Posted Thu Jun 7, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by Dick Ward
The new streaming device from Netgear does something the others don't, courtesy of Intel WiDi.
The NeoTV Pro (200S) is a streaming player that takes things a step farther than most – something we've been waiting to see. You'll find the usual assortment of streaming apps and you'll get a 1080p resolution, but it's WiDi that truly separates the NeoTV from the rest of the pack.
If you're using an Intel WiDi enabled laptop – new laptops using Intel chips have this baked right in – you can stream content from your lappy to your TV wirelessly. From there you can stream local content, online content and essentially anything you can bring up on your laptop. Sadly, DVD and Blu-ray playback is not supported if it requires output protection.
We haven't been too impressed with non-Roku streaming devices as of recently. It's not that the Roku 2 XD is the pinnacle of streaming achievement, it's just that we haven't seen anything that offers more at the same price. Netgear's new NeoTV is different. It may be limited in that it only streams from WiDi, but it's a nice step forward.
The NeoTV 200s is currently listed on Netgear's site with plenty more information on its capabilities. IT's shown as "out of stock" at sites across the internet, but since the player launches today, we expect to see it on Amazon in short order. The NeoTV Pro sports a price of just $69 - $10 cheaper than Roku's lowest price on a 1080p player.
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