What it still does

HP's Windows Home Servers are exceptional because they take the standard Home Server build and add a bunch of extras on top of it. For example, HP was the first one to introduce support for Apple's Time Machine, which has been improved here so that you can do a complete restore in the event that you have to start your Mac up from scratch.

They've also still got the media streaming (DLNA compliant), web/iPhone streaming and iTunes server built in, as well as a media collector that sucks in media from all your regular machines on the network into one place on the server. All of this stuff is just improved.

What it does even better now

The greatest group of improvements is how the EX495 now works with Macs. Time Machine functionality was there before, but ran into problems when your Mac went down and you tried to do a fresh restore directly off the network. Now you get a separate disc to use so you can treat the Time Machine backup on the server as a standard Time Machine backup for restores.

But the most important feature on a day-to-day basis is the fact that the Home Server console works natively on Macs—even though it's just a remote desktop connection to the server anyway. You can now do on your Mac all the management actions you could on the PC, like setup new users, update your Home Server, perform diagnostics or configure video conversions.

Then there is the added ability to do media collecting on Macs, basically sucking off any videos or music you've accumulated into one network-accessible place so other machines can access it. It beats having to remember to manually place those things on the server yourself.

Of course, Macs can also access the web interface for Home Server management just like PCs can.

More power, more storage and better processing

Shoving a Dual Core 2.5GHz or a 2.2GHz Celeron processor and 2GB of RAM on these machines might seem like overkill for something that's just used to hold stuff and stream it around the network, but HP puts that to good use.

In our tests, the EX495 was able to convert a DVD movie into a full resolution h.264 and a phone-streamable 300MB movie in about an hour and a half, give or take. Very useful for not sucking up your main machine's horsepower to convert videos when you can just vomit them onto the network and have it be done by a slave machine.

The improved processor is very noticeable from just using the remote console. Clicking around to set up the photo publisher, or the media server, or adding BitTorrent plugins were much faster than the previous generation EX485 and EX487 machines. It's not even comparable to the LX195 budget versions.

At $700 and $550 respectively, the MediaSmart Servers definitely aren't cheap. If you've got an older version, like the 485/487 series, the improvements probably won't be enough to warrant you spending so much for another machine that has similar functionality. If you're new to the Windows Home Server realm, this has pretty much everything a PC or a Mac user would want to hold their data, stream their media and backup their information. [HP EX495 and HP EX490]

One of the most important additions is the ability to do "bare metal recovery" on a Mac from Time Machine. This means you can completely restore your Mac from the network backup using the disc recovery utility that's bundled in. Also upgraded is the ability to do administration on a Mac.

There is also an included video conversion feature, which handles unprotected DVDs, as well as increased power (the 490 has a 2.2GHz Celeron and the 495 has a 2.5GHz Dual Core Pentium) and a "better" user interface. The ability to stream media from your iPhone or iPod Touch via a free app is included as well. And, of course, you get the standard Windows Home Server functions that we love using on a daily basis.

Preorders start today, but there's no solid word on a ship date.

The original file will stream over your LAN to your Macs, PCs and other network devices, but stream out to the internet in a mobile H.264 quality version after the conversion is done. iPhones and iPod touches can do so by downloading the iStream app from the App Store, which isn't live yet.

Codecs supported are: AVI (DivX, Xvid, MJPEG), MOV (MJPEG), DVR-MS (MPEG-2), MP4 (MPEG4), WMV and
unprotected DVD VOB. You can select individual folders to covert, which will be converted in the background as your normal processes and video streaming is going on.

No other real details can be seen from this low-rez box shot, but it's likely that this LX195 doesn't have Mac support, so don't hold out for that if you were hoping of a less expensive Windows/Mac compatible server. [MediaSmart Server via Engadget]

Though it looks the same on the outside, the hardware received a bump, now using a 2.0 GHz Celeron processor and 2GB DDR2 RAM. It comes in 2 storage configurations— a 750GB server or a 1.5TB server. The MediaSmart server is still built on top of the Windows Home Server platform, but makes use of a couple of additional software to enhance functionality.

First, HP tapped Twonky Media to handle their remote streaming backend. As such, you can access all your audio files and photos from any web browser with a broadband connection. You can either enter your home IP address or set up a free custom HP domain that will quickly forward you to your server. From there, a media player UI appears and your entire library is at hand. The only downside is that, when not streaming over LAN, it transcodes your MP3s at a 128kbps bitrate, apparently to minimize choppiness in streaming (bleck).

