Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 13, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
This complete home-theater solution was developed specifically to make digital media easier to use: favorite video clips, films and photos can be enjoyed directly on the television. With the new accessory for the award-winning FreeAgent Go, stored digital content can be viewed easily on the television rather than only on a PC monitor. Simply place the media player next to the television and connect the FreeAgent Go—select, click and sit back as personal memories and favorite films play in HD quality with surround sound.
The Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD Media Player will be available in March. It comes either as a standalone device compatible with any storage device featuring a USB interface, or as a complete solution with an external FreeAgent Go hard drive.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware that a PC is not the best way to store and view photos and videos,” says Chris Chute, Research Manager at IDC. “Over time, living rooms and robust storage solutions will come together. That is where memories will be shared and viewed collectively in the future.”
According to IDC’s Digital Imaging Research*, consumers worldwide generate and archive more than 15 billion gigabytes of digital images and videos per year, with most stored and viewed on home PCs. However, according to a Parks Associates study**, more than one-quarter of consumers are interested in accessing personal content such as photos and music directly on their television, while one-third of respondents would like to watch films and other video clips stored on their PCs on the television.
In the past, transferring files from a computer to a home-entertainment center was cumbersome, requiring either complicated home-network solutions or time-consuming burning to multiple CDs or DVDs. The new Seagate FreeAgent Theater Media Player now offers a way to store data easily and transport a media library simply between a PC and home-entertainment system. Favorite photos, films and video clips can therefore be viewed with family or friends in a comfortable setting.
The Seagate FreeAgent Theater Media Player opens up new ways to use an external hard drive. Backup, storage capacity and protection have always been the primary functions of an external drive. With FreeAgent Theater, Seagate now adds entertainment.
• Watch high-definition films with playback functions similar to DVDs, plus surround sound.
• High-resolution photo libraries can be accompanied by music and special transition effects.
• Simple synchronization and organization of digital media from multiple computers with FreeAgent Go.
• Instant access to entire digital media libraries simply by inserting the FreeAgent Go hard drive into the media player or connecting another external storage device to the USB port.
• Simple on-screen navigation by remote control, with an intuitive interface and familiar button layout.
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