XStreamHD
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Lionsgate first to sign content deal with XStreamHD
XStreamHD is the videophile's digital distribution dream, but a dream is what it has remained for almost three years. The bad news is the 1TB Whole Home Media Server and clients aren't shipping yet, but the good news is one of the big studios has signed a deal with XStreamHD to distribute titles day and date with DVD, as well as access to 12,000 catalog titles. This, of course, has to be one of many such deals if the service is to be successful -- high quality 1080p video and DTS-HD alone won't be enough. The content isn't the only thing that concerns us though, as the up front cost for hardware (we admit we really like the user interface) and the $9 monthly service fee is a lot to swallow for the privilege of renting movies at $3 to $6 a pop. We'll reserve judgment until we get to play with it for ourselves, but distribution deals like this and a great demo is a good start, if you can call it at start after all this time. The full details are tucked in the press release after the jump.
XStreamHD to beam 1080p content via Echostar's AMC-16
We've been following XStreamHD for a few years now and have often wondered if it would ever make it to market. One of the looming questions just got answered today though as the company has announced a deal to deliver 1080p HD movies via Echostar's AMC-16. This is a step in the right direction, but hardly what those who plopped down $25 to pre-order the system back in January. Nope, the launch is already two months behind schedule and it is going to take more than the freshly released press release after the break to make us a believer.
Hands-on with XStreamHD, and a video
XStreamHD is going to be launching in a few months so of course we stopped by the booth to get a quick look. The user interface is modern and sleek with a focus on cover art -- it seemed snappy from our brief time with it. One thing we missed when we let you know about the ability to pre-order is that the $399 price tag doesn't include the satellite dish or installation. A self install kit will run you $99 and is easier to install than other satellite services since it is only aimed at a signal bird -- professional install costs will vary by area. After it's setup you'll need to pay $9 a month for the service and we're not exactly sure what's included, but phone support isn't. There will be a self help website setup which hopefully addresses any issues. The system is a 3 tuner ATSC DVR and of course a high quality pay per view movie service. The movies will run you between $3 and $6 each but we're told you'll have exclusive access to some titles, which could include movies that are still at the theater and those that aren't even available on Disc. The problem of course is that there aren't any TV shows offered yet, which means you're still going to need to get your Burn Notice fix another way -- no word if it'll play other content. And even worse for sports fans, there's no broadcast satellite content so even if TV content gets added down the road, you can still forget about watching the big game on ESPN HD -- of course any games available over the air aren't a problem. Overall we like the offerings but don't think it's worth the upfront costs and fees since it doesn't really let you cancel your cable. And at up-to $6 a movie, even though it is supposed to be the same quality as Blu-ray, it's still not very price competitive with Blu-rays via Netflix. Now of course we want to try it for ourselves, and if we happen to receive a unit for review we'll be able to make a final determination. %Gallery-82746%
XstreamHD actually available for pre-order
No we can't believe it either, but it actually looks like we can take XstreamHD off the vaporware list in a few months. Now there are no guarantees in life, but starting today you can pay $25 for the right to one of the first XstreamHD systems off the assembly line. The reminder of the $399 bill will have to paid on April 30th when it ships and includes a 1TB Media Server that can store the high quality pre-fetched HD that gets beamed down via satellite or HD recorded via the three ATSC tuners that're built-in. You also get one HD Media Receiver that'll extend the signal into another room and all the accessories like a ZigBee RF remote and cables -- you can go Pro for an extra $100 if you have the need for hi-fidelity analog outputs on the receiver. We'll be keeping a very close eye on this one as it does sound very interesting, but you'll have to forgive us for being skeptical because we've been hearing about how great it is for about two years. Full release after the jump.
XStreamHD adds advanced RF remote next to satellite beamed 1080p on its list of promises
It's been a while since we'd heard from XStreamHD, but with yet another CES bearing down the company is ready to talk about its advanced RF One Remote Control. In case you haven't been paying attention over the last two years, it's promising all manner of satellite-delivered 1080p movies with lossless audio, that beam into its media server and then stream to any of its receivers or other DLNA compatible clients in the home. Jennic's microcontroller powers the remote, and it uses Zigbee Pro wireless tech so it will control all the connected devices, even without line of sight. We've added "peek at the media closet" to our list of things to look for at the XStreamHD booth in January, but really we're still waiting to find out when beta testers will get a crack at the service.
XStreamHD takes baby steps towards reality
XStreamHD picked the Satellite 2009 show (aren't you mad you didn't go now? we are) to demonstrate its advanced graphical user interface, moving things just a bit closer to reality after finally having some satellite delivered 1080p to show us at CES in January. A content parter or two would go even further in convincing the skeptics this has a shot to come to market, but for now we guess this will have to do.
