Gizmodo: Media Center

aTV Media Center Hack for Apple TV is Back, Now With GUI Installer and Support For USB Drives

John Mahoney — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT

After disappearing for a while due to a fair use scuff-up, the aTV software that helps turn the Apple TV into the media center it should have been is now back and freshly updated. Big new features are a GUI installer for loading the hack onto a USB stick, eliminating the messy command line work that used to be required, and support for external USB devices for connecting a bigger hard drive or NAS for more storage, on top of everything else this nifty unofficial upgrade does for your Apple TV.

Mplayer codecs mean you can handle just about every file format you can find (including uncompressed VIDEO_TS rips). Other add-ons include the Sapphire media organizer, a WebKit browser, game emulators, the ability to FTP into your box to avoid iTunes and more, all without blocking any of the out-of-the-box functions. Not bad at all for $60. [aTV via 43 Folders]

OS X Media Application CenterStage Merges With Plex

Matt Hickey — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:30:00 EDT

CenterStage, the great Media Center-like UI for OS X, has merged with the Plex project, an alternative interface in hopes of creating a de facto product for any Mac user looking for more functionality that Apple TV currently affords. The application can play back many formats the Apple TV, and even iTunes, can't, like XviD, AVI, Video_TS, and others, straight through your HDTV. It also has additional features like streaming Internet radio and built-in game emulators. The excellent Plex UI will mix with what CenterStage already has built, the end result being a universal application for Mac-centric Media Centers that's easy to use. Check out the new UI demo and screen shots after the jump. [CenterStage]

Windows Media Center Update Might Get Partner Later In the Year

Matt Hickey — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Windows Media Center still isn't what Microsoft wants it to be, but it has its fans, and its getting an update this month that they've been waiting for. Word is coming down, though, that this update isn't the one the users are lusting after, the one with H.264 and DirectTV tuner support. Instead it's a minor upgrade that adds things like international support. But fret not, users, as now it seems like there's another rumor flying around about another update later in the year which will add many requested features. Patience, my fellow home theater nerds, we'll get our updates. [EngadgetHD]

OSXBMC Called "Plex" (And Looking Hotter Than Ever)

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:59:00 EDT

An independent Mac fork of XBMC (formerly Xbox Media Center)—a lauded cross-platform solution for streaming media—has just gotten a neat new name: "Plex." (That's short for "cineplex.") But we know how it is. You use Front Row and think it's great. Before you go back into your Apple shell, check out this Aeon skin for Plex (it also works for all other XBMC versions). Currently in alpha release, it features a fluid wallpaper effect á la iPod coupled with the simplicity of Delicious Library's shelf organization. Our own Brian Lam said to me, "I've never seen a Media Center UI look so nice." I have to agree. (Well, I actually do agree. But I think that I have to agree, too.) Here's a massive gallery of shots from Plex running Aeon:

[Plex and Aeon via Crunchgear]

Ovei is $100,000 Isolation Chamber for Gadgety Privacy

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:01:00 EDT

Sometimes you just want to shut the world out and tackle the next level of your fave game, don't you? The Ovei isolation pod, launched this week in the UK, will let you do just that. For the sum of $100,000. And before you fall about laughing, that cash will get you a unique capsule, designed by Lee McCormack and made by Mclaren Applied Technologies (the Formula 1 guys, yes). It's custom-built exactly how you want: media center, gaming rig, interior and exterior...the sort of bespoke stuff you'd expect for 100 grand. The rest of us will have to settle for the traditional laptop-under the duvet, earphones jammed-in isolation when the house is too noisy. [PocketLint via Born Rich]

Media Center Remote Control Gets Elegant: Amex RM-MP1

Kit Eaton — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:43:14 EDT

Amex's new RM-MP1 Media remote is designed to work with your Windows Media Center system and also to run your presentations in a business setting...and it's rather elegant, compared to some of the offerings out there. That simple design conceals a touchpad mouse, laser pointer, multimedia controls and it functions via a wireless USB dongle. It's just 4 x 1.5 x 0.5 inches in size, and comes in black or white. No info on pricing or availability yet. [Akihabaranews]

Microsoft Will Totally Bork Your Media Center DVR If NBC (or Anyone) Asks It To

matt buchanan — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:40:00 EDT

Last week, courtesy of NBC, people with a Windows Media Center DVR setup got a rude reminder that broadcasters can flip a switch (called a broadcast flag) to tell DVRs not to record a show. Here's the thing: Honoring the flag is actually optional for software and hardware makers, after courts smacked down the FCC proposal to make them mandatory. But Microsoft has confirmed that they do whatever the broadcaster tells them, again, even though they don't have to. NBC hasn't confirmed yet whether or not the American Gladiators flag was intentional, but their history doesn't give me a fuzzy feeling. Update: NBC says it was an accident.

