media server
Latest
Interact-TV unveils MyTellyHD Linux-based media server
While Interact-TV is no stranger to the media center arena, the company is taking a diversion from its previous PMP / storage-based offerings to unveil a fully-featured Linux-based media center for your AV rack. Aside from sporting a sleek, almost space-aged design, the unit can play back / save DVDs to your video library, automatically lookup DVD cover art and meta data, burn recorded TV shows to DVD, import video files from a networked PC, output in 480i or 720p, and handle AVI, DivX, MPEG1/2/3/4, WMV, JPEG, Cinepak, DV, QuickTime, RealMedia, H.263, and H.264 formats. Moreover, this box offers up a thorough audio / photo management system, one-touch recording as a PVR, and access to a bevy of extraneous information via the Telly Portal. As if this weren't enough, you'll also find an upscaling DVD player within, and if you're curious about the components running the show, there's 512MB of RAM, up to a 400GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, six-channel audio, component / S-Video / composite outs, NTSC TV tuner, IR trackball remote, optional wireless keyboard, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB 2.0, and a complete lack of fans due to the passive cooling system. Vista may be getting most of the limelight on this day in particular, but the MyTellyHD packs quite a wallop for a low-key Linux HTPC, and considering the fairly low $899 starting price point, there's not much to grumble about on this one.
Monster unveils Lifeware Media Center PCs / extenders
While there's been a plethora of new kit flowing from CES, media center extenders has certainly not stolen the limelight. Oddly enough, one of the first to announce such a device comes from the cabling company we all love to hate, as it introduces its forthcoming lineup of media center PCs and extenders. Additionally, Monster has partnered with Exceptional Innovation to bring Lifeware automation software onto their HTPCs, dubbing the customized package "Experience Lifeware." While details are all but nil on each, Monster said that the new lineup would fall in its newly-unveiled "Monster Life" brand, which seeks to create media-centric PCs for "distributing media around the home." Notably, the extenders could actually be integrated into PowerCenters, which are those unsightly devices that reportedly protect anything connected from a small nuclear disaster (or similar), potentially meaning that you'll be forced to purchase 18 additional AC outlets that you have absolutely no use for to take advantage of Monster's media center extender. Per usual, no word on pricing or availability just yet aside from knowing that the "package will be available through select (read: Best Buy) retailers," but history tells us that those who admire a good dollar-to-utility ratio will probably pass on this one.
Cyberlink unveils streaming media software: Digital Home Enabler Kit
While most folks would probably take the hardware-based media streaming approach to get computer / HDD-based media onto their snazzy HD sets, Cyberlink is offering up a reasonable software-based alternative for those looking to pass media around from PC to PC (or HTPC). By installing Cyberlink's Media Server on your media-packed computer, it provides a hassle-free way to open up your files to the home network and share them easily with other connected users. Aside from allowing any UPnP-certified player to locate media across the network, it also supports multiple simultaneous users so long as each connected PC is outfitted with a copy of the firm's SoftDMA application. Although nothing here is truly revolutionary, it does offer up a fairly straightforward approach to achieving the "digital home," and you can pick this up (or download, actually) for $79.95 right now, which will include two SoftDMA licenses to get you going.
Niveus goes quad-core with new n9 "Pro Series" media server
You know how it goes, once one manufacturer goes quad-core with thems Intel Core 2 Extreme procs, everybody has to do it. Now Niveus is jumping into the game with its new Pro Series n9 rack-mount media server, which sports a quad-core QX6700 processor, along with Intel Viiv tech, GeForce Series 7 Graphics, 3 terabytes of storage, HD DVD playback, multiple independent HD video and music playback sessions through out the house, and plenty more. The 3U unit is CableCARD ready, and includes HDMI, RAID 5 storage protection, 4 TV tuners (two NTSC, two ATSC), 4GB of RAM and a couple fancy audio options. Of course, none of this comes cheap. The Media Center starts at a cool $15k, and while we've definitely seen pricier solutions to HD nirvana, that doesn't change the fact that $15k is a good chunk of change.[Thanks, Michael F.]
Sooloos to store your lossless tunes
If you've got $12,000 burning a hole in your pocket and really need a new audio "system," then you may want to consider the new Sooloos music server. This 1TB ultra-quiet RAID (optionally up to 3TB) server apparently comes with all of your music pre-ripped in lossless format, although short of you sending a truckload of CDs to the company's headquarters in New York, we're not sure how the initial transfer from your CD library to your Sooloos server will work. Sooloos comes with a 17-inch centralized touchscreen display (there are 7-inch auxiliary displays) that shows all of your album art and liner notes, and will let you order tracks off of the Sooloos Music Shop, which purports to be coming soon. Of course, if you want to go for a less expensive media server alternative, you might consider a $5,000 competitor, or perhaps the $400 80GB rival, hrm?[Via Slashgear]
Kaleidescape goes "entry-level" with new $10k 1U server
Not a lot of companies have the brass to call a $10,000 media server their "entry-level" product, but the Kaleidescape peeps practically pity the weak-sauce consumers who can't pony up the $30k for their flagship server. According to COO Cheena Srinivasan, their new 1U server is "catering to the several hundreds of prospective customers that have witnessed a Kaleidescape demo, and the $30,000 configuration was a little too steep." Can't you just hear the derision drip? For the piddling sum of $10,000 you can now get the rack-mountable server with dual 250GB HDDs, which connects to your TV for flashy media browsing. Oddly, you have to choose between movie or music server functionality, or "upgrade" to both for $2,735. Another configuration is available for $17k that includes three 750GB discs and plays back both formats. The introduction of 750GB drives also means that if you make the right choice and spring for the full-fledged server, you can manage 8.25TB of storage. If that's not worth selling a kidney, we don't know what is.
ASUS WL-700gE media server and BitTorrent client, whodathunk?
While it may not be as litigiously bold as that Dutch LamaBox peer-to-peer server, we're sure that ASUS' WL-700gE will catch the eye of the MPAA and RIAA all the same. Seemingly, the WL-700gE is just another digital media server packing 802.11b/g WiFi, a 3.5-inch 160GB internal disk drive, 4 x wired Ethernet ports, 3 x USB 2.0 jacks, a built-in firewall, and plenty of on-board apps to serve-up data via Web browser, FTP, Samba, and UPnP/DLNA. It'll even share USB tethered webcams, speakers, and printers across your net. But did you know that buried in the product details (which might explain how we missed the product announcement earlier this year) is support for computer-less BitTorrenting directly over the box's WAN port? That little nugget not only frees-up your in-home bandwidth but allows you to put your computer to sleep as that sweet, sweet media rolls in overnight. So go ahead, pick up the roughly $250 box as priced on-line, slap on a few 750GB drives and put down a retainer for a good trial lawyer, you know, just in case you get carried away.[Via dailywireless]
