Yeah, you may be burning that midnight oil, but your weariness isn't the reason you're certain you've seen this thing before. Touted at CES as the MediaSmart Receiver, the re-dubbed MediaSmart Connect is finally available for pre-order. Just as we heard before, this unit takes full advantage of Extender for Windows Media Center technology, and although it possesses no internal storage space, it will pull in digital media from around your home (and a variety of online media outlets) and pipe it straight to your HDTV. The unit plays nice with other UPnP- and DLNA-compliant devices and includes 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, an Ethernet port, HDMI / component jacks and support for MPEG2/4, DivX, XviD, WMV, MP3, WMA, AAC, JPEG and BMP files (among others). Prospective buyers can get their order in today for $349.

We've already seen Orb play nice with DirecTV's HR21, but what about integrating Netflix's "Watch Now" content into one's Xbox 360? vmcNetFlix, a brilliant add-in for Windows Vista Media Center, enables users to manage their Netflix subscription, stream Netflix "Watch Now" movies directly from the Media Center player or download those movies for playback at a later time from a "WatchLater" gallery. Theoretically, this will enable any Vista Extender to play nice with Netflix, but for those with an Xbox 360 laying around already, there's no need to go out and purchase a standalone unit. There's a plethora of additional information and near daily updates with changes and bug fixes going on in the read link, so be sure to give that a look if this sounds like something you'd be interested in.

[Via Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection]

If you've been on the hunt for a multifaceted extender to handle just a bit more than HDMI, look no further. Gefen's HDMI RS-232 Extender is able to casually transmit HDMI, RS-232 control commands and IR signals up to 150-feet at 1080p (300-feet at 1080i) over standard CAT5 cabling. As expected, the device is HDCP-compliant, and it'll play nice with any IR unit you feel like attaching. Unfortunately, such convenience demands a serious premium, as this five-pound box will erode your savings account by $599.

Not like you really needed another option when selecting a HDMI 1.3 extender, but Apogee's giving you just that, anyway. The firm's new HDMI 1.3 CAT5e / CAT6 Extenders enable users to stretch 1080p signals up to 60 meters and 1080i signals up to 120 meters, and if you're serving up 480p / 720p, you can string those over 200 feet without degradation. Additionally, it's backwards compatible with older HDMI versions (and DVI, too), and it appears to function with CAT5e or CAT6 cabling. You can get yours this very moment for $109.99.

Check it Media Center Extender owners -- a fancy new workaround is reportedly enabling users to stream DVDs via their DVD Library, which isn't enabled by default on any MCE. For starters, Vista SP1 is required for everything to work correctly, and once you've confirmed that you're running said OS, you can hit up the read link for a how-to guide explaining the steps to creating symbolic links; essentially, the hack tricks the device into playing .VOB files. It's noted that symbolic links shouldn't be created on Windows Home Server shares, but if you do as you're told, everything should turn out peachy. Just don't come barking up our tree if it doesn't, alright?

[Thanks, Ryan]

Owners of HP's older MediaSmart HDTVs, your sometime is now as Chris Lanier reports the company's posted the long-awaited Vista Media Center Extender update. The SL4278N and SL4778N model TVs should prompt for the update automatically if they're connected to the internet, and afterwards connect to your fully patched Vista Home Premium or Ultimate edition machine and access your Media Center library (DivX, Xvid, h.264, MPEG-2 and WMV of course), live TV, recorded TV or other features directly through the TV. Check out HP's support page for a full walkthrough on the process and keep your Windows Media Center remote close by.

[Via Chris Lanier, HP press release]

Back when the format war was still a-brewin', Inteset saw fit to offer up Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drives on its media PCs. Now that said war is behind us, the firm is plugging Blu-ray drives into its Vana VA6420-Si media extender system. The device, which can also be used in standalone form, enables users to bring content from varying locales within the domicile to a central home entertainment center, and aside from the 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and GeForce 8400GT graphics card, you'll also find 7.1-channel audio outputs, a slew of video ports including HDCP-compliant DVI / HDMI and even an option for a CableCARD tuner. Unfortunately, we've no idea how pricey this rig will be, but with specs like that, we can't imagine it being cheap.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

