Buy Now...

Putting it crudely it is an internal hard disc with some clever electronics in a box that has a USB connection to allow you to store the data that currently lives on a PC and component outlets and leads to let you connect to most TV’s. Should your TV not have the required sockets then you can purchase a SCART adapter with the same sockets and that achieves the same result.

My initial attempts were problematic as the sample I was sent came without a hard disc, as I had a spare internal unit this was not – I thought – a problem, it fitted in easily and the leads attached, I took it to a PC with some MP3 and photos on, these transferred across and while attached the unit read fine as an external hard disc in MY Computer. I then moved to the TV and plugged the leads in nothing, narda, zilch. I then found a SCART socket with the plugs and again zilch. After protracted delays technical support suggested that the hard disc (it was not new) was not suitable. They loaned me a unit.

See also: Media players

more

I started again copied the MP3 and photos and took the unit to the TV, immediately the correct front screen as shown in the 48 pages of English in the manual.

One extra thing I needed to do – before transfer of data - was format the hard disc but  full instructions are in the manual and this varies according to what version on Windows you are running.

The folder structure is shown in the manual and should you want it to autorun on connection that is possible as is the ability have screen shows and even to have MP3 as musical backing to your screen shows.

It works with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP, the USB connection is USB2 so large video files will transfer quickly providing your PC has USB2. It is also stated that you could use it for storage of other files, but with other methods being cheap this would seem not to be best use of the space or the unit, but it could be used as a ‘mule’.

One word of warning internal hard discs do not like being moved about while in use and as the overall size of the box is 17x16x7cm (with leads inserted) so it is easy to forget and just move it, also it only weights just over a kilo. You should also switch the unit off first, I do not mean just pull the plug out to kill power. Treat it like a PC, shutdown before moving.

I have no idea if my hard disc stopped working out of old age or maybe I disobeyed the rules I listed above, however I now have a doorstop. The unit I was loaned is working fine and I can view video, still images and MP3 files on my TV. A number of websites including DivX offer download facilities and this unit would not only store but display the files, DivX files are a big talking point.

Supported formats include DivX 3.11, 4 and 5. MPEG1, MPEG2, Xvid, JPEG for images and for audio MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, AC3, DTS pass through.

Should this be what you wish to achieve then they supply two different sized units. 120GB hard disc and the unit at £199 while they also do a 250GB hard drive and the unit for £279.

Link http://www.imagogroupplc.com/ and select the DVICO icon or ring 01635 294300 for more information.