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mediaserver posts

QNAP ships NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:58PM

It sure took 'em long enough, but QNAP has finally come around and delivered its NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player here in the States. If you'll recall, we actually toyed around with one way back at CeBIT, and while those camped out in Osaka have been enjoying the spoils for months now, the Yanks in attendance have been forced to wait. According to QNAP, the DLNA-compliant media streamer is now shipping in America, though a quick look around our favorite web stores has turned up nothing. We're sure that'll be remedied in short order, though.

[Via HotHardware]

Gallery: QNAP ships NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player

Seagate launches FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, we go hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 9:39AM

Remember when Seagate introduced its Betamax-esque FreeAgent Theater HD way back at CES this year? Of course not -- you were locked onto the Palm Pre keynote. At any rate, the next generation of that very device somehow made it through the product development stage and now sits in our very hands, and we have to say, it's no more modern in person than it is in press shots. Equipped with the usual assortment of ports (HDMI, component, composite, Toslink, Ethernet and two USB) ports, the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gets all of its content from a FreeAgent Go USB 2.0 hard drive (sold separately or in a bundle) or whatever you shove into those USB sockets. You can count on 1080p output and a pretty standard UI, and while it's wired-or-die right now, Seagate's hoping to pop out a USB WiFi adapter ($69.99) for it next month.

We've yet to really put this player through its paces, but we can say for sure that it's not made for abuse. The mostly-plastic box is staggeringly light, and one drop from atop your AV rack could lead to utter disaster. Furthermore, this is really only useful for those wound tightly around Seagate's finger; the bulk of its functionality relies on having a FreeAgent USB drive at your disposal, and if you've selected any other portable HDD, you'll have to deal with connecting it the old fashion way and ditching the "clean look." At $149.99 sans an HDD, it's one of the cheaper options on the market, but it still can't beat Popcorn Hour's heralded lineup when it comes to value and format support. Those looking for an all-in-one deal can opt for the $289.99 bundle, which throws in a 500GB FreeAgent Go drive. Have a look at retro exemplified in the gallery below.

Gallery: Seagate launches FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, we go hands-on

Spark's egg-shaped VTube media player won't fit neatly in your AV rack

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 9:16AM

Much like Sony's PlayStation 3, Spark's VTube clearly wasn't designed to sit nicely in-between a 7.1-channel AV receiver and a cable set-top-box. Engineered in some backwoods lab about 30 kilometers south of Shenzhen, the so-called VTube looks to be a pretty standard media player outside of its unorthodox design. The unit packs HDMI / component / composite video outputs, an Ethernet jack and a Toslink optical audio output, and those who dig internal storage can slap a 2.5-inch HDD within to keep those old Office clips handy. Predictably, it also supports pretty much every file format known to man, and the built-in USB port ensures that you can add external storage if need be. It'll only run you around $130, but the chances of seeing this on US soil are slim.

[Via Cloned In China]

PlayOn for Wii beta to be announced tomorrow

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 25th 2009 at 2:46PM

We know that some of you streaming media fanatics have been indulging in this one for the better part of a month already, but just in case: tomorrow the kids at MediaMall officially announce the beta release of PlayOn for Wii. The software license runs $39.99, but there is a 14-day free trial -- so you can see for yourself whether or not it makes sense to tie up your console with re-runs of CSI: Miami when you could be better off shakin' your groove thing to Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party. Hit the read link and decide for yourself.

[Via New York Times]

PlayOn media server now serving Wii customers (in beta, anyway)

by Darren Murph posted Jul 30th 2009 at 2:49AM

We knew good and well that the fine folks over at MediaMall were toiling away in an attempt to bring internet TV content from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN and a host of other sources to Nintendo's white-hot Wii, but there's just nothing like hearing that intentions have become reality. Based on an email from MediaMall support to a particularly curious user, the "latest version of PlayOn includes a beta version of Wii functionality in it." Naturally, the company's doing its darnedest to keep this under wraps for now, but we're eager to get legions of Wii users testing it out and reporting back with performance evaluations. The note does mention that quality will be lower than on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 due to the inherit hardware limitations on Nintendo's baby, but hey, you knew that going in, right? Hop on past the break for the letter in its entirety, which includes instructions on getting this going on your console.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Continue reading PlayOn media server now serving Wii customers (in beta, anyway)

Linksys announces WRT160NL Linux-powered media sharing router

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 1:27PM

Do you have some media to share with yourself (or with those in close vicinity)? The Linksys Wireless N Storage Router is a sleek and sexy refresh of the tried and true Wireless G, throwing in external R-SMA antenna connectors, USB connectivity (for your fave external drive) and an integrated media server. This bad boy can stream to PCs or UPnP AV digital media adapters, and it supports FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems in both read and write mode. Available now for $109.99.

