MatrixStream IMX 1020HD STB
MatrixStream appears to be one of the first (if not the first) to bring a 1080p set-top box to market. They're definitely ahead of the curve because so few HDTVs can currently accept a 1080p signal and even fewer, as in zero, networks are broadcasting in 1080p. Don't sell the IMX 1020HD short, however. It's really geared towards 1080i and 1080p video over broadband and already know from our HD Trailer Tuesday series that the 1080p videos look stellar. MatrixStream uses H.264 (or MPEG-4, Part 10) compression to keep the picture quality up and the file size & bandwidth required down. Trials of the new 1080p set-top box start this month and a consumer roll-out is slated for the end of Q1. Hey, MatrixStream: we've got broadband and a space next to our HD set if you're interested!
If you want to catch a video of the Mac mini-looking device in action, flush your broadband pipes and grab the 70MB WMV file here. Ironically, the video is 640 x 480, but we forgive 'em. The VOD functionality looks really snappy in the demo.
