D-Link DIR-855 Dual Band Router: Wireless Networking has an evil twin.

D-Link DIR-855 Dual Band Router: Wireless Networking has an evil twin.

For as long as I can recall, I have dreamed of a day when with the touch of a button (or a mouse in this case) I could call up my vast collection of videos stored on a server in one part of my house and magically it would appear on my television in another part of my house, all without wires. And that dream did not require a second mortgage and a degree from Harvard to operate the system. Well it is only until recently that the dream has inched closer to reality with the release of Windows Media Center and some serious networking power to carry the transmission.
I am referring to the much anticipated draft N spec routers that are just starting to hit the market. They offer the capability to link a variety of sources and bridge the information super highway to every corner of our house, all without completely breaking the bank. Now before I get ahead of myself, certainly there are many that will argue the science behind these new routers and claim they are not feature complete or future proof for that matter because the N specification has yet to be fully ratified. That isn’t scheduled to happen until sometime in 2009, but I say why not enjoy some of the fun now.

The D-link DIR-855 was only released a few weeks ago, but for months has been one of the most anticipated routers since its announcement in early 2007. Featuring both 2.4ghz and 5.0ghz operation, the DIR-855 allows you to connect all of your wireless and wired sources into a hub that promises blazing speeds along the way. And while my test confirm that claim to a certain degree, keep in mind some maturity of these products is indeed still forthcoming to back up all of their claims.

The DIR-855 is designed to operate on both bands seamlessly and at at the same time, allowing you to plug in just about any device all the way back to 11a. With the 2.4ghz band, you can attach your wireless printers, NAS storage and just about any wireless device you can think of or is not N spec rated. The 5.0ghz band can be reserved for wireless HD streaming of movies or any large file size where maximum bandwidth is required.

The benefit to the dual band is that with the 5.0ghz channels,you are less likely to find interference from household items such as cordless phones and other appliances that operate in the 2.4ghz band. The DIR-855 setup couldn’t be any more simpler and is almost plug and play. The only exception is configuring your wireless security, something everyone should do and surprisingly most don’t. I would suggest setting up the router in a WPA encryption so that you get a great layer of defense and in most cases, the lowest hit on your speed. WPA also prevents your neighbor from likely cracking your network and enjoying some free bandwidth that your expense.

Once you have set up your security settings, you can continue to add additional devices by simply searching for your SSID. If you arent familiar with what an SSID is, its like your ID card for your router that identifies which network you want to connect to. The security setting prevent others who can see your network from connecting to it. Hackers know that in many cases, most people never change the SSID, and just as often, never add a password to prevent access from the router. Without a password, someone within range of your router could go into your system, gain access to your network and perhaps do something you might not like. I would suggest changing it to something different and while you are at
it, change your router password to add an extra layer of defense.

To stream movies over the network, I needed a wireless media bridge to enable sound and video in my main viewing room.

I purchased another great D-Link product, the DAP-1555 which acts as a wireless media bridge. I will be reviewing this unit in another column, but have found it to be the perfect companion to the DIR-855. With these two units combined, I can have a full 5.0ghz network that provides for optimal streaming, especially with Windows Media Center. Operating at this frequency, I have not encountered a single stutter while streaming dvds from my Media Center while using the DIR-855 combined with the DAP-855. Setting up the media bridge was just as easy as the router and within minutes, they were in sync with each other, ready to stream to my hearts content.

In terms of real life conditions, the router performed daily tasks such as surfing the internet and downloads without breaking a sweat. In some cases though, when I was operating using the 2.4ghz band, I did find the occasional interference and slower speeds when other 2.4ghz devices were in use. Switching to a different channel, in this case 11 usually helped remedy the situation. The 5.0ghz band suffers less from any source of interference but is sometimes picky about the placement of the router. In my case, I have it in my back office on the second floor of my house and in almost every area still get about 90 to 95% signal coverage. The narrow band may need some experimenting on placement if you have a lot of walls between you and your router.

Certainly the cost factor of this router for some is going to be the big turn off because they don’t come cheap. At an average price of $300, the D-link DIR-855 is for some, just too expensive to justify. However, if you have been wanting the ability to streamto multiple sources, anywhere through your house, the DIR-855 just might be the purchase for you. Certainly prices will come down over time as the technology advances and demand increases but for now, I certainly enjoy knowing that I am probably the only one in my neighborhood playing in the uncluttered world of a 5.0ghz.

Pioneer Kuro 6010FD & Peerless PLA60 Articulation Mount Review: Finally a reason to never leave the house again.

Pioneer Kuro 6010FD & Peerless PLA60 Articulation Mount Review: Finally a reason to never leave the house again.

Remember the early days of the Sony Wega Trinitron televisions? Sure you do, they were beastly and nearly broke your back and bank account but oh the resolution, color and deep blacks. The Sony Wega representedan evolution of television in which many say was the last time true blacks were ever produced by with such detail and definition. Fast forward to 2008 and the evolution of plasma and LCD and the growing mass marketpenetration of both technologies. Even with the growing popularity of either technology, they are still comparedby many to the old CRT when referring to black levels and proper gray scale and in some cases, the lack of it.

Well I am happy to say that there’s a new sheriff in town….. well at least one in training to take over where the CRT left off.

I recently had the pleasure of having the Pioneer Kuro 6010FD installed in my along with a Peerless articulation mount. The Kuro and mount were installed just in time for the Superbowl and certainly would be a showcase to see the Patriots make history….. Well at least the Kuro performed as expected.

First, lets focus on the Peerless mount that is available in black and silver and accommodates up to a 60 inch flat panel. Installation couldn’t be more easier if you tried and while I always suggest professional installation, anyone handy with tools and the proper equipment can tackle this install. The mount allows you to bring the panel out almost 32 inches from the wall, 180 degree pivot, +10/-5 tilt and retracts to 5 inches from the wall. If you thought an articulating mount was a waste of time I assure you the cool factor will stay with you (and your friends) for years to come. In fact, the “skybox” ,which is what my friends named the TV viewing area where the Kuro and Peerlesswere installed made the disappointing lossby the Patriots seem a little more palpable.

Now onto the star of the show, the Kuro, which means black in Japanese. There have been a number of reviews on the net about this panel so I wont retrace much of what they have said. Instead, I will focus on the principal selling point to this panel which is how much a difference in contract and black levels are apparent in all programming.

The first indicator that this panel is special is when it’s on but with no picture as they screen is almost completely black. Try that with any other panel and you are likely to see more of gray screen or as I like to call it “light black” With any source on this flat panel, it wont take you long to start seeing a significant difference in how your viewing habits change. You will start to search out the darkest scenes possible and go where many panels fear. While I wouldn’t say inky blacks are quite within the realm of this panel, they are pretty close and I can imagine with time, Pioneer will inch closer to that holy grail of CRT like blacks. An offshoot of these tremendous panels is how much more of the “HD” pop comes back that maybe some of us who havebeen spoiled by HD in the last few years have been missing.

Now I must profess that this panel isn’t without some drawbacks which comes mostly when you are viewing in daytime environments. I would suspect though that most owners will be deep in their cave, remote in hand and searching out for the crease in