Monsoon Multimedia Announces the HAVA Titanium HD

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Monsoon Multimedia, an innovative digital video solutions provider, today announced the HAVA Titanium HD, a full featured wireless video streaming, place- and time-shifting device with USB ports for added functionality and future upgrades. The HAVA Titanium HD can be used to view and control live home TV from anywhere in the world on a broadband-connected PC, Windows Mobile phone or handheld computer.

The HAVA Titanium HD includes a wireless 802.11g USB dongle that connects to one of two available USB ports allowing users to incorporate the HAVA Titanium HD into any home or office wireless network. The HAVA Titanium HD wireless setup is fast, easy, and eliminates the need to run Ethernet cables, or purchase costly HomePlug or PowerLine adapters required for Wired Ethernet (802.3) 10/100 interface networks.

In the near future, HAVA users will have additional USB peripheral support such as an 802.11n dongle that will offer superior wireless bandwidth and range for streaming HD video around the home. Additionally, users will be able to connect an external hard disk creating a standalone PVR, and record favorite TV shows without requiring a PC running on the network. Other USB peripherals will include a USB hybrid digital TV tuner, which will enable users to watch digital and analog free off-the-air TV channels. HAVA, combined with these and other USB peripherals, will continue to provide tremendous value to the HAVA user TV experience.

Monsoon continues to integrate unsurpassed technology into the HAVA Titanium HD from companies like ViXs Systems and Intel Corporation which propel HAVA's very high video quality and support for multiple USB devices into new consumer TV solutions.

The HAVA Titanium HD features Monsoon's vBooster technology which provides superior picture quality and enables multicast video allowing an unlimited(1) number of PCs connected to a home network to view video content while simultaneously transmitting video to a broadband-connected PC or mobile phone anywhere in the world. vBooster allows the MPEG-2 local streams to bypass the router, effectively doubling the available bandwidth, while keeping the PC connected to the router for non-video traffic. The included HAVA Player software features a wide range of familiar virtual remote control designs allowing users to change channels and control other features of their video source such a DVR, as if they were sitting at home.

"We created a best of breed video streaming, place- and time-shifting device that allows customers once again to do more with their home television," said Colin Stiles EVP, Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. "The HAVA Titanium's modular design allows it to evolve with changing WiFi standards and expand functionality by attaching specific USB peripherals, allowing customers to feel confident that their purchase will not become outdated in the ever changing digital home."

The HAVA Titanium HD enables the PC to operate with TiVO-like functionality. Customers can pause, fast forward, rewind and record live TV to the PC hard disk, then burn the recorded content to DVD for archiving purposes. The HAVA Titanium HD also serves as a Network TV Tuner for Media Center PCs on the home network (no need for a TV tuner and physical TV source in those PCs, to deliver all the powerful TV features of Microsoft Media Center.)

Monsoon HAVA Titanium Features: — Includes wireless 802.11g USB dongle -- Two USB ports for added functionality and future upgrades — Stream Live TV — to multiple PCs simultaneously (Multicast) — Component Input and support for HD video source (1080i, 720p, 480p/576p) played back in the native 16:9 aspect ratio on the client display — "HD capable" — Supports Windows Vista — Network TV Tuner for Microsoft Media Center PCs on home network -- Connects to any TV source such as Cable, Satellite, DVD, TiVo or a Camcorder — Enables TiVo-like functionality on the PC. Users can record, store, pause, rewind and fast forward stored video — All inputs include a pass-through connector, eliminating the use of splitters when connecting HAVA to home video equipment — Streams video at an average of 6-8Mbps directly to PCs in home network in MPEG-2 full D1 resolution, at 720 x 480 pixels — Streams MPEG-2 format over the home network, MPEG-4 format over the Internet — Schedule and record programs for later viewing — Allows burning of stored material to DVD — Support for Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0 cell phones and PDA's Pricing and Availability

The Monsoon Multimedia HAVA product line, including the HAVA Titanium HD, is available directly through Monsoon's e-tailing division at www.myhava.com. The Monsoon Multimedia HAVA Titanium HD is available through select retailers and etailers nationwide.

BusyBox Developers and Monsoon Multimedia Agree to Dismiss GPL Lawsuit

NEW YORK and SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) and Monsoon Multimedia today jointly announced that an agreement has been reached to dismiss the GPL enforcement lawsuit filed by SFLC on behalf of two principal developers of BusyBox.

