Netgear is back with a brand new addition to their powerline networking family, unveiling the Home Theater Internet Connection Kit which is also referred to as the XAVB1004 if you prefer to go by model numbers. Just in case you wonder why is the Netgear unveils Home Theater Internet Connection Kit so familiar, that is because it picked up the 2009 CES Innovations Award earlier this year if you happen to drop by Vegas in January. This unique device enables home theater buffs to hook up a handful of Ethernet-enabled entertainment devices including gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, HDTVs and media streaming set-top boxes straight to the Internet as well as the home network simultaneously. This is made possible through the use of a high-speed powerline connection that can hit a theoretical maximum speed of 200 Mbps, making it more than capable of accommodating high-performance applications including HD video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet gaming and large file transfers to networked devices in the home theater.

The kit comprises of a solitary Powerline AV Adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004) as well as one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101). Since it works without external wires, it enables one to use existing electrical wiring within the home to carry high-speed data network traffic courtesy of affordable and simple to install adapters. Not only that, advanced energy management capabilities will offer automatic port- and device-level sleep modes and wake-on-activity functionality so that you won’t be slapped with a hefty power bill at the end of the month which could prove detrimental to your blood pressure and heart.

Each purchase of the Netgear Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004) will come with a one-year warranty and round the clock support. The package will hold one Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch (XAV1004), one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101), two Ethernet cables, one AC power cord, an installation guide and a set-up CD, retailing for $179.99. You can also add on other Netgear Powerline AV devices in the future for expansion options if you want, where these can be picked up separately.

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