Swiss computer builder Rapsody has announced a new media center device called N36. N36 is a stylish media center which can house up to 1TB of storage, but it can also stream directly over the network. It builds on the N35 and comes with a variety of outputs; HDMI (through adapter), DVI, comonent, S-video, and composite. You can easily connect it to your network and stream from your NAS (Network Attached Storage) or PC. It also has USB support if you want to connect your external harddrive.
N36 is not your generic HTPC though as it’s not a PC per se, but is built around the Sigma Designs EM8621L chip, which is a powerful all-in-one multimedia circuit capable of handling MPEG1/2/4, DivX (including AVI container), WMV at PAL / 720p / 1080i and 1080p (Full HD) resolution. It also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, as well as DVD images (ISO, IFO / VOB) and picture formats such as JPG, BMP and PNG. If you want to play music, N36 can output MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis and WMA, as long as they’re not DRM-protected.
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Rapsody N36 can be updated through new firmwares, which are released continuously to bring new features to the player. You can fit it with both PATA and SATA harddrives for additional storage. Rapsody sends along a remote control, batteries, A/V Cable (Composite/Stereo), DVI-HDMI Cable, PATA-to-SATA converter, AC/DC power supply, NDAS
installation CD, ethernet cable, and a User Guide for your convenience.
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It measures (WxHxD) 248 x 47 x 244mm and weighs 1.4kg. The unit available immediately and costs €249.
