Samsung has unveiled a new set-top box that acts as a central media center, at the same time as revealing its new smartphone, the Galaxy Note 8.0. The HomeSync, running on Jelly Bean, provides a way for home users to use Android games and apps on a HDTV, as well as providing content storage for mobile devices on the same network.
Housing a 1-terabyte drive, the HomeSync can store content, such as movies and TV shows, which can then be transferred or streamed to mobile devices on demand. Supporting up to eight accounts, the storage offers private encrypted areas for individuals, separate from the main shared storage, with files able to be transferred over its dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, twin USB 3.0, or microUSB ports, as well as its Gigabit Ethernet connection.
Games and apps can be downloaded from the Google Play store, which can then be played on a HDTV at a 1080p resolution through its HDMI 1.4 connection, alongside the systems own media player for stored content. Processing is provided by a dual-core 1.7GHz chip supported by 1GB of DDR3 RAM, while a separate 8GB eMMC provides basic storage for system software.
The HomeSync will go on sale from April 2013 in the US, and Samsung plans to offer it in other regions shortly afterwards. Pricing for the HomeSync is currently unavailable.
