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Music Media

HP's Digital-Audio Entertainment Box 87

Posted by timothy from the bit-burning-box dept.
ARP writes: "Hewlett Packard has introduced the de100c Digital Entertainment Center, a one of a kind stand-alone product that combines Internet features and digital multimedia capabilities. The unit connects to the television and stereo, from where it allows for organizing and storing MP3 and CD music that can be stored on its 40GB hard drive. It also comes with a CD writer for burning CDs on the fly, and USB connections for transferring files from and to portable devices such as PDAs. Coolest of all is the ability to connect through the Internet (broadband and dial-up both supported) to download music. The de100c is expected to hit the stores around the holidays. More info and shot at RatedPC." If this had the video capabilities like TiVo, it might be a much easier sell, but still looks like a useful component.
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HP's Digital-Audio Entertainment Box More

HP's Digital-Audio Entertainment Box

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  • As far as the CD burning capabilities, I really don't trust HP in that department. I had an HP CD burner, it didn't last longer than a year, and two other people I know experienced the same thing. I'd wait for about a year from now before buying any HP product that has CD burning as one of the features, as they don't seem to be up to par there.

    • Up until a little over a year or so ago, HP was OEMing their CD-RW and maybe their CD drives from Philips Components' Optical Storage business group. Now that they aren't, and they've actually gotten out of the CD-RW drive business (HP Ditches Add-On CD-RW Market [cnet.com]), maybe they will OEM a better mechanism.

      Not that I have a particularly strong opinion about Philips...

    • CDR capabilities (Score:4, Insightful)

      by sela ( 32566 ) on Saturday October 27, 2001 @05:45AM (#2486965) Homepage

      According to their specs, they are using a 4/8/4 CD-RW (rips music at 4x, writes 8x, write CDRW at 4x). Considering 32/16/10 are the minimal specs for CDRs now, it looks like they's using this box to get rid of outdated CDR stock they got.

      I don't know about you ... I may be able to live with 8x wirte, but not with 4x riping speed, when I can do it in 40x on my PC.
      • i would like to know what setup you are using (cdr, architecture, which program, which OS) i am of the opinion you can't really get a quality rip much past 12x
    • The HP drives are just rebadged Philips internals, the early ones sucked, I had a HP 6020 2x CDR in 1997, it died within months, they replaced it with another, it died.

      In fact the products sucked that much that a bunch of US consumers initated a class action suit [cdmediaworld.com] against HP and Philips and won. I believe you're entitled to $150 or a new drive if you were unfortunate enough to have purchased this drive.

      I had a nice little chat to HP UK about the above class action and they offered to send me a new SCSI CDRW drive, it was to shut me up, I guess they didn't want risk the same action happening in the UK, especially now precedent had been set.

      We're not talking about $90 CDRW's you see today, I paid £350 (~$500) for the 6020 SCSI in 1997, so you can see why people felt a little cheated when it died after 4 months.

      Now, I'm not usually one for supporting the heranging of companies with frivolous claims (e.g. hot coffee burnt me, doh) but there were some serious technical deficiencies with this drive which shouldn't have gone to production in its current state, in effect many people became beta testers at a very expensive price, so they did have good grounds.
  • It looks like a great addition, but how much is it gonna cost me??
  • anyone know if there are going to be any copywrite issues with these things? seems like everyone is adding something nowadays.

    • anyone know if there are going to be any copywrite issues with these things?

      Copywrite refers to writing and editing text. An example of a "copywrite issue" would be the fact that Sony's MemoryStick.org [memorystick.org] web site is full of Engrish on the front page.

      On the other hand, copyright is a monopoly that the government grants [everything2.com] to creators of original works of authorship and that said creators have twisted into a way to screw their customers.

  • A few things (Score:3, Insightful)

    by thesolo ( 131008 ) <slap@fighttheriaa.org> on Saturday October 27, 2001 @03:02AM (#2486850) Homepage
    First, does anyone have an idea about how much this will cost, what PDAs it works with, what kind of outputs it has, ANYTHING? A lot more information is needed.

    Second, why USB? Perhaps this is for compatibility with the aforementioned PDAs/MP3 players, but IMHO it should have firewire for future scalability.

