Floppyhead – Digital Media and Streaming

When the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac hit the street, it was lacking one big feature for HTPCs: Clear QAM support. It looks like Clear QAM support will be added via a software download through ATI’s tvPORTAL.

The USB Tuner is an ideal match for the Mac Mini, though it is not as attractive as the diminutive Mini. By Supporting Clear QAM, ATI makes the Mini a viable HD video recorder using ATI’s tvPortal:

ATI tvPORTAL™ Media Center is our new sleek TV application designed to engage and deliver the abundant features of the TV Wonder 650 USB for Mac. Straightforward controls, large, bright, and easy-to-read buttons make for an attractive, user-friendly and intuitive interface to navigate all of the TV functions you come to expect. With the fully integrated Electronic Programming Guide you will be able view exactly what programs are available now and in the future. Easily switch between Digital TV and Analog TV with full PVR functionality.

Microsoft has always been a step ahead of Apple when it comes to HTPCs.  Apple becoming a viable option in the living room would be good for everyone.  The more products that work with Macs, the better for everyone.

Blockbuster has been hemorrhaging lately, trying to keep up with Netflix. It looks like the large rental movie chain is going to jump into the video download service via kiosks, among oter things.

Kiosks seem a little strange for a retail chain. I think Blockbuster is just trying to see what sticks in the marketplace. The idea behind the kiosks is that you connect your portable media player to the kiosk and download the movie. Seems like a niche market to me.

Redbox has the stranglehold on DVD kiosks in prominent locations like grocery stores and McDonald’s. Blockbuster was not able to beat Netflix in the mail-order rental business so I am not sure why they think they can take on Redbox in the kiosk business.

Via Electronichouse.

I have been trying to justify to mysef why I should spend almost $1,000 on a music system for my house. My conclusion….it is crazy to spend $1,000 on a music system for my house, even if it does offer integration with Sirius. That being said, I think I am going to finally take the plunge and buy a Sonos Digital Music System. Just not right now.

Last month Sonos released the Zonebridge, a $100 unit that plugs in to your router and broadcasts music to the ZonePlayer 80. Before the Zonebridge, you had to “sacrifice” one of your of your ZonePlayers (at $299 a piece) to serve as the connection to your router.

Sonos offers a bundle that includes one ZP-100, a ZP-80, and a wireless controller for $999. With the Zonebridge though, you can get the same functionality at $850 if you buy the components separately. This makes the original bundle essentially obsolete.

The reason why I am not buying buying a Sonos right now is that I think a better deal is coming along. Mainly a bundle with the Zonebridge included. I think Sonos is trying to get rid of existing inventory but keeping the original bundle alive. This makes the most sense.

Using Cyberlink’s PowerDVD Ultra, media center PCs are a perfect way to hedge your bet on the HD-DVD/ Blu-ray (high definition DVDs) format wars, especially if you have a projector or large screen HDTV.

Although Microsoft is a big supporter of the HD-DVD standard, they left out native support in Vista for high definition DVDs. Right now, the only way to watch HD-DVD and Blu-ray movies is through third-party applications.

To watch high definition movies, a couple of software options exist with Cyberlink PowerDVD being you best bet (check out the thread over at AVSForum.com). With the price of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on falling to around $170, HD movies have become more affordable. The HD-DVD add-on can be hooked into a computer but you still need software to actually watch the movies. Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra would be a perfect compliment.

One thing to keep in mind: Cyberlink has not integrated PowerDVD fully into Media Center as a plugin. You can launch it from within the Media Center interface, but PowerDVD will launch as an entirely separate program. This should improve in the not too distant future.

Did you know that your cable company most likely provides your local HD channels via clear QAM (i.e. without encryption)? The availability of these channels, through what is know as Clear QAM, is usually not too publicized by your cable company. Clear QAM essentially is unencrypted digital cable without a set-top-box. The digital signal comes through a standard coax cable feed, originating from your cable company.

I am in the process of switching over to capturing shows via Clear QAM. I currently use an indoor antenna and an ASTC tuner card but the reception is just bad enough for me not to want to record anything. Some days the reception is good, some days it is pretty poor. Such reception is fine for the occasional televisions watching but for some reason the occasional stutter really bugs me on a recorded program.

In order to get channels via Clear QAM you need the following items:

1) A QAM tuner like the SiliconDust HDHomeRun ($125). More QAM tuners are hitting the market all the time.

2) A nearby cable TV connection and a splitter. For most people with cable modems near their computer, this should be pretty easy. Take the line going to the cable modem and split it, with one line going to the tuner and one line going to the modem.

3) DVR software. Vista has built in software in Media Center to record TV via QAM. BeyondTV and Sage TV both can record via QAM as well. I currently use BeyondTV.
With the above hardware and software, you can record HD programming wth the following benefits.

• Remove the commercials. This is what separates home theater computers from Tivo and cable DVRs. There are a ton of ways to remove commercials from the recordings. If you are using Vista, try eith LifeExtender or DVRMS Toolbox.
• Encode the file to whatever format you want. This is a personal choice for most people. You can leave the program in its native format or convert it to somehting like DiivX or Xvid.

Recording in HD and removing all the commericals is a great way to archive your favorite shows. Even if you have a high-end CableCard system to record HD cable, Clear QAM offers you the ability to record DRM-free.

Ceton has announced their upcoming M-Card Digital Cable Tuner. From their website:

Connect your Microsoft Vista Media Center PC to any U.S. Cable TV Company including Comcast, Time-Warner, Cox, Charter, etc., to watch and record Cable programming via the new multi-stream, bi-directional CableCARD, the M-Card. Pause, rewind, fast forward, and record live TV utilizing Media Center’s Digital Video Recorder.

