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Iomega's ScreenPlay Drive Makes Your PC Obsolete

The device stores and renders multimedia files to the living-room plasma screen

Apr 24, 2008 13:31 GMT  ·  By
Iomega's ScreenPlay can substitute a fully-fledged computer
   Iomega's ScreenPlay can substitute a fully-fledged computer

Iomega has introduced a new portable external hard-disk drive that can substitute an entire computer when it comes to watching high-definition content. The new product comes in 500 GB capacities, and allows enthusiasts to easily share and stream multimedia content to high-definition TV sets and home theater systems.

Iomega's new drive comes bundled with a Media Center remote control that works in pair with an extremely easy navigation system. The appliance sports out-of-the-box HDMI, component/composite video, and SCART outputs to maximize compatibility across a wide range of displays. The portable ScreenPlay HD Multimedia Drive weighs a little above 900 grams and comes in a 7.7- x 2.3- x 5-inch form factor.

The unit is powered by a 500GB 3.5 inch 7200 RPM hard drive that comes pre-formatted with the NTFS file system, which minimizes its compatibility with older Microsoft operating systems or other platforms (Mac and Linux). In order to make the drive compatible with multiple operating systems, users should format the drive as FAT32.

Moreover, the device also comes with a plethora of audio connectivity options including composite RCA and coaxial S/PDIF for a truly home-theater experience.

"We took everything we learned from previous ScreenPlay products and created a better media-sharing tool that's right on for today's multi-media sharing experience," said Loren Bryner, ScreenPlay product manager, Iomega Corporation. "The new ScreenPlay HD Multimedia Drive is an intuitive, easy-to-use solution that not only makes it easier to enjoy all kinds of digital content but also facilitates moving and playing content from one display or location to another," continued Bryner.

The drive has been tested on Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, XP Home/XP Professional/XP Professional x64, Windows Vista, but other operating systems are also supported after the drive has been formatted as either FAT32 or FAT16.

According to the company, the Iomega ScreenPlay HD Multimedia Drive USB 2.0/AV 500GB is already available through its retail partners at an estimative price tag of $209.95.