Crazy, right? But let's think about it -- the market for standalone HTPCs is clearly narrowing, while Media Center Extenders are still far too pricey for many (and far too complicated for some) to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, just about everyone can find a reason to own a notebook, and the newer rigs are tossing in gratuitous amounts of RAM and CPU power alongside Blu-ray drives, HDMI sockets and enough wireless protocols to warrant a tin-foil hat. Granted, there are some limitations, but if someone were to pump out an AV dock (of sorts) to house a few OTA TV tuners and a digital audio output, one could essentially dock their laptop, step back and have a full-fledged HTPC. Chances are your gears are already turning, so tune into Ross Rubin's writeup in the read link for even more food for thought.

No sooner did we ask the audience which PVR application was best than the XBMC team reveals the next major installment of XBMC Media Center. A post over at the official website informs us that Team-XBMC "has hit a feature freeze in anticipation of an upcoming stable release of XBMC, codenamed Atlantis." The software is set to be released for Windows, Linux, Mac and Xbox simultaneously in around two months, and the crew is asking for your help in discovering bugs early in order to get a stable release out the door in short order. So, you planning to pitch in?

[Thanks, Michael]

Niveus' Movie Gallery is pretty nifty, but if you thought Inteset would allow its own movie management software to sit idly and collect dust, you've got another thing coming. The firm's proprietary Movie Collection, which enables users to sift through ripped DVDs and see metadata, now supports the one remaining next-gen high-def format. Reportedly, the newly revised application will scan the inserted DVD or Blu-ray Disc and then "retrieve full profile information from Inteset's updated movie database." Users can also complete look-ups with UPC code and movie title information, and best of all, the upgrade is free for all existing Inteset Media Center PCs.

Here lately, we've seen a number of questions flow in regarding TV tuners, so it makes sense that folks taking the plunge and building their own HTPC would want to know what flavor of software to mix in with it.

"I recently pieced together a pretty simple HTPC with an OTA TV tuner and I'm looking for the best PVR software to pair up with it. I'm currently running Windows XP MCE, but I could make the swap to Vista or Linux if the applications are good enough for either of those two. What would readers recommend for each operating system? Which one gives the least amount of hassle and works smoothly the majority of the time? Thanks!"

A pretty open-ended request, you see, but a valid one nonetheless. What's your favorite PVR software? Does Beyond TV have your heart? MythTV / SageTV the one(s) for you? Feel free to list the pros and cons of applications you've tried -- wouldn't want anyone to miss anything!

[Image courtesy of Parker1]

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.

The Microsoft eHome team's favorite beta tester is at it again, and this time they went as far as to share the RTM build of the Vista Media Center TV Pack (aka Fiji) with us -- lucky for us the update isn't language specific. We're not sure why Microsoft is officially holding back the details of this update until CEDIA, but either way all the previous details we shared with you are true. Although there is no H.264 support or DirecTV tuner information to be found, the new stuff we did find we really liked. We really had no idea how great native QAM support could be and this heterogeneous tuner support is much cooler than it sounds.

Ever since we got our hands on Samsung's Media Center Extender at CES last year, we've wondered how the CE giant's rendition would stack up against the rest. Rather than build the Media Center Extender functionality into a TV the way HP has, or make a completely separate set-top-box like Linksys or D-Link, the $200 MediaLive Media Center Extender is designed to be a companion product for Samsung HDTVs. It can be mounted to the back of certain Samsung sets, and with the help of HDMI-CEC, the TV's remote will control the box even while it's out of sight -- of course, this begs the question of whether or not it will work with other TVs, but we'll just have to wait and try it ourselves when it launches next month. Oh, and in case you don't know already, Media Center Extenders are not just another media streamer, because it will allow you to have the full (almost) Vista Media Center experience -- including the ability to watch live HD from CableCARD tuner -- on any TV (connected wired or wirelessly) in your house.

We'll admit that SideShow hasn't acquired nearly the fanfare we bet Microsoft figured it would, but those still interested in what it can do will likely be elated to find that the long-awaited Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget is finally available. Released last week in beta form, said download can be sucked down as we speak and used within Vista Media Center to change live TV channels, schedule recordings, start / stop playback of clips and browse your photo / music files to boot. Anyone spent any serious time with it over the holiday (in the US, anyway) weekend?

[Via Chris Lanier's Blog, thanks Josh]

MCE is at it again providing the wares that Apple simply won't. After offering up a 2x Blu-ray burner for the Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 last year, the company is keeping up with the industry by introducing a 6x variant for the very same machines. You'll also find compatibility with BD-RE (2x), DVD±R (16x), DVD±RW (6x - 8x), DVD±RW DL (4x), CD-R (40x) and CD-RW (24x). The drive itself is available as we speak for $499, while a bundle with Roxio Toast 9 Titanium goes for $599 and an external version runs $749.

