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Tag: usb

  • Digital Vision Launches USB Flash Drive DVR


    Digital Vision has launched the first USB flash drive-based digital video recorder (DVR).

    The UK company says its GiGo DV-DTR1 Digital TV recorder allows users to record content and then view it on devices such as laptops.

    Programmes are recorded in MPEG-2 format direct to any storage device plugged in to one of the DVR’s three front-facing USB ports.

    Playback is via the GiGo or via any device that supports MPEG-2 – allowing recorded content to be played on the move.

    Digital Vision said the GiGo box will be available from September for GBP £69.99 initially, although this will probably drop to £59.99.

    Functionalities include:

    • Record and playback digital TV
    • Copy from one device to another
    • Schedule recordings from the EPG onto three separate devices

  • Verbatim Launches Encrypted Products at Infosecurity


    Verbatim has introduced its new range of hardware encrypted USB drives, solid state drives (SSD) portable drives and software encrypted DVD discs at this year’s Infosecurity Show.

    The storage media specialist said its new products will be aimed at anyone carrying sensitive material since the encryption prevents unauthorised accessing of the contents of the storage device.

    Hans Christoph Kaiser, business development manager for Flash Memory, Verbatim EUMEA, said: "There have been many embarrassing instances in recent years of USB drives or other storage products being mislaid or lost, and the confidential data contained within them compromised."

    "It is crucial that confidential information remains confidential, especially if it falls into the wrong hands.

    "Encrypted storage devices have become an essential part of life to huge numbers of people who need to keep their sensitive data private, this includes government officials, hospital staff and lawyers to name just a few.

    "Verbatim offers a comprehensive range that provides a solution to any storage problem requiring confidentiality."

    The new range includes:

    • Executive Secure USB Drive – with a 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) hardware encryption coupled with integrated password protection
    • ExpressCard SSD Secure – Verbatim is launching a range of Secure SSD ExpressCards that guarantee the safety of the stored data if accidentally lost or mislaid
    • Encrypted Hard Disk Drive – Verbatim’s 128-bit hardware encrypted 2.5" hard disk drive offers real-time full disk encrypted storage without performance loss during data transfer
    • SecureSaveDVD – protects files for up to 100 years using AES 256-bit encryption

  • LG and DivX Announce First HDTVs With DivX HD 1080p Playback


    LG Electronics’ new range of HDTVs will be capable of playing full DivX HD 1080p videos.

    The company says the upcoming models will be the first device series capable of doing this – enabling consumers to play DivX HD videos from a PC or the Internet through a USB slot.

    With the DivX 7 software package, users can compress a full HD movie onto a USB stick or SD card, or several on a standard DVD.

    While HD video requires a plenty considerable of storage space, LG says the DivX technology allows approximately two hours of high-quality DivX HD video on an 8GB media card.

    Simon Kang, chief executive officer and president of LG Home Entertainment TVs Company, said that as people expand their DivX HD video collections they are looking for more convenient ways to watch them on their TVs.

    "We’ve given them the ultimate convenience by building support for DivX HD playback into our digital TVs," he said.

    More than 200 models of LG digital TVs have been DivX Certified, including the LH50, LH70, LH85, PS70 and PS80 series.

    In addition, a wider variety of innovative LG TVs are now DivX Certified for playback of full DivX HD.

    LG says its new line of TVs will be available in late May in the United States, and within the next eight days in Europe.

  • WD Enters Solid-State Drive Market With Acquisition Of SiliconSystems


    Western Digital has completed a USD $65 million cash acquisition of leading solid-state drives supplier, SiliconSystems.

    SiliconSystems’ product portfolio includes solid-state drives with SATA, EIDE, PC Card, USB and CF interfaces in 2.5-inch, 1.8-inch, CF and other form factors.

    Since its inception in 2002, SiliconSystems has sold millions of SiliconDrive products to the network-communications, industrial, embedded-computing, medical, military and aerospace markets.

    These markets accounted for approximately one third of worldwide solid-state drive revenues in 2008.

    John Coyne, president and CEO of WD, said its worldwide infrastructure and technical and financial resources will enable further growth in SiliconSystems’ existing markets and customer relationships.