It's been a tick since we've heard a noticeable peep from Avocent, but the firm has recently unveiled the true successor to its Emerge MPX1000. The aptly-named MPX1500 is still a high-definition multipoint extender at its core, but rather than relying on swappable output modules, this unit packs a single DVI-D output and uses adapters to output HDMI, component, S-Video, VGA and composite. Additionally, this newer iteration comes in a much smaller enclosure and offers VGA resolutions up to 1,360 x 768 (while HDMI / DVI still goes to 1080i). Reportedly, users can still expect to see signals transmitted sans wires up to 150 feet through walls, and if interested, can pick one up as we speak for $995.

The same folks bringing you a colorful line of HDMI cables are also doling out a new set of HDCP-compliant HDMI extenders. Up first is the VP3OT001200, which enables 1080p signals to be carried an additional 30 meters over CAT5, promising signaling rates up to 2.2Gbits / second. If 30 meters won't quite cut it, the VP3OT001300 enables transmissions to go an additional 20 meters by utilizing CAT6 cabling instead. Both choices come with a power supply, sender and receiver module and can be snapped up now for $59 and $71, respectively.

Read - 30 meter VP3OT001200 HDMI extender
Read - 50 meter VP3OT001300 HDMI extender

HDMI has taken over in the living room, but custom installers still keep component video in their bag of tricks, especially for long runs (HDMI repeaters notwithstanding). There's plenty of bandwidth in coaxial, and longer runs are possible -- witness the Ethereal HDMI/COAX box that converts your HDMI input to signal on 4-conductor coax, and then carries the signal up to 300-feet downstream to an identical box that stuff all the bits back into HDMI. These HDMI-over-coax solutions are just the thing if you've already got coax running through your walls, you don't want to introduce any unnecessary digital-to-analog conversions into your data chain, and you've put your source components far away from their destination. No word on pricing, but you should be able to get your mitts on these in about 4 months.

Nothing too fancy here -- just a vanilla HDMI Extender with one true claim to fame. The TVOne 1T-DA-631, as you'd expect, "restores the HDMI v1.3 signal at the end of long cable runs just prior to the input to the display." This particular iteration, however, is the "first of its kind" to include DDC Correction "ensuring the HDMI signal stays true to the original form." Additionally, it features a maximum distance of 40 meters from the source and up to 5 meters from the output to the display. You'll also find HDCP compliance built-in along with a locking power adapter, and if this looks to be just the thing you've been needing, you can snag one now for a shade under a Benjamin.

[Via Widescreen Review]

We've seen Gefen get all riled up and unleash a barrage of new kit all at once, and sure enough, the outfit is doing just that once more. For starters, we've got the TV Switcher, which enables consumers to connect and access four HDMI sources from a single HDTV. Next up is the TV Splitter, which allows users to channel a single HDMI source to four displays -- and yeah, both of the aforementioned units play nice with HDMI v1.3a. Moving right along, we've got a pair of updates to the PVR lineup; the HD PVR records in MPEG4 and can store material on the 80GB HDD or an SD card, while the SD PVR records content onto USB storage devices. Over on the sound side, the Gefen TV Audio Processor takes a single HDMI source and delivers it to a display and an external audio receiver; furthermore, it reportedly "decodes the HDMI signal to provide an audio signal along with six discrete RCA connectors." Lastly, the firm is doling out v1.3 / Simplay HD-certified HDMI cables in 6-, 10- and 15-foot lengths, but unfortunately, it didn't bother handing out price tags for any of the goods here.

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.

Yeah, we saw plenty of HDMI sockets while cruising through Gefen's booth at CEDIA, but now Xantech is apparently looking to hop in the HDMI accessory biz head first. The company has recently announced that it will soon be delivering a full line of HDMI and HDMI-compatible products, which will include "cables, switchers, splitters, extenders and boosters." More specifically, customers can look forward to HDMI 4x4 ($2,500), 4x1 ($500) and 3x1 ($325) Switchers, HDMI 1x4 / 1x2 splitters, a $250 HDMI Signal Booster, a point-to-point HDMI / CAT 5 extender, and a bevy of cables to boot. Hit the read link for the full rundown.