Monsoon HAVA
Encyclopedia
Monsoon Multimedia is a company that sells video streaming and place-shifting devices that allow consumers to view and control live television
on PC
s connected to a local (home) network or from remotely from a broadband
-connected PC or mobile phone
.
The devices enable streaming and recording
of video content from video sources including live TV, DVD
players, video game consoles, and TiVo
to multiple PCs wirelessly. Multiple users can connect to the HAVA from any Internet
connection simultaneously with channel-changing capabilities and full operation of the video source. The devices allow a PC to operate as a personal video recorder with pause, fast forward and rewind functions. The HAVA device also works as a TV tuner for Windows Media Center
-enabled PCs without being directly connected to a video source.
. HAVA's main engineering and development operations are based in Tomsk, Russia and New Delhi, India. In 1996, the founders of Monsoon Multimedia founded Dazzle, where they developed the PC hardware and software products to compress video based on MPEG standards. In 2000, they founded Emuzed, where they created a TiVo
-type product for the PC based on Microsoft
's Media Center
Edition PC operating system.
In November 2008, Monsoon announced the appointment of consumer technology industry veteran William Loesch as CEO of the company. Loesch brought 30 years of experience in the computer software and hardware industries, primarily in the consumer digital video sector. Loesch is not currently listed on the company website as an active member of the team (11/2/2011).
content. The number of PCs and mobile device that can connected to a single Monsoon device are limited only by the bandwidth of the network or broadband connection. Only one remote client at a time can view a place-shifted program, but the remote device can be watching while multiple home PCs watch the same program.
to its PC software, as well as support for YouTube
video streaming on TV with an included remote control, as well as future support for Netflix
and other streaming video services. Future Google TV
web-browsing support is planned for 2011. There is also a Vulkano model that includes a 500 GB
external hard drive for DVR recordings, which can be accessed from mobile devices. The Vulkano does not support Windows Media Center
integration as the previous HAVA models did, but includes UPnP technology for photo, music, and video streaming from PCs and mobile devices. In November 2010, Monsoon added a Vulkano Platinum model, which does not include any storage drive, program guide, or recording capabilities.
, the Vulkano Flow is a mobile accessory
. When connected to any set-top box the Vulkano Flow can stream TV content to mobile devices inside or outside of the home. It will soon be available for $99.
, the Vulkano Blast integrates DVR
, web video, placeshifting, Universal Plug and Play streaming UPnP, Mobile Video Recording and 160 GB internal storage. Its approximate price is $200.
, satellite
, or DVR TV programming on any PC or mobile device.
digital cable, satellite or DVR TV programming on any PC or mobile phone. Turns a PC into personal video recorder (PVR) by recording TV shows to the hard disk or watch TV from Microsoft
’s Media Center
in any room within a home.
The HAVA Platinum HD also includes component inputs and has ability to transmit a HD program in widescreen aspect ratio, though not in full HD resolution. The HAVA Platinum takes a 720p or 1080i signal and converts it to standard-definition resolution before streaming it over a network or over the Internet. This device also adds PC software that stores streamed content, enabling the PC or laptop to pause, rewind and fast-forward streamed content. The stored program can also be burned to DVD
.
ly on any WiFi
-enabled PC or mobile phone. It can stream wirelessly, DVD-quality video direct from the TV source to multiple Media Center PCs simultaneously. It can also pause, rewind, fast forward, and record live TV programs on a PC.
or Media Center PCs simultaneously.
The HAVA Titanium HD adds Wi-Fi to make a wireless connection to a Wi-Fi-equipped broadband router or modem, and it features two USB ports. One is for plugging in an external USB HDD drive that can then be used as a DVR. The other USB port is for the included Wi-Fi 802.11g adapter, which sits in a cradle and is connected to a 3-foot USB cable so the adapter can be located in a spot with good reception.
and iPhone
, which only support WiFi, and not yet 3G connections. Monsoon also released an Android and BlackBerry
player, and plans a future release for Symbian
.
, pocket PC
or PDA
.
In April 2008, Monsoon Media announced HAVA Player support for the Nokia
N800, N810 and N810 WiMax
Internet Tablets enabling users to connect to a HAVA device to view and control video content from video sources such as live TV from a Nokia
Internet Tablet.
In May 2008, Monsoon Multimedia announced the HAVA Player for S60, HAVA support for Symbian S60 3rd edition mobile phones. The HAVA Player for S60 enables users to connect to a HAVA device to view and control their home TV from S60 mobile phones.
In September 2009, the HAVA Player was released to the Apple iPhone
and the iPod Touch
. The app is free, but is not 3G-enabled.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
on PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s connected to a local (home) network or from remotely from a broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
-connected PC or mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
.
The devices enable streaming and recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
of video content from video sources including live TV, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
players, video game consoles, and TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
to multiple PCs wirelessly. Multiple users can connect to the HAVA from any Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connection simultaneously with channel-changing capabilities and full operation of the video source. The devices allow a PC to operate as a personal video recorder with pause, fast forward and rewind functions. The HAVA device also works as a TV tuner for Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
-enabled PCs without being directly connected to a video source.
History
Monsoon Multimedia was created in 2004 by the founders of Dazzle and EmuzedEmuzed
Emuzed, is now a part of Aricent, the communications software company, previously Flextronics Software Systems spun off from Flextronics International in September 2006....
. HAVA's main engineering and development operations are based in Tomsk, Russia and New Delhi, India. In 1996, the founders of Monsoon Multimedia founded Dazzle, where they developed the PC hardware and software products to compress video based on MPEG standards. In 2000, they founded Emuzed, where they created a TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
-type product for the PC based on Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
Edition PC operating system.
