Good news for folks who had their eye on the original O!Play HDP-R1 released back in the Summer of 2009 (now under $100 on Amazon), but were unsatisfied with the fact that it only offered Ethernet network connectivity. ASUS’ new O!Play Air HDP-R3 now sports built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and a multi-format memory card reader. Of course, all the goodness that made the original great is still in there — like the USB 2.0/e-SATA port, 1080p video output via HDMI v1.3, and support for nearly every conceivable media format/container including MKV, ISO, VOB, MTS, H.264, VC-1, etc. MSRP on the ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 is $139.99 (presently $129.99 at Amazon). MORE »

Strategy Analytics has a released a new research study dubbed, Profiling the Connected Media Consumer: a Contextual Study, that examines what owners and potential buyers of network enabled HDTVs are looking for and/or expecting in their “Connected TV.” The good news… vocal early adopters are already guiding what features and services their products should support (as evidenced by the number of firmware updates supporting additional services like Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, etc.). Strategy Analytics has found that there are four core motivators for consumers to connect their televisions to the internet: personalization (i.e. widgets), customization, interest driven content (i.e. video podcasts/channels), and social experiences (i.e. Facebook, Twitter). The report also revealed that consumers prefer multi-function TVs that don’t require an additional set-top box and are able to stream media through their LAN or internet wirelessly. All in all, nothing especially new here, if you’ve been following eHomeUpgrade for some time now. MORE »

It occurred to me that the Apple iPad has no native, cross-platform media streaming capabilities (a big missed opportunity if you ask me). Being the case, I did a quick search on Google for an iPhone app, since most are compatible with the new iPad, and discovered PlugPlayer (iTunes – $4.99). What’s interesting is that not only does PlugPlayer allow you stream and playback music (including FLAC and OGG Vorbis), photos, and video from any network connected DLNA/UPnP storage server or PC it also allows you to remotely control a music player docked iPod Touch (similar to the Tango remote app we covered earlier) with your iPhone — and I’m guessing via the iPad as well. Below is a quick user-created video demo of the software in action. MORE »

If you’re in the market for a digital media adapter or any kind of DLNA/UPnP powered device, you may want to spend a few minutes reading TwonkyMedia’s Connected Home/DLNA Best Practices. The guide has been designed to help the general consumer make sense of the networked device landscape, as well as, what to look for before making a purchase. People usually assume because a device carries a DLNA badge that they all work the same and support playback of the same file types, but the truth is each product has device specific limitations. MORE »

Bloomberg has an interesting piece on Roku and its plans for the future. The big take aways from the article is that Roku expects to have reached 1 million Roku Players sold this year (and hey’re considering even giving them away at some point), they plan to have 100 channels in its Channel Store, and the private company may go public and issue an IPO the not too distant future. The rest of the article goes on to talk about Roku’s private funding sources and its revenue strategy that revolves around movie/TV programming purchases as well as subscription offerings through Channel Store partners (but we knew that already). Good luck to them… they’re going to need it in this competitive market.

ABI Research’s “Home Networking Market Data” is forecasting that networked home media device makers will see revenues jump from approximately $100 billion in 2009 to over $243 billion by 2012. The jump is being attributed to the recent introduction of networked HDTVs and Blu-ray players, which they believe will be strong categories going forward, as well as the maturing of network-ready CE devices like set-top boxes, games consoles, digital media adapters, digital cameras, and photo frames. ABI Research does point out, however, that these trends mainly reflect the situation in North American, Asian-Pacific, and Western European markets where adoption rates are similar. MORE »

If you have the desire to go wireless with your HDMI connection and you have $999 to spare, have a look at Gefen’s new 60Ghz solution which promises to deliver uncompressed 1080p video from up to 30 feet away. The GefenTV Wireless for HDMI 60Ghz supports the HDMI v1.3 specification (including multi-channel audio) and can be upgraded via internet firmware updates. According to the Gefen guys, gamers will also appreciate it’s low latency transmissions not possible with non-60Ghz implementations. Now we just need a wireless power technology to hit the market for a true wireless HDTV install. MORE »

I don’t know how analysts arrive at these numbers, but 3DTV was a big hit at CES 2010. So on top of HDTVs being network connected for streaming media locally from devices on your home network and the interent, consumers will soon have 3D options to look forward to — including dedicated 3D programming channels. Thankfully, most TV manufactures (Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony, JVC) have picked one 3D technology to go with, RealD (of Avatar fame), to power their next-gen HDTVs. As DisplaySearch points out, we’ll soon see “a thriving accessory market [...] develop” around the technology once consumers are assured 3D glasses will be compatible with other brands. Gunner Optiks at CES 2010 already announced they’re developing a pair of RealD compatible eyeglasses that look much hipper — and with better optics — than the standard issue provided at the theater. Personally, like Tom’s Guide, I’m waiting for eyeglass-free 3D — but I fear that’s still a few years out until the technology is good enough. MORE »

If you’ve been looking for an easy way to connect your PC, Mac, MP3 player, or smartphone to your home stereo for audio playback, have a look at Aperion’s new Home Audio Link (HAL) system. For $149 you’ll get a HAL transmitter (w/ Audio In) and receiver (w/ Audio Out) that can stream uncompressed music wirelessly (2.4Ghz band) up to a distance of 100 feet. What’s novel is that the USB cable attached to each HAL adapter can be connected to a PC for data transfer and power connectivity or be plugged into a wall plug adapter. The kit includes a dual ended mini-plug cable (for the transmitter), a mini-plug to RCA cable (for the receiver), two USB wall plug adapters, and, as previously mentioned, a single HAL transmitter and receiver. The system can actually support three receivers — listed at $70 a piece — at once to create a whole-home audio setup. MORE »

If you were excited to learn about TwonkyMedia’s new TwonkyServer Mobile app for Android, have a look at the following video demonstrating how the DLNA / UPnP media server app for mobile devices functions in the real world. In a nutshell, the TwonkyServer Mobile app catalogs all your phone’s media (photos, music, videos) and makes it available for playback to any DLNA / UPnP compatible device — in this case a networked Samsung HDTV. Like the demonstrator states… TwonkyServer Mobile is a perfect way to share your phone’s media content with friends. The catch, as you’ll see in the video, the playback device must have the appropriate multimedia codecs installed in order to a play the streamed files. MORE »