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Diamond XtremeTV PVR 550 PCI Power Pack Review
Page: 2/6
(2721 total words in this text)
(52590 Reads) 
Beyond Media Basic / FireFly Driver
Beyond Media Basic is a “lite” version of the Beyond Media HTPC suite as well as a means for configuring and tweaking some of the FireFly remote settings and behavior. It normally comes free packaged with FireFly if you were to purchase it as a standalone item.
My one beef is that it’s necessary to load Beyond Media Basic to get the full functionality out of the FireFly remote. I’d prefer a much lighter driver only with a configuration utility that only stays loaded in memory when you’re working on the config.
I asked SnapStream directly about this and they acknowledge that some users would prefer to have a “lite” driver that is not depended on Beyond Media Basic and that they are working on an update that would be addressing that issue for future release. They also suggest the excellent PC / Remote automation software Promixis Girder as another method of getting full functionality out of the FireFly remote without loading the Beyond Media Basic.
There’s little point to spending more time on Beyond Media Basic as the full version of Beyond Media is included in the package; it’s requirement is a little redundant. Hence, my earlier wish for separating it from the FireFly driver as it’s just taking up memory.
Beyond Media(full)
Beyond Media is the HTPC framework / “front end” and media player for launching all your media and media related applications. In non-tech speak: Beyond Media is a pretty interface for playing DVD’s, mp3s, photo’s, internet video, BeyondTV programming, and launching other programs all without ever reaching for your keyboard or Windows Start Menu.
It might help to preface this with my preconception on Beyond Media and other “Media Center” type HTPC applications before I started the evaluation. I just was not that into the idea. I had more of a meat and potatoes mindset; I want PVR functionality and I want to perhaps playback mp3’s or an occasional downloaded/ripped divx video. The idea of having an all in one solution to my media just did not appeal to me.
Fast Forward to present day where my wife has to wrestle the FireFly remote from my hands because I insist on watching our wedding photos with the Star Wars “Imperial March” or “Taps” mp3’s playing in the background. Suffice to say, I have really come 180 degrees around on the value and utility of having a good HTPC “media center” front end software package.
  
The interface is pretty slick and easy to navigate. Hot buttons on the FireFly remote allow me to jump directly to the photo album menu, music library, or DVD menu.
 
I like the weather.com weather menu, even if I don’t always like what meteorological curve New England is going to be throwing at me on a given day.
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