Hug your DVRs, people, because while NBC might be the most anal network about how people watch its shows (very likely because it's last place in ratings), they may very well be just the first to use broadcast flags this way (CBS would probably be the last, they're oddly the most forward-thinking network on the digital front). While the broadcast flag was conceptualized to protect premium and PPV content, it could increasingly be used to protect marquis shows like Heroes, to force you to view them on NBC's terms, like at NBC.com. Why? Ad dollars.

But while it's expected for networks to act like this, it's sad that Microsoft is effectively choosing content producers over consumers, when it doesn't have to, and as the EFF points out, "the only way customers know what Microsoft has agreed to is when the technology they've bought suddenly stops working." And that's just wrong. [Cnet via Slashdot]

Geneva Lab's Shiny New Media Center Has iPod Dock, Unsurprisingly

Elaine Chow — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:30:00 EDT

The guys over at Apartment Therapy Unplugged spotted a pretty sweet media center that'll be coming soon to a living room near you. Made by Geneva Lab, a company known for its high-end iPod speaker docks, the new cabinet system includes four midrange 5.5-inch speakers, two tweeters, a 12-inch subwoofer, a cabinet to hold A/V components, and (of course) a dock for everybody's favorite MP3 player. It's expected to hit stores in late Fall 2008, and will cost $3,500. More pics after the jump.

[Apartment Therapy Unplugged]

Media Center's Do Not Record Broadcast Flag Is Still Alive

Jason Chen — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Recently, some Windows Media Center owners were blocked from recording American Gladiators and Medium because of an incorrectly set broadcast flag from NBC. What's the deal here? The broadcasters (NBC, ABC, HBO) can turn on a flag in their data stream that tells whatever DVR machine on your end that it's NOT alright to record a show, protecting Pay-Per-View or premium channel content from being archived. This has actually been around for years.

Microsoft's had this ability in Media Center to prevent specific shows from being recorded for a while, and the last time there was an error was a few years back during an episode of the Simpsons. It's not something broadcasters usually do. This also isn't a unique thing to Microsoft—TiVo has something similar but not quite as severe—it does illustrate the fact that if the providers wanted to, they could shut down your Media Center DVR right now and you couldn't do much about it. [JustinJas via Ars Technica]

Amex Digital's iMON HD Mobile Media Center Also Controls Your PC

Kit Eaton — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:58:22 EDT

Amex Digital's iMON HD seems a pretty unusual beast: it's a "portable media center" that acts as an IR receiver to control your PC, and also has a built-in VFD screen. This can display an equalizer or streams of useful info, like weather reports, news, your email and so on— a little like a low-graphics Chumby perhaps? There's not much more info than this, so we can tell you it supports Windows Vista Media center, it'll come in black and white colors and has a remote controller, and that's about it. [Akihabaranews]

Watch Netflix Downloads On Your Xbox 360

Brian Lam — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:19:04 EDT

By installing the vmcNetflix plug-in to a Vista Premium Media Center computer, you can watch streamed Netflix content on an Xbox 360. It's buggy, but it's a lot better than watching Netflix on a laptop screen. (Providing you have Netflix, an Xbox 360 and a Vista Media Center.) Maybe Netflix should open up streaming to lots of devices, not just windows PCs as of today. I know Mac support is coming, but combining wide support for their online services with disc delivery, it could be a pretty sweet hybrid of the old and new. Video demo post jump. [vmcNetflix via Hacking Netflix and Thomas Hawk, thanks Mike]

Vista Media Center Supporting BBC iPlayer (Unofficially)

Mark Wilson — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

For those living in the UK, the BBC iPlayer is a pretty fantastic VOD service with one drawback: you have to watch shows in-browser. Now one philanthropist coder has written a Vista Media Center interface for the iPlayer. So you can view BBC content on your TV without the PS3 and Wii workarounds, or, at the very least, break free of your browser's annoying viewing restrictions. It's a free download, so all you Doctor Who fanatics should have plenty of cash left over for living-room-destroying merchandise. [Milliesoft via eHomeUpgrade]

HP MediaSmart SL4278N and SL4778N Get Media Extender Update

Mark Wilson — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:35:00 EDT

If you own an HP MediaSmart television, you can now download a firmware update that brings the Media Center support you've been waiting for. Go for, rejoice, etc.

HP Upgrades the Digital Entertainment Experience with Industry's First Integration of HDTVs and Media Center Extender
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 17, 2008 - HP today announced it is the first company to release Microsoft's Media Center Extender capability to an Internet-connected TV.

With the capability, people using HP MediaSmart TVs not only get access to rich content from the Internet(1) but they also can enjoy their own digital treasures from their home PCs on a big screen high-definition TV (HDTV).

Extender for Windows® Media Center enables MediaSmart TV owners using PCs with Windows Vista(TM) Home Premium or Ultimate to go beyond simply watching TV to enjoy pictures, music, videos as well as a world of online services and on-demand TV.(2)

The capability will be included on all new HP MediaSmart TVs and provided automatically to owners of second-generation MediaSmart TVs. Extender for Windows Media Center also will be included in HP's upcoming digital media receiver - the MediaSmart Connect - which is planned to be released later this year and will make any HDTV "MediaSmart."

