DIY Media Center

Polaroid DVC 00725f HD Digital Camcorder

2009-01-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ran across this nicely priced little beauty. Since the company has filed for chapter 11, you should be able to pick one up relatively cheaply. And look, you can :) Would have been great to capture yesterday's historic inauguration.

Woot is currently offering the Polaroid DVC-00725F High Definition camcorder for only $129.99 + $5 S&H. If you miss them today, check out some other deals Here. This is a nice 720P HD camera for a great price. See, you don't always have to spend a fortune to get something nice.

This small camera fits in the palm of your hand and captures 720p high definition video, and also doubles as a 5MP digital camera. The internal storage is only 62MB, so you will definitely need to get yourself a large SD card.

The camcorder also has a 2.7-inch LCD color view screen, allowing you to see what you are about to record or record, as well as see what images you are about to take. The camcorder has a 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom.

Features

	Recording Media		Flash Memory Memory Card
	Manufacturer		Polaroid Corporation
	Memory Card Support		Secure Digital (SD) Card
	Image Formats		JPEG
	Interfaces/Ports		1 x USB 1 x Audio/Video In 1 x HDMI
	Screen Size		2.7"
	Maximum Video Resolution		1280 x 720
	Battery Built-in		Yes
	Manufacturer Part Number		DVC-00725F
	Standard Warranty		1 Year
	Display Screen Type		Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
	Maximum Frame Rate		30fps
	Battery Include		Yes
	Manufacturer Website Address		www.polaroid.com/us/
	Product Model		DVC-00725F
	Product Name		DVC-00725F High Definition Digital Camcorder
	Flash Memory Capacity		64MB
	Optical Zoom		4x
	Progressive Scan		Yes
	Digital Zoom		5x
	Product Type		Digital Camcorder
	Image Stabilization		Electronic
	Video System		NTSC PAL
	Effective Image Resolution		5Megapixel

Tech Specs

	Recording Media		Flash Memory Memory Card
	Package Contents		DVC-00725F High Definition Digital Camcorder Wrist strap USB cable AV cable HDMI cable AC battery charger Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
	Manufacturer		Polaroid Corporation
	Memory Card Support		Secure Digital (SD) Card
	Interfaces/Ports		1 x USB 1 x Audio/Video In 1 x HDMI
	Image Formats		JPEG
	Screen Size		2.7"
	Display Screen Type		Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
	Maximum Video Resolution		1280 x 720
	Manufacturer Part Number		DVC-00725F
	Standard Warranty		1 Year
	Additional Information		Motion sensor records only when detects movement in viewing area 10-second electronic self timer
	Exposure Control		Auto
	Manufacturer Website Address		www.polaroid.com/us/
	Battery Built-in		Yes
	Maximum Frame Rate		30fps
	Battery Include		Yes
	Brand Name		Polaroid
	Optical Zoom		4x
	Progressive Scan		Yes
	White Balance Modes		Auto
	Flash Memory Capacity		64MB
	Digital Zoom		5x
	Platform Support		PC
	Image Stabilization		Electronic
	Product Model		DVC-00725F
	Video System		NTSC PAL
	Product Name		DVC-00725F High Definition Digital Camcorder
	Effective Image Resolution		5Megapixel
	Focus Modes		Auto Focus
	Product Type		Digital Camcorder

FTA Satellite TV on your computer

2008-07-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for adding FTA satellite to your dektop here. This is a very cool way to watch freeTV from all over the world, right on your desktop.

New 3G iPhone a threat the portable GPS indistry

2008-06-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

3Giphoneauctions has a short writeup about how the new 3G iphone is not only a threat to other cell phone companies, but they believe portable GPS manufacturers should be on the lookout as well.

Silverstone is at it again with their ML02 Media Center Case

2007-06-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Silverstone has released a very slick looking MODT (mobile on desktop) case. it has the the nice new iMon LCD front panel display along with the imon remote. The IR receiver should also be compatible with Windows Media Center Remotes. It is available in both silver and black

Silverstone Releases DS351 eSATA multi drive enclosure

2007-06-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect accessory for those of us who have Media Centers that just doesnt seem to have enough storage space. Silverstone's DS351 connects to your computer via a single eSATA connection enabling the user to add up to 5 additional hard drives to the system it even supports RAID 0,1,10 (RAID1+0), and RAID 5. The unit has a built in power supply to power all your drives as well as the built in 80mm quiet cooling fans.

via Silvestone

LG phillips and Samsung accused of LCD price fixing and Colusion: CEO fired

2006-12-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is not something I would normally post as it is not really HTPC related, but it could possible affect what we all have been or will be paying for HDTVs. Lg Phillips has posted a press release on their website.

Lg Phillips press release

LG.Philips LCD Issues Statement

2006/12/11

Seoul, Korea (December 11, 2006) - LG.Philips LCD [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], today made the following statement:

“Last Friday, as part of an investigation of possible anticompetitive conduct in the LCD industry, officials from the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) visited the offices of LG.Philips LCD in Seoul, Korea. In addition, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) issued a notice to our offices in Tokyo, Japan and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a subpoena to our offices in San Jose, California.

LG.Philips LCD takes this matter very seriously and will cooperate fully with regulatory authorities. While these investigations continue, LG.Philips LCD is committed to running its business as usual, supplying its global customer base with the highest quality products.”
About LG.Philips LCD
LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is a leading manufacturer and supplier of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels. The Company manufactures TFT-LCD panels in a wide range of sizes and specifications for use in TVs, monitors, notebook PCs, and various applications. LG.Philips LCD currently operates seven fabrication facilities and four back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China and Poland. In addition, LG.Philips LCD has sales and representative offices in ten countries and has approximately 21,000 employees globally. Please visit http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Additional information as to factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements can be found in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Bang-Soo Lee, VP, Public Affairs & PR
LG.Philips LCD
Phone: +822-3777-1020
E-mail: bsleeb@lgphilips-lcd.com

Sue Kim, Senior Manager, Corporate PR
LG.Philips LCD
Phone: +822-3777-0970
E-mail: sue.kim@lgphilips-lcd.com

A few others have caught wind of the story as well. Check out each link as they all have little different twist.

