2 November 2003 23:04 GMT / By PRESS RELEASE
Comment: While this new for Sony, it is not actually new to the industry. Linksys, launched a system that is completely wireless rather than merely capable of wireless, still the fact that a major entertainment system manufacturer has joined the party will mean that this idea is pushed into the spotlight quicker.
Sony's new Network Media Receiver device is set to revolutionise the way we enjoy multimedia content in our homes. This latest innovation from Sony finally bridges the divide between PC-based audio and video entertainment and content on the one side, and the living room's main interface with the consumer, the TV, on the other. In fact, the Network Media Receiver not only brings the IT and AV worlds together but unites users as it allows them to share their multimedia files - such as digital videos, digital stills and digital music - with friends and family.
Photography and film enthusiasts may have wondered how best to share their library of digital photos or movies when they were limited to viewing the images via the PC screen. With Network Media Receiver in place, these stills and videos can be viewed on probably the biggest and best screen in the home - the TV in the living room. Similarly, music stored on a PC needn't be enjoyed via the computer only but can now be played on the hi-fi.
Jonathan White, IT group product manager for Sony comments: “Network Media Receiver bridges the gap that used to exist between the TV and the personal content stored on a VAIO. Now people have the freedom to share their digital personal music, pictures and videos in a living room environment more easily via their TV sets.”
Network Media Receiver will be bundled in the autumn with the PCV-RZ400 VAIO desktop series and some models of the PCV-RS VAIO desktop series. It is also available as an embedded feature within an all-in-one AV receiver (STR-LV700R), sold separately.
MAKING IT ALL WORK
The lightweight Network Media Receiver box weighs 650g and can be easily hooked up to the PC and TV or Hi-Fi, thanks to the simplicity of its connectivity options. Using a standard Ethernet RJ-45 cable, i t connects to the desktop PC and links with the TV or stereo via its S-Video, Composite and/or Optical Digital Audio outputs. Once these physical connections have been made, Network Media Receiver streams the multimedia files from the VAIO PC to the TV and/or Hi-Fi system.
Wireless connectivity is made possible with the inclusion of an optional wireless LAN card in the VAIO desktop. Users can then enjoy their digital content away from the PC and in the most convenient and comfortable locations around the home, using the supplied remote control that works with the Network Media Receiver hardware. What's more, any number of people can access their digital music, digital photographs and digital video collections simultaneously, without suffering a reduction in picture or sound quality.
The innovative capabilities of the Network Media Receiver device have also been built into an AV receiver from Sony for the first time, the STR-LV700R. This device is regarded as something more than the sound source for a home entertainment set-up - it can now be seen as a gateway to the rich digital content residing on a VAIO PC.
THE SOFTWARE ENABLERS
Access to the digital AV content on the owner's desktop PC is enabled by the pre-installed VAIO Media software which has an interface displayed either on the TV or on the STR-LV700R's on-screen display. The three options - Listen to Music, View Photos and Watch Videos - are an access-point to the relevant files on the desktop PC handled by SonicStage, PictureGear Studio and Giga Pocket respectively.
PictureGear Studio holds digital images imported from various sources (e.g. digital still cameras, memory cards and the internet). Users can then store and manage the pictures in folders, create photo albums and binders, edit and print, or compress and send via email.
SonicStage stores music files downloaded from the Internet, CDs or digital music players. Users are able to create personalised playlists and get more information about the tracks by connecting to the CDDB (CD database) on the Web. They can also manage their music, search for songs and playback tracks on the VAIO, or share them across different music devices.
The Giga Pocket software allows users to watch TV from cable or satellite and take advantage of “live time-shifting”, so that important moments are never missed. Users are able to record TV programmes automatically and manage the files in ‘video cabinets' ordered by name, time, date or channel. Shows can be exported to external devices, such as a CLIÉ PDA for viewing on the move, or else video-streamed to other devices by connecting a VAIO Notebook with VAIO Media software on board.
The TV can be u sed to view photo slide-shows, playback TV shows recorded with Giga Pocket or to watch movies that have been recorded on a camcorder and then stored as Giga Pocket video capsules. Alternatively users can gain access to music files stored in SonicStage and listen to them via a home stereo that's connected to Network Media Receiver using the audio line-out ports or the optical audio output (SPDIF).
Related links
|
|
Latest in HomeCinema
Latest on Pocket-lint.co.uk
-
AUDIO
Pocket-lint's CES Coverage Begins
-
HOMECINEMA
Samsung: World's Slimmest TV Claim
-
GADGETS
Logitech Harmony 1100 Launches
Comments