Engadget HD

RFiDJ: the coaster-controlled HTPC switches playlists while you switch drinks (video)

Darren Murph — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:41:00 EST

You know, RFID hasn't done much for itself in the consumer market. To most average Joes and Janes, the tech is really only around for use in complex supply chains and warehouses that they'd rather block from their minds. Thanks to Roteno Labs, we now have at least one glorious example of just how awesome RFID tags truly are, as the RFiDJ project demonstrates how tagged coasters can be used to instantly switch playlists stored on an HTPC. You simply set a designated coaster on top of the machine, and within seconds a new playlist is activated. We hear that videos actually do speak louder than words, so we'll just stop here and beg you to hop on past the break for a memorable encounter with splendiferousness.

[Via Hack a Day]

Continue reading RFiDJ: the coaster-controlled HTPC switches playlists while you switch drinks (video)

RFiDJ: the coaster-controlled HTPC switches playlists while you switch drinks (video) originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today

Richard Lawler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:19:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Cable

Scant hours after the SDV tuning, DRM-relaxing firmware update for Vista and Windows 7 Digital Cable Tuner users became available, Missing Remote let us know Microsoft has come through on the other half of its CEDIA promise by pushing the Digital Cable Advisor to Media Center Extras galleries everywhere. This half should enable all Windows 7 PCs to work with the CableCard tuners, sans-OEM requirement or inconvenient hacking. Sure we could ask for more from Windows 7 Media Center, but for now Netflix and these two (in less than 100 days) will have to do.

Read - MCE: Digital Cable Advisor Tool Available Now!
Read - ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings & are a go

Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings & SDV are a go

Richard Lawler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Others, Cable

Microsoft delivered the first half of two promised ATI Digital Cable Tuner-related updates as the 1.19.12.09050155 firmware update is now available from Windows Update (listed with the optional udates) that will relax the way it handles DRM on its recordings and add support for Switched Digital Video. With the new update applied, all Copy Freely-marked programing will be recorded without DRM allowing you to move it between PCs, convert it to another format or whatever you wish with ease, however as our hands on experience with the new firmware indicated you'll still need your cable provider to pass along the right bits to make it all operate properly. Still waiting in the wings is the Advisor Utility that will allow Digital Cable Tuners to work with any PC, no OEM purchase or hacking skills required.

[Thanks, Rob]

ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings & SDV are a go originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)

Tim Stevens — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:05:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Media streamers

There was a time when the X in XBMC stood for Xbox, but now just look at it. The open source project is showing up on everything from MIDs to Apple TVs and soon will be in the wild running on ARM-powered devices, with the development team posting a teaser video of the software running quite well on a tiny 600MHz Beagleboard. It's a fraction of the size of most HTPCs and, at $150, a fraction of their cost, too. Right now the software seems to be struggling a bit with what looks to be 480p wide content, but the devs promise proper HD playback in the full release -- though they're not saying when that full release will be.

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)

XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to automatically skip commercials in Windows 7 Media Center

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:22:00 EST

Filed under: DVRs, Media PCs

Skipping commercials on a HTPC DVR has been around for a long long time, but it isn't always the easiest thing to setup. And even if you do get it working, there are so many options, it can take some time before you get it working the way you want it. So in the spirt of Windows 7 day, and the fact that the next major version of ShowAnalyzer is being released, we figured we'd write up a how to with a few tips and tricks of our own. We start by downloading and installing the main components; DVRMSToolBox, the DTB Media Center Add-in and ShowAnalyzer, and finish off with some troubleshooting for when things go wrong. So if you use Media Center, click through and never pick up the remote to skip a commercial again.

Continue reading How to automatically skip commercials in Windows 7 Media Center

How to automatically skip commercials in Windows 7 Media Center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft officially delays Digital Cable Tuner firmware and Advisor Utility

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Ever since CEDIA Windows Media Center enthusiasts have been anxiously awaiting the announced firmware update for the ATI Digital Cable Tuner and the Advisor Utility. While the firmware will finally relax the DRM on recording made with the Digital Cable Tuner and enable support for Tuning Adapters, the Advisor Utility will make it so anyone can add a Digital Cable to Tuner to their Windows 7 PC. Although a hard release date was never announced for either of these, it was fully expected that both would be available at the same time as Windows 7. Now Microsoft has posted over at The Green Button letting us know that we can stop checking as neither will be released today. To add insult to injury no new date was given, only that it would be available as soon as possible. So yeah, big time bummer for Media Center fans.

