Gizmodo: divx connected

Joost, DivX Working Together For DivX Connected Content

Jason Chen — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:30:43 EDT

The DivX connected platform, which we had a hands-on with back in August, may just get an injection of Joost internet video. DivX founder stated that their two companies were working together to enhance DivX connected—which already lets you stream music, photos and video from your computer—to add a Joost plug-in by the time the platform launches in November. No specific details are known, but unless Joost gets much more content, it still doesn't compare to broadcast or cable. [Pocket Lint]

DivX Beds D-Link, Births DSM-330 HD Media Player

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:52:35 EDT

There are plenty of media streamers out there with a little DivX logo, but the D-Link DSM-330 HD Media Player is the first one that's branded DivX Connected. It looks like DivX got tired of just licensing its name, and realized that not enough was being done with its format. The DivX Connected brand launching with the DSM-330 means access to content on the PC when you're on the couch. But it also means direct access to DivX's Stage6 service (and hopefully others) out on the Internet.

If you go a little glazed over when you hear people talk about media streaming, that's okay: most, I've found, are not convenient enough for regular use with large numbers of music or video files. But one hopes that DivX knows this, and will work hard to make the experience enjoyable. For people in UK, France and Germany, that is, where it will launch at first. [Press release and site]

DivX Connected Hands-On

Christopher Mascari — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:24:24 EDT

I got to play with DivX's Connected set top box that we showed you last night, and found a few more things out about the prototype. (Much of this could change by launch.)
•DivX Connected Server runs on PC, and does the file serving as well as the decompression of most video content.
•Only supports DivX video. No WMV or Quicktime files worked for us.
•Non-HD video files stream and play quickly / Fast-forward with no delay or lag over b/g WiFi. Without N support for WiFi, HD content needs ethernet.
•Music doesn't support AAC or WMA formats.
•There's nice integration with Stage 6 (DivX's version of Youtube, but mostly filled with geek/porn content) but there's delay in streaming, and it doesn't buffer, even when you pause.

•You can download videos from Stage 6, and since the box doesn't have storage, it actually is queuing the server PC to download the file directly. Download screen shows the speed of the DL and the ETA.
•But over a Wireless G connection 1080p and even 720p HD content will not be playable without stutter.
•Over Wifi G, the menu lags at times; With Ethernet, the UI is quick and works very well (We think the thumbnails don't cache).
•The remote feels cheap but highly functional with dedicated music / photo / video / stage6 buttons, and a mysterious and currently unused internet button.
•The box is a pretty thin client, doing basic openGL graphics for the UI and doing much of the processing of content on the PC. The client software (beta) uses 150 MBs of RAM and put the CPU at about 5-20% on a modern notebook while playing back 1080p video. Not bad.