HP MediaSmart TVs combine 1,080p clarity and advanced wireless technology to provide a stunning, high-definition(3) LCD TV experience for viewing photos, listening to music or watching video on demand. MediaSmart TVs find digital media whether it is stored on a notebook across the room or a desktop in a home office(4) and brings it together in the MediaSmart TV interface for playback using a TV remote control.

Additionally, using HP's MediaSmart interface, consumers can rent or purchase thousands of movies from CinemaNow, share and purchase photos from Snapfish, discover new Internet radio stations from Live365, or access personal content from multiple Windows XP or Windows Vista-based PCs or devices such as the HP MediaSmart Server or HP Media Vault.

"Consumers everywhere want new ways to discover, enjoy and share digital entertainment and HP is making this opportunity real," said Carlos Montalvo, vice president of marketing and services, Connected Entertainment Business, HP. "With the ability to use a premium HDTV to easily access on-demand web and personal media from any PC in the home, there's never been a more fun time to hang out in the living room with friends and family."

Since Extender for Windows Media Center is built into HP MediaSmart TVs, there is no need to hook a PC up to the TV: The TV brings the content from Windows Media Center over a wired or wireless network directly to the screen. It also brings a bevy of new content from movie services such as Starz, Vongo and MovieLink and up-to-the-minute sports information from FOX Sports.

Windows Media Center also features the Internet TV Beta, which brings more than 100 hours of video from MSN, including new shows from providers such as: A&E, Bio, CNBC, DIY, Fine Living, Food Network, FOX Sports, Happy Tree Friends, HGTV, History Channel, iFilm, JibJab, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC News and StupidVideos.

"As the first manufacturer to integrate Extender for Windows Media Center into a TV, HP is leading the way in whole-home digital entertainment powered by Windows Media Center," said Ron Pessner, general manager, Connected TV division, Microsoft. "Consumers can easily enjoy movies, music, pictures, online services or even live and recorded TV by using a remote control with the Windows Media Center user interface."

HP MediaSmart TVs offer three HDMI ports, wired and wireless (802.11 A, B, G(5) and dual-band draft N)(6) network connectivity and support for other UPnP- and DLNA-compliant devices.

Making it easy for the whole family to enjoy photos and videos together in front of a big-screen TV, HP MediaSmart TVs support a wide range of video and audio formats, including: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG; MPEG, XVID, DVR-MS, WMV and AVI; MP3, WMA, WMA Pro and AAC (unprotected).

The firmware upgrade is now available directly on Internet-connected HP MediaSmart TV model numbers SL4278N and SL4778N. Windows Media Center is available on Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate-based PCs.

EZ Commander Media Center Remote Features Trackball, 1980s Beige Color Scheme

Jason Chen — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Ignoring the retro styling of this EZ Commander remote, it's got one remarkable feature that makes the whole five-buck-design worthwhile: a trackball. Even though trackballs went out of style for most computer users (some die hards still swear by them) they make plenty of sense to use with a remote, so you can mouse around the screen without having to actually use a mouse. It's too bad that it costs $80, which is a good $50 more than standard Media Center remotes go for these days. [Think Geek via Gadgettastic via DVice]

Windows Media Center Universal Remote IR Quirks Fixed

Jason Chen — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:15:26 EDT

Windows Media Center users who use universal remotes—not the default Microsoft IR remotes—have run into a quirk where only some button presses register. Here's the deal: media center receivers expect to see an alternating IR code for functions like channel changing or volume switches in order to eliminate IR "bounce," which is apparently caused by IR signals bouncing off stuff and hitting the receiver twice. In order to turn this off and fix the problem for universal remotes that don't support the alternating IR codes, just change a registry entry and you're done. Hit up CEPro for more details. [CEPro]

Show Off Your TV, Audio-Video Gear's Beauty: Frame it

Kit Eaton — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:27:46 EDT

With flat-screen TVs becoming more elegant and less "boring black box," perhaps we're ready for the kind of Pimp My Lounge styling that Vismara Design's Media Center frames offer. Turning your TV and audio-video system into a sort of giant art installation-cum-digital picture frame, they're available now in baroque or art deco styles, in silver and gold. There's even a matching DVD shelf available. Awesome, I say. Now I just have to buy a TV worthy of framing. And a bigger apartment. And probably win the lottery to pay for it, though we don't know exactly how much these cost. [Trendir]

Niveus Upgrades Media Storage Servers to 2, 4TB

Jason Chen — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:15:49 EST

The high end (read: super expensive) Niveus Storage Server and Storage Server Pro doesn't just act as a file dump for your movies—any network attached storage can do that—it interfaces with much of your networked media equipment as well.

