OTHER TECH

SETUP Out of the box, the FP-1 is rather unimpressive, feeling a little less solid and lighter in weight than some other docks I've tested. You aren't buying the FP-1 for a fancy case or inspired packaging, though; you're buying it for Escient's chip set and the other technology inside.

A Quick Setup guide akin to what you'd get with a new computer is included, which guides you adequately through an eight-step installation procedure. In essence, you're connecting the dock to your home audio system for music playback and to a TV that functions as the monitor for the graphic interface used to select your music. A high-speed web connection enables the system to collect album art from Gracenote's compreshensive CD database.

The FP-1 offers both analog and optical digital audio outputs. Since audio is pulled from the iPod in analog format only, sound quality is the same either way, but the dual outputs are nice if you are sharing the piece - as I did - between a house-wide music system and a local, receiver-powered surround system. Video output for the Escient graphic interface and for photos and video is via composite- or S-video.

Getting the most out of the FP-1 requires broadband Internet access and a home network. Without it, the FP-1 still functions, but it won't look up album art, stream music or Internet radio, or offer any control via Web-based computers or handheld devices. If you don't have a high-speed network in your home, you'd probably be better served with a different, less expensive dock.