The Hava Titanium allows you to watch your home television content on your PC or mobile phone via a wireless connection.

What the Hava Titanium Does

The Hava Titanium HD is a placeshift device that lets you broadcast your TV content over wireless broadcast to PCs and mobile devices. It can also be combined with a USB drive to make it a DVR system.

You connect it to a USB hard drive and then record or play back any shows with the Hava PC Player. The system comes with the Hava box, a CD with software, cabling, an IR blaster and a USB WiWfi adapter.

Viewing TV Remotely with Hava

The HAVA Titanium HD WIFI lets you watch programming from your TV or another A/V device from virtually anywhere in the world with a broadband Internet connection. In addition, while watching, others in the household can watch the same programming on the home system.

Additionally, you can remotely control the settings for numerous A/V devices, such as PVRs, satellite TV, and digital cable boxes.

Video Example of the Hava Tinanium HD

Various Reviews of the Hava Titanium

Of the few reviews on CNET the opinion was mixed, with some criticism of the poor performance and difficult setup.  The review on PCMag also dinged the system for subpar performance and a difficult setup and configuration.

Gadgetell’s review, slightly more positive of the Hava, features a comprehensive gallery of images of the Hava worth checking out.

Specs

• Input/output: HD input, A/V input, S-Video input, aux audio, HD output, A/V output, S-Video output, Ethernet (RJ-45), IR blaster, 2 USB 2.0 ports
• System requirements: Windows XP (Home, Professional, MCE) with SP2, Windows Vista (all versions); Pentium 1.2 GHz or equivalent processor (1.5 GHz or higher recommended); 512 MB RAM (Windows XP), 1 GB (Windows Vista); 75 MB disk space to install the HAVA software, at least 500 MB disk space for time-shifting, 10 GB disk space recommended for recording; available RJ-45 Ethernet port; wired/wireless router
• Video format: MPEG-2, MPEG4
• Wireless specification: 802.11g

Prices, Deals and Discounts for the HAVA Titanium HD

On Amazon:
Available to buy at Amazon

On eBay:

You may also be interested in:

• Kworld LiveQ IPTV Anywhere is Another Placeshifting Slingbox Alternative
• Other Reviews and Posts about Placeshifting Devices
• Hava Titanium HD Devices on Ebay

The XstreamHD service has been in the works for a few years and is finally due for public release later this year. It essentially offers DVR functionality, on-demand video and sharing of video across your home network.

When you buy an XstreamHD you would get a HD Media Server unit which will store your video content on a hard drive, and a HD Media receiver which hooks up to your TV.

A remote control would also be provided to use the XstreamHD interface on your TV. As you can see from the pics below the GUI looks well designed and intuitive.

[Image Source: Sound & Vision]

Main Features

Video on demand will be delivered via satellite which seems odd given the move by most Set Top Boxes to IPTV based services. Video will be available in full 1080p HD and audio will be DTS-HD.

The device will also have 3 tuners allowing record and watch up to 3 ATSC over the air (OTA) channels with typical DVR functions.

DLNA capable devices will also be able pull video from the HD Media Server, but from what I gather if you had a DLNA TV you’d still probably want to hook it up to the Media Receiver to get the XstreamHD user interface.

You will also be able to manage media on your home network including videos, images and music.

XStreamHD’s Sales Pitch:

XStreamHD Invites You to Join the HD Revolution

XStreamHD invites you to enjoy a revolutionary in-home digital entertainment experience. Step up to unparalleled HD entertainment living with

XStreamHD’s whole home entertainment solution. Enjoy Full HD (1080p) video and up to 7.1 channels of lossless DTS-HD Master Audio™ content – including movies, music and games – at the highest level of quality that today’s advanced digital consumer electronics and home theaters were designed to support.

How XStreamHD Works – No-Hassle HD

Using a small outdoor satellite antennae, your XStreamHD system collects multiple streams of studio master quality HD entertainment at lightening fast speed. The content is streamed directly into one sophisticated XStreamHD Media Server in your home that collects, stores and organizes your pre-fetched movies, music and games in your Virtual Personal Library.

The HD Server is loaded with up to 4TB of removable internal storage, and additional access to external storage via an eSATA connection. Further, the XStreamHD Media Server includes a built-in Network Video Recorder that uses three HDTV (ATSC) tuners to capture all of your favorite off-air HDTV programs from start-to-finish – regardless of schedule changes – thanks to a unique patent-pending Adaptive Recording feature.

XStreamHD Whole Home Entertainment Solution

As a whole home solution, the XStreamHD Media Server can deliver multiple streams of content throughout your home to any television equipped with a compact XStreamHD Media Receiver or any DLNA Certified™ device – from computers, to next-generation televisions and game consoles.

