Is there something in the air? Maybe in the water? It seems that so many companies that once focused on other areas, like memory and motherboards, have suddenly acquired a taste for consumer electronics and they’re all gravitating toward the appeal of HD media players.
I’m not talking about iPod competitors. Instead, it seems that one of the fastest growing segments is the media player that connects to your home theater and HDTV. The Apple TV doesn’t have this market cornered anymore, because we’re taking a look at the Seagate FreeAgent Theater +, the latest in the recent onslaught of media players. The box may look familiar, but the innards just might whet your appetite again.
Features at a Glance
If you think you’re experiencing a case of deja vu, you might be thinking about the original Seagate FreeAgent Theater that came out earlier this year. I guess the team at Seagate read my review, because they’ve worked on some of the improvements I suggested. So, what makes up the “plus” in the Seagate FreeAgent Theater + HD Media Player?
The aesthetics are much the same with a similar glossy black surface and slim profile, but the hardware buttons on the top have been removed. The model here is the STCEA201-RK and it comes on its lonesome, but you can opt for the ST905004CEA2E1-RK to get an included 500GB FreeAgent Go.
There are three major “pluses” to warrant the new name. There’s an HDMI port for full HD output, an Ethernet port for network possibilities, and a digital optical audio port for surround sound. You also get better file support and a refreshed user interface.
What’s in the Box?
Even though this particular configuration does not come with any storage of its own, you can easily supply it on your own using any number of different USB flash drives and hard drives. There is also the slot to accept a Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drive, not to mention the LAN port in the back to access content on your network.
Looking inside the box for the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player, we find the device itself, along with the supporting documentation, a set of component cables, an RJ45 Ethernet cable, composite A/V cable, a wall adapter, remote control, and AAA batteries for the remote.
You could certainly use the provided component cables with this, but if you’ve got something like a massive Samsung 52-inch LCD HDTV, you’ll need to bring two cables of your own: HDMI and optical audio. Aside from that, you should be good to go.
Control the Action
The remote has been heavily redesigned from the previous outing. It’s certainly a lot more colorful than the original, but I think the layout is more intuitive than before. Being able to hit the play/pause, rewind, and fast forward buttons without looking is easier, thanks to a “five-way navigator” style orientation.
I can’t say for certain whether this was on purpose, but there’s something about the new Seagate FreeAgent Theater + remote that reminds me of remote controls for entry-level Samsung LCD TVs. No real complaints on this front.
Get Going with Seagate FreeAgent Go (or USB)
As mentioned earlier, this particular version of the FreeAgent Theater+ did not come with any storage of its own, but there is a more expensive variant that packs in a 500GB external hard drive. I happened to still have the 250GB FreeAgent Go from the original FreeAgent Theater, so I gave that a whirl.
Whereas the previous model left the hard drive dock exposed when not in use, this version comes with a couple of plastic flaps that can be removed and replaced as needed. This helps with maintaining a cleaner overall appearance. The reason why it’s in two pieces is that the back plate can be reattached while the FreeAgent Go is docked. The eject button has also been ditched; you just pull the drive out now.
It’s better, if for aesthetics alone, to use a FreeAgent Go with this device, but there is a USB port in the front for any external storage as well. Feel free to use any flash drive or portable hard drive that you’d like.
Alternatively, the LAN port in the back can connect to your home network. There is no Wi-Fi here, but Seagate says that you can connect a USB Wi-Fi adapter to the port in the back for that functionality. I didn’t have a chance to test this out, so I’ll have to take their word for it.
Check Out the Audio, Video, and Networking Options
Flipping around to the back, you’ll notice that Seagate has made some significant changes to the connectivity options on the “Plus” version of the FreeAgent Theater compared to the original. The component video is still there, but you’ll notice that the composite (yellow) video and S-Video jacks are gone. In their place is HDMI. I’d say that’s a good trade.
Interestingly, the RCA (red/white) audio jacks are gone too. Instead, there is a new “AV-out” port that accepts a special cable with composite video (replacing the old dedicated port) and RCA audio on the other end. It’s more efficient, sure, but it means you can’t use a regular RCA audio cable here.
