Vizio Co-Start (VAP430) Google TV Stream Player

First announced at CES 2012, the Vizio VAP430 stream player featuring Google TV 2.0 has become available for pre-order for $99 last week. Here are the specs provided on Vizio website: Video Resolution Supported – 720p, 1080i, 1080p 3D Support – Yes Video Playback – H.264, MP4, MKV Audio Music Playback – MP3, AAC, WMA Audio Features – Up to 5.1 surround sound pass-through Connectivity WiFi – 802.11 n/g/b Bluetooth Ethernet – 10/100 Mbps Connections HDMI In – Connection to Cable or Satellite Box HDMI Out –  Connection to TV One USB 2.0 Host port Remote control – Built-In IR Blaster, Bluetooth, Touchpad and Keyboard Dimension – 10.67 x 4.06 x 10.67 cm Weight – 300 grams They did not provide information about the processor, RAM and flash used, but I would guess it’s based on Marvell Google TV Reference Platform which is powered by ARMADA 1500 HD Secure Media […]

Google Launches TI OMAP4460 Powered Nexus Q Media Player

Beside their first tablet and Android 4.1, Google also announced Google Nexus Q media player running Android 4.0 (ICS), and powered by Texas Instruments OMAP4460 processing with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB Flash. Here are the specifications of the device: CPU – Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 dual core Cortex A9 @ GHz + PowerVR SGX540 GPU System Memory – 1GB LPDDR RAM Storage – 16GB NAND flash memory Micro HDMI (Type D) TOSLink Optical audio (S/PDIF) 10/100BASE-T Ethernet (RJ45) Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth NFC Micro AB USB (for service and support) Banana jack speaker outputs Amplifier – 25W class D (12.5 watt per channel) Power Supply – Integrated 35W switching power supply Dimension – 116mm (diameter) Weight – 923 grams The device also features a rotating top dome volume control, a capacitive touch sensor for mute, 32 RGB perimeter LEDs and 1 RGB LED for mute indicator, and […]

Sony NSZ-GS7, The 1st Google TV 2.0 Device is Now Available in the US and UK

Google announced that the 1st Google TV 2.0 device is now available for pre-order in the US and in UK for $199.99. Sony NSZ-GS7 is a set-top box based on Marvell GTV reference design, which comes with a dual-sided “magic” Bluetooth remote (NSG-MR5U). The device was first seen at CES 2012. Here are the key specifications of this media player: SoC – Marvell Armada 1500 dual core ARM processor @ 1.2 GHz with Vivante GC1000 GPU Storage – 8GB Nand Flash Connectivity: Built-in Wifi 802.11 b/g/n 100Mbit Ethernet Built-in Bluetooth Video Output – HDMI Audio Output – Optical out. HDMI supports Dolby and LPCM audio output Video codecs – H264-AVC, MPEG4-SP/-AAC/-HE, MPEG-1/2, MPEG4, H.263, WMV, Vorbis, Xvid… Video containers – 3gp/3g2/3gp9, AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MPEG TS/PS, mp4/m4a, MVC, ogg, wmv/asf… Picture formats –  bmp,  gif, jpeg, mpo and png Audio formats –  AAC,  AC3, LPCM/WAV, MDI, MP3 and WMA […]

Motomic Butterfly Media Grid Renders Pictures and Videos on Freescale Kinetis K70 Cortex-M4 MCU

Motomic has officially announced Butterfly Media Grid, the first media player for Cortex M4 micro-controllers. The software currently runs on Freescale MQX Real-Time Operating System, and  can display pictures and logos, as well as play videos on micro-controllers such as the Freescale Kinetis K70 MCU. Here are Media Grid key features: Display images, logos and videos Configure from full screen to grids up to 10×10 Rotate content Configure to optimize performance Display at resolutions up to HD Update over a network. Media Grid is available as a standalone application, and an SDK is also provided in order to embed the technology in custom applications using C, C++ or Qt interfaces. Since the media can be updated over the network, Media Grid is actually similar to a simple digital signage player for low end hardware. Motomic showcased the Media Grid at Design West, in March 2012, and only recently uploaded a […]

