Cisco Simplifies Digital Media Access for Consumers

Linksys by Cisco Media Hub Helps Consumers Enjoy All of Their Digital Photos, Music and Video Anytime, Anywhere

• Press Release
• Source: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• On 8:00 am EST, Wednesday January 7, 2009

LAS VEGAS, NV--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 7, 2009 -- Cisco (NasdaqGS:CSCO - News) today announced the Linksys by Cisco Media Hub at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Designed to simplify access to and interaction with digital content, the Media Hub gathers, organizes, and presents all the digital video, photos and music that users have spread amongst various devices in the home. With a Media Hub, consumers can enjoy all of their media through an easy to use interface that is not only accessible in the home, but throughout the world via a web browser. The Media Hub is the perfect solution for consumers with extensive digital media libraries who are looking to eliminate the complexity of managing their collections.

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Facts/Highlights:

• Centralized Access to Digital Photos, Music and Videos
  Sharing media on multiple devices within the home is easy with the Media Hub's media and iTunes server capabilities. The Media Hub automatically searches the network for other media devices(1) to present all available digital media to the user in a single location.
• Easy Graphical User Interface
  Content accessible to the Media Hub is presented in a browser-based, simple to navigate user interface(2). Music albums are consolidated and presented together with the appropriate Album Art, regardless of where the tracks reside within the network, eliminating the need to know which device music is stored on. Photos and videos are presented using thumbnail images that are easily organized by date or name. All available media, regardless of type, can be located by using the available search function.
• Simple Remote Access
  Remote Access can be enabled on the Media Hub with just a few clicks of a button(3). Users are not required to install any special software or change their network configuration. The Media Hub takes care of everything with the exception of choosing its Remote Access name. Whether accessing the Media Hub on a PC at home, or through a web browser anywhere in the world via www.ciscomediahub.com, consumers are presented with the same easy to navigate user interface that enables them to access their digital media and upload or download files from a remote location.
• Backup
  Automated backup software is included with the Media Hub to help ensure that even the most treasured memories and digital libraries are protected. Folders on a computer within the network that contain Digital Media can be set to automatically copy any new files to the Media Hub for added peace of mind.
• Consumer Friendly Design
  The product's sleek design makes it possible to place the Media Hub virtually anywhere in the home and with its near silent operation it will not disturb daily life. With two drive bays and external USB ports consumers can easily expand their Media Hub if and when their Digital Media storage needs grow.

Supporting Quotes:

• Greg Memo, vice president and general manager, products, Cisco Consumer Business Group
  "We have built the Media Hub to be simple to setup and use for the mainstream consumer, but is also powerful in functionality and capabilities for the more tech-savvy user. All the features that are needed to eliminate the complexity of managing digital media collections with multiple computers and devices in the home are included. The Media Hub is the central location you go to for access to your media, without concern for whether the file is stored on your Mac, your child's PC, or on your DLNA devices."

Worldwide Market Trends:

• Worldwide, the Networked Attached Storage (NAS) market is forecast to grow from 2.6 million units sold in 2008 to more than 12 million units by year-end 2012. (Parks, July 2008)
• By 2013, more than 13.6 million NAS products will ship to the consumer market -- a 46.1% CAGR. (ABI, Oct. 2008)
• Average Consumer Digital Media Storage Requirements (Source: ABI Oct. 2008):

 
                                                      File   Library  Total
Media Type  Media Specification              Length   Size    Size      GB
----------  -------------------              ------   ----    ----      --
Music       MP3 (192 Kbps) Music          4 Minutes  5.8 MB   3500    20.3
Photos      5-Megapixel JPEG Picture            N/A  1.6 MB   2000     3.2
Video       MPEG-4 SD Movie             110 Minutes  1.8 GB     10    18.0
               MPEG-4 HD (720p) Movie   110 Minutes  5.2 GB     10    52.3
               MPEG-4 HD (720p) TV Show  30 Minutes  1.4 GB     24    33.0
               MPEG-4 SD TV Show         30 Minutes  500 MB     24    12.0
                                         Total Storage Requirement   138.8

Configurations and availability:

In the US, the products are available now from authorized Linksys by Cisco retailers, resellers, and VAR partners. Cisco anticipates availability in Canada, UK, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands during the first quarter of 2009.

The Media Hub comes in both the NMH300 Series and the NMH400 Series. The NMH300 series is a cost-effective solution that offers all of the core features of the Media Hub, and is designed to be used primarily with a PC or Mac to interface with the device. On the NMH400 Series, an LCD screen that displays information such as available space, drive usage by type of media, and network status teams with a 6-in-1 card reader to enable the simple transfer of new media and entertainment onto the Media Hub without the need for a computer. Firmware upgrades and instant backups can also be initiated via navigating the LCD.

The following configurations of the Media Hub will be available from launch:

• NMH305 -- Linksys by Cisco Media Hub (500GB hard drive) MSRP: $299.99 / EUR 299.99



• NMH405 -- Linksys by Cisco Media Hub with LCD and 6-in-1 card reader (500GB hard drive) MSRP: $349.99 / EUR 349.99



• NMH410 -- Linksys by Cisco Media Hub with LCD and 6-in-1 card reader (1TB hard drive) MSRP: $429.99 / EUR 429.99

Supporting Resources:

• Product Web Page - http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/promo/Media-Hub


• B-roll footage of Cisco's new Media Hub family is available at ftp://secure.linksys.com (Username: linksyspr, Password: linksyspr).


• Read Cisco's news feature on the media-enabled home.


• Learn more about consumer products for a media-enabled home at www.linksysbycisco.com and www.linksysbycisco.com/forums.


• Become a Facebook fan of Cisco "Digital Cribs" and "LinksysbyCisco" and invite your friends to join the conversation.


• http://newsroom.cisco.com/wirelesshomeaudio


• http://newsroom.cisco.com/mediahub


• The Cisco CES press conference will take place from 1:00-1:45 p.m. PST at the Las Vegas Venetian Hotel, Venetian Titian Room #2206. Press, analysts and bloggers at CES are invited to attend. Contacts not at the show can attend via a live webcast accessible on Cisco's CES 2009 Web site.

Video:

• Linksys by Cisco Media Hub
  
  http://www.youtube.com/v/A0HF9Sm_bac&hl=en&fs=1%22%3e%3c/param%3e%3cparam



• Linksys by Cisco Wireless Home Audio, Wireless Home Audio Sources and Linksys by Cisco Media Hub
  
  http://www.linksysbycisco.com/flash/static/LinksysWHAPlayer/index.html

Technorati Tags: Cisco, Consumer, Linksys by Cisco, video, digital media, storage, NAS, remote access, Network Attached Storage, CES, consumer electronics, digital storage, hard drive storage, Greg Memo

About Cisco Systems

Cisco (NasdaqGS:CSCO - News) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco's vision for the consumer is to enable people to live a connected life that is more personal, more social, and more visual. More information about Cisco and its line of consumer products can be found at www.linksysbycisco.com and www.cisco.com/consumer.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, Linksys by Cisco and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.

(1) UPnP and DLNA1.5 media devices

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