With every XStreamHD Media Receiver you get an ergonomic, state-of-the-art XStreamHD RF One Remote Control that requires no line-of-site and integrates with most home A/V equipment. Additionally, XStreamHD has just released an audiophile-class PRO Media Receiver that permits you to leverage your
elite audio equipment that supports analog inputs to decode and output the latest generation of HD studio master quality audio and video.

Pre-Fetched Entertainment – Immediate Access to Studio Master Quality HD

Only XStreamHD provides you with Pre-Fetched Entertainment (PFE). PFE automatically delivers just-released HD movies, music and electronic games
directly to your Virtual Personal Library.

Leap forward to a world in which you can enjoy immediate access to the highest quality content sent directly to your home, without the wait times and hassles associated with in-store shopping, mail order programs, and slow Internet content downloads. Never be denied any of the latest titles.

XStreamHD Calling – FREE In-Network Calling

XStreamHD also provides you with a Business Class Phone Upgrade. Enjoy XStreamHD Calling – FREE in-network calling between XStreamHD customers.

Plus, you can add multiple extensions to your existing phone lines and gain additional VoIP advanced phone features including interactive voice response (IVR) and access to voicemail through your computer or television.

XStreamHD Interoperability – Easy Installation, Easy Integration

XStreamHD is a simple-to-install solution and operates with many existing home electronic components. XStreamHD integrates with DLNA Certified™ devices that include advanced flat-screen televisions, Blu-ray players, computers and game consoles.

The system promises to deliver unmatched quality, convenience and value to everyone who chooses to improve their in-home entertainment standard of living!

Price & Availability

The introductory model will contain a modest 500GB drive in the Xstream Media Server and come with HD Media Receiver for a relatively steep $399. 1TB and 2TB models will cost more.

The XstreamHD will also have an undisclosed monthly service as Dave Zatz pointed out. This will be for service, guide data, and VoIP calling to fellow customers

XStreamHD will soon be taking pre-orders for an expected spring delivery. When the devices are available on eBay live auctions will appear below:

You May Also Be Interested In:

• DISH ViP 922 1TB DVR Review | Slingbox Technology & HD On-Demand Streaming Full Episodes with TV Everywhere
• More DVR Reviews on WebTVWire
• 1TB DVRs on eBay

A new promising placeshifting device with the potential to become the ultimate all-in-one home TV device is due for launch in March 2010.

The ‘Volcano’ from Monsoon Multimedia (the makers of the HAVA placeshifting line) is WebTVWire’s favorite device from the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Quite simply this slimline set top box is packed with a variety of promising features.

It is essentially does all of the following:

• HD placeshifter – Allows you to view 720p high definition streams of your home Cable TV connection and home video library over the internet.
• DVR – Plug in your cable box or other TV source and you have the typical DVR functions of recording and playing TV.
• Internet TV – Right not its YouTube for online video and CinemaNow for paid movies. In the works are many other web TV services including Boxee and Netflix.
• Apps – The device should also allow you to play on Twitter and Facebook as well as do a lot of other stuff like play games and check the weather through third-party apps.
• Live Broadcast - It can even broadcast video from your home live across the internet.
• Home Network Media – Access and share video and media across your home network wired or wirelessly.

Soak up some pics and watch a video of it in action…

An Internet TV Set Top Box

In addition to placeshifting the device also tries to be an internet enabled set top box like the Roku. It can play a variety of content including videos from YouTube and on-demand movies from CinemaNow.

Simply putting YouTube on the TV screen will make a lot of people happy, and makes the PopBox, which lacks YouTube streaming, look a lot less appealing when this slim little box can access the biggest video site on Earth.

Digital Video Recorder

Monsoon describe the DVR feature as being akin to TiVo with a recommendation engine that records your favorite TV for you. The typical DVR features of pausing and rewinding live TV are also present.

It doesn’t come with an internal tuner so you will need to hook it up to your cable box or other TV source. Lacking a tuner will mean that you probably won’t be able to record and play different TV stations at the same time.

The DVR can also be accessed remotely so you can manage your recording schedule.

A Media Extender

It doesn’t end there however! The Volcano can also play videos off local storage media via USB, eSATA and UPnP. It even crosses into media extender territory with support for DLNA meaning it can access DLNA compatible devices on the home network.

It can also stream files over a home network over UPnP, and video streaming in this fashion is also planned.

To be clear you can both access media on other devices and play them, and other devices can access the Volcano and play the media stored on it.

App Crazy

Monsoon is very keen on getting as many apps for the Volcano as possible. Already guaranteed for launch are YouTube and CinemaNow, but also planned is Twitter, Netflix, Facebook, Last.fm, Boxee and many more.

App production is open to third party developers.