A couple of other nice features that are new for the EX485/7 are the media collector feature, which will scan and watch any folders or drives from your computer, and will gather them on the MediaSmart Server. Also new is that you can connect to Amazon's S3 cloud, and gain another layer of data protection.

Secondly, HP worked with Apple to get MediaSmart Server up and running OSX. Not only is there a Mac version of the software, but they also got Time Machine working with the device, which can do scheduled backups over the air. However, being that it is Windows Home Server, you still need a PC to set up the server, and cannot carry out any admin functions from a Mac.

That aside, much of the same functionality from the last version of MediaSmart Server is still there, such as UPnP streaming of video, photos and music, photo albums that can be published directly to the web, downloadable add-ons (like a bittorrent client), and storage in a RAID-esque, "balanced" configuration. It also has 4 drive bays, 4 USB drives and an eSATA port for adding additional storage.

As far as availability and pricing goes, the updated MediaSmart Server will be available for order on January 5, with the 750 GB EX485 selling for $600, while the 1.5 TB EX487 costs about $750. [HP MediaSmart Server on Giz]

HP Launches New Home Server for PCs and Macs
HP MediaSmart Server centralizes digital media and files for backup, remote access, sharing and uploading to social media sites

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 29, 2008 – HP today launched a home server designed for use with both Windows and Mac computers.

Based on the Microsoft Windows® Home Server platform, the HP MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487 is a central repository for automatically backing up and accessing digital music, videos, photos and documents from multiple computers on a home network.(1)

The MediaSmart Server automatically organizes files across all PCs, streams media across a home network and the Internet,(2) and publishes photos to popular social networking and photo sharing sites.

“A growing number of digital-savvy households have both Windows and Mac computers, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of media files and documents scattered across these devices,” said Jason Zajac, vice president of strategy, Worldwide Attach Group, HP. “The HP MediaSmart Server protects, stores and organizes this content from anywhere on a network so consumers can access and share it any place they are connected.”

“HP continues to innovate on the Windows Home Server platform giving consumers even more options to enjoy and protect their precious memories and valuable data,” said Charlie Kindel, general manager, Windows Server Solutions, Microsoft. “We believe consumers will embrace the new MediaSmart Server as one of the most exciting computing products for the home.”

MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487 features include:

· HP Media Collector: conveniently schedules the MediaSmart Server to copy and centralize digital files and libraries from networked PCs

· Media Streaming: remotely streams photos and music to any Internet-connected PC or Mac

· Server for iTunes: centralizes iTunes music libraries on the server for playback to any networked Mac or PC running iTunes

· HP Photo Publisher: easily upload photos to Facebook®, PicasaTM Web Albums and Snapfish(3)

· HP Photo Viewer: allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family

· PC Hard Drive Backup: backs up networked PCs via the Windows Home Server backup feature

· Mac Hard Drive Backup: backs up Macs running Leopard using Apple Time Machine software

· Server Backup: duplicates designated shared folders to a separate hard disk drive

· Online Backup: duplicates designated folders to Amazon’s S3 online backup service for an additional layer of protection

· Smart Power Management: can schedule times for server to go to ”sleep” and ”wake up,” saving on energy costs

· Processor: Intel® Celeron®, 2.0 GHz 64-bit. Two gigabytes (GB) of 800-MHz DDR2 DRAM now standard on MediaSmart Server

· Expandability: additional drives can be added for up to 9 terabytes (TB)

"Customers are always looking for the right mix of features and ease-of-use when choosing digital home products," said Danielle Levitas, group vice president, consumer, broadband and digital marketplace at IDC. "HP's focus and investment in software allows it to deliver a home server with compelling features for Mac and PC users while offering a great customer experience that helps simplify the complexity of the connected home. This unique offering will help expand the home server market."

Pricing and availability
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the HP MediaSmart Server ex485 with 750 GB of hard disk storage is $599 while the HP MediaSmart Server ex487 with 1.5 TB is $749.(4)

The HP MediaSmart Server can be pre-ordered beginning on Jan. 5, 2009, from Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Buy.com, Frys.com and NewEgg.com; it is expected to ship in February.

The first 200 consumers who visit HP Home & Home Office (www.hpshopping.com) or call +1 888 271 2982 between Jan. 5 - 11, 2009, to reserve a MediaSmart Server and use coupon code “AC5674” will receive a $50 savings off their purchase.(5)

More information is available at www.hp.com/go/mediasmartserver.

