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Digital Cable Tuners delayed
Through Velocity Micro PC and Niveus, the first wave of Digital Cable Tuners have been released. However, the next round of Digital Cable Tuners have hit a snag and will not be available until mid-April. Apparently, ATI needs to update the firmware for the system. I went to the Velocity Micro PC webpage and “customized” […]
Continue reading...Xbox 360 Elite geared towards high definition
30. March 2007
Microsoft announced this week the release of the Xbox 360 Elite. For $480, you can buy a supercharged version of the Xbox 360, with a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable and a 120 GB hard drive. These features are not geared towards gamers, but rather are an attempt to make the Xbox more attractive as […]
Continue reading...Apple TV versus Xbox 360 as Media Centers
23. March 2007
Apple released the Apple TV this week, with the usual hype surrounding the launch of any Apple product. The Apple TV is Steve Jobs’ first attempt at moving video to the living room. At $299, the Apple TV is an expensive device for streaming video. Gizmodo made the inevitable comparison for the Apple TV with […]
Continue reading...Velocity Micro shipping media center with CableCard support
21. March 2007
Media Center PCs with CableCARD support have yet to hit the marketplace. It appears that Velocity Micro might be the first company to release these long awaited computers. EngadgetHD pointed out that a Velocity Micro employee was over at AVSForums.com and stated that Cablelabs certified PCs will be shipping within the week. I took a […]
Continue reading...Sony VAIO Digital Living System VGX-XL3: Great design but needs more than one tuner
15. March 2007
Home theater computers that will support CableCard digital receivers are right around the corner. Most of the announced products to date have been from smaller manufacturers like Niveus or VidaBox. Sony is also preparing their own version of a Vista-based media center computer, named the VAIO Digital Living System VGX-XL3 . With a great overall […]
Continue reading...Niveus Digital Cable Receiver insanely expensive
14. March 2007
As I have said before on this blog, the main new feature of Windows Vista Media Center is the addition of CableCARD support. Microsoft has a lot riding on the implementation of CableCard by various vendors, including Niveus. The Niveus Digital Cable Receiver has two internal CableCARD receivers, allowing users to tune and/or record two […]
Continue reading...PCMag.com reviews Dell XPS 410 with CableCard
13. March 2007
PC Magazine has a review of the Dell XPS 410 with CableCard. It is a lengthy review of a prototype product that is not currently available for public consumption. The fact that Dell will offer CableCard-ready PCs provides hope that we might see a sub $1000 Vista media center PC that is capable of watching […]
Continue reading...Sideshow Remotes: A home audio solution?
3. March 2007
One of the most interesting features of Microsoft Vista is Sideshow, specifically remotes designed to work with Sideshow. 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. Although iPods are incredibly popular, digital music is still […]
Continue reading...Beyond TV 4.6 released with improved Vista and Divx support
17. February 2007
Snapstream has released the latest version 4.6 of Beyond TV, its popular television recording software. I use Beyond TV on my Windows XP computer to record over the air high definition TV, and in my opinion, it is the best DVR software outside of Windows Media Center. According to Snapstream’s release notes, the following new […]
Continue reading...OQO responds to inquiry about HD Media Center potential
15. February 2007
A couple of weeks ago I talked about the OQO Model 2, a micro-PC capable of supporting Microsoft’s Vista Ultimate. The Model 2 is loaded with features like a USB 2.0 port and a HDMI-out. These features got me excited about the potential of the Model 2 as a HD Tivo since Window’s Media Center […]
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2. April 2007
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