A TiVoToGO-esque Function

No it doesn’t stop there either! You can copy videos from an attached set-top-box (say your recorded programs on your DVR) and quickly export them to external media, or the integrated storage that is planned on later models. This is a bit like TiVoToGo.

A Placeshifter

Simply connect to your home theater using the software available ot PC, Max OS X, iPhone, Symbian, or Windows Mobile smartphone.

To stream content over the net it uses a 150kbps uplink speed, as well as H.264 video compression technology developed by Monsoon

A Live Broadcaster – aka SlingCatcher

Also planned for the Volcano is the ability to stream live (or recorded) video from your home across the internet. This is what the SlingCatcher does.

If the Volcano can pull all this off it will be a media extender, Slingbox, SlingCatcher, Internet TV set-top-box & TiVoToGo machine all in-one!

Monsoon looks set to take the place of Slingmedia as the innovative company coming out with ground-breaking disruptive technology. Slingmedia seems to have lost its disruptive passion when it was taken over by Echostar (aka DISH Network).

Volcano Features Overview

• All-in-One video convergence device combines major features of TiVo, Slingbox/HAVA, Roku and Remote DVR features for a fraction of the cost
• High-quality video playback
• Includes hardware remote control; smartphones and computers have on-screen remotes
• Free app with EPG supports Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones
• Streams high-quality video at H.264 and MPEG-4 standards at 150kbps
• Enables full remote control and channel changing capabilities of any TV source such as Cable, Satellite, DVD or TiVo
• Wireless N for video uplink and broadcast throughout the home
• Smooth video over 3G as well as Wi-Fi
• Browse EPG for schedules, series and episode descriptions
• Built in infrared to control set-top box remotely
• Multiple users can have recordings on the Volcano hard-drive and access them independently

GUI Let Down?

According to Dave Zatz the GUI is a little rough around the edges so usability could be an issue, although Monsoon did say the interface is stll being worked on and improved. The media interface is Cover Flow-esque (like how you browse albums on the iPod) which looks promising.

The box design however is certainly very sleek (pictures coming shortly), it is a thin black design with a healthy selection of inputs and outputs on the back.

How Much?

The Volcano is expected in March in a 4GB flash memory version for $199. A Pro edition will also be sold for $299 which features a more healthy 250GB drive. A lifetime or term-based subscription will also be needed, but details on this have not yet been released.

Buy Monsoon Volcano

As soon as the Monsoon Volcano is available to purchase it will be listed here:

Also See

• DISH Network DVR with Slingbox technology
• More Slingplayer & Placeshifting News
• Monsoon HAVA placeshifters on eBay

DISH has been showing off the ViP 922 DVR at this year’s CES which integrates Slingmedia’s Slingbox technology and on-demand video.

The DVR is internet enabled and will include the TV Everywhere experience allowing you to watch a variety of HD cable TV shows and movies, on-demand, using your internet connection.

In addition this set-top-box also has Slingmedia technology allowing you to access live TV and recordings from your home. Like with a Slingbox you can access the video content over your home network, or any computer or sling-compatible device connected to the internet.

“By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more,” says DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen.

It features the typical DVR features like rewinding and pausing live TV, as well as a hefty 1TB drive which will store approx. 1000 hours of standard definition video content.

In addition you can connect to the DVR remotely over the internet to manage and view your recordings.

Innovative Touchpad Remote

The ViP 922 remote has lost most of the buttons of a standard remote and instead uses a touchpad which allows cursor-like navigation on the TV-Screen.

"With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls."

The remote can be seen in action from last year’s CES:

ViP 922 DVR Features Roundup:

• News feeds located on the home screen, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes.
• Ability to organize channels by channel name or number.
• 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i and 480p support.
• Internet-delivered DISH On Demand including 1080p content.
• Ability to move one day in the guide while browsing full screen EPG or partial EPG.
• Connections to home networks via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (the next generation of HomePlug that allows for faster in-home transfer of content using home power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
• Powerful search capability across all available video sources, including IP, VOD, satellite or DVR.
• Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more).
• Ability to load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
• Future upgrades such as photo sharing, movie ticket purchases, family calendars, instant messaging, streaming audio, and the ability to transfer content within a home network.

DISH 922 DVR Low Down

It certainly sounds like a great DVR to have which is packed with a lot of features for the uber-TV user, but is probably beyond the needs of the average viewer.

It pretty much has all the features you could expect from a cable network, sure we’d like to see more, but those features don’t fit with a cable company’s business model.

The question really comes down to price, and DISH have not disclosed pricing details yet, but I’d expect it would only be available on the high-cost subscriptions or cost a minimum of $400 to buy outright.

DISH DVRs on eBay:

Also See

• WebTVWire CES Coverage
• More TV Gadgets on WebTVWire
• TiVo DISH DVRs on eBay