Do we really need the GejBox?

It appears the guys at DivX have unveiled their rumored hardware, the new DivX GejBox;-) – a reference/test set-top entering an already questionable field. No, I’m not adding that wink for giggles, it’s really in the product name, which Engadget refuses to include on principle. DivX has been trying for nearly a decade to build some street credibility as a video format, originally popularized by movie traders on the internets. You kind of have to hand it to them, they have staying power. A few asian manufacturers support their offbeat MPEG-4 profiles (which have been beaten by XviD in every codec shootout since 2003). Let’s forget the company was named the same as a failed (and despised) timebombed rental disc program Digital Video Express, but to build a box, and then name it after the hacker handle used by a co-founder doesn’t smack of responsible marketing. At least it has HDMI and wireless though I doubt many consumers will be picking this up over an Apple TV or Xbox 360 (for Extender).