November 26, 2007
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Media PCs
We've all ideas the creator of the Compiano thinks that it's pretty hot stuff, but we're not sure the end result is what we'd deem elegant. Nevertheless, it's hard to argue with the utility here -- after all, it's not everyday that you can sit at one bench and play a few measures of
Chopin while watching the Hiphopapotamous vs. Rhymenoceros clip that you recorded months back. The 1904 Chickering Upright Grand Piano may not seem all that unique at first glance, but hidden behind its mahogany frame is a 26-inch Philips LCD HDTV and a full-blown Media Center PC complete with a half terabyte of storage space and 1GB of RAM. The bidding will start on this interesting mishmash at just under seven grand, but if you're not keen on waiting it out, you can make this your own for just $19,998. Click on through for a video of the display being hidden from view.
[Via
GearDiary]
Continue reading Media center meets piano, results are questionable
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November 16, 2007
Filed under: Features, Media PCs, Storage
Windows Home Server hasn't quite taken a full year to make its way from being a mere
announcement all the way into your living room, but it came darn close. That being said, we're not fielding any excuses as to why you haven't had enough time to at least test out the
RC1, get a feel for what WHS devices would eventually be unveiled and read up on outside
reviews, alright? Granted, you may have been put off by the
on-again /
off-again release date debacle surrounding HP's MediaSmart Home Server, but even if you weren't keen on the unit that practically became the
early face of the software, we're confident that many of you were able to find a box that tickled your fancy from the
cornucopia of alternatives.
Now that Microsoft's latest flavor of Windows is out in the wild for anyone who cares to acquire it, we're wondering just how satisfied you are with the
final product. Has it totally revolutionized your (previously non-existent) backup schedule? How functional have you found remote access to truly be? Has this quelled the bickering between your offspring over who gets to use the PC with all the
Tears for Fears tracks on it? Feel free to share with us your favorite add-ins (along with ones you're currently working up), and don't hesitate to dole out as much criticism / adoration as necessary to get yourself noticed.
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November 14, 2007
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs
The last time we heard from Moneual, it was showing off a funky fresh
tubular HTPC at CEDIA, but now it seems the firm is putting its poker face back on for the thoroughly traditional 972 Home Media Server. This rig rocks a tried and true flat black chassis, built-in display (at least it sure looks like one), a minimalist feel and a built-in Blu-ray writer to boot. 'Course, you'll find all the usual media PC amenities here including PVR functionality, but mum's the word on actual hardware configurations. Keep it locked for more just as soon as we find out.
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November 14, 2007
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs
Interact-TV really hasn't made a lot of noise since it unveiled the
MyTellyHD Linux-based media server way back in January, but it's cranking things back to 11 with the MediaPool Home Entertainment Server. This bad boy comes stocked with 3.75TB of configurable storage space -- enough for around 750 DVDs -- and was designed to play nice with the firm's TellyVizionHD in order to create a swank PVR setup with near limitless room for content. Packed within the fanless MediaPool are five 750GB Seagate DB35-series HDDs, and all that open space can be linked up to your HTPC of choice via eSATA. The 3Gbps connection ensures that storing HD content won't be an issue, and the blue backlit-display on the device's front panel conveniently includes temperature readouts along with an overheat warning. Now, just as soon as we figure out how to sufficiently fill up nearly 4TB of HDD space with flicks, shows and tunes, we may consider picking one up -- if it hasn't been discontinued by then, that is.
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November 13, 2007
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs
Those keeping tabs on Niveus' outdoorsy naming system shouldn't be shocked to hear that it has chosen the Sierra Edition to follow the
Rainier and
Denali Edition Media Center PCs. Unfortunately, we've absolutely no information on what kind of hardware we can expect to find within this stylish box, but the firm has promised that it'll deliver "impressive Media Center functionality, digital content management, and superior convenience for the whole family." Keep an eye on this space for more, and feel free to join us in hoping for an HD disc drive of some sort to make an appearance when this thing gets official.
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November 13, 2007
Filed under: Media PCs, Peripherals, Storage
All the action in the next-gen
format war might be at the front lines of
cut-rate players, but the battle rages on across the entire spectrum of devices -- which is why we've seen the poor $199 DH-401S BD-ROM drive from Philips and Lite-on touted as the answer to those $200
HD-A2s in a couple places. That's quite a stretch, obviously, but it's still much cheaper than any
other BD-ROM drives we've seen. The read-only SATA drive pulls data off BD media at 4X, single layer DVDs at 12X, DVD-DL and DVD±RW at 8x, and CDs at 32X. Giving up write capabilites is obviously limiting, but for those of you building out HTPCs, this bad boy might be just the ticket.
[Thanks, AG23]
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November 8, 2007
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Media PCs
There's a select group of red flags that appear when a product is, or is dangerously close to becoming, vaporware, and we've seen just about all of 'em when looking at McPerson's I-TV. Apparently, this so-called
do-it-all LCD TV first appeared last year, but now it sports a different look and a flashy website that will make you wish your speakers were inoperative. The set supposedly functions as a home automation controller, DVR, DVD player and Media Center PC, and just in case you doubted its prowess, this thing is somehow Viiv-certified
and able to run OS X. Specs wise, you'll find a 37-inch 1080p panel, dual 40-watt speakers (um, right), 7.1-channel audio out, built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet and a slew of ports. Considering McPerson threw nearly everything in here save for the proverbial kitchen sink, it's not all that shocking to find a £3,924.49 ($8,235) pricetag
floating around the intarweb, and if anyone has any actual proof that this thing exists, feel free to dash our doubts in comments.
[Thanks, Giorgio]
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November 6, 2007
Filed under: Media PCs
We'd
heard the Okoro was planning shipping entry-level CableCARD
HTPCs, and the firm's made good on that promise, unveiling the $1795 OMS-CX100 today. Apart from that all-important
ATI TV Wonder DCT breakout box, the CX100 features a 2.3GHz Intel E6550 Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA 8500GT graphics, 2GB of memory and 320GB of storage, and Vista Ultimate. HD DVD and Blu-ray are separate options depending on your format allegiance, but for someone looking to make the HTPC leap in a Cable Labs-approved way, it's not a bad deal at all.
[Via
eHomeUpgade]
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November 4, 2007
Filed under: Media PCs, Storage
Microsoft's Windows Home Server is saying balls to its
dicey launch year and rallying the troops for a holiday hardware blitz. Its original hardware launch partner HP's on-
sale-
again-
off-sale-again MediaSmart Home Server is officially back and on sale (huzzah!), and multiple hardware partners are (re)announcing their own boxes.
Up to bat with new and "new" WHS hardware:
Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega, LaCie, Leo Computers, LifeWare, Maxdata,
Medion, and
Tranquil. Sure, some have
already announced, but those named today will either be introducing new WHS gear in short order, or at least intend to in the next quarter. Also getting official and on sale today: Velocity Micro's NetMagix (previously
VMHS). Expect it with a Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, eSATA, gigabit Ethernet, front / rear USB, and up to 4TB of storage (starting at $1000 for 1TB).
P.S. -We're sure Microsoft would like us to remind you of the burgeoning WHS software add-on scene, with the dozens of apps now written for the platform. That's all well and good, but we'll worry about getting that hardware first, then take a look at that software.
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