Microsoft officially delays Digital Cable Tuner firmware and Advisor Utility originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CableCARD tuners come to SageTV via SageMCTuner

Ben Drawbaugh — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:07:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

With the main obstacles for adoption of CableCARD tuners in Home Theater PCs gone it just makes sense that even those who don't use Windows Media Center would want to get in on the fun. If only it was that simple, with CableLabs holding the keys to the kingdom, not just anyone can build software that will work with a CableCARD tuner and expect it to work. Good news for Sage TV fans, as the genius who came up with our favorite Media Center plugin (DVRMSToolBox) has now come up with a nifty work around. SageMCTuner is still in beta, but the idea is to put Media Center to work for Sage. So in other words, Media Center is still doing all the recordings etc, but Sage is calling all the shots and reaping all the benefits. If you want the full details you'll have to click through and try it yourself, go ahead, we'll be waiting for your return to hear how it worked out -- we bet it goes pretty well.

CableCARD tuners come to SageTV via SageMCTuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 Media Center's upgraded Netflix Watch Instantly interface now available

Richard Lawler — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Internet

Those already upgraded to Windows 7 ahead of Thursday's launch events (no, we're not coming to your party) should find a Netflix button parked under the Movies section in Media Center starting today. Clicking it revealed a slightly smoother install process than the initial Netflix upgrade for Vista users last spring, then it's off to the refreshed interface we first spotted at CEDIA -- extender support or HD streaming is still out. Also updated is the out-of-beta internet TV sliding under the TV tab (new from beta 2: Adobe Flash video support and region locking) with a wide assortment of streaming video available, though the picture quality still leaves something to be desired.

[Thanks, Daren & Craig]

Update: Not seeing it yet? Go to the Tasks -->Settings-->General-->Automatic Download Options and manually start an update there, the new tiles should arrive shortly.

Gallery: Windows Media center 7 with Netflix & internet TV

Gallery: Netflix in Windows 7

Windows 7 Media Center's upgraded Netflix Watch Instantly interface now available originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget HD: Would an SSD upgrade help my HTPC performance?

Richard Lawler — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Ask Engadget HD, Media PCs

Facing a need for speed during our own HTPC build we suggested a Western Digital VelociRaptor drive combined with another 2TB disk, but in the neverending quest for speed and silence, would an SSD make more sense? That's James' question, considering his current specs what would you upgrade next?

"Wondering if you guys think it's worth upgrading my HTPC to an SSD. The SSD I think will make a huge impact, as a lot of the caching of images, etc. is all done on the main OS drive (from what I understand). Have you ever experienced an HTPC based on an SSD or done a side by side comparison of one with a regular HDD vs. an SSD? My current configuration is as follows:

Q6600 2.4GHz CPU
8GB DDR2-800 RAM
2x 1TB hdd's
nVidia 9300 IGP based MicroATX motherboard (ASUS)
Hauppauge HVR-2250 dual tuner PCIe card
Antec Fusion Remote Black HTPC case
Windows 7 RC (Soon to be Home Premium Retail)"

Anyone gone the SSD route for a HTPC yet and seen any difference? The main problems we see are cost and size capabilities, but if it means quicker loading times and less fans it could be a worthwhile upgrade. With Windows 7 just around the corner we're sure James isn't the only one eyeing an upgrade or two, let us know how your project is going in the comments.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Ask Engadget HD: Would an SSD upgrade help my HTPC performance? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI Radeon HD 5750 brings HDMI bliss to HTPCs for $110

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Blu-ray, Media PCs

We knew that video cards that could bitstream all the latest HD codecs wouldn't always cost $380, but we certainly didn't expect a cheaper alternative in two weeks. Of course price and HDMI audio capabilities aren't the only factors when choosing a video card for your HTPC, so you might want to keep waiting -- you know another few weeks -- for a version that doesn't take up two of your card slots for a fan that is no doubt anything but quiet. Anandtech is predicting you might have to wait another year for the perfect HTPC video card in the way of the 5600 series.

