The goal here is simple: Play all the videos that I have ripped from DVD, downloaded from the web, shot with my own cameras or obtained in some other manner, no matter what the format. It sounds simple, but Apple TV can't do it. Neither can the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Video codecs and containers are a nightmare to keep track of, and even more of a nightmare to convert.

This isn't about photos and music. Apple TV is better at both of those than any of this stuff. It's also not about renting movies or buying movies, or even streaming movies from Netflix. Roku has a nice cheap box for that, and Apple TV is suitable if you just want to live inside Steve Jobs' media store. This is about playing non-DRM movies, pure and simple.

The names might be familiar to you: The Popcorn Hour C-200 by Syabas is quickly gaining cult status (and has its own hacker wiki), while the other four smaller boxes come from brands you probably have experience with, including WD, Seagate, Netgear and Patriot. None have built-in wireless, but they all have Ethernet ports.

My two main tests were simple—I loaded PC and Mac formatted external hard drives with a variety of files ranging from H.264 MP4s to WMVs of several vintages, from raw AVCHD files in MTS wrappers to the hot new DivX 7 MKV. Then I browsed through my local network to a NAS that had a cache of similar files. Could I see them? Could I play them? These shouldn't be issues, but they're big issues.

Here's a rundown of each machine, and how they fared in testing:

As you can see, there were clear leaders given my criteria above, but what struck me was how each one differed. Truth is, depending on who you are, any one of these might be the best fit. Here's what really separates them:

WD TV Live - $150

I would have given this thing the solo spot at the top if it weren't for a few dings that might very well be fixed in a firmware update: It won't show you DVD menus on ripped DVD images, and when you play files with the suffix .m4v, it won't fast forward or rewind. Weird bug, and can be fixed if you just change .m4v to .mp4, but since that's the default file naming for Handbrake's "Apple TV" profile, it could be a problem for people, like me, who spent months ripping their entire DVD collection that way.

WD's strengths include a friendly user interface with handy video previews, some promising early online services (including Pandora), and the most reasonable photo and music handling I've seen in this cluster of gadgets.

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ - $150

I loved this when I tested it a few weeks ago, despite its fugly interface, and it holds up under testing. It does better with ripped .ISO files than WD, doing both DVD menus and chapters (and it doesn't have that weird .m4v bug either). Video was better, especially when running 1080p content. And when it came to browsing my Linksys NAS in search of movies, it could reach more and read more than the WD.

The tradeoff is that the interface is bad, and there's almost nothing in the way of online services. It gets points for making an attempt at sorting music, and displaying photos, but if that's a priority, WD is the better call.

Popcorn Hour C-200 - $300

Hardcore AV nerds love this thing, and I understand why. There are more ways to get at video content than in any other set-top box I've ever seen, and if you really know how to hack, there's really not much it can't do.

It's a big ole thing—they call it a "network tank," and despite remind me of the far cooler ones in Tron, I get it. It has an internal BitTorrent client and you can plug in a Blu-ray drive, for God's sake. I found very few video formats that it wouldn't support (FLV was one) but I had to take major points off because for being so big, it has a lame interface, and it comes with an RF remote that only worked when I stood within 3 feet. They even mention that there might be problems with interference, and that if people experience that, they can buy the IR remote. Great, thanks.

My only question—and, commenters, it's not rhetorical—is why spend $300 on this (plus extra for the optional internal HDD and the IR remote) when you can just buy a home-theater PC?

Patriot Box Office - $130

This was the dark horse of the group, being a late entry by a company known only for computer memory. I was surprised at how well it held up. It actually could decode more tested formats than any other device in this lineup—it did Flash video (FLV), which the three above can't render. Only the WD and the Patriot show you video previews, too. As small as it is, there's a space for a 2.5" SATA drive in there, and even a BitTorrent client. You can copy files to and from different drives and the network, and it's the cheapest of the lot, at $130.

So why did it come in a distant 3rd? Unlike the three above, it can't read Mac formatted hard drives, and its video quality was noticeably the worst of the batch. That said, if you are a hacker sort and want something to play with that doesn't cost as much as Popcorn, set your sights on this.

Netgear Digital Entertainer Live

As you can probably tell by now, Netgear had the most disappointing box of the lineup, despite its Apple TV ripoff of a look and feel. Lack of Mac media support and the inability to read key file formats, like DivX 7 and AVCHD, meant it couldn't pass muster with real video fanatics. Its biggest point of woe was the fact that it didn't support any file over 720p in resolution—whether that's a software thing or a hardware thing, it's sure not future-proof, and probably best to stay away.

I also didn't like the fact that its interface is laid out entirely for retail, like an Apple TV without the panache, or a Roku box that costs more and doesn't do Netflix. Local files were not a priority, and despite the friendly interface, it doesn't even make an attempt to differentiate photos and music. I did give it a gold star for online services, but only because it had the most in this group—if online services are what you love, buy a Roku, or a TiVo, or an Xbox, or a friggin' Apple TV.

Still not sure what you're looking for, check the spec comparisons here:

Update: At the urging of many readers, I recently tested the Asus O!Play and found that it does all of the things the Seagate can do (except fit Seagate-branded FreeAgent drives inside), but at a lower cost—$100 vs $130 in today's pricing. If you have narrowed your options down to the Seagate, skip over to my Asus O!Play review before making your final decision.

Indeed, having Linux on the RangeMax right from the start means you can load unofficial firmware on the router out of the box. And the USB port means you can also set it up as a media server. Other features include a a 480MHz MIPS processor with 8MB of flash and 64MB of RAM. Expect the WNR3500L to ship sometime this fall for $140. [Netgear via Electronista]

Instead of making users learn the ins and outs of FTP, Netgear has set up a graphic-driven MyStora.com through which the drive can be accessed. So the effect is like a NAS light that the less tech inclined might enjoy. (If your parents or parents' parents can handle email, chances are they can handle this NAS.)

There's also some premium service Netgear offers that involves mobile phones and flickr for $20/year.

Luckily the NAS isn't gimpled, supporting Macs/PCs/Linuxes and DLNA/UPnP/iTunes media sharing. But there is one pretty big catch. It seems the Stora's expansion is limited exclusively to mirroring, meaning that you can't add a second drive to double capacity. And that sorta kills the fun, doesn't it? [Stora]

NETGEAR's Stora Brings Easy-to-Use, Internet-connected Storage to Consumers Everywhere

New Storage Device with Remote Access Enables Home Users to Share Photos with Friends without Uploading to Internet Sites

SAN JOSE, Calif. - September 21, 2009 - NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, and network storage leader in the business and prosumer market with its ReadyNAS line, today announced NETGEAR Stora, a new, easy-to-use network attached storage (NAS) device for home media. Stora enables consumers to easily centralize photos, music, movies and files and use them on nearly any network device. With a smooth user interface designed for non-technical users, Stora lets consumers easily share their photos and videos with friends without the time-consuming process of uploading them to Internet sites or transferring them over email. Through an intuitive and graphical user interface on www.MyStora.com, users and their designated friends and relatives can remotely access their media files from any Internet-connected device, such as laptops, PCs and smartphones.