    He said SiliconSystems’ intellectual property and technical expertise will provide additional building blocks for future products to address emerging opportunities in WD’s existing markets.

    "The combination will be modestly accretive to revenue and margins as a result of SiliconSystems’ existing position as a trusted supplier to the well-established USD $400 million market for embedded solid-state drives," he said.

    "SiliconSystems’ intellectual property and technical expertise will significantly accelerate WD’s solid-state drive development programs for the netbook, client and enterprise markets, providing greater choice for our customers to satisfy all their storage requirements."

    Integration into WD begins immediately, with SiliconSystems now becoming known as the WD Solid-State Storage business unit, complementing WD’s existing Branded Products, Client Storage, Consumer Storage and Enterprise Storage business units.

  • USB Device Plays HD Content On PC


    DiBcom has launched an HD-ready digital terrestrial decoder in a USB key device that gives viewers free high-def content on their PCs.

    The French mobile TV hardware maker claims the device is a world first – other manufacturers are already offering USB devices that receive over-the-air HD broadcasts although not in such a small package.

    DiBcom has partnered with broadcaster CANAL+ to offer French viewers its 18 free channels and premium CANAL+ HD channel.

    With a double receiver, the CANAL+ KEY also makes it possible for a connected PC to be used as a PVR.

  • Service Offers Camcorder Storage Solution


    The Photo Archival Company has launched a new archiving service that stores digital camcorder footage to Blu-ray Disc or DVD.

    Charles Laughlin, president and founder of The Photo Archival Company, said it would unlock millions of hours of video trapped inside today’s generation of no-tape camcorders that record to internal hard drive, external USB hard drive or flash memory.

    He said video footage could be preserved to produce long-lasting DVDs or Blu-ray Discs.

    "The recurring theme from a typical customer is that it is impractical for them to archive their digital footage first hand," he said.

    "For the average household, it can be a daunting task to spend the necessary time to tend to the successful creation of several DVDs or Blu-ray Discs just to continue filming."

  • WD Brings Simplicity To Streaming


    Storage expert Western Digital has launched a standalone media box that streams content from your USB drive.

    Rather than hooking your computer to your HDTV and streaming video and other multimedia files, the WD TV HD Media Player accepts content from a separate WD portable backup drive.

    The media player has two USB ports that will also connect to flash drives and flip video players, and connects to your HDTV via an HDMI cable.

    It can playback virtually any type of multimedia file including most picture formats and H.264, DivX, and MPEG-2 video in 1080p resolution.

    The media player costs USD$129, but compatible storage devices are sold separately.

    As friendly to use as it is, WD’s new product is entering a market which is attracting increasing attention.

    Various companies are focussing on consumers’ living rooms, including Netflix which is working alongside Microsoft, Roku, and several Blu-ray manufacturers to make its streaming service more widely available in the living room.

    The WD TV HD Media Player’s basic features:

    • Compatible with My Passport portable hard drives and other USB storage devices
    • Full HD 1080p video playback and navigation
    • Dock-and-play convenience
    • Provides access to 2 USB drives simultaneously
    • HDMI and composite video interfaces for easy connection to a TV
    • Ultracompact design for easy portability
    • Includes My Passport hard drive stand, compact remote with batteries, composite A/V cable, AC adapter, media converter software and owner’s manual

  • Sony Expands Memory Stick Line


    Sony is expanding its Memory Stick media with new products that include features such as USB connectivity and pre-bundled movie content.

    The latest addition is the HX series of Memory Stick media, which comes in either 4 or 8 GB capacities and has high transfer rates – especially for large capacity files.

    Shane Higby, director of marketing for Sony Electronics’ consumer media group, said new digital SLR cameras and HD camcorders were driving the demand for higher capacity storage with greater connectivity and faster transfer speed.

    “With the included USB adaptor, the new HX series gives users the convenience of transferring pictures and video to their PC faster and easier,” he said.

    The new HX series has a 20 MB/s read speed and 15 MB/s write speed, about three times faster than regular Memory Stick PRO-Duo media.

    Sony is also introducing a new version of its Memory Stick Entertainment Pack, which lets users choose one of four movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

    The featured titles, which have a combined box office total of more than USD $1 billion worldwide, include: Surf’s Up, The Da Vinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Benchwarmers.

