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Survey says digital music has not migrated to the living room
I found this over at Denguru.com: Unfortunately, according to market research firm Parks Associates, most of us still choose to haul out our collection of CDs when we want to get our groove on in the comfort of our own living rooms. They found that 40 percent of households play music files on their computers […]
Continue reading...Cost of watching Blu-ray movies on a PC: $1,650
4. November 2006
The next generation of DVDs, specifically HD-DVD and Blu-ray, have slowly trickled into the marketplace. I read NVIDIA’s press release a couple of days ago on the release of new Purevideo drivers that enabled HD-DVD and Blu-ray playback. The press release stated that to enjoy the ultimate HD-DVD or Blu-ray movie experience on a PC, […]
Continue reading...NVIDIA release new Purevideo drivers, enabling PC-based HD-DVD and Blu-ray
3. November 2006
NIVIDIA announced yesterday the release of their new drivers for Purevideo, enabling playback of HD-DVD and Blu-ray content ona computer. I see this as just a step in the march towards next-gen DVDs on the PC. Of course, you still need HDCP compliant hardware throughout your computer, and not to mention your TV/Monitor. Maybe when […]
Continue reading...Is Microsoft’s Vista gambling too much on CableCARD?
26. October 2006
Lack of cable and satellite HDTV support is the biggest flaw in Windows MCE 2005. Hopefully, Vista will change that as CableCARD support is the major feature upgrade offered in the next version of Media Center.
Continue reading...5 tips on watching broadcast HDTV on your laptop
19. October 2006
Most widescreen laptops are perfect for watching high definition video. Watching HDTV on a laptop does have advantages, mainly being portable. ATSC, a digital broadcast standard, is available in many areas of the United States, especially in most major cities. Her are some quick tips:
Continue reading...Will you upgrade to Microsoft’s Vista media center?
17. October 2006
This is the question asked by Chris Lanier on his blog. The responses were all over the place. I am thinking about it when Vista comes out. I think the real reason to upgrade is CableCard support, and I am curious to see how well Microsoft implements that support. How will I be able to […]
Continue reading...7 reasons why Apple will lose the living room war to Microsoft
12. October 2006
The way we watch TV is going to change dramatically over the next 5 years, with Microsoft and Apple vying for real estate in your living room. Apple has not done a good job to date leveraging their lead with the iPod and the company is finding itself trailing behind Microsoft, which has been really […]
Continue reading...Fantasy Sports: A Media Center Killer App?
11. October 2006
Fantasy sports, especially fantasy football, has exploded in the last couple of years. According to BusinessWeek, which published an article on the popularity of fantasy football: Fantasy football fans are flooding the Net, lured by blogs, message boards, and a host of other social-networking capabilities that let people research, build teams, and debate topics from […]
Continue reading...New DRM on a Shelf Near You: Protect DVD-Video
10. October 2006
One of the main advantages of a media center or HTPC is the ability to rip DVDs and store them on a hard drive to access through a slick user interface. For some reason, this really bugs the movie industry. There is so much potential in media centers and home theater computers, yet Big Content […]
Continue reading...6 Tips to receive HDTV over-the-air on a PC
7. October 2006
Most television stations in major cities broadcast in high definition. Receiving high definition (HD) over the air is free, except for about $100 in hardware costs. Over the air HD is perfect for watching sporting events, especially since most sporting events are broadcast in HD. For a sports fan, the only thing you are missing […]
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5. November 2006
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