So what exactly is the ZAGGbox? Here’s what ZAGG disclosed yesterday:

• ZAGGbox is a media aggregator for videos, photos, and music in a single device.
• It will easily record, store, and play all of your media
• Automatically reads and transcodes any video codec into two formats – one for TV viewing and one optimized for the Apple iPhone/iPod family
• Operates as a universal remote. It can control any connected device using video switching via analog or HD/SD video cables through IR blasting. An on-screen interface allows users to easily manage their integrated home media equipment using one control
• Stream all stored content onto a mobile Internet device like the iPhone. Stream via UPnP, Video podcasting, or a built-in webserver.
• Aggregates video from compatible security cameras
• ZAGGbox iPhone app which provides easy access and control on iPhone
• Allows for home automation via Z-Wave system. Compatible with security systems, HVAC systems, door locks, or lighting and will be available shortly after the launch

ZAGG expects the formal launch of the ZAGGbox to take place at CES 2010 with preorders to take place after the show and units shipping in late Q1 of 2010. Sounds nifty so far right? Now for the down side – initial retail pricing will be under $999. Ouch…

Sorry but there are no pictures available at this time so we can only imagine what the heck this thing looks like.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ZAGG, ZAGGbox

On the low end of the spectrum, we have the Roku SD (pictured above) which features:

• Connects to TV sets via yellow/red/white video/audio cables
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connectivity
• Ethernet port
• Stream their favorite movies and TV shows to their TV at up to DVD quality

The mid-range Roku HD and high-end Roku-HD-XR (pictured above) feature:

• HD streaming capabilities
• HDMI or component video connections (S-Video or Composite connections available also)
• Optical audio output
• Roku HD-XR features support for 802.11n dual-band connectivity
• Roku HD-XR also includes a USB port for future usage

Prices for the three players are as follows:

• Roku SD - $79.99
• Roku HD - $99.99
• Roku HD-XR - $129.99

For a limited time, buy one of these players from Roku or Amazon.com, and you’ll receive free shipping.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Roku, Roku SD, Roku HD-XR

• 2 inch QVGA display
• Support for MP3, WMA(DRM), AAC(non DRM) and Linear PCM for audio and WMV(DRM) for video
• 30 hour music playback battery life and 4 hour video playback battery life

As for the price, the 8GB E Series will be available for around $80 dollars while the 16GB model will be available for around $100 dollars. Both will be available in red or black.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, E Series Walkman Video MP3 player

Sony one-ups the competition today with the announcement of the new Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player which now features “high quality built-in stereo speakers”.  Yup.. that’s right folks – this new media player has built-in stereo speakers which according to Katie O’Brien, manager of the Walkman business unit at Sony adds “a new social element to the world of digital music and video.”.  Don’t you love it? Add a pair of speakers and your device is now “social”. 

Other features of the S Series Walkman (which are arguably much more respectable) include:

• Bright high contrast 2.4 inch QVGA LCD display with fast response time
• Clear Audio and Digital Linear Phase Speaker System for high quality sound
• Built-in FM tuner
• Headphones, mini USB cable, and hands-free stand included
• Voice and FM recording function
• Built-in alarm clock with sleep timer
• Supports wide variety of codecs including MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC (nonDRM), and Linear PCM.
• Video codec support includes AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profle, MPEG-4 and WMV(DRM)
• Long lasting battery – 42 hours of music or 6.5 hours of video
• Available in 8 or 16GB capacities

The S Series Walkman will be available in several colors including black, red, violet and pink. AND OK.. if there’s one nice thing about the new S Series, it would have to be the pricing. The 8GB capacity will be available for around $110 while the 16GB model will be available for $130 dollars. Pre-ordering is available now at SonyStyle.com

Technorati Tags: Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player

I’m a huge fan of the WD TV HD Media Player so you can imagine my excitement when I saw these leaked images of the supposed second generation player dubbed the “WD TV Live Media Player”. According to our friends over at eHomeUpgrade, the second gen will feature DLBA/UPnP support, Internet streaming capabilities, DTS down-mixing (Nice!), and support for composite and component A/V.

