Sony LF-B20 LocationFree Wireless Base Station

Average customer rating: 3.5

Slingbox is better
Sony Does it Again !!
Shipment and item good, note is too brief
Only Product Compatible with the PSP
Poor design and can only used specifically in one country

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Sony LF-B20 LocationFree Wireless Base Station

Manufacturer: Sony
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B000I62YBO
2006-10-25

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Product Description

Sony's LF-B20 LocationFree Base Station connects wirelessly to your home network and can stream live television and other video content, with excellent picture quality, through a home network or across the Internet to remote devices. Featuring integrated 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN, NetAV streaming and the ability to connect to Sony PSP, Windows, Mac OS X computers, TVs, and Windows Mobile cellular phones. Supplied Accessories - LocationFree Player / CD-ROM(LFA-PC20) (includes Instructions manual, 1 serial key) / AC adaptor / Power Cord / Base Station Stand / IR Blaster / Quick Start(TM) Guide Unit Dimensions(WxHxD) - 1.81 x 7.4 x 5.04 inches (46 x 189 x 128 mm)

Amazon.com Review

If you lead a truly mobile life, carrying your whole music collection around with you may no longer be enough. It might just be time for you to enter the domain of truly mobile video as well. With Sony's new version of their "LocationFree" Base Station (LF-B20), mobile does not mean simply the ability to watch DVDs or encoded video on your laptop or iPod, but the power to control your own home video center--and watch everything on it--from any place you can find a high-speed Internet connection. Sony has created an amazingly simple device that essentially allows you to bring your TV and DVD player in your bag along with you wherever you may roam.

<table align=left width=300 cellpadding=20> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/locationfree-2-080906.jpg" border=1 align=top>

Why not check out a little Sponge Bob while you're at the coffee shop? </td></tr> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/locationfree-3-080906.jpg" border=0 align=top>

The LocationFree TV Box pictured above is a key accessory, allowing you to view the content being served by your LocationFree Base Station on the TV of your choice. </td></tr> </table> How it Works
The LocationFree Base Station connects to your TV, DVD Player, or DVR via standard audio/video cable or S Video. It then uses your home broadband connection to send the TV programs or movies of your choice over the Internet to your Windows or Mac laptop or Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)--to any location in the world you happen to find a high-speed Internet connection (for example to the airport where you are waiting for that flight that has been delayed now for the second time). For Pocket PC and Windows Smartphone users, Sony says software for Windows Mobile powered devices is coming soon.

To control the Base Station remotely you will need to install the included LocationFree Player software on the laptop you intend to use. The PSP connection requires no additional hardware. Changing channels on your TV, cable box, or DVR is accomplished via an IR (infrared) Blaster connected to the BaseStation and then positioned on your cable box or DVR so that it can zap the infrared reciever with your laptop, just as you would from the couch with your remote.

Setting Your TV Free
The quick setup guide, along with the included software wizard, are very easy to follow. Within 20 minutes of opening the box we were watching ESPN on a PC laptop. There are two basic methods by which you can connect the LocationFree Base Station to the Internet: with an Ethernet cable straight into your router or hub, or--if you have home wireless--you can connect via Wi-Fi, using the Base Station as an access point.

<table align=right width=300 cellpadding=20> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/locationfree-1-080906.jpg" border=0 align=top>LocationFree lets you view live TV programs, saved DVR programs, and much more on a wide range of devices. All you need is a broadband Internet connection. </td></tr></table> The second method is particularly useful if your modem and media center are not located in close proximity. It also separates the new Base Station from its older version, as well as from all models of its main competitor, Sling Media's Slingbox. Setup works like this: 1) Connect your computer to the Base Station with an Ethernet cable (this is required for initial setup, but if you have home Wi-Fi you can remove this cable later). 2) Connect the sleek black box to power and turn it on. 3) Run the software wizard on your computer. This will guide you through the process of connecting the Base Station to the Internet. At this point you are also able to apply whatever wireless security protocols you may have in place on your network. We had no problems at all making a connection with a Wi-Fi router and cable modem. Once that connection is made you are ready to go mobile!