Washington Post

EEtimes

Wallstreet journal

Fox News

Amidst all the controversy LG has fired their CEO

WSJ

LG Electronics Taps New Chief,
Other Officials, Amid Setbacks

By EVAN RAMSTAD
December 19, 2006; Page B9

SEOUL, South Korea -- LG Electronics Inc., struggling to build its television-set and cellphone businesses, named a new chief executive and other senior managers, a move that could accelerate decision making.

The South Korean company tapped Yong Nam, 58 years old and most recently the head of an affiliated telecommunications-service operator, as CEO. He succeeds Ssang Su Kim, 61, who has led LG for the past three years.

James Jeong, 45 and the head of corporate finance, was named chief financial officer. He succeeds Young Soo Kwon, who was named chief executive of LG.Philips LCD Co., a joint venture with Philips Electronics NV in liquid-crystal displays, the key component in screens for cellphones, computers and most flat-panel TV sets.

The personnel changes come as LG copes with slower-than-expected growth in cellphone sales as well as losses at LG Philips LCD. LG is in a close race with Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co. to be the world's leading seller of TV sets by units this year. LG recently cut prices to grab market share, eroding profitability.

Though LG's cellphone unit, the world's fourth-largest by revenue and units, became profitable this year with strong sales of its "Chocolate" handset series, its sales growth lagged behind the overall industry. For the first nine months of the year, the company's net profit fell 58%.

Mr. Kim and other top executives were divided over strategies at both businesses, resulting in slower decision making, analysts said.

None of the executives was available for comment, an LG spokeswoman said.

2006/12/11

MSI releases low profile passive 7300GS with HDMI output

2006-12-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

MSI has released yet another HDMI enabled video card This time it is a passive low profile7300GS. This card is prime for those low profile media centers that everyone seeems to like so much. If you don't have HDMI on that nice new flat panel the card still has a 1080P compatible DVI port. Check the specs and the pics below.

Support Memory
256MB GDDR2

On-board Function
HDMI Connector
DVI Connector
Heat Sink Solution

Geforce 7300GS Chipset Feature

• HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface Support
HDMI is a new interface standard for PCs, displays and consumer electronics devices that supports standard, enhanced and high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It enables your PC to transmit all HDTV standards that combine HDCP-protected video at resolutions up to 1080p and 8-channel digital audio with 5 Gbps of bandwidth provided.

• Full Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 Support
The standard for today's Purchase and next-generation consoles enables stunning and
complex efects for cinematic realism. NVIDIA® GPUs offer the most complete implementation of the Shader Model 3.0 feature set -- including vertex texture fetch (VTF) -- to ensure top-notch compatibility and performance for all DirectX9 applications.

• True High Dynamic-Range (HDR) Rendering Support
The ultimate lighting effects bring environments to life for a truly immersive, ultrareailstic
experience. Based on the OpenEXR technology from Industrial Light and Magic, NVIDIA's 64-bit texture implementation delivers state-of-the-art high dynamic-range (HDR) visual effects through floating point capabilities in shading, filtering, texturing, and blending.

• NVIDIA® PureVideo™ Technology
The combination of high-definition video processors and software delivers unprecedented
picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and precise image scaling for all video content to turn your PC into a high-end home theater.

• Adaptable Programmable Video Processor
PureVideo's programmable technology adapts to new video encoding formats as they are
developed to provide a future-proof video solution.

• High-Definition MPEG-2 and WMV Hardware Acceleration
Smoothly playback all MPEG-2 and WMV video - including WMV-HD - with minimal CPU usage so the PC is free to do other work.

• NVIDIA® CineFX® 4.0 Engine
Delivers advanced visual effects at unimaginable speeds. Full support for Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Next-generation hader architecture with new texture unit design streamlines texture processing for faster and smoother gameplay.

• Advanced Motion Adaptive De-Interlacing
Smoothes video and DVD playback on progressive displays to deliver a crisp, clear picture that rivals high-end home theater systems.

• Video Color Correction
Color temperature correction makes actors' faces appear natural, rather than washed out and pale, when playing videos on LCD and CRT displays. Display gamma correction ensures videos are not too dark, overly bright, or washed out regardless of the video format or display.

• NVIDIA® ForceWare™ Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
Delivers a proven record of compatibility, reliability, and stability with the widest range of games and applications. ForceWare ensures the best out-of-box experience for every user and delivers continuous performance and feature updates over the life of NVIDIA® GeForce GPUs. Includes full support for PCI Express and AGP.

• NVIDIA® nView™ Multi-Display Technology
Advanced technology provides the ultimate in viewing flexibility and control for multiple monitors.

• NVIDIA® Digital Vibrance Control 3.0 Technology
Allows the user to adjust color controls digitally to compensate for the lighting conditions of their workspace, in order to achieve accurate, bright colors in all conditions.

• OpenGL® 2.0 Optimizations and Support
Ensures top-notch compatibility and performance for all OpenGL applications.

• Single-Link DVI Support
Able to drive the industry's largest and highest resolution flat-panel displays up to and including 1900x1200.

MSI releases low Profile 7600GS with HDMI & Dual Link DVI

2006-12-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

MSI has released the only low profile 7600GS I have seen around and it is certainly the only model around I've seen sporting an HDMI connection. if that is not enough for you it also has a Dual-Link DVI port, giving you the ability to run that Apple Cinema Panel, 30" Dell or the upcoming Samsung 305T 30" monitor. All of this in a low profile package to boot. Did i mention it also has a component and S Video outputs? Check the specs and pics.

Onboard Memory
256MB DDR2 memory

On-board Function
TV-out (S-Video)+ HDTV Connector
Dual-Link DVI Port HDMI Connector
SPDIF Connector

Geforce 7600GS Chipset Features

• HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface Support
HDMI is a new interface standard for PCs, displays and consumer electronics devices that supports standard, enhanced and high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It enables your PC to transmit all HDTV standards that combine HDCP-protected video at resolutions up to 1080p and 8-channel digital audio with 5 Gbps of bandwidth provided.

