Adding to the Z330 media player and the Z400 DVD media player, the Z500 is designed as a next generation unit. With availability now scheduled for release, resellers should have stocks in store groundbreaking high definition network media player will be available in-store from November this year.
The Z500 has been designed from the ground up to meet the needs of home theatre enthusiasts, including multiple fully digital A/V outputs and a backlit remote control. A state-of-the-art HDMI digital audio and video connector and a USB 2.0 port place this device in a serious home theatre context.
Priced at $549 RRP, the Z500 supports just about everything including high definition Windows Media Video 9, DivX and MPEG4 either streamed or burned on to CD-R(W), DVD±R(W) and even dual layer DVD±R(W).
The USB 2.0 port supports either a USB flash memory device, a USB hard drive, or a device like an Apple iPod or other mobile compressed player.
For music, the Z500 includes the high definition FLAC lossless compressed format, OGG, Apple iTunes AAC, MP3, protected and unprotected WMA9 and CD Audio.
The Z500's HDMI connection is joined with an array of sound outputs including coaxial and optical outputs for digital connection to receivers. Of course the unit supports direct playback of 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtracks through analogue outputs.
Using either 802.11g or 100 Mbps Ethernet The Z500 can access the Internet to stream radio stations with a library of stations pre-programmed into the user interface.
Zensonic says the network media player is powered by Sigma Designs' EM8620L media processor and can be enhanced and extended over time by Zensonic software upgrades.