    Third, cost could easily kill this thing. It doesn't seem like it has many more features than say a GCT Allwell set-top [gctglobal.com] (which is easily hackable), and the aesthetics of it certainly don't appeal to me, so the only way that I would consider it is if the price was *very* low.

    Fourth, how much you want to bet that the RIAA will have a field day trying to push against this thing? Maybe they already have a foothold (i.e. you wont be able to burn anything unless its a digitally signed download, etc.?) with this. I myself don't trust set-top devices for burning, especially not with the latest digital rights management push.

    Fifth, Access to RealNetworks will never convince me to shell out money. In fact, nothing Real has ever done anything worthy of purchasing, in my opinion. I just don't think its a selling point.

    On a side note, all of my home entertainment equipment is Black, what's with this sudden push to make everything blue && || silver? Cut it out!
  • Appliances are always so far behind the times. When appliances first came out, at a time when home LANs were taking off, they all connected to the internet through dial-up. Ugh. So now that 802.11b's the thing everyone's into, we're seeing the next wave of appliances, and they support... ethernet. Good job, guys!

    - "What am I doing here? I don't even speak Chinese"

  • Runs Linux -- Encrypted... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ckm ( 87462 ) on Saturday October 27, 2001 @03:31AM (#2486875) Homepage
    I saw it at Linuxworld in San Francisco. It apperently runs linux on 'encrypted' hardware. The guy demo-ing it pretty much challenged anyone to crack it.

    You can only play media files with DMR controls on this box, it won't play MP3's...

    Chris.
    • The guy demo-ing it pretty much challenged anyone to crack it.
      Was that the sound of a gauntlet being dropped, or what!
    • The guy demo-ing it pretty much challenged anyone to crack it.

      What kind of moron is this guy? Any salesman who visibly shows pride in a feature of his product that hinders his customers should be fired. He should have spent his time trying to convince the attendees that their Constitutional rights have not been violated, instead of flaunting that fact in their faces.

  • So here's the blurb:


    Hewlett Packard Digital Entertainment System 10/27/2001 1:36:27 AM by Amir R. Pakdel - apakdel@ratedpc.com Now you can introduce your home entertainment system to the multimedia advancements that had been available on PCs. Hewlett Packard has introduced the de100c Digital Entertainment Center, a one of a kind stand-alone product that combines Internet features and digital multimedia capabilities. The unit connects to the television and stereo, from where it allows for organizing and storing MP3 and CD music that can be stored on its 40GB hard drive. It also comes with a CD writer for burning CDs on the fly, and USB connections for transferring files from and to portable devices such as PDAs. Coolest of all is the ability to connect through the Internet (broadband and dial-up both supported) to download music. The de100c is expected to hit the stores around the holidays. Record music to CDs with a built in CD-writer; Transfer music to select MP3 players, handhelds and memory card readers; Use its built-in connectivity to download music and artist information and access streaming video through dial-up, DSL or cable connections; Easily store, manage and automatically catalog up to 750 CDs (approximately 9,000 tracks); View music selections and other product features through an easy-to-use on-screen TV display and simple remote control; Access RealNetworks' RealPlayer and RealJukebox services; and Connect to stereo and TV components.
  • lose the burner, add dvd playback, add firewire, slap it in a mini component box and make mine black. Thanks!

  • OS and Continuity? (Score:1, Redundant)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Well, my iBook does all that + plays DVDs, with FireWire connectivity, but most important of all, it gives me a sense of security regarding the ugradability of the OS and software.

    Whereas I don't see a lot of Unix/Mac/other developers waiting in line to expand this HP box's capabilities to handle new formats.

    So it'd better be very cheap and very recyclable.

    AC332

  • In an interview Bill Gates was talking about the distinction between the hubs/areas where technology is used and being away from the PC and near the TV was one that Microsoft is apparently concentrating on. (He indicated that he was disappointed at the lack of broadband in homes though.)

    Anyway, I think the XBox is going to evolve into the weapon-of-choice for Microsoft to deal with these so-called entertainment centers that combine various multimedia home-appliances.

    XBox/MSN/Windows Media --- all controlled by Microsoft. HP's solution works with media formats HP doesn't control and internet services it doesn't control -- makes evolving the product more difficult when you aren't dictator.

