This week’s Digital Hollywood Conference in San Jose was awash with expensive digital media set-top boxes for streaming content to the living room. Most were uninspired Microsoft Media Center or Apple TV clones, but one product, QTV, took the economical approach of using a Playstation 2 to put Internet content on a television.
QTV by BroadQ uses a $30 piece of software to repurpose a PS2 as a digital media set-top for a TV or home theater. All users have to do is pop the DVD into their PS2, turn it on, and they are ready to either stream local network content or Internet shows like Revision3’s Digg Reel without leaving their sofas. With almost 50 million PS2s sold in North America, BroadQ’s product already has a significant hardware install base to take advantage of. QTV is able to stream pretty much any non-DRM content to a TV including photos, videos, and music as well as assorted news and Internet radio stations.
After playing with QTV for a little while on an HD Plasma TV, I found the interface both aesthetically pleasing and responsive. Videos streamed quickly, as well as music, and Internet channels pulled down Revision3 content in seconds. The only thing missing so far is the ability to rent movies direct, but BroadQ claims premium services will be coming soon.
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Comments
It is really that good?
This application appears to have been around for a long while, but there isn't much discussion going around about it. Alot of people want to do this (stream video to their PS2), so why is this the only real way to do it?
To me, this review seems like a paid advertisement for the product.
Please convince me otherwise.
Damien.
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