• NVIDIA® PureVideo Technology Support
TM NVIDIAR PureVideo technology is the combination of a high-definition video processing core
and software that delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and
precise image scaling for video content to turn your PC into a high-end home theater.

• True High Dynamic-Range (HDR) Rendering Support
The ultimate lighting effects bring environments to life for a truly immersive, ultra-reailstic
experience. Based on the OpenEXR technology from Industrial Light and Magic, NVIDIA's 64-
bit texture implementation delivers state-of-the-art high dynamic-range (HDR) visual effects
through floating point capabilities in shading, filtering, texturing, and blending.

• Full Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 Support
The standard for today's Purchase and next-generation consoles enables stunning and
complex efects for cinematic realism. NVIDIA GPUs offer the most complete implementation
of the Shader Model 3.0 feature set -- including vertex texture fetch (VTF) -- to ensure topnotch
compatibility and performance for all DirectX9 applications

• NVIDIA CineFX 4.0 Engine
Delivers advanced visual effects at unimaginable speeds. Full support for Microsoft DirectX
9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Next-generation shader
architecture with new texture unit design streamlines texture processing for faster and
smoother gameplay.

• NVIDIA SLI Technology
Delivers up to 2x the performance of a single GPU speeds. Full support for Microsoft® DirectXR 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Nextgeneration shader architecture with new texture unit design streamlines texture processing for faster and smoother game play.

• Adaptable Programmable Video Processor
PureVideo's programmable technology adapts to new video encoding formats as they are developed to provide a future-proof video solution.

• High-Definition H.264, MPEG-2 and WMV Hardware Acceleration
Smoothly playback H.264, MPEG-2, and WMV videoincluding WMV HDwith minimal CPU
usage so the PC is free to do other work.

• Video Color Correction
Corrects differences in color characteristics of RGB monitors and TV monitors through NVIDIA
PureVideo's ProcAmp Color Controls setting, such as PureVideo's ProcAmp Color Controls
setting, such as ensures videos are not too dark, overly bright, or washed out regardless of the
video format or display.

• Advanced Spatial Temporal De-Interlacing
Smoothes video and DVD playback on progressive displays to deliver a crisp, clear picture
that rivals high-end home theater systems.

• High-Quality Scaling
High-quality scaling technology delivers a clear, clean image at any window size, including
full-screen HDTV resolutions up to 1080p.

• Integrated HDTV Encoder
Provides analog TV-output (Component/Composite/S-Video) up to 1080i resolution.

• NVIDIA UltraShadow II Technology
Enhances the performance of bleeding-edge games, like id Software's DOOM 3, that feature
complex scenes with multiple light sources and objects.

• 128-Bit Memory Interface
Delivers more memory bandwidth and efficiency to power the latest games and applications at
blazing speeds.

• 128-Bit Studio-Precision Computation
128-bit studio-precision computation through the entire pipeline prevents image defects due
to low precision and ensures the best image quality for even the most demanding applications.

• Full-Speed 32-Bit Color Precision
Delivers increased image quality with no performance compromise.

• NVIDIA ForceWare Technology
Delivers a proven record of compatibility, reliability, and stability with the widest range of
games and applications. ForceWare ensures the best out-of-box experience for every user
and delivers continuous performance and feature updates over the life of NVIDIA GeForce
GPUs.

• OpenGL 2.0 Optimizations and Support
• NVIDIA® nView® Multi-Display Technology
• NVIDIA® Digital Vibrance Control® 3.0 Technology
• Dual 400MHz integrated RAMDACs
• Dual-Link DVI Support
Drives a digital display at resolution up to 2560*1600 at 60Hz
• 80nm Process Technology
• High-Speed GDDR2 Memory
• Built for Microsoft® Windows™ Vista.

www.adulttoybin.com

Ripping Movies to your Windows Media Center Hard Drives: The easy way.

2006-12-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

As storage gets cheaper and cheaper and fellow americans get lazier and lazier we look for methods to help us not to have to get off of our asses more and more. Today I present to you My Movies 2 for Windows Media Center. This slick little addin will let you rip (with the addition of slysoft's AnyDVD) all of your DVDs directly to your hard drive (s) for easy playback later. imagine never having to get up out of the recliner to playback your favorite DVD. The software automatically adds the cover art as well as a description of the movie and biography for all actors in the movie. If you are one of the many that runs Windows Media Center Edition shoot over to www.mymovies.name and download the FREE little Gem.

Recommended Hardware: Seasonic M12 600 Watt Power supply

2006-12-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have ever used a Seasonic power supply know that they are known to be some of the quietest on the market with plenty of current to boot . This makes them perfect for use in ones HTPC systems. Today I am highlighting my favorite unit of the bunch The M12 600 Watt. It is modular (a must on HTPCs) has 48A of available current on the Quad 12V rails, 80 plus efficiency rating, and a nice large 120mm fan to keep everything cool. It also has a small auaxiliary fan that kicks in when the system gets really stressed. At $159.99 it is not the cheapest power supply around but it one of the quiteest even when heavily loaded.

For a fill review head over the Silentpcreview

Quick HDMI Output Video Card Rundown

2006-11-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

As HDMI connections are becoming more and more prevelant on Televsions and monitors alike, there are more and more video cards that include HDMI connections being released. I have compiled a list of cards that are suitable for usage.

Gigabyte NVIDIA Geforce 7600GS 256MB with HDMI and DVI

This card is especially excellent since it is completely passive. Being that it is a 7600GS it is of high enough GPU class so that it can successfully de-interlace HDTV smoothly. Combine this card with NVIDIA's purevide decoder and you have an excellent silent HDCP compatible HD signal. not only that, this card's DVI port is also a Dual-link port allowing you to run 30" DELL, Samsung, or Apple Cinema Displays at the uber high 2560x1600 resolution. This card integrate HDCP support as well.

