You can download the Orb application right here. You'll have to look for porn to stream on your own. [Orb via Engadget]

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]

Other features include: two full-range 3" drive units, an optional rechargeable battery, RF remote and a 3.5mm input for hooking up additional audio sources. Widgets like Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, weather and news are available now, but the lineup should grow over time. Plus it kind of looks like something the Jetsons would have. The Sensia will be available in Europe for the equivalent of $406, but there is no word on when or if it will ever be available in the States. [Sensia via Slashgear]

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.

Both of these wireless media players can stream 1080p media from the network to your TV and upscale standard def movies to 1080i. They also come with either 500GB or 1TB of internal storage. However, the Record has added DVR capability for anyone looking to ditch the set top box altogether. Exact pricing and a release date has not been made available, but it appears that prices will start at $430.

LaCie Enhances the LaCinema Black Series:
LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD

* Easy-to-use wireless HD media players

* Play HD movies, photos, and music on your HDTV

* Access digital content on your home network

* Control your TV experience: play, pause and record

Image Bank | Product Page

Today LaCie announced the latest products to expand their range of Wireless HD media players – LaCinema Black PLAY and LaCinema Black RECORD, Design by Neil Poulton. The new LaCinema Black products are built to optimize how consumers access and play content right from their HDTV.

Access all your media
LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD provide the latest in home networking capabilities. Users can choose from a direct network connection, or use the built-in Wi-Fi connection, making it easy to store music, movies and photos from any computer on the local network. A built-in UPnP client player makes it fast and easy for users to access media content from a networked PC or Mac from anywhere in the home.

Built for High Definition
Designed with High Definition in mind, LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD allow users to watch downloaded HD movies and television programs directly on the television. Promoting a greater use of HDTVs, these new products are capable of decoding 1080p resolution movies, HD JPEG photos and 1080i upscaling of Standard Definition movies. Consumers can enjoy movies with more detail, clarity and sharpness, making the LaCinema Black products a vital part of their viewing and entertainment experience. Users can even enable surround sound through the optical audio output.

LaCinema Black RECORD features Digital Video Recorder (DVR) technology, which allows users to record, pause, and rewind their favorite TV shows with the support of a connected set-top box or cable converter.

"Now that families are beginning to consume masses of digital content, they need a multimedia device that will allow them to easily store and play their favorite content right from their existing home entertainment center," said Patrick Salin, LaCie Multimedia Business Unit Manager. "With LaCinema Black products, users can access media over their network, listen to music, sort photos, record TV programs, and ultimately get the desired experience from their media collection – all from one product."

Easy use for the entire family
With the help of an intuitive user interface, families can easily browse their media, creating photo slideshows or music playlists with the touch of a button. LaCinema Black products also come with a parental control feature to password-protect files, allowing parents to centralize and secure their multimedia content with confidence.

The LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD are available starting at 500GB* and support a broad variety of file formatting options. They are capable of storing up to 710 movies, 165,000 songs, 500,000 photos, or 250 hours of recording**. USB ports for peripherals allow users to expand capacity, or store their photos and videos by directly connecting video and digital cameras.

Availability
The LaCinema Black is available through the LaCie Online Store or LaCie resellers at the suggested retail price starting at $429.99. For more product information, visit www.lacie.com.

[LaCie]

Remote access to their catalog is nice, but I don't see anything about a wish list or rating system in here —so let's hope that feature becomes part of a future update. [iTunes]

The palm-sized $100 VuNow PoD is standard def and equipped with ethernet, Wi-F and 2 USB ports out of the box.

It's almost hard to summarize everything that the VuNow plays back if you spring for the full (extra $30) codec package. It streams YouTube, Cinemanow, and all sorts of internet-based TV while magaging BitTorrent downloads. Plus it recognizes every codec under the sun through a NAS, networked PC, or just good old USB-based storage.
I know, many of you are shaking your heads at the standard def thing, but the VuNow will also be available in high definition (with HDMI) for $150. Luckily, the high def version includes that whole "premium codec package" thing for free.

Both models are available now on VuNow's site. [VuNow via Wired]

As of today, a new Vudu Labs area on standard Vudu boxes will offer access to Flickr, Picasa and YouTube. In addition, the Labs' new "On Demand" area opens free streaming from ABC, CBS, MSNBC, Nickelodeon, Discovery, and ESPN—among lots of other web-available media.

