This is the video-on-demand set-top-box by Verismo Networks, a Moutain View California and Bangalore company, it is also available as a $99 VN100SD Std-Def POD (with S-video output instead of HDMI) but the one that I am reviewing is the $149 VN1000HD with HDMI 720p full codecs support. You can read the specifications about this box at http://vunow.com

The $149 VN1000HD and $99 VN100SD are based on arguably the best and the most advanced SoC ARM and DSP solution on the market, the Texas Instruments DaVinci processor which gives the VuNow a value that you probably wont currently be able to find in any other set-top-box at this price:

- works without the need to have a computer in the home,

- plays all Youtube videos directly from the Internet,

- plays live pre-listed webtv streaming channels,

- uses http://vtap.com to pull search results for videos accross many more video portals then just Youtube,

- supports pre-listed video-podcast RSS feeds instant playback,

- integrates movie rentals as progressively downloaded video-on-demand, (If the movie bitrate is higher then your available download bandwidth, then you can wait a few minutes before starting to watch the movie while it continues to download to the USB storage)

- can download videos and movies using BitTorrent peer-to-peer technology, you can also add torrents to it from a computer using a web-based interface,

- also has the basic media streamer functionality connecting to DLNA and NAS devices on the local network.

Here is my 15-minute video-review of the device:

HD Flash 1280×720 quality: Youtube HD

During my current testing of this box with its initial pre-loaded firmware, I notice that there currently are a few missing features in my opinion, those could be described as part of my list of initial feature requests and those could possibly be added to the box from the VuNow software team in upcoming firmware updates. I am told that the box does support automatic online firmware upgrades through a main menu popup notification:

- 720p Youtube is not yet available in their interface, (it’d be nice that it automatically display Youtube’s highest available bitrate quality based on the box’s detected available bandwidth)

From the VuNow.com FAQ:
Q. Can I play the new YouTube HD videos on the PoD?
A. No. Not currently. You will be notified when this feature becomes available.

- some other sites then Youtube don’t work yet in the http://vtap.com search results, (It might not yet show a huge amount of video-blog video-podcast RSS feeds and episodes within the http://vtap.com search results)

- WPA WiFi encryption is not yet supported using the WiFi dongle, (only WEP and open access points are supported yet, FON WiFi hotspots are not yet supported because they require a browser login process and the browser is not yet available)

- My USB1 keyboard is not yet supported for text input when searching videos, (but the keyboard is detected, Enter button pauses and resumes video for now. It’d be cool to post Youtube comments using a wireless keyboard. A comments and live chat interface overlay would have a great potential.)

- .mpg, H264 .mp4 720p, DivX .avi 720p from a USB hard drive are not yet working (perhaps I need to activate the “Premium” codecs somewhere in the interface, or perhaps they are not added yet in the firmware. The advertised video resolution support is of 720p but the exact details about which codecs at what bitrates has not been detailed clearly yet within the specifications of the device.)

- NTFS formatted USB hard drives are not yet supported neither to read or to write from,

- when progressively downloading a rented movie, fast forwarding or skiping in the video is not yet possible until the video has been completely downloaded to the USB storage,

- there currently is a thin layer of a few green pixels on the right side of the screen in HDMI output mode on my European PAL LCD HDTV using the VuNow HD box. I will look further if there is something in the settings that I need to change or perhaps VuNow need to fix this in a firmware update.

In my further upcoming testing, I am going to test how BitTorrent is used on this box. How the Box Control feature allows me to add Torrents to the box’s download manager remotely using the web based Interface, if there is some way to add BitTorrent and plain link video RSS feeds to the box and if those can be set to be automatically downloaded in the background with some way to alert on new available episodes and on auto-downloading of new episodes and if there is some way to submit more live web tv stream sources. I will test how it manages NAS storage and if it can use NAS storage to store downloaded video contents.

In my opinion, the VuNow VN1000HD is getting pretty close to having a perfect hardware with the best yet available chipset on the market. That is, if Texas Instruments and Verismo Networks can confirm that this hardware will support Youtube HD, thus 1280×720 resolution H264 video streaming. If it can write downloaded files onto an NTFS formatted USB hard drive, even automatically onto several USB hard drives using a USB Hub or onto writable NAS storage, then I think that it would make things easier then having to use FAT32 or EXT3 formatted hard drives for storage of all those video downloads.

The scenario of users sitting back in their sofas with wireless keyboards and ergonomic remote controls has a huge potential to change the way people spend their 3-4 hours on average each day infront of their TVs, so really, I believe that Verismo Networks needs to optimize the interface experience in the upcoming firmware updates if they want to start a mass market Internet video-on-demand to the TV revolution.

