Compact TV/DVD players for the bedroom were big deals back in the ’90s, and now one company is updating the concept to reflect 2015 technology.
I was a little more than skeptical early this year when Aurender, known for its high-resolution music servers, launched the $399 Cast-Fi 7, a tabletop two-way mono speaker with 7-inch color LCD screen that displays video from HDMI sources. HDMI sources that you can plug in include the Wi-Fi-equipped Roku stick, Apple TV and even Blu-ray players. It also streams music services available with HDMI sticks.
The 8.3-pound Cast-Fi 7 features aluminum enclosure, 24-watt amplifier, DAC, HDMI input, and two-way speaker consisting of biamped 1-inch tweeter and 3-inch woofer.
What could I possibly use it for?
I figured it out. It’s perfect for sitting out back on the patio, where I can stream all my Roku sources under the patio umbrella. It’s even better for next week’s vacation. I’m renting a Wi-Fi-equipped shore house with many other family members. The house has only two TVs but lots of kids. The compact Cast-Fi is for my bedroom.
The next-generation Cast-Fi should have stereo speakers, audio-image-widening technology, and some inputs so I can play music and video stores on a smartphone or other compact storage device.
The current Cast-Fi 7 is available at Aurender.com and Amazon.
