DMS-701 Media Server First Impressions

I received an email on 2/1/06 saying that construction on the review unit was commencing and another on 2/16/06 saying that it had shipped. It arrived on 2/20/06. When they asked, my only requirement was for wireless networking capability. According to 2partsfusion, the system was pre-configured with the standard build components and included the new HDA X-plosion card 7.1 with DTS connect and Dolby Digital Live, as well as a wireless card, but eliminated the HDTV card as there were only so many available PCI slots on the motherboard for my unit. Other motherboards offered by 2partsfusion have more slots. Mine was configured such because of the passive cooling capability of the unit.

The box that showed up at my doorstep was much larger than I had expected, though it was light for its size. Once I got it open, I quickly saw why - a sea of pink packing peanuts. Luckily my son was asleep and didn't have a chance to get into them before I hid the box away. Still, I was finding them in the oddest places for days afterward.

Build Quality and Fit and Finish

Fishing the unit out of the box, I was at first a little disappointed. It was the shape and size of a desktop computer tipped on its side. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; it is a Home Theater PC after all. Once I unwrapped it from the protective layer of bubble wrap and got a better look at it, I felt a little better about the aesthetics. The case was a black brushed aluminum and felt sturdy. While it is large, it is no bigger than my receiver (though the Denon AVR-3805 is quite big) meaning that if you have room for your receiver, you probably won't have to buy another piece of furniture for this thing.

The "power" button has a blue halo around it and a small LCD screen to the right. The blue halo is very bright and has no dimmer. The DVD tray is just as flimsy and breakable as any you'd find on a computer (meaning very). Four chromed round feet add just the touch of elegance it needed. Once it was set on the rack, it looked a lot less like a tipped over computer and much more like a piece of audio equipment. The edges are a little sharp and the entire thing could use an angle other than 90 degrees somewhere, in my opinion. The top removes with five small screws and doesn't fit as seamlessly as I'd like but is good for access if you ever need to add/remove hardware. Given the upgradeable nature of such a device, this is a concession I'm willing to make. My suggestion; put it on the bottom shelf of your rack and it'll disappear.