Archos has been working on the same type of autonomous video-on-demand set-top-box solution with the Archos TV+ also using the same technology from Texas Instruments, though Archos provides built-in storage and more features such as video recording which positions Archos at a higher price. The $99 set-top-box price point I believe is really the correct price point which can kick-start a real media consumption revolution in society which I believe will not only decentralize the production of mass media content, it will also improve our democracy and change election results in certain countries such as France, Italy and Denmark where the traditional TV channels have such a huge monopoly on the influence of public opinion during elections. The VuNow solution is the kind of revolution that I am waiting for.

Interview with Sevenload CEO Axel Schmiegelow about Sevenload’s position in the online video market.

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Sanyo releases this new compact cool looking HD camcorder which increases performance with a new processor. It now records full 1080p video, it records 720p at 60 frames per second, and it can also shoot at a lower resolution of 448×336 at 300 frames per second mode, suitable to shoot action sequences to then watch in slow motion on Youtube. I have been shooting all of my HD videos using the Sanyo HD1000 since February, and so, I might be tempted in upgrading to the Sanyo HD1010 and perhaps then release all my videos in a 1080p 7mbit/s DivX HD versions as well.

You can download Sanyo HD1010 samples here:

Sanyo HD1010 1080i sample (137mb)

Sanyo HD1010 1080p sample (98mb)

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Toshiba releases this new DVD player with Cell processor based HD upscaling technology. In this video I wonder though why Toshiba doesn’t at least support playback of HD video formats such as DivX HD, H264 HD and WMV HD. Since a single layer DVD can hold a 2 hour 720p movie in those formats and a dual layer DVD can hold 2 hours at 1080p in those formats. Toshiba, I think, should also build an Ethernet port into their players to support up to HD quality video-on-demand services.

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JVC is launching some super slim LCD TV LT42DS9, the Sophisti Design Audio DVD System, showcasing the upcoming 4K2K technologies using 4K2K video cameras, 4K2K LCD TVs and 4K2K projectors. Those 4K2K technology demos were one of the IFA highlights in my opinion. The quality is totally amazing, it is showing about 10 million pixels per frame, basically that is 10 megapixel video. Sure 10 megapixel video requires really high bandwidth, but with advanced H264 encoding, a 10 megapixel 4K2K video can fit in 50mbit/s, and 50mbit/s can be delivered over Fiberoptical Internet connections and probably that you would be able to fit a 4K2K stream on a Blu-ray disc which has a 48mbit/s bandwidth limit. At that bitrate, a 2 hour 4K2K movie could fit on about 43GB, so it can perfectly well fit on a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray disc.

Considering small and cheap processors that can decode 1080p, which amounts to about 2 megapixel, have been available for at least a couple of years, according to Moore’s law, the next generation processor to embed in affordable 4K2K televisions, just need to be 5 time more powerful then 1080p hardware. Which amounts to about 4 years of technological development after the introduction of 1080p as the mass market standard. Which according to my guessing could mean we would all be able to buy 4K2K LCD TVs and 4K2K projectors within the next couple of years at mass market consumer prices. That is of course if the broadcasters and movie industry let us have that kind of quality at home. Cause 4K2K technology might also be a differentiator that digital cinemas would want to have for themselves.

Just when you thought 1080p was the best one would need, just wait till you see a 4K2K demonstration, the quality is just insane, it’s even more like really being there.

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Daewoo is showing their new 32″, 37″ and 42″ PCTV products which combine a HD LCD TV with a built-in Linux computer that has a customized interface to access multimedia files and for browsing the Internet on the HDTV.

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DLP introduces a new projector technology based on LED, quality of the picture increases and no need to change any lamp in the device. Here they are demonstrating the Vivitek lamp free PhlatLight LED 1080p, a Brilliantcolor chipset that has 50% better color range, 500,000:1 contrast ratio and 30% less power draw. Texas Instruments is also showing the new LED based pico projector.

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Showing the quality of the design, of the screen in this HD video. Also showing how you can browse in HD using the HDMI output on your HDTV. Comparing the size of the Archos 5 screen with the Archos 605 WiFi, the Archos 5 screen is 25% bigger while the device is smaller, its quality is even higher and it’s clearer and brighter. See how you can use the Archos 5 screen as a mouse pad when outputting the Interface to the TV.

The intro music is by http://maf464.free.fr and it is used with permission.

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Introducing DivX 7 with H.264 MKV support, announcing new Blu-ray players with DivX and DivX HD support, announcing new DivX certification programs, new features for DivX web playing, support for DivX in the latest LG and Samsung phones, how DivX can be used to put near-Blu-ray quality movies on standard DVD discs. Detailing the latest plans for DivX, how they are going to provide us with more and better online video experiences.

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Toshiba is integrating a cell processor directly into the HDTV to provide several new functions previously not possible such as built-in advanced upscaling technology and some other technologies.

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