The multi-stream aspect of this tuner should lower prices of media center PCs since you do not have to have 2 separate DCTs. Hopefully that will save almost $300 for users.

The website is slightly cryptic about whether this card can handle switched digital video. Ceton says the card is bi-directional, which would leave me to believe that the card could handle switched digital video. Hopefully that is the case, and would be a large step in the right direction. I am waiting to see if ATI announces a card of their own.

Maybe M-Card Tuners is why Sony is selling DCTs on their own. They need to clear their inventory. We shall see I guess.

Via Chris Lanier’s Blog.

Two things I hate about exercising with my current mp3 player is how the cable from the player to my earbuds is constantly bouncing around and how sweaty my mp3 player gets when I hold it with my hands. With this in mind, OTTO developed its Wireless MP3 Player Headset.

The unique concept behind the OTTO Wireless MP3 Player Headset is that it combines an mp3 player and headphones into one compact device, eliminating the wire from earpiece to mp3 player. For most people, carrying around your entire music collection in your mp3 player is overkill. 10,000 songs in the palm of your hand is great for long vacations or business trips, but not necessary for your commute or trip to the gym. Otto embraces this fact and has developed an mp3 player that has a useful form factor with the following specs:

• Supports MP3 or WMA files
• Windows XP or Vista (No Macs)
• USB 2.0 for fast downloading
• Rechargeable battery with 8 hours of play
• 512 MB memory (about 100 songs)
• Multiple equalization modes

Interface and Controls

The controls, shown below, are very simple, with no LCD screen. Available buttons include play, pause, forward, reverse and volume. Red and green LED lights display the player’s status. The tracks play in the order you loaded them. There is no shuffle, which seems like a glaring oversight. It took me some time to trust that I was pushing the right button, but once I got the hang of it, I had no problems.

Charging and Downloading

The unit connects via USB, which serves as the battery charging cable and transfer cable. It took me just under 5 hours to charge a dead unit. Plan on charging your unit overnight. Not a big deal but it would be nice to have a quicker charge. An optional AC adapter is available for purchase but is not included with the headset.

The headset also requires you to use at least Windows Media Player 10 (no iTunes) to manage and sync your music. To me this is frustrating, especially since I had never used WMP 10 before. The instruction manual with the headset assumes you are familiar with Windows Media Player 10. At least it does not have its own proprietary software.

I wish the unit functioned more as a flash drive and allowed you just to drag and drop files. Overall, this is not that big of a deal and is certainly not worth worrying about. With the relative size of the player’s storage, you won’t be managing your entire library of digital music anyway.

Who Should Buy It

The OTTO Wireless mp3 Player Headset is really targeted at people who want to listen to music for a short duration, like while commuting or exercising. If you are interested in carrying around your entire music collection, the OTTO player is probably not for you. It certainly is not a replacement for a 30gb iPod. I personally would use it during work-outs or while running.

So, should you buy it? This product is all about being wireless. If that appeals to you, than by all means, go ahead and get one. There certainly is a coolness factor to the player. The design was a hit in my office with my co-workers marveling at its simplicity.

If you are looking for a general mp3 player that is lightweight, I think there are better options. The OTTO player executes the wireless part well but there are drawbacks, like having to use WMP 10 and limited file support. Also, at a cost of $79.95, an iPod shuffle is almost the same price with double the memory.

This article originally appeared at www.zatznotfunny.com.

I am in the market for a new car. While test driving several models, one thing has become clear to me: car makers have not figured out how to get digital music into their automobiles. It seems like it should not be that difficult of a thing, especially with steady-state drives becoming cheaper.

Right now, the best options appear to revolve around iPod integration and FM transmission. I have decided to look at after market solutions to my digital music issue. By happen stance today, I was sent a press release that the Belkin TuneBase FM was named iLounge Car Accessory of the Year. From the press release:

In a recent review, iLounge rated the TuneBase FM with the coveted “A-” rating, praising it for “delivering better value for the dollar than its competitors while offering an equivalently acceptable FM transmission solution, the reason for TuneBase FM with ClearScan’s high recommendation and superior overall rating.”

One thing that appeals to me is that the Tunebase is compatible with the new iPod Touch, which I am considering buying. In fact, it is compatible with most iPods and iPod Nanos. I guess if you are going to target one family of mp3 players, it might as well be the iPod.

From the iLounge review:

With one button press on each device, the screen begins to sweep back and forth as the transmitter searches for a relatively empty FM radio station, displaying its result so that you can tune the radio to it.

The TuneBase costs about $90, in range with most other FM transmission solutions for your car, if not cheaper.

Extremetech has an article on how to turn your Xbox 360 into a media extender. As I have mentioned before, the Xbox 360 is the only version 2 media extender to work with Vista’s Media Center.

From the article:

Once you’ve configured the Xbox 360 and your PC, you can share almost any media on your computer right through the usually-superior speakers, video equipment, and other gear that comprises your entertainment system. It’s a great way to show photos to friends, watch digital video that you’ve uploaded from a camcorder, or listen to your favorite tunes. The 360 even ports over playlists from your PC, and you can create your own on the fly.

The article is a good step-by-step of how to setup the Xbox 360. Pretty basic stuff but worth reading nonetheless.

SlySoft has just released the latest AnyDVD version which beats the latest 4th generation HD-DVD and Blu-ray copy protection MKBv4, which was lauded as being unbreakable.

From Slysoft’s press release:

All that AACS-LA has to offer now is BD+, but even that is on the verge of being circumvented and a release is expected by the end of this year. James Wong, Head of development at SlySoft: “We already found a way to crack BD+ and we have just turned to fine-tuning…”

I honestly do not see a point in time when people are downloading enough HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs to make an impact the overall market. It makes me wonder what the point is in all this DRM. Especially if someone is able to make a profit off of providing software that cracks it.