Vulkano Community » Monsoon Multimedia

Vulkano July Firmware Update |New Parallel Streaming and Recording Updates!

Jul 152011

Your Vulkano is now even better for streaming and recording your videos over the Internet to your computers and mobile devices with the latest updates to their Vulkano Deluxe and Platinum firmware!

The look and feel is familiar and very similar to the previous version, but along with many back-end fixes comes several new features: most notably, is Parallel Streaming and Recording Updates.

The latest firmware is version 732.260/18/SMP. You can check which firmware you are currently running in either the player program by going to the Settings – Tools menu or on your TV using the Settings – Advanced Settings menu. If you have automatic firmware updates turned on you may already be running the latest firmware. If not you can check and update the firmware from either the TV Menu or the player program.

Here are some of the new features you will see.

Parallel Streaming and Recording Updates

Monsoon Multimedia has now made possible several new parallel streaming or recording options.

Local and Remote Streaming at the same time

You can now stream both locally to a device in your home (your LAN) at the same time that you stream videos over the internet to your computer or mobile device!

Option 1: Stream locally at high-resolution and remotely at a lower resolution.
An example of this would be watching your video at home in high quality and viewing the same stream on your cell phone connected remotely.

Option 2: Stream locally at lower resolution and remotely at a high-resolution.
An example of this would be watching your video at home at a lower resolution and a video stream on a computer at higher resolution remotely.

Watch and record video to your Vulkano at the same time

You can now watch a video and record it to your Vulkano attached hard-drive or SD card at the same time. In the past if you were recording to your Vulkano’s attached device you would see a blank screen on your player program. There are a couple of options with this feature also.

Option 1: Record at high-resolution and locally watch the video at the same time in a lower resolution.

Option 2: Record at a lower resolution and locally watch the live stream at a high-resolution. Great for recording videos for watching on a mobile device later.

Option 3: Record at a lower resolution and remotely watch the live stream at a high-resolution.

Along with these great new features are quite a few other improvements.

Low bitrate issues with a few Gigabit routers is now fixed.
Improved, faster and more user friendly soft keyboard in TV out.
Soft keyboard’s latency in key press – in 1080i mode – is fixed
Tv Out setup and settings improved along with more options.
Improved web wizard
Runtime higher to lower (and vice versa) resolution switching is supported depending on bandwidth conditions and which player is being used.
EPG browsing experience improved.
In MAC Web setup you can now save the learned IR commands.
Web setup IR learning response improved.
Some Minor UI and usability fixes.

If you haven’t updated your firmware yet then we highly recommend you do so soon as possible.

If you have any questions about these updates jump in and lets discuss them!

P.S. If you have previously registered for the community newsletter you would have received this announcement first. Before any other members!

Join the General Vulkano Discussions forum discussion on this post here.

$99 Vulkano Flow First to Allow Direct Recording of Your TV Programming to Smartphones and Tablets

Monsoon Multimedia, Vulkano 10 Responses »

Jun 212011

(Press release)

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced the addition of Direct to Mobile Recording for its Vulkano line of products. Included with Direct Recording is full DVR, Pause, Rewind and Fast Forward features. The Vulkano line of devices now offers these features via Wi-Fi for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Content is encrypted to avoid any possibility of infringement.

The Vulkano Flow gives consumers the freedom to watch their TV anywhere in the world using smartphones, tablets and computers. Vulkano users can now instantly begin recording their favorite television programming so they never miss historic news or memorable sporting moments.

“The Vulkano line of devices has been created to offer consumers the ultimate flexibility in entertainment and we are proud to be the first to offer direct recording and DVR for mobile devices,” said Colin Stiles, EVP Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. “Consumers are making smartphones and tablets an essential part of their every day lives and are expecting to view and browse the TV content that they pay for at their leisure, no matter where they are in the world.”

