NY Times briefly reviews the TrekStore MovieStation today. It's a device that is, in some ways, a lot like the Apple TV, and in other ways, quite different.
It is, in essence, a USB hard drive that has a remote control and AV outputs (composite and component only, with Toslink and analog stereo audio). It outputs in HD (720p and 1080i, apparently, but not 1080p, with scaling and controllable adjustment of aspect ratio).
It comes in sizes vastly larger than the Apple TV (250-500GB). It doesn't connect over the internet or stream, like the Apple does (it only seems to connect over USB). It does support Windows, MacOS, and Linux, but it doesn't support AAC or other MPEG-4 audio formats, nor does it support H.264. Notably, it does appear to support MPEG-2 (and specifically mentions DVD, meaning that it might to be able to play DVDs copied to it without needing any sort of ripping to H.264 or AVI or what have you). It does support DivX and XviD and some other formats popular outside the iTunes commercial mainstream.
It seems, in essence, that you plug it in via USB, copy all your movies onto it, and then unplug it and run it by the television.
It seems like an interesting concept in some senses. I don't think I'm exactly in line for one. The 500GB Trekstore costs about $400 vs. about $150 for a new USB 500GB drive, so it isn't quite like you're buying a drive and getting this for free. But it does seem like an interesting product.
It is, in essence, a USB hard drive that has a remote control and AV outputs (composite and component only, with Toslink and analog stereo audio). It outputs in HD (720p and 1080i, apparently, but not 1080p, with scaling and controllable adjustment of aspect ratio).
It comes in sizes vastly larger than the Apple TV (250-500GB). It doesn't connect over the internet or stream, like the Apple does (it only seems to connect over USB). It does support Windows, MacOS, and Linux, but it doesn't support AAC or other MPEG-4 audio formats, nor does it support H.264. Notably, it does appear to support MPEG-2 (and specifically mentions DVD, meaning that it might to be able to play DVDs copied to it without needing any sort of ripping to H.264 or AVI or what have you). It does support DivX and XviD and some other formats popular outside the iTunes commercial mainstream.
It seems, in essence, that you plug it in via USB, copy all your movies onto it, and then unplug it and run it by the television.
It seems like an interesting concept in some senses. I don't think I'm exactly in line for one. The 500GB Trekstore costs about $400 vs. about $150 for a new USB 500GB drive, so it isn't quite like you're buying a drive and getting this for free. But it does seem like an interesting product.