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Intel Viiv to power digital homes
Intel ViiV technology and brand follows Intel
Inside.
BY OUR TECH CORRESPONDENT
25 August, 2005: Intel is coming out with a new technology, the Intel Viiv, to enable digital convergence in the living room. Intel Viiv, (pronounced like five) will be an assortment of Intel's dual-core microprocessors, chipset, software and networking technologies which will be used in personal computers and other consumer electronics devices like the DVD player, home stereo and the home theatre. After the success of "Intel Centrino" and "Intel Inside", Intel is expected to spend about $100 to $300 million dollars to promote Intel Viiv technology.
PCs powered with Intel Viiv will have a quick start and shutdown function, almost like a TV. Intel has named it the Quick Resume function. All the Intel Viiv PCs will have a remote control facility and Windows Media Center. Viiv users can use the computer as TV, with content which can be paused saved and resumed at will. Also, the device can be easily networked with other electronics gadgets like a stereo, home theatre, DVD player etc. Intel hopes to bring convergence to the living room by promoting Viiv.
Intel, like many others in the software-hardware industry, has made unsuccessful attempts to make a foothold in the lucrative home entertainment sector. To this end, Intel has earlier come out with gadgets like digital microscopes. Microsoft Windows Media Center itself has been an attempt at dominating the living room. Now, Intel hopes Viiv help it make a mark there.
Working in tandem with a slew of Intel-verified gadget makers, online services and software which include movies, music, image and computer games, Intel believes Viiv will help usher new entertainment choices in home entertainment.
Said Don MacDonald, vice president and general manager, Intel Digital Home Group: "Intel Viiv technology is our first platform designed from the ground up for the digital home, where consumers are passionate about the idea of accessing their content anytime, anywhere in their home on a number of devices. Following the success of Intel® Centrino mobile technology, we are applying a similar branding strategy to our new digital home platform composed of Intel's latest PC technologies. Intel Viiv technology marks the intersection point where innovation, a multitude of digital devices, first-class entertainment and state of the art technology converge to put consumers in more control of experiencing digital entertainment on their own terms."
Consumers of devices powered by Intel Viiv will get systems in a variety of form factors -- small, sleek consumer electronic-type designs, to more traditional desktop and tower design models. Each Intel Viiv computer will also come with a 5.1 surround sound (with optional support for up to 7.1 surround sound) for home theater-quality sound.
Intel Viiv-powered computers can connect fast to online entertainment services, facilitating movie and music downloads, as well as access to the latest games -- all viewed and played from the comfort of the living room.
As more content becomes digitized, computer & electronics users want to move it around themselves and between such devices. For this, Intel Viiv technology has special software to make this possible. The software will contain a network configuration wizard that can be navigated with the system's remote control, making it easy for consumers to connect many devices including portable media players, DVD players, TV sets and stereos.
Intel Viiv also sports a media server "engine" which can easily reformat various digital content files so they can be viewed on a selection of devices.
Intel expects the commercial rollout of Intel Viiv in the first quarter of 2006, when PCs powered by Viiv will emerge in the market. The company has not revealed the investment which has gone into the Viiv.
BY OUR TECH CORRESPONDENT
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