Summary of Direct to Mobile Recording and DVR features on Vulkano Devices:

Direct to mobile recording supports iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets
Full DVR capabilities including Pause, Rewind and Fast Forward
iPhone/iPad recording in mp4 formats containing H264+AAC
Android recording in mp4 formats containing H264+AAC
iPhone/iPad recording in D1 or 640×480 or 352×240 resolutions
Android recording in D1 or 640×480 or 352×240 resolutions
Insufficient memory alert

Pricing and Availability

The Vulkano Flow ($99.99) is now available at Fry’s Electronics, Amazon, MicroCenter, other leading retailers and etailers as well as at www.myvulkano.com. Android, tablet and additional smartphone applications can be purchased for $12.99 each in their respective app stores.

About Monsoon Multimedia

Monsoon Multimedia provides advanced, standards-based multimedia products and convergence technologies for the PC, Mac, iPad and major smartphones. Founded by the founders of Dazzle and Emuzed, the company has offices in California, India, Russia and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.monsoonmultimedia.com.

For regular Vulkano updates follow us at www.Twitter.com/MyVulkano

Become a Fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyVulkano

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

SOURCE Monsoon Multimedia

Join the Recording with the Vulkano forum discussion on this post here.

Monsoon Multimedia Partners With I-O DATA to Bring Vulkano Flow to Japan

Monsoon Multimedia, Vulkano 1 Response »

May 132011

Monsoon Multimedia’s TV Place Shifting Device for PCs, Macs, Smartphones and Tablets Now Available in Japan

(Press Release)

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced it has partnered with I-O DATA DEVICE, INC. to distribute its Vulkano line of devices in Japan. Monsoon and I-O DATA will provide Japanese consumers with the ability to enjoy their home television experience on their smartphones, computers and tablets from anywhere in the world.

“Consumers today want to access their entertainment content anytime and anywhere and we are committed to providing that experience across the globe, and are thrilled to expand into Japan,” said Colin Stiles, EVP Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. “For customers in many countries, no other solution enables them – for a one time purchase – to watch their TV on their iPad, iPhones, Android, BlackBerry, PC, Mac or TV wherever they are.”

Smartphones are the fastest growing consumer products in Japan and Asia. The worldwide mobile phone market grew over 14 percent in the third quarter of 2010, the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven in part by the fast-growing converged mobile device category. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 340 million units in the third quarter of 2010 compared to 297 million units in the same quarter the prior year.

“We have been working with the team at Monsoon Multimedia for years and are continuously impressed with the caliber of technology and the high level of innovation they continue to develop for consumers,” said Akio Hosono, Founder and President of I-O DATA DEVICE. “The Vulkano is an incredible product, offering our customers in Japan the opportunity to view and enjoy their TV content anywhere.”

Pricing and Availability

Vulkano Flow is available at retail stores worldwide. It is also available immediately for US customers at Fry’s Electronics, Amazon, NewEgg and other leading retailers or through www.myvulkano.com. For Japanese customers, it is available at I-O DATA’s website www.iodata.com.

About I-O DATA DEVICE, INC.

I-O DATA DEVICE, INC. is a top-tier manufacturer and provider of high-quality computer peripherals and interface products to the global consumer and OEM markets. Founded in 1976, by Mr. Akio Hosono, I-O DATA has received recognition as Japan’s undisputed market leader within the PC Peripheral industry. I-O DATA is not only a manufacturer of such devices, but handles the design, development, production of the products. I-O DATA DEVICE, INC. is located at 3-10, Sakurada-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8512, Japan. For more information please visit: www.iodata.com.

About Monsoon Multimedia

For regular Vulkano updates follow us at www.Twitter.com/MyVulkano

Become a Fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyVulkano

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

Contact:
Seana Norvell
FortyThree, Inc.
831.401.3175
vulkano@43pr.com

SOURCE Monsoon Multimedia

Join the General Vulkano Discussions forum discussion on this post here.

Check for latest Vulkano Firmware

@TV Plus, belkin, Blast, Tools, Vulkano 13 Responses »

Mar 182011

You can set your Vulkano to automatically check for firmware updates daily and if there is a new firmware available it will download it and install it.
If you have the automatic update turned off you can also check for a firmware update using the Vulkano Setup wizard.
If you need to double-check as to the latest firmware or would rather just do a quick check here then this page will do it for you.

Every time you read this post it will check and show you the latest firmware available. This is all done automatically.

It shows the firmware number, release date and a link so you can then download directly from the Monsoon Multimedia Servers if needed.