Going Mobile
Once at your favorite cafe or airport, just run the LocationFree software and let it make the connection. Video is then displayed in a window that is easy to size however you like. Changing channels is accomplished with a virtual remote that you can bring up on your screen whenever you need it. We set it up to control a Motorola cable box simply by choosing the brand name and type of device from a drop-down menu. The LocationFree and IR blaster did the rest. You are able to setup two remotes and two IR blasters, so that you could, for example, access both your DVD player and cable box while on the go.

Video quality is fine for an encoded and compressed video file. The Base Station uses the new Advanced Video Codec (AVC), or H.264, for high compression with minimum loss of data, but it will still never match DVD quality. Software settings allow you to select the level of video quality, or to stay with the default "auto" setting that chooses a framerate for you, based on the speed of your connection. You can also choose between 4:3 and 16:9 picture formats, and make the usual picture adjustments you would find on a TV.

If "LocationFree" for you means the ability to send your video to any TV of your choice (rather than merely to computers and handhelds) you might consider the LocationFree TV Box (LF-Box1). This device will serve up whatever signal your Base Station is sending out to any TV to which you connect it.

Pros
<ul>

Truly mobile video that really works

Easy setup

Wi-Fi

Well thought-out controls and settings

Support for PC, Mac, and PSP (Windows Mobile coming soon) </ul> Cons
<ul>

Viewing video outside your local network depends on reliability of Internet connections </ul> What's in the Box
LF-B20 LocationFree base station, CD-ROM (software, instructions manual, serial key), AC adapter, power cord, base station stand, IR blaster, and quick start guide.

Amazon.com Product Description

Prepare to experience entertainment on your terms, wherever you like. Sony's LocationFree system offers a flexible, easy-to-use way to enjoy so-called "place shifting" technology. The system is built around a Base Station, either the Sony LF-B20 or the Sony LF-B10, which does not have the wireless networking capabilities (802.11 a/b/g Wireless LAN) of the LF-B20.

Both products can stream live television and other video content through a home network or across the Internet to remote devices, inside and outside your home. Local clients can connect wirelessly (offered by the Sony LF-B20 only) or via a wired link, depending on the Base Station model you select. When you are away from home, accessing the Base Station is as easy as logging onto the Internet. Adding the LocationFree TV Box, which is a true plug-and-play device, lets you connect to any TV and stream the content served by the LocationFree Base Station in your home to the TV of your choice.

Total Entertainment Mobility
Wherever you go, your home entertainment will follow. With LocationFree, every show, every movie, all your created video, and even live moments can be where you are. Watch live TV, TV programming recorded on a digital video recorder (DVR), stored digital video, digital camcorder content, and more. After logging in on a compatible device, you can watch live TV, change channels, and access and control any additional audio-visual devices hooked up to the system, such as satellite or cable TV tuners or video disc players. With LocationFree, you are in complete control. The LocationFree system, which relies on Sony's NetAV streaming technology, is compatible with a wide range of devices, including the Sony PSP, Windows and Mac OS X computers, and TVs. Support for Windows Mobile devices is coming in the Fall of 2006.

Looks Good, Easy to Install
Sleekly designed to fit nicely into your existing home theater outfit, the Base Station features a stylish "piano" finish. The unit can be set vertically or horizontally. Of course, if you choose the LF-B20 Base Station, you can set your system up wirelessly, adding LocationFree to your home entertainment system without cluttering it up.

Connecting the Base Station is simple and it includes automatic set-up for accessing the Base Station when you're away from home. The handy set-up wizard whisks you through the software set-up process, including automatic device registration and automatic set-up for pre-installed security software. The onscreen remote control function makes it easy to navigate your media and services, and the fact that it's equipped with a learning function means that you can replace other remote control devices and control your home theater components through a single, cool-looking graphical user interface.

Great Compatibility
The LocationFree system is designed to deliver entertainment to wide range of devices. As mentioned, you can watch your favorite TV shows, videos, and more on a PSP, a Windows PC, a Mac (running OS X or later), or Windows Mobile devices (coming Fall 2006). And with the LocationFree TV Box, you can communicate with the Base Station and watch your entertainment content without the use of a computer at all.

