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Posts with tag hd streaming

D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected media streamer now shipping in the U.S.

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 12:05AM


The D-Link MediaLounge DSM-330 is finally shipping to U.S. media streaming heads fiending for its 1080p upconverting, Divx/Xvid streaming abilities, although our excitement is dimmed a bit by all the competition that's popped up since we first laid eyes on the GejBox, and Stage6 falling by the wayside certainly doesn't help. That said, DivX has been on an upswing as of late, so the launch of its first Connected hardware couldn't come a moment to soon. Unfortunately MKV support isn't part of the package yet, but for $299 it does handle quite a few formats. Interested U.S. buyers should be able to find out if it matches up to Popcorn Hour's A-100 now, with Canadian distribution following shortly. Check after the break for the press release and the rest of the details.

Continue reading D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected media streamer now shipping in the U.S.

Mvix's MX-780HD wireless HD media streamer gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 9:05PM


If you've been putting off that impending HD media streamer purchase, you may have waited just long enough to find the one you'll be picking up "next week." Mvix's MX-780HD wireless HD media streamer was recently reviewed over at TweakTown, and aside from a few minor gripes, critics were overwhelmingly pleased with its performance. So much, in fact, that they stated the unit could actually take the place of a dedicated HTPC. All in all, the only thing really holding this format-lovin', HDMI-packin' device from approaching media streaming stardom is the relatively lofty price tag ($320), but if that figure is well within your budget, it seems the MX-780HD is a pretty safe bet.

CoAir: world's first UWB chipset with wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 8:47AM

Sigma Designs has been dabbling in wireless HD technologies for eons, so we aren't going to get too excited until we see this here system-on-chip (SoC) actually hit some products that we care about. Still, the CoAir is a fairly sweet concept, wrapping integrated wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet capabilities into one single chip aimed at whole home networking. Put simply (or as simply as possible), this chip is the world's first to "simultaneously deliver multiple independent streams of video and data over coax cable, Ethernet cable and wirelessly without compromising quality of service and throughput." Based on the WiMedia standard, it can reach speeds of up to 480Mbps with UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless streaming, and room-to-room linkage via UWB-over-coax can peg those same rates. What we have here is a great basis for building a whole home server on, but until said device emerges and performs flawlessly, we'll just smile and carry on.

Aztech's WL850MS wireless HD media streamer gets detailed

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 18th 2008 at 4:56PM


Believe it or not, Aztech's WL850MS was actually first mentioned way back at CES 2008, but it's just now finding the limelight at CommunicAsia. The well-spec'd unit supports 1080p media streaming over Ethernet or 802.11n WiFi, and you'll likely be thrilled to know that it boasts MIMO antennas for extended coverage and 2.4GHz / 5GHz dual-band capability. You'll also find four 10/100 Ethernet ports for multiple video recipients and a pretty swank enclosure, if we may say so ourselves. Word from Singapore has the unit retailing for around $263, but there's no telling how long we'll have to wait before seeing it on US soil.

HP MediaSmart Connect brings digital media to your HDTV

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 12:41AM


Yeah, you may be burning that midnight oil, but your weariness isn't the reason you're certain you've seen this thing before. Touted at CES as the MediaSmart Receiver, the re-dubbed MediaSmart Connect is finally available for pre-order. Just as we heard before, this unit takes full advantage of Extender for Windows Media Center technology, and although it possesses no internal storage space, it will pull in digital media from around your home (and a variety of online media outlets) and pipe it straight to your HDTV. The unit plays nice with other UPnP- and DLNA-compliant devices and includes 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, an Ethernet port, HDMI / component jacks and support for MPEG2/4, DivX, XviD, WMV, MP3, WMA, AAC, JPEG and BMP files (among others). Prospective buyers can get their order in today for $349.

Conceptronic ships Grab 'n GO Full HD media streamer

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 9:10AM

In the quickly-growing realm of media streamers, there's at least a modicum of a chance that Conceptronic's oddly titled Grab 'n GO Full HD media player has slipped from the forefront of your mind. If so, the outfit is gunning to jar your memory by announcing that it is now shipping said piece to eager consumers. The release also noted that SAMBA and NFS clients have been added, and it's pretty much ready to "stream all digital media files to a TV in Full HD 1080p resolution." Furthermore, you'll find a gigabit Ethernet jack to handle all that data, and the built-in USB port enables external storage to be added locally. Sorry, still no price.

[Thanks, KJ]

Ask Engadget HD: What's the best HD media streamer?

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 12:00PM


C'mon, we all know having a movie set-top-box alongside your HD DVR, AV receiver, VHS deck (hey, you never know!) and tip jar still isn't enough to truly clutter up your space, so how's about a media streamer thrown in for good measure? Take a listen at this:

"These days, there are just too many HD media streamers out there to simply pick one and live with it. I've seen great reviews from Popcorn Hour's unit, and the MediaGate options don't look half bad either. I'm not really interested in WiFi streaming (though it would be nice) -- I'm mainly concerned with performance and cost. What would your readers recommend?"

