As soon as we heard the official word that Linksys had discontinued the DMA2100 and DMA2200 Extenders for Media Center, we though to ourselves, there goes any hope of a firmware update. But just to be sure we sent a quick email to see if there was any chance H.264 support would be added. As you might expect, when we asked if Linksys would release an update, the answer was "no they will not." Depending on where you live and what provider you have, this could be a big deal. Currently in the UK, no H.264 means no BBC HD, but eventually here in the US it will means no hope of HD from DISH Network or DirecTV. This also excludes those who want to use a Hauppauge HD PVR as well as anyone who has an HD camcorder that uses the codec. We have to say we're very disappointed with the support level from Linksys, even if it is an end-of-life product. We suppose it could be argued that we shouldn't expect new features on a dead product, but I doubt many who need H.264 would agree that this is anything but an update that ensures the device continues to perform its initially intended task.

Media Center Extenders -- remember those? Yeah, those things were all the rage at CEDIA 2008, and right around four hours after the show closed up, you and the whole world forgot about 'em. Honestly, the concept and execution was flawed from the start. These standalone boxes provided exactly what media loving consumers didn't want: yet another set-top-box crowding their space. Furthermore, most were priced at or above the cost of an Xbox 360, which -- lo and behold -- could be used as an MCE as well as a darn good gaming console. See the holes in this plan yet? Furthermore, most of 'em, particularly those that relied on WiFi, were utterly unreliable and offered disappointing streams. High prices plus lackluster results yields low demand, who woulda thunk it?

Essentially, manufacturers were hoping that those with loads of media on Windows-based PCs would jump at the chance to get all of that material on their HDTV with the addition of one little box. And in theory, at least, that does sound somewhat attractive. Unfortunately, only a few of these were announced in Denver, and almost all of them suffered from inexcusable delays. By the time they hit the market, all of the buzz generated at the trade show was extinguished, and early reviews were less than positive. It didn't take long to see prices begin to plummet, all while fence sitting companies realized that avoiding this niche would likely be most beneficial to their longevity.

Today, we're seeing Linksys' DMA2100 and DMA2200 listed as "Discontinued" at a number of legitimate e-tailers, and while D-Link's DSM-750 and HP's MediaSmart Connect seem to be hanging around at near-full price, we can't say the same for Samsung's discounted MediaLive Digital Media Adapter. Heck, Niveus Media doesn't even list its Media Center Extender - EDGE as a product on its website anymore. It shouldn't be any real shock that hardly any other companies have jumped in since these first few, and we're having serious doubts about the future of the dedicated MCE. Are you getting the same vibes? Do you think these things could thrive at the right price? Let us know in the poll and comments below!

[Via GeekTonic]

Update: Turns out HP is axing its MediaSmart HDTV / Connect lines as well. It's full statement sent to us is after the break.

Extenders for Media Center held so much promise only a year ago, but now with one of our favorite Extenders being discontinued it makes us pause and wonder about the future of the model. A small, low powered STB connected to the TV doing all the heavy lifting for our HTPC makes perfect sense as a concept, but in reality when you consider the price vs the feature set, it just doesn't add up. The economic reality is that an Xbox 360 does more for about the same amount of money, so the small footprint and low power usage just wasn't enough to sway consumers to the Linksys extenders. Looking forward we don't know what to expect, with a premier Media Center partner like Niveus publicly stating that it's new Zone product was created because customers didn't accept the limitations of an extender, it really makes us wonder. We still think the extender model has its place, but it seems now that it only makes sense as a feature of another product instead of standing on its own. So in other words, we still have our hopes up for a Blu-ray player with a built in Extender for Media Center, but in the meantime we'll be picking up a couple more DMA2100s before its too late.

