HDTV Magazine
(Not logged in)  Sign In  |  Register  |  HelpHelp
New KODAK Theatre HD Player Transforms Living Rooms into Personal Home Theatres
By Shane Sturgeon
Publisher & Chief Technologist
Posted on July 10, 2008
Category: Products & Equipment
Add to NewsvineNewsvine Add to Del.icio.usDel.icio.us Save ArticleSave Email ArticleEmail Print ArticlePrint


Receive instant notification of HDTV Bulletins: Register Now to receive notification of HDTV Bulletins via email as soon as they are published.
Digg This

New KODAK Theatre HD Player Transforms Living Rooms into Personal Home Theatres

An Innovative, High-Definition TV Viewing Solution Debuts; KODAK Theatre HD Player Inspires Consumers to Interact Freely with Their Memories and Share the Stories of their Lives


ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) today unveiled the KODAK Theatre HD Player, a High Definition (HD) media player that enables consumers to interact more freely and creatively with their most valuable possessions -- their memories.

Harnessing Wi-Fi and HD technologies, a wide array of organizational and display features and access to online content through unique partners, the KODAK Theatre HD Player turns consumers into the directors of their own show with a wireless remote control pointer in-hand. The device will roll out in stages, with a market trial commencing in September 2008.

"The proliferation of HDTV technology has created a demand for HD content beyond standard television programming," said John Blake, General Manager Digital Capture and Devices, Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. "With the KODAK Theatre HD Player, consumers will relive the most cherished moments of their lives on their HDTV -- the largest and highest quality display device in their home. Consumers will have the ability to do more than ever with their pictures, music and videos with easier and more interactive access to their personal content, as well as content from family and friends from around the globe."


KODAK Theatre HD Player

Revolutionizing the way images and videos can be enjoyed in HD*, the KODAK Theatre HD Player is an interactive device displaying personal content -- pictures, video, podcasts, music -- and web-based content on a HDTV, while wirelessly connecting to a household's private Wi-Fi network.

The remote-operated KODAK Theatre HD Player lets consumers relive their favorite, and even forgotten, memories in customized slideshows, incorporating their personal music and video collections, Internet Radio, plus online video- and photo-sharing sites. Consumers can also edit and upload images and videos to popular online content sharing sites on their HDTV from the comfort of their living room.

*Able to display HD still images (16:9 Aspect Ratio) and videos (720p).


KODAK Theatre HD Player Partnerships

Through unique partnerships with pioneers in photo sharing, such as KODAK Gallery and Flickr(TM), the KODAK Theatre HD Player provides consumers with features that help them achieve new levels of interactivity while viewing, sharing and managing pictures.

Additional alliances with YouTube(TM) and RadioTime allow for access to more than just imaging content, offering an interactive and engaging multimedia experience. The KODAK Theatre HD Player can also source and display imaging content from USB Jump Drives and SD memory cards.


Pricing and Availability

The KODAK Theatre HD Player will retail for US $299.99 (MSRP) from September 2008 at select Best Buy stores, Kodak.com and Amazon.com.


About the KODAK EASYSHARE System

Kodak continues to bring groundbreaking features to its award-winning KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Photography System, enhancing the digital photography experience for consumers worldwide. The EASYSHARE System consists of digital cameras, picture frames, online services, software, inkjet printers, accessories, and now the KODAK Theatre HD Player -making picture taking, sharing and archiving effortless. The KODAK Theatre HD Player announced today includes the latest version of KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Display Software, featuring an array of enhancements to help consumers find, create and share pictures like never before. Version 7.0 Software now includes direct access to KODAK Gallery, making it simple to find albums stored online. The new KODAK EASYSHARE Software Version 7.0 can be downloaded for free. Further information on all KODAK EASYSHARE Products can be found at www.kodak.com.


About Eastman Kodak Company

As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com/, and our blogs: 1000words.kodak.com, and PluggedIn.kodak.com.

2008

Kodak and EasyShare are trademarks of Kodak.

Source: Eastman Kodak Company

Posted by Shane Sturgeon, July 10, 2008 05:21 AM

Reader Commentary

Jul 10, 5:45am
This certainly sounds interesting, but I hafta say that the story tells me almost nothing about this piece of equipment. Will I be able to take my edited HDTV movies and somehow play them on this device. What media will it then use? Or am I reading th
Jul 10, 6:23am
Sounds like you can only view stills in HD. Is that correct?
Jul 11, 5:59am
For the most part, this looks like just another media player. We'll know more as they get closer to their September launch, but it appears to be much like other "media extenders" on the market. Where this appears to differ a bit is that it looks as tho
Showing only excerpts from 4 out of 5, Read More

More on Products & Equipment

About Shane Sturgeon

Shane Sturgeon is the Co-Publisher and Chief Technologist of HDTV Magazine, an industry publication with HDTV roots going back to 1984, when Dale Cripps founded The HDTV Newsletter. Today, HDTV Magazine is a leading online resource for HDTV news and information and captures the eyes and imaginations of over 3 million visitors annually. Mr. Sturgeon has a background in information technology and has served in various consulting capacities for Fortune 500 companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Verizon Communications, Proctor & Gamble and Nationwide Insurance. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Wright State University.