The Lenovo Cast retrofits existing TVs with today’s video streaming requirements

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Lenovo Cast network media adaptor press picture courtesy of Lenovo USA

Lenovo Cast network media adaptor – fits in your hand, hides behind the set

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From the horse’s mouth

Lenovo

Lenovo Cast

Press Release

Specification Sheet (PDF)

My Comments

Increasingly we are seeing a range of set-top devices that stream video content from the Internet or our home networks becoming available. Some of these devices like the Apple TV are effectively part of an online video platform with you using a supplied remote control whereas others are simply required to work with a smartphone or tablet via a specially-installed app like the Chromecast..

This is in addition to the likes of Panasonic and Sony offering their smart-TV platforms on their Blu-Ray players as a way of enabling existing TVs with smart-TV capability.

But Lenovo has jumped in the fray with a puck-shaped device called the Lenovo Cast. This device uses simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi as the way to connect to your home network.. Rather than rely on their own smart-TV platform, they use Miracast and DLNA to connect to your devices which pitches this device as an “all-round” connectivity device for your laptop, smartphone or tablet. For example, you could “push” pictures and digital signage to one of those bargain-basement TV sets installed in your café’s dining room using “Play To” on Windows computer in the back office, and this device/

I would prefer the Lenovo Cast to have inherent support for VIDIPATH which uses your home network to distribute your Pay-TV service. But at least it can enable more flatscreen TVs like cheaper and older sets, or video projectors to become DLNA and Miracast endpoints.

Expect this to be available around August for a price of US$49.

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