QNAP Systems (http://www.qnap.com) has unveiled a new network
appliance described as a set-top player crossed with a NAS server.
The NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player bridges the gap between the
home network and the living room, says Meiji Chang, CEO of QNAP
Systems. It works with Mac, Window, Linux, and even UNIX-based home
networks.
The NMP-1000 solves the dilemma of how to centrally store, manage,
and playback growing amounts of digital content spread around the
home on multiple computers, he adds. It incorporates an internal hard
disk drive that catalogs digital pictures, videos, music, and other
content from computers on the home network and can play them back in
a home theater with the included remote control.
The new NMP-1000 connects to the home network via wired Ethernet
(wireless adapter ready) and to an HDTV via HDMI or Component
interfaces, or composite and S-Video interfaces for standard-def TVs.
The NMP-1000 is capable of playing back smooth Full HD 1080p video.
It supports a wide range of formats for playing back digital
pictures, videos, movies, and music. Because the NMP-1000
incorporates technologies found in its popular Turbo NAS servers, it
can also be used to automatically backup computers on the network and
also for file storage and sharing.
The NMP-1000 is fully DLNA compliant and features technology
including HDMI 1.3 support, Sigma Designs video/audio hardware
decoders, and networking support hidden under the hood. Pricing
ranges from 262.99 to 473.63, depending on configuration.