CeBIT 2007: AMD unveils Live! Ready programme

 

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Posted on 15 Mar 2007 at 18:03

AMD has chosen the CeBIT show in Hanover to breathe life into its Live! initiative, involving multimedia-oriented consumer PCs. A new AMD Live! Ready programme - with a new logo - is intended to easily identify the various devices and software that are part of its Live! ecosystem.

'As more and more consumers embrace the AMD LIVE! solution, we continue to reduce complexity and move technology out of the way,' said the corporate VP of AMD's Consumer Business, Joe Menard. 'We are excited to help simplify hardware and software choices for consumers' digital entertainment.'

As part of the announcement, AMD also highlighted its Active TV system for streaming videos via Live!-labelled PCs. It will, it says, work with 'with various industry suppliers to help consumers display and share those same video streams on the TV with a portfolio of Active TV solutions that extend the PC to the TV'.

According to AMD, Active TV-enabled set-top boxes and related software are currently available in Europe from Kjaerulff1 and Dream Multimedia. It says other manufacturers are expected to introduce AMD LIVE! Ready devices and Active TV system in Europe and North America by 'the second half 2007'.

The company says that the Active TV capability will also be made available to existing PC owners under the AMD LIVE! Ready brand.

AMD first announced its Live! initiative at the end of last year, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The announcement was not be entirely unconnected with the official debut of Intel's very similar Viiv product line at the same show. Viiv is Intel's vision of a next-generation home PC that acts as the centre of a digital entertainment system.

Note that AMD Live! is not be confused at all with Windows Live, the moniker for Microsoft's Web services, which are a completely different kettle of fish... A severe case of overloaded branding.

Author: Alun Williams