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Envive announces simplified media server: The TheaterStation
Because you'll need somewhere to download/install those 1080p flicks from VideoGiants, Envive has announced its TheaterStation Media Server. Light on hardware details, Envive's focused on its Spin interface to ease content browsing via remote. The base model's hard drive reportedly holds at least 200 hours of DVD quality movies, and can be upgraded to hold ten times as much although that'll drive up the $2,495.99 starting price. Equipped with HDMI, component and DVI outs its available for preorder now, [Vie eHomeUpgrade]
Envive announces Panorama platform for media servers
It's already busted out a new high-end, Vista-running media center PC at CES, but the folks at Envive have also taken the opportunity to unveil its new Panorama software platform that'll be giving a boost to its E-Center line of home media servers. The company's keeping a lot of the hard details under wraps for the time being, but it has announced that there will be three separate incarnations of Panorama: the Panorama Cinema Server, Panorama Total DVR, and Panorama Complete Home. First up, the Cinema Server will let you store lossless copies of CDs and DVDs on an E-Center server and access 'em from anywhere on your home network, and while it apparently won't support it right off the bat, Envive is promising future streaming support for HD-DVD and Blu-ray movies. Next up, the Panorama Total DVR's fairly self-descriptive, giving you full ATSC and NTSC TV recording with support for up to eight tuners, as well as remotely accessible PVR functionality, including playback of recorded TV. Rounding out the lineup, Panorama Complete Home adds some home automation to the mix, with support for security camera monitoring and recording, HVAC, and lighting controls, among other couch potato solutions. Look for the Panorama Cinema Server to launch first, shipping sometime in the first quarter of this year on Envive's E-Center Media Servers (also available as an upgrade for existing users), with Panorama Total DVR to follow sometime in Q2, and the Panorama Complete Home system set to make its appearance by the end of the year. [Thanks, dark54555]
Envive E-Center A/V Vista Media Center PC
High-end Media Center PCs aren't exactly rare, but we're still in the early days of Vista, so it's still slightly novel to see one running Microsoft's new OS. The E-Center A/V, which runs on Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, does have up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, up to two NTSC and two ATSC tuners, up to 1.5TB of storage, HDMI, 7.1 channel surround sound, and your choice of either a dual-layer DVD+-RW, Blu-ray or HD-DVD drive. No support for CableCARD, which is sort of a dealbreaker for a few us around here, but obviously not a huge deal for everyone. Units start shipping at the end of the month. [Thanks, dark54555]
Envive debuts HD DVD or Blu-ray-equipped HTPC
Envive has been listening to all the buzz about the lack of a Mac Mini home theater model and decided that they would make one themselves. The E-Center Micro X boosts the small footprint found in the Mini along with a Core 2 Duo chip paired with a 80GB, DVD-RW drive, DVI connectivity (don't know what card however), and built-in IR receiver. This little guy is available now at a cost of $1k, but it's the Micro X's big brother that brought a smile to our faces. The E-Center Pro sheds the small design and grows to the standard A/V receiver size to house all the extra goodies this $2500 model ships with. The Pro model is equipped with dual ATSC and NTSC tuners when paired with MCE 2005 or quadruple tuners under Envive's proprietary OS that will allow for multi-station recording to the standard 500GB drive. Envive gives owners the option of adding up to five more hard drives however, plus the Blu-ray and HD DVD drive options could make this for one sweet HTPC. If a true HD media center is your thing, you have a few months to save up your pennies as the Pro model is expected to ship sometime later this year. Now we are just wondering how much more a totally tricked out version is goin' to cost...(shot of the Micro-X after the jump)Read: E-Center Micro XRead: E-Center Pro
Envive E-Center Pro intimidates with its 4.5TB, 8 TV tuners
These days, a lot of folks lust after a media server in their home to store astonishing amounts of flicks and pics. Not surprisingly, many companies want to build one too. The latest to get its hands dirty in this market is Envive, which announced its new gargantuan new E-Center Pro. This media PC maxes out at 8GB of RAM, 4.5TB of drive space (yes, you read right), no less than a whopping eight tuners (four each on NTSC and ATSC), gigabit Ethernet, DVI / HDMI out with optional HDCP support, optional Blu-ray, and the company says that an HD DVD drive will be available by the end of the year. We should point out that while the E-Center Pro comes with Windows Media Center 2005, it requires the custom-built EnviveOS to utilize all eight TV tuners. The press release tells us that this dense black box will start at $2500 and will begin shipping next month -- but there's no way to answer our most burning question, which is what it will actually cost with all the options tricked out? Yes, we asked, which means we can't afford it.