"We strongly feel that Stora exemplifies the next-generation of consumer storage devices," said Drew Meyer, director of marketing for NETGEAR's Network Storage Business Unit. "NETGEAR has already made its mark in the business and prosumer market with our ReadyNAS line, but Stora is most definitely a platform for everyone. Stora gives users the features they need today with a consumer-friendly user interface and price point, making their media available to them and their designated friends and families anytime, anywhere — even on mobile smartphones. It truly sets a new bar for the consumer network storage market."

Store: Compatible with Mac, PC and Linux systems, NETGEAR's Stora puts music, movies, photos, and files at the heart of the home network, centralized in a single, safe location.

Share: With remote access via www.MyStora.com, Stora enables cross-platform file sharing, music listening, movie watching and photo sharing from any Internet-connected device. In addition to sharing files over the web, users can also share photos, videos and files between home computers and home media players. Stora can centralize music collections and play music through iTunes. It can also automatically integrate content with remote photo frames and social networking sites such as Facebook. Stora can also serve content to other networked devices such as Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled photo frames, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles, and iPhone and Blackberry mobile phones.

Protect: With two standard drive bays that automatically mirror data, Stora offers plug-and-play protection that safeguards valuable data. Users can simply add a second drive, on the fly, without any tools. Stora also comes with automatic backup utilities for PCs and Macs, so individual system content is backed up regularly.

"Today's consumers face a conundrum when trying to manage newly acquired or created digital content among various computing devices inside and outside the home," said David Reinsel, group vice president of IDC's storage and semiconductor research groups. "Historically, personal storage devices have proven competent at providing reliable storage capacity and data protection within the home, but not always accessible from outside the home or across multiple devices. With this new product, NETGEAR looks to solve these common problems for consumers."

NETGEAR Stora (MS2110) comes with a 1 TB disk and one extra drive bay that can be used to insert an optional disk for mirroring. The product is immediately available through selected North American retail and e-commerce stores. Stora will be available from leading European and Asia Pacific retail locations in approximately two weeks. Stora is backed by a three-year warranty and 24/7 technical support and the Stora (MS2110) model has an MSRP in the U.S. of $229. An optional yearly premium service, to support additional remote access and third-party service integration such as Flickr and mobile phones, is available for $19.99 after an initial 30-day trial period.

Connecting to your TV via HDMI/composite and your router via ethernet, the Digital Entertainer can stream a boatload codecs from your PC or networked storage, load media from a USB stick or stream YouTube from the web.

The catch, however, is that you'll need to purchase PlayOn ($40) if you'd like to stream the premium internet video services like Hulu, Netflix and CBS from a computer.

In other words, the Digital Entertainer's $150 price jumps to almost $200. And for $200, you're in console territory with the PS3 and Xbox 360 supporting UPnP, popular codecs like DivX and PlayOn services. Plus, the 360 obviously supports Netflix out of the box.

I'm not saying there's no point to one of these media streamers, but for $150 when they're not a turnkey solution to everything you want to do anyway, it's probably smart to shop around a bit. [Netgear]

NETGEAR Introduces Digital Entertainer Live, Compact All-in-One Set-top Box for Playing Home Media and Streaming Internet Video on HDTVs

Plays Movies, Videos, Music and Photos from USB Drives, Computers and Network Attached Storage; Accesses YouTube, Roxio CinemaNow On-demand Movies, Internet Videos, Hulu, Netflix and More

SAN JOSE, Calif. - September 8, 2009 - NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today launched the newest Internet-connected set-top box in its popular "Digital Entertainer" product family. The new Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is an easy-to-use and affordable Internet set-top box that enables viewers to play their digital media collections, YouTube videos and a wide range of other Internet content on big-screen TVs. Rather than having to watch downloaded movies and online videos on small computer screens, families can now enjoy media collections stored on USB storage devices, computers and network storage directly on their HDTVs, from the comfort of their couch.

In addition to personal media collections and YouTube, consumers can now easily browse, download and play newly released pay-per-view movies from Roxio CinemaNow. They can also view videos on their TV from a wide variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu, Netflix and CBS, through free software trials and optional subscriptions. The Digital Entertainer Live incorporates all of these functions into a single compact player, an advantage for cluttered home entertainment cabinets.

"People are amassing a huge amount of their own downloaded and personal digital music, photos, and videos, as well as consuming more and more Internet video," said Phillip Pyo, NETGEAR's director of product marketing for connected home entertainment products. "According to comScore's Video Metrix service, between January 2007 and July 2009, there was a 331 percent jump in the number of minutes of video watched per average viewer per month. It went from 2 hours, 31 minutes to 8 hours, 20 minutes."

He added, "The vast majority of people are still watching these videos on small computer screens, so it's logical to assume that the amount of time spent will continue to increase as devices such as the Digital Entertainer Live make it even easier to watch online video on HDTVs. NETGEAR is thrilled to offer an affordable, content-rich, and easy-to-set-up and -use solution that bridges this gap and enables people to fully enjoy their home media collections and online video from popular Internet sites on the best screen in their home - their big-screen TVs."

The Digital Entertainer Live - Product Features
The Digital Entertainer Live is a compact, "plug in and go" home media player with a simple remote control that enables consumers to easily access their digital movies, videos, music and photos directly from their USB storage devices and watch them on their TV. Users need only plug a USB hard drive containing digital media content into one of two USB 2.0 ports on the Digital Entertainer Live and connect the Digital Entertainer Live to their HDTV using an HDMI or composite cable. The Digital Entertainer Live also features regular RCA jacks for connecting to older analog TVs.

Furthermore, with its integrated network port, the Digital Entertainer Live easily makes an Ethernet wired connection to the Internet and the home network, enabling access to digital media content stored on computers and network storage devices in the home network, as well as Internet content over the web. If consumers do not have an Ethernet connection available near their TV, they can use the optional Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) that connects the Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the home network via Wi-Fi. Alternatively, they can use existing electrical power outlets and a powerline device, such as NETGEAR's Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004), to connect the Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the home network.

