science

LocationFree Player

LocationFree Player is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand LocationFree Player rather than just read about it. In short: Sony's LocationFree is the marketing name for a group of products and technologies for timeshifting and placeshifting streaming video. The LocationFree Player is an Internet-based multifunctional device used to stream live television broadcasts (including digital cable and satellite), DVDs and DVR content over a home network or the Internet.

Key takeaways

LocationFree Player belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect LocationFree Player to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of LocationFree Player from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sony's LocationFree is the marketing name for a group of products and technologies for timeshifting and placeshifting streaming video. The LocationFree Player is an Internet-based multifunctional device used to stream live television broadcasts (including digital cable and satellite), DVDs and DVR content over a home network or the Internet. It is in essence a remote video streaming server product (similar to the Slingbox). It was first announced by Sony in Q1 2004 and launched early in Q4 2004 alongside a co-branded wireless tablet TV. The last LocationFree product was the LF-V30 released in 2007. The LocationFree base station connects to a home network via a wired Ethernet cable, or for newer models, via a wireless connection. Up to three attached video sources can stream content through the network to local content provision devices or across the internet to remote devices. A remote user can connect to the internet at a wireless hotspot or any other internet connection anywhere in the world and receive streamed content. Content may only be streamed to one computer at a time. In addition, the original LocationFree Player software contained a license for only one client computer. Additional (paid) licenses were required to connect to the base station for up to a total of four clients. On November 29, 2007, Sony modified its LocationFree Player policy to provide free access to the latest LocationFree Player LFA-PC30 software for Windows XP/Vista. In addition, the software no longer requires a unique serial number in order to pair it with a LocationFree base station.[1] In December, 2007 Sony Dropped the $30 license fee for the LocationFree client. However, the software still requires registration to Sony's servers after 30 days.

Clients The player (server) can stream content to the following (client) devices:

Windows or Mac computer - requires additional software Mobile/cellular phones - coming later in 2007 Pocket PCs running Windows Mobile Smartphones/tablets running Android 2.2+ Televisions - requires a Sony adapter Sony (Client) Products:

Sony wireless Tablets (listed below) PlayStation Portable (PSP) - system software version 2.50 or later (version 3.11 or later recommended due to inclusion of AVC support) Sony Ericsson P990i - European Base Stations only Sony VAIO laptops - starting Summer 2007, these laptops included an LF Vaio branded compatible client These products do not act as DVRs, since they do not allow content to be recorded to a hard drive. A user can also access and control from anywhere in the world any device connected to the unit, and switch between multiple devices.

BASE Station Models Base stations packaged with LocationFree Player installation disc and instructional DVD

LF-PK1 ("PK" stands for "Pack" or "Package" as it is a package of the LF-B1 base station, LFA-PC2 LocationFree player software for the PC and instructional DVD) First standalone model sold without a tablet Only model in the North American market to ever come equipped with an RF coaxial input. However the European model did not have an RF coaxial input. Wireless 11a/b/g. Can also be used as a conventional Wi-fi access point if connected to a wired router via Ethernet. Three firmware versions released. Version 1.000 was the original release version for Japan and North America. Version 2.000 added support for the Sony PSP (with PSP firmware version 2.50 or higher). An update was made available for Japanese and North American owners. Version 3.000 was the original release version for the European version of the LF-PK1 meaning all European models shipped with this latest firmware version. It increased the maximum number of clients that can be registered from 4 to 8. It also enhanced the way settings were changed through the web interface. Previously, whenever a setting was changed, the base station would have to be rebooted. With the 3.000, setting changes no longer created a reboot. An update program was offered for Japanese owners of the LF-PK1, however no update to firmware 3.000 has ever been made available for the North American model, nor can the Japanese 3.000 update be installed on the North American model. LF-B10 Bundled with LFA-PC20 LocationFree player for the PC and instructional DVD Wired 10/100 Two Infrared Ports LF-B20 Bundled with LFA-PC20 LocationFree player for the PC and instructional DVD Wireless 11a/b/g. Can also be used as a conventional Wi-fi access point if connected to a wired router via Ethernet. Two Infrared Ports LF-V30 Bundled with LFA-PC30 LocationFree player for the PC and instructional DVD Wireless 11a/b/g. Can also be used as a conventional Wi-fi access point if connected to a wired router via Ethernet. Component Support Possibly known as LF-W1HD in Japan Notes: - Wired models can be used via normal wireless routers. Access via internet via firewall provided necessary ports are opened. Can be used with DDNS. Client box - enables users to watch streamed content on a television set, without the need for a PC or laptop.

LF-Box 1

LocationFree wireless tablet TV In October 2004 Sony unveiled a portable, wireless and rechargeable SVGA 12.1" LCD tablet screen with dualband Wi-Fi technology (IEEE 802.11a/b/g) which can receive pictures from the LocationFree player up to 100 feet from the source signal. The TV also has web-browsing and email functions, a Memory Stick Duo slot and an on-screen hand-drawing function for use as a drawing tablet. The screen can also be used as an intelligent universal AV remote control. These tablets were bundled with Base Stations. Three versions have been released:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with LocationFree Player

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what LocationFree Player claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to LocationFree Player before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about LocationFree Player ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of LocationFree Player

In research: LocationFree Player appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses LocationFree Player in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: LocationFree Player is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Consumer electronics, Sony products, Television placeshifting technology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for LocationFree Player outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study LocationFree Player in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what LocationFree Player means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain LocationFree Player out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is LocationFree Player in simple terms?

Why does LocationFree Player matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study LocationFree Player?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on LocationFree Player.