SONICblue introduces first of its kind networked DVD player - Printer Friendly version without Comments

Appeared on: Tuesday, December 17, 2002
SONICblue introduces first of its kind networked DVD player

SONICblue(TM) Incorporated (Nasdaq:SBLU - News), introduced the world's first Networked DVD player, the Go-Video® D2730. Besides top quality, standard DVD playback, the D-2730 brings all the pictures, music and video clips stored on your computer onto your TV. The user-friendly PC software included makes set up incredibly simple, and TV viewing is as easy as pressing a button on the DVD remote control. The product is so exciting that the Consumer Electronic Association (CEA) recently selected it as a 2003 Innovation Award winner.

"SONICblue's vision is connecting people with entertainment and with the proliferation of digital cameras and the downloading of audio and video files, today's consumers have a lot of great entertainment content trapped on their computers," said Ed Brachocki, vice president of product marketing, audio and video products, SONICblue. "The networked DVD player will allow them to easily connect to this entertainment, and stream content from their computers to the television."

The Go-Video D2730 is the first player of its kind to have the capability to stream MPEG2 video files through a wireless network from a computer to a consumer electronics component. The D2730 works with either a PCMCIA Ethernet Adapter (included) or an optional PCMCIA 802.11b Wireless Network Card and can stream MPEG1 and MPEG2 video files that are compressed at bitrates up to 3 Mbps. The Networked DVD Player can also stream audio files in both WMA and MP3 format and JPEG image files. The image files can be displayed by predetermined photo albums that the user can easily set up. The MP3 audio files can also be displayed by the Title, Artist, and Genre, using ID3 tag support.

The Go-Video D2730 also incorporates an easy to navigate, intuitive user interface that makes accessing and playing of remote media files easy. Users simply load the included software onto their home computer, which then acts as a server. From the user interface on the television, users can then search for available entertainment content on the computer's hard drive and select audio and video files to stream to the DVD player with the touch of a button on the remote control. The Go-Video D2730 combines a slim-line design and high-end styling to give consumers a player that incorporates all the features and functions of an advanced DVD player, in half the space of a traditional A/V component. In addition to its streaming capabilities, the Go-Video D2730 comes with many advanced DVD features including a Progressive Scan output that provides enhanced quality picture and a built in Dolby Digital decoder giving consumers flexibility in their surround sound applications. The D2730 allows users to play DVDs, Video CDs, Music CDs, HDCDs, Kodak Picture CDs, and MP3 files on CD-R and CD-RW. The D2730 also comes equipped with Composite, Component, and S-Video outputs giving users the highest video quality and Coaxial and Optical Digital Audio Outputs.

Both CEA and SONICblue will showcase the Go-Video D2730 Networked DVD player at the International CES show in Las Vegas, January 8-12, 2003. Please contact a SONICblue representative to arrange a demonstration at the show.

The Go-Video D2730 Pricing and Availability

The new Go-Video D2730 ($249 MSRP) is expected to be available on SONICblue's eStore (www.sonicblue.com) and in retail outlets throughout North America in the first quarter of 2003.