Here are the key features:

Available in a 2TB or 4TB modular design Audio/Video Form Factor with Rack-Mount Option Reflection™ Data Mirroring for auto updating remote server(s) with master server uPnP Media Server for playback of media content via UPnP-compatible devices Easy-to-use interface via Niveus Client PC Software Access media from anywhere on the home network Always-on operation Automatic Backup; Digital Media & Documents Advanced File Searching: Database Indexing, Meta Data Lookup Unique Family Member Login Individual Remote Access via Secure Login Silent Operation - fanless & anti-vibration technology throughout Low Power Consumption Software Feature & Security Updates via Internet Download RAID 0 or RAID 5

And as you've seen before, Niveus does high quality, high-end media center stuff, so if you're one of those people (rare, even among Gizmodo readers) that can only get the most expensive choices for their home entertainment system, here's something for you. it's $2999 for the 2TB and $5999 for the 4TB Pro. Not for the poor among us. [Niveus]

MyNetflix Media Center Plug-In Turns Your PC Into a True Netflix Box

matt buchanan — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:35:14 EST

Anthony Park's MyNetflix plug-in for Vista Media Center is an awesome little add-on that lets you do pretty much anything you want with Netflix from within MC.

You can add or subtract movies from your queue, sort through your history and recs, browse top movies by genre, etc., and here's the killer part: Browse and play "Watch Now" streams (especially since they're all-you-can-eat.) It's in public beta, so it might have a few rough spots, but he wants the feedback, so be sure to check it out if you've got a Netflix account and a Vista box. [Anthony Park via Chris Lanier via Engadget]

Xbox Media Center Comes to Macs

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:05:51 EST

Xbox Media Center, which was originally a media center for some console whose name we can't remember, has finally come to Macs. Why would you need this when FrontRow or other media centers work just fine natively? As the XBMC team (and loyal fans) can attest to, the codec support, usability and functionality is higher than even the Xbox 360 when it comes to playing back downloaded content. 9 to 5 Mac has an interview with one of the developers on the 0.1 version. [9to5mac]

DirecTV PC Tuner Photos Surface Online

Adrian Covert — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:23:47 EST

Scans of DirecTV's PC Tuner showed up on the DBStalk forums. The tuner supposedly has two coaxial inputs, one USB output, Ethernet and USB inputs, Vista Media Center support and a DVR interface that uses your PC's HDD. No word on whether the tuner is HD or SD, but If this is the real deal, it looks promising. [DBStalk Forums]

Lightning Review: Linksys 2200 HD Media Center Extender

Jason Chen — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:01:00 EST

The Gadget: Linksys' slightly fancier Windows Media Center Extender, which streams the Windows Vista/XP Media Center interface over the network so you can watch live or recorded TV and downloaded files on TV in HD.

The Price: $299

The Performance: Fantastic. We were able to stream live 1080i over-the-air (OTA) HDTV with no glitches for the most part, and whatever glitches we did see were due to the fact that OTA reception in our area isn't great and we had a small antenna. But when we watched pre-recorded content in both 720p and 1080p, there were zero glitches or dropouts. We tested this both with the wired internet and the Wireless 802.11N network via Linksys's WRT600N Router, and it was super smooth even over Wi-Fi.

Its DVD playback was fine, and is convenient if you want to use this in a spare guest room or a bedroom to stream HDTV off off without hooking up HDTV connections or getting another DVR. The DVD is just a bonus. Also, this extender handles XviD files (but not DivX), meaning you can grab TV shows you missed off of BitTorrent and watch them as well, without having to transcode anything.

The Verdict: Did the extender do everything it promised to do and do it well? Definitely. Streaming perfect HD over 802.11n Wi-Fi isn't a small feat, and doing so when supporting XviD and DVD playback is impressive as well. But is it worth $299 when you can get an Xbox 360 that does pretty much the same thing for the same price? Yes, if you want 802.11n Wi-Fi streaming and XviD playback inside the Media Center interface. If not, then you're better off getting an Xbox 360 and getting gaming out of the deal as well.

Sony VAIO TP Media Center PC Features Dual CableCARD Configuration

Adrian Covert — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:30:01 EST

The Sony VAIO TP-25 one ups last year's media center offerings with a dual CableCARD PC, while adding 500 GB of storage (good for 50 hours recording), a BD-ROM drive and a 2.1 GHz T8100 Penryn processor for $3000. The non-CableCARD TP-20 can also be had for $1600.

