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ZeeVee Offers Another Media Player With a Twist

May 2, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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ZeeVee offers yet another box to link a PC to your TV, à la AppleTV, but with an interesting twist: Its ZvBox ties the computer to the existing co-ax cable that already carries cable TV around your house. Whatever is playing on your computer becomes just another channel on your cable lineup.

So, in theory, it offers the reliability and high-def bandwidth of a wired connection without having to tear open walls and run new cable.

ZeeVee is calling it "localcasting." Software on the box finds an unused channel on your cable system and adds the output from the PC. The ZvBox also comes with a radio remote that can control the PC from as far away as 150 feet.

The $500 box is scheduled to ship at the end of June and can be preordered through Amazon.

Tags:: computers,; television

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KEOMVWkB of AK 8:44PM April 13, 2009

Colin is right. The ZvBox is finally the simple product the Internet TV industry has been waiting for--- and to think this idea was right under our noses (VGA to cable wires). My TV already has too many wires connected to it when you add up all the gadgets. When we bought our first flat-panel HDTV, I said to my husband, "enough is enough, no more boxes until one box gives me everything." I think ZeeVee's device might just be that unit. Best benefit I see is it gets installed near my computer in my office. All I need is a remote control on the couch. I am going to watch my online shows AND run a slideshow of family photos. I am not so sure about email (but I will try it out), but if the image quality is decent, I could see myself reading the DFP from my TV instead of browsing at my computer. The only time the kids let me be is when I am cozy in bed at night. And I would much rather my daughter play Webkins where I can keep an eye on her (long story-- kids alone on the internet can be dangerous). Seems like a reasonable price ($499) if you consider you only need one per house. Is it too late for a Mother's Day gift? :-) It would be the first "gadget gift" from my husband that was really meant for me (can someone say Roomba? LOL).

Kristen D. of MI 4:05PM May 13, 2008

Making the comparison between the ZeeVee box and Apple TV is comparing "Apples" to oranges.
I have and love my Apple TV and think it is the best media device on the market, but it's limited in what you can stream with it. You're essentially limited to what you downloaded from the iTunes store, or encoded and tagged in Apple's chosen format.
I can't, for example, play ripped DVD's complete with menus or play my TV shows recorded with my Media Center PC because .vob and .ms-dvr file formats aren't supported.
With ZeeVee, the fact that it simply makes an HDTV channel out of VGA output means that I can play ripped .vob files, .ms-dvr files and anything else I can play on my computer, but not get to my TV! Plus I can use all the slick interfaces I'm used to on my computer, like Windows Media Center.
Personally, I'm thrilled at the prospect of the ZeeVee box and see it as a possible solution to finally being able to view ALL my media the way I want to on my TV!

Colin of CO 2:24AM May 11, 2008

ZeeVee Offers Another Media Player With a Twist

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