USB : Network Integrated???
The other Showcenter 200 novelty is the presence of a USB socket on the fascia. The device only recognizes peripherals falling under the "mass storage" banner which are detected under Windows just like hard disks. We could mention, for example, USB keys, Archos multimedia players and, of course, external hard disk drives. Some digital cameras equipped with a file system can also be connected.
Using it is child's play. Connect the peripheral to the socket and after a few seconds delay a new icon will appear in the start up screen (the same one you use to select servers). Browsing peripherals is the same as with uPnP servers. The directory tree appears and all you have to do is select the file to be displayed.
Even so, there are some limitations. Hard drives and other USB keys have to be formatted under the FAT32 file system. If you've opted for NTFS, that peripheral will not be detected. For self-powered disk drives, the maximum current is 500 mA. Any more and you'll have to use an external power supply.