Here’s the full list of unconfirmed features and specs for the WD TV Live Media Player:

• 1080p video support
• Network capable for access to content on PCs, network drives, Internet locations
• Compatible with HDMI,Full HD (1080p), AAC, MP3, JPEG, USB 2.0, H.264, SimplayHD, Energy Star®, Dolby Digital, DTS, DLNA, Bonjour, AVCHD, Windows Vista
• Supports AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1),
• Supports TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1) MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9
• Supports JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Supports MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
• Supports playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL
• Subtitle – SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI
• MPEG2 MP@HL up to 1920×1080p24, 1920×1080i30, or 1280×720p60 resolution. MPEG4.2 ASP@L5 up to 1280×720p30 resolution and no support for global motion compensation.
• WMV9/VC-1 MP@HL up to 1280×720p60 or 1920×1080p24 resolution. VC-1 AP@L3 up to 1920×1080i30, 1920×1080p24, or 1280×720p60 resolution.
• H.264 BP@L3 up to 720×480p30 or 720×576p25 resolution. H.264 MP@4.1 and HP@4.1 up to 1920×1080p24, 1920×1080i30, or 1280×720p60 resolution.
• An audio receiver is required for multi-channel surround sound digital output. Compressed RGB JPEG formats only and progressive JPEG up to 2048×2048. Single layer TIFF files only. Uncompressed BMP only. Specific details, please refer to the user manual.

No word on pricing or availability.. but dang.. I’m going to upgrade to this puppy when it comes out. About the only thing I see missing is ISO support.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: WD TV Live Media Player Leaked Pics

• 3 inch OLED display with 432 x 240 resolution
• Touch-screen navigation – access your music, videos, and photos through simple flicks of your finger
• Wi-Fi
• Podcast support
• Slacker Radio support
• Digital Clear audio technologies including S-Master digital amplifier and digital noise canceling functions
• Premium EX noise canceling headphones
• 33 hours of music playback or 9 hours of video
• Measures 2-1/8 x  3-7/8 x  13/32 inches
• Weighs 3.5 oz
• 5 band equalizer
• Audio support for MP3/WMA/AAC/L-PCM
• Video support for AVC(H.264/AVC)/MPEG-4/WMV DRM
• FM tuner

The 16GB X Series (model NWZ-X1051FBSMP) is available for $299.99 while the 32 GB X Series (model NWZ-X1061FBSMP) is available for $399.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony X Series Walkman Video MP3 player

ARCHOS has quietly introduced a new media player on their website called the ARCHOS 3. Detailed specs and feature lists are extremely scarce at this time but here’s what we do know about the device:

• 3 inch “tactile screen”. This could infer the display is a haptics-enabled touch-display
• Virtual Wheel Selector provides a unique way of navigating through content
• Lightweight design
• 8GB of storage space
• Plays back music and photos
• Voice and audio recorder
• Stopwatch and calendar

No word on pricing or availability at this time.

[Check it out via Crave]

Technorati Tags: ARCHOS 3, media player

GIGA JUKE NAS-SC500PK:

• 160 GB hard drive
• Multi-room support via wireless music players. Comes with one wireless music player but will support up to five wireless players. You can access main server from the wireless players and you can play different songs in each of the five zones.
• Press a “PARTY” button and you’ll be able to listen to the same song in every room with a wireless player
• Supports wide range of audio file formats
• Built-in database of approximately 350,000 albums. Additional data can be pulled from the Internet
• Redesigned woofer featuring  twin magnet technology
• Digital Sound Enhancement Engine technology restores original sound quality
• 100 W S-MASTER digital amplification
• SensMe channels support – automatically categorizes your music into 27 different channels to suit your mood
• WM-PORT for Sony Walkman
• USB port for MP3 players

GIGA JUKE NAS-E300HD:

• Compatible with MP3, AAC, and WMA
• 80GB hard drive
• 60 W amplification
• WM-PORT for Sony Walkman
• Same music database as the above system
• Insert CD to record music to hard drive

Both systems will be available across Europe starting in the middle of this month. No word on whether these systems will show up in the U.S.

[Check it out via Sony Insider]

Technorati Tags: Sony, GIGA JUKE NAS-SC500PK, GIGA JUKE NAS-E300HD

Sony finally let the cat out of the bag with the introduction of their new flagship Walkman Video MP3 player today called the X-series Walkman (NWZ-X1000 models). The media player features Wi-Fi connectivity, a beautiful OLED touch-screen display, Sony Digital Clear Audio technologies, and support for Internet content. Let’s spend a bit of time on each of the new features found in the X-series.