By connecting the Digital Entertainer Live to a broadband Internet connection, consumers enjoy the full YouTube experience - searching, browsing and watching millions of videos with access to subscriptions, playlists, country selections, categories and channels - all without the need for a computer. Instead of huddling around a small computer screen to watch the latest funny video, consumers can now show it on their TV for everyone to enjoy.

To widen the search for Internet video content, the Digital Entertainer Live is shipped with a built-in Internet video search engine that can locate videos on the entire worldwide web. The Digital Entertainer Live performs dynamic keyword searches of more than a hundred thousand websites for Internet videos without needing a computer. The search feature yields dynamic results with each letter inputted and automatically categorizes popular subjects into easy-to-find folders.

The Digital Entertainer Live also supports pay-per-view movies on-demand from Roxio CinemaNow, where users can buy or rent a range of newly released movies as soon as they are available on DVD and watch them in minutes. Consumers no longer have to wait for the mail or drive to the nearest rental store. They simply browse all the movies on their TV and download them to a USB storage device using their Digital Entertainer Live and Roxio CinemaNow account.

Additionally, the Digital Entertainer Live includes a free trial of VuNow, which provides access to hundreds of other Internet videos, live Internet TV and live Internet radio streamed from popular sites from around the world, such as Bloomberg, CNN Video, C-SPAN, ESPN, Germany's 2DF, Al Jazeera, BBC Worldwide, China's CCTV, Germany's DWTV, Euronews, EuroSport, France 24, France's Orange Sport, Germany's RTL, and Sky News. The Digital Entertainer Live also comes with a free trial of PlayOn software. By running this optional software on a computer also connected to the Internet and home network, users enjoy hit TV shows and movies from popular Internet video services such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer, CBS, NFL, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and more, wherever the service is normally available via the Internet.

"There is an ever-increasing amount of digital media - TV episodes, movies, photos and music - being stored on computers and other devices throughout the home, as well as on the Internet," said Jayant Dasari, broadband and television infrastructure and services research analyst at Parks Associates. "In fact, some people have even maxed out their personal computers with media, requiring external storage, such as one that connects via USB. Due to this increase in distributed digital media content, consumers are looking for ways to enjoy their digital media and online videos in one place. Internet-connected set-top boxes are one solution that enable the entire family to benefit from viewing the broadest spectrum of digital content on their HDTVs from the comfort of their living rooms."

Pricing and Availability
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is available in the U.S. through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers at an MSRP of $149.99. The Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) has an MSRP of $39.99. Worldwide availability of the Digital Entertainer Live is planned for the coming months.

Besides HP killing their Smart TVs and Connect Media receivers, Linksys's DMA2100 and DMA2100 are listed as "discontinued" at B&H, Niveus Media's Media Center Extender is delisted points out Engadget, along with Samsung's MediaLive Digital Media Adapter. Only Netgear's Digital Entertainer Elite appears to be holding strong.

Any company who proclaimed to be in the home entertainment or networking biz had one, and now they're all silently shrouding them in death ShamWows. To quote the Joker, "What happened?" Well, to start, they mostly sucked, really, really hard. HP's most recent box required a PC running in order to rent movies so it could authenticate your CinemaNow account. And just try scrolling through your catalog of 13,000 songs, on any of these things. We'll see you in 2020.

Even when they are decent, they perform almost the exact same function as an Xbox 360 or PS3—which are also actual gaming systems for the same, or even less money. Not to mention Boxee on Apple TV or super-powered Blu-ray players packed with Netflix that also slurp up audio and video. What doesn't stream audio and video? Dedicated streaming boxes are one-legged men in a ruthless cyborg world: Destined for slaughter.

Difficult, expensive and redundant, they lived on borrowed time. And now they're dead.

The new Time Machine compatibility uses Bonjour to so your computer can auto-detect the NAS over LAN, and supports backups from multiple Mac machines. The Time Machine support is a software upgrade to the ReadyNAS RAIDiator OS, and should be available as an upgrade to all ReadyNAS products.

For $1500, the ReadyNAS NVX comes with 2-terabytes of storage, support for both NAS and iSCSI protocols, and compatibility with the Windows, OS X and UNIX/Linux platforms. In addition you can add online backup starting at $6/month ($20/month for businesses).

NETGEAR Expands Award-Winning ReadyNAS Storage for SMBs with ReadyNAS NVX

NETGEAR's 4-Bay Desktop Model Brings Double the NAS Performance, iSCSI Support and Support for Time Machine in Mac OS X

SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 6, 2009 - NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the addition of several new 4-bay storage appliances to its award-winning family of ReadyNAS products for Small- to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). The ReadyNAS NVX, which is designed for home offices, workgroups and small businesses, offers double the performance of previous NV+ units, support for file services (NAS) and application services (iSCSI SAN) for Windows, UNIX/Linux and Mac systems, including support for Time Machine in Mac OS X v 10.5 Leopard. It enables users to securely store, share and protect business-critical data across a LAN or WAN, guard against disk failures, and grow capacity as needed. As with all ReadyNAS systems, the new NVX is extremely fast, easy-to-use and deploy, and affordable — ideal for resellers eager to solve customer needs for centralized storage and disaster recovery. NETGEAR
will display its full line of ReadyNAS solutions in booth #800 at the Storage Networking World trade show in Orlando, Florida, April 6-9, 2009.

"NETGEAR is fully committed to providing the best possible networked storage solutions to the SMB market — offering a range of appliances that address different capacity requirements and thrifty IT budgets," said Paul Tien, vice president and general manager of NETGEAR's Networked Storage Business Unit. Mr. Tien will give a presentation at Storage Networking World on "Multi-layered Backup for SOHO and SMB."

He added, "We're extremely pleased to add iSCSI support to this new NVX platform so we can now provide a unified NAS+iSCSI storage option in a very compact desktop form factor at such an affordable price point to our hugely successful ReadyNAS line. Our ReadyNAS products have been praised by channel partners and end users alike for high performance, reliability, scalability, ease-of-use and, perhaps most importantly, overall value."

NETGEAR's ReadyNAS products have received high acclaim since their introduction to the market - winning such esteemed awards as CRN's 2008 "Best Product of the Year" for storage and Small Business Computing's 2009 "Excellence in Technology" award for network-attached storage, as chosen by readers.

