Pros: Sets up like a breeze! Good menus, picks up USB devices fast! Looks nice too!
Mine is connected via ethernet cable (cat5) and it's quick!

Cons: I wish you could use a USB keyboard and could enter internet sites that are currently NOT available to the Theater+. Like maybe go to facebook and watch your videos....

Other Thoughts: Dont get hosed into the FreeAgent Theater (STCEA101-RK) as it does NOT support HDMI. Spend the extra $50 or so and get the STCEA201-RK or the ST905004CEA2E1-RK with 500 GB drive included. I got the 201 with no drive because recently Seagates 2.5" drives are not getting good reviews due to a head banging issue. I bought an empty GoDrive box and purchased a WD 7200RPM 500GB drive to put inside it as it seems they are most reliable right now.

Anyway you go, this unit is fantastic! It beats the hell outta fighting the laptop and Vista to connect to the TV to watch video files, play MP3's or view your pictures. Which, BTW, you can view WHILE you play an MP3!

Read the reviews it got on CNET reviews. The only thing that came close to it was the unit Apple makes and I didn't buy that because, as usual, Apple only plays Apple sauce! I mean the files have to be Apple i-compatable. Doesnt it suck to own an iPod and be stuck using Apple's ITunes! I don't want an i-anything in my life

Pros: I love this thing. I've Been looking for a media center extender in my price range for over a year now, and this thing blows them out of the water at a fraction of the price.

This plays anything you throw at it and will remember your place in a movie when you press STOP. I went back to finish watching a movie I had to stop and it went right back to where I was, even after watching something else in the meantime.

Cons: You cannot directly copy files from your PC to the external hard drive attached to the media player over the network connection.
Not a con, but to use the first three menu options you need a hard drive attached directly to the media player.
Also this player runs a little on the warm side both with and without a HD attached so I would not place this unit in a closed cabinet.


Rebuttle:

-Cannot delete file: The theator+ runs on linux and does a raw read on the entire HD to find files, so any files located in the hidden recycle bin folder will also be visible and still play. Right click the file you want to delete, hold SHIFT and press DELETE, and it's gone for good.

Other Thoughts: -no files shown: Press menu and change the type of files shown to "All Media". This is a global setting.

-Firmware updates: enter "FreeAgent Theater+ Firmware Update" into the SEARCH BOX and it's the first link found in results.
Firmware updates are an easy way to BRICK any electronic device, so I understand why they preffer you to use the automatic update feature, but I also don't trust an update untill it's been deployed for a couple weeks and there are no serious issues found with it.

-Finding an mp3: From main menu choose MUSIC. Now press the MENU button on the remote. you will see a dropdown box with these options... SEARCH ,SHOW ALL SONGS, SHOW ALBUMS,SHOW ARTISTS, SHOW GENRES,ect... Choose whatever works best for you.

-Media Servers: Open Windows Media Player and click on "LIBRARY", choose media sharing, Approve the Media player which will appear as "Unknown Device" and your set. All files in your WMP Library will play on the Theator+.

No, I do not work for Seagate.

Pros: I bought this at best buy for the same price listed here. I was skeptical at first, fearing it would not play some of my move formats. But so far it has played everything I have thrown at it aside from a strange AVI my computer wouldent even play. Im using it with HDMI and the picture looks great. My MKV's in 720P and 1080P play with out flaw. Even standard quality movies look and sound great. Im not positive but it appears to upscale the resolution. This is a great solution for those thinking of getting and HTPC, saves money and space.

Cons: There are some cons but still worthy of 5 eggs. 1st the menu screens I do not like. You can not sort your music files by band or anything. If you go directly to music off the menu it just lists every single song, it can be nearly impossible to find your song using that methed with 90 Gigs of music. The easiest way is no navigate directly into the HD and open your music folders that way, once you pick a song it plays then lists all the songs from the album. Also does not seem to have playlist support.

Other Thoughts: Not really a con, but it would be nice to have music visuals like on Windows Media Player or Xbox360.

Pros: I purchased this unit to replace the previous version (Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD Media Player (STCEA101-RK)) that didn't play MKV (high definition) video files.
1. It plays every video file format that I use. It will play a DVD image and most other video formats, including MKV (a ripped version of a Blue Ray disc). The audio and video quality are excellent. I compared a DVD movie using a high-end DVD player, my Blu Ray player and a ripped version of the movie using the Seagate FreeAgent player. The movie looked best on the FreeAgent player. It apparently up-converts the video signal, and does a great job of it. It's like having a Blu Ray/DVD player without the delays.
2. My video source is a DLP projector displaying on a 92-inch screen. The long length of my video cables (75 feet) requires me to use component video cables, not HDMI. This unit can output video in both component and HDMI formats, and is the major reason for buying the Seagate versus the Western Digital equivalent.

Cons: 1. The previous version only displayed 6 items on the screen and it was somewhat difficult to find things with a large number of files. I have a 1.5 TB external drive to hold my movies. The old version DID, however, allow me to keep multiple files within a folder, which was handy for a TV series. This newer model displays a whole lot more on the screen--every file on the hard drive--10 at a time. My TV series files (located inside folders) appear at the end of the list (folders do not display). I have over 300 files on the drive and most of them are TV series, so the interface is somewhat of a challenge. The unit plays one file after another, so a series with 10 episodes will play all 10 episodes in the order of their alpha-numeric file name. If you have hundreds of music albums, you won't like this interface--no way to type the first letter of the title to quickly seek to it. Better to put them into alphabetic folders: A, B, C, etc...