Display:

• 3 inch OLED touch-screen display
• 180 degree viewing angle
• Movie image can be adjusted based on user preferences
• New scene scroll navigation feature allows users to easily scroll through a movie. Simply select your preferred time increment and then swipe across the screen to scroll fwd or back through scenes

Audio technologies:

• First video MP3 player to feature integrated digital noise cancelling (DNC)technologies to help block out ambient noise
• Comes with 13.5 mm EX headphones which also have an embedded small microphone to measure “intrusive noise”. This allows the software-based DNC filter to create an “optimal inverted sound wave” that reduces the noise up to 98 percent.
• User can select custom settings for different listening environments (e.g. airplane, bus/train, office etc)
• Turn on DNC feature even without listening to music for peace and quiet

Content

• Supports popular audio and video codecs including WMV files, AVC Baseline (H.264) and MPEG-4
• FM tuner
• Supports Slacker radio. When you’re near a Wi-Fi hotspot, content can be refreshed and buffered on the player
• Comes with Content Transfer software for easy drag and drop transfer of non-DRM music, videos, podcasts, and playlists etc

Other notable features:

• 33 hour battery life for music playback
• 9 hour battery life for video playback
• Wi-Fi support
• Internet web browser
• Subscribe and refresh podcasts
• Search/playback content on YouTube
• Related Links function when playing your favorite songs allows you to quickly search complementary content via YouTube
• Buttons for volume, play/pause, rewind/fast forward, lock, and noise cancelling

Not too shabby eh? Now let’s talk about availability and price. You can pre-order the new Walkman players now over at SonyStyle.com with models expected to ship in mid-June. As for pricing – it’s basically the same as iPod touch pricing. The 16GB NWZ- X1051 is priced at $299 while the 32GB NWZ- X1061 is priced at $399.

The question for all of you to decide is – do you get the iPod touch or do you get this Sony X-series Walkman. Right off the bat – the mere fact that the iPod touch has an incredibly diverse App Store gives the media player an edge over anyone else out there. So .. Sony – if you want to stay competitive, you’re either going to need to add many MANY more features or you’re going to need to price the X-series at an even lower price point down the road.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony X-series Walkman

If you’re a fan (and a customer) of Amazon Video On Demand, then you’ll be happy to hear that the company has added HD titles into the service mix. Customers will now be able to rent movie titles and purchase TV shows in HD format from a wide variety of networks and studios. There are currently over 500 HD TV show and movies from places such as Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Showtime Networks. In addition, Amazon also announced that their entire library of 40,000 titles (including HD titles) will now be available on Panasonic’s VIERA CAST enabled HDTV sets. Other devices compatible with the service include the Roku digital video player, TiVo Series3, HD, and HD XL DVRs, and the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link.

Using the aforementioned devices, customers will be able to rent HD movies for $3.99 to $4.99 a title. Customers will also be able to purchase HD quality TV shows for $2.99. Purchased shows can be watched on Macs, PCs, and other compatible media devices.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Amazon Video On Demand

Introduced back at CES 2009, Netgear announced today the worldwide availability of the Digital Entertainer Elite digital media player. The Digital Entertainer Elite (model EVA9150) has a built-in 500GB HDD, supports streaming of multimedia content from networked PCs and storage devices, and supports a wide variety of media file formats and online video providers.

The Digital Entertainer Elite isn’t tied to one specific platform as it works well with Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs as well as Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices.  The media player is also fully compatible with Netgear’s RangeMax family of wireless-N routers, Powerline and MoCA networking kits, as well as ReadyNAS storage solutions. Major features include the following:

• Support playback of video, audio, and digital images from your networked computers and storage devices onto your HDTV set
• Stream online media content directly to your HDTV
• 500GB HDD for additional content
• Supports USB flash drive, digital cameras, iPods and other USB storage deviecs
• Up-convert videos and photos to full 1080p via HDMI output
• Plays back unprotected DVD images stored on network and preserves menus, subtitles, and special features (big win here)
• Supports Windows Media DRM
• “Follow Me” feature allows you to pause a song or video from one room and continue from that point on in another room (assuming you had a Digital Entertainer Elite in both rooms)
• Push N Connect for easy Draft N wireless setup

The specs include:

• Wired LAN: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, RJ-45
• Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n dual-band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) at up to 300 Mbps‡
• Three internal dual-band meta-material antennas
• Hardware-based Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) 40/64-bit & 128-bit encryption
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK)
• Windows Media Player 11 Media Sharing
• SMB networking (includes Macintosh)