ReadyNAS NVX 4-Bay Desktop Storage

Store: The ReadyNAS NVX - supporting both NAS and iSCSI - is an ideal desktop storage system for home offices, workgroups and small businesses. This entry-level SMB product enables end users to centralize data from local systems into a single device and solve problems around capacity growth, remote access, backup and disaster recovery all without IT expertise. The ReadyNAS NVX simultaneously handles file sharing for Windows, UNIX/Linux and Mac systems and also stores data for server applications such as email, databases and virtualization.

Share: As a new feature, the ReadyNAS RAIDiator operating system works with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. NETGEAR's ReadyNAS devices continue to support the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), enabling native Mac files to be used without restrictions or limitations; Apple's Bonjour software technology for auto-discovery of the device over a user's LAN; and dashboard widgets for status monitoring. Now Mac users can leverage Time Machine to back up multiple Macs to a single location and can recover from disasters without expert assistance.

"With so many consumers, prosumers and small businesses now loyal fans of both NETGEAR and Apple products, we're pleased to inform Mac enthusiasts that our new ReadyNAS products work with Time Machine," said Drew Meyer, NETGEAR's director of storage networking products. "Mac shops, popularly known for storing copious amounts of digital files, will now be able to fully realize the benefits of an industry-leading network-attached storage device that is expandable, and seamlessly interoperates with their current Mac backup utility."

Protect: As with all ReadyNAS products, the NVX includes multiple layers of protection for data including drive fault tolerance (RAID), local USB backups, online backups (snapshots), and secure offsite replication to other ReadyNAS systems. And the embedded ReadyNAS Vault option lets users automatically archive to an Internet datacenter and recover from any web browser.

NETGEAR's ReadyNAS NVX 4-Bay Desktop Storage is available now from value-added resellers at an estimated U.S. street price starting at $1,500 with 2 TB of storage. ReadyNAS appliances come with full 24/7 technical support and an industry-leading five-year warranty. In addition, a free 30-day trial of the ReadyNAS Vault internet backup service is available now on all ReadyNAS systems. U.S. pricing for the ReadyNAS Vault service starts at $5.95 per month for consumers and $19.95 per month for businesses. More information for the entire ReadyNAS product line can be viewed at (http://www.readynas.com).

The router looks like any other Netgear device in design, but it has a USB port for the dongle and (presumably) you configure all the settings through the router page. There's even an optional car power adapter so you can take your show on the road. The 3G Mobile Broadband router will be available in Q1 of this year for $130.

And for consumers and professionals on-the-go, NETGEAR’s 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router
(MBR624GU) creates an instant WiFi hotspot using 3G mobile broadband access service for broadband
access virtually anywhere, simply by plugging in any compatible 3G USB modem to the router. Mobile
users thus have the flexibility to create a WiFi network whether in a satellite office, construction site,
emergency center, vacation home, at an offsite event or campsite, or even from a moving recreational
vehicle. The 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router features auto detection of compatible 3G USB
modems and associated mobile carrier networks to have broadband access almost instantly. It supports
SPI, intrusion logging and reporting, denial-of-service (DoS) protection, up to five IPsec VPN endpoints,
and NAT. With Push ‘N’ Connect with WPS, energy saving features, and an optional car power adapter
to power the router while on the move, NETGEAR’s 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router is ideal for
sharing a 3G broadband Internet connection practically anywhere with friends, colleagues and family
members. More information can be found at
(http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/3GMobileBroadband/mbr624gu.aspx).

3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router (MBR624GU)
•
Compatible with extensive range of 3G USB Modems and networks.
•
Four Ethernet ports for LAN connectivity; USB 2.0 Host WAN port.
•
SPI, DoS, NAT, and supports up to 5 VPN endpoints.
•
“Push ‘N’ Connect” button based on WPS.
•
WiFi on/off button and Power on/off button to save energy while not in use.
•
Auto detection and installation process for easy setup.
•
Repeater configurable and static routing feature.
•
Advanced application based on QoS.

The Skinny: If you don't already have some device hooked up to your TV that can access these sites, or you want to watch European news whenever you feel like it, you might want check this thing out. In addition to the video clip search and 90+ live feeds (200-300 planned for the future), the ITV 2000 can connect to cinema now, vu now, or photo services. You can also plug in a USB drive and watch or listen to your own media via USB.

The device connects over wi-fi or ethernet, and has composite, component and HDMI connections. The Netgear ITV2000 Internet TV Player will be available this summer for $200.

Internet TV Player (ITV2000)

NETGEAR’s Internet TV Player (ITV2000) is a compact, easy-to-use, “plug in and go” Internet set-top
device with a simple remote control that enables viewers to catch up on the world of Internet videos
including YouTube™, live Internet TV, popular Internet video websites, premium video-on-demand and
online video searches retrieving billions of Internet videos from a place it was previously unavailable —
the TV in their living rooms. Rather than watching videos on PC screens in separate rooms, families can
watch video from a variety of Internet sources on the TV together, in the comfort of their den or family
room.

The Internet TV Player unlocks the value of new HDTVs as well as old analog TVs. It is ideal for the
Internet families who enjoy online video, and for those who are geographically displaced from their
preferred television content, such as international sporting events and Bollywood productions. It streams
content from popular sites such as BBC.com, CNN.com, ESPN.com, EuroSport.com, NBC.com,
PGATour and TMZ.com, as well as video powerhouses YouTube, Google Videos™, Yahoo Videos™ and
MetaCafe™. NETGEAR’s Internet TV Player supports streaming of live TV broadcasts from Internet sites
around the world, and premium, paid movies on demand such as CinemaNow.com, in addition to
downloaded videos from sites such as BitTorrent®. Its superior VTap ™ video search capabilities enable
the intelligent search of Internet videos, including targeting video sites by country, topic of interest,
person or popular website. Consumers are also able to play video, music, and photos from a local USB
flash drive as well as from the NETGEAR ReadyNAS® family of storage solutions.

Slightly larger than a deck of cards, the compact Internet TV Player connects to the home network and the
Internet via Ethernet or wireless USB adapter. It does not require a PC to play Internet video, nor does it
require installing any PC software or setting up file sharing or firewall settings.

The NETGEAR Internet TV Player (ITV2000) is expected to be available in early Summer 2009 through
leading retailers, e-commerce sites, and value-added resellers, at an MSRP in the U.S. of $199. More
information can be found at
(http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/itv2000.aspx).

Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150)

An ideal solution for serious media enthusiasts, NETGEAR’s Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) is the
most powerful and flexible digital media player available, incorporating the latest video, audio and
wireless technologies to deliver an unparalleled living room experience. Its integrated 500GB hard drive,
easily user-upgradeable to larger capacity disks, makes the Digital Entertainer Elite the world’s most
powerful home video jukebox on the market. Consumers can play on their TVs Blu-Ray quality up to
1080p digital video, high-resolution digital photos, MP3s and recorded television shows from their PCs or
storage on their network. They can also enjoy Internet content, such as YouTube, Internet radio, Flickr™,
RSS feeds, and videos from popular websites. The Digital Entertainer Elite automatically finds all digital
media files on the home network and organizes them into an easily accessible library.