2. NO S/PDIF coaxial output.

Other Thoughts: Immediately after installation, I connected to the Internet to download the latest (26MB) firmware update. The unit did everything on its own and the process took about 15 minutes.

All cables except HDMI and optical audio are included.

Connecting to my home network was simple, once I figured out how to find the on-screen keyboard (you have to hit the remote's OK button at the Network log on screen for it to appear). I was able to play music from my network while scrolling through my pictures on the network.

Wow! This box connects directly to a number of web sites, including your local weather forecast, CNN, Youtube, etc., etc. Even a stock market overview!

It operates similarly to a netbook without the keyboard.

Very cool device for the money!

Developer Recommendations:
1. Add a wireless keyboard.
2. Allow movies to appear in folders like music/pictures do.
3. Allow it to appear as a media server on networks.
4. Expand the Internet interface to use typed input.

Pros: Does everything I need it to. Plays my home DVD's whether they are an ISO file or stored in a folder just as if you were watching the DVD. No hesitatation and no pauses. You'll want to play with the audio settings as the default setting did not produce the best digital audio for my setup which was using the digital optical and not the HDMI. I used the first RAW setting in the audio setup.

Cons: Not a big con but in addition to HDMI only has digital optical audio out and the standard analog audio. If you have an older setup or not enough open inputs the addition of coaxial digital audio may have been nice. For me, if I had to have one or the other I would have kept the optical like they did and it works great. I do wish the menu was a bit more user friendly and would display the drop downs when you select each item.

Other Thoughts: I have this in my basement with no network cable around. I unhooked the wireless gaming adapter from my XBOX360 and plugged it into this just to see if it would work....and to my surprise it not only connected to the internet but also was able to pull media files direcly from my PC upstairs. I didn't have to set up anything to get on my secure network (since likely stored in the adapter). The gaming adapter (TRENDnet TEW-647GA Ethernet Port Wireless Gaming Adapter) I bought from NewEgg too for the 360. I bought that here for $37 in 08/2009 if you are pricing. It would be nice to be able to connect to fox.com etc to watch shows rather than being limited to Youtube and other default locations but hey I was able to search and watch any youtube video out there and connect to shared folder from my network. I am very happy with the unit. Seagate customer service is awesome and extremely responsive!

Pros: Small, light. HDMI output. Decent remote response/signal. Silent. Competitive price.
Streaming video from Internet (YouTube) works quite well, that is no skipping/freezing during playback!
Built-in 'Video', 'Music', 'Photos' icons find these file types for you from attached storage.
Decent startup time.

Cons: Video file types may be supported but the corresponding audio may NOT (e.g. my Casio digi-cam movies are MOV & play with no sound; USELESS! I convert them manually to MPEG-2).

Slow indexing of files on an external HDD.

Clunky User Interface; visually designed by my neighbor's dog (at best).

Logging onto networked PC folder via router was tricky as it may want a Net User ID and Net Password, but I don't use one! Fixed with support's help. Once fixed, this PC shows as a "media server", but navigating to it this way does NOT list all files when browsing.

Phone support is free for 30 days only.

Poor/buggy firmware (SEE BELOW).

Audio is silent for first and last second of a video file over HDMI (doesn't happen with my Dish or Xbox).

No buttons on device.

Remote sensor angle is terrible.

Other Thoughts: Bad U.I. Design:
* Scrolling through files will suddenly auto-"jump" several pages.
* Built-in 'Video', 'Music', 'Photos' folder ignore folder structure causing major file clutter.
* Slow "wipes" from one photo to the next; wipe speed/type cannot be changed.

Poor Firmware:
* Recent upgrade "broke" my Weather icons (they're now HUGE and I can't see where I'm navigating).
* Froze when loading up thumbnails (I suggest using LIST mode to view files).

Pros: Plays nearly every format of video and audio available. Automatically upscales video up to 1080p. Can play media from USB, network (Windows and Linux), Streaming (DLNA, Media Center Streaming, etc.), from a docked seagate free go USB HDD, and accesses Youtube, Flickr. Can auto sync media (handy for parents or non-technologically inclined). Interface is intuitive and simple to use. Plugs in using Composite, Component, HDMI, Digital Optical , and/or RCA. Can play a DVD in .iso format. Works with Logitech Harmony Remote.

Cons: Does not fully support .as*/.ssa subtitles (see other thoughts for explanation and workarounds). Does not read default track data from .mkv video files so you may have to select which audio, subtitile stream after starting playback. Does not play .mkv videos that use linked chapters or files properly. Does not sort or allow sorting by file name for networked videos (tested using Linux shares via Samba). Not fun searching for an episode in a folder with 334+ episodes with out at least a file name sort. Perhaps they will add this feature in a future firmware update. Sometimes the remote command pressed is not executed instantly. Be patient it takes a bit do a few things when watching HD Videos.

