The guys behind the popular A110 and C200 media players Syabas Technology today said it will ship an internet-based A/V streaming set-top box in early 2010.

Syabas says it will demo PopBox this week at CES in Las Vegas - and we will be going to have a look!

The PopBox has a redesigned UI (about time!), 2GB internal flash memory and a new extensible application platform (remember the david box project? ) through which third-party-developed apps can be downloaded – think iPhone App store.

Alex Limberis (chief operating officer for Syabas) said the PopBox’s requirements and new UI are intended to implement a more  consumer-friendly device that’s “easy enough for my mom to setup and use.” This can only be a good thing.

What’s in the box?

According to Limberis, the PopBox is based on much the same hardware design as the c200, except without the internal drive some of the “NMT” services. This is not a bad thing as storage should always be kept seperate and a PC always did the NMT side of things better.

The PopBox will run a customised Linux 2.6 kernel-based OS on a Sigma Designs SMP8643 system-on-chip (SoC) processor. The SMP8643 SoC integrates a 667MHz MIPS application processor (on which the Linux OS runs), a 2D graphics processor, a trio of 333MHz audio DSPs (digital signal processors), and a dedicated 333MHz security processor (MIPS 4KEc IPU). The chip’s hi-definition A/V outputs support MPEG-4.10 (H.264), SMPTE 421M (VC-1), AVS, WMV9, MPEG-4.2, and MPEG-2 media formats.

Not sure if this is final but the 8643 chipset maybe overkill especially as they are not offering blu-ray playback.
 
Summary of hardware specs

• Sigma Designs SMP8643 system-on-chip processor:
  • 667MHz MIPS application processor
  • 333MHz security processor
  • 3x 333MHz audio DSPs
• Memory:
  • 512MB DDR2 SDRAM
  • SD Card slot equipped with a 2GB card
• Audio/Video outputs:
  • HDMI v1.3a (up to 1080p)
  • Component video (up to 1080p)
  • Stereo analog audio
  • S/PDIF optical digital audio
• Interfaces:
  • 10/100 Ethernet interface
  • 2x USB 2.0 ports
• Remote control technology: IR
• Power consumption: < 15W
• Enclosure:
  • Size: 8 x 6 x 1.25 inches
  • Fanless

Supported media formats

Video: MPEG1/2/4, Open MPEG-4 HD, Xvid-HD and WMV9-HD, VC-1,H.264

• Audio: MP1/2/3, WMA, WMA Pro, OggVorbis, AAC, AC3, DTS, PCM, WAV and FLAC
• Container: ASF, ISO, IFO, MPEG-TS, MPEG-4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WM-DRM, VOB, MP4, RMP4
• Photos: JPEG, animated GIF89a, BMP and PNG
• Subtitles: MicroDVD (*.sub), SubRip (*.srt), Sub Station Alpha (*.ssa), Microsoft’s Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange -SAMI (*.smi)
• Streaming standards: SMB, Bonjour, UPnP, DLNA, WM-DRM, etc.

The device’s support for a wide range of third-party-developed applications could be a significant selling point due to  the vast user base who have been happily developing various apps for the A110 and C200 for a while now.

Remember – No Youtube since google denied access.

C200 owners dont feel left out – you will get a new flash based UI soon.

Offical Press Release

Syabas Announces Popbox for Big Screen Everything

New, affordable over-the-top settop box features an open app platform to bridge the gap between an HDTV, a home network and the Internet

Las Vegas (CES Unveiled Table 9), January 5, 2009 – Syabas, a global provider of over-the-top settop software and hardware and makers of the award-winning Popcorn Hour C-200, today announced Popbox, a small, $129 open platform settop box that streams music, movies, photos, games, social media updates and more to today’s HDTVs. Popbox supports just about every audio and video file type and recognizes content from the Internet, a personal computer and a USB-attached storage device such as a Flip Video™ HD camcorder or an external hard drive.

What separates Popbox from its competitors is its ability to handle virtually any file and content type, its ease-of-use and open development platform, which allows media companies to rapidly develop, deploy and monetize a wide range of interactive high definition applications and content. Those applications and content may then be given away or sold on the Popapps Portal. Developers can sign up for the program at www.popbox.com.

In a separate release, also issued today, Syabas announced that it has added a number of new content and application partners including:

Netflix (feature-length movies and television shows)

Twitter (social networking and micro blogging service)

FunSpot (interactive videogames)

Crunchyroll (Japanese anime and Asian entertainment site)

SHOUTcast (32,000 professional and community programmed radio stations)

Popbox also features a new, easy-to-navigate user interface (UI) that was designed by Dewey Reid, who won an Emmy award in 2004 for the UI he created for the Moxi Media Center. The UI enables users to browse content from a wide variety of Internet-based content channels, as well as a home networked media library with full metadata-based navigation. Metadata partners include Internet Movie Database (IMDB) for movies.

“I strongly believe that this year over-the-top settop boxes will go from the niche enthusiast to the mainstream consumer,” said Alex Limberis, chief operating officer of Syabas. “Popbox is perfectly positioned to deliver everything from movies to photos, to music to games to Tweets in an inexpensive, easy-to-use platform that will drive this market forward in 2010.”

Syabas has been developing software for connected entertainment devices for companies including HP, Netgear, I-O DATA, Pinnacle Systems and Viewsonic since 2001. In 2007, the company began shipping Popcorn Hour, its first over-the-top (OTT) settop box that has over the last two years earned a number of industry Editor’s Choice awards. Popbox is expected to be available in the United States in March and will be the company’s first product available through the retail channel.

Availability

Popbox is expected to be available in March. For more information on the Popbox, please visit www.popbox.com.

Regards, DE Sales Team Sales@digitalera.co.uk