Smart Home Blog

ASUS is going to launch its new HD network media player ASUS O!Play HD2 this week. The player has USB 3.0/2.0 and eSata ports to connect external storage as well as a 3.5″ bay for internal HDD. It supports MPEG 4, H.264 and RM/RMVB, as well as direct ISO support and Dolby Digital AC3/DTS Digital surround sound. To connect the O!Play HD2 to TV and sound system the composite, component, optical and coaxial digital audio, and HDMI 1.3 outputs can be used. And finally the price. It’s set to £109 for UK and $172 for US. Not bad indeed!

Sometimes we want to show photos stored on the laptop directly to TV or watch some Youtube video on the big screen together with friends. Sure it’s possible to connect the laptop and TV using either HDMI ot VGA cable but you have to be near it and again that wires. But there is a much more elegant way to stream media from your laptop to the TV. To do that you can use HP Wireless TV Connect or ASUS WiCast EW2000. Both sets include two parts – USB-powered transmitter connected to the laptop or PC via HDMI and receiver, connected to TV via HDMI and allow to transmit even FullHD video without lags!

At the first glance ASUS WiCast EW2000 seems more attractive. It’s more compact and looks better. But its price is not known while HP Wireless TV Connect is tagged at $199. So, will see how much will be ASUS product.

There is a more compact wireless solutions to stream media from PC to TV. For example, Imation Link Wireless A/V Extender. But it supports resolution only 720p for video and 1080p for photos. And if you choose it you’ll save $50.

ASUS announced its all-in-one EEE desktop PC. It’s powered on AMD Athlon II X2 250u 1.6GHz Processor and includes 2GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5470, 500GB HDD, DVD RW. Additionally the all-in-one EEE desktop PC sports 1.3-megapixel webcam, b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, two USB ports, a 3-in-one card reader, and it comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The new ASUS is equiped with 20″ 16:9 Widescreen HD+ LCD 1600 x 900 with Multi-Touch Capable . That feature allows to use it as control panel for home automation system. Especially comparing its price ($600-$700) and the price of original AMX or Crestron control panels.

[via Trusted Deals]

ASUS introduced the first networked media player with USB 3.0 support. Its new O!Play HD2 additionally is equiped with HDMI 1.3 as well as with Composite, Component and Optical outputs, USB 2.0 and eSata ports, card readers for CF, SD, and Memory Stick and, of course, USB 3.0 PC link. That player together with Seagate BlackArmor PS110 should demonstrate the USB 3.0 power.

Unfortunately there is no any words about date availability and price of O!Play HD2.

ASUS announced the new model of its HD media players O!Play. The Air HDP-R3 sports 802.11n adapter and CF, SD/MMC and Memory Sticks (MS/MS Duo) card reader missed in the previous version. The rest is the same. The player supports many well-known media formats and containers such MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, RM/RMVB, AVI, MKV etc. There are HDMI 1.3, composite A/V, optical digital audio outputs, 2 USB and one eSATA/USB2.0 combo port and Ehternet on the back side. Also audiophiles should be happy with Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS sound.

The ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 will be available soon at about €90.