ASUS ATI X1600 PRO 128MB

Excellent card choice for low profile Media Centers. Suitable for smooth HDTV playback all the way up to 1080i and with enough horsepower to de-interlace properly on the fly.

Sapphire X1600Pro HDMI 128MB or 256MB

Another decent choice for low profile Media Centers. Suitable for smooth 1080i HDTV playback

MSI 7600GT Diamond Plus

An NVIDIA based card for perfectly smooth playback of 1080i HDTV as well as support for SLi

256MB DDR3 onboard, 560MHZ core clock, Vista Aero Ceritified, and 1400 MHZ memory clock. Onboard fan can be rather loud at times.

Power Color X1600 Pro HDMI 256MB

The only downfall to this card is the fact that it wold require and HDMI to DVI converter to connect to a DVI port. I have had problems with these types of adapters in the past. Many monitors are unable to properly sync with with video card when an adapter is in use. This card is also certified to support HDCP as well as blu-ray and HD-DVD decoding at up to 1080P.

ASUS 7600GT HTDI 256MB

Gecube X1600PRO 256MB DDR2 HDMI slim Edition

Yet another low profile choice based on the ATI x1600. This model from Gecube has a surprisingly quiet fan and enough horsepower to de-interlace 1080i content. It is HDCP certified and supports hardware acceleration for MPEG2, MPEG4, DiVX, WMV9, VC-1, and H.264. it is also crossfire ready for al the gamers in the crowd.

Gecube X1300 256MB

A lower end model of the HDMI capable cards. not suitable for 1080i de-interlacing but is perfectly suitable for 720P playback as well as SDTV playback. incorporates ATI's AVIVO technology for realistic on screen images and enhancement as well as ATI's crossfire technolgy.

Media Capabilities of XBOX improved to include 1080P HD video Playback

2006-10-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

New Features

HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.

Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player support.

Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.

Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.

Play video from CD or DVD data discs.

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.

Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.

Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.

Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)

Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Xbox Live Arcade: Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live® Arcade games on the console.

Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.

Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads

optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.

View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.

Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the

Xbox dashboard.

Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.
DVD Player

Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.

Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.

Better handling of unreadable discs.

Updated count-down timer.

HD DVD player support.

Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.

Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content
Video Player

Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.

Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.

Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.

Show shares UI and player controls with DVD player.

Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.

Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).

Improved messaging around unplayable video content.

Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.

Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.

Improved visual quality of video playback.

Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.

Localization

New locale setting for China

Improved German translations in console settings.

Improved German translations in memory area.

Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.

Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area

Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.

Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.

Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.

Added localization support for “Attempting to Read Media” system message.

Memory Area

Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content..

Added new page for viewing content size by category.

Other System Improvements

Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.

Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.

Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.

Background downloaded videos appear in video area

Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.

Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.

Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.

Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.

Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.

Improved text for Windows Media Connect..

Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender

Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360

Wireless Adapter.

Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.

Improved visual display of text in themes.

Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.

Improved support for long names of items memory area.

Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.

Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.

Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the

Account Management area.

Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and

Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.

Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.

Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.

Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.

Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.

Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.

Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol

Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.

Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.

Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.

Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.

Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.

Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.

Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.

Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.

Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.

Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.

Updated “More Information” instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.

Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.

Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.

Silcondust releases HDHomeRun Networked HDTV receiver

2006-10-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Watch over-the-air digital TV from all computers in your home network

Dual tuners - watch multiple channels on same or multiple computers

IR Receiver - use most standard remotes to signal your PC

Compatible with:

VLC - watch TV on Windows, Linux, Mac
MythTV - DVR for Linux and Mac.
Coming soon: Windows Media Center.
Coming soon: SnapStream BeyondTV.

Detailed specifications:

8-VSB (ATSC over-the-air digital TV)
QAM64/256 (unencrypted digital cable TV)
IR Receiver
100baseTX high speed network
Open source drivers/support

Order from 9thtee

HDHomeRun is a trademark of Silicondust Engineering Ltd.

Price: $169.00

AMD releases X2 3600+: Great budget processor for Media Centers

2006-10-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

AMD Has quietly released another Dual core processor aimed at competing with intels low end PentiumD line. Unfortunately for Intel, this Socket AM2 processor will run much cooler than anthing Intel will have to offer at the same price point. The X2 3600+ will run at 2.0GHz and have two 256KB L2 caches (one per core). At the moment it seems nearly impossible for one to get their hands on this processor due to unexpectedly high demand. We expect initial pricing to be in the $140 range and to quickly begin dropping down as low as $100-$120.

NVIDIA's Purevideo HD: More advanced than ever

2006-10-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Codec of choice for myself and many Media Center builder and professionals alike.

NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology
NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology is the combination of high-definition movie decode acceleration and post-processing, HDCP circuitry, and integration with HD movie players that delivers the ultimate high-definition movie experience on a PC.

Discrete, Programmable Video Processor
NVIDIA PureVideo is a discrete programmable processing core in NVIDIA GPUs that provides superb picture quality and ultra-smooth movies with low CPU utilization and power.

Hardware Decode Acceleration
Provides ultra-smooth playback of H.264, VC-1, WMV and MPEG-2 HD and SD movies.

Spatial-Temporal De-Interlacing
Sharpens HD and standard definition interlaced content on progressive displays, delivering a crisp, clear picture that rivals high-end home-theater systems.

High-Quality Scaling
Enlarges lower resolution movies and videos to HDTV resolutions, up to 1080i, while maintaining a clear, clean image. Also provides downscaling of videos, including high-definition, while preserving image detail.

Inverse Telecine (3:2 & 2:2 Pulldown Correction)
Recovers original film images from films-converted-to-video (DVDs, 1080i HD content), providing more accurate movie playback and superior picture quality.

Bad Edit Correction
When videos are edited after they have been converted from 24 to 25 or 30 frames, the edits can disrupt the normal 3:2 or 2:2 pulldown cadence. PureVideo uses advanced processing techniques to detect poor edits, recover the original content, and display perfect picture detail frame after frame for smooth, natural looking video.