The Digital Entertainer Elite is exceptional in that it works simultaneously with Windows®, Mac® and
Linux computers, and Networked Attached Storage (NAS) devices, such as NETGEAR’s award-winning
family of ReadyNAS® storage solutions. It supports an unmatched list of file formats, including:

•Video formats: AVI, DivX, Xvid WMV, MOV, M4V, MP4, VOB, MPG, MP1, MP2, MP4, ISO,
IFO, MKV, TS and M2TS;

•Audio formats: MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, WMA-Pro, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, LPCM, Dolby
AC3 5.1 stereo downmix, Dolby AC3 5.1 passthrough, DTS 5.1 passthrough, Dolby TrueHD
Downmix, Dolby+ Passthrough and DTS-HD Master Audio passthrough;

•Subtitle formats: SUB, SRT, SMI, SAMI, TXT and DVD Subpicture; and,

•Video codecs: MP1, MP2, MP4, Xvid, VC-1/WMV-9, H.264 and OpenDivX.

The Digital Entertainer Elite’s two USB ports also enable instant access to content on a USB flash drive,
digital camera, iPod® or other USB storage device. Three of NETGEAR’s exclusive RangeMax™ internal
metamaterial antennas and Dual-Band wireless 802.11n give the Digital Entertainer Elite the best wireless
performance of any digital media player on the market. More specifically, the Dual-Band wireless enables
the Digital Entertainer Elite to pick from not only three 2.4GHz channels, crowded by 802.11g wireless
networks in the neighborhood, but up to twenty clearer channels in the 5GHz band. Further, the Sigma
Designs 8635 chip ensures the most powerful and flexible audio and video performance.
Multiple NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Elite units can work in concert throughout a house. Using
“Follow Me,” consumers can pause a video in one room and resume it in another. While in “Party Mode,”
they can synchronize music playback for whole-home listening.

The Digital Entertainer Elite also features NETGEAR’s award-winning Push ‘N’ Connect to seamlessly
and securely connect wireless clients based on Wi-Fi Protected Set-up (WPS), eliminating the need to
remember or input password keys. Further, NETGEAR’s Digital Entertainer Elite includes
environmentally friendly features, such as an energy-efficient power supply and auto-sleep mode.
Backed by a one-year warranty and full 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Elite
(EVA9150) is expected to be available in February through leading retailers, e-commerce sites, and
value-added resellers at an MSRP in the U.S. of $399. More information can be found at
(http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/eva9150.aspx).

“NETGEAR’s product introductions take advantage of two major trends that we are seeing with
consumers — digital media and connectivity,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst of
Parks Associates, which specializes in research and analysis for digital living technologies. “First, as
digital media collections grow, we anticipate that the average broadband household will require a
significant amount of additional storage and media centralization capabilities. Second, our Digital Media
Evolution study finds high demand for connected CE experiences that can deliver premium Web content
to the living room.”

Yes, that's a tad steep if you compare it to Apple TV, Roku, or Xbox 360, but not so bad if you compare it to the average HTPC.

The Netgear's biggest advantage is that it supports a wide variety of codecs and includes a 500GB SATA hard drive that's user-swappable.

The Netgear's biggest disadvantage is that it while it can browse YouTube, Flickr, content from your PC, and probably services like Hulu as well, there's no Netflix partnership to speak of. But for the Bittorrent fan who wants a place to toss media for an HDTV, it might not be a bad option when it's released at a yet unannounced time. [Wired]

The Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite, expected to be officially announced at CES, is a set top box that may lack a tuner but happens to stream every format you could want at encoding rates up to 40Mbps (Blu-ray territory) over ethernet or its integrated Wireless-N adapter.

Playing 1080P video over HDMI, plus packing component, optical and SCART outputs, the Digital Entertainer can also be expanded to move beyond streaming with any 3.5-inch internal SATA drive you like.

The catch, of course, could be the price. But we probably won't know about that point for another month. Until then, we'll admit that our interest is piqued. What would you pay for this sleek HTPC light? [FCC via DVICE]

For either $66 or $90, you can receive unlimited GearHead support for six months or twelve months, respectively. This service includes help with hooking up and/or troubleshooting most devices that interface with your in-home broadband, such as routers, computers, printers, scanners and VoIP devices, not to mention support for the Windows platform, MS Office, and Adobe Acrobat. GearHead also provides a desktop client that will let their technicians go in and remotely control your desktop.

The pay-per-incident works a little different. There's the Internet Access service which, for roughly $37 will provide you 30 minutes of remote assistance in getting your internet connected properly. For about $50 you can buy the PC Tune Up service, where a technician will go in and remove useless files and programs, bugs from your registry and adware.

While, most you techies have no problem keeping their home networks running in tip top shape, I'm sure you have parents, grandparents and siblings who can't help but constantly keep their computers in a state of disarray. When you get tired of playing computer repair man, you can now just point them over to GearHead and wipe your hands clean of the whole ordeal. More information on GearHead can be found over at [Netgear].

NETGEAR® GearHead Services Provide Affordable, 24x7 Technical Support Service to Help Consumers Resolve PC-Related Problems

New One-Stop Technical Support Service Provides Remote Support for Computers, Peripherals, Software, and Other Computer-Related Products

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — November 18, 2008 — NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the launch of NETGEAR GearHead Services, a comprehensive, affordable 24x7 remote technical support service that provides consumers with a one-stop resource for troubleshooting and resolving many of the most common computer-related problems in the home. One of the first of such comprehensive services from a consumer electronics vendor, the GearHead program is designed to ensure the best possible home networking experience for consumers that want to make the Internet their primary communications and entertainment platform for the Digital Home.

NETGEAR’s GearHead Services provide 24x7 PC and network support on both a subscription and pay-per-incident basis. SupportPak 6 and SupportPak 12 provide six or twelve months of unlimited 24x7 phone-based technical support to help consumers resolve a variety of issues related to computer hardware, home networking, Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office applications, and antivirus and antispyware programs. NETGEAR also offers two pay-per-incident services including the Internet Access Service, which helps consumers to troubleshoot and correct hardware- or software-based Internet access problems, and the PC Tune Up Service, which steps consumers through the process of eliminating unnecessary files, adware and unused programs to optimize performance of the PC. Interested parties can find out more here.