BusyBox is a lightweight set of standard Unix utilities commonly used in embedded systems and is open source software licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. One of the conditions of the GPL is that re-distributors of BusyBox are required to ensure that each downstream recipient is provided access to the source code of the program. Monsoon Multimedia uses BusyBox in its HAVA TV place-shifting devices.

As a result of the plaintiffs agreeing to dismiss the lawsuit and reinstate Monsoon Multimedia's rights to distribute BusyBox under the GPL, Monsoon Multimedia has agreed to appoint an Open Source Compliance Officer within its organization to monitor and ensure GPL compliance, to publish the source code for the version of BusyBox it previously distributed on its Web site, and to undertake substantial efforts to notify previous recipients of BusyBox from Monsoon Multimedia of their rights to the software under the GPL. The settlement also includes an undisclosed amount of financial consideration paid by Monsoon Multimedia to the plaintiffs.

"Although we really hated having to ask our attorneys to file a lawsuit to get Monsoon Multimedia to abide by the GPL, we are extremely pleased that they worked so hard and so fast to come into compliance," said Rob Landley, a developer of BusyBox and a named plaintiff in the lawsuit.

"Going forward, we are confident that Monsoon Multimedia will be upstanding members of the open source community and we wish them the absolute best of luck with their business," said Erik Andersen, the other BusyBox developer named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

"We are happy to put this behind us and move forward," said Graham Radstone, Chairman and Chief Operating Officer at Monsoon Multimedia. "The fact that Monsoon Multimedia and BusyBox have reached an agreement amicably shows that settlement is far better than costly litigation. We will ensure that we are in compliance with the agreement in the future. Monsoon Multimedia is a highly innovative company and occupies a leading position in the emerging place-shifting market; therefore it is essential that we set an example for compliance for others."

The lawsuit, "Erik Andersen and Rob Landley v. Monsoon Multimedia Inc.," case number 07-CV-8205, was filed September 19th in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

About the Software Freedom Law Center

The Software Freedom Law Center — directed by Eben Moglen, one of the world's leading experts on copyright law as applied to software — provides legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance Free and Open Source Software. The Law Center is dedicated to assisting non-profit open source developers and projects. Visit SFLC at http://www.softwarefreedom.org.

About Monsoon Multimedia

Monsoon Multimedia provides advanced, standards based multimedia products and technologies for the PC and Consumer Electronics industries. Monsoon Multimedia licenses highly optimized multimedia solutions comprising applications, drivers, frameworks, middleware and reference designs. Monsoon Multimedia also distributes and sells its revolutionary TV place shifting device under its own "HAVA" brand. HAVA lets you watch live home TV or your own recorded content in multiple rooms around the home, at work, or around the globe. Monsoon Multimedia's customers and partners are semiconductor companies, PC manufacturers, software suppliers and consumer electronics companies. Founded by the founders of Dazzle and Emuzed, the company is headquartered in Noida, India with offices in California and Russia. For more information, please visit www.myhava.com and www.monsoonmultimedia.com.

Monsoon Multimedia Announces Retail Availability of HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD

Monsoon’s Full Featured Video Streaming, Time-Shifting and Place-Shifting Devices to Appear in Select Retailers Nationwide

SAN MATEO, Calif. – July 2, 2007 – Monsoon Multimedia, an innovative digital video solutions provider, today announced retail availability for HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD – two full-featured video streaming and place-shifting devices that allow customers to view and control their live TV on PCs connected to the home network or from anywhere in the world using a broadband-connected PC or mobile phone. Monsoon’s HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD give customers flexibility in how, when and where they view their home television at a highly competitive, low price point.

The Monsoon HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD utilize Monsoon’s vBooster technology providing robust picture quality and enabling multicast video transmission that allows multiple PCs within a home to receive video content at the same time. In addition, the HAVA Platinum HD offers seamless integration with Microsoft Media Center PCs, including full personal video recorder (PVR) functionality, time-shifting, and HD video support. The HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD are available immediately for purchase at Fry’s Electronics stores, TigerDirect.com and other select retailers nationwide.

“We are very excited to offer our innovative line of HAVA devices through retail and e-tail channels at a price point that leads the pack,” said Colin Stiles, EVP, Sales & Marketing at Monsoon. “Consumers can now conveniently purchase a HAVA online or from a nearby store and enjoy their home television from multiple PCs within the home and on an Internet-connected PC or mobile phone from anywhere in the world.”

The HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD enable high-quality MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 streaming and recording of video content from any video source, including live TV from set top boxes, DVD players and TiVo, to multiple PCs in a home or business. Users can also connect to the HAVA using an Internet-connected PC or mobile phone and begin enjoying their home TV with familiar remote control functionality from any location globally.

The HAVA Platinum HD also enables the PC to operate as a PVR allowing users to pause, fast forward, rewind and record live TV content to hard disk or burn onto DVD. Windows Vista and Windows XP Media Center Edition users can utilize HAVA as a virtual networked TV tuner, extending the Media Center TV experience to any room in the house.  Xbox 360 users can also use HAVA to stream live TV from their Media Center PC to an Xbox connected TV to watch favorite programs.

Monsoon HAVA Gold and Platinum HD Features:

• Supports Windows Vista
• Multicast to multiple PCs simultaneously
• Connects to any TV source including Cable, Satellite, DVD, TiVo and Camcorders
• All inputs include a pass through connector, eliminating the use of splitters when connecting HAVA to home video equipment
• Streams video at an average of 6 Mbps directly to PCs in home network in MPEG-2 full D1, full screen at 720 x 480 pixels
• Streams MPEG-2 format over the home network, MPEG-4 format over the Internet
• Component Input and support for native 16:9 display ratio - "HD capable" (HAVA Platinum HD only)
• Windows XP Media Center Edition integration - appears as an installed TV-tuner card (HAVA Platinum HD only)
• Enables TiVo-like functionality on the PC. Users can record, store, pause, rewind and fast forward stored video (HAVA Platinum HD Only)
• Schedule and record programs for later viewing (HAVA Platinum HD only)
• Allows burning of stored material to DVD (HAVA Platinum HD only)

Pricing and Availability
The Monsoon Multimedia HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD are available through Fry’s Electronics, TigerDirect.com and other select retailers nationwide at a suggested retail price of $129.99 for the HAVA Gold and $159.99 for the HAVA Platinum HD. HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD are also available directly through the ecommerce site www.myhava.com.

Monsoon announces HAVA - A Significant Advance in Wireless Video Streaming and Integrating Place and Time Shifting Technologies.

San Mateo, CA - June 26, 2006

HAVA enables streaming of video content in MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 format from any video source to multiple PCs in a home or business, totally wirelessly. Content can be viewed in full screen - DVD quality video on multiple PCs simultaneously. It also allows content to be viewed remotely on an Internet connected PC. Users can control all the functions of the video source such as a TV or TiVo from their PCs. Moreover, HAVA allows TV content on the PC to be stored, recorded and burnt onto DVDs and enables the PC to operate as a Personal Video Recorder with pause, fast forward and rewind functions. Also, Windows XP Media Center Edition PC (MCE) users can use HAVA as a wireless tuner to add full multimedia capabilities to their PCs.

Monsoon Multimedia Inc, a leading provider of digital video technologies, products and services today announced availability of its HAVA - the next generation wireless video streaming, place and time shifting product. HAVA will be available in July, 2006, through Monsoon’s e-tailing division at www.myhava.com.

Monsoon licenses HAVA’s reference designs and software to large OEMs. HAVA is available in sample quantities and is currently being evaluated by major OEMs. HAVA will appear on retail shelves by August 2006, marketed under well known brands.

By connecting HAVA to any TV source such as Cable, Satellite, DVD, TiVo or a Camcorder and by loading the bundled software application onto the PC, users can stream TV programming in MPEG-2 format over the home network or in MPEG-4 format over the Internet. HAVA streams video wirelessly-without requiring a wired connection to the Router. Competitive products require messy wiring or expensive Powerline Ethernet Adapters to connect the router/access point to the video streaming device. HAVA incorporates VBooster, a sophisticated wireless video streaming software technology developed by Monsoon and an 802.11 a/g wireless card to accomplish DVD quality wireless video streaming. VBooster automatically adjusts encoder parameters based on dynamic calculation of the available wireless bandwidth to ensure smooth multicast delivery of the video stream to all the clients on the network.

Users can continue to use their wireless network for services such as web browsing, email, chats, printing and file transfer while watching high quality video wirelessly. HAVA can also be used as an independent Access Point - in all cases video is streamed directly to PC clients.

HAVA streams video at an average of 8Mbps directly to PCs in MPEG-2 D1, full screen at 720 x 480 pixels. This gives the user broadcast quality video on the PC screen. Competitive products stop at a maximum of 4Mbps streaming, with the leading manufacturer today delivering only 1.5Mbps in SIF 320x240 pixels. These products deliver less than broadcast quality video and the video is often unstable. In the remote viewing mode HAVA can display video on an Internet connected PC at uplink data rates as low as 128kbps.