Other Thoughts: This is gift to my 50+ yr old mother so she can watch movies, listen to music, etc without having to put in a disk or CD. The menu is simple enough that I didn't even have to explain any feature to her before she started using it. Notes on Subtitles from cons: When playing a file with .as*/.ssa subtitles it attepmts to convert to .srt form. You will lose styling, placement, drawing, and having 2 different lines appear at the same time. As a workaround use the streaming function of a program such as TVersity, Windows Media Center, or Windows Home Server. As a note tho reencoding 1080p .mkv files on the fly generally requires a quad core.

Overall despite a few select formats it will not play it is an excellent easy to use media player for a living room that will meet the needs of most users. Although my list of cons is relatively long thing only big quirk I have with it is the inability to sort media over network. The other cons will nopt affect a majority of users.

Pros: All the supported file types, the ability to stream large high def videos without stutter, the continued support from Seagate (you get all the firmware upgrades of their new GoFlex TV,) and many more.

Cons: No HD in youtube, netflix, and many others

Other Thoughts: If you get the Playon software you can stream Hulu, CBS, CNN, and many others with plugins.

Pros: You can read all the positive things about this unit in other reviews so I won't repeat them here. Just know that before purchasing I checked out the products from Asus, WD, and other companies and this seem the be the most problem free.

Cons: The remote control will stop working when the unit with the attached Passport drive gets hot after running for about an hour. Most people choose to replace the ugly and low quality remote with something else or program the remote function on their other A/V units. If you plan to do this, then this is a non-issue.

Other Thoughts: I uploaded graphics (from Netflix, etc.) to use as thumbnails for all the DVD ISO files that I have on the hard drive. I had some problems with some of the thumbnails not displaying but after I deleted the .Theater directory everything was okay.

Pros: Gets you access to an amazing variety of web content, and much more if you subscribe to a provider such as playon.

Cons: The menus and operation are a tad buggy, but Seagate provides auto updates frequently so I expect things will smooth out over time.

Other Thoughts: I'd give the unit and Seagtes ongoing support (updates) a 5 star, but lowered it to a 4 star because this kind of technology is still kinda new and definitely still evolving, but coming along nicely. As long as you understand the limitations of streaming this way, and don't expect it to be as bullet proof as your dvd player, you will be happy.

Pros: Works great using ethernet connection. Plays everything you can throw at it

Cons: Firmware updates can be flaky - be sure to disable the "automatic update" feature and control the updates manually. Remote is weak, needs to be pointed directly at reciever to work. Menu not oriented around accessing files via network connection

Other Thoughts: Just added 3rd party PlayOn software to my computer to stream Hulu/Netflix/South Park/etc directly to tv through the media player - best investment ever!

Pros: This unit never freezes. It will fast forward and reverse at 32 with no problems. It play what it says it plays. It also has the DVD menu for the backup DVD. I have bought several types of these players this one is at the top of the list. The video quality is up there too.

Cons: The menu is useless if you are access your media via shared drives on your PC or network. You have to navigate directly to your folders. It will not play anything via symbolic links. But the video quality and stability out way this con.

Other Thoughts: Aviod WD Live. Things is slow and locks up. You have to unplug it to release its' cache

Pros: I had previously purchased a CIRAGO CMC1100. It did not work properly. You could not play ISO without reformatting the Hard Drive and NTFS disable almost all file tranfer features. And the remote control range was horrible. See Mediafan review under CMC1100.

I am really Happy with this product. There are not a lot of bells and whistles with this product but it works flawlessly. I can play ISO files and navigate to the DVD Menu easily. This was not possible with the Cirago.I have it hooked up to a SDTV. Can not comment on HDTV quality. I did play a Blu-ray ISO and it down converted to 480i for my TV!!! It looked great. I like the hard drive docking feature right on the Unit. I also have a 1TB hook up to the USB port in back . Make sure to keep up on Firmware Updates, there was one recently released. I thought it ran better with the latest ver.

I have not tried the networking feature yet so I can not comment on that.

Cons: The only minor problems is documentation is not very detailed,especially in the networking section and also you will have to purchase the wireless adapter separately if you decide on wireless. I can only find the adapter at the Seagate Site. The remote is problably not as good as your TV or DVD player but it works above average and without frustration.

Other Thoughts: Keep in mind this is a fairly simple, yet flexible media player. If you are deciding between a Cirago Unit or a Seagate FAT+ you will not go wrong choosing this unit.

Pros: It does everything it says it does and does it nicely. The full HDMI, DVD ISO menu, and a decent GUI makes it a winner for me. I've attached as many as 4 USB's with ISO's on them. I use a USB hub and had no issues. It loads fast, and navigates easily.

Cons: I used the docking station for a Seagate drive. It hooked up very easily, however I noticed the drive got warm in usage.

Other Thoughts: I'm happy. This is a vast improvement in these toys at the under 150 price point. I'll get another when I catch another sale.

Pros: Great player, plays every file type I have and many others I don't. Plays all my DVD iso's off the network flawlessly, not tom mention 1080p mkv's as well.

Cons: None.

Other Thoughts: If this had a way to connect to my network TV tuner I wouldn't need a computer at all.

Pros: Plays just about any file format.
Setup is extremely easy.
Netflix streaming works perfectly.
Inexpensive.
Supports HFS+ drives.

Cons: The UI is clunky.
The remote could be more responsive.
No Hulu yet.