“While NETGEAR has always been dedicated to delivering the best possible end-user experience across our broad line of wired and wireless networking products and networked devices, getting all of the hardware and software components of a computer system to communicate and work together can be complicated and frustrating,” stated Winston Sze, Senior Service Product Manager at NETGEAR. “Consumers don’t care whether their computer problem is hardware or software related – they simply want the problem resolved as quickly as possible. Our new GearHead Services eliminate the frustrating exercise of having to speak with the tech support groups for a variety of different vendors by providing consumers with 24x7 access to an affordable one-stop technical support hotline that will help them troubleshoot and repair almost any computer-related issue.”

One of the most important aspects of the GearHead program is its vendor neutrality and focus on solving problems unrelated to NETGEAR products. The GearHead SupportPaks provide hardware support for desktop and notebook PCs, wired and wireless routers, modems, printers, scanners, fax machines, USB PC devices, home networking devices, and sound cards. In addition, technical support is provided for software-related issues with Windows operating systems (2000, XP or higher), Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat, in addition to anti-virus and anti-spyware software from McAfee, Norton, AVG, eTrust, and BitDefender. The GearHead SupportPak 6 and SupportPak 12 provide six or 12 months of unlimited technical support for only $65.95 USD and $89.95 USD, respectively.

The pay-per-incident services provided by NETGEAR GearHead includes the Internet Access Service, which provides up to 30 minutes of remote technical support for customers experiencing problems with accessing the Internet. The GearHead PC Tune Up Service helps customers eliminate unnecessary files, adware and unused programs to improve their PC’s performance. The Internet Access and PC Tune Up Services are priced at $36.50 per incident, and $49.50, respectively.

features a 240 MHz MIPS32® CPU core with 16 KB of instruction cache, 16 KB of data cache, 1 KB of pre-fetch cache, and incorporates 4 MB of flash memory and 16 MB of RAM. In addition to an external 2 dBi antenna, the WGR614L integrates a second internal diversity antenna to provide enhanced performance and range.

NETGEAR Launches Open Source Wireless-G Router Enabling Linux Developers and Enthusiasts to Create Firmware for Specialized Applications

Open Source Wireless-G Router (WGR614L) Delivers Higher Processing Power and More Memory for a Wide Variety of Customized Applications and is Supported by a Dedicated and Responsive Open Source Community

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – June 30, 2008 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking solutions, today announced the launch of the Open Source Wireless-G Router (WGR614L), a full-featured wireless router designed to serve as a reliable, high-performance platform to support a wide variety of applications created by the open source community.

The high-performance WGR614L, which is “Works with Windows Vista” certified, The router supports free open source Linux®-based Tomato and DD-WRT firmware and will soon support OpenWRT.

The WGR614L is supported by a dedicated open source router community, www.myopenrouter.com, which provides open source firmware downloads, forums, blogs, articles, source code, and user guides, and provides users with dedicated and responsive support by open source experts.

“The launch of the WGR614L is significant to the open source community as there has been a growing demand for more powerful platforms to support a rapidly growing segment of open source enthusiasts that are seeking to create more robust, commercial-grade applications for their wireless routers,” stated Som Pal Choudhury, senior product line manager for advanced wireless at NETGEAR. “In addition to adding a more powerful processor and additional memory to the proven Broadcom® platform, the most popular open source firmware, Tomato and DD-WRT, are available on WGR614L making it easier for users to develop a wide variety of applications. An important feature of our offering is the dedicated and responsive open source community which enables users to easily exchange ideas and troubleshoot issues. New applications currently being developed by this community include traffic shaping applications, redirections to captive portals for hotspots, guest access via a separate SSID, upstream and downstream QOS, and intelligent bandwidth monitoring.”

The NETGEAR Open Source Wireless-G Router (WGR614L), which features one 10/100 Internet WAN port and a four-port 10/100 LAN switch, incorporates an 802.11g access point to support wireless connectivity at speeds of up to 54 Mbps. The WGR614L supports static and dynamic routing with TCP/IP, VPN pass-through (IPSec, L2TP), NAT, PPTP, PPPoE, DHCP (client and server), and Bigpond. A Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall protects the network from intruders, and the wireless connection is secured with support for 40-, 128- and 152-bit WEP encryption, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2-PSK, and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Additional security features include: Exposed Host (DMZ), MAC address authentication, URL content filtering, logs and e-mail alerts of Internet activity.

The NETGEAR Open Source Wireless-G Router (WGR614L) is backed by a one-year hardware warranty and is available now via select retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites and value added resellers at a retail price in the U.S. of $69.

And after putting the system through field testing, PCMag decides they like it.

Even through transfer rates vary a bit over distance, the Netgear HD/Video's sustained speeds are a lot better than its 2.4 GHz counterparts.

Those who intend to use the system for home theater should know that the system's optimal transmission rate was from only 15 feet away, at which it could hit one-way transfer speeds from 82 to 94 Mbps. But from 45 feet away and a floor between the two boxes, the system still managed to hit speeds ranging from 68 to 74 Mbps. That's still pretty good, and plenty fast to stream HD flicks without a problem. [pcmag via ehomeupgrade]

Fujitsu alone has been spared the lawsuit hammer because it caved and struck a deal over the summer to license Wi-LAN's whole patent portfolio—such transactions are why "patent holding" companies like Wi-LAN exist, not for anything productive. Be brave! Let loose the fury of your legal team to crush patent trolls into oblivion, since the patent office isn't doing much about it. The court system will ultimately thank you. [Reuters, Flickr]

The following chart demonstrates the speed difference in copying each given file type over to the Storage Central Turbo. Although the chart says "Typical 100Mbps NAS device," we can safely assume that Netgear is, to some degree, referring to its own, original Storage Central:

Netgear boasts functionality close to that of a locally attached drive but with the convenience of being on the network and the security of having an automatically mirrored drive, if you choose that option during setup. On a PC, the drive actually appears as a lettered drive. Unlike many other networked storage drives, however, this one seems to want nothing to do with Macs. (Then again, in the System Requirements, Windows Vista isn't mentioned either.)

Product Page [Netgear]

The CEO says it's smaller, lighter, brighter, has a better UI, longer-lasting battery, and supposedly an easier-to-connect Hotspot interface. Watch, as the CEO bypasses the entirety of their PR dept. and goes and drops a bomb that probably wasn't supposed to be dropped.