Video Color Correction
NVIDIA's Color Correction Controls, such as Brightness, Contrast and Gamma Correction let you compensate for the different color characteristics of various RGB monitors and TVs ensuring movies are not too dark, overly bright, or washed out regardless of the video format or display type.

LCD Sharpening
Notebook LCD displays can exhibit “ghosting” effects because of the slow response time of liquid crystals. The LCD sharpening feature compensates for this slower response time by increasing color signals, thereby automatically reducing ghosting effects.

Integrated SD and HD TV Output
Provides world-class TV-out functionality via Composite, S-Video, Component, DVI, or HDMI connections. Supports resolutions up to 1080p depending on connection type and TV capability.

HDCP Circuitry
Designed to meet the output protection management (HDCP) and security specifications of the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats, allowing the playback of encrypted movie content on PCs when connected to HDCP-compliant displays.

HD Movie Player Integration
NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology powers the world's leading HD movie player software applications, providing the optimal HD DVD and Blu-ray movie experience.

Great Media Center card: XFX 7600GS

2006-10-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

This is the very card I use in my Media Center and have thusfar been pleased with it perfermance. The best part is it is passively cooled and supports NVIDIA's Purevideo HD.

Feed your Media Center the Best: HDVD and Blu-ray

2006-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

For those that are lucky enough to own either a HD DVD or Blue-ray drive, netflix is an excellent and inexpensive option to keep the HD flowing. The selection is slim at the moment but hey; its better than buying

Take a looks at their HD DVD section or the Blu-ray section

Sotware highlight of the day: MCE Tunes

2006-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Windows only: Windows Media Center plug-in MCE Tunes automatically syncs and plays your iTunes music library.

With a paid MCE Tunes upgrade you can play protected m4p tracks, which the developer says is completely legal because there's no decryption, no breaking of any DRM.

I haven't tested MCE Tunes yet, but I'm a huge fan of one of the company's other products: MyTV ToGo, which copies Media Center-recorded TV shows to various portable devices (including the iPod). MCE Tunes' free version supports MP3 and m4a tracks; a $29.99 license enables protected m4p file support, Windows only. — Rick Broida

Alienware Releases DHS A Series Media Center

2006-10-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Alienware's current intel barebone media center has been replaced by someinth much more impressive, The DHS A series. D2Audio®, developer of the world's only Intelligent Digital AmplifiersTM, today announced that Alienware® will enhance its newest all-in-one Media PC with home theater quality sound with a D2Audio amplifier. The all-in-one system combines a powerful AMD-based digital media platform with PC functionality and an AVR-class internal audio amplifier.The Alienware DHS A Series is an AMD LIVE!T full-featured media center computer powered by the award-winning AMD AthlonT 64x2 dual-core processor.

At the heart of the DHS A Series amplifier lays an advanced D2Audio Digital Audio EngineT (DAE-1) Class-D PWM controller with an integrated DSP.D2Audio is known for high quality sound and as the first digital amplifier company to meet THX Ultra2® performance levels.This D2Audio amplifier was specifically engineered for use inside digital media devices. Special care was devoted to dynamic thermal management, as well as to high-power and high-efficiency operation, insuring that the CPU power system is unaffected by the amplifier.These D2Audio features help the Alienware platform deliver superior sound quality through an immersive 100 Watts / 5.1 channel experience that consumers crave.

"The integration of the D2Audio Intelligent Digital Amplifier inside an Alienware AMD LIVE! media powered PC platform is very exciting for our consumers," said Frank Azor, Alienware Senior Vice-President and General Manager Worldwide Product Group. "Digital media devices are integrating deeper into consumer applications, and the sleek new DHS A Series all-in-one form factor will replace much bulkier alternatives, while still maintaining the audio quality that consumers have come to expect."

"With the new Alienware DHS A Series, consumers have a leading digital media platform combining the connectivity of a PC with the quality of an AVR-class amplifier, all-in-one slim case," said Brian Wong, chief executive officer and president of D2Audio."The industry has long predicted the convergence of the many boxes into one, we are very impressed to see this vision finally come to fruition with the Alienware DHS A Series."

The D2Audio DAE-1 amplifiers include a full complement of signal processing firmware that handles the digital audio data flows through the amplifier, as well as provides dynamic monitoring and control functions to protect digital media processor operation.This sophisticated systems level engineering delivers robust operation in a consumer electronics platform operating from the industry standard PC power supply. This scalable audio amplifier can be configured to deliver a range of power levels and channel counts.

About Alienware
Alienware offers unique and award-winning technology products that incorporate state-of-the-art components, innovative engineering and design, and unprecedented customer service. Alienware has been recognized by INC 500, won the Shoppers' Choice Award as the Best Performance Desktop by Computer Shopper's reader survey and received PC Magazine's Reader's Choice Award in its 18th Annual Reader Survey. In addition, the company recently earned a spot on PC World's list of the "25 Greatest PCs of All Time." Alienware systems are available direct within the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.alienware.com or call 1-800-ALIENWARE (254-3692).

About D2Audio Corporation
The D2Audio Corporation, developer of the world's only intelligent digital audio amplifiers, supplies a full line of cost-efficient, powerful, multi-channel platforms including ICs and firmware with market leading performance and superior sound quality for digital media applications in consumer, professional, and automotive industries.The patented D2Audio Intelligent Digital Amplifier technologies, now with D2Audio SoundSuiteT, deliver an immersive audio experience on the D2Audio® Digital Audio EngineT (DAE) IC platforms.For more information on D2Audio and its products, please visit www.d2audio.com.

source ehomeupgrade

HP shipping Wifi equipped MediaSmart HDTVs

2006-10-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Among the new devices announced at a press event Thursday night was the new SLC3760N 37 inch MediaSmart high-definition LCD TV, which includes wired and wireless connections for home content.

Both a mouthful to say and an innovative flat panel, this $2,199 big screen set is the only hi-definition consumer TV of its size to offer an integrated 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi radio along with standard Ethernet network connections.

Basically combing the streaming multimedia functions of today's digital audio receivers and popular hi-definition televisions, the MediaSmart also connects with PCs running HP's proprietary software. In a demo, for example, HP showed content being backed up to its newly-introduced Media Vault, then played back via the MediaSmart TV.