[Via Missing Remote]

ATI Radeon HD 5750 brings HDMI bliss to HTPCs for $110 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upgrading a Win7 Media Center with CableCARD from RC to RTM is painless

Ben Drawbaugh — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:12:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

We have to admit that when we upgraded from Windows 7 RC to RTM we were a little apprehensive to use the upgrade hack, but if we had any CableCARD recordings we wanted to watch after the upgrade, then maybe we would've chosen a different route. Well it appears our fears were unfounded as the upgrade is actually pretty painless. In the linked how to, we learned how to hack the Windows 7 RTM install disc to allow an upgrade from RC, then watched as Windows 7 pretty much took care of the rest -- without losing access to DRM'd recordings. For an added twist, the author was using a DIY CableCARD machine so it was also good to see that OSFRLoader still works on the RTM build as we all wait patiently for Microsoft to release the utility to unleash Digital Cable Tuner to the world.

Upgrading a Win7 Media Center with CableCARD from RC to RTM is painless originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A brief history of Ceton and its 6-tuner CableCARD HTPC tuner

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Media PCs

The Seattle Times sat down with Ceton, and the entire Hammer family that founded the company, and uncovered some pretty interesting details about the Kirkland, WA startup. Lucky for Windows Media Center fans -- when Gary and Pamela Hammer's son Jeremy graduated from college with a engineering degree, the entire family decided to start a new company, which designed the first multi-stream CableCARD tuner for HTPCs. Without going into all the details here, we did enjoy learning about the origins of the company as well as the fact that a yet to be announced dual tuner version of the quad tuner card should sell for less than $300. We've been excited about this product since CES 2009, but as we get closer and stories like this surface we can hardly contain our anticipation.

A brief history of Ceton and its 6-tuner CableCARD HTPC tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter will take your Mac mini to HDMI town

Tim Stevens — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Misc, Cables, Media PCs

Your Mac mini cranks out its video via DisplayPort and audio via a mini Toslink. Chances are your home entertainment system doesn't like either of those. It will, however, like the Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter, which can turn a DisplayPort video signal into a 1080p signal over HDMI, and will even integrate either digital or analog audio into the mix. It's USB powered, so there's no need for a clunky power adapter, and while $70 isn't particularly cheap for a chubby cable ($50 for the USB analog audio model), it's about the cleanest way to get your Mini pumping tunes and vids through your system.

[Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog]

Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter will take your Mac mini to HDMI town originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI Radeon HD 5870 is the first video card to bitstream TrueHD and DTS-HD

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:43:00 EST

Filed under: Blu-ray, Media PCs

The good news is that you can finally get both compressed and uncompressed HD audio off a Blu-ray Disc and into your A/V receiver without the need of a dedicated sound card. The bad news is that at $380, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 still costs more than a stand-alone Blu-ray player and that price doesn't even include playback software. That's ok with us though, as we're used to being charged early adopter tax, and now the first video card with this ability is released, it should only be a matter of time before this feature trickles down to video cards we can actually afford.

ATI Radeon HD 5870 is the first video card to bitstream TrueHD and DTS-HD originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okoro delivers mini Media PCs with a full size price tag

Richard Lawler — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Others

Continuing its streak of questionably high priced media PCs Okoro has announced the new OMS-Q100 and OMS-Q200 Quantum mini Digital Entertainment Systems. Combining an Intel Atom processor and NVIDIA ION in the OMS-Q200 and Mobile Core 2 Duo in the OMS-Q200 with 4GB of RAM with 320GB of hard drive space, 7.1 audio outputs, OTA & QAM recording capability (plus optional digital cable tuner) these tiny, quiet boxes could find a welcoming home theater somewhere, though the starting price of $1,295 may make for a difficult fit. You probably don't need our help to put together something equivalent or better for less than that, but feel welcome to it.

Okoro delivers mini Media PCs with a full size price tag originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Media Center CEDIA predictions wrap-up

Ben Drawbaugh — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Now before you ask, the reason this post is so late has nothing to do with how off the mark we were with our predictions. It's just that we've been sick with the Flu around here and just now started to feel better -- guess all those long days on the show floor and late nights with the GT ACM are bad for the immune system. At any rate here is the wrap up of our Windows Media Center predictions as well as our overall impressions about Windows Media Center now that CEDIA is over.

