Seagate GoFlex Satellite - Wireless Media Streamer in your Pocket
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Our Experience + Conclusion
Our Experience
If you are using a PC or Mac, your content can be accessed using any internet browser. The GoFlex Satellite’s user interface is logical and straightforward so navigating to find your media content should pose no issue even if you are using it for the first time.
If you are using an iOS or Android device, you can access the GoFlex Satellite using the free GoFlex Media app which is available from the iTunes Store or Google Play. The app provides a smoother experience and the interface is similar to what you get if you were to use a browser and it is therefore very easy to use.
For the most part, streaming of media content was fuss-free and seamless. Photos and musics could be viewed and played easily. The GoFlex Satellite’s interface even groups your music according to Artist, Song Title, Album, Genre and can even read custom playlists. The signal broadcasted by the GoFlex Satellite is also pretty strong seeing that music playback was smooth even when we placed the device is an adjacent room with the doors closed; video playback did stutter a little at times.
However, issues arose when trying to play media files. The GoFlex Satellite is a streamer not a decoder, so it can only play video formats that your device supports. That’s not such a big problem if you are using a PC or MAC (just make sure you have the appropriate codecs), but on an iOS device that means a pretty short list. The work around is to encode your videos first in an iOS friendly format, or download a third-party video player app that can handle more formats.
Finally, in our testing, we found that the GoFlex Satellite was good for around five hours of use. This is decent in our books since your tablet will likely only last just about as long if it was constantly streaming content.
Conclusion
All in all, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite is a well thought-out product from the storage giant. Setup was easy and fuss-free and its user interface is easy to figure out and use, even for first timers. Actual streaming performance was good as well. If you keep the GoFlex Satellite in close proximity (such as in your backpack or pocket), music and videos will stream seamlessly and stuttering only occurred when we placed the device in an adjacent room and with the doors closed.
Considering the added broadcasting and sharing abilities of the GoFlex Satellite, the device is understandably more pricey than your regular 500GB portable hard drive, coming in at S$299. Though it's a bit on the expensive side, products like the GoFlex Satellite are a new group of products which are still a bit niche. However, this is a product that works just as advertised and is of great convenience if you are looking for a way to increase your mobile device’s storage when on the go.
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