CES: AMD Intros Notebook, Digital Home Systems

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has introduced a notebook version of its “AMD Live!” branded desktop PC design, and has also announced designs for a home cinema system and a home media server built around its 64-bit Turion and Athlon processors.

AMD Live! is the brand for AMD’s consumer electronics platforms that allow consumers to share digital media between a variety of devices throughout the house.

Positioned as a media center that can provide access to digital media outside the home, the new notebook PC design uses AMD’s Turion 64 X2 dual-core mobile processor and has the ability to manage content or schedule TV program recordings remotely.

The home cinema system consolidates audio-visual devices and related remote controls. Powered by AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors, it enables a theater-quality media experience with high-definition (HD) video, integrated 100 watts per channel surround-sound audio, and Internet capability, AMD said Monday.

The home media server runs Microsoft’s Windows Home Server software, and is designed to help consumers with multiple home PCs to easily store, share and automatically protect their digital media. It offers centralized control over functions such as secure backup of digital media and other critical PC files, parental controls for devices connected to the home network, printer sharing between multiple PCs, and streaming stored music, videos or television programs to other devices on the network, AMD said.

This platform design also enables support of potential future services such as home security monitoring, telephony and automated home control, according to AMD.

Products based on the home cinema and home media server platform are expected to be available from manufacturers later this year, AMD said.

-John Ribeiro, IDG News Service (Bangalore Bureau)

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