RAVPower RP-WD01 WiFi Disk Review with Video
/I love technology that makes me feel like I am living in the future and the future is now. The RAVPower RP-WD01 WiFi Disk or the [5-in-1] RAVPower® Wireless SD Card Reader,USB External HDD / SDD / USB Flash Disk Reader,3000mAh External Battery Pack & NAS File Server & Wi-Fi Hot Spot Wireless Media Streaming FileHub RP-WD01 as Amazon calls it is one such device. The Amazon name does a pretty good job of telling you what this device is all about but let's break it down in a few simple bullets.
- SD Card Reader & Wireless SD Card Reader (supports SD card sizes up to 128GB)
- Powered by a 3000mAh battery for hours of streaming or use it as a battery backup for your phone or tablet
- File server - Files on the SD Card are accessible via wireless (up to 5 simultaneous connections). Device also supports USB drives and thumb drives
- Wireless Bridge - Device connects to your internet so you can stay online AND access the files on the device - Again up to 5 devices can be connected.
My Photographer side appreciates another option for getting files from your camera to your smartphone or tablet, especially on the go. Pop the SD card out of your camera- or if you use Compact flash you can attach a CF reader to the USB port on the device and connect your smartphone or tablet and browse the files on the card. Copy a few files or all of the files. You could also insert a thumb drive or small USB drive and make a backup by copying the files over to the thumb drive - all without a computer and running on the battery power of the device. And if you wanted to be boring you could plug the WiFi disk in with the included micro USB cable - same cable that charges it - and use as a standard, wired SD card reader. RavPower provides free apps for Android and iOS to connect, browse and interact with the files. The apps are simple and easy to use. On a computer you access the device through your browser - it is a little clunky here but gets the job done. And that is similar to the manual - it is better than I expected but could certainly have some more polish.[gallery columns="2" ids="3864,3865"]So far I have used the device to pull off multiple images, RAW and Jpeg. I have streamed compressed video which worked very smoothly, no hiccups at all. Streaming a high quality HD video was another story. The wireless speed just wasn't fast enough to keep up with the file and it stopped and buffered at several points. I have seen reviews of similar devices made by the big names and they have the same issues with the higher quality content. You can also send files from your tablet or smartphone to the device.An Aside - Working with RAW files on the go. iOS users you have the excellent PhotoRaw app. Android users try Photo Mate or Raw Vision