Intel switches on TV adapters in Viiv push

Chipmaker bets that ability to access media content on regular TV will
boost platform.

Intel is talking up the importance of media adapters as a way of extending the appeal of its Viiv entertainment platform.

The company expects a series of adapters to be launched in the coming months that will allow Viiv devices to better connect with 'legacy' TVs.

Intel delivered a software update earlier this month that installed a media server on Viiv systems.

Viiv PCs are connected to a high-definition television or PC monitor, but the majority of consumers want to access their media through a regular television, Intel chief executive Paul Otellini said in a keynote at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

"We have to work with the industry to enable a series of devices that allows this to happen in legacy televisions," he told delegates. "People are not going to buy a new television just to take advantage of this."

Netgear was the first manufacturer to come out with a Viiv certified adapter. The device is priced at US$250. Other vendors including Linksys, D-Link and Acer are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

The lack of adapters is a major issue in today's Viiv offering, Gartner research vice president Steve Kleynhans told vnunet.com last week. He claimed that the absence of such devices played a major role in Viiv's limited appeal to consumers.

Intel is also planning to launch Viiv certified satellite set-top boxes and digital video recorders.

In his opening keynote, Otellini showed off a recorder from US satellite provider DirectTV scheduled to start shipping later this year. It allows users to access digital photos, music and videos on their television sets.

Intel officially launched its Viiv entertainment platform at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January. As vnunet.com reported last week, the system is struggling to gain acceptance with consumers.

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