DVD PLAYER CONNECTS TO PC
Before you buy the next DVD player for your home video system, you
might want to consider one that connects to your computer. These days,
it seems like the personal computer is becoming more involved in the
home entertainment arena. With digital camcorders, mp3 players and
audio CDs, the computer is fast becoming a digital hub or central
controlling device for all of our digital equipment. Once upon a time,
devices that connected to a computer were thought of as peripherals.
But now it seems that more and more of our mainstream consumer
electronics are being designed to connect to a personal computer
directly or via a network.
 GoVideo
has just introduced their D2730 networked DVD player that connects to
a computer via a wired or wireless Ethernet network. It's being billed
as the world's first consumer electronics component with advanced DVD
functionality enabling users to stream video and audio files from the
PC to the TV. As a stand-alone DVD player, the unit competes with a
good quality player offering features such as Dolby 6-channel discrete
surround sound, S-video, optical digital audio out and a remote
control. The unit will play DVD, DVD-R/RW, Video CD, Kodak Picture CD,
Music CD, MP3 and WMA audio files on CD-R/RW disks. But that's where
the ordinary ends and the computing begins.
Built into the unit is a PCMCIA slot for wired Ethernet, and
wireless 802.11b or WiFi networking. The unit comes standard with a
card for wired networking but a wireless network card may be purchased
separately. Also included is the special GoVideo D5 Media Server
software that lets the computer magic happen. The DVD player connects
to your home video system via any of the aforementioned standard audio
and video connectors. Your computer connects to the DVD player via the
network. Install the software and you're all set. The software will
scan your computer's hard drive for compatible files. Currently, file
formats supported are JPEG, MPEG1, MPEG2, MP3, and WMA. Once all of
the valid files are located and stored in the software's menu system,
you can select any of them using the DVD player's remote control and
on-screen menus that appears on the TV set. The selected file will be
streamed to the GoVideo DVD player and then played on the TV connected
to your home video system.
Granted there are several stand-alone devices that will let you
view video images from your computer onto a TV. But the GoVideo DVD
player represents the next generation of such devices. Most of those
other devices basically convert your TV into an external monitor. With
the GoVideo DVD player, you actually select, control and view the
streaming data, and view it seamlessly through the DVD player's
high-quality video electronics.
The GoVideo DVD player requires a Windows based PC and is available
beginning in late May for $299.
www.govideo.com |
