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All in all the PC Link software is very easy to use, but it is sometimes frustrating as it can be a bit fiddly to add more than one file at a time. Hit the menu button on the DP-500 once it has been connected up to the network and you’re greeted by a menu where you can select all the movies, pictures and audio tracks that you’ve added to the PC Link software on your PC. But there’s also an option for web radio allowing you to stream music from a wide range of web based radio stations through the same system that WinAmp uses.

The streaming works well in most circumstances, but I experienced problems with some older DivX movies that locked up and caused the DP-500 to crash. To reset the DP-500 you have to cycle the power on the front of the player. However, this is a minor issue and the only thing that seemed to cause any kind of problems.

For those that would like to play different region DVDs there is good and bad news. The bad news is that Kiss region locks the players from the factory, but the good news is that there is a patch available from Scan that unlocks the drive. Then you have to do a search on the Internet to find a firmware upgrade that allows you to select the DVD region. As the DP-500 is firmware upgradeable this is a piece of cake and takes a couple of minutes to do.
Even if you don’t want to unlock your DP-500 it’s a good idea to upgrade to the latest firmware from Kiss as there are still a few bugs that are being ironed out and new features are added all the time. This is especially important if you want to play DivX 3.11 videos as the DP-500 is not capable of playing these out of the box.

There are also third party firmwares available that enable new functions on the DP-500 such as an EPG, weather information and IMDB access (www.imdb.com). Most of these functions are accessible through the web radio menu. These might not be breathtaking new features, but it is something I think Kiss should think about implementing itself. I won’t link to any of the sites providing third party firmware as this is not covered under the warranty from Kiss. So if you decide to use any of them you do so at your own risk.

The DP-500 is one of the most advanced DVD players available today, but Kiss has some even more advanced models available, such as the DP-508 which offers an internal hard drive that you can upload video and music to.
Soon there will be an even more powerful version available that includes hard drive recording, so if this is your kind of thing, then you might want to hang on a little longer.

The price is a little higher than you’d pay for a basic DVD player today. But at £158.63 it’s far from expensive, especially if you take into account what you’re getting for your money. I would whole heartedly recommend the DP-500 to anyone that wants a DVD player capable of more than just playing DVDs, especially if you have access to DivX or XviD content, just make sure you’re keeping an eye on those copyright laws.

Verdict

The DP-500 is a truly amazing little box with more tricks up its sleeve than your average street magician. If you need a DVD player that can play more than just DVDs then this is the way to go.

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