[Via GeekTonic]

It was only a matter of time, really. Remember when Media Center Extenders were all the rage (yeah, for around ten minutes) at CEDIA 2007? Remember how everyone balked at paying $350 for one when you could just buy an Xbox 360 for the same amount and get two things in one? Apparently those "everyones" were right, as Linksys' slow-selling DMA2200 Media Extender has sunk from $349.99 on day one to $94.99 today at NewEgg. Quite honestly, this thing looks about 8.98 times sexier with its slim new sticker -- anyone thinking of getting into Extenders now that the barrier to entry is all but gone?

[Via Slashgear]

And to think, this here box had so much promise. At first glance, it's easy to fall head over heels with the PLTK300 Powerline box. After all, it features a four-port adapter that easily manages game consoles, Blu-ray players, AV receivers, etc., and passes those signals along your home network via power wiring. The rub? It's based on the older 85Mbps standard and not the fresher, speedier 200Mbps protocol. In other words, you may see dropped frames and the like if trying to push too much HD through here at once. Ah well, at least that news makes the Asia-only availability that much easier to live with.

Update: So, these seem to be shipping now in the US. Huzzah! [Thanks, Dave!]

We knew that Cisco would be invading the home audio space in '09, but we didn't know it'd be so quickly (and under the Linksys name). Here at CES, the outfit has unveiled the admittedly complex Wireless Home Audio system, which utilizes Ethernet / 802.11n / DLNA in order to stream audio over multiple zones throughout the home. The kit is actually comprised of some very specific components, so let's not waste any time, eh? There's the Conductor DMC350 Wireless-N Digital Music Center, Director DMC250 Wireless-N Music Player with Integrated Amplifier, Player DMP100 Wireless-N Music Extender, Stereo Speaker Kit DSPK50, DMWR1000 Wireless-N Touchscreen Remote, iPod docking station and the DMRIR500 IR Remote. For details on the specific kits, which should go on sale this quarter for $300 and way up, give the read link a peek.

Vista Media Center really sets itself apart from any other DVR solution out there, and the single greatest advantage Vista Media Center (VMC) has over the other options -- like the TiVo HD -- is the ability to have multiple Media Center Extenders. There really isn't any better way out there that will allow you to watch premium HD cable in every room of your house while at the same time centralizing all your media in one place. When VMC first hit the streets, there was only one HD extender: the Xbox 360. But the problem, of course, is that the Xbox is noisy and will always be a gaming console first and a Media Center Extender second. Well, things have really heated up in the extender market recently when both Linksys and D-Link released Media Center Extenders and HP upgraded its MediaSmart HDTVs.

The idea of having a centralized DVR with a bunch of tuners and other HD content stored on a hard disc and then streaming it around the house in HD, is pretty fantastic. Up until now the Xbox360 has been pretty much the only option for Windows Media Center fans who want to stream HD cable -- and soon DirecTV -- around the house, but as great of a box as it is, it isn't perfect. Our biggest complaint is the noise and the size, and if those are important to you as well, then you may want to check out Chris Laniers's review of the Linksys DMA2200. Overall Chris seemed to like the little guy, but considering it sells for almost the same price as the Xbox360 core system and does less, we'd suspect the only reason to go for the Linksys is because it is smaller and most importantly, it's silent.

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.

Want to spring out of your Windows Media Center situation, but don't have any good options? Well, you're in luck, because the good folks over at Linksys have whipped up a couple of wireless Media Center Extenders which might just do the trick... or wreck your home life. Feast your eyes on the DMA 2100 and DMA 2200 (pictured), two new offerings from the router-maker sure to please some of the people some of the time. Specs are thin right now, but what we do know is that the DMA 2200 sports an upscaling DVD player, both units have a "learning" remote, and the Extenders will be available sometime in November. For now, enjoy the photos, and your wild dreams of "sharing photos, music and movies" with friends and family.

