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Dell Ships XPS 410 With Digital Cable Tuners
So Dell has finally shipped the XPS 410 with Digital Cable Tuners. By my count, there are now three viable companies selling media centers with CableCard support: Dell, HP, and Velocity Micro PC. Dell also has made an interesting choice with the XPS 410. Digital Cable Tuners (DCTs) are only available on the high-end version, […]
Continue reading...HP m8100y Includes Digital Cable Tuner
2. August 2007
HP has decided to again offer digital cable tuners as an upgrade to the m8100y line of computers. Originally, HP sold DCTs with the m8010y but apparently had problems with that configuration. Their on- again/off-again offering of DCTs has settled with the 8100y. The good news is that a system can be had with a […]
Continue reading...New York Times Discusses CableCards
27. July 2007
CableCards are typically not covered in the mainstream press. The best source of information on CableCards has typically been blogs like Chris Lanier’s. Today, the New York Times had a brief article on the potential of CableCards. It is worth reading though there is not much new information. There is no mention of CableCard 2.0 […]
Continue reading...Digeo’s Moxi DVRs Are Competition for Tivo and Vista Media Center
4. July 2007
Digeo is scheduled to release two DVRs this fall as retail products, after years of selling products to Cable companies. Now that CableCards are a requirement in most set top boxes, it will be nice to have some choices to replace the standard cable box. Right now the only options are Tivo and Vista Media […]
Continue reading...Over the Air HD Broadcasts | Snapstream Gets Rid of Cable
23. June 2007
I frequently talk about how over the air high definition broadcasts of network TV are free. A media center is a great way to watch these broadcasts. Not only can you ditch your cable company, but you can record anything you want in high definition. All you need is an antenna and a tuner. The […]
Continue reading...Sony VGX-XL3 Media Center Stuck in a Corner
21. June 2007
A couple of weeks ago I went in search of the VAIO Digital Living System VGX-XL3 at the Sony Style store at Tyson’s Corner in Virginia. I wanted to to see if they were selling Sony’s CableCard offering. It took me a while but I found it stuck in a corner, dwarfed by a 70 […]
Continue reading...Web TV Week in Review
15. June 2007
Sometime I think I focus too much on CableCards and Vista Media Center. So, I have decided to start doing a weekly round-up of stories, videos, and blog posts that I find interesting. Every week I plan on highlighting not only news stories involving digital media but also cool things to watch online. This week’s […]
Continue reading...Consumers are confused about media centers and CableCards
29. May 2007
Engadget recently had two articles about its writer’s experience with a Vista media center with CableCard support. One writer had a promising installation experience while the other was mired in CableCard hell. While the articles are interesting and worth the read, the comments on the articles left by readers prove to be even more interesting. […]
Continue reading...Engadget: Hand-ons with Vista CableCard Media Center
22. May 2007
It seems there are a lot of benefits in being the big boys on the block. The writers at Engadget had two Dell XPS 410s (estimated cost of $3,400) with CableCard support delivered to them yesterday. One installation went smoothly while the other was a comedy of errors, similar to the PCMag.com article. Here are […]
Continue reading...ZDnet reviews VAIO XL3 Digital Living System
20. May 2007
Reviews of Sony’s CableCard PC are trickling in from the usual suspects. ZDnet recently published their own review on the system, comparing it with Velocity Micro’s CineMagix Grand Theater. From the review: We understand why many people might like a slimmer home theater PC, but Sony’s smaller case also means that you have to sacrifice […]
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9. August 2007
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