We know you've certainly had time to play with and / or purchase a streamer of your own (right?), so why not take a moment of your lunch break and tell this guy -- and everyone else listening in -- what you think of yours. Consider it your good deed for the day.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

D-Link introduces DXN-221 Coax Ethernet Adapter Kit

by Darren Murph, posted May 28th 2008 at 9:56AM

D-Link's no stranger to HD streaming, and the outfit is proving that it's still got game by announcing the Coax Ethernet Adapter Kit. The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA)-certified package consists of two DXN-220 adapters, each of which boast coaxial F-type connectors and an Ethernet port meant to give internet / network access to various rooms without worry over wireless connections flaking out on you. As you can tell, this one was designed to expand home networks without requiring any additional wiring (if you're pre-wired for cable, that is), and being that it operates in the 800MHz to 1,500MHz range, there won't be any interference with cable TV transmissions or the like. The DXN-221 kit -- which includes a pair of the aforementioned adapters -- will be available in Q3 for $199.99, while individual adapters can be purchased for $109.99 apiece.

MediaGate's wireless HD MG-450HD media server now shipping

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 6:25PM

Apparently MediaGate heard the "What? No HD?" cries from you folks during yesterday's PC-on-TV DPG-1200 shipment announcement, as it has just opened up the flood gates and allowed its MG-450HD entertainment server to start filtering out to end users. If you'll recall, this wireless HD media streamer can also play on wired networks and with USB devices such as digicams and flash drives, and you'll also find HDMI, composite, S-Video and component video outputs to complement the stereo L / R, optical / coaxial digital and analog 5.1-channel audio ports. Of course, you'll be asked to provide your own internal hard drive, but considering that it managed to shed $20 from its initial price tag (down to $229 now), it's still squarely in bargain territory.

[Via SlipperyBrick]

Iomega's 500GB ScreenPlay HD multimedia drive touts HDMI

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 9th 2008 at 1:56PM


As the multimedia hard drive market continues to quietly swell in the shadows, Iomega is making sure it keeps pace with the competition by giving its long-standing ScreenPlay HD a few attractive extras. The unit has certainly come a long ways since its 60GB days, now packing a full half-terabyte of space, an HDMI port and component / composite connections to boot. Furthermore, the drive understands WAV, WMA, MPEG-1/2/4, MP3, OGG, AC3, AVI, DivX, XviD and JPEG file formats, upconverts SD content to 720p / 1080i and even comes bundled with a remote to keep your hindquarters firmly planted. Not too shabby for $218.45, but just make sure you've got a place laid out to hide this thing from straying eyes.

[Via EverythingUSB]

Poll: Do you stream HD media around your home?

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 15th 2008 at 12:00PM


Here recently, we've seen quite an outpouring of HD media streamers, not to mention a fresh report suggesting that 33 million homes will be HD streaming by 2012. Judging by the comments we've seen, it seems as if whirling HD media around one's domicile is all the rage. Still, we're hesitant to believe that the bulk of techies have really bit the bullet and invested in said technology -- particularly when wireless streaming is still so finicky. Still, we're interested in seeing if you've bought in, and if so, what your experience has been like. You know the drill, exercise that right to vote below (and feel free to elaborate in comments)!

Do you stream HD media around your home?

VidaBox brings HD DVD / Blu-ray storage and streaming to Media Servers

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 14th 2008 at 11:52AM


Although Toshiba itself has walked away from HD DVD, it seems that some companies are still giving users the option to never let go (and understandably so). VidaBox is one such outfit, which has just announced that it's bringing Blu-ray and HD DVD storage and streaming capabilities to its growing list of Media Servers. According to the firm, "unencrypted titles can be copied onto a VidaBox server, and then streamed to VidaBox extenders." Interestingly, that's about where the details end, but feel free to peep the full release in the read link below.

33 million US homes could stream HD media in 2012

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 10th 2008 at 12:55AM


Considering that NSR thinks that we'll have access to 900 HD channels via satellite by 2012, we're not exactly sure why we'll even need to download high-def media in four years. All jesting aside, a recent report put forth by Parks Associates suggests that around 33 million US households will have 10Mbps+ broadband by 2012, essentially enabling an equal amount of homes to easily stream high-definition video. At the end of 2007, just 5.7 million -- or nine-percent of broadband-enabled domiciles -- had such speeds. Granted, just because speeds creep up doesn't mean that consumers will soon be ditching their packaged media and resorting to streams, but with cable companies gearing up for DOCSIS 3.0 rollouts, we'd say these figures aren't too far fetched.

[Via US News]

Mvix intros MX-780HD wireless HD media streamer

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 29th 2008 at 3:01PM


Maybe it's just us, but here recently it feels as if there's been quite the outpouring of HD media streamers. Next up is Mvix's MX-780HD, which doesn't innovate much in the design department, but does include space for your own HDD along with support for wired Ethernet or 802.11b/g/n WiFi. Best of all, you'll find 1080p output via HDMI, and there's file support for DivX, XviD, AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF, AAC, OGG, AC3, MP3, WMA, JPEG and lots, lots more. There's also component outs and coaxial / optical audio ports, but we're still teetering on whether that cute LCD on the front makes this thing a bargain at $299.99.

[Via Unplggd]

Popcorn Hour's Networked Media Tank gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 27th 2008 at 1:31PM


We'll be honest with you -- we haven't seen a dedicated media streamer get this much attention, well, ever. Nevertheless, Popcorn Hour's (apparently hard-to-get) Networked Media Tank / A-100 has been utilized for a month over at Networking Audio / Video's labs, and the take away is that it pretty much is just as impressive as expected. Aside from the lackluster interface and ho hum music playback, the unit appeared to perform admirably. BitTorrent integration was top shelf, video playback was impeccable and fetching content from nearly anywhere was a breeze. 'Course, we'd recommend poring over the review in its entirety before plunking down your $179, but things are certainly looking good from up top.




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