HP has announced that their upcoming HP MediaSmart Connect device is now available for pre-order at various retailers including Amazon.com and Newegg for a suggested retail price of $349. The MediaSmart Connect was introduced at CES 2008 as a way to bring HP MediaSmart TV technology to non-HP HDTV sets. With the MediaSmart Connect connected to your HDTV and your home network, you’ll be able to stream digital content from your computers straight to your HDTV set. In addition, MediaSmart Connect features Extender for Windows Media Center technology which allows you to access Windows Media Center enabled PCs remotely over the network.

The HP MediaSmart Connect is able to connect to other UPnP and DLNA compliant devices as well as products from their MediaSmart product line including the HP Media Vault and the HP MediaSmart Server.

The technical specs are as follows:

• Supports 720p/1080i
• HDMI out, Component out, Stereo analog out, Digital audio out, 2 USB ports
• HP Pocket Media Drive Bay
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• 10/100 Ethernet
• Photo – JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
• Music – MP2, MP3, WMA, WMA-Pro, AAC(m4a)
• Video – MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MP@ML, MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 ASP, DivX, WMV, WMV-HD, DVR-MS, H.264 (MP4)
• DivX certified
• Supports Snapfish, CinemaNow, Live365, YouTube(coming soon)
• Supports Windows Media Player 11, UPnP, and DLNA compliant systems
• Piano Black finish
• Gloss with Zen pattern
• Includes HDMI cable
• 5 device universal remote
• Measures 8.5 x 8.5 x 1.8 inches and weighs 3.5 lbs

The MediaSmart Connect can be preordered starting today for $349 at Amazon.com, BestBuy, CircuitCity, and Newegg.com. The device includes an HDMI cable, a learning remote control and a $20 dollar CinemaNow movie certificate.

It’s a shame that the MediaSmart Connect only supports 720p/1080i and not 1080p. Also – at $349 – it’s a bit expensive for a Windows Media Center Extender – especially without a built-in DVD drive.

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Technorati Tags: HP, MediaSmart Connect, Extender for Windows Media Center