Last week we saw the launch of Lacie’s D2 Blu-ray burner with an 8x write speed.  Keeping things rolling along, Lacie launched the LaCinema Black MAX, which appears to be a direct competitor to Western Digital’s TV HD Media Player.  It’s basically a NAS storage device with a proprietary UI that can connect to your HDTV (HDMI and component) and output a 1080p signal. Much like may of today’s DVR, you can record shows and rewind live TV.  The LaCinema Black MAX comes standard with either a 500GB or 1TB hard drive, but Lacie is quick to point out that this capacity can be expanded courtesy of its USB 2.0 inputs.  Yes, there is an EPG (electronic programming guide), although I’m not sure of the source, and the Blackmax will require an HD tuner of some sort to get up and running.  The Blackmax can even upscale your home movies (or any other video content) and pull movies, music and photos over WiFi or Ethernet from networked computers.

Expansys-usa currently sells the Lacie Blackmax with a 1TB drive for $650, but makes no mention of an actual ship date. Lacie on the other hand, sells the 500GB version for 479,00€ ($617 US) and is presumably shipping now.

[Lacie]