Escient FireBall SE-D1 DVD and Music Manager

By Andrew Beehler Updated October 19, 2009

Owners of the massive 400 disc Sony DVP-CX777ES DVD/CD changer have access to several after market devices which allow them to easily manage their pre-loaded collection without ever needing to pull a disc from the changer. A recently announced home entertainment component which joins the rank of controllers is the new FireBall SE-D1 DVD and Music Manager from D&M Holdings US?s Escient digital media management division.

Font

Back
Images Courtesy of Escient

The Escient FireBall SE-D1 sits quietly near the DVP-CX777ES, managing its stored collection of DVDs and CDs through a combination of downloaded information and on screen guides. To start off with, when a DVD or CD is placed into the SE-D1, the device automatically determines the type of disc loaded and queries one of several online databases to collect and display information such as artist, song title, movie title, genre, cast information, ratings, running time and cover art. Movie and music selections can be navigated through an on screen graphical user interface which can be personalized with different background colors. On screen items can be sorted and displayed through different means including customizable movie and music genres as well as playlists.

The collection listing can be viewed in either 4:3 widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio as well as through any standard web browser.

Movies Guide Movie info
Images Courtesy of Escient

In addition to sorting and cataloging a DVD/CD collection, the Escient FireBall SE-D1 can also access digital music via Internet radio stations through the company?s RadioDB Tuning Service. This is on top of serving as a network music player when streaming music from a FireBall Music Server.

Other notable features of the SE-D1 include parental controls which limit what DVDs kids can browse and play, a built in video switcher for automatic changer selection and A/V routing to a receiver or TV using only one input, multi-zone support and dimensions of 17 3/8? x 11 7/8? x 4 5/8?.

More information on the Escient FireBall SE-D1 DVD and Music Manager, which is priced at $999, can be found on Escient?s website.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew Beehler has been with Digital Trends since 2009 and works with agencies and direct clients. Prior to joining Digital…

Audio / Video

There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Audio / Video

Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Audio / Video

What is Roku? The streaming platform explained

A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?