November 29, 2005 With a Low US$999 MSRP, the SE-D1 could be one of the missing links towards seamless access to Movie and Music Collections. The FireBall SE-D1 DVD and Music Manager lets users access and manage up to 400 DVDs or CDs through a streamlined interface with an on-screen TV display. Working in conjunction with the Sony DVP-CX777ES DVD/CD changer, the SE-D1 provides users with instant access to all DVD movies or CDs in their collection.
Noted Bernie Sepaniak, president of D&M Holdings' RioReplayTV, Escient and ACT divisions. "As people continue to build large DVD and CD collections, there's a growing need for a simple and convenient way for them to access and enjoy all their movies and music. The SE-D1 is the ideal solution for people who want quick and easy access to their entertainment, offering a host of features and capabilities previously only available with higher-priced media managers or custom installed systems. The SE-D1 literally makes storing, browsing, and enjoying your movies and music as easy as changing channels on your TV, with no more worries about scratched, lost, or damaged discs."
The Escient FireBall SE-D1 utilizes the company's patented automatic transport and DVD identification technologies, as well as CD recognition technology from Gracenote CDDBT and music metadata from AMG, to instantly find and play desired DVD or CD's. In addition, it accesses Escient's world-renowned MovieDBT DVD database, to provide users with an integrated movie guide that automatically displays titles, genre, cast information, ratings, running time, and cover art for every movie in the DVD collection.
The Escient FireBall SE-D1 is designed to integrate smoothly into IR-based home control and audio/video distribution systems, whereby users can instantly access any DVD or CD playlist, genre, artist, album, movie title, or Internet Radio station at the touch of a button. For total ease of set-up, a built-in video switcher provides movie or user interface selection and A/V routing to a connected receiver or TV using only one input. In addition to the on-screen interface, the SE-D1 can be controlled from any standard web browser, wireless PDA or web pad using standard wireless home networks. The SE-D1 also supports streaming MP3 and CD-quality FLAC encoded digital music from connected FireBall servers located on the same network.
The SE-D1 incorporates advanced features such as: highly reliable operation, automatic disc recognition, free WMA and Shoutcast Internet Radio via the Escient RadioDB Tuning Service, web browser control, and multi-zone support. It also offers gapless track playback when streaming from a FireBall Digital Music Server, and the ability to "skin" the interface for the ultimate customization. For added convenience, the SE-D1 lets users choose either a 4:3 or widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio for the on-screen user interface.
The Escient SE-D1will begin shipping in December at a suggested retail price of US$999.