However, the display only contains a Wi-Fi radio and not a full-fledged router, so users will have to own another Wi-Fi connected device to allow it access to pre-recorded content.

The MediaSmart display accesses music, pictures and video residing on computer hard drives via wired or wireless network. Even better, the TV is replete with AV ports including an optical audio plus HDMI out for connecting directly to stereos and home theater receivers.

The MediaSmart is also a full-fledged HDTV boasting a resolution of 1366 by 768 capable of displaying hi-def programming in luscious 720p. You also get a remote and built-in HDTV tuner. Even more appealing, according to HP, the TV will natively support DivX movies along with a long line of other widely-used video file formats.

Slated to hit store shelves and online retailers immediately, expect the SLC3760N 37 inch MediaSmart High-Definition LCD TV to list for $2,199, HP said.

VBOX Cat’s Eye 164e

2006-10-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Overview
The Cat's Eye 164e is a revolutionary dual-channel hybrid HDTV
receiver. Its two tuners allow you to view one channel while recording
another, or simultaneously record two channels. Each tuner can
receive either HDTV (ATSC) or analog NTSC signals, for complete
flexibility.
The Cat's Eye 164e is optimized for high quality HDTV and
NTSC reception, and uses the PC's fast PCI Express bus. The
Cat's Eye 164e is easy to install and allows you to enjoy viewing TV
and advanced PVR capabilities of applications such as Microsoft
Windows® XP Media Center Edition.

Benefits
Watch, pause and automatically record HDTV and analog TV on
your computer. Turn your PC into a digital/analog PVR, and upgrade
your video library to digital media
View & Record Free-to-Air HDTV Channels: the Cat's Eye 164e
receiver supports ATSC audio & video to the highest quality &
resolution. It enables reception of HDTV programming in more places
across North America than ever before at zero cost!
View & Record Analog Broadcasts: The Cat's Eye 164 supports
standard NTSC broadcast alongside digital broadcast. It allows users
to view & record analog channels available off-the-air or from a set top
box.

Designed for Windows® XP Media Center Edition, support
future Microsoft Windows Vista Media center : The Cat's Eye
164e enables you to watch and record two HDTV and/or analog
channels on their Media PC running Microsoft Windows® XP Media
Center Edition It takes advantage of the Media Center Edition's
easy-to-use integrated digital entertainment interface, using a single
remote control! The Cat's Eye 164e together with the Media Center
Edition is an ideal combination for enjoying live and recorded
television, movies, music, photos, and radio broadcasts.
Support for Leading TV Applications: the Cat's Eye 164e works with
some of the popular Personal Video Recorder (PVR) applications

source VBOX

Processing Power and microsoft Windows Media Center Edition

2006-10-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

When I built my First MCE based nobody told the processing power that I would need to wath that gorgeous OTA HDTV signal. Being the cheapo I am i cheaped out bought a single core processor and Athlon 64 3700+ to be exact. it was not later that I noticed the CPU being puished to its fullest when viewing HDTV, making browsing the channel guide while viewting televsion nearly impossible. This was remedied by moving over to a dual core procesor. Right now intel's Core2Duo is king of the hill as far as performance goes, but for those of us who have an older motherboard that we dont want to do away with, a dual core AMD processor or a lower end pentiumD are great economical options.

LG Flatron M4200D 3-D 1080P HDTV

2006-10-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

The new Flatron M4200D from LG is a 42" LCD display that enables users to watch 3D images without the need for those pesky, nerdy-looking 3D goggles. Features of the Flatron M4200D includes a brightness level of 500cd/m2, an 8ms response time, a contrast ratio of 1,600 to 1, and a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. Just like how Doom tried to pass 2.5D as 3D before Quake came along, the M4200D looks like another futile exercise in bringing true-to-life images to the viewers.

Mirosoft Delays final release of Windows Media Player 11

2006-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Microsoft had initially said that the release version of their latest incarnation of Media Player, version 11, would be available for Windows XP SP2 users to download on Tuesday. But yesterday, the company admitted that the media player still had some bugs to work out and the final release would be set back for "a few additional days."

The player, which is available as a separate download for Windows XP SP2 and is bundled with Windows Vista, has many new features such as the integration with the MTV URGE music download service. Beta versions were first made available to the public back in May.

Personally, I think it's better to wait a bit longer before releasing WMP 11. The version I tried that came with Windows Vista RC1 had some annoying bugs, such as a hilarious glitch that for a time turned 90 percent of my albums into Pat Benatar discs.

source arstechnica

Post Acquisition by google: Youtube removes30,000 Videos

2006-10-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Long before Google swooped in to buy up YouTube there were questions about the video sharing site's future. In particular, concerns relating to copyright infringement have persisted: can YouTube be sued, will they be sued? Will a sanitized YouTube be interesting? The recent acquisition by Google all but ensures that the site will remain under the infringe-o-scope of copyright holders for the near future.

In the first major mass removal of content in its history, YouTube has removed nearly 30,000 videos after being contacted by a number of Japanese rights-holders, according to the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). The group says that its members found 29,549 videos on YouTube that contain unauthorized materials taken from Japanese sources, including movies, music videos, and television. Japanese broadcast giant NHK was among those seeking the removal of materials.

A spokesperson JASRAC said that they were also considering petitioning YouTube for a better screening process. Although YouTube is legally obligated to remove infringing material when notified, some copyright holders have expressed irritation at the notion that they need to police YouTube themselves.

The spokesperson also suggested that the number of videos to be removed is meant to send a message that this is not a minor problem. Although the DMCA provides safe harbor protections for YouTube inside the United States, rights holders are still concerned that the posting of unauthorized material could hurt their businesses even when they are vigilant and police a site like YouTube.

source arstechnica

AOPEN Launches Core 2 Duo XC Cube

2006-10-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

This little box Aopen has launched would make an decent and stylish Cube media Center. Dont underestimate it's size. Just check out the specs. For some odd reason they chose to put in an AGP slot as oppose to a PCI-E slot. And no DDR2 to boot. Bad design choices in my opinion.