The plan for legit Blu-ray copies explained at Engadget HD

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 19th 2009 at 8:58PM

For those with a disc rack full of Blu-ray packages and who'd like to shove all those optical discs to the attic for a streamlined media server solution -- without resorting to other routes like downloading or cracking open AACS -- Managed Copy is finally on the way, thanks to the just finalized AACS specification, to offer an authorized option for making a copy of your Blu-ray disc. We had a nice long talk with gatekeepers AACS-LA about what to expect when compatible Blu-ray hardware arrives in 2010 and Managed Copy-enabled discs begin shipping later this year; for more details like how many copies can be made, how the DRM works and how much this might cost head over to Engadget HD and see what it all means, and hopefully when we can put away our discs for the last time in favor of a Blu-ray Jukebox.

ASUS to introduce O!Play media player at Computex

by Darren Murph posted May 30th 2009 at 5:41PM

Wait, what's this? ASUS diving head first into the HD media streamer game? Based on images and details acquired by Hardware, we'd say chances are looking pretty good. Reportedly, the aforementioned outfit will showcase its very own media player at Computex next week in Taiwan, and our expectations are already fairly lofty. The O!Play (codename HDP-R1) is said to be a fair bit quicker than competing models, and the file compatibility list is also worthy of laud. Port wise, this one's packing eSATA, USB, HDMI, stereo audio jacks, optical digital audio, Ethernet and an AC port. If all goes well, we could see this little bugger in European stores by July, with a price tag pegged at €119 ($168). Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if that price nets you an internal HDD, but we'll find out for sure soon enough.

[Via The Inquirer]

HP's MediaSmart Server LX195 reviewed: impressive, but flawed

by Darren Murph posted May 26th 2009 at 9:51AM

After being introduced to the world late last month, we've heard little else about HP's lower-end MediaSmart Server LX195... until now, obviously. This little media streamer made its way into the HotHardware labs for a little Q&A, and it managed to escape with lots of praise, a mild amount of criticism and a price tag that'll likely be too steep for most to swallow. As for performance and features, the LX195 was found to shine; the Media Collector, iTunes server and Time Machine backup functionality all worked great. Unfortunately, the "endless loop of updates" seen during the initial setup and the lack of an April update -- which was sent out to the EX series last month -- left somewhat of a bitter taste in reviewers mouths. Overall, the system delivered and worked as advertised, but the $360 to $400 street price is apt to turn all but the hardest of hardcore HP fans away, not to mention that the aforesaid EX update (which will hit the LX195 this fall) will require users to completely wipe their HDD and start over from scratch. Check the read link for the full writeup.

Okoro debuts new rack-mountable RK Series media servers

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 20th 2009 at 5:34PM

Rack-mounted media servers aren't exactly for everybody, but those looking to really go all out with their home theater may want to consider one of Okoro's new RK Series models, which boast some base specs that are sure to make almost anyone a little envious. That includes an Intel Core i7 processor, an 80GB SSD OS drive, a minimum 2TB of additional storage, at least 6GB of RAM, a built-in Blu-ray drive, multiple CableCARD TV tuners, and full support for multi-zone audio controllable from a UMPC or MID, among other equally high-end specs. Naturally, pricing appears to be on a need to know basis, but Okoro will throw in a free Quantum of Solace Blu-ray with each system -- which we're sure will be just the thing to push folks over the edge.