The Price: $299

The Verdict: The Mediasmart Connect is a decent video player, Media Extender and photo viewer, but it doesn't shine in any area other than video quality. We compared the Mediasmart Connect to an Xbox 360, streaming the exact same episode of Entourage from the exact same Windows Home Server and the video quality was noticeably better on HP's unit. Great, except you wouldn't really notice the difference unless you had them side by side like we did.

One other problem we noticed is that browsing speed (browsing a folder file system) is pretty damn slow. Paging down takes upwards of seconds to refresh, forcing you to hold the down button one by one to save yourself from the delay. The same "page down" action on an Xbox 360 is near instantaneous, so we know it's not a server issue.

It does, however, have features that other extenders or media streamers don't. For one, there's the ability to aggregate videos from various networked sources, including DLNA-capable servers. Again, nothing spectacular, but it's a feature that's nice to have. 802.11n streaming (a/b/g are also there) is another nicety for people who hate wires. More bonuses are YouTube, Snapfish, CinemaNow and Live365, services you may or may not use and want on your set-top streamer.

Compared to the Xbox 360, both can act as Media Center Extenders, both can play back DivX and XviD files and work as a photo viewer, but only one can play a donkey-load of video games. On the other hand, the Mediasmart Connect does have on-board storage, which is great if you want to dump a bunch of videos onto it and delete them out of your BitTorrent folder on your PC.

At $299, it's hard to recommend the Mediasmart Connect over something like an Xbox 360 because of everything else the 360 can do. If extras like YouTube and CinemaNow (as well as media aggregation over all servers), built-in 802.11n wireless, DLNA compatibility and better video quality appeal to you, this may be your ticket to streaming video anywhere in your house. [HP]

Microsoft:

In addition to Microsoft technology we are already familiar with like Surface, Home Server, Vista, the Zune , Xbox 360 and the like (the home of the future is still running the 360?), there are a number of future technologies installed in the home that were inspired by innovations from their prototyping lab:

•Magic Mirror: A mirror projects different clothes, accessories and hairstyles onto each family member’s image when they stand before it. The clothes not only morph to the contours of the body, but also sway as the person in front of the mirror moves.

•Kitchen of Your Dreams: The kitchen recognizes ingredients as a family member sets them on the counter, suggesting recipes for those items and providing instructions once a recipe is selected.

•Story Time: Visit the child’s room to be transported to Neverland. Read “Peter Pan” aloud to absorb a full multimedia experience, as cues in the story set off lights, sounds, colors and video.

HP:

In the kitchen, HP has their TouchSmart PC keeping things organized and the iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger is available to make calls. In the living room the aforementioned iPAQ is connected to the Surface table to transfer and display photos. They can also be transferred wirelessly to any number of HP digital photo frames in the house as well as to the MediaSmart TV.

As for Life|ware, they provided much of the RFID technology and media center solutions that tied all of the technology together.

To get the full scoop on the home of the semi-present, hit the following press releases. [HP and Microsoft and Life|ware and Disney via Hemagazine]

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.

It runs HP's own MediaSmart interface and can download movies from CinemaNow (with help from a PC), but it also has a complete Windows Media Center Extender interface as well, connecting wirelessly to your home network with all flavors of 802.11 including N, plus it has HDMI and USB jacks. The Vista-friendly x280N handles MPEG-2, DivX, H.264 and WMV, plus MP3, WMA, WAV, and unprotected AAC. It's got a slot for HP's Pocket Media Drive for carrying video from your PC by hand, but the drive doesn't mean this thing can be a standalone DVR.

Here's what it looks like with open maw:

[HP]

Note: Due to a publishing error, this post was unavailable for several hours.

Ours arrived with 1TB of storage, broken down into two 500GB Seagate drives—this would be the EX475 version that lists for $750. As you can see, there are still two more bays, plus 3 USBs and an eSATA port on the back. (And another USB jack on the face of it.)

Already, the sucker was surprisingly heavy, weighing in at an even 13lbs. It feels nice and sturdy though, and we're interested to see how quiet those two fans are. Spec requires them to be south of 30dB, so we shouldn't really notice them at all.