Format support includes:

• MP3 up to 320 Kbps or variable bit rate (VBR)
• WMA8 and WMA9 files up to 192 Kbps or variable bit rate (VBR)
• WMV9 up to 1080p (to 40 Mbps)
• Internet radio (streaming MP3)
• Video codecs: MPEG 1/2/4 SD; MPEG-2 HD HP@HL to 40 Mbps; MPEG-4 Part 2 HP@HL to 10 Mbps (Xvid); H.264 HP@HL 4.1, VC1/WMV9HD to 1080p 40 Mbps
• Video file formats: AVI, DivX, Xvid, WMV9, MOV, M4V, VOB, MPG, MP1, MP2, MP4, ISO, IFO, MKV (with AC3 only), TS, M2TS, PS
• Audio formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WMA-Pro, M4A, M4P, AC3, DTS Passthrough, PCM, LPCM, AIFF
• Photo formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
• Playlist formats: WPL, ASX, WAX, WVX, PLS, M3U, RMP

Input/Output includes:

• HDMI for A/V output
• RCA connector for composite video output
• RCA connectors for component video output (high-definition support)
• Digital audio output S/PDIF (coaxial/optical)
• Stereo RCA audio ports
• USB 2.0 mass storage interface
• 2x USB 2.0 port
• Ethernet port
• S-Video port
• SCART composite and RGB for regions that require it

The ability to play back DVD ISOs stored on a network drive is perhaps the single largest selling point for me. I currently store hundreds of MPEG2 movie files on the network and stream the content to a Windows Media Center Extender. However, in doing so, I lose menus and chapters etc. Streaming DVD ISOs would thereby eliminate this problem altogether (and create a new problem – the need for many more terabytes of network disk space).

You can pre-order the Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite now at Netgear’s website for $399.99.

Make sure to also check out our original CES 2009 coverage on the Elite.

[Check it out]

Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite, Digital Media Player

Here’s another digital media set-top box for your consideration – at least if you’re living in Europe. It’s called the BLOBbox and it’s by the folks at TVBLOB (I can’t help but say the “Blahbox”.. I kid). What makes BLOBbox a bit different from the myriad of other choices out there is its attempt to aggregate nearly everything into a single device. It’s a portal to online media content; it’s a TV tuner box (and a PVR thanks to the 160GB HDD inside); it’s a media player for local content; and it’s a way for you to make video calls to friends online.

As with most other media player platforms, the box is only the start of things. The core premise behind the BLOBbox is the TVBLOB service which provides access to online content such as videos, social networking websites, podcasts etc. TVBLOB claims the box isn’t a one way street either. Users can use the box/service to interact with individuals on the Internet- whether it’s through video calling/blogging or publishing content onto a website. We’ll see how well that goes of course (tho.. I must admit – it would be very cool if I could say video blog from my Xbox 360 webcam straight to my blog or something). Anyhow…

Device wise, the BLOBbox comes with dual DVB-T tuners, a built-in web browser for surfing the web, a 160GB internal hard drive for recording TV shows/events, a BitTorrent client, Podcast support, support for UPnP for streaming content from PC to the box, File uploader, and USB storage support.

For those of interested in the UI, here are snapshots:

According to DVICE.com, the BLOBbox will cost around $500 but is currently geared for the European market (though who knows – you might see this device in the crowded U.S. market too).

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: BLOBbox, TVBLOB

Because we clearly don’t have enough choices when it comes to watching digital content such as movies and television shows, there needs to be yet another vendor coming into this ever crowded space (yes, I’m being sarcastic here). That vendor would be ZillionTV Corporation and the new service is aptly called the ZillionTV service. The concept is pretty simple. Get the ZillionTV set-top box (which will be offered through ISPs – not cable companies mind you), connect it to your high speed Internet connection and to your TV set, and stream personalized digital content direct to your television set.

