Netgear NeoTV 550 HD Network Media Player Outed

Netgear has outed their latest HD-capable home media player, the Netgear NeoTV 550, together with a range of new HomePlug AV compliant Powerline adapters delivering up to (a theoretical) 500Mbps connection speeds.  The NeoTV 550 (NTV550) has HDMI, component and composite video outputs (together with analog and S/PDIF digital audio outputs) and can play local 1080p HD files on attached USB, eSATA or SD storage or stream from UPnP, DLNA or WMP11 network sources.  Meanwhile a second version, the NeoTV 350, swaps the eSATA for another USB port and has a more basic remote.

There's a pretty considerable list of supported codecs and containers, too – the full spec sheet is in the gallery below, but highlights include Xvid, ISO, AVCHD, DivX, MP4 and MKV for video and various audio and video options too.  You can also plug in an external Blu-ray drive via the USB 2.0 or eSATA ports for playback from optical media.

Meanwhile the new Powerline adapters save stringing ethernet cable across your lounge.  Entry-level is the XAVNB2001 Powerline AV 200 Wireless-N Extender Kit, supporting up to 200Mbps data rates, while the XAV5001 Powerline AV 500 Adapter (and the XAVB5001 Kit) and XAV5501 Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter (and XAVB5501 Kit) boost speed to a theoretical 500Mbps.  The "+" versions also provide a pass-through filtered AC socket so you can still plug in an appliance.

The Netgear NeoTV 550 will be priced at $219.99 (or €199.99 in Europe, though it's already showing up for preorder at around £139); no MRSP for the NeoTV 350, but that's up for UK preorder at around £88 ($136).  As for the Powerline adapters, the AV 200 will drop in early October for $169, followed by the AV 500 Adapter Kit later that month for $159.  The standalone AV 500 Adapter ($89) and AV+ 500 Adapter Kit ($179) will arrive in early November, with the standalone AV+ Adapter ($99) bringing up the rear later that month.