Gallery: Microsoft's CEDIA booth

Continue reading Microsoft Media Center CEDIA predictions wrap-up

Microsoft Media Center CEDIA predictions wrap-up originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A first hand look at SDV and Copy Freely support in Windows 7 Media Center

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Media PCs

If you have a ATI Digital Cable Tuner connected to your Windows Media Center then you've been waiting a long time for a firmware update. In fact, although updates were released fairly steadily during the first year of the product's life, the last update (1.17.1) was dated April 30th 2008. But this long delay has been particularly painful because this is the first update since CableLabs relaxed the DRM requirements last Summer -- it's also the very same update Microsoft has been touting since CEDIA 2008. So what took so long? We'd like to know, but one thing is for sure, CableLabs sure took its time in the approval process as the date on the firmware is May 1st 2009! Better late then never, so while you wait for the public release click through to find out what all the fuss is about.

Continue reading A first hand look at SDV and Copy Freely support in Windows 7 Media Center

A first hand look at SDV and Copy Freely support in Windows 7 Media Center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Intel Tru2way server streams cable all over your house

Nilay Patel — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: DVRs, Media PCs, Media streamers

Look, Moblin and MIDs and USB 3.0 are all well and good, but the real highlight of IDF is hiding in plain sight: it's Intel's CE 3100 Media Processor-based Tru2way DVR server, which has three digital cable tuners that can be streamed over a regular gigabit Ethernet or MoCA to any number of clients, ranging from other 3100-based set-top boxes to DLNA devices like laptops and even the PS3. It's seriously cool -- the clients all see the server's tuners as their own, so the experience is seamless, and since it all runs on the Tru2way stack, it doesn't matter what kind of client you plug in -- the three clients on the show floor were running interfaces from Intel, Comcast (Rovi), and Digeo. Of course, since it's a DVR, you can actually add more clients than tuners and have them play back recorded content while your other boxes use the tuners -- Intel was demoing XBMC on a Sony laptop connecting over DLNA and streaming a recorded program while a PS3 nearby ran a photo slideshow, all while the three cable clients streamed uncompressed HD video from the tuners. Intel says a number of cable companies are interested in deploying this stuff and that we should see things on the market in the next year -- we honestly can't wait. Check a video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Intel Tru2way server streams cable all over your house

Video: Intel Tru2way server streams cable all over your house originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: VIA's VB8003 Mini-ITX board has dual-HDMI, could rock your HTPC's world

Tim Stevens — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Remember when the PlayStation 3 was going to have dual-HDMI ports so that games could pump 1080p video to two displays simultaneously? Ahh, those were good 'ol days. That configuration obviously didn't come to pass, but VIA's looking to deliver dual-HDMI and more in its next integrated Mini-ITX solution, the VB8003, which also packs DVI and VGA ports, as well as an LVDS output, meaning it could control five displays at once (though with only four discrete signals). It uses the Trinity Platform with a 1.6GHz Nano processor, a VX800 Media System Processor, and an integrated S3 GPU, all paired with up to 4GB of memory. 1080p playback is said to be easily handled, with the system supporting resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600, even though such an onslaught of pixels would surely turn your HDTV into a smoldering ruin. There's no mention of price or availability yet, so you current set can relax -- for now.

Continue reading Video: VIA's VB8003 Mini-ITX board has dual-HDMI, could rock your HTPC's world

Video: VIA's VB8003 Mini-ITX board has dual-HDMI, could rock your HTPC's world originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune Marketplace HD videos will play on Extenders for Media Center

Ben Drawbaugh — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:41:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Media streamers, Internet

It is actually very sad that this is even news. What we mean is that normally we'd expect that two products from the same manufacture would work together, but not when it comes to Microsoft. Either way, Media Center fans with Extenders like the Xbox 360 and the deceased Linksys DMA2100 will be happy to know that HD content from the Zune Marketplace looks great in Media Center. You can see from the screen shot that although it works, it is less than ideal. What we're saying is, would it be so hard to add a little metadata or even an episode number? The other thing is that the content doesn't show up automatically, we had to actually add the location of the content to the video library, which means the TV show we downloaded don't show up with the rest of our recorded TV shows. The good news though is it that playback works as expected, meaning that fast forward, rewind and resume are all there -- but there is that annoying "buffering" message when you skip forward or back. Who knows, maybe sometime between now and the official launch of Windows 7 further interoperability will be added -- doubtful.