    I think Microsoft has a pretty good combination for starting toward domination of the "TV-space" and they control everything they need to progress.

    (Personally, I think control of the TV-Space is going to be HUGE since that device will probably control most usage of video-on-demand and music-on-demand services. There will be a lot of hours spent using this appliance.)

  • If HP had to pay a "royalty" like charge in Germany for CD Writer sales and the "damage" they were doing, they are going to be in real trouble with this.

    Assuming of course it isn't sold as a mini-PC....because we all know that Microsoft is under *no* threat with *it's* contribution to music piracy by including ripping and encoding in it's OS.

  • Detail info is up (Score:3, Informative)

    by Hombo ( 532265 ) on Saturday October 27, 2001 @04:37AM (#2486926)
    There was an update. The detail specifications of this thing is now on the site. It uses a Pentium2 566MHz processor!
  • Hmmmm, it seems to have some proprietary OS that is married to "Real" software products (which i hate), it works with "select" mp3 and portable music players, which sounds like it's RIAA approved. it has no firewire so adding drive space is a bitch. it has no interactive television capibilities....

    this is shit. sorry to be glib but this is the most unexciting componant entertainment solution i have ever seen. i am sure just about every slashdot reader could build a better box then this with off the shelf parts at a best buy.

  • DRM (Score:3, Interesting)

    by dido ( 9125 ) <dido@NoSpAM.imperium.ph> on Saturday October 27, 2001 @05:09AM (#2486948)

    Is it a device to give the RIAA execs nightmares or wet dreams? We all know that the MPAA and RIAA would both like to uninvent the computer, and this sort of specialized digital entertainment box may be just the thing they need, a special-purpose device that they have near absolute control over.

    We all know that digital rights management is impossible to enforce on a general-purpose computer. But on a special-purpose entertainment console like this one, it will be trivial to do so except against the most determined cracker, if it has been designed properly.

    Maybe the CD writer it's got is one of those that only writes those junk CD's that you can't play on a computer...

  • The wrong product in the right direction (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sela ( 32566 ) on Saturday October 27, 2001 @05:26AM (#2486953) Homepage

    The general idea of a pc-based entertainment center is, actually, a great idea.

    A PC gains more and more entertainment capabilities. You can use a PC for game playing, listening to MP3, watching DVDs, as a smart TV (a-la TiVo), and the list goes on.

    There is one problem with a TV, though: it is not designed to sit in your living-room.

    So, an entertainment center designed to sit at your living room and function as a combained DVD/CD/MP3 player, TiVo, internet set-top box and play-station is a great idea.
    The problem with HP's offering is that it focuses only on the music-related features, and hence it is may end up as a pretty expensive toy that have a relatively small set of features.

    Out of the list of suggested features, I may be willing to give-up on the game-playing features (it would be difficult to have a rich game library unless the product is based on an existing gaming platform, or is windows-based PC under the hood). I would like to see a combined DVD/CD/MP3/TiVo with internet conectivity, though.
  • Here's what I want from Apple, a la iPod, in a stereo component (iDeck, I kinda like that for a name...)

    Removable 60 GB firewire harddrive. Sync with my mac (or move your mp3's manually from peecee). Connect to my stereo. Play mp3's through my stereo, easily.

    PVR functionality. Record television shows, Tivo, etc. Play DVD's, CD's, mp3 CD-R's, etc.

    Snync recorded video to my mac (or drag and drop from the mounted firewire drive to my peecee...) Have a plugin for iMovie that allows me to record my television programs to DVD, via the SuperDrive. This would be very cool, and Apple could actually do it.

    Make it expandable. Include an empty bay so that I can add another 100GB firewire drive if I want. Include networking, but not to transfer massive video files over a network (why? when you have firewire...). Allow mp3 streaming to PC clients on the network.

    Release a mini-iDeck that will connect to the main Deck via airport and have music streamed to any room in range. Build on cheap G3 hardware, embedded Darwin, scaled down Aqua gui for tv out (antialiased text on a television...)

    I'm also waiting for Sony to release something like this, perhaps with linux inside (they seem to be gearing up for war with Microsoft...)
    • Except for actually recording your tv feed, Macs already do all this stuff! What are you waiting for?

