Wednesday 27 May 2009

Diamond


Does what it says ... sort of. I bought this item mainly to play mp4 files but when I tried none of my mp4 files would play - "unsupported file format" was the error message. I tried the photo function for playing slide shows of jpg files and that worked fine. I produce my own mp4s using an iMac and iMovie as well as one other software program so I thought this could be a compatibility problem. I contacted the Diamond support desk and they were quite helpful although they confirmed the problem was that there are several types of mp4 files and the ones produced by my Mac weren't compatible with the HD Diamond. There is a solution though if you're faced with this dilemma. I checked and found DivX conversion software ([...]) and downloaded the trial version and converted my unplayable mp4 file to a DivX file which played with no problems on my TV using the HD Diamond Media Wonder. This software costs about $10 so it's an added cost if you have a Mac. I have no idea if Windows-produced mp4s are OK or whether similar problems would be encountered on other media player products but if playing mp4s is what you're after, before you spend your hard-earned dollars you might want to check to see if your files are compatible. Diamond HD Media Wonder Mini Media Player

This product does what it says. For the size and the price - a good buy. Able to play recognized formats straight off external hard drive, or flash drives. Does not play MP4, most of my stuff .avi, so not a real issue. Only problem I can see is if you loose or break the remote the device is useless. Take good care of the remote.

Like the the title says the Diamond Multimedia Mini Wonder MP700 Player

Works Great and at the price (I ordered at the $32.99 price and also got the

$20 mail-in rebate bringing the price down to a whopping $12.99 incl. shipping)

how could anyone complain - as the other reviewers stated 'it mostly does what is stated that it's capable of... That is it plays many formats streamed to ANY television. I could see how this would be a nice feature for older flat panel wide-screen TV's but It seems many of the newer LED Flat panel TV's have this technology built in - they come with USB and Memory Card slots to allow playing of data files.

Where this little unit really shines is for use with old-school analog tube TV's.

With only an RCA plug for L/R and Video I'm able to watch (with very nice quality I might add) all the content on my little 500GB WD Passport portable USB drive (no additional power supply needed - the Mini Wonder provides all the power needed to run your external USB drive). It also allows for plugging in your memory card at the same time and switching between the two via the remote. It brings photos up in thumbnail format for your choice of viewing and also offers slideshow ability with customizable

transitions and you can even have it play your choice of music (off the same drive/card) in the background while the slide show runs.



Format recognition is not very diverse but enough are recognized to make the unit more than useful. Another user mentioned using a DivX converter and that will come in very handy for the 10 out of about 100 movies I have on my external USB drive.

That's right only 10 out of 100 of my titles wouldn't play without conversion.

That's a decent enough ratio to make the Mini Wonder well worth the money.

If you get the Diamond Mini Wonder MP700 Multimedia Player expect to have a little learning curve about media formats. Not all AVI, MP4, MPEG etc. files are created the same. The unit DOES play all the formats mentioned but not every type of those formats.

As long as you plan on needing to convert some things and that most stuff will play fine this product should more than meet your expectations.

I also wanted to touch on the size and portability that many mention is important to them. Yes the unit is half the size of an iPhone; and yes it is extremely portable, perfect for carrying around with you. BUT, unfortunately the small size is somewhat negated by the fact that you must have the power adapter, TV patchcord and remote along with the unit for everything to work. So yes it very portable all things considered, but it's not like all you have to carry around is the little 2.5" x 2.5"

player.

At the current $32.99 price the Diamond Multimedia player is a good value, if you can find it for less it makes it a GREAT value! Buy one NOW!



Edit Addition:

Forgot to mention a few things which I find important features of the Mini Wonder.

The player recognizes and will 'play' (bring up on screen) plain text (.txt) files - great for lists, descriptions, reminders etc.

One of the major assets when using the Mini Wonder is having the ability to copy and/or delete files directly. You can choose single or multiple files (in the same directory) to delete or copy to the same device or the other device. So if you have

a new movie on a memory card and you have an external USB drive connected you can copy between the two. Copy and delete operations are pretty fast -almost instant (though I would think the class/speed of a given memory card has something to do with that speed).

Especially handy when you have a large drive that needs 'weeding' - you can just sit back on the couch and using the Mini Wonder remote, go through the drive to delete

what you no longer need/want. Also handy to delete the movie you just watched but don't intend to keep/archive.

All-in-all I'm liking the Diamond MP700 Mini Wonder Multimedia player more and more the more I use it.

I can't say much in regard to the long term durability and reliability of the unit since I've only had it about a week - seems fairly sturdy but I could imagine frying the thing if it is left powered-on 24/7.'


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