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PlayOn wants you to PayOn, jumping into Premium price class on May 15
This world needs a better class of network streamer, and PlayOn wants to give it to you. In exchange for more greenbacks, of course. The media server software -- known for bringing Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and a bunch of other online video repositories to networked devices within the home -- is making the move up in price class from its current one-off $20 fee to a $39.99 upfront charge followed by annual recurring payments of $19.99. How does MediaMall justify such a splurge? It'll be offering a new Comedy Central channel, along with NHL, TV.com and PBS content in an ongoing effort to expand its library of media sources. If the extra choice doesn't sound like the kind of thing you'd want to pony up two Hamiltons for every year, you've got until the 15th to grab the Basic version, which will continue to be supported without further fees, but won't be available to new subscribers after that cutoff date. So, better get decidin' soon.
Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gains Netflix streaming
Seagate's FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player has quite a few competitors surrounding it, and for the most part, it didn't really offer a huge competitive advantage when we peeked it back in September. 'Course, that's before support for Netflix's Watch Instantly came along, and today, the tables seem to have turned. The aforesaid storage outfit has announced that a gratis firmware update will enable this here player to stream Netflix as well as content from YouTube, vTuner and Mediafly. For those just now willing to give this unit a second look, it also doubles as a UPnP / DLNA streamer to play content stored on networked PCs and drives, and it can procured for right around $100 sans a FreeAgent HDD. So, Roku -- you just going to sit there and take this, or what? %Gallery-91131%
Stylish Sony Walkman docks sport WiFi radio, ludicrous sheen
Thermos audio wasn't the only idea Sony Japan introduced this week; there's also the company's glossy new speaker docks, the NAS-V5 and NAS-V7M, whose intense reflection make us remember that time mom told us never to stare at the sun. Unfortunately, NAS doesn't stand for Network Attached Storage here, but the ¥50,000 (about $535) NAS-V7M does have 16GB of internal memory onto which you can rip audio CDs with a single touch, and both it and the ¥40,000 ($428) NAS-V5 have internal WiFi that'll have your Japanese counterparts pumping internet radio jingles from Shoutcast, vTuner, your PC and anything else with a compatible wireless audio stream when they hit Akihabara on June 26. They both feature 32-bit DSPs for what we can only guess will be crisp, clean audio quality, have all the standard AM-FM radio features you've come to expect, and include an AUX jack and a powered USB port. Oh, and lest we forget amidst all the bedside table aural goodness -- they're also Walkman docks. Hear a deep, soothing Japanese voice explain why you need one, after the break. %Gallery-90120%
Packard Bell Studio ST media playback drive invades Europe
It's not much more than a hard drive with HD media playback abilities, but the Packard Bell Studio ST certainly looks nice, doesn't it? It's Europe-only for now, but we're hoping parent company Acer brings over a US-branded version of this box, which holds up to a 2TB hard drive and can do 1080p out over HDMI with Dolby Digital. Codec support is described as "all main formats," which is a little shady, but we'll be forgiving if it's cheaper than the Western Digital WD TV Live HD. [Thanks, Matt]
Spawn Labs starts shipping HD-720, your video games now ready to be slung
Hey, remember Spawn Labs? Look, we know last September was a long, long time ago, but how could you ever forget the box that essentially acts as the Slingbox for your video game consoles? The HD-720, which arrives with the ability to pass along either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 signals to a web-connected PC for remote playback, is now available to order for $199.95, while additional adapters can also be purchased for $39.95. Of course, you should make sure you have a pretty robust Windows-based laptop and a solid internet connection before getting your hopes up too high here, but if those are well taken care of, your portable gaming dreams are now just a credit card indention away. [Thanks, Ryan]
Cignias NAO Symphony wireless iPod boombox gets unboxed
Cignias' NAO Symphony still doesn't seem to be widely available following its CES unveiling, but our good pal Dave Zatz looks to have sourced one from the wild, wild abyss. He did the world a favor by hosting up unboxing shots and a few first impressions, noting that this "sophisticated" iPod speaker dock actually interests him far more than most of those me-too offerings cluttering shelves today. Unfortunately, he's still working on getting the iPhone app to connect to a hidden SSID, but feel free to hit the source link and peruse the image gallery while he gets that ironed out. Update: This is now available directly from Cignias.
ZAGGbox media center / streamer now available for pre-order
ZAGG has been dropping a few hints about its ZAGGbox media center for a little while now, but it's so far been keeping a relatively low profile -- it even managed to slip under our radar at CES. It was at the show, however, and its now finally announced that the ZAGGbox is available to pre-order for $799. Not exactly the cheapest set-top box around, to be sure, but that price will get you a few fairly unique features, not the least of which is simultaneous transcoding of captured video for easy viewing on both your TV and the mobile device of your choice (it also comes with its own iPhone app). Otherwise, you'll get an ample 1TB of storage, a full range of A/V inputs and outputs, built-in 802.11n WiFi, and some Slingbox-like streaming to any device, anywhere you like. Unfortunately, ZAGG still isn't making any firm promises about a release date, although it will supposedly be out sometime in the second quarter of this year.