Other Thoughts: I had fairly low expectations when I bought this unit, because network media players all still seem to need some work, regardless of brand or price. Happily, it's vastly exceeded my expectations. It literally took less than ten minutes to set up, and it plays every file format I've tried, with no problems whatsoever. I'm using it with a powerline ethernet connection, and Netflix streaming has been seamless, with no hiccups or delays. The UI could be much better, and the remote isn't great, though I have fewer complaints about it than some reviewers. But for me, those are minor concerns, outweighed by the ease of use and convenience of the unit. At this price, I'm thinking about getting a second one for our other TV.

Pros: -Gives you full control over all media on the added hard drive and/or your home network, -Works with all media formats that I've thrown at it, -Best price I've seen for this type of device, -Offers a variety of connection methods to ensure compatibility with your home theater system, -If you're familiar with similar devices (I've got a competing model), then the learning curve won't be too steep, although the control scheme is a little bit different, -Device is in the Logitech database, so if you have one of their universal controllers, then setup is a breeze, with only a couple of tweaks needed to customize it to your personal taste, -Once you get used to it, the menu system is actually superior to the other media player I own, -Internet streaming ability from a variety of sources (Netflix, YouTube, etc.).

Cons: -As far as I can tell, it does not allow you to delete or rename files that it accesses. While many may not care about this feature, I found it quite handy on my other media player.
- I haven't been able to find a way to modify the skip function of this player, meaning that a skip forward is 20 minutes. I prefer something a bit shorter, like 1 minute, for it to be a useful feature for me. Other models allow you to modify the skip amount from 20 down to 1 minute in logical increments
- Doesn't rewind very well (unless you skip back a full 20 minutes, that function works fine)

Other Thoughts: While I think I was thorough in my assessment of the various options available to me, it's possible that I missed the settings for the two cons I mentioned. However, I'm fairly certain I didn't. These are minor annoyances, however, and in no way detract anything close to an egg for their omission. The price point alone is a huge incentive (at least it was when I bought it), and when you factor in the ability to browse directories with all media formats being visible, it adds a level of ease that is reflective of your ability to organize your home server's media logically. There is no reason to hesitate if you're looking for an effective way to access all of your networked media.
Note: You should NOT use the media server option to access your networked media. This interface is UPnP and is not nearly as functional or fast as actually logging the device onto your network and saving it to your shortcuts. You will find everything speeds up if you actually log in and navigate folders.

Pros: plug and play setup with flash/external drive, plays iso images and TS video folders, Netflix, cheaper than the competition

Cons: didn't recognize my netgear USB wireless access point, narrow field of view for the remote to work (has to be nearly same level and almost directly in front of receiver)

Other Thoughts: I bought this mainly to watch Netflix and downloaded/ripped movies on my living room TV. It works great for that, but i did have to run an ehternet cable to it. I've read that other wireless APs have worked; check out the Seagate forums.

Thinking about buying one for the bedroom, also.

Pros: After owning this for 6 months, I can give a in depth review of this product. Initially, it seems to be a wounderous product with many features and a great alternative to an HTPC. It plays every single video format I have ever thrown at it with out issue. It has 1080P and HDMI support. Has VTuner (Internet Radio) with countless stations, browse Youtube, even stream Netflix and it comes with a free trial when you go to set it up.

Cons: First off, the remote it comes with is awful. Does not work half the time, at all. I programmed a universal remote to it and even that has issues sometimes. Which leaves me to blame the unit itself. Sometimes I have to unplug it and plug it back in before either remote will work on it. Sometimes I have to push remote buttons several times to get any response.
I use a USB WiFi device in the back, and it seems to slow everything down dramatically. I am able to connect to my home, secure, wireless network, but no PC's will show the device in the network at all, like it is not detectable or something. I can connect to other PC's in my netowrk but it always asks for a username and password to access files. It should not be doing that, I have password protection turned off on my computers, and files shared with everyone in the network. So I blame the Seagate device.
It also seems to read files I have already deleted or moved elsewhere.

Other Thoughts: No USB 3.0 or eSATA.
No cool graphics when music is playing, like in windows media player or Xbox360.
Would be nice if you could browse Hulu.

Overall, I suppose its a decent product. Has its quirks, but I am still pleased with it.
And I imagine streaming Netflix through wireless may not be a good idea for people with a basic setup, especially HD movies.

Pros: You can set the output resolution! I have a rear projection high-definition television, so I am only able to run HD at 1080i. The main competitor, WD TV Live, does not have that option, or at least anywhere I could find in the owner’s manual.

According to the web reviews I looked at, it has one of the best picture qualities out there for media players.

And of course, Netflix's and etc...

Cons: It has an ugly graphical interface, but hopefully I will not be staring at the interface for long. (Side note: I have never understood why people ding products for ugly interfaces. Too many people choose a nice interface over video playback quality.) The video quality is the most important aspect to me, not the interface.

Other Thoughts: For the person saying they are unable to use a 1.5TB+ drive, I am having not problems using my SAMSUNG Story Station 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive HX-DU020EB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152205). Also, I skipped the wireless card option in favor of using my ASUS WL-520gC router (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320026) flashed with dd-wrt (http://www.dd-wrt.com) setup as a wireless bridge (http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Bridge). I used the wireless bridge option, so as to not lose half of my bandwidth, like you do with some other configurations.

