Netgear Introducing Digital Entertainer Express EVA9100 ($229)

NETGEAR, Inc. announced the Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), a flexible digital media player that enables consumers to enjoy and seamlessly stream personal digital media collections and Internet content over home networks to high-definition televisions.

Providing all of the playback performance and video reliability of the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), the Digital Entertainer Express is an ideal solution for the serious media enthusiast. It incorporates the latest video and audio technologies to deliver an unparalleled home theater entertainment experience.

The Digital Entertainer Express adds to the NETGEAR family of Internet-connected set-top boxes, which also includes the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) and Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000). NETGEAR will highlight its family of Digital Entertainers along with its home media storage server, Stora, at two press events in conjunction with the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

"Consumers’ digital media collections are growing every year. And, more and more, they have digital content stored on their computers, USB hard drives, network storage devices, iPods, digital cameras, etc.," said Lionel Paris, product line manager for NETGEAR entertainment products. "The Digital Entertainer Express scans all the content connected to the player either directly via USB port or over the home network so that it is easily accessible for immediate playback – all with the latest video and audio decoding. When combined with NETGEAR Stora and one of our routers, the Digital Entertainer Express completes the ultimate connected home entertainment solution for our customers."

The Digital Entertainer Express’ unique technology enables consumers to seamlessly stream M2TS via pre-buffering and play Blu-ray quality digital video up to 1080p. They can also play MP3, multichannel WAV and FLAC files and high-resolution digital photos from PCs, Macs or Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, such as NETGEAR Stora. Consumers can also enjoy Internet content, such as Internet radio (over 250 stations), Flickr, RSS feeds and videos from popular websites. Furthermore, with an included free trial and subsequent special discount of PlayOn software, consumers can view hit TV shows and movies on their TVs from a wide variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer and CBS. Additionally, the Digital Entertainer Express supports an extensive selection of digital media file formats and codecs.

The Digital Entertainer Express incorporates two USB ports for instant access to content on USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPods or other USB storage devices. It can also search and index files directly on the device, enabling users to navigate content across multiple networked PCs and devices at the same time. In fact, the Digital Entertainer Express automatically finds all digital media files on the home network and organizes them into an easily accessible library.

As one of the most flexible digital media players on the market, the Digital Entertainer Express can easily be connected to the Internet and home network in a variety of ways. Its integrated network port makes an Ethernet wired connection extremely simple. However, if consumers do not have an Ethernet connection available near their TV, they can use the optional Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) that connects the Digital Entertainer Express to the Internet and the home network via Wi-Fi. Alternatively, they can also use existing electrical power outlets and a powerline device to connect the Digital Entertainer Express to the Internet and the home network, such as the NETGEAR Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004),or either of the new powerline devices announced by NETGEAR at CES, including the new Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) and Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501) with a filtered ‘pass-through’ power socket.

Like many NETGEAR consumer devices, the Digital Entertainer Express features a simple ‘push button’ way to connect to wireless routers called Push ‘N’ Connect. When it is used with the Wireless USB Adapter, consumers can easily and securely connect the Digital Entertainer Express to wireless networks without having to remember or input a password. The NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express also includes environmentally friendly features, such as an energy-efficient power supply and automatic power-saving mode, which consume as little as .01 watts.

With two or more NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express units, the ‘Follow Me’ feature lets consumers pause a video in one room and resume it in another.

"Exceptional growth in the availability of high quality, long tail content online is driving the growth for new media players and connected set-top boxes," said Jayant Dasari, broadband and television infrastructure and services research analyst at Parks Associates. "However, since the way consumers like to acquire and enjoy their media collections varies from consumer to consumer, it’s important for vendors to offer new options that bring online content directly to HDTVs. By increasing its family of Internet-connected set-top boxes to include a feature-rich yet affordable solution, NETGEAR is poised to increase its market share in the segment and become a primary player in the Internet-connected set-top box market."

Backed by 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100) is now available worldwide through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. The Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100) has an MSRP in the U.S. of $229, a lower entry price than its sister product, the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), to reflect its streamlined capabilities and features.