2Wire's announced a 7-inch square set-top box designed to "bridge television and the internet." Called MediaPoint, it seems to be
nearly identical to every
media streamer we've seen -- it will multitask as a digital media player that delivers HD video and access streaming media on your home network via broadband. The box will boast HDMI ouput, WiFi, USB expansion, UPnP and DLNA compatibility. Sounds unbelievably enticing, right? Well, unlike most
media streamers, you'll have to buy MediaPoint through a broadband service provider which will distribute the boxes under their own branding, and you'll presumably have to pay a subscription fee -- hopefully so you can enjoy some WWE Raw. Wow! So a product that's pretty much the same as a bunch of things that already exist, but we get to deal with a cable / internet service provider? Sounds fun, where do we sign up? They're expected to be available "very soon" though there's no word on pricing plans for the box or the subscriptions.
[Via
Electronista]
posted November 11th 2008 7:01AM
Excellent.
I think you've been spending too much time around Mr Burns, Homer.
Smell my apathy!
2wire's products are actually pretty good looking, and from what I've seen from their modems they're also pretty stable. Only problem is they're locked down tight, no sshing into any of their products as far as I can tell.
These guys are psychic!
They knew that what I wanted most was to pay another subscription for a service and media box that I don't need, during the greatest credit crunch ever and right at the start of a major recession!
Did I mention I was currently jobless too?
.... I just HAVE to have one of these things NOW!
WWE sucks ass.
RIP WWF Attitude era, I miss you...
sing it girlfriend
But how will you afford it if you don't have a job ITRanger?
Sarcasm is my currency :-)!
I wonder if 2Wire is looking to supplement ATT's U-Verse set tops as they already provide the gateway for the service?
I don't know why they would do that. The boxes they already have distributed at capable of MediaShare (If U-Verse were to enable it).
Seems like an interesting product. I'm not sure how comfortable I feel about buying the box through my cable/'Net provider, though. I'd rather have more freedom of choice - but maybe that's not entirely possible when the box needs to work with the provider's system.
Update! Offered via blockbuster and you don't have to be a blockbuster subscriber to download movies from them. $99 get you the player and 25 downloadable movies for starters: http://www.blockbuster.com/ondemand