Exclusive Pix+Vid: New NETGEAR Skype Wifi Phone [Live Digitally]

Their EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD is a media streamer that can suck almost any audio or video format from your computer to your overpriced HDTV—upscaling and supporting resolutions up to 1080p. Is this the all-in-one digital connectivity mecca we've been searching for? And how does it stack up against the Apple TV?

CNET, LAPTOP, Living Digitally and PCMag have an opinion on the matter...

Design
"The metallic enclosure is slim and eye-catching, and the connections on the back of the unit are well marked, so you can easily understand where the cables go. (2)

...this flat rectangular device is ugly. It's much bigger than the Apple TV (4)

The included remote is pretty good, with mostly excellent button differentiation, which makes it easy to quickly find the page up/down rocker or the play button. (1)

Connectivity & Playback
This is very important people - I didn't have to install any software, drivers, or anything, and was able to get my music, photos, and videos all streaming in a matter of minutes. (3)

Support for just about every popular video format, including MP4 and Xvid, as well as most popular photo and music formats, means the EVA8000 will rarely balk at an unsupported media file... Most videos, music, and photos played perfectly fine over our home network (2)

The USB 2.0 ports can be used for more than just thumb drives—we had no difficulty in playing music off iPods, which often give other A/V players trouble. We even hooked up a 160GB USB hard disk, and it worked perfectly. (1)

We also looked at King Kong, which is an excellent-looking DVD, and the Digital Entertainer HD didn't disappoint. Detail and colors looked excellent, and we completely forgot we were watching the DVD streamed, instead of on a decent upconverting DVD player (1)

Where the EVA8000 really stumbled, however, was with a 1080p movie file. We streamed a WMV-HD test file of Robotica in full 1080p resolution. It played perfectly on an Xbox 360 streamed over our 802.11n wireless network. Playback on the EVA8000, however, stuttered and made frequent audio dropouts. Other 1080p files had the same problems. (2)

...it's also the only game in town with both full 1080p support (3)

I looked at quite a few photos, and I didn't really feel they were being displayed at the maximum resolution possible. This could be a trick of the eyes, but I was expecting the pictures to look "HD-like" since they are all resolutions of 720p (3)

Somehow, the smart minds at Netgear found a way around Apple's DRM (not videos, though). You can listen to any audio content that plays in iTunes and any content that plays in Windows Media Player. Even the iTunes album art is displayed. (4)

We did have success playing other video files from BitTorrent [giz ed note: online store], but it was a pretty arduous process—and one that wasn't well-covered in the manual. (1)

User Interface
I liked the user interface (GUI) in that it's simple and navigates quickly (much faster than, for example a MovieBeam or Comcast HD-DVR menu). If you've ever used a TiVo or Media Center PC, you shouldn't have any problem getting it up and running. (3)

Given that there are hordes of graphic and computer designers out there, this amateurish menu system baffles and annoys me. (4)

The onscreen graphical interface lacks the slick panache of Apple TV, but it's functional—and the navigation is lightning fast. (1)

Conclusions
...the product's basic value proposition is definitely delivered in a good way (3)

Fix the bugs and allow users to stream without disabling their firewalls, Netgear, and you'll have one fantastic product. (4)

Granted, we were pushing the device to its limits, but we do get the feeling you'll experience more hiccups with the EVA8000 than with Apple TV. (1)

The lack of 802.11n support is what ultimately what makes this premium-priced streaming device less than spectacular. (2)"

I hate it when a product is released and all I can think is, "I can't wait for version 2.0," but that's the case here...for me at least. – Mark Wilson

SPECS
Audio Formats MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, FLAC
Photo Formats JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
Video Formats MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, WMV, Xvid
Ports USB, HDMI, Component, Composite, Stereo RCA, Coaxial/Optical Digital Audio with S/PDIF, Ethernet
Wireless 802.11b/g
Size 17 x 10 x 2 inches
Weight 4.4 pounds

Hint: HD fans will be disappointed...

You see, the device doesn't support 802.11n, so streaming HD on a g-based network led to videos that stuttered and tripped over themselves. Unless you go wired, you're better off staying away from HD, which is a shame considering the unit supports 1080p.

Otherwise the device can get RSS news, YouTube videos, check e-mail, and even stream your PC's desktop straight to your TV (you use the remote as your keyboard/mouse). The EVA8000 looks like a decent alternative to Apple TV if you plan on staying away from HD. Otherwise, you might wanna wait for D-Link's MediaLounge when that comes out this summer, which will be like a souped up DSM-510. – Louis Ramirez

Netgear Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000 [Laptop Mag]

Its other cool features are a PVR extender for PCs that have a tuner card on board, multi-room playback with multiple Netgear boxes, and the ability to play back YouTube on your TV. The only thing we see missing is Windows Media Center extender and DivX support, but otherwise this looks pretty solid. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Netgear]

The Storage Central Turbo should be available early 2007 wherever the old Storage Central is sold. We're looking forward to unloading our music, movies, and data onto this little metal guardian. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Netgear via eHomeUpgrade]

Product Page [Tech Digest]

More deets and Netgear's Storage Central Turbo after the jump.

Using the same proprietary software to deal with the TV tuner, It also supports iTunes, though the uncomfortable silence from the reps indicates the officialness of that is iffy at best, so we'll see if that particular feature makes it to market. You can, however, hook up your iPod, as well as any other mp3 player or mass storage device. Rounding out the package is the "follow me" feature, which allows you to pause a movie on one receiver, and then resume it on a receiver in another room. Granted, that means you need of two these babies, which is not a cheap proposition at $349 a pop. Or you can use party mode, which plays everything synchronously all of the receivers on the network. Oh, and it has direct access to Youtube. Woohoo? Drops in early '07.

Netgear also showed off the Storage Central Turbo (pictured above), a network storage setup which supports "terabytes of SATA storage" and fail-safe disk mirroring (though you have to supply your own hard drives.) They claimed it's 6x-7x faster than any other network storage device with gigabit speeds, with the ability to transfer an HD movie in about 10 minutes. Same vague release time frame as DEHD, $249. – Matt Buchanan

This one is from Topcom, and it looks a lot like the IPEVO desk phone we saw on Friday.

Netgear's SPH200D.
–Noah Robischon

The base station supports up to 4 handsets, but we're not sure how useful that is. You can only make one phone call at a time. And the clueless Netgear flaks didn't even know if you can use two handsets at the same time (say your two kids want to get on the phone with grandma at the same time.) We can't imagine the phone not supporting that. (But then, neither can we imagine Netgear's top marketing people not knowing how their own products work). – Sean Captain

• incoming and outgoing calls don't register
• call history doesn't synchronize between Skype on PC, and Skype phone
• keyboard a little clunky
• can't send sms texts
• takes over a minute to load up contacts
• contacts have to be reloaded every time Skype reconnects, which is each time one switches networks
• standard typeface is gross, with poor kerning

Apart from that, the phone is excellent! I gave my sister, in London, a local number on which to call me. Free for her, because she has bundled local minutes. Free for me, apart from the number rental. And
the quality of the call was perfect.