In November 2008, Monsoon announced the appointment of consumer technology industry veteran William Loesch as CEO of the company. Loesch brought 30 years of experience in the computer software and hardware industries, primarily in the consumer digital video sector. Loesch is not currently listed on the company website as an active member of the team (11/2/2011).
Devices
Monsoon Multimedia's line of place-shifting devices enable multiple networked PCs within the home to simultaneously view live TV or DVRDVR
The initialism "DVR", when used by itself, can refer to:* Digital video recorder* Discrete valuation ring* Distance-vector routing* Direct volume rendering* Derwent Valley Railway * Devco Railway...
content. The number of PCs and mobile device that can connected to a single Monsoon device are limited only by the bandwidth of the network or broadband connection. Only one remote client at a time can view a place-shifted program, but the remote device can be watching while multiple home PCs watch the same program.
Vulkano
Released in August 2010, the Vulkano adds an electronic program guideElectronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
to its PC software, as well as support for YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video streaming on TV with an included remote control, as well as future support for Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
and other streaming video services. Future Google TV
Google TV
Google TV is a Smart TV platform from Google. It was announced on May 20, 2010, at Google’s Google I/O event and was co-developed by Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech...
web-browsing support is planned for 2011. There is also a Vulkano model that includes a 500 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
external hard drive for DVR recordings, which can be accessed from mobile devices. The Vulkano does not support Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
integration as the previous HAVA models did, but includes UPnP technology for photo, music, and video streaming from PCs and mobile devices. In November 2010, Monsoon added a Vulkano Platinum model, which does not include any storage drive, program guide, or recording capabilities.
Vulkano Flow
Announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics ShowConsumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
, the Vulkano Flow is a mobile accessory
Mobile phone accessories
The typical cell phone has become somewhat obsolete; current cell phones offer embedded features such as memory databases for storing frequently called numbers, locking features for theft deterrence, crystallized displays, internet connection capabilities, and other useful features...
. When connected to any set-top box the Vulkano Flow can stream TV content to mobile devices inside or outside of the home. It will soon be available for $99.
Vulkano Blast
Also announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics ShowConsumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
, the Vulkano Blast integrates DVR
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
, web video, placeshifting, Universal Plug and Play streaming UPnP, Mobile Video Recording and 160 GB internal storage. Its approximate price is $200.
HAVA Gold
Controls digital cableDigital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
, satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
, or DVR TV programming on any PC or mobile device.
HAVA Platinum HD
Controls high-definitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital cable, satellite or DVR TV programming on any PC or mobile phone. Turns a PC into personal video recorder (PVR) by recording TV shows to the hard disk or watch TV from Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
’s Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
in any room within a home.
The HAVA Platinum HD also includes component inputs and has ability to transmit a HD program in widescreen aspect ratio, though not in full HD resolution. The HAVA Platinum takes a 720p or 1080i signal and converts it to standard-definition resolution before streaming it over a network or over the Internet. This device also adds PC software that stores streamed content, enabling the PC or laptop to pause, rewind and fast-forward streamed content. The stored program can also be burned to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
HAVA Wireless HD
Controls HD digital cable, satellite, or DVR programs wirelessWireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
ly on any WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
-enabled PC or mobile phone. It can stream wirelessly, DVD-quality video direct from the TV source to multiple Media Center PCs simultaneously. It can also pause, rewind, fast forward, and record live TV programs on a PC.
HAVA Titanium HD WiFi
Controls HD digital cable, satellite, or DVR programs wirelessly on any WiFi enabled PC or mobile phone. Streams wirelessly, DVD quality video direct from the TV source to multiple Windows VistaWindows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
or Media Center PCs simultaneously.
The HAVA Titanium HD adds Wi-Fi to make a wireless connection to a Wi-Fi-equipped broadband router or modem, and it features two USB ports. One is for plugging in an external USB HDD drive that can then be used as a DVR. The other USB port is for the included Wi-Fi 802.11g adapter, which sits in a cradle and is connected to a 3-foot USB cable so the adapter can be located in a spot with good reception.
Software interface
The HAVA devices come with a HAVA Player software interface that is downloaded onto the user's PC or mobile phone. This interface enables the user to send remote control commands from their PC to their TV source. This is done through the included wide range of virtual remote control designs. The Vulkano device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) enabled software player.Vulkano players
With the release of the Vulkano in August 2010, Monsoon introduced free Vulkano players for the iPadIPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, which only support WiFi, and not yet 3G connections. Monsoon also released an Android and BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
player, and plans a future release for Symbian
Symbian
Symbian is a mobile operating system and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture. The Symbian platform is the successor to Symbian OS and Nokia Series 60; unlike Symbian OS, which needed an additional user interface system, Symbian includes a user...
.
HAVA players
Monsoon Multimedia announced support for Windows Mobile in May 2007 enabling users to connect to the HAVA and view video content from video sources such as live TV from a smartphoneSmartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
, pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
or PDA
PDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
.
In April 2008, Monsoon Media announced HAVA Player support for the Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
N800, N810 and N810 WiMax
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
Internet Tablets enabling users to connect to a HAVA device to view and control video content from video sources such as live TV from a Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
Internet Tablet.
In May 2008, Monsoon Multimedia announced the HAVA Player for S60, HAVA support for Symbian S60 3rd edition mobile phones. The HAVA Player for S60 enables users to connect to a HAVA device to view and control their home TV from S60 mobile phones.
In September 2009, the HAVA Player was released to the Apple iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and the iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
. The app is free, but is not 3G-enabled.