Zune Marketplace HD videos will play on Extenders for Media Center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: What's the most you'd pay for a quad HDTV tuner with CableCARD?

Ben Drawbaugh — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: DIY, Polls, Media PCs

Let's be clear right up front, we're not asking you how much you want to pay because we already know the answer; as little as possible. We want to know, what is the most you would pay. Now before you answer, lets put this into perspective. A dual tuner TiVo HD costs $300 at retail (plus subscription), a Moxi is $800 and the old ATI single CableCARD tuners were $300 -- so unlike the Ceton tuner, you'd have to rent four CableCARDs instead of just one. So keeping all that in mind, what is the most you'd pay for a single PCI-E card that could turn your Windows 7 PC and Xbox 360 into the best premium content HD DVR today?

View Poll

Poll: What's the most you'd pay for a quad HDTV tuner with CableCARD? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hauppauge to expand its offerings to include a CableCARD tuner

Ben Drawbaugh — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Cable

The tuner company that we never seem to be able to pronounce correctly is planning on adding a digital cable tuner with CableCARD to its lineup. No word on price or availability but the initial seemly over ambitions timeframe was this year. Our friends at Geek Tonic were able to confirm the the company's plans for the new tuner, but also learned that there is little hope that the new device will make it to market before the Ceton tuner, and in fact the actual release is still undeterminable. The good news is that there will be some competition in the PC digital cable tuner market which is always a good thing, in fact at this point we wouldn't be surprised if Avermedia was the next to throw its hat into the mix.

[Via GeekTonic]

Hauppauge to expand its offerings to include a CableCARD tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ceton is set to take over the CableCARD PC tuner market

Ben Drawbaugh — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Media PCs, Cable

We can't say we saw this coming, but a little technology company we never heard of until CES '09 is going to not only be the first to market with a multi-stream quad tuner CableCARD device, but will probably be the only one for some time. It is for good reason too, as Ceton (pronounced sē-tən or seaten) has been able to pick up where AMD left off with its ATI Digital Cable Tuner for Windows Media Center and improve it in the best way we can think of. This startup seems to have some special sauce that no one else has, we can't even start to think of how hard it would be to decrypt four HD streams at the same time and re-encrypt them at the same time -- and apparently that is just the beginning. We say this because we sat down with Gary Hammer, the president and CEO, and to say he is on the same page with the Media Center market, is an understatement.

Gallery: Ceton CableCARD tuner

Continue reading Ceton is set to take over the CableCARD PC tuner market

Ceton is set to take over the CableCARD PC tuner market originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Dish Network Media Center tuner in action

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Features, DVRs, Media PCs

We told you we were able to get a video of the Dish Network tuner for Windows Media Center in action and here it is. You can see that for the most part, the Dish content plays back just like any other HD source. We did seem to think that the channel changes were slower than we were used to, but not bad enough to be a deal breaker. The short clip is after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Dish Network Media Center tuner in action

Video: Dish Network Media Center tuner in action originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 to get a better version of Netflix than Vista

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:24:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Media PCs

No the Windows 7 version of the Netflix Watch Instantly still isn't going to work on Extenders for Media Center, but it will include a more seamless experience than the Vista version does, like the movie info image above. Microsoft really wasn't ready to share any more details with us, but we suspect the search is improved. The fact that they were so tight lipped leads us to believe that Microsoft is still holding back on some Windows 7 details -- at least in regards to internet content and Windows 7. At this point it appears we might have to wait until the official release of Windows 7 to truly figure out if all that work to bring internet content to Windows 7 pays off.

Gallery: Netflix in Windows 7

Windows 7 to get a better version of Netflix than Vista originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with the Ceton CableCARD tuner

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:48:00 EST

Filed under: Features, DVRs, Media PCs, Cable

We learned all about it this new tuner first thing this morning and were very pleased to see a "technology preview" of the card in action at the Microsoft's booth. As expected, it is a single PCI-E card that uses one multi-stream CableCARD and offers the ability to record four HD channels at once. The tuner shows up as a single network adapter in Windows and still uses UPnP like the currently available ATI tuner does. The configuration and diagnostic interface included tabs for each individual tuner and apparently two Tuning Adapters -- unfortunately there wasn't a working demo of the SDV tuning in action. And in case you are wondering, we did ask about the price and as you might expect we were referred to Ceton for specific product questions. We do already have an appointment with them tomorrow, but we'd be surprised if they were ready to tell us.

