Monsoon Hava Video Placeshifters Hit Retail

Monsoon Multimedia's Hava Gold and Hava Platinum HD Windows-friendly video streaming and placeshifting devices are now available at retail.

Announced back in January, Monsoon Multimedia’s Hava video streaming and placeshifting devices aimed to take on Sling Media by enabling users to stream their home video content—including DVDs, recording programming, and even live television—anywhere in the world they could get a broadband Internet connection. Now, Monsoon Multimedia has announced that its Hava Gold and Hava Platinum HD units are available at U.S. retailers.

“We are very excited to offer our innovative line of Hava devices through retail and e-tail channels at a price point that leads the pack,” said Colin Stiles, executive VP of Sales & Marketing at Monsoon, in a release. “Consumers can now conveniently purchase a Hava online or from a nearby store and enjoy their home television from multiple PCs within the home and on an Internet-connected PC or mobile phone from anywhere in the world.”

Both the Hava Gold and Hava Platinum HD off MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 streaming and recording of video content from any home video source, including live television, DVRs, and DVD players. Users can stream the content around a home broadband network to other PCs in the house, or connect to the Hava unit remotely using a PC or compatible mobile device.

The Hava Platinum HD enables users to pause, fast-forward, rewind, and record of live television to hard disk, and also to burn that content to DVD. Users with Windows Media Center Edition or Windows Vista can also use the Hava as a virtual network television tuner, and Xbox 360s can tap into the Hava by streaming live television from a Media Center PC tuned into the Hava. The units feature 100 Base-T Ethernet, composite, S-Video, and component inputs (sorry, no HDMI), and passthrough outputs for every AV connection except aux audio.

Both units are available online through myhava.com as well as through Fry’s Electronics, TigerDirect, and other retailers. The Hava Gold has a suggested price of $129.99, while the Hava Platinum HD carries a suggested price of $159.99.