XiVA Launches Network Storage Device ($999)

XiVA brand, owned by media server specialist Imerge – part of the Nortek Group of Companies – in internet-connected media technology, unveiled its latest product – a ground-breaking network storage device for digital music called musicm8, powered by Ripstation technology from NY based Formats Unlimited, Inc., the parent company of MF Digital.

The XiVA musicm (pronounced ‘Zeeva Music Mate’) is a powerful, affordable ‘rip, store and stream’ component that is intended to partner leading music streaming products like the Sonos system, Logitech Squeezebox and Linn DS. Essentially, it is a ‘plug and play’ hard-disk storage device that automatically rips CDs (without the aid of a PC), stores the resulting audio data and communicates over a home network with playback devices such as those listed above, thus creating a fast, efficient ‘digital jukebox’.

The musicm8 has a terabyte of storage on board (just under 1000GB, to be precise), sufficient for thousands of CDs. It can also store audio in a variety of file types, including uncompressed WAV, FLAC and MP3, offering user-selectable grades of sound quality and file size.

Numerous innovative features are included in the device – for example, you can stream music to a Nintendo Wii, Xbox or PS3. You can also access files stored on your musicm8 from anywhere in the world, via a remote internet facility. And you can store, manage and browse photos and video files alongside your music, and access the content via any web browser.

Three key ideas are at the heart of the musicm8’s design: simplicity, affordability and performance. It may not be the first device of its kind on the market, but it is undoubtedly the most complete networked ‘plug and play’ solution yet devised. In addition, the device has directly benefited from Imerge’s heritage as the world’s leading manufacturer of dedicated audio servers, ensuring it is fully optimized for high-quality music playback.

In essence, the new XiVA musicm8 ensures Imerge-quality performance and functionality is now more accessible than ever before.

With a smart, compact case design and a suggested US retail price of $999, the XiVA musicm8 is available from September 1st , and is distributed exclusively in North America by Formats Unlimited, Inc. under its Ripstation portfolio.

The musicm8 network media storage component is designed and manufactured by Imerge, and marketed under the company’s XiVA brand.