Gallery: Hands-on with the Ceton CableCARD tuner

Hands-on with the Ceton CableCARD tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network Media Center tuner hands-on

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Media PCs, Satellite

We have good and bad news after visiting the Dish Network booth first thing in the morning. We're happy to say that Dish was proudly displaying a Dish Tuner for Media Center 7 at its booth. The bad news however is that it was just a "proof of concept." Which means no matter how hard we tried, no one would tell us anything about price or availability. The other thing up in the air was if the actual implementation would be based on VIP211K HD STBs like the demo, or if instead there would be a dedicated tuner. The last unknown was around VOD or PPV, which we know was recently being tested, but still no word if it'll make the final version. The other bad, but not unexpected news, is the fact that like the first generation CableCARD tuner for Media Center, all the content is copy protected. As for how it works, looks good, but the channel changing was slower than our CableCARD tuner enabled Media Center. We did grab a video, but you'll have to wait until we can get it uploaded.

Gallery: Hands-on with the Dish Network Media Center tuner

Dish Network Media Center tuner hands-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ceton CableCARD PC tuner details emerge

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

There's no press release or anything, but an eagle eyed blogger noticed that the FAQ for highly anticipated multi-stream CableCARD tuner for Windows Media Center on Ceton's site has been updated. Among the new details is the fact that there will be multiple offerings -- as apposed to just the one version announced at CES -- which will include 2, 4 and 6 tuner versions. The card has also been adapted to work in a low-profile PCI-E form factor, but no word if all three iterations will be available in the shorty version. The bad news is that the new release date has been pushed back from 2009, until the first quarter of 2010. Of course the new tuners also won't be restricted to the OEM requirement and will of course work with Tuning Adapters to add SDV support. The quad steam version is currently geting its stamp of approval from CableLabs so it'll be out first, but we're very saddened to tell you that there is still no word on the price. While we wait for price and availability though, you can look forward to our hands-on just as soon as we work our way to the Microsoft booth at CEDIA.

[Via GeekTonic]

Ceton CableCARD PC tuner details emerge originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Niveus steps up Media Centers with SSD, RAID and white gloves

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:16:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Today is officially the first day of CEDIA Expo 2009 and now that Microsoft has announced its Media Center news, it's the partner's turn. Up first is Niveus which is of course releasing new Media Center PCs with Windows 7, so of course the new looser DRM and other features are included. Niveus is stepping up the hardware though too by adding RAID and SSD drives to the Pro Series, and also a new Windows Home Server requirement for its full system restoration capabilities. The other new offering is the aptly named White Glove service, which basically means the services to integrators is getting an upgrade. Prices are promised before the official launch on October 22nd, but based on the existing offering, we'd bet we still won't be able to afford it.

Continue reading Niveus steps up Media Centers with SSD, RAID and white gloves

Niveus steps up Media Centers with SSD, RAID and white gloves originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Media Center CableCARDs freed from OEM requirement

Steven Kim — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Cable

This just in from our team at Microsoft's MCE event at CEDIA -- the OEM requirement on CableCARDs has been officially lifted, freeing Joe Six Packs all over from having to buy whole systems. The photo above pretty much says it all -- enthusiasts (hey, that's us!) can add CableCARD tuners to their PC. Even though a DIY workaround has been around for a while, it's nice not to have to break/bend the rules to get your shows recorded, isn't it?

Media Center CableCARDs freed from OEM requirement originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from the Microsoft Windows Media Center event

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:16:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Media PCs

It is almost time as we wait for the event to start and find out if all or any of our Windows Media Center CEDIA predictions come true. We had to travel a long way from the show floor to get here, but so far Microsoft is doing it right. They have us setup with free WiFi and a table right up front, so now we just wait for the show to begin.