SONY'S WELL-ROUNDED HOME THEATER PC GOES HIGH-DEF
LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #14200), Jan. 6, 2008 ⎯ Sony today introduced a new high-definition version of its stunning, spherical digital living system— the VAIO® TP Home Theater PC.
A unique approach to the home PC design, the new model's round chassis serves as an entire entertainment center, where you can watch and record analog, digital and cable TV, including premium HD channels (CableCARD™ required). It can also access the Internet so you can play back online TV programming on a compatible big-screen television.
The VAIO HTPC comes in both a standard and a premium configuration. Both versions feature a Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive to enjoy high-definition movies. The premium model comes with two external CableCARD compatible TV tuners so you can view and record two HD television programs simultaneously.
With built-in DVR functionality, each unit can record up to 50 hours of HD television programming and pause and rewind live TV for on-demand playback.
Engineered to be easy to use, the models connect to compatible high-definition televisions via an included HDMI™ cable for playback in full HD 1080 resolution through a single cable. And with integrated BRAVIA® Sync™ technology, based on HDMI-CEC functionality, you can power on connected devices, at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for multiple remote controls (on certain BRAVIA HDTV models only).
-more-
"We're defining the digital home by integrating the latest HD technologies into a one-of-a-kind showpiece," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing at Sony Electronics. "This new unit will revolutionize the way you watch TV, allowing you to turn your entertainment center into an eye-popping, high-definition media hub."
Designed to Compliment Any Home
The console's small, circular shape is engineered to fit into areas of the house not typically known for having a PC, such as the living room, without the added network cables. With its built-in wireless LAN technology and a wireless router, it can be positioned virtually anywhere in the house and still access your home network.
The model also comes with a remote control and a matching, wireless keyboard ergonomically designed to fit on your lap so you can surf the Web from the comfort of your couch without the restraint of tangled cords.
Power of the PC for Your Living Room
The unit is equipped with a powerful Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T8100, allowing for high performance while maintaining a smaller, cooler form factor— making it ideal for a living room setting. It also employs the Windows Vista® Home Premium operating system, discrete graphics and a half-terabyte hard drive.
The VAIO TP Home Theater PC standard model, available in polar white, will start at about $1,600, while the premium model, available in piano black, will go for around $3,000. Both will be available online at HYPERLINK "http://www.sony.com/pr/tphd" www.sony.com/pr/tphd and sold at Sony Style stores and select retailers around the country starting later this month.

Niveus's Sierra Windows Media Centers Goes Intro-Level for Home Builders

Jason Chen — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:56:39 EST

Branching out from their full-featured (read: Expensive) Media Centers, Niveus is introducing a Sierra Edition Media Server, which is also designed for the home-builder market. The Sierra, which is half the size of their normal units, also consumes "low power" and uses an HD DVD drive, 500GB storage, a GeForce "Series 8", and 1080p streaming. It'll be available in Q1 2008 for "volume integrators", which means people who will be installing them in homes or other markets which you probably don't qualify for buying this for yourself.

Niveus EDGE Media Center Extender Ships Now

Jason Chen — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:36:06 EST

Our friends at Niveus, whose EDGE media center extender was already seen back in September, tell us that the unit is finally shipping. It's the first Windows MCE unit to receive the ISF Video Quality Certification, but does what other extenders do—stream live and recorded video, plus pictures, plus music from your Windows Vista or XP computer with Media Center. We got hands on with their Media Centers last year.

HP MediaSmart SL4282N and SL4782N HDTV with Media Center Inside

Brian Lam — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:23:09 EST

The Skinny: MediaSmart 1080p LCD TVs are coming of age—both the $1,900 42" and the $2,400 47" will have built-in Microsoft Media Center Extender connectivity and an improved higher-contrast panel (2000:1). They have 3 HDMI ports, 2 component inputs, integrated Wi-Fi in A, B, G, and N flavors and Ethernet. Has ATSC and QAM Tuners and 500cd of brightness.
One catch: Though you can rent movies without your PC, the PC still needs to be running, and there's a bit of a delay.

Linksys DMA 2100/2200 Media Center Extenders Shipping Now

Jason Chen — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:01:28 EST

Those Media Center Extenders we told you about back in September (the ones that support DivX, XviD and WMV HD) are finally shipping now. Dell has both the Linksys DMA 2100 and 2200s up for sale, but a reader tells us that his 2100 doesn't actually work with DivX or XviD, and the manual makes no mention of this. It could be user error on his part. Anyone have any experience with it?

Update: The 2200 looks like it's not shipping quite yet (1-2 weeks), but the 2100 is.

Update 2: Turns out the Linksys systems only support XviD and not DivX. [2100 via 2200]

Afternoon News: HP and Compaq Laptops May Brick, Comcast and DirecTV Have a Catfight, I Weep For My Home Town and More

Benny Goldman — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:59:00 EST

• A security researcher published code that is capable of ~~bricking~~ corrupting Windows boot sectors on most HP and Compaq laptops. That doesn't sound too good. [Slashdot]
• Microsoft continues to rename everything in sight, this time folding IPTV, HD DVD, and Media Center into one group called Connected TV. [News.com]
• Comcast settled a lawsuit with DirecTV about the latter's hissy fit over an ad campaign last spring. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but from the sound of it, Comcast came out on top. However, when anything involves these two companies, does anyone really come out on top? [Ars Technica]
• THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LOSE!!!...At a chance to show their last game to Time Warner Cable customers after TWC would not agree to binding arbitration with the NFL. Gotcha! [Consumerist]
• Finally, stepping out of the gadget world for a second, here's something that happened in my home city of Detroit. A bus driver transporting special needs students was arrested for soliciting an undercover cop for prostitution at 7 in the morning! It's funny because it's tragic! [Detroit News]