As of Friday 24th May 2013

The latest firmware version for the Platinum or Deluxe is 36894390 (2013.04.03) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.smp/fw_vlk.SMP.kr.36.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.smp/fw_vlk.SMP.894390.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the FLOW is 41889000 (2013.01.28) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.flow2/fw_vlk.FLOW2.kr.41.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.flow2/fw_vlk.FLOW2.889000.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the Lava and Blast is 36897393 (2013.05.24) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.blast2/fw_vlk.BLAST2.kr.36.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.vulkano.blast2/fw_vlk.BLAST2.897393.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the Belkin @TV Plus is 41880000 (2012.10.19) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.belkin.flow2/fw_vlk.FLOW2.kr.41.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.belkin.flow2/fw_vlk.BELKIN.FLOW2.880000.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the Emtec Flow / Emtec Movie Cube F200 is 26860000 (2012.10.09) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.emtec.flow2/fw_vlk.EMTEC.FLOW2.kr.26.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.emtec.flow2/fw_vlk.EMTEC.FLOW2.860000.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the I-O Data Flow / Challenger Vulkano Flow is 41854000 (2012.12.07) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.iodata.flow2/fw_vlk.FLOW2.kr.41.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.iodata.flow2/fw_vlk.IODATA.FLOW2.854000.FLASH.rup.img

The latest firmware version for the TransTechnology Lava / TVAnywhere Vulkano Lava is 19894390 (2013.04.11) and below are the direct links to it:

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.pdtrans.blast2/fw_vlk.PDTRANS.BLAST2.kr.19.FLASH.rup.img

http://update.havaremoteserver.com/fw.pdtrans.blast2/fw_vlk.PDTRANS.BLAST2.894390.FLASH.rup.img

Need to check your router for open ports?
Check Here.

Vulkano Recording Formats Review Chart

How To, Vulkano 2 Responses »

Jan 092011

The Vulkano can record videos in different formats for viewing on multiple devices. This is so you don’t have to convert a recorded video into a format your mobile device or tablet can play. You just choose the device you will be viewing the recording on and the Vulkano automatically chooses it’s best format for your device.

If you are curious or want to try different formats on different devices we have put together a chart of the various recording formats and their respective resolution.
This will help you decide what the best recording size would be for a particular use.
If you have a phone or other mobile device that does not have a specific choice shown, you can use the chart to determine which format to use that your device supports best.

This information comes from community member gfishe. The information on the recorded videos was determined using Media Inspector, a Mac utility by Diego Massanti, to read the metadata. http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/26861/media-inspector

All the recordings were done using component input, the same TV channel and NTSC.
The Vulkano records all resolutions using MPEG-4, Base Media / Version 2 and Codec ID: mp42. The file extension on all recordings are “.mp4″
The chart is also availble as a PDF download Vulkano Recordings Chart PDF (730)

Recording Setting	PC/MAC/TV		General-high 640×480
	High	Standard	High	Standard
Total Stream BitRate	2,911 Kbps	2,041 Kbps	2,007 Kbps	992 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC	AVC	AVC	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1	avc1	avc1	avc1
Codec Profile	Main@L3.1	Main@L3.1	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3
Frame Width	720 pixels	720 pixels	640 pixels	640 pixels
Frame Height	416 pixels	416 pixels	368 pixels	368 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9	16:9
Scan Type	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive
Color Space	YUV	YUV	YUV	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	CABAC / 1 Ref Frames	CABAC / 1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.31	0.213	0.266	0.122
Codec Settings (CABAC)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Codec Settings(Reference Frames)	1	1	1	1
Video Stream BitRate	2,780 Kbps	1,911 Kbps	1,876 Kbps	861 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits
Video Stream Size	95%	94%	93%	87%
Video Stream Language	English	English	English	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC	AAC	AAC	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40	40	40	40
Audio Stream BitRate	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2	2	2	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	4%	6%	6%	13%
Audio Stream Language	English	English	English	English

