Digital Home Thoughts: DivX GejBox Media Streamer -- Just a Technology Demonstration?

"It appears the guys at DivX have unveiled their rumored hardware, the new DivX GejBox - a reference/test set-top entering an already questionable field. No, I'm not adding that wink for giggles, it's really in the product name, which Engadget refuses to include on principle. DivX has been trying for nearly a decade to build some street credibility as a video format, originally popularized by movie traders on the internets. You kind of have to hand it to them, they have staying power. A few asian manufacturers support their offbeat MPEG-4 profiles (which have been beaten by XviD in every codec shootout since 2003). Let's forget the company was named the same as a failed (and despised) timebombed rental disc program Digital Video Express, but to build a box, and then name it after the hacker handle used by a co-founder doesn't smack of responsible marketing. At least it has HDMI and wireless though I doubt many consumers will be picking this up over an Apple TV or Xbox 360 (for Extender)."


Image courtesy Engadget.com

All the rumours about the DivX hardware can finally be put to rest. It looks like the GejBox;-) (yes the wink is part of the name) is the first device that utilizes the DivX chip. While this is just a proof-of-concept, the device does have some interesting features like S/PDIF, and HDMI. Furthermore, as per all the promised extensibility reports, it comes with home network video / picture / audio streaming capabilities and has support for live DivX Stage 6 high-def internet video streaming, and even a Google Video plugin not too different from the YouTube Apple TV plugin. Sean Alexander correctly points out all the reasons why this box (if it makes it to market) isn't really filling a need, but I personally believe that DivX is showing this device to convince other manufacturers to start integrating the their chip into consumer devices.