Sep
03
The rumor became a reality today, folks. Steve Jobs unveiled the 2nd generation Apple TV in a form factor that fits in the palm of your hand (3.9 x 3.9 x .09 inches). The A4 chip powered device can access content online from popular services like YouTube and Flickr, as well as premium movies and TV shows in HD from iTunes and Netflix. In fact, TV shows can be rented from iTunes for $0.99 a pop and require no downloads since they — as well as HD movies — are streamed to the device on-demand from Apple’s servers (more on that below). As for the UI, it hasn’t really changed in appearance from the last update — though it now offers the ability to see an aggregated view of iTunes shared photo, music, video content on the network and can playback content zapped to it via an AirPlay capable device like the iPad, iPhone, or iPod. So the big news then is the new content partners (Steve has opened the gate to his walled garden a bit), AirPlay, and the device itself, which will be sold for $99 and available in the coming weeks. Missing: any kind of details regarding TV specific apps for the platform.
Sep
03
There were early reports this past weekend that NETGEAR had introduced the NeoTV 550 HD Media Player, but no official announcement could be found on the site. As of yesterday, that changed. NETGEAR is officially announcing two new “flagship” media streamers to their AV Series product lineup. The NeoTV 350 and 550 Ultimate share the ability to play 1080p video with Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, DLNA/UPnP network client streaming, and online content access. However, the 550 also provides an eSATA port for faster external storage file transfer speeds and Blu-ray disc support via an external USB or eSATA Blu-ray drive (most likely it will be able to handle Blu-ray rips stored on a USB drive as well). Interesting side note on pricing and availability… the 350 will only be available in Europe and Australia, while the 550 Ultimate will be available in the US, Europe, and Australia in October.
Sep
01
Amex Digital has rolled out the MP-501, a sleek new paperback book-sized gadget touted as the smallest media player to support 1080p HDTV video.
Measuring 175x128x15 millimeters (which translates loosely into 7x5x5/8 inches), the MP-501 weighs in at 250 grams, or just over half a pound.
The Amex Digital media player is outfitted with two USB ports. An SD/SDHC card slot, and HDMI out, with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor tucked inside.
Streams HDTV and other media through its USB ports
The pint-sized gizmo is designed to stream 1080p HDTV video and other media to other connected devices through its USB ports.
The media player supports AVI, MPEG, MP3, JPEG, and just about all other major video, audio and photo file formats, with the exception of DRM-protected formats such as iTunes, Cinema Now, Vongo, Movielink, and Amazon Unbox.
Other innovations include wireless ‘touchscreen’ keyboard
Amex Digital has previously demo’d a number of other pioneering gadgets at the Computex trade show in Taiwan, such as a wireless “touchscreen” keyboard and the RM-mp1, a handheld device combining the functionality of a media remote, laser pointer, and touchpad mouse.
Innovations listed on its Web site include the SP-7, a digital photo frame with printing capabilities; the “world’s first Blu-ray HTPC (Home Theater PC) A/V Center Computer;” and a Blu-ray player for Macs which made its debut back in 2008.
As described in a company profile on the Amex Digital Web site, China-based “Amex Corporation” is a hardware designer, software programmer, and OEM, with manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen and offices in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Founded in 1990, the company currently manufactures 250 different products and has a staff of 250, according to the site.
Could be available for $49 US in September
Amex Digital is currently advertising the MP-501 on its Web site for $49 US dollars, but an order form isn’t immediately evident on the site.
According to Engadget, however, some customers have received e-mails from Amex Digital stating that the 1080p media player will be available for direct order on September 10, at US pricing of $49 plus a $20 international shipping charge.
You can see a copy of an e-mail apparently sent by Amex Digital by clicking on the “Show Press Release” link in Engadget’s report.
Aug
31
Wow, Roku today gave everyone reason to like its line of players again. The company has dropped the price of its HD and HD-XR models by $30 and the SD unit by $20. So now you can pick up the SD for $59.99 (currently out of stock), the HD for $69.99, and the HD-XR for $99.99. What’s more, a new firmware update set to be released will unlock HD-XR’s USB port for USB storage media playback. But the best news… the HD-XR is on track to gain 1080p video support later this year. No word if video partners will bump up their content quality to match the setting, but it will definitely work with your personal library. I’m curious what video codecs the players will support….