There wasn't much else in the package—just a power cord, an Ethernet cable and a lot of Windows-only software. By the end of the day, we will have a video of the set-up experience, courtesy of me and Benny. In the meantime, enjoy those pics. [HP]

• Iomega will launch HomeCenter Server in the first quarter of next year. The system will run on an AMD Sempron 1.8 Ghz processor and include on 500GB drive plus three extra SATA II bays (four total) for a "easy swapping" and expansion up to 3TB (750GB x 4). The HomeCenter will have a gigabit Ethernet port, but there's no price tag on that yet.

• In Europe three OEMs plan to roll out certified Windows Home Server products this year: the Fujitsu Siemens Computers SCALEO Home Server 1900, the MAXDATA Belinea o.center and Medion Home Server with up to 2TB of storage.

• Some other Windows Home Servers that might soon turn up on your radar include Life|ware, Tranquil, Leo and Velocity Micro (which looks a lot like the Fujitsu Siemens).

Windows Home Server Available Now to Help Families Protect, Connect and Share Their Digital Experiences

The HP MediaSmart Server is now available for pre-order and will be shipped to customers this month; new hardware and software partners announce Windows Home Server products and solutions.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 5, 2007 — Windows Home Server, a new solution to help families easily protect, connect and share their digital media and documents, is generally available today. The HP MediaSmart Server, powered by Windows Home Server software, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com, Best Buy.com, Buy.com, Circuit City.com and CompUSA.com. It will be shipped to customers and available via other leading retailer Web sites later in November. Additional Microsoft hardware and software partners are also delivering new consumer products and solutions designed to work with Windows Home Server.

"Digital devices and content are everywhere in our day-to-day lives and they are more important all the time," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "With the launch of Windows Home Server, Microsoft and its partners are creating a new consumer product category that will help people keep their digital media safe and make it easier for them to enjoy it with friends and family."

Windows Home Server is a "stay-at-home" server that delivers the benefits of powerful server technology used by many people at work within a simple, easy-to-use solution for the home. It automatically backs up Windows XP-based and Windows Vista-based home computers each night, provides a central place to organize digital documents and media, and includes a free Windows Live Internet address to access the home server from virtually anywhere and share content with friends and family. It also monitors the health and security status of home computers and can stream media to other devices in the home, such as Xbox 360, allowing people to enjoy digital music, photos and videos on their television.

The HP MediaSmart Server, powered by the AMD LIVE! solution, was designed for the Windows Home Server platform. It provides consumers with easy, more secure access to all their movies, photos, music and documents through any broadband Internet-connected PC. The product also includes HP Photo Webshare software for consumers to easily and more securely share photos with select friends and family. The MediaSmart Server is offered in a 500GB version for $599 (U.S.) and a 1TB model for $749 (U.S.).*

"As more and more entertainment content goes digital, people increasingly want a simple way to access, store and enjoy the wide range of photos, personal videos, music and films they enjoy at home. HP and Microsoft have worked closely to bring to market a powerful, breakthrough solution for today's digital lifestyle that lets people personalize the how, when and where of entertainment," said John Orcutt, senior vice president of the Managed Home Business at HP.

Other leading manufacturers are also releasing Windows Home Server products:

· Available in Europe in late 2007, the Fujitsu Siemens Computers SCALEO Home Server 1900 offers 1TB capacity across two hard drives, Gigabit Ethernet and advanced power management features.

· Iomega Corp. today unveiled new details about its home server product due in early 2008, the Iomega HomeCenter Server, which will ship with one 500GB hard drive and four "easy-swap" drive bays for storage expansion.

· Available in early 2008, the Life|ware Life|storage will offer enterprise-class capabilities to consumers, including Life|ware Entertainment and Automation Server software for home management.

· The MAXDATA Belinea o.center, which will also be available in Europe soon, is energy-efficient, offers advanced management and media functions, and allows up to four hot plug SATA hard drives.

· Also available in Europe later this year, the Medion Home Server comes with up to 2 TB of storage capacity and will offer universal plug-and-play media streaming based on PacketVideo PVConnect software.

· Available now, the Tranquil PC T7-HSA Tranquil Harmony Home Server is a small, quiet and energy-efficient solution with 500GB and 1TB options.

· On sale today, the Velocity Micro NetMagix HomeServer is a small, sleek unit that can be situated in a horizontal or vertical position, starting with 1 TB of expandable storage capacity.

In addition, companies including Ace Computers, Advantec, PC Club and Universal Systems Inc. are now offering Windows Home Server systems based on the system builder version of the software. Other leading manufacturers, such as Gateway Inc. and LaCie, have announced plans for Windows Home Server products. Also, Seagate Technology announced the compatibility of its PC hard drives and external storage devices with Windows Home Server. Intel Corporation will soon be announcing a new, ideal platform for Windows Home Server, as well.

