Zotac said on Tuesday that it's embarking on a new era of digital media sharing with the launch of its StreamBox and RAIDbox accessories. The former is designed as a platform for sharing content between a mobile device and an HDTV whereas the latter is a customizable external storage solution using mSATA SSD drives.
According to Zotac, the StreamBox pulls content stored on an Android-based smartphone or tablet, or even from a notebook using the DLNA protocol. Display mirroring capabilities are also available for select Android mobile devices via Miracast compatibility. Additional features include dual-band Wireless N connectivity, 10/100 (old school) Ethernet, HDMI output, and a USB port for direct file playback.
"We focused on making the Zotac StreamBox easy to use for users of all skill levels," said Zotac senior director Carsten Berger. "All a user needs to do is connect to the Zotac StreamBox via WiFi and launch a DLNA-compatible application such as the free Realtek AirFun app and begin sharing your music, movies and images. Advanced users can take advantage of screen mirroring features found on select devices too."
As for the RAIDbox, this is a pocket-sized external storage enclosure sporting a USB 3.0 interface. It accommodates up to two mSATA SSDs and lets users select the best storage mode to suit their needs: maximum performance with RAID 0, enhanced data security with RAID 1, independent drives with JBOD, or span the data across both drives with BIG mode.
"The ZOTAC RAIDbox makes creating your own external storage device easy. A user simply needs to install their own mSATA SSD modules inside the ZOTAC RAIDbox and plug it into a USB 3.0 port," Mr. Berger added. "The tool-less design makes customizing the ZOTAC RAIDbox easy as well."
Zotac didn't say when these two devices will be available here in the States, or how much they will cost. However, both products are listed on the international website, meaning they'll likely land Stateside soon.
