Samsung Announces HomeSync, 1TB Android-based Media Server

Samsung makes phones, tablets, and televisions that can run apps. Now the company is also offering a set-top-box, called the HomeSync that can bring Android apps to your TV, let you stream content from your mobile device to a TV, or keep your data synchronized between devices.

This device runs a dual-core 1.7GHz SoC, has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash, and for all that media, a 1TB hard drive. It hooks up to your TV over HDMI and can connect to your local network over Gigabit Ethernet or WiFi. It will stream content right from your Galaxy phone, or can play back locally stored files. For connection to your home theater system, there’s optical audio-out.

Under the hood, the HomeSync is running software based on Google Android Jelly Bean, which means you can use it to watch movies on the hard drive or stream videos from YouTube, among other things. It also includes access to the Google Play Store, which should let you download additional apps such as Netflix or Vudu to turn the HomeSync into a pretty powerful media center for your TV.

Samsung says you can also link up to 8 accounts to the HomeSync so you can synchronize data across your devices or access shared or private storage. In other words, you can keep your music and movie collection on the HomeSync’s 1TB hard drive and use each of your family’s phones to access a different set of media files for each user.

Samsung hasn’t yet revealed how much the HomeSync will cost.

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Samsung HomeSync creates connected media experience for the whole family

Provides home cloud for storing, sharing and streaming content

across multiple devices

Barcelona, February 24, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced Samsung HomeSync, a home hub solution that a shared storage fit for a family, the best entertainment experience on a big screen TV, and a new way of enjoying your HDTV through a familiar and smarter Android user experience.

Shared Storage for a Family

HomeSync’s 1TB drive can help you sync to multiple devices, providing shared or private storage for all your content. It supports eight separate accounts to cover a whole family, and allows each user to upload and download content from multiple devices and instantly share with other family members. File encryption and user-specific ID and password ensure content in a user’s private area remains separate from the shared area in HomeSync.

Entertainment on a Big Screen

The HomeSync brings the best of Android gaming, movies, TV shows and streaming content direct into your living room. It allows you to stream content from your Galaxy device wirelessly to the TV – letting you watch, see and use all your home videos, photos and apps, and all at a full HD 1080p.

Giving any HDTV new Smarts

Users can enjoy the full and familiar Android experience with HomeSync’s Jelly Bean media player and access to Play Store and all of your apps.  HomeSync also enables new ways to interact with your content via the control modes enabled wirelessly on the phone.

HomeSync will be available from April 2013 in select countries and continue to expand globally.

HomeSync specifications

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

*Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, and Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales exceeding KRW 201 trillion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

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