5. Mobile Audio And Video Media Anywhere, Anytime, Continued

Using the "Media Stream ", "Media Control " and "Media Copy " modes on the other hand does require an active WLAN and a PC with WindowsXP and installation of Mobile Media for PC/Nevo Media Server and Player.

User interface of the Nevo Media Server

However, wireless streaming media from a PC to the iPAQ, playback and control of digital media on PCs and transmitting digital media from a PC to the iPAQ are subject to considerable limitations. For example, the software does not support streaming MP3 files.

No MP3 file streaming

The iPAQ Mobile Media can handle other copy-protected and legally-obtained audio files as well, regardless of format. To play these back on the iPAQ via Windows Media Player you first have to bother with copying them onto the PDA via the docking station. Then they are ready to be played back, but only with the mobile version of Windows Media Player. Problems arise even when streaming formats that are supported according to the user manual. When playing back a WMV file encoded especially for this test with Windows Media Encoder, the audio track could not be heard. Playing back the same video on the other hand worked with no problem on the Windows Mobile Media Player.

All in all, the interaction of the Nevo Media Server with the iPAQ client turned out to be a very unstable affair in the test, so as to in no way earn the description of "consumer friendly". The number of formats supported by the software earned our overall rating of "poor". These functions are badly in need of an upgrade.