San Mateo, Calif. – Monsoon
Multimedia said it will ship a device this August that it claims performs the
functions of TiVo, Slingbox and Roku devices.
Initially introduced at
International CES in January, the Vulkano is an integrated hardware and
software platform that has a video processor and local storage; it will have a
retail price range of $259 to $379, depending on storage capacity.
When connected to a set-top box
and a TV, the Vulkano enables “a complete video experience across Android,
BlackBerry, iPhones, iPads, Macs, PCs and the living room TV. Vulkano allows
users for the first time to experience their TV channels, videos and photos on
whichever screen they want, when they want it,” the company said in a
statement.
By downloading a free software application on
to their device from
, or for the
iPhone/iPad from the Apple App store and installing a Vulkano, consumers can
watch and control any home TV channel through a wired, Wi-Fi or 3G connection
from anywhere in the world, Monsoon explained.
Consumers can schedule a
recording through an included electronic program guide and transfer and watch
these recordings at any time on their TV, computers, smartphones or iPad-type
devices. Software players for PCs/Macs and iPads also come with pause/live
functions.
By using universal plug and play,
Vulkano users can stream video and photos from their smartphones, computers and
cameras wirelessly onto their living room TV without having to use cables.
In the near future, Vulkano will offer free
service upgrades such as Google TV, Yahoo! Widgets, Netflix, Hulu and others.
Among Vulkano’s key features are:
-
Transforms smartphones, iPads,
iPod touches, PCs and Macs into mobile video recorders;
-
Plays back recorded programs on
smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs — direct record mode allows for pause,
fast-forward/rewind;
-
Schedule TV recording by show,
channel or date and time;
-
Browse EPG for shows and
episode descriptions;
-
Watch and control live TV on
the go via Wi-Fi or 3G;
-
Watch at home on iPads and
computers in near HD resolution:
* Search and watch YouTube videos on a home TV;
-
View photos, video and music on
home TV from UPnP-supported devices, such as smartphones, PCs/Macs and cameras;
-
Connect to all major TV sources — cable,
DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo;
-
Stream video at H.264 and
MPEG-4 standards at rates as low as 150kbps;
- Includes 8GB or 16GB of SD card storage or eSATA
hard drives up to 1TB:
-
Connects wirelessly through
Vulkano’s onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi to home router;
-
TV content is passed from the set-top box’s
analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano, using resolutions up to 1080i.
Vulkano comes with 8GB, 16GB of
SD storage and Vulkano Pro comes with 500GB or 1TB eSATA hard-disk storage.
Initially Vulkano will be sold
through
,
, leading retailers and e-tailers,
and through strategic OEMs, the company said. Vulkano will be generally
available on Aug. 10 through selected e-tailers, retailers and distributors
worldwide.
The 8GB Vulkano will cost $259;
16GB, $279, 500GB for $349; and the 1TB Vulkano for $379. Monsoon will release
its 3G version for the recently introduced iPhone 4 in August.
For more information on the
supplier, Monsoon Multimedia, visit
.
