Insignia's Infocast Internet Media Display, the Dash-aping Chumby frame, now available

A week back we got word that Best Buy house brand Insignia was moving in on Dash territory with the eight-inch, 800 x 600 Infocast Internet Media Display, and that it'd be releasing on June 20. Sure enough it's now available online, and is also sitting on a shelf at every local store we checked, meaning this is perhaps the quickest and easiest way to get your cuddle-free Chumby on. At $169 it's $30 less than the Dash, meaning it makes a little more sense than Sony's option, but whether or not it's actually good value depends on just how smart you need your alarm clock to be.

[Thanks, Josh L.]

[Xoltol Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:05AM]

Advanced Alarm Clock... Heck yea.

[Dig Deep Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:09AM]

@Xoltol

Funny thing is I was just thinking about what the best tech'd out alarm clock options are out there. I mean I know I could buy a dedicated iPhone for an "alarm clock" Or a 65 inch lcd but I'm talking about the realm of what the alarm clock should only do. For 169$ it's too much for me. I'd spend maybe 99$ on a tricked out "alarm clock". Maybe.

I guess that's a dedicated iPhone/iPod now isn't it...?

[Seiche Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:18AM]

@Dig Deep
Agreed. You might as well get an iPod touch with a stand. It`s an alarm clock you can take out the door with you. Plus it doubles as a skype phone.

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:27AM]

@Dig Deep

The Chumby One fits that bill to the "T"

[StraightUp Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:35PM]

@Xoltol
It's just the wave of the future...

Every company wants a piece of hardware so they can have their own App Store.

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:53PM]

@StraightUp
But unlike brand X (rhymes with frapple); the Chumby apps/widgets are all F-R-Double E...

[Makali Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:14AM]

I have a chumby its the best clock I wouldn't mind another one heading to bby

[juanvaldez Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:18AM]

IIRC Sony inked some content that they had to pay for before launching (Netflix? Others?), also I think it has a better UI. So, without seeing either in person, I'd say that these will have subjective value and it's going to far as to which would make "a little more sense" especially when I'd trust the Sony name more (though I say that figuring that someone prominent probably manufacture's Insignia)

[Eb101 Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:20AM]

Haha great just what I need!

[Spiky haired boy Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:21AM]

Now I'll never get out of bed!

[Templarian Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:26AM]

I love these things. Chumby's little integration and features are so nice. Haven't tried out this new one, but looks nice.

[Hurting Now Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:34AM]

Does this have the netflix player like the Sony Dash does?

[SSD Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:38AM]

A review of the three units would be highly appreciated.

[savagemike Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:38AM]

This is currently about $140 over priced to be considered for actual purchase.

[Calijoefornia Posted Jun 21st 2010 10:00AM]

The designated subfolder for clock apps is a major selling point to me. I'll take two, as long as I can download all the clocks I want.

[Good Idea Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:00AM]

Jeez, put a couple more feet of bezel on there, would ya? That's not enough...

[FJKB Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:07PM]

Does it have Netflix? That is one of the main reasons I have considered the Sony unit. For the approx $20.00 (no sales tax on Sony) difference I would prefer Sony name and Netflix. Also can not help but think that the Sony will bring me at least $50.00 more on Ebay in 6 months when the newer better version comes out.

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:55PM]

@FJKB
I think the Dash is locked down compared to the Infocast (USB boot, certain apps and so on); plus I hear the Infocast can support UPnP enough to stream photos from your NAS/PC/Server.

[blackacex222 Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:02PM]

These will never really sell much until they are at least

[exvaxman Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:03PM]

The Dash is locked down - you cannot hack it. However, it is a decent little netflix player. Internet radio with it sucks though. I picked up one of the insignia units yesterday and I am pretty satisfied - it allows for hacking, does a decent job of internet radio with the enclosed apps, Seems to be much faster than a chumby,and is supposed to be able to play MP4 files (I have not gotten the encoding scheme correct yet). A big advantage is that it takes most any type of memory card. So now I have a Sony dash on the nightstand for Netflix, clock, etc, and this for radio and chumby apps. The wife has her chumby and the chumby that used to be on my nightstand has been given to the kid.

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:21PM]

@exvaxman
Have you tried pulling picture off your network with it yet? For example, can it see and access "My Pictures" on a XP box?
TIA

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:24PM]

@exvaxman
Have you tried to pull pictures off your network with it? For exmaple, can it see and access the "My Pictures" folder on a XP box?
TAI

[exvaxman Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:30PM]

@Burkhardi -
I have not tried as of yet - but here is a link to Chumby tricks that might cover it.

http://wiki.chumby.com/mediawiki/index.php/Chumby_tricks

I was able to see media servers on the network, did not try anything with pictures.

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:45PM]

@exvaxman
Off to BB, thanks for the info and help!

[Burkhardi Posted Jun 22nd 2010 9:04AM]

@Burkhardi
got it, love it!
Nice UI, I like it better then the Chumby's
The unit looks better in person. the black plastic look cheesy in the picture above, but I think it looks good in real like. Yes, the bezel is a tad large, but not too bad; they pull it off well.

[exvaxman Posted Jun 22nd 2010 9:52AM]

@Burkhardi
Glad you like it! They did do a decent job.Too bad it is sold at BB though :)

[TimeHunter Posted Jun 22nd 2010 10:48PM]

Yeah, but just to beat the bezel, it has some serious junk in the trunk!

http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/9854/9854795cv2a.jpg

Still tempting me though.

[TimeHunter Posted Jun 22nd 2010 10:49PM]

And not available at the BB that is closest to me. I'll have to drive an extra couple miles.