DirectTV-Enabled Media Centers Still Coming, Says Microsoft Job Listing

Jason Chen — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:34:29 EST

Chris Lanier, Media Center fan, has just found a couple job postings by Microsoft that point to an long-delayed introduction of DirecTV support in their Media Centers. The job postings point to Pay-Per-View access, HD in H.264, two-way communications to and from the satellite, and integration with both US and European satellite systems. The one note that Chris adds is that the Xbox 360 Extender will need to get another H.264 update in order to comply with the DTV's standards before this whole tuner business ships. [Chris Lanier's Blog]

Dell Reintroduces CableCARDs on XPS 420s

Jason Chen — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:40:44 EST

We've been keeping an eye on Dell's discontinued CableCARD systems since they first introduced them on the XPS 410s because they were a relatively cheap way to get HD recording on a reasonably-priced desktop. Well, fantastic news! Chris Lanier says that Dell's reintroduced the CableCARD option on their XPS 420s, which you can customize and get out the door starting at about a thousand bucks. According to Dell, this is a "functional upgrade to the platform", which means you'll be able to get the CableCARD on this line for the foreseeable future. Sounds like a cheap alternative to our set-top-box wishlist item. [Dell via Chris Lanier]

HP MediaSmart TVs To Become Media Center Extenders

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:23:24 EDT

HP announced today at DigitalLife that its 42" and 47" MediaSmart TVs, with dual-band 802.11n, would be upgraded to be fully functioning Windows Media Center Extenders in early 2008.

Niveus EDGE Media Center Extender Does 1080p, is Whisper Quiet, But No Wireless N

Brian Lam — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:58:46 EDT

The fourth and final MCE extender is by niveus is the best looking, has 3 USB ports which is two more than what you probably need for thumbdrive playback, and best of all passive cooling. The passive cooling, if it is like the type in the full sized Niveus Media Center PCs, it uses heatpipes that go from processor blocks to the finned, aluminum case that acts like a giant heatsink. It does not, unfortunately, have any wireless capabilities. At least it's 1080p. [Niveus]

Microsoft Presides Over Linksys, D-Link and Niveus Media Center Unveilings, Debuts Internet TV Beta

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:01:45 EDT

Later today at DigitalLife, Microsoft's Windows Media Center chief Joe Belfiore will demo the new Media Center Extenders you're just now hearing about, including the Linksys DMA2200 and DMA2100, and the D-Link DSM-750 MediaLounge Media Player. Another one he'll show off is the Niveus Media Extender, which we'll cover in more depth tomorrow.

Microsoft will also introduce a new Internet TV service for all Vista Home Premium and Ultimate users: starting this Friday, those customers will find the option in their Media Center interface, and can use it to get a range of video programming without the need for a TV tuner. Check out more details on that and the MCEs in the press release below:

Microsoft Unveils Extenders for Windows Media Center and Internet TV Beta - Connected Entertainment Comes Home for the Holidays New devices from Cisco's Linksys division, D-Link and Niveus Media deliver new video formats, form factors and HD TV over wireless home networks; Internet TV Beta debuts with more than one hundred hours of free full-screen video
NEW YORK — Sept. 27, 2007, 12:01 AM EST — Today at DigitalLife, Microsoft joined initial launch partners in revealing highly anticipated details on new Extenders for Windows® Media Center. These devices, which are expected to be available for purchase this holiday season, will allow easy access to premium cable, high-definition TV, popular video formats including DiVX, music, paid movies, photos and more from any TV in the house, with a wired or wireless network connection. People can even pause a recorded show in one room, and then resume it from the same moment in another room. Adding to the wealth of content available on Windows Vista Media Center PCs, Microsoft launched a beta test of Windows Media Center Internet TV, which will offer more than one hundred hours of ad-supported entertainment from MSN Video, including full-length shows, music concerts and movie trailers.

"These new extenders bring the Media Center experience on a Windows Vista PC to any TV around the house in full HD over a standard wired or wireless home network connection," said Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, eHome division at Microsoft. "We are excited to show consumers how easily they can enjoy their digital lifestyle around their house with any of the new sleek looking and quiet Extenders from our launch partners."