Pros: Plays many formats. Network connectivity to my Windows Home Server. HMDI output. Easy to use remote and menus.

Cons: The main Movies, Pictures, and Music icons on the main menu only work with the hard drive and can not be remapped to your network locations, so they are useless to me. So instead you have to dig deep into the menu system to find what you want on the network. But it is there and works when you finally get to it. Having problems reading Windows Media Player playlists. Very odd thing is I setup 4 playlists through WMP, but the Seagate Theater+ only see music in one of them.

Other Thoughts: Seagate if you are listening.... A couple of small changes to the firmware will make a HUGE difference. Simply allow the main icons on the main page to be remapped to any location. That seems like an obvious and simple thing. Also add Windows Media Player playlists.

Pros: Super fast setup. Very easy to use. Went to network with no problems at all. I use wired network with external hard drives. Great sound (hooked to receiver) and picture (using HDMI).

Cons: Minor things that are user preference, none with the unit.

Other Thoughts: SOOO much easier than the media unit I was using before.

Pros: Plays absolutely everything I try. Have not found any compatiblity issues at all. Picture is crisp and clean on my 61" HD. Can use HDMI for picture and sound or optical cable for sound.

Cons: None what so ever.

Other Thoughts: Hooked up to a 61" HD TV and 5.1 surround amp.

Pros: Plays dvd iso images and vob files. Has component video plus HDMI and Optical Out. Just got it but the picture quality has been excellent. Seems to play more formats then other players.

Cons: This is a new product and firmware and user interface needs some help. However it seems to play the files on my tv very well and with great picture and sound quality.

Other Thoughts: Was going to build HTPC to play my dvd collection located on my hard disk. This device plays full dvd quality and I have read that it will do blueray quality as well for about the price of the case i would by for my new computer. Let's hope they open up there firmware to add user enhancements and this product will certainly be a better media extender the xbox 360 as it plays more formats.

Pros: -Plays everything
-Interface somewhat polished
-Hidden setup menu so people with low technical skills will be less confused
-When connected to a network share you can list every file type!!!!!!! Finally a player that gets it... Is it that hard to do?? If I want to separate my music from my movies Ill just put them in a different directory...

Cons: -Gets a bit hot but so does every other media player I own.
-Menu system even though it is a bit better than others still needs a bit more work.
-Simplified setup options means more advanced users might be frustrated by the lack of customisation option.
-Netflix still not offered in Canada

Other Thoughts: This thing is intended to be used by people with low computer skills as it offers a little less configuration option than the competition and practically sets itself up. But it still do what it is supposed to do very well and if you can live with a little less customisation options this is actually a great bargain!. It beats the O!play with a more polished interface and a much lower price tag and for some reason the o!play can't do online firmware upgrade wich is a good thing since it tends to temporary brick itself at every upgrade. However... I still prefer my aging popcorn hour! and none can play my music like my jurassic audiotron (no display needed).

Pros: Easy setup. Network Access. USB device connected full time (I had a WD which needs me to unhook and hook the USB device to get it connected when WD is turned on.) Plays Netflix movies. Attractive pricing when it was on sale few days ago.

Cons: Unit is hot to the touch - may affect long term reliability?
Remote has to point right at the device. (WD remote is much better and does not even need line of sight.)

Other Thoughts: Use networking to stream DVD movies using 802.11g did not produce as good as a result as I hoped. Audio was lost and video stuttered periodically. I used wireless bridge routers and my AP supports a number of devices and several PC's, so I do not think it is the fault of FAT+. I got by with the use of QOS to give FAT+ a premium priority. If other PC's are not actively wirelessly accessing the network or the internet, then the DVD playback from the network is quite acceptable. If you are thinking of accessing network wirelessly to play movies, you may have to use 802.11n AP, but I am not sure if that has the bandwidth and throughput for blu-ray or not. I read some complaints about icons or lack of features under netflix. Comparing to WD and two other netflix devices I have, let me assure you that Seagate is not any worse than similar device. All my devices that play netflix movies, except PCs, all have limited features.

Pros: When all the reviews say "Easy Setup" ... I can confirm it was a very very easy setup. Setup a Username & Password on the computer you'd like to share music and video on, plug the machine into the router, plug it into the TV, and search your network... Done and Done.

The remote is excellent... plenty of remotes these days do not have separate "FF" & "Next" buttons. They're combind into one button and you need to hold the button down to start the FF process, what a pain in the rump!!! This remote has separate buttons for all.

2 USB Ports for External HDD Connection or Thumb Drive connect. I never looked into those Seagate "Go" drives, but this media player has a dock for one.

I tested out H.264, MKV, DivX files, MP3's, JPEG, they all work and stream without stuttering or anything. Plays YouTube, Netflix etc....

Cons: ****It seems to get a little warm. I'm not overly concerned with this, but I do plan to keep it in a ventilated area, and maybe have it propped up on something that will help induce air flow.

****The only other thing I could think of negatively to say was typing for searching on YouTube or typing in your Username and Password was a -Alpha Numeric- keyboard (not qwerty) on screen. Wasn't a big deal to me at all, but some people don't take your reviews seriously if all you do is throw sugary ice cream cones at them.

