to WEP (it likes you to enter all 4 keys) and one due to Norton Worm Protection (they don't coexist) but after adjusting those settings it works fine.

I was hoping, however, that it would be able to play or receive streaming media from the Internet. We have an on demand video service that would be great to show in other rooms. Oh well. Does any other device do that?

It's a nice device for showing video you captured on your TV without having to hook up the camcorder or burn a DVD. It's a nice device for listening to your music downloads on the family room sound system without a lot of gear or wires. But that's all it is.

Therefore, 3 stars based on limited features. But if that's all this class of products do then it works fine. Give it an extra star. I got mine for a very low price so I am not complaining. Basically, this class of device is not quite ready for prime time.

Although I purchased a different unit, the GoVideo 8440 Portable DVD Player, it played exactly 6 movies before dying. GoVideo replaced it with a refurbished model, which arrived in non-working condition. I received a THIRD replacement unit (new)from GoVideo, which failed within minutes out of the box. Please note that I have since discovered that GoVideo Inc. is NOT a member of the Better Business Bureau of Central/Northern Arizona and has MULTIPLE complaints against the company. Purchase at your own risk!!

Bought the player and had to return that after 2 weeks of trying to get it working.
Installation was pretty easy, no surprises here. After the installation (which ended with the computer reboot) the player and software (MediaServer) worked fine. I was able to find, and stream my music (MP3s) collection to the player.
But next time I reboot the computer the MediaServer started operate abnormally. It took 100% CPU time, its memory usage grown linearly with time, and eventually my computer hang.
I thought that something wrong with my PC, tryed another one, but got the same thing.
Tryed contacting GOVideo Support... Got simple (could not be simpler) response: "Unfortunately, there is nothing I can assist you with as this is a backend PC issue."
Total: minus $23 for mailing (bought it from online store), lost several days of trying to get it to work; and GOVideo lost a consumer.