NETGEAR (http://www.netgear.com), a worldwide provider of
technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today
launched the newest Internet-connected set-top box in its popular
“Digital Entertainer” product family. The new Digital Entertainer
Live (EVA2000) is an easy-to-use and affordable Internet set-top box
that enables viewers to play their digital media collections, YouTube
videos and a wide range of other Internet content on big-screen TVs.
Rather than having to watch downloaded movies and online videos on
small computer screens, families can now enjoy media collections
stored on USB storage devices, computers and network storage directly
on their HDTVs, from the comfort of their couch.
In addition to personal media collections and YouTube, consumers can
now easily browse, download and play newly released pay-per-view
movies from Roxio CinemaNow. They can also view videos on their TV
from a wide variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu, Netflix and
CBS, through free software trials and optional subscriptions. The
Digital Entertainer Live incorporates all of these functions into a
single compact player, an advantage for cluttered home entertainment
cabinets.
“People are amassing a huge amount of their own downloaded and
personal digital music, photos, and videos, as well as consuming more
and more Internet video,” said Phillip Pyo, NETGEAR’s director of
product marketing for connected home entertainment products.
“According to comScore’s Video Metrix service, between January 2007
and July 2009, there was a 331 percent jump in the number of minutes
of video watched per average viewer per month. It went from 2 hours,
31 minutes to 8 hours, 20 minutes.”
He added, “The vast majority of people are still watching these
videos on small computer screens, so it’s logical to assume that the
amount of time spent will continue to increase as devices such as the
Digital Entertainer Live make it even easier to watch online video on
HDTVs. NETGEAR is thrilled to offer an affordable, content-rich, and
easy-to-set-up and -use solution that bridges this gap and enables
people to fully enjoy their home media collections and online video
from popular Internet sites on the best screen in their home – their
big-screen TVs.”
The Digital Entertainer Live is a compact, “plug in and go” home
media player with a simple remote control that enables consumers to
easily access their digital movies, videos, music and photos directly
from their USB storage devices and watch them on their TV. Users need
only plug a USB hard drive containing digital media content into one
of two USB 2.0 ports on the Digital Entertainer Live and connect the
Digital Entertainer Live to their HDTV using an HDMI or composite
cable. The Digital Entertainer Live also features regular RCA jacks
for connecting to older analog TVs.
Furthermore, with its integrated network port, the Digital
Entertainer Live easily makes an Ethernet wired connection to the
Internet and the home network, enabling access to digital media
content stored on computers and network storage devices in the home
network, as well as Internet content over the web. If consumers do
not have an Ethernet connection available near their TV, they can use
the optional Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111)
that connects the Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the
home network via Wi-Fi. Alternatively, they can use existing
electrical power outlets and a powerline device, such as NETGEAR’s
Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004), to connect the
Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the home network.
By connecting the Digital Entertainer Live to a broadband Internet
connection, consumers enjoy the full YouTube experience – searching,
browsing and watching millions of videos with access to
subscriptions, playlists, country selections, categories and channels
– all without the need for a computer. Instead of huddling around a
small computer screen to watch the latest funny video, consumers can
now show it on their TV for everyone to enjoy.
To widen the search for Internet video content, the Digital
Entertainer Live is shipped with a built-in Internet video search
engine that can locate videos on the entire worldwide web. The
Digital Entertainer Live performs dynamic keyword searches of more
than a hundred thousand websites for Internet videos without needing
a computer. The search feature yields dynamic results with each
letter inputted and automatically categorizes popular subjects into
easy-to-find folders.
The Digital Entertainer Live also supports pay-per-view movies
on-demand from Roxio CinemaNow, where users can buy or rent a range
of newly released movies as soon as they are available on DVD and
watch them in minutes. Consumers no longer have to wait for the mail
or drive to the nearest rental store. They simply browse all the
movies on their TV and download them to a USB storage device using
their Digital Entertainer Live and Roxio CinemaNow account.
Additionally, the Digital Entertainer Live includes a free trial of
VuNow, which provides access to hundreds of other Internet videos,
live Internet TV and live Internet radio streamed from popular sites
from around the world, such as Bloomberg, CNN Video, C-SPAN, ESPN,
Germany’s 2DF, Al Jazeera, BBC Worldwide, China’s CCTV, Germany’s
DWTV, Euronews, EuroSport, France 24, France’s Orange Sport,
Germany’s RTL, and Sky News. The Digital Entertainer Live also comes
with a free trial of PlayOn software. By running this optional
software on a computer also connected to the Internet and home
network, users enjoy hit TV shows and movies from popular Internet
video services such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC
iPlayer, CBS, NFL, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and more,
wherever the service is normally available via the Internet.
“There is an ever-increasing amount of digital media – TV episodes,
movies, photos and music – being stored on computers and other
devices throughout the home, as well as on the Internet,” said Jayant
Dasari, broadband and television infrastructure and services research
analyst at Parks Associates. “In fact, some people have even maxed
out their personal computers with media, requiring external storage,
such as one that connects via USB. Due to this increase in
distributed digital media content, consumers are looking for ways to
enjoy their digital media and online videos in one place.
Internet-connected set-top boxes are one solution that enable the
entire family to benefit from viewing the broadest spectrum of
digital content on their HDTVs from the comfort of their living
rooms.”
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR
Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is available in the U.S. through
leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers at an
MSRP of $149.99. The Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter
(EVAW111) has an MSRP of $39.99. Worldwide availability of the
Digital Entertainer Live is planned for the coming months.