Note from editor: Nokia has today launched a new product, a home “infotainment” center, which relies heavily on embedded Linux and other “open” technologies. Here, we reproduce a pair of press releases: a general announcement featuring information about the product's features and benefits; and second announcement which highlights the technologies used and Nokia's open source strategy and plans… relative to the device. A product description about the new Nokia Media Terminal (including pictures) is located here

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The general announcement . . .

Helsinki, FINLAND — Nokia today launches its Media Terminal, a powerful infotainment center for the home combining the Internet and digital broadcasting. Based on open Internet technologies such as Linux, Mozilla, HTML and Intel's x86 computer architecture, the product makes it possible to have access to the rich entertainment offerings of the Internet via any display device in the home, e.g. the TV or a computer screen.

Nokia has taken the lead and based its new product on open Internet technologies for which there is already a wide range of services and applications available, thus adding value to the interactivity development in the broadcasting environment. The Internet technology of the Media Terminal has been developed in cooperation with Intel.

“The combination of Internet and digital TV brings consumers a new Internet-based media experience in the living room. Based on open Internet technologies, including Linux, the Media Terminal will bring consumers true interactivity from the very start. The Nokia Media Terminal enables new digital services which will bring clear benefits to all players in the value chain,” says Hanno Narjus, Head of Sales & Market Creation, Nokia Home Communications. “Our unique background in IP technologies, mobile telephony and digital broadcasting allows us to offer our customers the most innovative home communications products available.”

The Media Terminal is the first in a range of products that Nokia is introducing for the Connected Home. It will be available for broadcasting networks as well as for ADSL enabling media over IP. Features of the Nokia Media Terminal include full, fast Internet access in the living room which provides for interactive digital services including home shopping and banking, as well as the possibility to pause and replay live broadcasts or split the screen between TV and the Internet. Consumers can also watch digital TV and record to the integrated hard disc, play 3D network games, order video on demand, send and receive email with attachments, listen to and store MP3 files and connect a printer, digital camera or other device.

The Media Terminal features Nokia Navibars, a user interface that has been especially developed to provide an easy and user-friendly interface in the home environment. Consumers can easily manage and navigate the multitude of offerings available via digital TV and the Internet.

The Media Terminal will support standards such as MHP and ATVEF and will evolve together with the Internet components Linux and Mozilla. It will be available in the market in the 2nd quarter 2001.

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The technology oriented announcement . . .

New York — (press release) — Nokia Home Communications today launched the Media Terminal, a new product for the home that combines Internet media technologies and digital broadcasting technologies.

The software platform is based on open standards and technologies: Linux operating system, Xfree86-windowing system, the Mozilla web browser and compliant protocols and standards. The hardware is based on embedded Intel X86 computer architecture combined with a Nokia DVB receiver module, hard disc, and additional network interfaces based on PCI modules.

The Media Terminal enables full Internet access and push-type Internet services over TV broadcast networks. It will initially be available for DVB broadcast networks. It will also be available in an ADSL version enabling full Internet media decoding capabilities for TV viewers. The main features of the Media Terminal include full Internet access, split screen TV/Internet, pause/replay of live broadcasts, digital TV recording to hard disc, video on demand, file audio player, e-mail, 3D games, digital TV/radio, and access to connected devices such as printer and digital camera.

Nokia's commitment to the open source community is strong and Nokia therefore intends to make source code available in order to maximize freedom to create applications for the Media Terminal. This way Nokia also gives developers in the open source community a toolkit to reach a substantially wider audience and application space than before.

“To be successful in the fast-moving Internet environment we need to aim for an open Internet community with a multitude of players. Nokia takes a strong part in this community by adopting an active open source strategy. We want as many players as possible to join us and bring the industry forward: consumers, application developers and hardware manufacturers alike. Nokia's first step is the cooperation with Convergence Integrated Media GmbH to develop a standard low-level DVB API for our Linux-based Media Terminal”, says Rickard Nelger, Head of Media Terminal Product Management, Nokia Home Communications.

The Nokia Media Terminal will be available for consumers in the end of the 2nd quarter 2001. The API will be released on www.linuxtv.org.

Related stories:
LinuxTV.org
LiViD: The Linux Video and DVD Project
Nokia bets on Linux for home networks
Intel teams with Nokia on Linux set-top

 
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