XStreamHD still kicking, showing off updated hardware
So the XStreamHD presser isn't until Friday, but we stopped by the booth at CES to check up on what the company's been up to for the past year. After all, our interest has been piqued by the recent satellite connectivity test. Luckily for our camera (but sadly for content), there's been a solid emphasis on hardware -- taking center stage was the new Pro HD Media Receiver, which has 7.1 analog outputs that make us happy. We saw that the booth was actually hooked up to a satellite connection, but sadly we can't share photos of the data closet with you. Just so we don't finish on a low note, the company is planning to accept beta testers later this year for the service -- let's hope there's some programming to test that comes from somewhere outside your home's walls.%Gallery-41155%
XStreamHD satellite delivery system successfully tested, next stop CES
XStreamHD didn't quite make its planned October 2008 launch, but movies, music and games beamed down via satellite in high bitrate 1080p with lossless audio is a bit more real, now that the company has actually tested its vaunted delivery system. Other than confirming its FSS (Fixed Satellite Service) capability from the AMC-16 satellite, there aren't many details available other than where to go for a demo at CES 2009, we just hope they can keep things running long enough for us to get a look (announcing a content partner or two probably wouldn't hurt either.)
XStreamHD licenses audio processing from ARC, resumes radio silence
When we last heard from XStreamHD, the company had grand plans on streaming movies via satellite to some boxes with great looking specs, Michael Douglas and a non-functional CES booth that failed to impress. Now we see that the company has licensed ARC audio processing for Dolby Digital Plus decoding, which presumably would come in handy -- if there were any content to decode. To be fair, there's still time for XStreamHD to meet its long-ago promised Q4 2008 release, but absent any of the "latest content from leading studios" the only audio that will get decoded is the sound of one hand clapping.
XStreamHD's CES 2008 booth tour
So we rolled into XStreamHD's booth hoping to get some more details on the newcomer to the HD satellite field. Lo and behold, we didn't find a lot of clues at the booth. The press conference announced a working demo of 1080p content at the booth, so we were more than a little crushed when we showed up and there was nothing to be seen. Can you hear our hopes deflating?%Gallery-13118%
Hands-on with the XStreamHD boxes
We just got a glimpse of the XStreamHD box to share. Details on the service are thin at this point, but here's some pictures of the hardware. Both the Media Library unit and the Media Receiver boxes are here in all their mysterious glory. With no studios signed on yet, our hopes for this setup are mild, to say the least. All the connections for a simple, effective setup are here, though: coax inputs, eSATA, gigabit ethernet and removable drive bays for the Library unit; and an external USB port on the Receiver.%Gallery-13084%
XStreamHD unveiled press conference, live
While XStreamHD conference room isn't fancy, but based on the already released specs, we have high expectations -- and no we're not star struck by Michael Douglas.11:00AM - Still waiting, but they've announced we'll be starting in two minutes.
XstreamHD details continue to emerge
Just a few hours before our live coverage of the XStreamHD press event (11am PST) with Michael Douglas; many of the details have been released and we have to say this thing looks so incredible, we don't see how it can live up to the press release -- this is one of those times when we'd really love to be wrong. For starters, the service promises to deliver "the latest content from leading studios" in 1080p (MPEG-2 and x.264) with 7.1 channels of lossless DTS-HD Master Audio (96kHz/24bits) to your home via satellite, and if it stopped there it would be impressive enough, but no. The content is stored on the internally in your "Virtual Personal Library" until you access it with up to four simultaneous DLNA devices on your gigabit Ethernet home network. If you run out of space, you can use the extra drive bays to expand up to 2TB of storage. And because there is so much great OTA HD content, it features three ATSC tuners which can be used with a "Network Video Recorder" -- not sure what that is, or if its extra. And interestingly even includes a PBX that allows free calling between XStreamHD customers. As if this wasn't unbelievable enough, it all starts at $399 and is expected to hit in the fourth quarter of '08.Full release after the jump.
XStreamHD details emerge, DTS-HD and up to 2TB storage
Details about the new satellite HD provider, XStreamHD are starting to come to light in advance of their press conference tomorrow. We already knew about collaboration with DTS, and now thanks to a press release we know that the promised 7.1-channel audio will be coming to you in DTS-HD MA format. Similarly, the press release reveals that the Seagate drives in the box allow you to stuff in 2TB of content. Good stuff, but the question we're really waiting to see answered is all about what content will be available. The device is coming into focus, so XStreamHD hopefully will bring some answers to their press conference for us.
Some XStreamHD details emerge, some still fuzzy
Our buddy MegaZone over at TiVo Lovers has brought together the bits and pieces of info regarding XStreamHD, and while a picture is starting to emerge (sorry), there are still some key questions to be answered. First, what is known: the company will use leased satellite bandwidth to stream HD content to a server in your home; formats are MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 (up to 1080p), with 7.1-channel audio. Sounds like it's hitting all the right checkboxes so far. But what's still unclear is how the content will get delivered to users. Will XStreamHD use a MovieBeam-like "push" model limiting users to what's on the server; will the approach be "pull" oriented and stream dynamic content at users; or will some hybrid mechanism be employed? The company isn't telling, but CES should bring answers to not only how content will be distributed, but more importantly what the content will be!
XstreamHD to deliver 1080p to your home
It's thin on details, but XstreamHD has announced its entry into the direct-to-home HD distribution market. The service uses existing geosynchronous satellites to move content to an antenna at your home and then into a proprietary media server for distribution throughout the premises. The press release calls out some pretty heavy hitters as competition, and XstreamHD is touting 1080p video and lossless 7.1 audio as its competitive advantage. We'll see what kind of pricing and more importantly, content, is announced at CES in January.
