CE Pro magazine and ZeeVee have treated us to a sneak peak of the ZvPro a few days ahead of CES.
From what I gather, based on the full page ad and prior conversations with ZeeVee’s (former) marketing director, the ZvPro contains a superset of ZvBox ($500) functionality. In addition to providing a (Firefox-based) front-end for streaming Internet video via PC around the house, the ZvPro will also encode a variety of other sources (think: HD DVR) for whole-home viewing by transmitting content via existing coax cable to televisions capable of tuning clear QAM. While video distribution isn’t new, the ZvBox may be more accessible than other solutions… and with the added benefit of Internet content.
Of course, how well the ZvPro performs will be dependent on more than just hardware. The software must provide a sufficiently robust interface for quickly and reliably relaying most commands from the RF ZvRemote to attached set-top boxes, like a TiVoHD, via IR blaster.
Ben believes the ZvPro will land at $800. However, the rack mounting crowd is tolerant of higher prices for the right solution. So, as long as we’re guessing, I say it’ll come in closer to $1000 - $1200 (similar to Vudu’s “pro” lineup pricing) with one remote - additional Zv remotes will continue to sell at the current $130. We’ll find out more from Vegas in a few days…
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