TVSquad

D-Link has sent out review units of the DSM-330 HD Media Player, which will be the first commercially available set top box based on the DivX Connected platform. Bloggers Dave Zatz and Brent Evans have already unboxed their toys media extenders and posted some initial impressions.

The DSM-330 is basically a media extender device that does many of the same things as an Apple TV or Xbox 360. You connect the box to your television and your home network via Ethernet or WiFi (802.11g) and you can stream videos from your computer to your TV screen.

The unit can handle videos with resolutions of up to 720p and has an HDMI port. The included software lets you access music, movies, photos, and online media. And DivX is encouraging third parties to develop applications that will run on the box, so you could see new software from independent coders or from big names like Amazon or CinemaNow in the future (I'm not trying to start rumors here. I have no evidence that either company is working on software, I'm just saying it's possible).

D-Link is the first company to sign onto the DivX Connected bandwagon. The forthcoming D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player will be the first consumer device to use DivX's media platform for set top boxes.

Aside from the exceptionally long name, the partnership gives the DSM-330 a sleek interface for playing movies, music, or photos from a hard drive, or for streaming video from the internet. The platform supports online video from Stage6, and last time we saw it, you could also stream Google Video.

The DSM-330 is scheduled for release in the UK, France, and Germany later this year. No word on pricing, availability, or whether the box includes a hard drive or will just stream media from networked PCs within your house.

[via Engadget]