      Also, with a media encoder you could easily capture from VHS...perhaps you could do it on the fly but you would want a different machine to do it. This thing [formac.com] claims to be able to capture video thru a coaxial feed.

      • if you have a dv camera, it's easier. hook up the RCA (or s-video) out on your tv/vcr/dvd to the corresponding port on you dv cam. put it in vcr mode. plug it into your mac with a firewire cable. open imovie. press import (and play on vcr/dvd) and you're recording
        • if you have a dv camera, it's easier...

          You are correct. However, remember that your DV camera was not made for this purpose, not designed for daily wear and tear on the RCA inputs.

          I know this because before i got laid off they had me doing lots of DV dumps with a Cannon pro-sumer model. It was a great little cam, and I warned them what was bound to happen long beforehand, but the audio inputs fritzed out. I am looking to buy a broken DV cam with working RCA ports...

    • Knowing Apple, they'd make this device with a translucent case in bright colors. That's not going to fit in too well with my black A/V components.
      • No no, translucent colors is 90's! For the 00's, it's finely brushed metal and glossy white finishes.
      • Have you actually bothered to click on Apple's hardware page lately? Well, all I see is Metal, and Glossy White! Where's the translucent colors? There are none! Do your homework before posting next time.
  • Hewlett Packard has introduced the de100c Digital Entertainment Center


    So the venerable DEC rises from the ashes?


    First Compaq buys Digital Equipment Corporation [slashdot.org], and then HP buys Compaq [slashdot.org]. The result? DEC changes from a name associated with minicomputers and mainframes to entertainment equipment. Hmmm...


    Tim

  • Is anyone not working on one of these at their day job?
  • My PC (or "Personal Computer") already does all of the functions of this contraption, and I enjoy using it with a full-sized keyboard and mouse. Plus, I run Linux, America's most popular operating system, which allows me to write my own software. Try writing your own software in Windows!

    Just remember: if it's not Linux, don't buy it.

  • User interface issue (Score:2, Interesting)

    by CityZen ( 464761 )
    The problem I have with most digital music vault devices is the user interface. My ideal user interface is voice input, of course ("Computer, play something upbeat" or "Computer, play some U2", etc.). Of course, even this needs a supplement, since I need a fast way to see what I have available. My current system is to look at my rack of CDs and scan the titles from the cases, then pick the ones I want. I need a UI that gives me something as easy as that. I can't stand it if I have to constantly press a scroll button and wait for every title to go by. It would be better if I had a scroll wheel, and the listing of titles would move as fast as I turned the wheel (while remaining completely readable at all times). I could spin the wheel, scan the titles, stop it at the ones I wanted, the hit "select" for those. The important thing is that it be fast (and responsive), since I may have lots of titles (of course, there should be lots of selection modes, not necessarily just for titles). Anybody seen any good UI ideas in a good music product lately?
  • This looks sweet. Pentium 566, USB (for keyboard & mouse), composite & svideo (use a TV as the monitor), probably has pretty decent sound, for a computer. If the price is right, this could be a lot of fun.
  • I was looking at the back panel, and I noticed that port/expansion card layout looks like standard NLX. This is encouraging.
  • It sounds almost exactly like the Kenwood Entré, except with a bigger hard drive, DRM, and no DVD title/information downloading ability.

  • My roommates and I currently use one of our computers to share all of our MP3's. Plus, when we have a party, we generally burn a few CD's and pop them into the CD Player. This device from HP could change things.

    For one, if it has the ability to share it's data to other PC's via the LAN connection, it could become our new 'MP3 Server'. We could listen to the music from our PCs or through our Stereo system in the living room.

    Another great feature that I hope it has is some type of visual effects such as Geiss. That way, we could have some cool stuff on the TV while the music is playing during our parties.

    Plus, you don't have to wait for the CD changer to switch CDs when you have it on Random or on a Playlist. You could have tons of playlists stored (as opposed to the single playlist I currently get on my CD Changer) for all sorts of scenarios. A study playlist, party playlist, romantic playlist ;)

    All in all, I think this device is Great, and if it features PC Access via the LAN connection, and some type of Visual Effects that go along with the music, you can bet that I'll be picking one up (provided the pricetag is reasonable)

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