Xtreamer SideWinder 2

The Xtreamer SideWinder 2 is based on the same principles as the first SideWinder, namely it aims to be both financially accessible and offer extensive functionality. There's a new interface, built-in wi-fi, an SDHC card reader and faster processor. Will this be enough to impress us?

A more practical media centre

At first we thought that exactly the same casing was used for the SideWinder 2 as its predecessor, but not at all. This version can only be positioned horizontally, even if this does give it something of the look of a radiator. A point in its favour: there's no fan which means it runs in perfect silence.

The remote is the same as the one used for the iXtreamer. It therefore has the same drawbacks: it's rather lightweight and has no backlit buttons (they are phosphorescent however). It's a shame Xtreamer have gone for this remote again, especially as the buttons for the Apple dock are still there, though entirely inoperable as there's no Apple dock on the SideWinder 2...

A handsome interface but also far too slow!

The interface has been entirely redesigned for this release. Visually, it's an undoubted success and outclasses much of the competition. Files can be displayed in list or thumbnail format, which makes  viewing your photos or album covers rapid and practical. We also like the favourites system that allows you to group your favourite folders or files in the same place wherever they're from.


All this is well and good but the interface is also far too slow to use. You sometimes have to wait more than five seconds for a command to be executed. What's more, the centre crashed numerous times during testing. Worse still, less experienced users will get lost in the innumerable menus, sub-menus and sub-interfaces. So much so that creating and viewing a video jukebox will be a real achievement for many!



Xtreamer will say that all this will get better as the interface is gradually updated, which is fine but you have to wonder exactly how long it's going to take before the product really becomes viable. At the end of the day, Xtreamer is really carrying out its quality testing on the first users and as things stand, isn't selling a finished product.

Decent compatibility

In spite of the above, we did manage to run the SideWinder 2 through our battery of tests (though this was a real headache!). The decoding was fine. HD videos can be played without any jumpiness and both DTS and Dolby can be decoded or sent to an external audio amp. The HD versions of these formats can also be processed in the same way.

An in product: Gigabit, USB 3.0 and built-in wi-fi

The Xtreamer SideWinder 2 is fully equipped with USB 2.0 ports for linking up to peripherals, an SDHC card reader and even a USB 3.0 socket to link up to a computer. When it comes to audio/video outs, you get the lot with HDMI, composite, component, optical and coaxial connectivity.


Networking is handled by a pseudo Gigabit Ethernet port and a large wi-fi N antenna. File copy speeds are terrible (1.5 MB/s in both cases) and HD video playback will only be possible with a wired connection.