We agree with him on just about all counts. It's great to have a Skype phone you can take with you wherever there's WiFi, but it does need a little polish—it's first generation technology after all.

It also looks like Amazon's lowered their price of $249 to $199 after $30 rebate. That puts it only $20 above the $179 offered for Belkin's, which has a release date of November 20. Estimated delivery is 1 to 2 weeks. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon]

In the back of the unit, there's component, S-Video, Digital Coax/SPDIF audio, and RCA to connect to your TV or home theater. It also has 802.11g support to access your network, or you can just go ahead and use the Netgear Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter Kit if you don't have a wireless router handy. Useful if you have lots of PC content you want to stream to your TV. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Netgear]

Press Release [Netgear via Digital Trends]

Note: This may be a bit unfair, as the version of software on Belkin's unit is pre-release and Netgear's is release. We'll do another match-up once Belkin releases a final version of the firmware.

Size: Netgear's is smaller, easier to hold.

Comfort: Belkin's finish may look better, but Netgear's is easier to hold in your hand and up to your ear.

Heat: Both got pretty hot, but Belkin stayed a bit cooler than Netgear's.

Call Quality (includes reception): The overall quality was about the same, but Netgear had noticeably less lag than Belkin. The Belkin unit is still a pre-release version, whereas Netgear's version is release, therefore more stable.

Skype-to-Skype: Tie. Both were decent.

Skype-out: Netgear's was definitely more stable and didn't have the lag that was in Belkin's unit.

UI: Netgear's was faster, more responsive, and the keys have a better tactile feedback than Belkin's. But the Belkin phone had a brighter screen, and didn't have the annoying problem of having to manually type in the "+" key whenever you wanted to add a Skype-out contact.

Talk-Time: Belkin wins at three hours compared to Netgear's two.

Speakerphone: Netgear wins. Belkin doesn't have one.

Cost: Belkin's was only $179 on Amazon before it was taken down. Netgear's is $249.

Conclusion: Netgear wins 7-4, thanks to its better call quality, smaller size, and more responsive UI. However, the race may be a bit closer next time after Belkin updates its firmware. We're going to say award Netgear the crown now, but check back in October for a re-match. – Jason Chen

Check in tomorrow for a full-on review and comparison to the Belkin Skype phone. – Jason Chen

Update: The video should be up any second now. Just keep refreshing!

Update 2: Forget YouTube. It's up on Veoh now.

Beaver shots after the jump.

Unfortunately for Europe and Asia, they won't be getting theirs until October. Amazon's page still says "pre-order", so expect an update from them soon. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon via VoIP-Sol]

Why are those Skype phones taking so long to come out? Promised by Belkin, Netgear, etc. Available on pre-order from Amazon since the Spring. STILL not out. What went wrong?

From our own experience with a pre-release model of the Belkin WiFi Skype phone, we can say these devices are 95% of the way there. The only issues holding it back are delay when calling Skype-out, intermittent sign-offs, crashing during calls and call dropping. Some significant problems there.

We posed the same question to Belkin and Netgear. Their responses after the jump.

Belkin:

We're set to ship our Wi-Fi Phone for Skype in October. The reason for the delay is that there a number of complications involved with making an embedded Skype device communicate correctly with the Skype network.

Belkin gives us some info, but doesn't really get to the heart of it. Why are they delaying their release until October, whereas the SMC WiFi Skype phone, an OEM of the Belkin one, is available on eBay already? Logitec is also getting into the OEM game and releasing their own version of the Belkin phone soon. Are SMC and Logitec setting their bar lower?

Netgear:

...

Yes, Netgear never bothered to get back to us. We'll assume that their answer is similar to Belkin's, and that getting an embedded phone device to work on WiFi and Skype is quite challenging. Their manufacturing and product design is all done, it's just down to the software and firmware on the phones. Once that's all done—by October, hopefully—we'll be Skyping like we've never Skyped before.

Do you have a question for Gizmodo? Send it on in and we'll do our best to answer it. – Jason Chen

Enter 200Mbps powerline rockage with the HDX101. 200Mbps is considerably more than the trickle we once saw with this selfsame technology and at $249.99 for a full kit—the HDXB101—I might actually even give it a try. Beats waiting for Wi-Fi to transfer all my illicit pornography around my home network. – John Biggs

Press Release [Netgear]

With an ADSL 2+ mode, a router, a four-port 10/100 switch, a firewall and of course, draft 802.11n support, this device eliminates the need to have both a modem and a router to connect to your DSL service.

Press Release [Netgear]

Belkin Page [Belkin]

The short answer is, no. Read on to find out why.

Glenn over at Wi-Fi Net News says it's better to wait. The 802.11n standard hasn't been ratified by the IEEE (it's still in draft form) so there's a significant risk that the equipment bought now won't be upgradable to the final version of N. He continues:

With no hardware replacement guarantee from a manufacturer, why buy today? If manufacturers are willing to step forward and provide explicit offers with their products that they will have the same compliance with the gear they shift today as with the gear they ship in six months, up to and including replacing the hardware you purchase today, then that argument goes away.

On the other hand, Apple, who was first to market with 802.11b routers, is quiet on the whole situation. Andrew at eHomeUpgrade agrees with Glenn and explains why:

The lack of a defined standard certainly has to impact Apple's plans to release an upgraded Airport router. It is most likely stifling product innovations that would require the higher bandwidth throughput capabilities of the 802.11n standard.

It's not that Apple doesn't want to upgrade, they're just waiting for 802.11n to become official in order to save headaches for their customers (and support calls for themselves).

What's our take on it? Well, if you have a situation where it's a necessity to have high speed wireless networking, then by all means get the new equipment. But be aware that there's a risk that any equipment you buy after 802.11n has been finalized may be incompatible with what you buy now. If you take the plunge, let us know how fast your new routers are!

Of course, it's not all a bed of roses; if you want to use this Skype WiFi phone on your wireless network at home, you'll have to open up that network to the rest of the world, because, of course, hotspots requiring web-based authentication are not supported. But still, it's hard to compete with free, and that's just what Skype is.

Netgear Skype Wi-Fi Phone SPH101 [Amazon]