Monsoon Multimedia’s Vulkano “God Box” (that maybe wasn’t so godly after all) just saw an unexpected lineup expansion and partial rebranding. The Vulkano (16GB) and Vulkano Pro (1TB) are now the Vulkano Deluxe ($280) and Vulkano Deluxe Pro ($380). Making way for the brand new Vulkano Platinum ($130), that strips out web apps, DLNA/uPnP, and DVR-esque features, to solely provide a traditional placeshifting experience.
As a pure placeshifter, the Vulkano Platinum compares quite favorably to the Slingbox SOLO (other than this crazy deal). In fact, in a pair of critical areas the Vulkano is a better product. Most significantly, Monsoon has endowed the Vulkano product line with 802.11n wireless capabilities. Whereas all Slingboxes require Ethernet connectivity. And, unlike Sling’s $30 upsell, Vulkano mobile clients (iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry) are freely available.
Regarding the Vulkano Deluxe and that review I was getting to… Monsoon has shipped me a replacement unit with the most current firmware, something I hope to cover within the next few weeks. (Once I clear my gadget backlog.)
I’ll be interested in reading your review on this. I’m totally intrigued by this, but i don’t need another gadget that i’ll be tapping my foot waiting it for load or rebooting or anything else. Just work baby!
Not expecting much given previous reviews. Will not be waiting with baited breath. But hey, there’s still a chance to sell a few…