SIZE/WxHxD(inch):	7.9(W)x7.3(H)x12.6(D)
SIZE/WxHxD(mm):	200(W)x190(H)x320(D)
Weight/Kg/Pound:	3.8kg / 8.4 pound (N.W.)
CHIPSET/CHIPSET:	SIS 661FX+964
Power Solutions/Power Solutions:	Four-phase voltage stabilization
MEMORY/DDR:	266/333/400
MEMORY/Max memory size:	2G
MEMORY/TYPE:	DDR x2
CPU/TYPE:	Socket T LGA775(Support Intel Dual Core, Pentium D, Celeron D, Pentium 4 )
CPU/FSB:	400/533/800
VGA/CHIPSET:	SIS 661FX OnDie
VGA/Port:	x1
CPU Thermal/CPU Thermal:	AOpen Proprietary
Slot/PCI:	x1(Max length 190mm)
Slot/AGP:	x1(AGP 8X) Max length 220mm
Slot/PCI Express x16:	None
Audio/TYPE:	AC97 5.1 CH
Audio/Line-In (Surround-Out L/R)*:	x1
Audio/Line-Out(Front-Out L/R)*:	x1
Audio/Mic-In(Central/Subwoofer out) *:	x1
Audio/Front Mic-In:	x1
Audio/Front Earphone-Out:	x1
S/PDIF/Optical-In:	x1
S/PDIF/Optical-Out:	x1
S/PDIF/Coaxial-Out:	x1
I/O Ports/LAN(RJ-45):	10/100
I/O Ports/ATA Connector:	ATA 133 x 2
I/O Ports/S-ATA Connector:	S-ATA x 2
I/O Ports/USB 2.0:	2(Rear)/2(Front)/4(On Board)
I/O Ports/IEEE 1394:	1(Rear)/2(Front 4pins and 6pins)
I/O Ports/VGA output Port 15 pins D-Sub:	x1
I/O Ports/PS2 Keyboard Port:	x1
I/O Ports/PS2 Mouse Port:	x1
I/O Ports/Parallel Port (Printer) 25 pins D-Sub:	x1
I/O Ports/Serial Port (COM) 9 pins D-Su:	x1
CHASSIS/5.25":	x1
CHASSIS/3.5" for FDD:	x1
CHASSIS/3.5" HDD bay:	x1
Power Supply/Power Supply:	PFC 275W(20 Pin W/8CM FAN)
Input Volotage/Input Volotage:	AC 100~240V
Temperature/Operating:	10 ~ 35℃
Temperature/Storage:	-10 ~ 48℃
Operating Humidity/Operating Humidity:	5 ~ 95%RH
Supported OS/Supported OS:	Windows XP/2000

XBOX Media Center 2.0 Released

2006-10-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

"Team-XBMC and The XBMC Project is proud to announce the release of XboxMediaCenter 2.0.0. XBox Media Center (XBMC) is an award winning, free and open source media player for the Xbox™ game-console. The XboxMediaCenter 2.0.0 point-release source code has now been set in our CVS. We consider that the current code in the XBMC CVS is as stable as a point-release should be. All XBMC users are highly encouraged to upgrade to this stable Xbox Media Center 2.0.0 point-release. Remember, the XBMC source code needs to be compiled with the XDK, and requires a modded Xbox to run. Our thanks goes out to everyone who has tested, reported bugs, and helped fix them in order to make this release possible.

There are many new features and functions that have been introduced since the 1.1.0 point-release, that we cannot list them all here. A few that are especially worth mentioning are; the enhanced GUI/skin-engine, the Project Mayhem III skin, DVD-Video menu/navigation support (with ISO/IMG image parsing), RAR/ZIP archive parsing, a new audio/music-player (PAPlayer) with crossfade, gapless playback and ReplayGain support, Karaoke CDG-file display, Xored Trainer Engine (gaming-cheats), XLink Kai (online-gaming) front-end, iTunes 6.x DAAP and UPnP-clients, and two surprise features; read-only support for FAT12/16/32 formatted USB Mass Storage Devices up to 4GB in size, and a brand new "skinnable" 3D visualizer.

For a full list of all features/functions and codecs/formats supported by XBMC please visit the "XBMC Features and Supported Formats/Codecs" page in our new online manual."

I personally have this wonderful piece of software running as the frontend on my XBOX and I can say it is the greatest thins g since sliced bread. If you dont have an an XBOX head over to ebay and pick one up

New Version of GBPVR released

2006-10-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

New GBPVR v0.98.13 available GBPVR is an excellent FREE windows based PVR and media center (or media centre if you prefer!) solution...

*whats new* 2006-9-20 v0.98.13
- Much improved ATSC HDTV support, including new channel scanning functionality. - Added ATSC QAM support (digital cable) for the OnAir USB HDTV GT device.
- Added support for ViXS based capture cards.
- Added support for new Hauppauge HVR3000/HVR4000 devices including DVB-T, DVB-S and software encoding analog. These devices have one tuner for DVB-S, and another for DVB-T/analog, so these two can be done at the same time. HVR1100/900 could also work in theory with this software encoding, but will require updates to direct.ini. To support the analog side of these devices, GB-PVR reuses several SoftPVR components, so this Hauppauge supplied software must have been installed.
- Fixed a bug that could cause an error stopping live tv with analog devices
- Minor improvement to DVB-T scanning
- Fixed a bug where the left arrow key was not successfully deleting a character when typing a freetext search in the search guide screen. Made things difficult on the MVP.
- Improvements to the DVB EPG option.
- WMV playback on the MVP now uses ffmpeg for transcoding instead of the old trans2mvp method
- Fixed a bug that could cause an error when stopping net radio playback when using 'VMR9 Custom' video renderer
- Integrated functionality for system sounds, much like that available previously in the BleepBloop plugin. Can be enabled/disabled in the Settings screen. Works with all remote types (MCE, Hauppauge, Direct Access etc). Not available on MVP.
- Fixed a bug with the built-in MCE2005 IR Blaster support
- Fixed a problem with learning the ASPECT key when using an USB-UIRT remote control.
- Improved volume control, including OSD graphics. (not for MVP - I have very little control over the volume on the MVP, and no way to determine what the volume is)
- Fixed a bug that could cause live tv to not exit cleanly on an MVP when the tuner needs to be used for a recording.
- Fixed a view bugs with the DVD player, and improved compatibility with DVD nagivators from Cyberlink, Intervideo etc.