Other Thoughts: Were you thinking of buying a PS3 to setup your media server? I was... If you can't find a used one for cheap, check this out. Yeah? No BlueRay player.... who cares for now. You'd be better off getting a stand-alone BR player. This was a perfect fit for a living room setup.

...Yes for a Theater Room in your man cave, you may want the PS3 for the addition of the Games & BR-Player, or a PC for Emulators & BR-Player, but for sixty to seventy bucks... this thing is a perfect fit for most any situation, and I'm thinking about buying another one.

Pros: Plays everything I use perfectly, I have it hooked up to an older 1080i tv (only has DVI input, not hdmi) with an adapter and have also tried the composite, both options look great. I have also hooked up the fiberoptic cable to stereo, works great. I have only played this over my network from files on my windows 7 computer.

Cons: very goofy menu system, very hard to figure out how to set up initially, once you get past that, its OK

Other Thoughts: was a pain to figure out how to get it to connect to my computer, was having same problem with another media streamer, too, then I figured out I had to setup a login with password account on my windows machine, even though I had it setup to share folders over network with no passwords and even setup a homegroup,,, and don't be fooled into thinking you have it setup right if Windows Media Player is acting as a server to this unit, picture will be terrible compared to the correct way of having files served instead of media streamed

Pros: - Unit is very small, lightweight, quiet and looks good
- Was easy to set up and configure
- Power on and start up was fast (< 30 sec.), as was initializing the Netflix queue display
- Initial start for playing an HD movie from Netflix was good - About 25 sec. (better than my Sony Blu-ray player)
-There was an improvement in streaming HD content (almost no buffering delays)

Cons: - Visible decrease in video quality of Netflix HD content compared to the Blu-ray player and my XBOX 360
- The user interface is primitive and has very poor resolution (on 50" plasma)
- IR receiver LED blinks every time you use ANY remote for your AV equipment
- The Netflix interface is limited to just viewing your instant queue (no suggested content, or search ability)
- Once playing a movie, the navigation is good with the ability to forward and rewind while viewing still image clips

Other Thoughts: - Works fine with local network shared media but often requires navigating many levels of folders for media content
- Tried out with PlayOn media server on PC but was highly unimpressed - Navigation mainly via simple folder icons - Hulu looked nothing like the nice graphical view provided in their desktop application

Pros: Easy setup, many connection options, and netflix support

Cons: HDMI support is terrible; it's not a cable issue, it's a device issue. Widespread reports of bad HDMI implementation in these devices, and Seagate is doing nothing about it.

Other Thoughts: Being returned in favor of getting another brand that actually fixes problems with core functionality.

Pros: play youtube, netflix...
all movie format until now, nice style, freeagent fit nicely

Cons: take a second to load, other than that it good,
no wireless
no HDMI cable
controller can receive from far range

Other Thoughts: overall i'm satisfy with it, if you need a player that can do all that get this one

Pros: I got the device a few days ago. I am able to quickly hook the device up to Netflix and stream videos.

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: none

Pros: Small, unobtrusive style, easy hook-up, simple to understand menus. It just plain works. Truly plug and play.

Cons: None as of yet.

Other Thoughts: With either my Seagate FreeAgent 1tb or my Maxtor 1.5tb external drives connected it works without a hitch. I've also used various USB thumb drives on the front port with no issues. Plays ALL my mkv, avi, DVD-ISO and my entire music collection.

Pros: Compatible with many video file types.
Netflix support.

Cons: User interface is a bit clunky.

Pros: This media player is awesome. has handled everything i can throw at it so far, including, dvd, 720p, and 1080p content.

Cons: No cons.

Other Thoughts: first one i bought was malfunctioning so i sent it back and second has no issues. newegg even took care of the shipping charges to return it. thanks newegg.

Pros: Video output quality is very good. No tearing on Netflix streaming as often happens on PC-based Netflix.

Netflix streaming in HD does work with current firmware despite comments otherwise. If you don't see the HD icon on a stream, either the title doesn't stream in HD or your network connection isn't fast enough or Netflix is too busy or ??? Try watching the title "Red Cliff" streaming. Beautiful!

Cons: Sluggish remote control response.

YouTube login seems to require entering password every time I try to use that feature. Very annoying without a physical keyboard.

Netflix streaming selection is solely through your Watch Instantly queue. It'd be nice to be able to search for titles (even add them to the queue) via this box rather than editing your queue on a computer first.

Very easy to overshoot the GUI and back out from your Netflix queue only to have to wait for it to reload your queue when you re-enter Netflix.

No Hulu integration (yet? Do it, Seagate!!).

Other Thoughts: AZiO AWU212N usb wireless network adapter just works with this box.

Pros: Ordered on Monday night delivered Wednesday evening standard shipping. Everything else (features) is a given as expected.

Cons: My composite cable has a short in it.
The remote only works when perpendicular to the unit's sensor in my case.
Limited Netflix capabilities (you can only play movies from your instant queue, but more than likely will keep the app lean).

