DivX Connected gets vital upgrade: Flash

The DivX Connected platform has received a couple of crucial upgrades, making the hardware-software hybrid system more attractive to open source developers and consumers alike.

Version 1.4 of the DivX Connected server has been released, finally granting the home server software Flash Support, and adding to its unique Wake-on-LAN tools. With the server upgrade, a host of associated plug-ins were also released, bringing the platform into a place where it is equally desirable to casual consumers as it is to the "maker" crowd.

Flash support has finally given DivX Connected users access to YouTube, Hulu, ABC News, DailyMotion, CollegeHumor, Vimeo, and so many other Flash-based video sites that form the backbone of online video today. DivX's Bruce Lidl says, "From now on, it's the whole world of dogs on skateboards, fully consumable from your sofa."

Similar to TiVo's unique YouTube interface, these plug-ins tailor video sites to the DivX Connected remote control scheme. On a standard definition television, the Hulu and Vimeo plug-ins are highly watchable.

Wake-On-LAN functionality grants users with DivX Connected hardware such as the D-Link DSM-330 the ability to remotely turn their media servers on and off via the client, regardless of physical location.

The DivX Connected system has matured tremendously, but still is best suited as a "Second TV" solution. From the perspective of a user, I've grown to look at the DSM-330 as the Apple TV of free content, and the addition of Flash support just opens the box even further to that world. However, the unique wake-on-LAN features -- and the potential exploitation of that feature -- give it an added boost in desirability.

While its offerings are far from comprehensive entertainment solutions, like those provided by video game consoles or TiVo, developers are given a lot to play with. The latest upgrades give devs access to Tile and Film Strip control, allowing nested column-based or "cover flow" style UIs to be built, complete with perspective and reflection elements. The Gecko engine which the system is built upon -- the same that powers Firefox 3 -- has also been upgraded. Most importantly, of course, Flash support now avails the giant amount of Web content heretofore off-limits to the platform.