Although the product page is in Japanese, DesignTechnica has a nice overview of the new Vertex Link MediaWiz HD. This product has some impressive specs, including 802.11g and support for Microsoft’s new high-definition (HD) Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9). The HD processing is performed by an Intel Pentium III chip, so you can stream video at up to 720p resolution. MORE »

Until now, Mac enthusiasts have had few options for turning their computers into TiVo-like digital video recorders. Elgato’s EyeTV has stood virtually alone in this arena and they now offer the ability to record over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. EyeTV 500 includes the usual DVR abilities, but adds a few high-end features, like editing and archiving options, that are often lacking in this field. MORE »

The MediaGate MG-100 is a set top DVD player with ethernet and USB 2.0 ports that enable it to stream media from networked PCs or USB storage devices. The product is a veritable Swiss Army knife, with support for every conceivable file format, such as MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC, MPEG, DivX, XviD, and JPEG. Using the DVD drive, the MG-100 can also play back CD-R/RW, DVD+-R/RW, and SVCD, to name a few. MORE »

Tatung seems to have slipped a Portable Media Player under the radar. The elio PJ is billed as the world’s first hard drive based media player to sport a 2.2″ color screen. The press release is rather short on specifics, such as actual drive capacity (“5,000 MP3 titles and 7,000 JPEG photos”) and whether the device will support movie files as well, but the few provided details look promising. The elio PJ plays/records FM radio and supports several audio and video formats, including MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and JPEG. All this in a small, black form factor (73 x 113 x 18.5 mm) with 12 hours of battery life (claimed).

I coined the term minimalist materialism to define the primary tenet of my pursuit of gadget nirvana. The concept is both objective and an objective. It does not carry the occasionally negative connotation of the individual words, but is meant instead as a principle to be pursued and upheld. But I’m getting ahead of myself. MORE »

Last week, Toshiba announced two DVD/TiVo units. The RS-TX20 and RS-TX60 both feature DVD-R/RW and TiVo Series2 functionality in a single device, with progressive scan component outputs and TiVo Basic. These units join a product line that was previously limited to the SD-H400, an 80 GB TiVo Series2 PVR with a progressive scan DVD player. As an SD-H400 owner, I am looking forward to these new products, but with a hint of trepidation. MORE »

Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard are using WinHEC to unveil several concepts. HP introduced new desktop (“Troy”) and mobile (“Hermes”) PCs that could figure prominently in Microsoft’s efforts to improve home networking and multimedia. The Microsoft Home concept positions an entertainment PC as a home gateway, allowing for voice and video management. In short, a Windows Media Center PC would handle all phone and videophone calls, in addition to moving media and data around a home network. To mitigate the burden of setting up a home network to handle these capabilities, HP and Microsoft also presented the “Smart Network Key” which would work with a new Windows XP wizard to make networking almost effortless.

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Problem: Information is too sparse.
Solution: Link to website sections devoted to WinHEC Coverage (as opposed to just naming sites)
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Matrixstream has introduced an end-to-end system called I-MX for delivering Video On Demand (VOD) to consumers over an IP network. Because I-MX is designed to work on existing networks, companies would not have to upgrade their infrastructure to enable this VOD solution. Service providers will supposedly be capable of supporting up to millions of users, who will need a set-top box to receive video. The product is not available at the moment, but Matrixstream is pursuing content and working to establish availability by late 2004. MORE »

Hush Technologies has unveiled the Hush ATX Media PVR. The ATX is a full-fledged silent entertainment PC that is more robust than its sibling, the audio-centric AVX Music Server. MORE »