Back at CES in January, HP showed off its new MediaSmart TV and digital media receiver, the HP MediaSmart Connect to great interest from both Windows Home Server and Windows Media Center communities.
Today, HP announced that the HP MediaSmart Connect is now available for pre-order at leading online retailers in the USA for $349.99 – first orders should ship around July 15th.
What’s so great about the MediaSmart Connect? Well, quite a few of us have digital media receivers that we use with Windows Home Server – I have a Netgear Digital Entertainer EVA8000 sitting under the HDTV, and it streams content pretty well, albeit with a pretty miserable UX and firmware that’s likely to crash the unit if you press the wrong remote button at the wrong time. But, it’s okay, y’know?
The problem with the Netgear is that it’s not a Media Center Extender, so watching TV I’ve recorded on Media Center is a challenge. I could use one of the new Extender for Media Center devices from Linksys or D-Link (actually, just Linksys as D-Link haven’t shipped here in the UK yet) but then I can only access the Media Center and not my home server. Hmm…
So the great thing about the MediaSmart Connect is that is connects to *all* of the computers, home servers and NAS devices in your home, and aggregates the lot. One box, all of your content, on your TV.
You’ll have the choice of running with a standard Extender for Media Center experience (giving you access to Live TV, and Media Center’s wonderful UX, but remember, you don’t get DIVX or PNG file support through your extender natively) or through the Connect’s own MediaSmart experience, which provides access to a greater range of devices (including Windows Home Server) and file formats including PNG, DIVX and unprotected ITunes AAC files.
With the exception of Live TV, the MediaSmart menu gives you access to everything MediaCenter can, as well as additional online content and services including movie download services from CinemaNow and Vongo, photo printing from Snapfish (you knew that’s be in there, right?) and internet radio from Live365.
Certainly at first glance, it looks the most effective way so far to display content stored on Windows Home Server and Windows Media Center machines, without the manual effort required to move and transcode content around the network. Whether reality lives up to its promise, we’ll soon see - WGS has its hands on one of the first preview units available, and we’ll be putting the HP MediaSmart Connect through it’s paces this week – look out for a full hands on review in a few days time.
Here are a few photos of our review unit:
In the meantime, here’s what you get for your $349.99:
- HDMI or Component Output supporting 720p or 1080i
- Stereo analog or multi-channel optical digital audio
- Supports DLNA and UPnP-compliant media servers (includes Windows Media Connect for all Windows Home Server owners)
- Supports playback from physical mass storage drives via two USB ports and HP Pocket Media Drive
- Formats supported:
- Image: JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
- Audio: Windows Media Audio (WMA), WMA-Pro, WAV, AAC, MP3
- Video; MPEG-1, MPEG-2 MP@ML, MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264, WMV, WMV-HD
- Networking: Built-in 10/100 Ethernet, plus 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless
- Universal, 5 device programmable remote.
Shame to see that gigabit ethernet isn’t available on the first release, and those of you into your lossless audio formats, and newer video formats such as MKV won’t be fully served, but it will be interesting to see if HP add additional format support in future releases.
On June 18th at 12 p.m. Pacific Time, HP will open a trade-in program for HP MediaSmart Connect. The first 100 participants can exchange their old digital media adapter for a new HP MediaSmart Connect. Details are at www.hp.com/go/mediasmartconnect/tradein.
If you’re tempted by the HP MediaSmart Connect (and if i didn’t have one sitting in my lounge right now I would be), then head on over to your favourite US online retailer (no news on international releases just yet) and get your ore-order in. (If you use the link below, you’ll also support WGS with a contribution to our running costs.)
More Info: HP Press Release | Pre-order at Amazon.com
June 17th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I’m probably missing something (ie I’m sure I am) but why not just buy an XBOX 360 and use it as a media extender and enjoy the extra functionality in the XB360? -aside from the built in wireless in the HP I’m trying to see what it does that the XB360 doesn’t? - I can see it’s physically smaller.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
As far as i’m aware the Linksys DMA-2100 Media Center Extender supports DivX & XviD natively and decoding is not done by the Vista machine. All my media files are stored on the home server and those video files play from the shared folder.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I think it’s too much money for what it can do. I use an old xbox with XBMC and an original remote. (total costs are 60 euro’s) Only thing I’m missing is the HDMI.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I think this is great! But it’s too expensive. I’d like to have one in every room with a tv (almost every room). But I can’t do that for this price.
June 17th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I can’t see why you wouldn’t just use a XBOX 360 to provide this functionality. Unless size is a big issue as the HP unit is smaller but the XBOX 360 has more functionality and gaming built in. The other differnetiating factor could be noise levels - I assume the HP Connect runs silently?
June 17th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Maybe I missed this answer in the article, but is this VMC only or MCE as well ?!?
June 18th, 2008 at 4:59 am
The Extender compatibility is for VMC only I believe, but the unit is compatible in MediaSmart mode with any computer running XP SP2 to greater.
Terry
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 pm
…in MediaSmart mode, meaning I have to install additional software than, instead of just connecting through an already existing feature. I currently have an Xbox360 Elite and 2 HP v1 Extenders, running up against my MCE and WHS. I don’t want to change to Vista and I don’t like how noisy the Xbox360 is - so I was hoping this was going to be my new HD Extender.
July 9th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
So….where is the promised hands-on review? You say “a few days”, but it has been a few weeks already. I’m waiting to hear your take on it before deciding whether to pre-order an x280n. Thanks!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Half written! Had a few things to sort out first!
Apologies fot the delay - running a community site take up lots of time!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
But if you want the headline - if this was available in the UK, I’d have my order in already
July 15th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Thanks! I’ll get my order in tonight! I suspected it would be good, but nice to have confirmation from someone who has actually checked it out.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Is there any offical word on when these units might hit dear-old Blighty?
I’m assuming here that if HP provided a review Unit to a UK-based site, then they plan to launch it here soon.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Nope, that’s an incorrect assumption - we’re a UK site with a majority US readership. It’s a global world we live in nowadays - we’re more connected by interests than geography
Absolutely no word on a launch outside the US right now.
Terry
July 21st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Hi, Quick question related to power.. Does it autoswitch between 110/220 or do we need a converter for 220 countries? Thanks in advance!
July 21st, 2008 at 11:24 pm
does anyone knoe if you have a pocket drive install, can you record tv directly to it? Or is the pocket drive just to play files only?
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
If I order this from the states will I have any problems using it here in the UK ? I have an EVA 8000 at the moment but it really lets me down badly !
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Nope - you’ll be fine (I’m in the UK too) - you need a cheap US to UK travel adaptor as the plug is moulded to the adaptor, and you’ll be locked out of HP’s online content, but otherwise, all cool.
Let us know where you order it from - most US retailers won’t ship electronics to the UK….
September 1st, 2008 at 9:38 am
Anyword from HP if they plan to release it in the UK ?