Recording Setting	General-medium 480×320		General-small 320×240
	High	Standard	High	Standard
Total Stream BitRate	1,084 Kbps	716 Kbps	874 Kbps	520 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC	AVC	AVC	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1	avc1	avc1	avc1
Codec Profile	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3
Frame Width	480 pixels	480 pixels	320 pixels	320 pixels
Frame Height	272 pixels	272 pixels	192 pixels	192 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9	1.667	1.667
Scan Type	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive
Color Space	YUV	YUV	YUV	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.243	0.149	0.403	0.211
Codec Settings (CABAC)	No	No	No	No
Codec Settings (Reference Frames)	1	1	1	1
Video Stream BitRate	953 Kbps	585 Kbps	743 Kbps	388 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits
Video Stream Size	88%	82%	85%	75%
Video Stream Language	English	English	English	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC	AAC	AAC	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40	40	40	40
Audio Stream BitRate	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2	2	2	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	12%	12%	15%	25%
Audio Stream Language	English	English	English	English

Recording Setting	Droid, Milestone		Cliq, Devour
	High	Standard	High	Standard
Total Stream BitRate	2,437 Kbps	714 Kbps	1,086 Kbps	701 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC	AVC	AVC	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1	avc1	avc1	avc1
Codec Profile	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3
Frame Width	848 pixels	480 pixels	480 pixels	480 pixels
Frame Height	480 pixels	272 pixels	272 pixels	272 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9	16:9
Scan Type	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive
Color Space	YUV	YUV	YUV	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.189	0.149	0.244	0.146
Codec Settings (CABAC)	No	No	No	No
Codec Settings (Reference Frames)	1	1	1	1
Video Stream BitRate	2,307 Kbps	583 Kbps	955 Kbps	570 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits
Video Stream Size	95%	82%	88%	81%
Video Stream Language	English	English	English	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC	AAC	AAC	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40	40	40	40
Audio Stream BitRate	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2	2	2	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	5%	18%	12%	18%
Audio Stream Language	English	English	English	English

Recording Setting	Blackberry		Google Nexus
	High	Standard	High	Standard
Total Stream BitRate	2,370 Kbps	715 Kbps	2,507 Kbps	714 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC	AVC	AVC	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1	avc1	avc1	avc1
Codec Profile	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3
Frame Width	848 pixels	480 pixels	800 pixels	480 pixels
Frame Height	480 pixels	272 pixels	464 pixels	272 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9	16:9
Scan Type	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive
Color Space	YUV	YUV	YUV	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.184	0.149	0.214	0.149
Codec Settings (CABAC)	No	No	No	No
Codec Settings (Reference Frames)	1	1	1	1
Video Stream BitRate	2,240 Kbps	584 Kbps	2,376 Kbps	2,376 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits
Video Stream Size	94%	82%	95%	82%
Video Stream Language	English	English	English	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC	AAC	AAC	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40	40	40	40
Audio Stream BitRate	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps	128 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2	2	2	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz	48.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	5%	18%	5%	18%
Audio Stream Language	English	English	English	English

Recording Setting	iPad		iPhone, iPod Touch
	High	Standard	High	Standard
Total Stream BitRate	1,957 Kbps	638 Kbps	1,916 Kbps	634 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC	AVC	AVC	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1	avc1	avc1	avc1
Codec Profile	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3	Baseline@L1.3
Frame Width	720 pixels	480 pixels	720 pixels	480 pixels
Frame Height	416 pixels	272 pixels	416 pixels	272 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9	16:9
Scan Type	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive	Progressive
Color Space	YUV	YUV	YUV	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames	1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.212	0.148	0.207	0.147
Codec Settings (CABAC)	No	No	No	No
Codec Settings (Reference Frames)	1	1	1	1
Video Stream BitRate	1,899 Kbps	580 Kbps	1,858 Kbps	576 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits	8 bits
Video Stream Size	97%	91%	97%	91%
Video Stream Language	English	English	English	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC	AAC	AAC	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40	40	40	40
Audio Stream BitRate	55.1 Kbps	55.1 Kbps	55.1 Kbps	55.1 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR	VBR	VBR	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2	2	2	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	16.0 KHz	16.0 KHz	16.0 KHz	16.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	3%	3%	3%	9%
Audio Stream Language	English	English	English	English

Recording Setting	Instant recording (local)