Popcorn Hour casually announces the A-200 NMT for its most dedicated media streamer fans
Not satisfied by the new retail-friendly Popbox that just debuted at CES? Popcorn Hour has announced it is introducing the A-200 Networked Media tank, internally as powerful as the bigger C-200 but with the A-110's profile and lacking a Blu-ray drive port. Priced at $179, or with optional WiFi dongle for $20 more, preorders are to begin January 18 at 10 a.m. PST, it still has a slot for an internally mounted SATA HDD, and reported support for "simple" Blu-ray menu browsing. As far as other features, they've listened by including NTFS write support and also confirmed a new Flash Lite menu announced for the C-200 will arrive on this box, but unfortunately Netflix support on the Popbox doesn't appear to have worked its way into the A-200. Check for even more specs and pics after the break, for those PCH fans once again choosing between flexibility and all-in-one ease. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Netgear intros EVA9100 media streamer, DGN2200M WiFi / WWAN modem and more at CES
Some crazy stuff is going down in Vegas -- fancy that, right? Netgear is doing its darnedest to make its own scene with the introduction of three new items here at CES, so we won't waste any time in breaking 'em down. Up first is the now-available $249 Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), which incorporates the media prowess found in the EVA9150 in order to give users instant access to "Blu-ray quality digital video up to 1080p, MP3s and high-resolution digital photos from PCs, Macs or NAS devices." Portals to YouTube, Flickr and RSS feeds will be readily available, and the free trial of PlayOn will provide access to Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer and CBS. Next, we've got the $179.99 DGN2200M wireless router (available in April), which actually pulls double duty as an 802.11n-enabled DSL modem and a WWAN modem. Hailed as the only wireless-N product on the retail market with dual WAN capabilities, this one can get users online via a 3G or 4G USB dongle whenever they leave their home broadband connection. Finally, the $159 Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter (XAV2501) -- which will ship early next month -- enables homeowners to create a 10/100 Ethernet connection from any ordinary electrical outlet that already supports a powerline network. This one's also a HomePlug AV-certified device, so it should have no issues pushing through data at up to 200Mbps. We'll be scouring the show floor for a little hands-on action, so stay tuned! %Gallery-81231%
D-Link Pebble media streamer isn't the Boxee Box
Sort of funny that D-Link is calling its other new media streamer the Pebble, since it's just about as anonymous -- especially compared to the company's own Boxee Box, which is also launching this week for just slightly more than this thing's $119 list price. We're sure the Pebble will do a fine job streaming local and network media to your TV, but c'mon -- have you seen the Boxee Box's remote? Case closed.
Syabas Popbox hands-on
The Popcorn Hour lineup had (and still has) a huge following, but it remains one of the most under-appreciated media streamers on the market from a mainstream perspective. We get the feeling that all of that's gearing up to change, with Syabas demonstrating its highly marketable Popbox here at CES. We were able to swing by and take a look at the product tonight, and we've got to confess -- it'd be a pretty stellar add to any home entertainment setup. The box was small, light and stylish enough, and the actual user interface was drop-dead simple to navigate. It hooks up with any networked media (the demo was playing back content from a NAS drive), and it even pulls down metadata from IMDB for films. We briefly watched a couple of 720p clips, and playback started instantly and the video quality was nothing short of fantastic. We've got a video in the works, but for now, feel free to have a glance at the gallery below. Update: Video is now live after the break! %Gallery-81577%
Intel's CE 3100 finally gets a shipping partner in Yuixx media player
Intel's CE 3100 multimedia processor has been hanging out at trade floor shows for months upon months now, but at long last the slab has a partner product that'll be shipping to general consumers. Conceptronics' Yuixx HD media player has just reached the point in its life where shipment is imminent, and in speaking with the firm, we learned that'll hit the streets of Amsterdam at the end of this month. The rest of Europe is expected to see it in February, while Americans will have to wait until it hits the FCC in March before getting any closer. Unlike some other set-top boxes on the market now, this one relies heavily on its own Widget Channel to bring web-based content to televisions, and pumping out 1080p material ain't no thang for it. Head on past the break for the full release and a promo video, and look for a little hands-on action as the CES show floor opens. %Gallery-81528%
LaCie serves up LaCinema Mini HD, Network Server and Wuala-infused USB keys
CES just wouldn't be CES without a few new introductions from LaCie, now would it? Nah. Up first from the sexiest name in storage is a fresh member of the LaCinema multimedia hard drive family, the Mini HD. Equipped with 802.11n WiFi and a penchant for serving up 1080p video, this DLNA media player boasts an HDMI output, internal hard drive, USB socket (for uploading media or playing files back from a USB drive) and an extensive list of supported codecs that includes MKV, AVC and DivX. This one should be filtering out now in the US and Europe for an undisclosed amount. Moving on, we've got the simply titled Network Server, which sports five drive bays, gigabit Ethernet and Windows Home Server running the show. LaCie also enables users to backup their backups via its own Wuala technology, though exact pricing and availability details won't be revealed until later in Q1. Lastly, there's a new trio of USB Keys, which look an awful lot like actual keys. Sadly, these aren't ready to handle the beast that is SuperSpeed USB, but they do promise transfers as fast as 30MB/sec, and they're also waterproof and available in sizes as large as 32GB. The company's also throwing in 4GB of web-accessible Wuala storage for the first two years of ownership, with the CooKey and WhizKey available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities for $19.99 and up, up, up. The full releases are just past the break. %Gallery-81270%
Boxee Box officially announced: under $200, Flash 10.1 support
The Boxee Box has already been semi-announced once, but it's making a much more grand debut here at CES -- and it's coming with a spec list this time. Just as we'd heard, the asymmetrical streamer will be sold by D-Link for under $200, and it'll support a wide range of formats, including DivX, VC-1, WMV, H.264 MKV, and Flash 10.1. Service support is equally broad, with Pandora, Last.fm, Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, and Flickr all integrated -- and there's obviously Boxee's app platform for additional apps, plugins, and games. Unfortunately we don't know what's powering all this under the hood just yet, but we've got a sneaking suspicious there's some NVIDA action going on here -- we'll keep digging. Full PR after the break.