Tranquil's AVA RS5 is an all-in-one 5 bay server with Blu-ray burner, for a hefty fee

by Ross Miller posted Mar 27th 2009 at 3:21AM

Tranquil's latest storage, the AVA RS5, has a pretty useful trick up its sleeve. While this five-bay drive system looks nearly identical to the company's previous SQA-5H home server -- and indeed, we've got the same dual core Atom 330 processor here -- it's also packing a disc drive that rips content straight to memory without needing to be attached to a PC. Music CDs are converted to high quality MP3s in about four minutes, and DVD and Blu-ray discs are straight copied over. Base price is £868 ($1,254) for a DVD burner and five 1TB 3.5-inch Western Digital Green Power SATA HDDs, but you can upgrade to a Blu-ray burner for £390 ($563) or up to five 2TB drives for a total of £377 ($544) extra -- yeah, it's a little pricey, but if this box is tickling your fancy, shipping starts April 20.

SmartQ introduces HDTV Player, lets it explain itself

by Darren Murph posted Mar 17th 2009 at 8:41PM

Generally speaking, SmartQ has stuck to what it's best at -- mediocre portable media players -- without deviating an inch. Finally, someone at the company conjured up enough courage to take a risk, and we think the outcome is pretty decent. The simply titled and not-at-all-confusing HDTV Player is the firm's very first set-top-box, which aims to play back a litany of high-definition files on one's HDTV. As predicted, the box offers up an HDMI 1.3 port for getting all that lovely 720p+ content onto your screen, and there's also a pair of USB 2.0 ports for connecting external HDDs and the like. Beyond that, details are astonishingly sparse, but we get the feeling it'll be quite some time (read: forever) before this thing floats far from the shores of Asia.

[Via MP4Nation]

QNAP intros NMP1000 network media player, we go hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Mar 4th 2009 at 10:40AM

While swinging by QNAP's CeBIT booth to check out its array of recently launched NAS devices, we happened upon a demonstration that was showcasing a brand new device: the NMP1000. Short for Network Multimedia Player, this set-top-box is pretty much like every other HD media streamer already out there, as it connects to networked storage and pipes out audio and video content to one's TV via a customized user interface. What we saw looked pretty slick, even though it was inexplicably connected to the LG display via S-Video. As for specs, it's boasting a Sigma Designs SMP8635 processor, 256MB of DDR RAM, room for one 3.5-inch SATA drive, a single gigabit Ethernet jack, dual USB 2.0 sockets, one eSATA port, HDMI 1.3 / component / composite / S-Video outs and a bundled remote. It supports just about any format on the map, and the on-hand representative told us it should be out next month for "somewhere under $10,000." Have a look at some in-action shots below.

Gallery: QNAP intros NMP1000 network media player, we go hands-on

LaCie intros 8x d2 Blu-ray burner, LaCinema Black MAX media streamer

by Darren Murph posted Feb 9th 2009 at 3:51PM

It was May of last year when LaCie last updated its external d2 Blu-ray burner, so it's about time we saw that 4x burn rate double to an entirely more palatable 8x. Available now for consumers in the US, the latest d2 Blu-ray Drive ($449.99) can toast both single- and dual-layer BD-Rs at 8x, and it can connect to one's machine via FireWire or USB 2.0. In related news, the outfit has also introduced a LaCinema Black MAX over in Europe, which acts to serve up all sorts of digital media (photos, video clips, music, etc.) on one's HDTV. You can order it with 500GB / 1TB of inbuilt storage, and the integrated Ethernet jack / WiFi module enables it to pull media (up to 1080p) from other locations on your network. We've nary a clue on pricing / availability for this one, but we'll leave it to those in Europe to hunt it down and brag to us Yanks.

Read - 8x d2 Blu-ray Drive
Read - LaCinema Black MAX [PDF; thanks Predator]

Gallery: LaCie's 8x d2 Blu-ray Drive

Gallery: LaCie's LaCinema Black MAX

boxee mulls production of its own set-top-box

by Darren Murph posted Jan 22nd 2009 at 8:33AM

boxee took full advantage of its space at CES this year, and according to a recent post on its blog, it fielded quite a few inquiries from other companies about crafting a boxee-branded set-top-box. Currently, the only way to get boxee running is to install it on your TV-connected PC or inelegantly onto an Apple TV. A number of companies approached boxee asking for its thoughts on embedding the application into "existing or future products," so the cats at boxee are coming right out and soliciting your opinion on the matter. boxee does caution that getting it baked into a device would take "a long time," but it certainly seems like that ball is rolling. So, what say you? Would you snap one up? Or would you balk at the notion of adding yet another STB underneath your television?

[Thanks, cros13]