Advanced Encoding and DVR Pass-through
LocationFree employs advanced networking and video technologies such as the AVC Codec and NetAV streaming for smooth access to video content via the Internet. The use of the AVC (advanced video coding) codec--also called the h.264 codec--means higher picture quality even at lower bit rates, which is how you're able to take the experience of entertainment in your living room to hotels, coffee shops, airports, or anywhere else you have broadband access.

The LocationFree system also supports DVR pass-through. You've programmed your digital video recorder to save your favorite TV shows for you to watch, and LocationFree makes it possible for you to actually watch them, even if you can't get home to do it. While you're traveling or spending long hours at the office, you can use your LocationFree Base Station to access the TV programming being stored by your DVR.

What's in the Box
LF-B20 LocationFree base station, CD-ROM (software, instructions manual, serial key), AC adapter, power cord, base station stand, IR blaster, and quick start guide.

Customer Reviews:

Slingbox is better.......2007-06-03

I own both the Sony LocationFree and the Slingbox. The Sony I bought in Japan and the Slingbox in the US. The Slingbox is better for these reasons:

1) The Slingbox is easier to configure.
2) With the Slingbox, same PC can simultaneously run both over the Internet on your LAN. This saves reconfiguration when you use your laptop both in and out of the house.
3) Sony charges for each additional client software license while the Slingbox is free for download. While neither will allow multiple devices to simultaeously stream video, multiple seperate devices can be registered to run per Slingbox where only one device can be registered to run per LocationFree. In the latter case, you must "de-register" your PC before allowing another to connect using the same license.
4) The Slingbox has comprehensive remote control capability even when your away from home where the LocationFree does not.

Sony Does it Again !!.......2007-05-10

When I first saw this online, my concern was it might be complicated to use and install. I read all the reviews here and elsewhere, and it has consistently gotten good grades from just about everyone.

Setup was almost a 1-2-3 kind of thing....as easy as the other reviewers said. I didn't require technical support although others have raved about how good the Sony guys were helping with setup, so it's nice to know if you ever do, it's there.

My use for the Base station is having local television on my laptop while traveling ANYWHERE that there is an internet connection, which is pretty awesome. With a lot of traveling ahead, having this little unit will make being on the road much more enjoyable.

I highly recommend the Sony LF-B20. I think you'll like it.

Shipment and item good, note is too brief.......2007-05-07

Although the shipment is good and item is intact, the product explaination note is too easy or brief to follow, to me at least.

Maybe Japanese is not good on technical writing to let layman to understand by only one page note.

Only Product Compatible with the PSP.......2007-04-15

The only reason I bought this was because it was the only item that was compatible with the PSP. But I have to say, this an awesome technology. Graphics was descent, you can't really expect much from streaming like video. Installation was easy. The only complaint I have about the Sony is that the CD software that comes with it can only be used one time. Once you register the SERIAL KEY, it can not be used on any other computer. You'll have to pay an additional $29 for an extra software if you want to watch TV on another computer. On the other hand, from what I heard you can use the Slingbox on multiple computers without purchasing additional softwares. But like I said, the Sony was the only one compatible with the PSP. I recommend it!

Poor design and can only used specifically in one country.......2007-03-04

This product sucks! There are two restriction in this product. It can only be used in US internet setup and it only support NTSC but not PAL/SECAM. This is not indicated properly in the box. We may assume most electronic products in the market basically support either one but this product is NOT. The designer do not have a sense of the global workforce movement in this 21st century. The product basically should not be designed just for a specific country usage. I am totally surprised by Sony having design such a product.

For me, it is useless to me when I bought it in US and bring it back to Singapore. It is not working.

Secondly, the technical support from Sony claim that the DDNS setup in the BaseStation is only suitable for US ISP but not for others. This is ridiculous! I am terribly disappointed about this product and would warn those that are considering this product.

First, check that your country video signal is NTSC and secondly the setup for DDNS sucks! It claim to be working in US but not other ISP in other countries. So, BECAREFUL! My advice is take your own risk if you read my comment and still wanted to buy it.

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