Windows Home Server Software Solutions for the Digital Home

Third-party software developers have created more than 35 innovative add-in programs to run on the Windows Home Server platform. These solutions provide personal blogging and media sharing, home security, home automation, protection against viruses and malware, and more. Several software vendors today announced support for Windows Home Server:

· Avira GmbH in Germany today announced that its malware detection and removal technology will support Windows Home Server.

· Diskeeper Corporation today released a special edition of its Diskeeper 2008 defragmentation software for Windows Home Server.

· Embedded Automation Inc. released the mControl add-in for Windows Home Server, providing home automation functionality.

· Proxure Inc. announced the release of KeepVault for Windows Home Server, providing automatic, online backup and storage of data.

· SageTV LLC released SageTV Media Server for Windows Home Server, enabling media streaming from Windows Home Server to any PC or Macintosh, at home or over the Internet.

· SightSpeed Inc. announced SightSpeed 6.0 video chat service compatibility with Windows Home Server.

· Telligent Systems Graffiti CMS is compatible with Windows Home Server, enabling users to quickly create personal Web sites and blogs.

· WiLife Inc. announced the release of Command Center Software version 2.1 home security software for Windows Home Server.

Additional third-party software and service solutions for Windows Home Server include avast! and F-Secure anti-virus and security software, CEIVA digital photo frames, Iron Mountain and Jungle Disk off-site data protection services, Lagotek Home Intelligence Platform for home automation, LobsterTunes for streaming to Windows Mobile-based devices, PacketVideo PVConnect for universal plug-and-play media streaming, Raxco Software PerfectDisk for performance optimization, Riptopia CD loading service, Sonos System Software 2.5 for centralized storage and organization of digital jukeboxes, and Whiist for easy creation of Web pages and photo albums on Windows Home Server.

More information about Windows Home Server is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver.

By now you've probably heard that the only publicly announced way to run Time Machine backups over a network is to do it to another Mac running Leopard or Leopard Server. (Somebody told Blam that a network drive that is HFS Plus formatted would work—or was that AFS??—but I'm not sure what that kind of network software such a server would be running—besides Leopard.) What's more, the new Back To My Mac capabilities sound a lot like Windows Home Server applications and the add-ons HP has promoted in its forthcoming MediaSmart home server.

Jobs & Co. clearly get the concept, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Apple honchos all have full-blown Leopard servers running in their homes to take care of their own back-up and file management matters. But until the time comes that a simple and elegant solution is presented with a "Boom," you might want to entertain the notion of cobbling one together yourself, starting with a run-of-the-mill mini.

Reasons for:
• The $599 price of a new Intel Core 2 Duo mini is negligible when compared to HP's similarly priced MediaSmart Windows Home Server. You could buy one and use the regular Leopard as your server software.
• You can buy a G4 mini on eBay for $300 or less, and open it up to swap out the 2.5" drive with any newer, higher capacity drive. (I think they are up to 320GB in this format.) There's a good run-through of this on BareFeats.
• Rather than crack the case, you can connect a high-capacity USB 2.0 or FireWire drive instead. The going rate for a 500GB external drive is $130.

Reasons against:
• If you want full server potential, you will have to buy Leopard Server, which costs about 5X what Leopard for a single Mac does. Apple knows that unless it releases a home version a la Windows, its cost will remain prohibitively high for experimenters.
• HP's Windows Media Center Home Server product (and all others coming from bonafide OEMs) will be built specifically for high server performance: that $599 mean higher-capacity drives starting at 500GB, and the absence of a video card and optical drive. To get the best results while running quietly and coolly, one imagines the Apple product would have to be the same.

It's just a thought. I'd love to hear your ideas along these lines: Have you been thinking about a way to make a cheap Mac server? What about Steve—will Apple ever introduce something like this?

HP Invents HDTV 2.0 [Zatz Not Funny]

Is HP Ditcing DLP TVs? [Crave]

Nothing special here, folks. It's pretty pricey for $2700, considering that you can get a LCD TV that's this same size and resolution for $1500 less, and then hide a cheap networked PC behind it running Windows XP Media Center Edition. More capabilities, $1000 less. HP must be aiming this MediaSmart product at the MediaDumb. Nice try, HP. – Charlie White

Product Page [HP, via Sci Fi Tech]