According to Mitchell Berman, CEO of ZillionTV Corporation, “ZillionTV is building a new television ecosystem grounded in partnerships spanning from powerhouse TV networks and Hollywood studios, to Visa, and major advertisers.” What does this exactly mean? ZillionTV is trying to develop a platform that will make everyone happy – and we really do mean everyone – from content providers (studio houses etc) to advertisers to end users. For content providers, ZillionTV gives them the opportunity to tailor their content to the end users out there. Content providers will be able to fine tune or tailor their content offerings based on information such as geography, demographics and psychographics. This very same information is also particularly useful for advertisers. Let’s face it, advertisers often take risks when they buy ads for specific time slots or TV shows. They never really if consumer they’re trying to target is indeed the one watching the show and advertisement. Plus they never really know what the exact interests are of the viewer. With ZillionTV, advertisers will be able to tap into rich collections of tracking information such as geographic locations, demographics, consumer spending habits, and consumer preferences. Finally, ZillionTV benefits to consumers are in the area of choice. Consumers can choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it, and how they want to watch it.

The first two make sense of course, but what exactly do I mean by “how they want to watch it?”.

Consumers will have several means to access content on ZillionTV. If you’re cheap like myself, then you can opt for free television content that’s ad-supported (think Hulu.com except probably more ads). Of course, don’t expect all of the content to be available through this medium. If you can’t find the show you want via the ad-supported channel or if you’re not a fan of ads, then you can opt to rent or buy to own the content.  Their major point – you don’t need a subscription for accessing online video content (a little poke at providers such as Netflix but.. then again, Netfix’s Watch Instantly service was an add-on to their existing DVD rental subscription service. You don’t actually pay for the Watch Instantly service per se).

Two major dings for me – All content will be streamed to the ZillionTV set-top box – there’s no concept of saving content to your local drive. This also means you better have a good broadband connection at home. The other ding? Content will be available initially in standard definition only. Come on.. how can you launch a new service not in HD?

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the service/set-top box is actually the Wii-like motion-sensing remote control. Users can wave the remote to navigate the user interface thanks to motion-sensing technology from Hillcrest Labs.

According to PC Magazine, ZillionTV hopes to have 15,000 pieces of content available through the service.  Prices will apparently be comparable with what you’d get via iTunes – $1.99 to $3.99 to rent a TV show or movie and prices around $7.99 to own a show. If you rent something, you’ll have a month to view it but once you do, you have 24 hours to finish.

There are still many unanswered questions of course. Which ISPs will offer the set-top box? How much will the box cost from these vendors (although ZillionTV does mention the box might be free to end users)? What content will be available in the ad-supported model?

Finally, I think ZillionTV is a wait and see service for now. There are just too many existing services and devices that offer similar if not identical services.

About the only interesting feature is the ad-supported content – but one has to wonder how many content providers will opt for this. Our guess is you’ll find a lot of older content available in the ad-supported model (which will be great if you’re into viewing older content). 

If the ad-supported model doesn’t appeal to you and you’re OK with renting or buying content, then one can’t help but wonder why anyone would do this on ZillionTV when they could easily do this on Apple TV, or the Xbox 360. I rent movies on both platforms and I definitely purchase TV shows on both platforms from time to time and I can’t think of a good reason to use ZillionTV or the existing devices. In addition, I can also transfer content purchased on Apple TV to my iPod/iPhone – something that just isn’t possible with ZillionTV.

Don’t get me wrong – I’d love to see ZillionTV succeed – especially with the ad-supported model. Yet, I can’t help but think that ZillionTV isn’t compelling enough of a service right now.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: ZillionTV

BrightSign HD110:

• For simple looping video playback
• Update content by inserting an SD card
• HD video
• HDMI and VGA connectivity
• Playlist support and looping media
• Zones with support for video, images, and text tickers

BrightSign HD410:

Builds on the HD110 features

• Supports interactive playlists
• GPIO (general purpose inputs and outputs) and serial ports for interactivity and control:

• button inputs
• lighting controls
• synchronization
• support for AMX, Quadravox and other control systems

BrightSign HD810:

Builds on the HD410 with features of:

• Component video support
• Expansion A/V Module support for more audio outputs and GPIO controls
• Touch screen and USB device interactivity
• USB speaker support
• Real-time clock for content playback scheduling
• Live video in a window via our USB video input accessory
• USB dongle content updates

BrightSign HD210:

Supports all the features of the HD110 and adds:

• Remote content updates
• Networked RSS feeds for news, weather and more
• Real-time reporting for ad playback confirmations
• Networking groups to target content updates
• Supports either BrightSign Simple Networking or BrightSign Network Manager
• World class security, authentication
• Redundancy and failsafe modes

BrightSign HD1010:

The HD1010 delivers all the features of the BrightSign family in a single product. This model rolls all the capabilities of our products into a single unit.

