Up Close: D-Link's DivX Connected device

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

January 10, 2008, 7:51 PM

Before the CES show floor closed for the year, we got some face time with D-Link's DivX Connected device, which as the name suggests, is a display extender for DivX content. The device has been available in parts of Europe since November and will ship in the US before the summer with a price of "under $250."

DivX has long had its codecs integrated into DVD players and other consumer electronics devices, but the DivX Connected platform is different. The company has developed the software and handled the hardware design itself through a partner ODM. That means manufacturers such as D-Link can easily put a DivX Connected device on the market.

Like the Apple TV, DivX Connected is an all-around media center that has the ability to play video, audio, photos and even run applications. Unlike Apple's solution, DivX Connected relies on a PC running a software application that sends the video signal to the D-Link device. The device simply relays the video to the television screen, and has no storage itself.

In demonstrations to BetaNews, DivX Connected was quite fast, despite commands being relayed to the computer. Only in a few instances did we notice minor delays when browsing through a big list of video content. Windows Media Video is also supported, and the DivX software transcodes it into DivX format before sending it to the Connected device.

High-definition content is also supported, and looked great in tests. DivX said that because its codec has more advanced compression than alternatives, it is able to achieve high-quality video with lower bitrates.

DivX has built Connected as an open platform to go along with its open codecs, and is currently beta testing an SDK that will enable developers to customize the interface and add functionality.

Although D-Link is the first and currently only partner for the company, DivX says it is talking with other manufacturers to expand the list of supported devices. The company told BetaNews it hopes to see the DivX Connected platform integrated into more than just standalone devices, but also DVD players and even televisions.