Sophisti DD-3 Plays Nice With Your PC
Another new home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) -- the term used for all-in-one surround sound A/V and speaker systems -- may seem like no big deal, but the JVC Sophisti DD-3 (above) adds a little more to the usual lineup of features.
The new system includes the typical HTIB trappings such as an audio-video receiver, three speakers, and a subwoofer. The receiver, though, is a little smarter than average: It packs the ability to play movies and music stored on your PC, thanks to an Ethernet port that connects the system to your home network (and thus, your PC). It also has a USB port, so you can plug devices such as MP3 players and digicams directly into the system for music and photo playback.
The $1,000 package has been available in Europe for a few months now and is finally hitting the U.S. It's PC-compatible, but so far there's no mention of Mac compatibility. We also don't know if it will play tunes you purchase on iTunes, but we'll assume the answer is no since that would be a first. As for compatibility with subscription services such as Napster and Rhapsody? No word on that either, but we'll get back to you when we find out.
So, while this one sounds quite appealing, you're best off waiting for a few formal reviews -- quite possibly from us -- before taking the plunge.
UPDATE: We've learned that the unit will require the installation of Cyberlink's Media Server software, which is currently Windows-only. So, Mac-heads are left out cold, but at least PC users won't have to upgrade to Windows Media Center Edition or Vista Home Premium to stream their data.
From JVC.
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