SMC ships new EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Oct 6, 2003

SMC Networks, provider of networking solutions for the Enterprise, the SMB and all the way home, has announced that the first of its new EZ-Stream Universal wireless home entertainment networking products began shipping this week to retailers and integrators. The new EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver (SMCWMR-AG), which distributes entertainment media throughout the home without wires, is available now, at an MSRP of $249.99.

The EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver is a high-end networked entertainment receiver that streams, plays and shares audio (including MP3 and Internet radio), pictures and video from the networked PC to the Home Entertainment Center. Connected to the wired or wireless network for access to Internet resources, music, photos and videos stored on a computer's hard drive, it links to entertainment devices, including televisions and stereo receivers, via standard A/V connectors. Employing the latest in high-end wireless 802.11a/g technology for universal compatibility, speed and bandwidth that optimizes demanding wireless applications like streaming video, SMC's EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver is at the center of the best performing home entertainment networking solution available.

"We're working with SMC to bring advanced wireless products to market that 'untether' the home multimedia environment," said Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros. "The new EZ-Stream product line features high-performance, standards-based Atheros 802.11a/g networking technology. The EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver can distribute even the most demanding multimedia--streaming video--throughout the home, without wires."

Easy set-up and operation being as important as performance, the EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver includes an EZ Installation Wizard that makes loading its software on the PC a breeze. User-friendly Web-based management provides additional easy set-up tools, and an intuitive TV user interface means users can do it all from the living room couch. Staying current is effortless, thanks to Smart Box Management, which searches automatically for available firmware updates upon power-up.

"The EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver is the first of a new line of products that takes SMC's home networking expertise to a whole new level," said Tom Rizol, SMC's vice president of sales and marketing. "A high-performance entertainment networking solution for homes that far surpasses anything the competition can offer, EZ-Stream combines the best in networking with the best in consumer electronics."

Additional high-performance Universal Wireless 802.11a/g products will join the EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver over the next several weeks, to optimize connections between the server and computing, gaming or other network-capable devices.