Geforce 8800GTX: Overkill 3D but monster De-interlacing

2006-10-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

There will be two launch cards: the flagship GeForce 8800GTX and the less powerful GeForce 8800GTS. Both cards are expected to launch on the 8th of November, 2006. [3]
The GeForce 8800GTX measures just under eleven inches in length. The GeForce 8800GTS measures nine inches in length. Both cards have a dual-slot cooling solution.
Both cards will be HDCP compliant, support dual-link DVI, VIVO and HDTV outs.
The GeForce 8 Series will also support single-GPU x16 AA as well as 128-bit HDR.
It will be the first Direct3D 10 and Shader Model 4.0 card to be released.
The launch price of the 8800GTX will be $649 while the 8800GTS will initially cost $449-499.
Following the introduction of the flagship 8800 range, NVIDIA will introduce cheaper, slower versions of the card with one or more of the following reductions in capability: (a) reduced core clock speed; (b) reduced memory clock speed; (c) reduced memory bus width; (d) reduced pipeline count; (e) reduced chip count (if the 8800 is, in fact, a dual chip part); and / or (f) reduced complement of memory.

Find the Latest Deals on all the newest gadgets

2006-10-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

http://tech4cheap.blogspot.com/

Vista View Saber 2020 dual PCI-E MCE TV Tuner

2006-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Vista View ™ Saber 2020™ turns your computer into a dual PVR.The dual tuner gives you complete flexibility to watch and record TV. You can record all your favorite shows, watch them when you want to or record them to disc. You can record 2 shows simultaneously or watch one show live while you record the other.

• Watch one show while you record another. Watch two shows at once with PIP and POP

• Dual analog tuners - supports all standards - NTSC/PAL/SEC

• Dual FM-Tuners.

• Fast PCIe bus. Eliminates bus conflicts with other hardware.

• Hardware encoding with ViXS' XCode II video processor with 3D Comb filtering

• Easy installation of stable Microsoft® XP-MCE certified drivers.

• Microsoft Vista® capable.

• Low Profile PCIe, x1 board

• Includes SaberView™ viewer/recorder program and MPEG decoder software.

• Includes Power DVD® 6.0 software

• 2-S-Video and Stereo Inputs. 1 RF - TV input, 1 RF-Radio input.

• Encoding up to Full D1 quality (720x 480 NTSC, 720x576 PAL)

• FCC, CE, EN55020 Certified.

2006-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Recommended Gear of the Day:
Aopen's MP945-VXR Black MiniPC for microsot Windows MCE

Processor

Max supported processor qty: 1 (dual core)
Processor upgradability: Upgradable

RAM

RAM technology: DDR II SDRAM (1GB Maximum)

Video Output

TV tuner type: Not Included (optional NTSC/ATSC available)
Video output form factor: Integrated

Storage Hard Drive

Hard drive type: SATA 300(Not Included)

Interface Provided

Interface: 1 Display / DVI 1 Audio Line-out, 1 Audio Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T, 1 Audio Input, 1 Network, 2 Hi-Speed USB, 1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire), 1 Microphone, 1 Display / video
Connector Type: 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Mini-phone 3.5 mm, RJ-45, 4 pin USB Type A

Audio Output

Audio output form factor: Integrated Sound w/ SPDIF

Miscellaneous

Color: Black
Included accessories: Remote control

Networking

Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Networking: Network adapter Integrated

Dimensions & Weight

Depth: 6.5 in
Height: 2 in
Weight: 3.3 lbs
Width: 6.5 in

Bay Provided

Expansion bays: 1 (0 free) Front accessible 5.25" Slim Line, 1 (1 free) Internal 2.5"

Power Device

Nominal voltage: AC 120/230 V
Power device type: Power adapter
Power provided: 65 Watt

Video Memory

Video memory technology: Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0

Slot Provided

Slot provided: 1 (1 free) Processor SO DIMM 200-pin, 1 (1 free) Memory, 1 (1 free) Mini PCI

2006-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Recommended Gear of the Day:
Bluegears b-Enspirer DTS and dolby Digital Live on the fly encoding sound card. $109.95

Supports:

DTS® Interactive - a real-time 5.1 channel encoder that takes 2 or more channels and encodes them into a DTS bit stream
DTS® NeoPC - an up-mix matrix that turns any 2 channel audio into 7.1 channel surround sound
Dolby® Digital Live(AC-3) real time 5.1 channel encoding bit-stream to facilitate the connection with CE AV receiver
Dolby® Pro-Logic IIx surround processor, spreading stereo audio into 7.1 channel surround sound
Renowned Dolby® Headphone technology, conveying 5.1 surround and 3D gaming audio over stereo headphones
The latest Dolby® Virtual Speaker solution, creating amazing virtual surround sound from a generic two-speaker configuration
C-Media FlexBass™ - configurable LFE channel crossover frequency(from 50 to 250Hz)
C-Media Magic Voice™, a popular feature for disguising voice in online chatting
C-Media Xear3D™ 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter technology
C-Media's unique Karaoke functions: Microphone Echo, Key-shifting
Individual 10-band EQ for each channel
27 global reverberation environments
Play 3D demo program
SPDIF In
SPDIF Out
Supports most industrial standards of 3D sound for PC gaming, including EAX™ 1.0&2.0, A3D™ 1.0 and DirectSound™
Supports 7.1 CH digital audio playback for WinXP, 2K, ME, 98SE(Microsoft® DirectX V.9.0 and above is required.)