[Thanks, Gordon]

It looks like Cisco is about to make its biggest push into the consumer market to date, with BusinessWeek reporting that the company is readying a "souped-up" set-top box that'll supposedly combine a number of different products into one. Of course, as BusinessWeek points out, this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, especially given the company's recent acquisitions of Linksys, Scientific-Atlanta, and KiSS Technology. As you may be able to surmise by that confluence of companies, the new do-it-all box will apparently be networked like nobody's business (wireless, naturally), including the ability to pull content off the Internet and distribute it to other devices around the house. It'll reportedly include its own web browser as well. While Cisco's pulling all the strings, it apparently won't be slapping its own name on the boxes, selling them instead directly to consumers under the Linksys brand and offering 'em up to various cable companies. If all goes as planned, you should be able to snag one for yourself by the end of this year or early next year.

[Thanks, Mercurial]

It's a good thing we all have our OTA antennas ready because we're going to need them to enjoy the latest in HD entertainment: MovieBeam. Disney started testing this back in 2003 and now it looks like it's ready to go and in HD to boot. No firm release date yet It is availabe in some ares now and Cisco's Linksys division is going to make the STB and both Cisco and Intel are helping to foot the bill. If we're lucky there may even be Viiv support.

MovieBeam will be available in 23 cities and come preloaded with 100 films from most of the major studios. Considering the price of $200 plus a monthly and per movie fee, I wonder how many people are going to take advantage of this, not to mention how this will effect our OTA HD that we love so much. They are distributing the content with datacasting and I can only imagine where they are getting the wireless bandwidth from. Now we just need one to test in the HDBeat labs. This should be interesting to watch develop.

Linksys is the next to jump headfirst into the living room, with this networked DVD player (DVD? that's so old school), but wait, it's got next gen features with this old-gen tech. It will connect to the internet for it's program guide, streaming media, video on demand and other content besides playing DVD's and WMV.

No word on DRM, will this work with Viiv, Media Center, HANA or any of the other alphabet soup of technologies shooting our way this year? No word yet, but this will probably still be a cheaper source of high definition content than HD-DVD or Blu-ray players will be this year. No word either on price, although it is shipping "soon".
Features:

• 1920x1080 playback
• Playback in Windows Media Video 9 HD, DivX HD, Nero Digital, XviD, MPEG-1, 2 and 4, WMA, WMA Pro, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis
• Built-in WLAN 802.11g connection for cable-free access to the Internet or home PC
• Ethernet 10/100 technology
• HDMI connection
• Online Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
• WebRadio 3 with more than 3,000 radio stations
• Online weather forecasts for any continent, country or town
• StockView where you can check and convert currency values
• Online games
• Video-on-Demand - availability depending on the area

No, we're never satisfied. You'd think that just having the ability to stream HDTV over WiFi would be good enough, but it's not. We want it to be flawless; no hiccups, stutters, pixelation, nothing. Since we don't have a hard-wired Ethernet solution, nor a screaming Ethernet over Coax option just yet, we took the plunge and snapped up another router: the Linksys WRT55AG.

While the picture above may look like a funky blue insect, it's actually our new 802.11a router sitting on top of our 802.11g router. The longer antennas are the high gain range extenders that didn't really help our HDTV, but now we can sit in our neighbor's bathroom and surf the web on Sunday mornings. Find out after the jump how we set this configuration up and if it helped bring HDTV perfection to our Xbox 360.

As the convergence race heats up, Microsoft is not sitting on the sidelines, as last week at the IBC show in Amsterdam they shed more light on their plans for IPTV devices with SBC, Intel, Motorola, Linksys and others.  Among the announcements made for NTSC markets were:

• Previously announced Scientific Atlanta set top boxes including SD and HD receivers and DVRs, as well as IP-over-coax and DVB support
• A Thomson/Intel box that is said to be commercially available, supporting Microsoft's IPTV Edition platform. Expandable to include DVR features, it also supports Windows Media 9, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 encoded sources.
• A system-on-a-chip developed with Sigma Designs specifically intended to support all IPTV edition features and lower cost so that it can be included in set top boxes, TV's, DVD players and gaming consoles.

I don't think this nearly answers the question of where the Media Center Edition platform's future lies, but Microsoft is clearly doing everything they can to make sure they have their devices at the heart of your digital entertainment center of the future.