--Extends Capabilities of its MediaREADY Product Line
Consumer electronics manufacturer, Video Without Boundaries (VWB), is adding a new box to its MediaREADY Digital Media Center product line. Dubbed the MediaREADY 6000, the new box features onboard CableCARD digital cable tuning--meaning that it can be used to receive any major US cable service in lieu of an operator's standard set-top receiver. (Note: VWB recently signed the CableCARD Host Interface Licensing Agreement offered by US cable-industry research-and-development body, CableLabs--see [itvt] Issue xxx.) It also features, among other things, dual ATSC/NTSC/PAL tuners for watch-record, AAC/iPod support, support for HD MPEG 2 and 4 (H.264)/DivX/WMV/VC-1 codecs, an upgradeable 200GB hard drive, and VoIP/video conferencing support (it includes a room microphone for video calling). Like the company's MediaREADY 4000 and 5000 products, the 6000 also supports DVD/MPEG-1, 2, 4/CD/MP3 recording and playback, and offers PVR functionality, PVR-to-DVD read/write functionality, broadband Internet connectivity, wired and wireless home network connections, a Linux operating system, a Web browser, email, an EPG, a wireless keyboard, a karaoke application, a media jukebox, and the ability to download exclusive content from various VWB partners. The new box will have an MSRP of $1,249 and is scheduled to ship to retailers in the second quarter. VWB plans to demo the box at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (January 5th-8th).
In other VWB news:
--The company says that it has extended the capabilities of the MediaREADY product line to include support for a number of services, including iTunes, Yahoo Music, Google Video, and AOL Optimized 9.0, as well as support for new applications, including voice calling and transfer of video and audio to the Apple iPod. It plans to demonstrate the new capabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show. "This is a revolutionary change in the way services, applications and media is delivered," VWB president and CEO, Jeffrey Harrell, said in a prepared statement. "Current and future MediaREADY owners will now have access to the most popular applications and services available online in their living rooms and from the comfort of their couch."
--The company has launched a high-definition version of its Flyboy portable media player, which features a 960x234 pixel backlit LCD display. In addition, the Flyboy HD, as the device is called, incorporates a 20GB hard drive (which VWB says allows it to store up to 20 movies), a Secure Digital card slot, and USB 2.0 support. It also offers an optional MPEG-4 video camcorder module that allows end-users to capture live A/V video and store it on the device's hard drive or plug-in SD card; the ability to output sound and images to a TV or projector using its NTSC/PAL audio/video output cables; and a USB 2.0 port for transferring video to a PC. According to VWB, the device will have an MSRP of under $400 and will begin shipping in the current quarter.
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