Total Stream BitRate	2,536 Kbps
Video Stream #1
Codec (Human Name)	AVC
Codec (FourCC)	avc1
Codec Profile	Main@L3.1
Frame Width	720 pixels
Frame Height	480 pixels
Frame Rate	29.970 fps
Display Aspect Ratio	3:02
Scan Type	Progressive
Color Space	YUV
Codec Settings (Summary)	CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
QF (like Gordian Knot)	0.232
Codec Settings (CABAC)	Yes
Codec Settings (Reference Frames)	1
Video Stream BitRate	2,405 Kbps
Video Stream BitRate Mode	VBR
Bit Depth	8 bits
Video Stream Size	95%
Video Stream Language	English
Audio Stream #1
Codec	AAC
Codec (FourCC)	40
Audio Stream BitRate	128 Kbps
Audio Stream BitRate Mode	VBR
Number of Audio Channels	2
Audio Channel’s Positions	Front: L R
Sampling Rate	48.0 KHz
Audio Stream Size	5%
Audio Stream Language	English

New Monsoon Multimedia Vulkano Platinum for Placeshifting only

Monsoon Multimedia, Vulkano 18 Responses »

Nov 112010

If your just looking for a great deal on some terrific technology that lets you watch TV on your PC, Mac or mobile device then the new Vulkano Platinum may be just the thing for you.

Unlike its big brothers the Vulkano Deluxe and the Vulkano Deluxe Pro this new Vulkano is bred almost solely for Place shifting.

Vulkano users can watch and control their live TV channels and DVR from anywhere in the world on a smartphone, PC, Mac or iPad. Using H.264 compression, Vulkano streams very high quality, near HD video over home Wi-Fi or Ethernet networks or remotely Wi-Fi and 3G networks to smartphones and PC’s using bandwidth as low as 150kbps

At more than half the price less than the Vulkano Deluxe this could be the ideal device for you if all you need is a high quality place shifting device.

Summary of Vulkano Platinum Features:

Mark channels as Favorite for quick access on your mobile phone
Watch and control your live TV on the go via Wi-Fi or 3G
Watch at home on iPads and PC/MAC in near HD resolution
Change channels just like at home
Connect to all major TV sources – cable, DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo
Control Vulkano features and settings through intuitive television menu
Stream high-quality video at H.264 standards at 150kbps
Connects to set-top box analog output and wirelessly to home router (802.11n)

What’s Included In The Box?:

1 Vulkano Platinum
1 Power Adapter
1 Quick Start Guide
1 RJ-45 Ethernet cable
1 IR Blaster cable
1 Remote control
1 HDMI cable
2 Component cables
2 Composite cables

Supported Vulkano Players

PC Support

Windows 7, Vista, WinXP, Mac OS/X

Mobile Support

iPhone, iPad, Android, (Blackberry, Symbian, WM6, Linux – Available Soon!)

See more about the Vulkano Platinum on the myvulkano.com website or check out the Monsoon Multimedia Vulkano Community for in-depth reviews and specifications.

Join the Vulkano Platinum & Deluxe forum discussion on this post here.

Vulkano UPNP/DNLA Beta Easter Egg

Monsoon Multimedia 49 Responses »

Nov 082010

If you have a DNLA media server like Windows Media Center computer or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) like a Pogoplug Multimedia Sharing Device you can now turn access them through a beta Easter Egg.

To do this you need to be in front of your TV and in the main menu. Point your remote at the Vulkano and press ’1 7 3 1′. Then wait a second and a new menu should pop up that says “Home Media”

From there scroll down to the Home Media option and press OK. When you do so you will be brought to the Media listing. If this is the first time you access this option the Vulkano will automatically start scanning for media.

Depending on what all you have to scan it can take seconds to several minutes to complete. Once done you will see all your devices listed. You can then browse the devices for media to play.

If you change add media to your devices you will need to rescan them. Click on the blue remote button and it will do a complete rescan.

That is all there is to it but this ‘Easter Egg’ is a beta option now. Here are some known issues and features;

1) Scanning is a CPU intensive process. You may see skips or sync issue on your TV while scanning. This only happens when scanning. Once complete there is no issue.