MINI X Android 2.3 Network Media Player Based on AllWinner A10

Here’s another tiny device based on AllWinner A10 processor. The MINI X is an Android 2.3.4 set-top box with 512MB RAM and 4GB NAND Flash that costs 77.50 USD including worldwide shipping. Here are the device specifications: CPU – AllWinner A10 (Cortex A8) with Mali-400 GPU Memory – 512MB DDR3 RAM Storage – 4GB NAND Flash, microSD slot Video Output – HDMI 1.3 USB  – 2x USB 2.0 host Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Video Formats –  MKV, TS, TP, M2TS, RM/RMVB, BD-ISO, AVI, MPG, VOB, DAT, ASF, TRP, FLV etc Video Codecs – MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, Divx, Xvid, RM8/9/10, VP6 Subtitle – SRT, SUB, IDX, SSA, SMI Audio Formats – MP3, ACC, OGG, WMA, WAV, M4A, APE Image format – JPG, BMP,GIF, TIF, PNG IR Remote Control Dimension: 72 x 61 x 13mm Weight: 51g This device is half-way between the MK802 HDMI stick and the Mele A1000 STB. […]

Ubuntu on AllWinner A10 based Mele A1000 Set-top Box

I’ve recently received and reviewed the 70 USD Mele A1000 STB powered by AllWinner A10, but haven’t been able to hack it yet since I’ve have not received the USB to Serial cable necessary for debugging the board. However, somebody else (Tom Cubie) had time to hack the box and run Ubuntu from a SD card (while still keeping Android in the flash) as you can see below. This port does not seem to include hardware accelerated GUI just yet, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. Tom said he just followed the instructions at http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/hacking_the_mele_a1000/ and http://rhombus-tech.net/a10_mmc_boot/ to have Ubuntu working, but those do not appear to be that clear at the moment. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in […]

Rockchip Unveils RK3066 Dual Core Cortex A9 Processor

Rockchip announced the RK3066 processor featuring a dual core Cortex A9 with a quad-core Mali-400 GPU and the company is currently showcasing tablets, e-Readers and set-top boxes powered by RK3066 at Hong Kong Electronics Fair on 13-16 April, 2012. Information is sparse, but I managed to find more information on Engadget China website which shows the key features of RK3066: Dual Core A9 + Quad Core GPU 2 banks, 8/16 bit Nor flash / SRAM interface 8 banks, 8/16 bit async NAND flash, LBA NAND flash and 8-bit sync ONFI NAND flash, all up to 60-bit hardware ECC 2 GB space for 2 ranks, 16-bit / 32-bit DDR3-800, LPDDR2-800 and LVDDR3-800 3 channels SD/MMC interface to support MMC 4.1 and SD3.0 2 channels TFT LCD interface with 5 layers and 3D display with resolution up to 1920×1080 HDMI 1.4 to support 1080p@30 3D video 2 channels 8-bit CCiR656 interface and […]

Diyomate A6 TV BOX: 45 USD Android 4.0 Networked Media Player Based on Telechips TCC8920

Diyomate A6 TV BOX is a networked media player running Android 4.0 (ICS) and powered by Cortex A5 Telechips TCC8620 processor, and the company – Diyomate Electronic Technology –  is showcasing their new device at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair on April 13 – 16, 2012. Here are the specifications of this set-top box: CPU – ARM Cortex A5 Telechips TCC8925 TCC8920 with Mali 400 GPU System Memory – 1 GB DDR3 Video Codecs – H.264, VC1, ASP, DivX 3.x for 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions. Video output – Composite and HDMI 1.4 Flash  – Flash 11.1 supported Connectivity – 10/100 Mbps Ethernet + built-in Wifi 802.11 b/g/n You can watch the video below to learn more about Diyomate A6 TV BOX. Diyomate A6 TV BOX set-top box should be available in May and cost 45 USD (MOQ: 1000). So I suppose the retail price should be around or below 90 […]