SmartStream

I've had a chance to look over the new WonderMedia SmartStream product a bit more now. I've gotta say that it's a great idea and I only wish that more information was available.

Basically, it's a little unit that plugs into your TV and connects wirelessly to a PC, even if the PC is not in the same room. It has a USB port which you can use to install a wireless keyboard/mouse so that you can then control the PC (using the TV as its monitor).
Although movie and TV show makers don't like it, a lot of people download files and watch them on their PCs. A lot of people actually sit at their desk watching these files because not many people have an extra PC in their lounge room. This sort of device solves that issue.
Unfortunately it's only available in China at the moment.
Hey WonderMedia - don't forget about Australia! I'm telling you ... this product would sell like hot cakes here!

S3 shows off new card for embedded devices

S3 graphics last week used the Embedded System Developers' conference to show off an upcoming product that the audience of that conference would be interested in ... a fanless card that brings DirectX 10.1, HD video decoding and all the mod-cons in outputting options, to any embedded application.
"The S3 Graphics Chrome eH1 gives users the perfect balance of immersive graphics performance and high-quality HD Video, while only using a high-speed, high-throughput 64-bit DDR3 memory bus interface. Display connections come in a combination of the VESA compliant DisplayPort standard, HDMI, dual-link DVI, and CRT for versatile range of display attachment options.

DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL 3.1 applications on Microsoft® Windows® and Linux platforms can be implemented using the Chrome eH1 board to speed up 3D apps, non-gaming rendering software, and other visual processing functions. Additional graphics API support includes OpenGL ES 2.0 for embedded graphics and OpenVG 1.1 for 2D vector graphics, giving the eH1 board complete support of the latest graphics software stacks found in Windows, Linux, Android and other real-time operating systems.

The Chrome eH1 incorporates a high performance ChromotionHD™ 2.0 video processor unit (VPU), advanced filtering, and clear-image post-processing to perform ultra smooth decoding of MPEG-4/AVC (H.264), MPEG-2, and VC-1 for HD video. To further enhance operation for fanless applications that demand cool-and-quiet operation, the Chrome eH1 features PowerWise™ technology for Green Computing to “Reduce the Heat” without compromising performance, features, or quality."

WonderMedia PRIZM Brings the PC to the TV, No Strings Attached

WonderMedia, a subsiduary of VIA's that makes a system on chip called the PRIZM that has been found in a few smartbook designs, has announced a product that lets you stream HD quality media content from your PC to your TV, controlling it from your TV - and all without wires!

"Taipei, Taiwan, 22 April 2010 - WonderMedia Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of feature-rich system-on-chip platforms, today announced the WonderMedia SmartStream. Based on the WonderMedia PRIZM system-on-chip (SoC), SmartStream is a low latency, cost effective Wireless Display (WiDi) device that uses Wi-Fi or Ethernet to allow a user to view and control a PC on their television.

Unlike other WiDi solutions that can only be used with high-end PCs from specific vendors using specific components, or those using proprietary solutions such as wireless HDMI that require an additional device on the PC side, SmartStream works with any modern PC and is able to scale its performance to provide optimal results for any given computer’s configuration.

A small accessory connected to the TV, WonderMedia SmartStream offers two-way communication between the PC and the TV. While most WiDi solutions can only control content on the TV via the PC, SmartStream allows it to be controlled from the TV side, meaning it’s not necessary for the PC to be in the same room as the television.

“SmartStream marks the end of having to drag cables across a room to connect up a projector or TV to your PC,” said Tzumu Lin, President and CEO, WonderMedia Technologies, Inc. “With more and more people getting their HD video entertainment online, here’s a way to watch it and control it on your big-screen TV from the comfort of your living room sofa.”

For more information on the WonderMedia SmartStream, please visit:
www.wondermedia.com.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=49

WonderMedia SmartStream Availability
SmartStream solutions are currently available in Taiwan and Mainland China retail channels through HiPlus. Please see www.hiplus.com.tw/up/up_product.html for more details.

About WonderMedia Technologies, Inc.
WonderMedia is a leading fabless SoC company that develops sophisticated, feature-rich solutions for today's fast-emerging networked multimedia applications. With advanced audio, video, networking and connectivity technologies, the highly power-efficient WonderMedia PRIZM platform enables innovative and compact web-centric devices for the converging cloud computing, communications and content environment.

Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with strong support teams in Shenzhen, Beijing and Silicon Valley, WonderMedia’s business strategy builds on its rich experience in technology and open-system platform development to help its customers build innovative, unique and affordable multimedia systems. www.wondermedia.com.tw "

Welcome

I already run two blogs about products created and manufactured by VIA Technologies, Inc. - or at least products that feature VIA chips. VIA is a Taiwanese R&D company who compete on many levels with the "big boys" of tech, Intel and AMD. Like Intel and AMD, VIA manufacture x86 processors. Their focus, for at least ten years now, has been on low power consumption and affordability. If you've followed the story from the beginning then it seems like a slow progression, but over those ten years, the qualities that VIA has strived for in their products, have become in demand. Like netbooks, for example, and other mobile Internet devices - you need a processor that has low power consumption to give you the best battery life and devices that don't heat up and burn your lap or hands! And in the embedded scene, VIA's wide range of tiny platform designs like the Mini-ITX, Nano-ITX, Pico-ITX and Em-ITX, give as many features as possible on the smallest real estate possible, with the lowest power consumption possible and the least heat output as possible. So my two blogs follow the netbook craze and the always innovative embedded computing from VIA - both with an Australian focus.
But as I follow VIA, I often find that there is news that doesn't fit into either of these categories very neatly. Part of this is because VIA has a lot of subsiduary companies doing interesting things, like S3 Graphics and WonderMedia. It's those type of miscellaneous VIA activities that I'll follow in this blog - with an Australia focus when there is one.