[Via The Mac Observer]

All this information about DirecTV's Media Center tuner has gotten us excited about Vista Media Center again. The last time we were this excited about MS's DVR platform is when we learned about the ATI CableCARD tuner -- that excitement was quickly dashed when the reality of obtaining one set in. But this new tuner offers us the same promise, but only enables one additional provider -- or so we thought. It seems that a commenter our friend Chris Lanier blogs and that he seems to put some merit in, claims that beta program letters have gone out to some Dish subscribers as well. Chris also points out that most of the technology like DVB-S and h.264 are already there, and that the main missing component -- a big one -- is Dish's conditional access system. Of course we always knew that collaboration between big companies like this is almost never limited by technology.

We first saw D-Link's DSM-750 MediaLounge Wireless Media Player at CES way back in 2007, and the company "officially" launched the 802.11n unit in September of that year -- but the scheduled November 2007 retail date came and went, and the four of you queuing up to drop $349 on an unheralded Media Center extender were left to sadly contemplate the crushing banality of your existence. Well, buck up, boy-o, because it looks like D-Link's realized that it's actually supposed to sell the DSM-750, and it's also gone and dropped the price down a whole $20, to $329. Sure, you can operate the thing in either MCE or MediaLounge mode, but you're still limited to 1080i output (even over HDMI), and at that price, it's pretty hard to see why you wouldn't just nab an Xbox 360 Arcade to do the same thing -- you're getting far more functionality for the money, even if you have to spring for wireless and the remote. Still, we're glad this thing is finally here -- those four dudes were getting awfully weepy.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

To some, DVRs are a like a religion and switching shouldn't be taken lightly, but others will take whatever their provider gives 'em them, if the price is right. Unfortunately, choosing a provider often means choosing a DVR, as satellite providers don't give you any choice. TiVo is the obvious old favorite, but Vista Media Center has really given them quite a challenge, and to be frank, Tivo hasn't really done much in the past few years to improve the experience -- new features yes, UI enhancements, no. So since we can't all try every DVR, we want to know, who makes the best HD DVR?

We're still a bit unsure if we're looking at a couple of TVs that actually sport built-in Extenders for Windows Media Center or just a couple of pretenders, but whatever the case, the newest duo from Zepto certainly has our attention. The 32-inch Helios A32 sports a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, an optional "integrated wireless media center," a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, eight-millisecond response time, a single DVB-T tuner plus twin analog tuners, PIP support, the firm's own ambient lighting system and an internal amplifier for speakers. As for the 40-inch Helios A40, it steps things up with a 1,920 x 1,080 panel, but otherwise remains identical to its aforementioned sibling. Price wise, you'll be looking at 15,995 Danish Kroner ($3,085) for the little guy (which is available now), or 19,995 Danish Kroner ($3,857) for the A40 (shipping next month).

[Thanks, Jakob H.]

Technically, Niveus was the first of the major partners to spill the proverbial beans on its Extender for Windows Media Center, and while it was sitting around for all to see at CEDIA, details were admittedly slim. Now, however, the firm has come clean and doled out the specs for its Media Center Extender - EDGE, following the moves made by Linksys and D-Link earlier. The EDGE boasts a "Glacier Passive Cooling for near silent operation," RS-232 / IP / IR for third-party control support, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, HDMI / component outputs and two-channel analog / digital optical audio outs. Unfortunately, Niveus' box doesn't include integrated WiFi, so its wired or nothin' here, and while we'd love to know how much this thing will actually cost, we do know it'll land sometime in November. Click on for a few more looks.

Remember those Linksys Media Center Extenders that popped up yesterday? Well, today the duo has officially been priced, but there's no good news for folks hoping for these two to undercut the other guys. Up first is the DMA2200, which will of course sport an integrated "upscaling DVD player" along with the obligatory dual-band Wireless N functionality, while the DMA2100 arrives in a smaller package (see it up close after the break) but keeps to the basics by omitting the optical drive. Both boxes are set to land this November, and while the DVD playin' DMA2200 will run you $349.99, you can save $50 by opting for the lesser-spec'd sibling.

Just in case Linksys and D-Link's introductions weren't enough to satisfy, Microsoft is now announcing yet another partner in its refreshed Extenders for Windows Media Center effort. Beginning in "early 2008," owners of HP's current 42- and 47-inch MediaSmart LCD HDTVs will be able to utilize all of the features of the Media Center Extender platform sans any additional hardware. According to Microsoft, users will simply download a software update for their set, after which they'll be able to kick back and enjoy a little Windows Media Center Internet TV while basking in the glory that is added functionality.