MvixUSA Introduces S2 And S4 HTPCs
iPads and other tablets may be hindering the growth of the netbook market, but the HTPC market may be hurting even more. Users have gravitated towards online TV or other movie set-top boxes from Roku and the like (not to mention the media capabilities of the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii), leaving only a few pre-fabricated HTPC builders on the market. MvixUSA is one of those still hanging around, and the company has just issued two new boxes for those with not enough time to build their own.
The main difference between the S2 and the S4 is the amount of drive bays; the first has two, the second has four. All of those are hot-swappable bays, enabling users to switch out media drives easily without having to break apart the case. Both systems feature a Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, RAID, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), HDMI out, Bluetooth 2.0, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port, a bundled remote and 2GB of RAM. The thing that boggles our minds is the CPU: there's a dual-core Intel Atom 330 included, which seems awfully weak for an HTPC even when paired with NVIDIA's Ion or ATI's Radeon 3200HD graphics core.
If you still think there's enough power here for you, the S2 will start at $999 and the S4 at $1599.
The main difference between the S2 and the S4 is the amount of drive bays; the first has two, the second has four. All of those are hot-swappable bays, enabling users to switch out media drives easily without having to break apart the case. Both systems feature a Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, RAID, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), HDMI out, Bluetooth 2.0, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port, a bundled remote and 2GB of RAM. The thing that boggles our minds is the CPU: there's a dual-core Intel Atom 330 included, which seems awfully weak for an HTPC even when paired with NVIDIA's Ion or ATI's Radeon 3200HD graphics core.
If you still think there's enough power here for you, the S2 will start at $999 and the S4 at $1599.
Mvix HDHome Converges Home Theater, Gaming and Home Computing Into a Single Device
Chantilly, VA. May 25, 2010: Mvix(USA), Inc., a market leader in high-definition entertainment, business signage solutions and networked-accessible storage (NAS) devices, announces the launch of their flagship product HDHome. The device delivers a convergence across high definition home entertainment, gaming and home computing into a single, compact unit along with massive storage space for hi def media files. “This high-end, comprehensive system fills a void in the market where users demand versatility and system flexibility. Our customers have been asking us for a device where they can store terabytes of their movie collection and have access to it from anyplace, anywhere. HDHome is a response to such a market feedback.” Said VP of Business Development, Mike Mallon.
Built along the traditional HTPC architecture, Mvix HDHome is targeted toward movie aficionadas and multi-taskers, who value superior quality, style and multi-source entertainment. It leverages the latest, Windows 7 Media Center® platform to deliver a near-perfect user interface along with a host of networked sharing options. One can browse thousands of internet TV stations, watch Netflix® , Hulu® and easily share media across the home network. HDHome also works as the universal platform for PC-based gaming and multi-player online games.
The HDHome media center features an embedded slot-load, Bluray player with PowerDVD for a complete HD entertainment experience. Eliminating the need for an additional set-top BD box in the living room, HDHome aims to be the center for all things HD, and Digital Media. With an embedded TV tuner, users will be able to watch, pause, and record a live TV program. HDHome uses latest video and audio decoding technology, making it most versatile media (video and audio) playback system in the market. Apart from true 1080p HD movies and images, HDHome also allows rich, HD 3D digital music over HDMI and optical digital audio out.
Inspite of its small size, HDHome provides expandable storage capacity. It features RAID-enabled, hot-swappable HDD bays for reliable, secure storage for all digital media and documents. HDHome is being launched in two flavors: HDHome S2 (2-bay version, priced at $999)and HDHome S4 (4-bay version, priced at $1599). Both models will feature 10/100/1000 network, Embedded Wireless-N, BD Drive, Media Card Slots, HDMI out, Optical Audio Out, TV Tuner and a full, licensed version of Windows-7 Home Premium disk.
Announcing the launch, Mike commeneted: “HDHome is the ultimate dream box for today’s high definition homes. It is the result of our decade long experience in delivering superior home entertainment devices, home theater PCs and media storage technology. HDHome is for people who enjoy and share movies, listen music, tweet, and web-surf – all at the same time, sitting in their living rooms or home theaters.”
