The normal iOS video player used so you can pause, rewind, fast forward, and go full screen just like you can with locally-loaded content. Here is a screenshot of that:
Any content that can play on the iPad can be played using the Wi-Drive. I tested M4A music files, JPG photo files, and MP4 AAC/H.264 video files with no issues. Playback was without stutter and was as fluid as locally stored content. Here is a photo from Hawaii (Dole Plantation on Oahu) that I played back in the photo viewer:
Overall, the iOS content streaming worked very well. I could see myself using this while travelling, and since three devices can connect and stream at once, I can see how it could be useful for long car trips and stays at hotels with the family.
What About Other Devices?
I wondered whether or not this would work with the other devices that I have in the house: an Android phone (Motorola Droid 2), an HP webOS tablet (TouchPad), and an ASUS EP-121 Windows 7 tablet. Remember that CD-ROM drive that I mentioned the Wi-Drive reported to Windows? I went and looked at that and low and behold, there is an Apache web server loaded onto the Wi-Drive. This means that any device that can stream video in a web browser can handle streaming from the Wi-Drive.
Connect the device to the Wi-Drive wireless network, and then enter the IP address for the Wi-Drive in your browser. I used http://192.168.200.254 for mine. On the Windows 7 tablet and the TouchPad, this address brought up the same directory structure as the iOS app did and I was able to navigate the content and select a file to play back. The Windows 7 tablet launched Media Center and played the file, and the TouchPad streamed the file back in the browser. Both handled the file without issue.
The Android phone used an Android app to mimic the iOS capability. Remember that Android devices generally support mainly Google file formats; if your handset/tablet manufacturer does not add support in a driver update for your content, it won’t play back. My Motorola Droid 2 will not play back MP4 video files, but will play back WMV files. M4A music and JPG photos played back perfectly.
Device Configuration
The Wi-Drive has a few areas that can be configured. Here is a screen shot of the main configuration page, reached by clicking on the Gear icon at the bottom right of the row of icons at the bottom of the screen in the iOS app:
Click on Wi-Drive settings:
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