Vudu's Rich Internet Application platform will be opened to developers in Q1 of 2009. And it seems like a pretty good way for Vudu to stay competitive against the likes of Netflix, Blockbuster and AppleTV.

VUDU Brings the Web to TV with Breakthrough Internet Application Platform

Company Launches More than 120 Channels of Web Based Content and Applications, Announces Rich Internet Application Platform Open to All Developers in 2009

Santa Clara, CA - Dec. 16, 2008 - VUDU today took a major step forward in bringing the Web into the living room by launching the VUDU RIA (Rich Internet Application) platform, a standards-based platform that brings Web-hosted rich applications and services to consumer appliances
such as the popular VUDU Internet movie player. VUDU RIA combines the openness and ease of development of Web applications, lightweight hardware requirements compatible with today's consumer Internet appliances, and a lean-back user experience optimized for television.
To demonstrate the power and flexibility of VUDU RIA, VUDU has created an initial set of applications and services in a new area of the VUDU home page, called VUDU Labs. Available today to all VUDU owners, these applications include casual games, implementations of Flickr, Picasa and
the entire YouTube library, as well as a new "On Demand TV" area with more than 120 channels.
Today, VUDU customers can access a broad selection of free on-demand shows provided by major network television and on-line specialty sites spanning news, food, music, sports, and more. Programs include daily highlights from shows such as "Today", "The Rachel Maddow Show", "Anderson Cooper 360", "Fantasy Focus NFL", "MTV News", as well as full programs, some in HD, from Nova, National Geographic, PBS and others. VUDU plans to add more applications and services throughout 2009.

"VUDU RIA enables us to quickly open up huge libraries of web based content to TVs in living rooms around America," said Edward Lichty, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Content. "We are excited to
deliver both high quality TV shows as well as Web applications which enable our customers to share their photos and watch the tens of millions of YouTube videos on their HDTV's." VUDU RIA Brings Web Application Development to CE devices VUDU RIA allows developers to take advantage of the most advanced RIA techniques such as asynchronous Web queries, local scripting, and persistent client-side storage, along with unique TV-centered technologies such as VUDU's acclaimed user interface, one-wheel remote control navigation, and VUDU's TruFilm-powered video rendering for
maximum visual quality. VUDU RIA enables the development of responsive, rich applications
optimized for display and use on high definition televisions that bring the wealth of data and content of the Internet to the living room without needing to deploy new software on the consumer appliance, a
first in the consumer electronics world. VUDU RIA is targeted at today's low power set-top boxes and Internet appliances and delivers a lightning fast user experience on a 300 MHz embedded processor with 128MB of RAM. Applications developed on the VUDU RIA platform are as responsive as native applications but have the added advantage of being able to pull from the vast and growing reservoir of
Internet content and services. They can also be updated anytime without modifying any software in the consumer's appliance, creating a dynamic experience heretofore unavailable in the living room. VUDU RIA
will be opened up to third party developers in the first half of 2009.

"Our goal in creating VUDU RIA was to allow anyone with Web development skills to easily author Web-driven applications for the TV," said Prasanna Ganesan, VUDU's Chief Technical Officer. "We are very pleased with the results and look forward to opening up VUDU RIA to the developer community."

[XBMC]

Some of the file types supported, include MP3, WAV, AAC, MPEG-4 / H.264, WMV9, JPG, GIF and pretty much every other file type in between. Disappointingly, it will not feature wireless connection to your network; instead, 10/100 Ethernet ports will allow wired connectivity. There is no DVD drive present either, but Ziovia has filled the gap with an internal HDD caddy and a USB 2.0 connection port. We think it looks great, and given how pleased we have been with Ziovia in the past, we'll be surprised if this shapes up to be anything but a nifty piece of kit. The device will retail at $329, and will be launched in March 2008. Expect a full review when it lands. [PR Release]

The list of file types supported is never ending, but the main players are all present; JPEG, AAC, MP3, WMA, WMV, DivX, H.264 and even WMV HD 1080p. The multi platform streamer retails at $249.00, and is available for purchase now. [Product Page via Textually]

[The Tomo Report]

Montreal-based Kangaroo TV is renting out these units for $50 a day or $70 for a weekend at NASCAR races, where the product is branded NASCAR Nextel FanView. The units are also being rented at Formula One races and the Champ Car series. The company has plans to expand its service into other sports where spectators need to see multiple locations to tell what's going on, such as skiing and golf, and also plans to cover basketball, football, baseball and many other sports. – Charlie White

Product Page [Kangaroo TV, via CrunchGear]