Go Video Returns With Network DVD Player

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.— Now independent from parent SonicBlue, Go Video has resurfaced with lines of video products including a flagship networked DVD player, which is now shipping.

Since the collapse of SonicBlue, Go Video has regrouped with the backing of Lotus Pacific Corp., and is now headed by Lotus Packfic's M.J. Ahn, who is Go Video's chairman/CEO.

Former Go Video CEO Roger Hackett is now vice chairman, while long-time Go Video executive Ed Brachocki is now president and chief operating officer.

With the former executives directly running the company, Go Video is beginning a new chapter with more advanced products in addition to dual-deck VCRs, DVD-VCRs and portable DVD players (one with a 5W-inch LCD at $249 and one with a 7W-inch LCD at $349).

Go Video will use the same sources and the same distribution practices. At the same time, the company continues to garner revenue from its many dual-deck technology patents — which include royalties on dual-deck VCRs, as well as DVD-VCR combs.

New to its portfolio is a network DVD player designed to link to a home PC to relay digital entertainment content from the PC's hard drive to the home television screen or home theater system.

The Go Video D2730 Network DVD player ($299 suggested retail), includes a PCMCIA card slot, where users can plug in an included wired Ethernet card for connection to the PC or opt to add a wireless 802.11b card, for connection to the PC via a compatible router.

The DVD deck offers interlaced and progressive scan DVD playback and comes with an installation CD with server software and Go Video/Digital 5-developed media software which acts as an aggregator of compatible content on a PC's hard drive.

Compatible media formats include, for music: MP3 and WMA files; for digital photos, JPEG files, and for movies MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 video files (up to 3 Mbps).

The player software can be updated after purchase with forthcoming enhancements, which will be made available for download from the Go Video Web site. Go Video senior product marketing manager Russ Ernst said the company is currently planning to make the deck compatible with MPEG 4 video in a future system update.

Files must be resident on the hard drive or on a compatible optical disc loaded in the player's drive. The player will not relay content streamed directly from the Internet, because, Ernst said, "we are very conscious of digital rights management."

The unit was developed first for ease of use, he added. Pressing one button on the remote brings up a user interface that allows a user to view and call up content on the PC. It decodes compatible PC files using a Zoran V processor and sends the signal off to the connected playback device.

revenue from its many dual-deck technology patents — which include royalties on dual-deck VCRs, as well as DVD-VCR combs.

New to its portfolio is a network DVD player designed to link to a home PC to relay digital entertainment content from the PC's hard drive to the home television screen or home theater system.

The Go Video D2730 Network DVD player ($299 suggested retail), includes a PCMCIA card slot, where users can plug in an included wired Ethernet card for connection to the PC or opt to add a wireless 802.11b card, for connection to the PC via a compatible router.

The DVD deck offers interlaced and progressive scan DVD playback and comes with an installation CD with server software and Go Video/Digital 5-developed media software which acts as an aggregator of compatible content on a PC's hard drive.

Compatible media formats include, for music: MP3 and WMA files; for digital photos, JPEG files, and for movies MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 video files (up to 3 Mbps).

The player software can be updated after purchase with forthcoming enhancements, which will be made available for download from the Go Video Web site. Go Video senior product marketing manager Russ Ernst said it is currently planning to make the deck compatible with MPEG 4 video in a future system update.

Files must be resident on the hard drive or on a compatible optical disc loaded in the player's drive. The player will not relay content streamed directly from the Internet, because, Ernst said, "we are very conscious of digital rights management."

The unit was developed first for ease of use, he added. Pressing one button on the remote brings up a user interface that allows a user to view and call up content on the PC. It decodes compatible PC files using a Zoran V processor and sends the signal off to the connected playback device.