• Comprehensive and customizable interactive controls
• Fully featured zones
• Synchronization and scheduling
• Wi-Fi networking
• Facilities for live video feeds

All five models support a variety of media formats including MPEG-4 part 10/H.264 and prices for the five models range from $285 to $650.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Roku, BrightSign Player, Digital Signage

ViewSonic announced two new displays today – the CD4230 ultra-thin bezel commercial display and the VTMS2431 LCD HDTV with multimedia support. Both panels will join ViewSonic’s digital signage family and will be on display at the Digital Signage Expo. Here’s what you need to know about each model:

ViewSonic CD4230:

• Measures 13.77m thin
• 42 inch commercial display
• 500 nits of brightness
• 1500:1 contrast ratio
• RS-232 daisy chain capable
• DVI and VGA port
• VESA mount compatible with carrying handles

ViewSonic VTMS2431:

• ViewSonic’s first LCD HDTV with internal media player
• 24 inch display
• 1080p resolution
• Integrated ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner
• USB port
• RS-232 port allows users to control it remotely

Now as far as availability is concerned, both panels will be coming out in the second quarter with the CD4230 priced at around $1999 and the VTMS2431 priced at $449.

Technorati Tags: ViewSonic, CD4230, VTMS2431

Information is somewhat scarce for the ADM-555H but here’s what we know thus far about the media player. It’s supposedly a high definition multimedia player that connects to your HDTV set via an HDMI connection. File format decoding support includes MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, Xvid, MKV, WMV9, VC-1, H.264, MP3, WMA, WAV, and OGG. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a product page yet for the ADM-555H.

What I found even more interesting was the BitTorrent Media Player (BT-BOX). This white, non-descript box (to the right) allows users to enjoy media downloaded from the Net using BitTorrent. Features include a friendly user interface, extensive file format support (including RM/RMVB, WMV, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, H.264, MKV, Avi, Asf, Vob, etc), 720p/1080i support, HDMI output, and Ethernet jack.

No word on who will actually release these products

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Alpha Networks, Media Players, Bittorrent media player, HD media player

Ah the Roku Player – the little player that could. First the player delivered  Netflix streaming direct to the television set at an affordable price.  Then it received a 720p HD upgrade a few weeks back that allowed it to stream HD videos from Netflix. Now, Zatz Not Funny is reporting that Roku is privately testing a new beta software update that will bring Amazon Video On Demand support to the player. If all goes well, the support will be rolled out in version 2.0 of the software update. Not too bad for a $99 dollar player.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Roku Player, Amazon Video On Demand

Here’s a growing trend among storage manufactures. Have storage products, will carry multimedia players too. We’ve seen this with Western Digital, Netgear, and of course Iomega. Iomega had two of their latest multimedia players on display at CES 2009 – the ScreenPlay Pro HD Multimedia Drive with 1.0 TB of disk space and the hard-drive-less ScreenPlay TV Link device.  The ScreenPlay Pro HD Multimedia Drive is the company’s high end, networked multimedia player with a built-in 1.0 TB hard drive, while the ScreenPlay TV Link is an inexpensive media player without a built-in hard drive.

Here’s a quick summary of features for the two products.

For the Iomega ScreenPlay Pro HD Multimedia Drive, you get:

• Connects to your home network
• Store and access videos, music, and photo collections
• Browse the network for media
• Record SD video from camera, cable box, or VCR with one-touch capture record button
• Supports native HD
• Audio Formats – MP3, WMA, OGG Vorbis, DTS, AAC, AIFF, PCM, M4A, AC3, WAV
• Video Formats – MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (HL/ML), .MPEG-4 (part 2, ASP), DivX (3.11, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x, HD), Xvid, AVI, mov, iso, vob, mp4, mkv
• Photo Formats – JPEG and BMP
• SCART, HDMI, Composite Video, Component Video, Coaxial S/PDIF output
• Video upscale to 1080i
• Supports USB Wi-Fi dongle
• Available for $299.99

For the ScreenPlay TV Link device, you get the following:

• Compact, affordable multimedia player
• Connect a USB hard drive formatted in either NTFS or FAT32
• Video upscale to 1080i via HDMI
• Energy efficient
• includes remote control
• Audio Formats – MP3, AC3 (Dolby® Digital Encoding), WMA, WAV, OGG
• Video Formats – MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI/VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI/DiVX 3.11, 4.x, 5.x/XViD)
• Photo Format – JPEG
• HDMI, Composite Video, Component Video
• Measures 3.26 x 3.07 x .78 inches and weighs 0.22 lbs
• Available for $99.95.