The coaxial audio has been replaced with optical audio, which is also a good trade. The aforementioned LAN port is back here too (just like the Asus O! Play HDP-R1), as is the second USB port. I’m thinking most users will prefer the HDMI and optical audio, but the lack of regular red/white jacks for stereo audio is a bit of a downer.
User Interface Keeps It Clean
There’s something to be said about the simple and minimalist approach to aesthetics. Some people prefer it when companies clear out all the unnecessary clutter, only showing us the things that we really need. For those people, the main menu on the FreeAgent Theater+ is perfect.
Turning it on, you’ll be shown just five basic icons in a simple horizontal row. These give you access to movies, pictures, music, Internet, and devices. The blue-and-white design scheme is easy on the eyes, but I found it to be too lacking in style for my tastes. Your preferences may vary, of course.
Where do you access the configuration settings? Those are “hidden” away in a top-mounted menu that you can access by hitting the menu button on the remote. This may not be immediately intuitive for people who aren’t quite as tech-savvy, so there may be some issues with user friendliness here.
Going Online for Flickr, Picasa, and More
Since the FreeAgent Theater + Media Player can connect to your home network, Seagate figured that it’d grant you access to the Internet too. Unfortunately, this functionality is a little crippled. You won’t be streaming anything from YouTube or Vimeo through this. Instead, you are restricted to Picasa, Weather, Finance, and Flickr.
Even then, the Flickr functionality is quite restricting too. You can search for photos by keyword and navigate through 50 flipping pages of images, but it doesn’t seem like you can access a specific user’s photostream directly. That’s too bad. This online element could have been a huge plus (no pun intended).
I Can’t See the Sounds
The good news? You can use the provided remote control to adjust the volume without having to reach for the remote to your home audio system or your television.
The bad news? The on-screen display for showing your current volume level is far from clear. The white (empty) bars are filled with very pale blue bars (full) as you increase the volume, but the difference between the light blue and white is anything but obvious. A simple palette or contrast change would work wonders here.
Music and Movie Experiences
Remember how I said you access the configuration settings on the main menu from a drop-down interface from the top of the screen? The same thing happens when you are inside the music or video player.
The main user interface inside the “Music” mode will only show you the titles of the individual songs with no obvious way to organize or sort the tracks. However, the drop-down menu reveals the ability to show albums, artists, and other ID3 tag-based information. It’s not perfect, but it certainly is useful.
The organization of the video files while in the “Movies” mode is much the same, giving you the option to sort through the videos in the form of thumbnails or as a list of names.
While watching one of your video files, you can access a similar menu for switching the subtitles or audio track, as well as other functions. It is also very notable that Seagate has made quantum leaps and bounds in the right direction in terms of format and codec support.
Many of the video files that would not play on the Western Digital WDTV are perfectly happy on the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player. This includes MKV files that I tested, as well as certain AVI files that the Xbox 360 Media Player refused to recognize.
Closing Thoughts
There’s no denying that Seagate was certainly paying attention to the feedback it received from the community regarding its first HD media player. With the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player, you really get quite the “plus” on several fronts.
The format support is drastically improved. Connectivity options now include Ethernet, HDMI, and optical audio. The simple removal of the eject button for the FreeAgent Go makes for a cleaner overall look. These are all good things.
At the same time, there is still a lot of room for improvement. I don’t expect to be wowed by the look of the menu, but it’s too bland for my tastes. The Internet options are lacking at best and it would have been really nice to see some YouTube support or, at the very least, a better Flickr integration. The overall performance, navigating through menus and such, was slower than expected too.
The FreeAgent Theater + is good, but it’s not quite great.
Pros
- Support for a wide range of video formats
- Network access via LAN or USB Wi-Fi adapter
- Great integration with FreeAgent Go
- HDMI and optical audio
Cons
- Menu interface is a little too minimalist
- Slow performance when first reading USB drives
- Internet features are underwhelming
- Slightly more expensive than equivalent competitors
Overall Rating: 8.0/10.0
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Seagate FreeAgent Theater + Media Player – Photo Gallery