2) Key controls work the same as in You Tube. Go to ‘Help’ – Key Controls to see the fast forward, skip, rewind, etc remote key functions.

3) The Skip ahead may not work on some ‘avi’ formatted videos.

4) The is no pause and resume. If you exit the video you cannot go back later and start at where you paused it.

If you have a DNLA server give it a try and let us know how you like it.

Join the Vulkano Platinum & Deluxe forum discussion on this post here.

Monsoon Multimedia Announces Vulkano Mobile Apps for Android and BlackBerry Smartphones

Monsoon Multimedia, Vulkano 14 Responses »

Nov 012010

Monsoon Multimedia’s Universal Video Platform Provides DVR, TV Place Shifting, Universal Plug and Play Streaming and Mobile Video Recording for Android and BlackBerry Smartphones

SAN MATEO, CALIF. – November 1, 2010 – Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced the availability of the free Android and BlackBerry mobile apps for the Vulkano line of devices. The new app allows Android and BlackBerry smartphone owners to enjoy all the Vulkano features including integrated DVR, web video, place shifting, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) streaming and Mobile Video Recording providing a truly universal video platform from anywhere.

Vulkano’s Android and BlackBerry apps let users watch and control any home TV channel from anywhere in the world simply by installing a Vulkano and downloading the free app from the Android Marketplace or BlackBerry’s App World. They can also schedule a recording through an included EPG (electronic program guide) and transfer and watch the recordings at any time on their device.

Android and BlackBerry smartphone owners can also utilize the Vulkano’s integrated hardware and software UPnP-enabled platform with a powerful video processor to view content residing on the device from their living room TV, giving them an elegant solution to view photos and video on a big screen without having to hassle with messy cables.

“Consumers are getting accustomed to their content living in the cloud and they now want to view and control their video content from any device anywhere in the world,” said Colin Stiles, EVP Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. “The Android platform is growing so fast and BlackBerry has always been a force in the mobile world so we wanted to be sure we provided those consumers with a unique, optimized and reliable Vulkano experience so that they have the opportunity to watch what they want, when they want it.”

Summary of Vulkano Features for Android and BlackBerry smartphones:
• Transforms smartphones into Mobile Video Recorders
• Watch and control your live TV via an Android or BlackBerry smartphone
• Recorded programs play back on Android or BlackBerry smartphones
• Direct record mode allows for Pause, Fast Forward/Rewind
• Schedule TV recording by show, channel or date and time
• Browse EPG for shows and episode descriptions
• Mark channels as Favorite for quick access
• Change channels just like at home
• Enjoy photos, video and music on home TV stored on Android devices or BlackBerry smartphones
• Multiple users can have recordings on Vulkano hard-drive and access independently
• Control Vulkano features and settings through intuitive television menu
• Connect to all major TV sources – cable, DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo
• Stream video at H.264 and MPEG-4 standards at rates as low as 150kbps
• Includes 8GB or 16GB of SD card storage or e-SATA hard drives up to 1TB
• Connects wirelessly through Vulkano’s on board .11n WiFi to home router
• TV content is passed from the set-top box’s analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano; using resolutions up to 1080i

Pricing and Availability
The Android app for the Vulkano is now available for free in the Android Marketplace. The BlackBerry app for the Vulkano will be available mid-November at BlackBerry App World™ (http://www.blackberry.com/appworld). Both Vulkano Deluxe and Vulkano Deluxe Pro are available immediately at www.myvulkano.com. Vulkano Deluxe comes with 16GB of SD storage costing $279 and Vulkano Deluxe Pro comes with 1 Terabyte e-SATA hard disk and costs $379. Select retailers such as www.amazon.com, www.buy.com
and www.newegg.com are shipping Vulkano which comes with 8GB SD storage and costs $259 and the Vulkano Pro at $349 which includes a 500GB e-SATA hard disk.

About Monsoon Multimedia
Monsoon Multimedia provides advanced, standards-based multimedia products and convergence technologies for the PC, Mac, iPad and major smartphones. Founded by the founders of Dazzle and Emuzed, the company has offices in California, India, Russia and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.monsoonmultimedia.com.

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Join the General Vulkano Mobile Player Programs forum discussion on this post here.

