Press Release
Breakthrough DVD player offers high definition MPEG4 and WMV9 playback
16 August 2005 - Adelaide, Australia
Zensonic's groundbreaking high definition network media player will be available in-store from November, 2005 in Australia, the company announced today.
The Z500 has been designed from the ground up to meet the needs of home theatre enthusiasts, including multiple fully digital A/V outputs and a backlit remote control.
There are four ways of accessing high-definition digital movies:
- 802.11G wireless networking
- wired 100Mbit/s Ethernet
- optical media such as CD or DVD using the inbuilt reader
- External hard drives or memory cards via high-speed USB 2.0.
The Z500 also has unprecedented file format support including high definition Windows Media® Video 9 and MPEG4 playback.
"First generation digital media players forced users to compromise," said Zensonic CEO Raaj Menon. "The choice was generally either a DVD-based player or a networked player."
"The Z500 offers both of these capabilities in one, adds the option for the direct attachment of a USB 2.0 hard drive for fast and convenient transfer of digital media from home PCs," he said.
The USB 2.0 port can be used for either a USB flash memory device or a USB hard drive, including Apple iPod* and other music players that can be used as a hard drive for convenience. Alternatively, the Z500 can play digital media files burned on to all popular optical formats including CD-R(W), DVD±R(W) and even dual layer DVD±R(W).
A state-of-the-art HDMI digital audio and video connector allows compatible LCD and plasma TVs to be connected using a single Firewire-like cable to the player for perfect, uncompressed digital sound and video fidelity.
A custom-designed EL-backlit remote control with navigation joystick is Zensonic's answer to community demand for easier-to-use controllers for modern multimedia players.
Stunningly comprehensive digital media support
The Z500's music playback capability handles all the formats enthusiasts have been waiting for, including the high definition FLAC lossless compressed format, OGG, AAC (used in Apple iTunes**), MP3, Windows Media Audio 9 (including digitally rights managed WMA9), CD Audio and others.
Video format support is similarly comprehensive. The Z500 handles playback in Windows Media Video 9, XviD, MPEG-4 (including Apple QuickTime MPEG-4 files), MPEG-2, Transport Streams, MPEG-1, DVD, and other formats.
High resolution photos can be played back, preserving image resolution if displayed through a high definition TV or monitor. All popular image file formats are supported including JPEG, TIFF, and others.
The internet is just a button away on the Z500, with instant access to useful information services like local weather. Internet radio stations can be streamed from sources offering the popular PLS and ASX formats. A library of Internet Radio Stations is also provided in the GUI.
The unit is powered by Sigma Designs' EM8620L media processor. The power of this chipset can be enhanced and extended over time by Zensonic software upgrades.
Connectivity options for every home theatre
The Z500 is engineered from the ground up for high performance networking, with Ethernet networking and wireless-G networking integrated.
Likewise, the Z500 has stunningly comprehensive sound output options. Both coaxial and optical outputs are available for flawless digital connection to home theatre amplifiers, while advanced sound decoding capabilities allow direct playback of 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtracks through analogue outputs.
The Z500's fully-certified High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) allows connection to compatible plasma and LCD TVs with maximum sound and image quality. HDMI is a new industry-standard connector for the transmission, through a single cable, of uncompressed, digital audio and video. Within the next 12 to 24 months, the new standard will replace the tangle of cables found behind most home A/V setups, bringing the same simplicity to home theatre that USB and Firewire brought to computing peripherals.
Choice of three server software packages
An easy to install and use Media server application called Twonkyvision is supplied with the player to make sorting and streaming digital media files from multiple PCs simple. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
In addition, Microsoft Windows Media Connect as well as Ahead Software's Nero MediaHome media server software is included.
If customers prefer not to run media server software, the Z500 can access files stored directly from Windows (SMB) network shared drives.
Pricing and availability
The Zensonic Z500 will be available in November in Australia at a recommended retail price of AU$569. Zensonic is currently seeking distribution in Europe and the USA.
About Zensonic Corporation
Zensonic Corporation http://www.zensonic.com is a global company that designs innovative home entertainment technology. With operations in Australia, India, and China, Zensonic was established in 2004 by Managing Director Raaj Menon to offer a comprehensive home theatre product range.
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