Continue reading Live from the Microsoft Windows Media Center event

Live from the Microsoft Windows Media Center event originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CyberPower serves up water-cooled LAN Mini H2o SFF rig

Darren Murph — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Blu-ray, Media PCs, Others

If you're looking for an ultra compact, ultra quiet new machine to act as your resident HTPC, CyberPower might just have an option worth eying. The all new LAN Mini H2o is said to be one of the planet's tiniest water-cooled desktop gaming rigs, and while it's equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Quad CPUs, NVIDIA or ATI graphics and more hard drive space than you'll initially know what to do with, there's absolutely nothing stopping you from repurposing this is a media center PC. The box checks in at 11.25- x 8.75- x 7-inches and weighs just ten pounds, and there's even room for a WiFi adapter, Blu-ray drive and HDMI socket. Feel free to customize yours now, with the Core 2 Quad Q9550-equipped base rig starting at $965.

CyberPower serves up water-cooled LAN Mini H2o SFF rig originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macs "still" just work when connected to an HDTV

Ben Drawbaugh — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Oh the joys of a new operating system and the desire to find something new. Don't get us wrong, Snow Leopard has some much appreciated new features -- even if Perian isn't parsing MKV files in the new Quicktime -- but easy connectivity to an HDTV isn't one of them. We are happy that our friend Aron from TUAW discovered how easy it is to connect his Mac to an HDTV, but we wrote up almost the exact same story over three years ago. So Macs and HDTVs have just worked, since at least Tiger, but the new TV logos are a nice touch though.

Tiger display settings.

Macs "still" just work when connected to an HDTV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clear QAM HD isn't going anywhere!

Ben Drawbaugh — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:48:00 EST

Filed under: Regulatory, DVRs, Media PCs, Cable

Oh we just love the echo chamber that is the internet these days -- some genius reads about something as harmless as a integrated security waver for cheap digital SD set-top-boxes and automatically predicts the end of clear QAM as we know it. Now we hate all the feet dragging by cable operators in the US as much as the next, and wish the FCC would enforce the Telecommunications Act of 1996 already, but that doesn't mean that everything big cable does is evil, or that the FCC is useless.

The bottom line is that local broadcast channels are available in HD to any cable subscriber with a clear QAM tuner, whether you have a set-top-box or not. The recent news changes nothing, except maybe a very select few who were lucky enough to receive more than locals via clear QAM. We dropped the FCC a line to make sure we had our facts straight -- wouldn't want to call people out without checking our own first -- and the very prompt answer we received was that this statutory requirement goes all the way back to the to the Communications Act of 1934 (Section 614(b)(4)(B).

More recently, the FCC addressed the issue when laying down the digital transition rules which "states that broadcast signals that are subject to mandatory carriage must be "viewable via cable on all television receivers of a subscriber which are connected to a cable system by a cable operator or for which a cable operator provides a connection." Now obviously we're not lawyers, but it seems pretty clear that local cable operators are not allowed to encrypt any locally broadcast HD stations. Now we've heard reports that some cable companies do indeed encrypt these signals, but while you might be willing to complain on some forum about it, have you taken the time to file a proper complaint with the FCC? If not, then you really don't have anything to complain about.

Read (doc) - The 2007 Report to set the transition rules (paragraph 15)

**UPDATE** As you can see from the comments, with anything legal it isn't exactly cut and dry. In fact the only thing we've managed to accomplish is to be confused. So while some level of broadcast TV has to be free, we're not sure if it's free as in beer or what. Stay tuned for a follow up just as soon as we figure it out.

Clear QAM HD isn't going anywhere! originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man turns luggable 25-year-old cellphone into OLED-packing HTPC

Tim Stevens — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:46:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

Do you remember the Mobira Talkman? No? That's okay, you may not have been born yet. In 1984 this was what all the sierra hotel financial traders had glued to their faces -- and clutched to their hips, since the thing was as big as a briefcase. 25 years later skilled modder Jani 'Japala' Pönkkö came across a free (and fully-functional) example and set upon completing his dream of turning it into an HTPC, which he has called the Dataman. Inside he managed to pack an Intel T5500 Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 32GB SSD, and a wireless network card. The 40-hour mod is laboriously detailed in photos at the read link, while the fruits of all that labor are shown in videos after the break, the first showing the pre-mod phone still working perfectly -- but complaining about the lack of network (like the Russian Empire's rule of Finland, the NMT network is long gone) -- and the second showing that green LCD replaced by a rather more colorful OLED one.

