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CES: D-Link launches USB 3.0 HD media routers
D-Link announces three HD media routers, two of which come with USB 3.0.
The new DIR-857 HD media router from D-Link. It's super sleek.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)
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LAS VEGAS--Media streaming, both locally and online, has been getting more and more popular. It doesn't matter what service you use or what player you have, what you see on the TV or computer screen has to go through your home router.
D-Link has that in mind and announced at CES 2011 HD media routers that it claims offer much better audio and video streaming, even when dealing with huge files of 1080p content.
These routers are all DLNA certified and incorporate a Quality of Service (QoS) engine, called HD Fuel technology, that prioritizes high-definition video streaming with services like YouTube HD, Netflix, and Vudu.
The DIR-857 is one of the first routers with a built-in USB 3.0 port.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)The new HD media routers all come with an SD card slot, Wireless-N, and Gigabit Ethernet. Two of them come with a USB 3.0 port, which is a first among routers, and this likely means much better network storage performance.
According to D-Link, the new HD media routers feature a new sharing platform powered by MiiiCasa, a cloudlike server that enables household members to manage their content among IP-connected devices.
The new HD Media Router family includes:
HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657): A single-band 300Mbps Wireless-N router with a USB 2.0 SharePort Plus port.
HD Media Router 2000 (DIR-827): A true dual-band Wireless-N router with USB 3.0 that offers up to 2Gbps transfer rates.
HD Media Router 3000 (DIR-857): This is the top, uncompromising, true dual-band router that has all that the DIR-827 has, plus offering up to 450Mbps on the 5GHz band, similar to the WNDR4000 from Netgear.
D-Link says that its new HD media routers will provide the best possible video quality for wireless streaming across set-top boxes (like TiVo, Slingbox, and Boxee Box by D-Link), as well as for network storage devices and PC-to-PC traffic. Consumers can expect a consistent streaming experience in the home.
The DIR-657 is slated to be available during the first quarter of the year and will cost less than $140. The other two models, DIR-827 and DIR-857, will be available during the second and third quarter, respectively. Currently their prices are to be determined.
