All of our media has gone digital. From digital camera and videos, to music and online movies, it is all stored on computers or flash memory cards these days. We have taken thousands of pictures of my daughter since she was born (and many digital movies as well), which would not have been nearly as possible (and certainly a lot more expensive) if we were still using film cameras. (blah!)
Having a techie for a husband certainly makes my life easier, as he manages, fixes and sets it all up for me. It’s like having a Geek Squad employee living in your house (whoo hooo). When I was contacted by Seagate to see if I was interested in reviewing some of their newer products, my husband was very excited at the thought of a new “toy” to play with.
One problem with digital photos and videos is that they are stored on your computer, and if you have friends or family over, you’re stuck huddled around a computer screen when you want to show of your kiddos latest accomplishments. Enter the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD Media Player. Its a small device that attaches to your TV via a single HDMI cable (or a set of component video cables) and allows you to display all of your photos and videos in 1080p high definition (that’s sharp and clear if you don’t speak tech), as well as play MP3s and view online content from YouTube, Picassa, flickr, and Netflix to boot.
Hy husband set it up and said it was very straight forward and easy (he is a techie so he thinks it is all easy, but he assures me this is something that takes very little geek knowledge to set up). Connect the HDMI cable from the TV to the FreeAgent Theater+, plug the power adapter in, put the batteries in the remote (included) and we were up and running. His only gripe was that an HDMI cable was not included. Fortunately my husband buys in bulk, and we always have extras on hand, for those who don’t keep them in stock like toilet paper, just know you will need to pick one up.
There are multiple ways to view your digital media on the FreeAgent Theater+. 1) You can directly connect your digital camera with the same USB cable you would use to connect it to the computer. 2) You can also connect a USB thumb drive or external hard drive and view any files that way too. 3) Plus The FreeAgent Theater+ also allows you to dock a compatible Seagate FreeAgent Go USB hard drive to it, keeping everything looking clean and neat. The third option is the route my husband went, loading digital pictures, videos and music from our desktop, and then docking the USB hard drive into the FreeAgent Theater+.
The FreeAgent Theater+ features a wired network connection, and there is an available wireless network adapter available as well. Getting the FreeAgent Theater+ online allows you to stream digital content stored from other computers on your home network, view YouTube videos, and even stream NetFlix. If you already have a Netflix account, this device will give you access to instantly stream over 20,000 titles, including a great Children and Family category. Past TV seasons of shows ranging from Fragle Rock to Hannah Montana, and movies such as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Up and Monsters Inc. are all available instantly.
We have definitely been enjoying the FreeAgent Theater+ (its a cool toy!) and recommend it to anyone wanting to to view their digital media on their TVs or watch online content from sources such as YouTube, Picassa, flickr, or Netflix. The FreeAgent Theater+ is currently available online for $89.99 at Amazon as well as other online and local retailers.
Disclaimer – I received the Seagate product mentioned above to review for this post, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.