Other Thoughts: After going through 5 DVD players, I got fed up. Repairing DVD players, video encoding, and burning DVDs is a time consuming task. After tons of research I decided on this unit. My initial gripe was no .flv support for HDD media although you can browse Youtube... I have this unit connected to an SDTV for the kids and so far I'm pleased with the set up. I'm streaming their favorite cartoons from a 1TB drive on a WRT600N(stock using the included Twonky Media Server) to the unit plus an old WRT54G(dd-wrt), and it's faster than a P4 running Vista on my LAN=PC off. I was worried about network protocols also but you can save your credentials as shortcuts to keep from using the on screen keyboard to re-log in.

Pros: More options than any other device of this type. Composite (as well as HDMI) vid output for older TV's. 2 USB ports with Wireless coming soon. Plug and play simplicity. Fiber audio out. The HD dock and a separate Wireless device are important as it gives you the ability to get bigger HD's as technology improves (future proof).

Was able to browse my local network (3 different computers) and play several different file types with no problems. Was able to select sub or no sub on Anime as well as different language (audio) tracks on .mkv files.

Connected to Netflix (and all the rest) with zero problems.

Cons: Why limit this device to only 2 USB ports? And why not at least put in the connector for USB 3.0 even of it will only support USB 2.0 (for now)?
I have a external HD that has both eSATA and USB connectors. Obviously I must use the USB connector method when connecting to the FreeAgent, however, my particular unit gets it's power from a 2nd USB connection. With one USB connector on the front and one on the back my cable(s) will not stretch to fit them both. A minor design flaw what would be fixed by having more USB ports (on the front).

Other Thoughts: I am sure the upcoming Wireless device will consume the USB connector on the back of the FreeAgent and I do not have a problem with that. However, that means that 50% of your USB connectivity will be gone if you want wireless.

I would love to see a utility come with the unit that allows file transfer between a computer and a HD that is connected (both Docked and USB connected) rather than having to remove the storage device and hook it up directly to a computer.

Pros: Simply excellent! Plays everything that I put on.
Mine came already with the latest firmware so I have Netflix, Youtube, etc, out of the box.

Cons: The remote is kind of small and weird, but I have a Logitech Harmony so no more problem... :-)

Other Thoughts: Newegg rocks!

Pros: Works great with HD and SD televisions.

Cons: I am using a Rosewill External Enclosure that works with WinXP with 2 TB drives. I've tried it successfully with two of my computers. One XP computer uses the ICH7 southbridge and the other uses an ICH10; both computers recognize my external drive with 2 TBs through the USB ports. It's possible there may be some incompatibility between the Seagate FreeAgent Theater and the IC that Rosewill uses in their external enclosures. Maybe other users can report their experiences with 2 TB drives.

Pros: I use the Seagate player to play shows that I copied with SnapStream's Beyond TV, and it plays them all perfectly. It indexes new hard drives extremely quickly.

Cons: It only plays up to 1.5 TB HDDs; none of my 2 TB drives from multiple vendors work--regular format or advanced format. You would think that Seagate would accomodate all the 32-bit drive sizes that can be used in WinXP. The 1.5 TB limit seems arbitrary. And yes, I've upgraded to the newest firmware version.

I can use the remote from 25 feet away, but it has to be pointed very closely to the FreeAgent Theater player. The remote could use some improvement.

Other Thoughts: I use an external enclosure with the FreeAgent player. The player runs very warm, and I wouldn't trust it inside a cabinet or with hard drive in it that would add even more heat to the player.

Pros: This thing worked better than expected. As an avid computer user, I have many formats, as in .flv for instance. This thing plays ripped DVD's, as in VOB. Tested it on a 1.5 TB drive, and it saw the drive and accessed it.

Cons: No Netflix access yet! Does not play media stored on an external drive from DishNetwork. Yeah, I have a 750 Gig backup hard drive for my DishNetwork VIP622 High def receiver recorder. Wanted to send my receiver back and cancel plan, since my externall is full, and would be enough for a while.

Other Thoughts: Plays lots of videos and pictures from the 'Net.

Pros: I need not write any here as me and others define them clearly in previous reviews. However...

Cons: After some time using this I have some gripes about it. 1st of all, I seem to delete certain files off my external HD from my PC and the media player still finds a way to read them. Im not sure if this is the fault of the media player or the HD, i havent investigated it fully yet. Im thinking of backing up all media files onto my PC and doing a quick format to my external HD, though time consuming, Im hoping it solves that problem. 2nd, when browsing through the directories on the HD, I go into my individual folders where my movies are supposed to be, and they are not appearing, it reads 0 of 0 items. However they still appear when browing "Movies" from the main menu. 3rd, looking for firmware updates from the seagate website, I found there is no direct way to simply download the firmware. first of all its difficult to find (for me), second, there is no "click here to download". The website directed me to 1st contact customer support and they would provide me with the download...

Other Thoughts: ..continued from cons..
It would seem much easier to just download the firmware directly onto the media player, my network is wireless so that is difficult at the moment. It would also be nice if you could manually organise your media how you want it arranged. TV shows, Movies etc...rather than alphabetically browsing a list of 600+ titles of various tv series episodes along with movies. Of course I could do it manually navigating my folders, but I already explained that situation. So my actual rating would be 3.5 eggs. Not total junk, I still like it, it just has its issues.

Pros: Plays just about any video / audio media you can throw at it. It is a compact device. Completely reasonable price. Remote is simple and works well. Does everything it says it does and does it well. The internet option is fairly useful for YouTube, PicasaWeb and a few others.

