Netgear Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000

Netgear Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000

The Netgear Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000 is a sophisticated set-top digital media receiver that brings the universe of digital content to television sets enabling consumers to easily enjoy any content, in any room, at any time.

The Digital Entertainer HD automatically discovers HD movies, TV shows, music files, and personal photos on a home network, across multiple PCs, and organizes these into a single media library displayed on a TV without the need for media server software running on the computer. With the included Windows PC software, the Digital Entertainer HD enables users to listen to music from iTunes, view YouTube videos and access their PC desktop from their living room.

The Digital Entertainer HD includes an on-screen TV wizard and PC installation software for simple setup. Using the included remote, consumers can search their entire media library by multiple criteria including title, actor, date, genre or thumbnail images (from photos, album art or DVD covers). A High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port displays video resolution up to 1080p on big-screen TVs and optical digital audio output (TOSLINK) transmits full digital surround sound to the consumers' digital audio receiver.

If 1080p is your style, the Netgear EVA8000 supports it.

Some neat features of the EVA8000 include the ability to synchronize music throughout the house (Party Mode) if you have two or more Digital Entertainer HDs in different rooms or pause a video in your living room and resume it in another room (Follow Me).

Because the EVA8000 doesn't include a hard drive, it can't store video on itself but with a TV tuner card installed in your PC, the Digital Entertainer HD can act as a personal video recorder and schedule recordings and pause and rewind live TV from your living room. The EVA8000 itself doesn't include a TV tuner card.

Plug your USB flash drive, digital camera, iPOD, or other USB storage device directly into the Digital Entertainer HD and instantly access stored digital media on your HDTV.

When the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD debuted at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, it received a Best of CES Award from the editors of LAPTOP Magazine.

"What makes the EVA8000 stand out from the pack is its easy, searchable user interface," stated LAPTOP Magazine in its Best of CES winners announcement. "You have full access to your PC, including the ability to search for the exact YouTube video you want, right on your computer screen. The market is full of similar products, but at first glance, this one stood out for its wide range of capabilities and ease of use."

The Netgear EVA8000 is scheduled for release in the first quarter of this year at a retail price of around $349.

Specification overview

Interfaces

A/V Ports: HDMI for A/V output, RCA connector for composite video output, RCA connectors for component video output (High Definition support), Digital Audio Output S/PDIF (coaxial/optical), Stereo RCA audio ports, S-Video port, SCART connector for regions that require it
Data: 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, USB 2.0 Mass Storage interface, 2x USB 2.0 port, 802.11g WiFi

Size and weight