Technorati Tags: Iomega, ScreenPlay TV Link, ScreenPlay Pro HD Multimedia Drive, CES 2009

Looking to expand their presence in the digital media player market, Netgear demonstrated two new players at CES 2009 – the Netgear Internet TV Player (model ITV2000) and the Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite (model EVA9150). The Internet TV Player is a small compact device focused on delivering Internet content directly to the home big screen TV while the larger Digital Entertainer Elite caters the advanced media enthusiasts with large collections of digital content at home.

Here’s what you need to know about Netgear Internet TV Player.  Using the form factor of a small Netgear switch, the ITV2000 has the following features and specs:

• Ideal for individuals who enjoy online video
• Streams content from popular sites such as BBC.com, CNN.com, ESPN.com, EuroSport.com, NBC.com, PGATour, TMZ.com, YouTube, Google Videos, Yahoo Videos and MetaCafe
• Supports streaming of live TV broadcasts from Internet sites around the world
• Supports premium, paid movies delivered on-demand from sites such as CinemaNow.com
• Supports downloaded videos using BitTorrent
• VTap video search for intelligent search of Internet videos – target video sites by country, topic of interest, person, or popular website
• Supports playback of video, music, and photos through a connected USB flash drive or through Netgear ReadyNAS storage solutions
• Expected during the summer of 2009 for a price of $199

Below are pictures of the device. Note the demo uses a prototype unit on the right to power the display. The final form factor for the ITV2000 will be in the middle (or left in the second picture).

For those of you with large collections of digital content at home, Netgear will be rolling out the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150). This component styled device features a built-in, user-upgradeable 500GB hard drive, playback support for a wide variety of digital file formats, support for 1080p video playback, and support for Internet delivered content.

First, here are the supported file formats (and it’s an impressive list):

• Video formats: AVI, DivX, Xvid WMV, MOV, M4V, MP4, VOB, MPG, MP1, MP2, MP4, ISO, IFO, MKV, TS and M2TS;
• Audio formats: MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, WMA-Pro, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, LPCM, Dolby AC3 5.1 stereo downmix, Dolby AC3 5.1 passthrough, DTS 5.1 passthrough, Dolby TrueHD Downmix, Dolby+ Passthrough and DTS-HD Master Audio passthrough;
• Subtitle formats: SUB, SRT, SMI, SAMI, TXT and DVD Subpicture; and,
• Video codecs: MP1, MP2, MP4, Xvid, VC-1/WMV-9, H.264 and OpenDivX.

Yes – the player will indeed play back full ISO images of DVDs – AND preserve the menus, chapters, and subtitles. Awesome stuff! AND yes, it supports MKV files too.

Other features and specs include:

• Two USB ports allowing you to connect USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPod, or other USB storage device
• Play files stored on PC, Mac, or from Network Attached Storage device
• Streams media directly from Internet sites
• Upconverts video to full 1080p HD via HDMI
• Three Netgear RangeMax internal metamaterial antennas and Dual-Band wireless 802.11n
• Sigma Designs 8635 processor
• Several Digital Entertainer Elites can work in the same home – pause video in one room allows you to pick it up in the same location in another room
• Support for Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
• Energy efficient power supply and automatic power saving mode consumes as little as 0.01 watts
• Expected in February for a price of $399

Technorati Tags: Netgear, Internet TV Player, ITV2000, Digitial Entertainer Elite, EVA9150, CES 2009

It looks like Netgear has a new digital media player up its sleeves. Submitted for approval by the FCC, Netgear is expected to announce the Digital Entertainer Elite media player at the upcoming CES 2009 in Las Vegas. Judging from the specs alone, the Digital Entertainer Elite looks to have it all. Not only does this unit decode practically every format known to man, the media player also supports DRM protected Apple content via iTunes on the PC!

You can stream content from PCs or Macs via wired or wireless networking (it even supports Draft-N Wi-Fi), or you can slide in a 3.5 inch SATA HDD for local playback of media files.

While the specs and instruction manual sure look promising, one has to wonder whether the user interface will be ..well usable. A GUI can make or break the entire product so here’s hoping that Netgear got it right with the Digital Entertainer Elite.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite media player