Cons: Network options could be just a LITTLE bit better. Documentation could be better. Menus could be more thorough. Custom network locations could use just a LITTLE more attention (All I have to do is adjust the networking workgroup on my other media server and I wouldn't need a custom 'bookmark' though). I had to setup a static IP, as it didn't seem to be playing nicely via DHCP and kept acquiring the same IP address as my workstation - static setup was very simple though.

Other Thoughts: Firstly, I am NOT using this device with a harddrive. I simply need a device that could play all the media from my storage server without having to copy from it first. I have my unit hard-wired and so far it has worked fairly well.

there are 5 menus - movies, music, photos, internet and devices. The first 3 are completely useless to me, since I don't have an external drive connected. My main usage falls under the 'devices' menu, which gives you 'network' and 'media servers' by default. Nothing shows up for 'media servers' for me, and I'm not sure where to read exactly what products would fall under that category. Network is the main option I've been after, and it is fairly straight forward - I have not messed with wireless. So far I haven't seen a single video thumbnail for any of the media in my library; though this may be different for people using attached external devices.

All-in-all, I'm fairly satisfied - you really can't beat the price for this quality.

Pros: This device plays everything you throw at it. Network set-up its a bliss, you don't need a hard drive.
Firmware is needed for network, just follow seagate step by step.

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: Love it

Pros: 1. Plays my Canon 1080P's camcorder files (M2TS) flawlessly with quick responsiveness over my 100MB/s home LAN.
2. Plays DVD ISO's as if the disc was inserted into a player (i.e. menus and all features).
3. Small and attractive looking
4. Easy to navigate home network shares
5. Great picture quality

Cons: 1. Seems to have a lot of potential not yet realized (Netflix, internet browser, proper file "library" features missing).

2. FreeAgent Go drives limited in capacity. If I could buy a 2TB Go Drive I would put it into it in a sec as a network backup/local files location.

Other Thoughts: Small, attractive, responsive, and simple to use, inexpensive.

Pros: Interface is decent enough and it does work pretty well with every file format I have thrown at it.

Cons: HDMI is unusable with my Denon receiver + Samsung 46" LCD. The screen keeps flashing on and off and displays HDCP errors. I have no problem with any other device connected to this receiver or TV. Yes I tried changing cables and connecting directly to the TV - no dice. Reading through the forums over at Seagate, it seems many others have problems with the HDMI support as well. Apparently this problem started with the 1.55 firmware which the box came with and, unfortunately, cannot be downgraded!!

So now I'm stuck with component output which basically prevents me from using the 1080p output mode - I can select it but then I get a black screen, so I guess it doesn't want to do 1080p over component. Very disappointed.

Other Thoughts: It's cheap - but Seagate seriously needs to fix this bug. What ever happened to customer service??

Pros: stylish look

Cons: The black cover of the player would not fit when seagate freeagent hard drive inserted. Who did this design ?!
The remote is a joke. You have to push the buttons three times before it starts respond. The range is 3 feet. It's ridiculous.
Quicktime moves must be converted into H.264 format. If you get your file exported from Final Cut Pro in Apple ProRes - don't even try this - it's not going to work.
I just wonder who this player is for?
I'm sending it back to newegg before I throw up

Other Thoughts: Seagate should start making products for adults ,not only for kids.

Pros: Impressive list of features, nice size, supports plenty of different formats, easy to navigate menus.

Cons: After spending some time using the enclosed media sync software to copy my movies onto the Freeagent Go hard drive, I plugged it into the Theater+ unit only to discover that the drive was not recognized. I tried another drive and a flash drive and got nothing. Therefore, I have no idea if this device can actually play a video. To add to the fun, after turning off the media player with the remote, it can't be turned on again without disconnecting and reconnecting power to the unit.

Other Thoughts: I'm returning this device for a refund and hoping to find something from a manufacturer with better quality control.

Pros: FULL DVD Menus in ISOs
NetFlix Streaming w/firmware 1.55
MKV w/subtitles & surround sound
Flawless network playback (Wired) 1-gig

Cons: media server options do not work so network stored movies & music must be accessed directly using the browse folders option. Many call this clumsy or clunky, I would suggest that describes their file structure also.
minor: can't access an attached hard-drive (but I don't use one so again, minor)

Other Thoughts: I've been using this to stream AVIs, MP4s but mainly DVD's backed up as ISOs from an HP Media Center 485 server to a Epson HC 6100 via HDMI with audio over the Tos-link to an older Onkyo 7.1 receiver. It delivers both video and sound without a glitch over a wired 1gig network.

It simply works.

I've recently started streaming Netflix over the unit and this experience has also been without hassle. Again, it simply works.

I use a logitech harmony series remote (one of the cheaper ones) and it recognized and manages this device along with the others so getting the settings right can be done by me, wife or kids.

The cover isn't meant to be on when you use an HD so the apple freaks complaint about that is a non-starter.

If he wants quicktime support may I suggest an Apple TV

Pros: best player up today

Cons: some MINOR issus SEAGATE IS CORRECTING

Other Thoughts: best of all.som peaple has not realistic wishes they wont to play MAK FILE but mak is FRANKENSTAIN WITHOUT ORIGINAL FACE TO ME