Playback on different OS

iOS

To gain access to the contents of the Wi-Drive, you first need to download the appropriate App through the App Store from Apple. Once installed, the tablet or smartphone needs to sign into the Wi-Drive wireless network, as the unit acts as a mobile hotspot. Thanks to the fact, that Kingston offers an actual iPad app, the menu is full screen, sharp and crisp.


If you are not connected to the Wi-Drive, you will be able to start and stay within the app, but it will automatically start searching for the drive. With the proper connectivity, it will list the unit on the left, also displaying its IP address.


There is a simple menu to set things up to your liking. By default the Wi-Drive comes with no security enabled, allowing everyone to access the drive around you. Kingston advertises up to ten connections, of which up to three can be streamed to at the same time.


Under the menu "Wi-Drive Settings" you may rename the drive, the Wifi channel it uses to transmit and add the usual wireless security to it. Another great feature is the ability of the Wi-Drive to connect to a normal router, allowing you to hook the unit up to the internet and accessing your data on the go. Such a connection can be set up in the "Network Connections" menu. Last, but not least, there is the Firmware Upgrade menu item, which searches the drive itself for a new firmware file. You may download it from Kingston and store it on the drive. Then simply select this function to start the update.


Navigating the contents of the Wi-Drive is easy and intuitive, as it uses the same interface elements found in the rest of iOS. I would have liked to see little preview icons next to the file name, just to help in selecting the right file, but the Wi-Drive does let you know what type of supported file you are looking at with blue/black icons to the left of each file name. You are also told what size each of these files have, along with the creation date of each. You may also delete files from the Wi-Drive or copy the to your iOS device with the usual movements of swiping or pressing down until a pop-up appears - just like in the general iOS environment. This also allows you to email a file using the default mail application within the device. Due to the restrictive nature of the iOS, copying files from the tablet or smartphone to the Wi-Drive is not possible.

Media Playback

Displaying your images is done much like you are used to, with small thumbnails and the ability to open one up in full screen. It works flawlessly and pretty much without any lag.


The same goes for music. Simply selecting the audio file of your choice and it will start playing with little to no lag at all. You do see a streaming bar, as the file is loaded in the background though. The Wi-Drive is fast enough to load the entire song much quicker than you will be able to play it back.


Even playing back a 1080p file is no issue for the Wi-Drive. The Loopers trailer plays back without any stuttering and while the loading bar is noticeably slower, it is still faster than the video itself, allowing you to start watching the file without having to wait at the beginning.

Android

The Android app looks much simpler and just lists the features. Using Android 4.0.3 on a HTC One V, the Wi-Drive app works fine in finding the device and connecting to it as well. Since Android 4 devices have one less hardware button to enter the settings menu, app developers need to update their apps to give access to this menu through different means (like pressing and holding down a button) instead. Kingston has not updated the Wi-Drive app yet, so there is no way to get to the settings screen on the HTC One V.


Listing the various file types and navigating the folders looks very similar to the interface found on the iOS device, and also lists the same type of information for each file.


An important feature not found on the iOS variant is the ability to transfer files to the Wi-Drive thanks to the fairly open approach to data and DRM on the Android OS. Simply select the file from local storage and hold down on it, until the popup menu allows you to select where to transfer it to.

Media Playback

While the app works fine in terms of functionality, during playback things get a bit messy. The general user interface is all messed up when viewing pictures or playing music. Pictures are only partially visible, regardless of the screen orientation and the zoom in/out buttons are in the wrong spot. Similar issues are found with playing back audio files. The interface is only partially visible, with the progress bar completely hidden behind the album cover art. Interestingly, the cover art uses the same iOS like default image. Another issue are the large, pixelated playback controls. Looks like Kingston has not considered higher resolution screens in the current app version.


Video playback works flawlessly on the other hand, with all the controls in the right spot. This is probably due to the fact, that this functionality utilizes the video client of the Android OS instead a built-in player within the Wi-Drive app.

Web Interface

It is also possible to access the Wi-Drive through a web interface by simply entering the IP address of the device. You will see some files, which won't be visible on the mobile apps and you are able to edit the settings of the Wi-Drive through the web browser as well.


All media types will show the same information as on the apps and navigating the folders is done the same way as on the mobile devices.


Playback of pictures is quite simple, but works. You cannot do a slide show or simply click to get to the next image. All the web interface allows is to view at one image at a time. Music playback is also quite simple, only displaying whatever information your OS supports. While Windows based systems may be able to show some more data like title and artist thanks to Windows Media Player, you only get a simple playback bar in OS X. Last but not least, video playback also works, but interestingly enough full HD content like the Loopers Trailer does not scale to fit the 1440 x 900 screen of the Macbook Air.

Using the web interface also made it possible to open the 1080p video multiple times, to see how well the Wi-Drive can cope with parallel streaming. You should easily be able to stream three such instances at the same time, without having to worry about lag or stuttering. After that, you may have to wait before you start playing the video for it to buffer enough, as this aspect becomes slower than the playback itself.