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VWB Debuts All-in-One Set-Top Box

Internet-capable device also serves as a personal video recorder and a DVD player and recorder.

Agam Shah, IDG News Service

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LAS VEGAS -- In the effort to converge home entertainment devices, Video Without Boundaries (VWB) announced its MediaReady 5000 this week. It is an Internet-capable set-top box that also functions as a personal video recorder, networked storage device, and a DVD player and recorder.

It will be displayed at the International Consumer Electronics Show starting Thursday in Las Vegas.

The set-top box incorporates a TV and cable tuner, allowing it to record live television either on its 120GB hard drive or directly to the DVD+RW drive, according to the company. An electronic program guide helps a user select what program to view or record.

VWB's Media Jukebox software can play and manage music, video, or picture files stored locally, from PCs connected to a network, or from attached peripherals like an MP3 player, digital camera, or portable hard drive. The box supports CD, WAV, and MP3 audio formats, and MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and DVD video formats. Files pulled off a network can be stored locally or be burnt to a CD or DVD.

Using the television as a monitor, the box allows a user to surf the Web, send e-mail messages, and view streaming video or hear audio off the Internet.

However, the set-top box cannot tune in high-definition TV channels, according to Katie Eakins, a spokesperson for the company.

System Specs

Based on VWB's Linux-based MediaReady operating system, the box is powered by a Via Technologies 1-GHz C3 processor and a Via chip set with a built-in MPEG-2 decoder. It has 128MB of DDR RAM (Double Data Rate RAM), IEEE 1394, and USB 2.0 inputs and S-Video, VGA, and RCA TV-Out video outputs.

The box can connect to a network or broadband Internet through a 10/100 megabits per second Ethernet port or a PCMCIA slot, in which a wireless card can be inserted.

Software upgrades for the box can be downloaded off the Internet, according to the company.

The $899 device comes with a wireless keyboard and remote control, both of which have trackball mice. It is available immediately, according to the company.

For more CES coverage, see PC World's CES news page or our CES staff blog.

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