(12 September 2009 5:20 pm)

MUMBAI: NetGear, which provides networking solutions in the US, has launched the newest Internet-connected set-top box in its Digital Entertainer product family.

The new Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is a net set-top box that enables viewers to play their digital media collections, YouTube videos and a range of other Internet content on big-screen TVs.

In addition to personal media collections and YouTube, consumers can now easily browse, download and play newly released pay-per-view movies from Roxio CinemaNow. They can also view videos on their TV from a variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu, Netflix and CBS, through free software trials and optional subscriptions. The Digital Entertainer Live incorporates all of these functions into a single compact player, an advantage for cluttered home entertainment cabinets.

NetGear director of product marketing Phillip Pyo says, "People are amassing a huge amount of their own downloaded and personal digital music, photos, and videos, as well as consuming more and more Internet video."

According to comScore’s Video Metrix service, between January 2007 and July 2009, there was a 331 per cent jump in the number of minutes of video watched per average viewer per month. It went from 2 hours, 31 minutes to 8 hours, 20 minutes.

Pyo says, "The vast majority of people are still watching these videos on small computer screens, so it’s logical to assume that the amount of time spent will continue to increase as devices such as the Digital Entertainer Live make it even easier to watch online video on HDTVs.

"NetGear is thrilled to offer an affordable, content-rich, and easy-to-set-up and -use solution that bridges this gap and enables people to fully enjoy their home media collections and online video from popular Internet sites on the best screen in their home - their big-screen TVs."