New devices build a wireless entertainment bridge throughout the home

The Cisco/Linksys DMA2200 Digital Media Center Extender with DVD Player is an elegant solution integrating an upscaling DVD/ CD player with wireless Extender for Windows Media Center in a single box, letting people reduce clutter while still having easy access to their HD television content with 5.1 audio, using just one remote control. Linksys will also offer the DMA2100 Digital Media Center Extender, which delivers all the appealing features of Extender for Windows Media Center in a compact wireless device. Both products support dual-band draft Wireless-N networking for high quality video and the utmost in convenience. Both devices will support WMV, DivX and XVid formats and are expected to be available for consumers in the US before the end of the year. Pricing has not yet been announced.

The D-Link DSM-750® MediaLounge® Media Player is housed in a sleek 17-inch black aluminum chassis, and connects to the home network using Ethernet or dual-band draft Wireless-N networking to make it easy to enjoy the Windows Media Center experience with friends and family on a home entertainment center. The player will support WMV, DivX, and XVid formats and the DSM-750 includes a USB 2.0 port for instant access to music, photos and videos stored on removable USB flash drives or hard drives.

Designed for the high-end home theater enthusiast, the Niveus Media Extender offers a high fidelity experience, uncompromised 1080p video, digital audio, and the same amazing 3D user interface found on the award-winning Niveus Media Center. Additionally, the Niveus Media Extender features the proprietary Niveus Glacier™ Passive Cooling system for cool and quiet performance and a sleek and stylish A/V form-factor.

Windows Media Center Internet TV Beta Launches

On Friday morning, September 28, 2007, United States users of Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition will find a new feature inside Media Center - the beta release of Internet TV. This new feature will allow people to enjoy a range of television and video content on their PCs and TV sets, without the need of a TV tuner in their PC. This streaming video content will be supported by advertising technology provided by YuMe Networks, and will be available to viewers for free.*

The content available in Internet TV comes from MSN Video, with more than 100 hours available during the beta period, including:

· Full episodes of TV shows such as the critically acclaimed "Arrested Development."

· Full-length music concerts including Chris Cornell, Snoop Dogg, Elton John, Pink, John Mayer, The Pussycat Dolls and many more.

· High quality movie trailers from major movie studios

· The latest news segments from MSNBC

· Sports clips from FOX Sports Television

Internet TV has been designed for both the TV and PC screen, and features high quality video optimized for broadband streaming. Viewers can enjoy these high quality videos on Media Center Extender devices, including Xbox 360, as well as Windows Vista Media Center PCs.

Extend Your Digital Entertainment to the Whole Home

Watching a recorded TV show in the living room, pausing it, and then quickly resuming it from the bedroom or kitchen will soon become even easier with these new low-heat, quiet, home-theater designed devices. Extenders for Windows Media Center support streaming live high-definition TV, including premium cable channels in the US, along with formats such as Windows Media HD. The D-Link and Linksys devices add built-in support for dual band Wireless-N networking and expanded support for popular video formats such as DivX, XVid and H.264. These devices allow people to almost instantly start enjoying their entertainment - there's no need for a built-in hard-drive to cache the video before viewing.

New Extender devices are expected to be available this holiday season, and will unleash photos, music, videos, live and recorded TV from PCs with Windows Vista Media Center for viewing and listening on big-screen TV displays or standard definition TVs - delivering the ultimate entertainment solution with a wide range of flexibility - ready for today and the future.

These Extenders will lead the industry in supporting the ability to send protected HD content to additional rooms, including recorded TV from over-the-air Advanced Television Systems Committee or Digital Cable Tuners. Extenders also support on-demand broadband content from Media Center Online Media partners such as up-to-date sports reports from FOXSports.com, kids programming from Nickelodeon, downloadable TV episodes from Showtime Networks, and subscription movies on demand from Starz VONGO, along with support for a wealth of 3rd-party plug-in applications.

More information on new Extenders for Windows Media Center is available at http://www.windowsvista.com/extender

Hands On New Cisco Linksys Wireless-N Media Center Extenders (Plus: Some Tasty New N-Friendly Toys)

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:01:00 EDT

You may have heard about the new Media Center Extenders from Cisco's Linksys division. The DMA2200 shown above is a high-def MCE with 1080p-upscaling DVD player and Dual-Band Wireless-N, priced at $350. The smaller $300 DMA2100 MCE is geared for bedrooms and kitchens, places where you're going to want less clutter, though to be honest, the built-in DVD player is quite the clutter-reducer all by itself.

Both MCE devices require Vista-based Media Center PCs, which means nearly every PC running Vista. One of the best things about the new interface, which looks almost exactly like the Vista MC interface, is that you can actually browse through the DVR schedule and order up shows to watch. It means you can really leave your big ugly PC in the den, but use all of its Media Center functions when you're on your couch. This wasn't really possible before, and especially not in high-def.

Besides the Wireless-N ability to stream HD throughout the house, the beauty of Linksys' dual-band system is that both the high-def video and your ordinary average applications can share the air, without one elbowing the other out of the way (or without one forcing the whole system to a crappier bandwidth).