    This pack includes a launcher DVD featuring the four movies, and users can unlock the title of their choice using a provided code and transfer it to the Memory Stick media.

    Each movie is optimized for playback on Sony’s PlayStation3 or PlayStation Portable systems.

    Sony is also is also releasing a new line of Memory Stick Micro media, designed for use with compatible Sony Ericsson multimedia phones.

    The new models are available in one, two, four and eight GB capacities, and come with a USB adaptor.

    This allows users to copy data to their M2 media and then transfer it to a PC with USB port.

  • JVC launches HD camcorder with ability to record up to 50 hours of video


    The first ever AVC/MPEG-2 HD camcorders are to go on sale this summer.
    JVC’s Everio HD30 and HD40 are the first camcorders that capture picture in AVCHD (H.264) or MPEG-2 format with the ability to use either.
    The dual-format provides access to the superior long time compression afforded by AVCHD, as well as MPEG-2’s superior editing and post-production environment.
    With the ability to record up to 50 hours of 1920×1080 video in Extended Play mode, the HD40 also claims to be the “longest-running HD camcorder available”.
    Full quality recording time is 15 hours.
    The HD40 boasts a 120GB HDD and the HD30 offers the same recording capabilities but with a built-in 80GB HDD instead.
    JVC is also offering a third HD camcorder aimed more at the entry level. The HD10 has a 40GB HDD and has a 1440×1080 resolution.
    All three Everio models supports HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color on compatible HDTVs, a newer HD Gigabrid Duo image processing chip and the option of using either Firewire or USB for transfers.
    The camera lines come with Windows editing software and a plug-in to allow MPEG-2 editing in Final Cut Pro and iMovie. AVCHD support is already built into Apple’s latest software.
    The camcorders are to go on sale in early August with price tags of $800 USD for the HD10, $1,000 USD for the HD30, and $1,300 USD for the high end HD40.

  • Chinese firm launches USB dongle for live HDTV


    European viewers can now watch live high-definition television programming on their mobile devices using a USB TV dongle developed by the Chinese company Aigo.
    The dongle, first released for the Chinese market in April, is compatible with European HDTV standards.
    It will enable users to watch live HDTV on their laptops, desktop computers, portable video players and portable navigation (GPS) devices.
    Viewers simply plug the device into their PC or portable video player’s USB port to capture HD programming wirelessly from local TV stations.
    Feng Jun, president and founder of Aigo, said: “People across China, and now also in Europe, will have access to live HDTV on their laptops and portable video players.”
    The new product costs approximately USD 100 and requires no subscription fee.
    Legend Silicon was involved in the design of the dongle receiver.
    The company, in conjunction with Intel, has been working with laptop computer manufacturers and USB dongle receiver manufacturers to build an ecosystem that promotes HDTV on laptops.
    A key element of this has been the Intel Centrino platform, whch has advantages in supporting mobile HDTV on laptops.
    The platform allows speedy decoding and smooth displaying of HDTV and is capable of running multiple tasks while displaying a TGV program.
    The Centrino platform’s low power consumption technology makes the laptop thinner, lighter and offers a longer battery life, as well as improved mobile reception.
    In addition, advanced wireless technology offers a smooth upstream channel, allowing audiences to interact with programs that they are watching.
    Major laptop manufacturers have shown their willingness to collaborate with Legend Silicon and Intel to promote this new usage model.
    Lenovo, HP, ASUS, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, among other major brands, all agree that the advanced Intel Centrino platform, integrated with the HDTV DTTB USB dongle, will expand the multimedia and entertainment functionality of laptops.
    The HDTV viewing feature is expected to be a stimulus for laptop sales.
    Aigo, a brand of Beijing Huaqi Information Digital Technology Co. Ltd, is headquartered in Beijing’s Zhong Guan Cun – a technology hub known as the “Silicon Valley of China”.
    Founded in 1993, the company has established itself as China’s strongest consumer electronics brand through aggressive R&D investment, coupled with strong marketing and branding.
    It is the first Chinese partner of the F1 McLaren Mercedes team (Hamilton, Alonso),
    Huaqi sales revenue has increased 60 per cent annually for the last decade. Its products are exported to North America, South America, Europe, SE Asia and various other regions.