Dreamlink T2 vs BuzzTV Box 3000 Prt 1

Dreamlink T2 vs BuzzTV Box 3000

I have been a cable TV subscriber for many many years, but as of late have decided to give IPTV a try. One of the main features I was looking for from IPTV is ease of use. I wanted to have a similar experience to my cable TV box. An experience with things like easy channel surfing (without having to go into menus), a comprehensive TV guide, and features such as live TV pause, rewind, fast-forward, and record. My hours of research led me to two IPTV boxes, the Dreamlink and the BuzzTV boxs. I consider these (from my research) to be the best available IPTV boxes to date for price and a comparable Cable TV experience.

However, I only needed one box and of course I wanted to spend money on the better box. But there was no definitive conclusion as two which box was better. It seemed that the IPTV community was divided right down the middle on these boxes. And no matter where I looked it seemed that no one has really done a head-to-head comprehensive comparison between the two boxes (the kind that’s done with so many other products of bipartisan (not referring to politics lol). So, I decided to buy both and do the comparison myself for the benefit of others.

This comparison will be done in several parts, with accompanying YouTube videos. Feedback and comments are welcomed :)

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The Review

Packaging and Content

Both boxes come nicely packaged. Simple packaging presentation but effective. So on a gift presentation scale, both will do just fine with some rapping paper no additional repackaging needed. From a protection standpoint, there is not much protection for the units other than the cardboard, thus if you want to ship either of these, and know your post office handles things roughly I would put some bubble raping before shipping.

Both the Dreamlink T2 and BuzzTV XPL 3000 that I purchased came with remote control, HDML cable, power adapter, and batteries. The difference is that the T2 comes with an external antenna separate from the unit, whereas the XPL 3000 has it attached to the unit). Also something to note, the BuzzTV box did not come with an user manual whereas the Dreamlink box did (however there is only general info in the user manual, and while nice to have, its not necessary. The physical setup of both units is very simple).

The Boxes (Units)

Both boxes seems well made, however the BuzzTV XPL 3000 seems a little more solid/well-made, whereas the Dreamlink feels a little more plasticky (although a decent/not bad plasticky). Both boxes have virtually no buttons, thus using a remote control is a must.

As seen in the above picture, the BuzzTV has a little more in the way of comprehensive status lights/indicators. An indicator for network (NET), STATUS, and IR which also shows you if the unit is on. The Dreamlink has an green status light that shines through the front side (right under the T2 label) that shows when the unit is on. To be honest I barely even looked at or notice these lights on the boxes when in use. However the BuzzTV box does have built-in Bluetooth 4.0, whereas the Dreamlink does NOT. If you want Bluetooth on the T2 you need a separate Bluetooth adapter which will use up the other remaining USB port. Talk about trade-offs. lol :(

Important to Note: Becuase the Dreamlink T2 does not have a built-in(built on to box) Wifi antenna, one of the USB ports will be used up if you want to use screen mirroring or DLAN. On the other hand The BuzzTV XPL 3000 does not support DLAN or screen mirroring (which is a bummer).

See info on ports and pics here. For more detailed info on ports see Specification table.

Dreamlink T2 Ports:

• Power Port

• IR Receiver Port (for IR extension)

• SPDIF (external digital audio out)

• HDMI

• LAN

• Micro SD card slot

• 1x USB 2.0 Port and 1x USB 3.0 port

BuzzTV XPL 3000 Ports:

• Power Port

• HDMI

• LAN

• Micro SD Card slot

• 2x USB 2.0 ports

Note: It's cool that the Dreamlink T2 has and IR Receiver Port, it could be useful, but a Bluetooth remote is more useful :)

The Remote Controls. The BuzzTV remote feels sleeker and more modern with more intuitively placed buttons (example the Big Home button), whereas the T2 remote feels a bit square and dated. However the T2 remote works amazingly; as you can point it as the wall behind you and the channel will still change. This is not the case for the BuzzTV remote, it has to be pointed directly at the box for it to work. If you even point the remote a little off to the side, the box won't pick up the signal (which was a little annoying).

The RAW (Specification)

T2 vs XPL3000 table

Still under construction. A lot more good info and videos to come :)