[Via The UberReview]

Continue reading Man turns luggable 25-year-old cellphone into OLED-packing HTPC

Man turns luggable 25-year-old cellphone into OLED-packing HTPC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okoro OMS-BX300 goes for the 'you must be high' end

Vladislav Savov — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Others

You know, with the PS3 slumming it in a lower weight class and $300 price point, you'd think it'd be hard to sell people on costlier "Blu-ray Digital Entertainment Systems," but that hasn't stopped Okoro from trying. Updating its BX300 unit with dual Blu-ray Lightscribe drives, a Core i7-920, 6GB of 1,333MHz DDR3, pair of hot swappable 2TB HDDs in RAID1, and a 64GB SSD for OS duties is all well and good (okay, it's kind of awesome), but -- even though it has come down some -- the price is still a loony $3,095. There are also dual NTSC / ATSC / QAM tuners and a CableCARD option to go along with an ATI Radeon HD 4850 -- and for an extra $800, you can get the slinkier touch pad remote-pimping version pictured on the right. Ah well, just another reason to envy rich people.

[Via ZDNet]

Okoro OMS-BX300 goes for the 'you must be high' end originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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S1Digital adds networked CableCARD tuners to its media server

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:21:00 EST

Filed under: DVRs, Media PCs, Media streamers

While we knew that ATI Digital Cable Tuners were UPnP network tuners at heart, we've never heard of anyone actually using them across a network. But with the apparent imminent death of the 3rd party extender, OEMs are forced to find their own solution. For S1Digital that solution is a custom media server that fits into its Digital Entertainment Platform. The server starts at $3500, and in addition to all of the other media serving capabilities, it can have four or eight (license dependent) tuners connected to it and offer those tuner up to Windows Media Center PCs connected on the network. Each tuner has to be married to a specific PC, but this does give you the ability to watch live TV in the kitchen with only one cat5 drop running back to the server. So while this isn't exactly our the Windows Home Server and Media Center mashup we dream of, it certainly is a step in the right direction.

Continue reading S1Digital adds networked CableCARD tuners to its media server

S1Digital adds networked CableCARD tuners to its media server originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Zune HD will support surround sound

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:47:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Other hardware

We were just complaining on the Engadget HD podcast that the Zune HD wasn't that HD because it couldn't encode broadcast HD content in the US. Then today a listener chimed in to let us know that the latest version of Microsoft Expression Encoder 3 that ships with Expression Studio 3.0 ($600) includes a few profiles for the Zune HD. While both included profiles output HD, one is specifically intended to be used with the AV Dock and thus is set to output WMA 5.1 surround sound. We did a little digging and while it does appear that Expression Encoder 3 will accept a WTV file containing MPEG2 and AC3 as input, who really wants to pony up $600 to convert their TV shows -- especially when you can use DVRMSToolBox for free. But hey, at least one team at Microsoft gets this whole HD thing.

[Thanks, Enoch!]

The Zune HD will support surround sound originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's CEDIA event September 9th to reveal what's new in Media Center

Ben Drawbaugh — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

We had a good feeling that Microsoft might have a thing or two to announce around Windows 7 Media Center at the upcoming CEDIA show in Atlanta this September, but now we can start the official countdown. The after-hours event at ESPN Zone will help kick off the show in Atlanta at 6:30pm -- the event is invite only, but don't worry, we'll be bringing you the events live as they happen. Although the specific announcements are anyone's guess, the invite did let us know that all of the Windows Media Center news and updates will break there, as well as the winner of the Ultimate Install Contest. So that's just over two weeks until all your home media hopes will be fulfilled -- or destroyed -- depending on your perspective.

Microsoft's CEDIA event September 9th to reveal what's new in Media Center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Media Center DISH Network tuner is on hold indefinitely

Ben Drawbaugh — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:42:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs

You read that right, there is no official announcement, but we've received a number of tipst letting us know that Microsoft and DISH have pulled the plug on the DISH Network Tuner for Windows 7 Media Center. We could care less about one of our predictions being wrong, but we are deflated about the fact that all the testers say they were shocked to get the news as we are because the beta seemed to have been going so well. No word on if the entire partnership is dead or just this iteration of the tuner, but the bottom line is everyone who contacted us doesn't believe we'll see a HD tuner for DISH Network for Media Center any time soon. Sorry to get your hopes up.

Media Center DISH Network tuner is on hold indefinitely originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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