How To: Using the Vulkano Keyboard Shortcuts

How To 4 Responses »

Oct 252010

Most people just use their mouse to control their Vulkano but you can also use your keyboard to send commands. If you have not tried them yet, here is a list of what you can do.

Keyboard shortcuts

While Vulkano PC Player is the active window and you are in Live TV mode, you can activate the following functions from your PC’s keyboard. The following shortcuts cause IR commands to be sent, as though you had pressed the corresponding button on the onscreen remote control. Of course, if your set top box does not support the function, the keyboard shortcut won’t work.

Shortcuts	Functionality
Numeric Keys(0-9)	Remote control Digit buttons(0-9)
Ctrl + Enter	Enter Button
Enter	Select Button
+	Channel Up Button
-	Channel Down Button
Page Up	Page Up Button
Page Down	Page Down Button
Up Arrow	Up Arrow Button
Down Arrow	Down Arrow Button
Left Arrow	Left Arrow Button
Right Arrow	Right Arrow Button
Ctrl + N	Skip forward Button
Ctrl + P	Skip Reverse Button
Ctrl + I	Info Button
Ctrl + E	Exit Button
Ctrl + G	Guide Button
Ctrl + B	Back Button
Alt + R	Record
Alt + S	Stop
Alt + P	Play
Alt + U	Pause
Alt + Left Arrow	Fast reverse
Alt + Right Arrow	Fast forward
Alt + M	Source Menu
Alt + D	Device Menu
Alt + L	Last Channel

The following shortcuts control functions of the Vulkano PC Player itself.

Shortcuts	Functionality
Spacebar	Timeshift play/pause
R	Toggle onscreen remote control
Esc	Full screen to normal mode
Ctrl + M	Toggle audio mute
Ctrl + R	Start/Stop Recording
Ctrl + F	Go to Full Screen
Ctrl + Left Arrow	Fast reverse
Ctrl + Right Arrow	Fast forward
S	Stop(file playback)
Ctrl + Up Arrow	Increase volume
Ctrl + Down Arrow	Decrease volume
Home	Goto beginning
End	Goto End
L	Live
Alt + F4	Exit
F1	Player Help

If keyboard shortcuts do not appear to be working after starting the Vulkano PC Player, you need to turn that window active. You can do this by clicking your mouse once anywhere on the Vulkano PC Player user interface, then try again.

Join the Vulkano PC Player forum discussion on this post here.

New Vulkano Beta Firmware 88-580088

Vulkano 14 Responses »

Oct 052010

Monsoon Multimedia has just released a beta firmware update version 88/580088.
This beta mostly addresses the composite output issue but there are other beta features you may want to test. If you are happy with how your Vulkano is performing and don’t need these beta updates you may want to stay with your current firmware and await until the beta has been tested.

Updates:

You can now select composite as your output during the initial setup.
During ZIP code entry, the number keys behave like cell phone buttons. So for instance if you wanted to enter the number “9″ you would cycle through w, x, y, and z to get to it.
EPG configuration can be skipped and you can enter a recording manually. You can use the number buttons to enter the name like you would on a cell phone. “0″ is the space key but there is no upper case yet.

Known issues:

Screen UI is not optimized for composite, so some text is blurry , some items may cause flickering, and some items may be off the edge of the screen.

Upgrading

You would upgrade by downloading the new firmware. It is in a compressed Zip file and you can get it from our download area located here.

Unzip the file onto your hard drive and run the Vulkano PC setup wizard.

Once logged in go into ‘Advanced’ mode and select ‘update’ then browse for the firmware you unZipped. If you are already on the latest firmware then your kernel version will be “88″ so you do not need to update the fw_vlc2.FLASH.kernel.88.rup.img file. Select the fw_vlc2.FLASH.580088.rup.img file and click on Update.

You should see it tell you that the update is successful and that it is reconnecting to the Vulkano.

At this point it is recommended you reset your Vulkano by pressing and holding the reset button until the light turns red.

If you are using the component output you will select “2″ on your remote when you see the display on your TV. If using HDMI or composite then press the corresponding key when displayed.

If you test this firmware please give us feedback so any issues or features can be made known.

Join the General Vulkano Discussions forum discussion on this post here.