Smart Home Blog

New networked media tank (NMT) Mvix Ultio has a standard set of interfaces and services as any other NMT – support of all known media types and codes, playback Full HD, possibility to play media content from local HDD, USB storage and network shares, offering Samba server, torrent and UPnP AV clients. The player can be connected to the LAN via Ethernet or WiFi (needs USB adapter). Even the price is more or less the same – $170 for diskless device and $260 including 1TB HDD. But there is one big advantage of Mvix Ultio over the rest NMT – its firmware is opensource. So, developers can download them, build new image with some additional features, send it to the producer and get $500! Not bad, isn’t?

Taking into account how is popular router ASUS WL-500g because enthusiasts can build custom image using its opensource firmware we can predict the good success of Mvix Ultio.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

The new model of popular networked media tank Popcorn Hour was confirmed on its web site. The C100 will contains an upgraded Sigma SMP8643 667 Mhz processor, HDMI 1.3 out, two SATA slots and a drive bay for mounting additional HDD, optical or Blu-ray drive. It still can playback everything you want, supports HD video and audio and sports Gigabit Ethernet. Thanks to 192×64 LCD display you may easily get information about playing movie or online video.

The new Popcorn Hour C100 will be available soon at the price $299.00. Watch the demo video after jump.

[via Engadget]
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The new modern solution on computer market is all-in-one form-factor. Apple started producing such devices long time ago. So, it’s time for PC to take that market niche. A few interesting all-in-one solutions, with can be used in smarthome, were demonstrated in the Taiwan exhibition Computex Taipei 2009. Let’s start from the Acer.

Acer decided do not limit by Aspire Z5600 only and demonstrated Gateway One ZX6800 . It’s very similar to Aspire Z5600. It uses the same Intel Core 2 Duo processor, includes hybrid TV tuner, gigabit Ethernet, a/b/g/n WiFi, HD webcam and HD speakers. Gateway One ZX6800 supports Full HD resolution and multi-touch interface on the 23-inch display. It can be used as touchscreen console for home automation system as well as hybrid TV and HTPC or media extender thanks to widescreen.
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The BDP-120, BDP-320 and pictured BDP-23FD support Profile 2.0, Full HD video and audio. Additionally BDP-320 and BDP-23FD sports 1GB internal flash memory but BDP-120 doesn’t. It also lack 7.1-channel analog outs. Those differences and using of various video processing technologies produce different prices – $299, $399 and $599, respectively.

A few days before trio of Pioneer Blu-ray players were announced for the UK market.

[via Engadget]

Lately we can observe a boom of networked media tanks – devices which allow to playback movies, music or show pictures from the different types of storage. It isn’t surprised. More and more media content is available on the hard drives or online. So, Xtreamer joins to the big family of such devices. It understand all imaginable media formats and containers, contains the latest codecs, allows playback media files from the internal 2.5″ HDD, NAS or network shares, supports YouTube, Picasa, Yahoo Video, CNN, NBC Today, CBS Face the Nation. That list will be expanded soon. To get it the consumer will have to upgrade the device’s firmware.

The player can be connected to the LAN via Ehternet port or external USB 802.11. It’s already available at the price €99! The worldwide shipping is €20. The same amount should be paid to get USB WiFi adaptor.

[via eHomeUpgrade]