Both MCEs will be available by the end of the year—you can easily guess which one I'm lining up for. But that wasn't all that the Linksys team had on hand when I paid them a visit. There's a new camera and a pretty insane router, and a previously released NAS product, all which fit nicely in a home-network ecosystem with the MCEs. I don't think Linksys wanted me to spill the beans on the router and camera just yet, but they did let me take some pictures. Have a look—it's good stuff.

D-Link DSM-750 Media Center Extender 2.0 in the Wild

Brian Lam — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:57:41 EDT

Like the Linksys leaked today, all the new extender hardware is coming out of the woodwork, and aside from the updated MCE interface, it's interesting to see what each manufacturer is bringing to the table. On top of dual channel N support, this box has an HDMI and component output, ethernet, and a USB port for media playback. The box'll also hit up uPNP and WMP 11 sources and cost a hefty bit of cheddar — $350. Um, isn't that the price of an Xbox 360 that can do the MCE extension (minus new codecs), download HD movies to its HDD, plus play a whole lot of awesome games? This has to be less than $200 to work, I'd say.

LaCie Silverscreen Media Center Plays Back DivX In 1080i

Jason Chen — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:15:16 EDT

LaCie's revived their old Silverscreen brand to bring you a 1080i, 500GB capacity media player that handles DivX files. It plus directly into your TV via component, and can even support 5.1 Dolby Digital via its optical out. MP3 audio files and JPG picture viewing is also included, but unfortunately the Silverscreen still doesn't include video recording, just playback. A DVR this ain't. [Fosfor]

Life|Ware Shows Quad-Recording Media Center with Four CableCARDs

Charlie White — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:10:20 EDT

Life|Ware rolled out what it says is the first media center PC running four CableCARDs at the same time, and it proved to us that the whole thing actually works today at CEDIA 07. Its life|media Media Center PC is the new top of the line for the company, and it's packing an Intel Quad Core processor, 4GB of RAM and 4TB of storage for a cool $15K. The money shot? It can record four HD channels while it's streaming HD video to four Xbox 360 Elite boxes running the media center extender at the same time. And, it does all this without even breathing hard.

See the performance monitor shots in the gallery above—it's hardly working, using just 57% of its processing power while feeding and recording all that video. It's doing that using NVIDIA's highest-end graphics card, the 8800GTS (that's DVI-only, but easily converted to HDMI).

We're not sure who would really need to run four Xbox media extenders at the same time, recording all that stuff. Might be nice for a small hotel or a family with a dozen children. It was a fascinating engineering exercise nonetheless.

Webguide for Media Center Streams All Your Content to Any Browser

Brian Lam — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:59:33 EDT

Webguide was bought by Microsoft and made a free upgrade to all Media Center users. It basically streams all video, music, photos and TV across the net. It even re-encodes HD streams to lesser pixel counts.

There's compatibility with WM6 and Windows, but it seems like many browsers should be able to hit your photos and music easily, with Windows Media Video streaming support. And you need to either hit your IP manually or use a Dynamic DNS service, but hey, free is free, and look, you just got streaming home video without a Slingbox (plus Music and Photos). [WebGuide]

FYI: New Media Center Extender Getting H.264 and HDMI

Brian Lam — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:32:52 EDT

Got some eyes-on time with the upcoming refreshed Media Center Extender v.2 boxes. Here are the features that weren't in the press release that will hopefully keep it from being DOA like the older MCE 2005 extenders and differentiate it from current-gen Xbox 360.
• It is lame, but the Xbox 360 is not slated to get the added codec support.
•The press release said the new boxes will by default reference design get XVid and DivX, but they're also getting H.264!
•The 2005 was a set-top box that didn't do HD out. These likely all have HDMI and 1080p.
•No one wants another set-top box if they can avoid it, so MCE Extender v2 will be built into upcoming and soon to be announced DVD players and TVs. Very cool.
•Oh yeah, wireless N support, for HD of course.
•The UI is identical to the UI on the Xbox 360 Extender software, and has all the visual stylings of the latest MCE. One difference. UI animations aren't as smooth, because of the lack of visual Horsepower that the 360 has. This was denied by some in the booth, but a Microsoft employee and my own eyes confirmed it. But really, it isn't a big deal.

Alienware Shows High End Rackmount Media Center Server

Jason Chen — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:20:13 EDT

Made for those super, super nerds who actually have rackmounts at home, Alienware's HD Media server has 1080p via HDMI, internal cable card (OCUR) support, Dolby Digital 7.1 preamp output, and built-in Media Center Blu-ray support. In addition to that, there's going to be native iTunes support so you won't have to exit the Media Center app to listen to your music. Plus, there's the 4 terabytes of hot-swappable storage that ensures you will never run out of room to store your HD shows this coming season. [CEPro]

Topping off the refreshed platform for Extenders ...

Matt Buchanan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:50:35 EDT

Topping off the refreshed platform for Extenders for Windows Media Center, the new software will support up to four CableCARDs in a single configuration, up from a pair. [Engadget]