Popbox v1.0 hardware specs and content partners revealed
We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get our hands on the Popbox, son of Popcorn Hour C-200, but in the meantime we'll chew on this healthy list of specs and content providers to imagine what the future of media streamers has to offer. Netflix and 1080p have already been mentioned, but the lists reveal that even as a slimmed down and more affordable option than the box it replaces, it still has the file and codec compatibility fans have come to expect. We'll soon see if this combo of wide appeal online services like Twitter and MLB.tv, existing media streamer framework, a greatly improved UI (able to pull down IMDB info for appropriately tagged content) and Popapp Center -- openly courting developers to take advantage of the SDK since this box was codenamed DAVID -- is a winner. %Gallery-81416%
FlipShare TV review
Do you love funky proprietary software enough to force your loved ones to run it too? That's the question Cisco seems to be asking with the FlipShare TV, a new set-top box designed to help make sharing Flip videos super-simple for even the most basic user. Unfortunately, some puzzling design choices and big limitations combined with the less-than-wonderful FlipShare software make this seem like more of a hassle than it's worth. What do we mean? Read on for the full review. %Gallery-80029%
A.C. Ryan's Playon!HD Mini player is tiny, still pushes 1080p worth of pixels
Looking for an... alternative after being given a 1080p-streaming brick by Western Digital earlier this month? A.C. Ryan has a new option, the Playon!HD Mini. It's a smaller version of the bigger Playon!HD that seems to lose only its internal drive bay, card reader, and €50, meaning this one retails for €99 -- about $144. Yes, a good bit more than the WD TV, but it hits all the right marks, including 1080p output over HDMI or component, support for streaming media or USB mass storage, and even the ability to tune into Shoutcast and other undisclosed "internet feeds." The company also promises "very active new firmware releases" which, without a little restraint, could be a recipe to repeat WD's disaster. %Gallery-80338% [Thanks, Gavie]
Squeezebox Touch delayed until February: Bah, Humbug!
Despite being proudly introduced to the world in early September, it seems as if Logitech's Squeezebox Touch is still fighting the good fight on its way to mass production. Originally, the device was slated to go on sale this month in order to get wrapped and tucked beneath a-many Christmas tree, but now we've heard directly from the company that it won't be shipping out until February 2010. We took a brief tour around the web, and sure enough, most respected e-tailers aren't showing any stock (or any sign of stock); what's odd is that we know at least a few of these things leaked out onto the market, though the whole "Logitech denying its existence" scenario that we saw play out back in August certainly makes a lot more sense now. Either way, it looks as if you'll be waiting if you're believing the official word, which just so happens to be quoted in full after the break.
Boxee Box pictured in the wild: it's small!
Whoa, we sort of guessed the Boxee Box was going to be small from those press pics we saw the other night, but we didn't know it was going to be freaking tiny -- check out this shot of the asymmetrical set-top next to a Coke can just posted up on the Boxee blog. Sadly, neither Boxee nor D-Link has updated us on what's actually powering this little guy, but we do now know that it'll have an RF remote control and S/PDIF and RCA audio outputs in addition to HDMI, SD, USB, WiFi, and Ethernet. Sounds like a tiny little chunk of awesome -- we're looking forward to finding out way more at CES.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best way to stream DivX from NAS to my HDTV?
Who doesn't love some mini home server action? The only problem with storing all your media on a convenient networked drive is when it comes to playing it back, since not all streamers will play nice with one of these. That's the case for our friend Chris, but we'll let him tell it: "I have been watching for a review of a product that will solve my movie streaming needs, even waiting for Sonos to do a video product. I have a lot of DivX movie files on an NAS, and would like to be able to view them on my TV (without needing my PC to be on as a media server), I would prefer a wireless solution, but could do a cat5 cable if needed. Any ideas on the best way to do this?" Now, we might suggest a box that pulls double duty as NAS and media player, but he's probably looking for a solution that doesn't require importing from Japan. Let us know how you get it done. Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
