Audio Video News

Want an easy way to store, manage, access, and enjoy digital entertainment content in your home? Beginning to think Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition 2005 doesn't quite live up to all the hype? Afraid you'll run out of storage room? Concerned about so many questions to answer?

Interact-TV, creator of the Telly Home Entertainment Server, has introduced the TerraTelly model GS1250. The new model ships with 1.2 Terabytes of digital media storage in a compact chassis that should fit easily in most audio/video furniture or equipment racks. Interact-TV claims the honors of offering "the largest home media storage capacity to date in a single compact unit."

The TerraTelly GS1250, like the smaller MC1200 and MC800 models, are based on the Linux operating system with EOS, a media platform specifically designed for entertainment-centric digital media management devices providing secure data storage and easy upgradeability. Some of the features of the Telly models include a subscription-free Electronic TV Program Guide, DVR functionality, up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, a built-in web server for access to stored media libraries and program guides from any networked PC, a built-in NTSC TV tuner, 5.1-channel digital audio out, and an infrared trackball remote control. All models include composite and S-Video outputs. (No HDTV tuning, recording, or outputs at this time.)

All Telly models include the ability to play nicely with networked Windows or Macintosh(!) computers allowing for easy transfers of music, photos, and video.

In addition to the ease of use, the thing that truly sets the TerraTelly apart is the enormous storage capacity - making it possible to archive DVDs, CDs, photos, and much more. Ken Fuhrman, CEO of Interact-TV explained, "A TerraTelly can store about 250 DVDs and still have room for thousands of music CDs and digital photos. Now consumers can search their entire media library from the comfort of their couch."

The TerraTelly GS1250 ($1,999) is expected to begin shipping sometime in December of this year with an official introduction of the product in January 2005 at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.