Netgear Goes Over-The-Top With Internet TV Box

‘Digital Entertainer Live' Provides Access To YouTube, CinemaNow, Hulu, Netflix

Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 9/8/2009 11:08:13 AM

Netgear has rolled out an Internet-connected set-top box designed to play video from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, CBS.com, CinemaNow and other services directly on a big-screen TV.

The company's Digital Entertainer Live EVA2000, with a list price of $150, also provides menus to let users access personal movies, music and photos stored on a USB hard drive. The EVA2000 includes HDMI and composite cable interfaces, as well as RCA jacks for connecting to older analog TVs. The box includes an Ethernet port; Negear is selling a wireless USB adapter separately for $39.99.

The device also comes with a 14-day trial version of MediaMall Technologies' PlayOn software ($39.99 for the full version), which is able to access Internet video services including Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer and CBS.

Talkback

» Submit Feedback

• The product announcement press release from Netgear includes the following line:
  
  "*VuNow service will be free for trial period and thereafter subject to paid annual subscriptions. The term of the trial period may be found at the Digital Entertainer Live product site located within www.netgear.com/vunow . The VuNow service will be subject to acceptance of the terms of the VuNow service and license agreement."
  
  When I contacted VuNow's support team, they had the following to say:
  
  "Currently VuNow does not have any subscription fee plans available."
  
  and in a follow-up email:
  
  "We will update you on the pricing once annual subscriptions are available."
  
  So, my question is - Where does this leave consumers of this product? The VAST majority of the product features come from the VuNow offering and if that goes subscription based as indicated in the press release, what are we signing up for and for how much?

  
  Chris Backus - 9/9/2009 12:35:35 PM EDT
» Submit Feedback

Related Content

• Topics
• Author

Disney, CBS May Bite On Apple TV Service: Reports

02/10/2010

CBS To Plant In Comcast's Internet TV Walled Garden

07/14/2009

Disney Takes Stake In Hulu Video Site

05/03/2009

Will Internet TV Charge Ahead?

02/27/2009

Comcast Exec: Internet TV Plans Preserve Cable Model

03/17/2009

Also by this author

• MTVN, RealNetworks To Spin Off Rhapsody Music Venture

• Suddenlink Widens DOCSIS 3.0 Rollout

• Comcast Media Center Automates Ad Delivery

• Jinni's Movie-Mood Engine Impresses At CableLabs Winter Conference

• CableLabs, Canoe Push EBIF Spec Forward

More >>>

Product Wire

• Resource Center
• Browse Categories
• Browse Companies

Featured Company

• Bigband Networks

  

  BigBand Networks, Inc. NASDAQ: BBND provides broadband service providers with innovative network solutions designed to make it easier to move, manage and monetize video. These solutions are based on BigBand's video-networking platforms that are... more

• WorldNow

  

  A leader in online technology, content & revenue solutions, WorldNow is the only company to provide comprehensive technology platforms & strategic advertising services, enabling media companies to expand to the digital realm with innovative Web... more

• VDS

  

  VDS provides broadcast graphics automation systems which are used in fully automated sports, news and financial graphics channels. VDS automation infrastructure products provide management of graphic and audio assets and automated generation of... more

• Digital Rapids

  

  Digital Rapids is the leading provider of professional hardware and software tools, technology and expertise for bringing video to wider audiences and new viewing platforms. Continuing to set new standards in quality, productivity and versatility... more

• Akamai

  

  Akamai has created a digital operating environment for the Web. Our global platform of thousands of specially-equipped servers helps the Internet withstand the crush of daily requests for rich, dynamic, and interactive content, transactions, and... more

---

Related Resources

• Robust Encoding, Transcoding and Streaming Systems – Critical...