HAVA can operate as a wireless tuner card for users (who currently do not have a tuner card) of Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), PCs to add full multimedia capabilities to the PC.

Through the use of the MCE or HAVA’s bundled application, HAVA enables TiVo-like functionality on the PC. Users can record, store, pause, rewind and fast forward the stored video. HAVA takes full advantage of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) provided with MCE (or in case of HAVA’s bundled application, Titan TV Web Based EPG service) to schedule recording of the programs for viewing at a later time. None of HAVA’s competitors offer this feature.

HAVA enables burning of video content onto DVDs. Because HAVA follows Microsoft’s Digital Right Management (MSDRM) rules for analog video, protected content cannot be duplicated on a DVD. Moreover, Monsoon is considering deployment of DTCP-IP in the remote viewing mode. This allows support of a multitude of DRM schemes and the ability to handle conditional access schemes such as S/M card in North America, DVB descrambling for Europe and ARIB support in Japan.

HAVA features an array of input connectors for the diverse number of old and new Set Top boxes, DVDs, Cable TVs, TiVo and Camcorders on the market today. Each input comes with a corresponding pass through connector, eliminating the use of splitters when connecting HAVA to home video equipment. Inclusion of a Component Input makes HAVA “HD Ready”.

Colin Stiles, executive vice president of marketing at Monsoon, said “HAVA is a historic product in that it moves the concept of place and time shifting up many levels. Users can now watch and control their TV programming anywhere, anytime and also record, pause, rewind, fast forward and burn to DVDs under DRM rules. HAVA differentiates itself from competitive products by being wireless and providing DVD quality video on the PC screens. We will soon introduce software that enables viewing content on Windows Mobile phones possible.” He added,” Compared with HAVA’s leading competitors, HAVA’s net price is less because of the hidden costs of purchasing Powerline Ethernet Adapters ($100) to connect their unit to an Access Point/Router and additional software applications - these come for free bundled with HAVA. Further, HAVA has significantly more features than our competitors.”

HAVA Set Up
HAVA’s set up software has been designed for ease of use and comfort. The software has been developed by the same design engineers who designed the world’s first affordable MPEG-1 and 2 compression products at Dazzle, and PVR products at Emuzed.

Because there are no wires required to connect HAVA to the home router/Access point, setting HAVA up to start functioning is easy. By simply connecting the HAVA to your set top box, loading the application software into the PC and following the set up wizard, you can start watching TV content on your PC.

HAVA Magic
HAVA has been developed in cooperation with some of the world’s leading companies such as Philips, Intel and Atheros; along with one of the best video compression innovators - ViXS Systems. Monsoon’s engineers took these specially selected components and after several years of uncompromising work, have delivered a groundbreaking and easy to use product. DSPs deployed by competitive products have an inherent disadvantage in not having enough horsepower to manage video effectively. HAVA’s architecture allows for significantly higher video compression resulting in better video quality and streaming through the use of dedicated components.

The software technologies at the heart of HAVA are its VBooster video streaming, Remote Viewing and IR Blaster engines, and PVR software.

VBooster is a wireless streaming technology developed by Monsoon. VBooster enables reliable multicast video delivery over 802.11 networks, allowing up to 50 users to view TV simultaneously. VBooster allows the video stream to bypass the access point (AP), effectively doubling the available bandwidth while still keeping the PC or other Wi-Fi enabled clients connected to the AP for non-video traffic. VBooster is capable of streaming more than 15 Mbps in a 802.11a/g network to multiple PCs from a single video source. VBooster provides for dynamic bit rate control, and adjusts the streaming and compression rate on a continuous basis to provide for QoS and to prevent drop outs.

Remote Viewing Connectivity engine provides for seamless setup even in a complex environment comprising of firewalls and legacy routers (non UPnP). The “mirroring” feature allows users at home and in a remote location to watch TV on their PCs simultaneously.

IR Blaster engine allows HAVA to control most video devices automatically. If HAVA is unable to identify a device, a special learning feature can be used to memorize and store the IR codes of the device. The IR blaster along with the Remote Viewing engine also sets up a virtual remote control on the remote PC. This remote can control any device connected to the TV or set up recordings for the TiVo or the PC at home.

PVR engine allows users to schedule, capture, organize and burn authorized video content to DVDs. Moreover, the engine provides for full time-shifting functionality such as Pause and Fast Forward/Rewind of live content while recording a show.