Thomson Unveils HDTV Set-Top Box
Receiver will allow your TV to display HD content that's stored on your PC.Agam Shah, IDG News Service
LAS VEGAS-- Thomson will soon release a television set-top receiver that can send high-definition video images from a PC for display on a high-definition TV, it announced this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show here.
Using built-in wireless or Ethernet capabilities, Thomson's Acoustic Research Digital MediaBridge receiver can also collect other digital content from a PC, including audio, video, and picture files, and distribute it to home entertainment devices that support UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), according to the company. UPnP uses Web protocols to let devices such as PCs and appliances automatically recognize each other on a network.
The receiver will support playback of content from CinemaNow, an Internet-based movie service that carries close to 5000 high-definition films, concerts, and programs. Users will be able to download the high-definition films to a PC and broadcast them to an HDTV over wired Ethernet, according to the company. HD video can't be transferred through the bundled 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network connections as the bandwidth required is too high, a company spokesperson says.
Users will be able to send content from as many as three PCs running Implicit Networks' inServer to an HDTV or a home entertainment system, the company says. Implicit's inPlayer software uses inServer to distribute high-definition images from a PC to an HDTV, the company says.
The receiver works with PCs running Windows XP and Windows 2000 and can transmit content in the MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), and WAV music formats and MPEG 2, MPEG 4, XviD, and WMV9 (Windows Media Video 9) video formats. Support for Mac OS X will come in the second quarter of 2005, according to the company.
The receiver has high-definition component video, DVI (Digital Video Interface), and S-Video outputs to connect to TVs or other audio or video devices. It will come with a universal remote control to operate the receiver and other home entertainment devices, with capabilities to organize photos and search for music and films based on keywords.
It is due to be released in early 2005 priced at $299, the company says.
Going Mobile
Thomson also announced new portable audio and video products. The RCA Lyra portable multimedia players support the content protection system in Microsoft's Windows Media Player 10. Music download services from Napster, Microsoft's MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, and Wal-Mart Stores, among others, use the Windows Media Player 10 format to distribute media files with digital rights management.
The Lyra Audio/Video Jukebox RD2782 can store 20GB of audio, video, image, and data files. It can also be timed to directly record programs from a TV, cable, or satellite set-top receiver. It is compact, measuring 4.9 inches by 3.1 inches by.8 inches. It has a built in speaker, a USB port, a speaker, and a voice recording microphone. It also comes with a remote control and a docking station that provides audio, video, and USB connectivity. The $449 device will ship in June, according to the company.
The Lyra RD2212 player is targeted at health enthusiasts. The water-resistant player comes with a stopwatch, calorie counter, and heart rate monitor. It has 256MB of flash memory and includes a digital FM tuner. An LCD screen displays battery life, and track and artist information. The $129 device will be available in April, the company says.
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