The new version is now clad in brushed aluminium, but is still capable enough to catch HD broadcasts over the air. EyeTV will also capture video feeds and record them via the bundled RCA adapter. It’ll even capture input from analog sources. Elgato has priced the new EyeTV at $150, and it should be available soon through the Apple store or from Elgato directly.

[via Electronista]

The Ultio Pro supports pretty much every media file format I can think of, including WMA, MKV, and ISO files. In addition to reading your media files off your NAS, the device will support PlayOn (allowing Netflix and Hulu) and UPnP (so if you have another DVR it’ll support that too). The Ultio Pro has an embedded bittorrent client as well, for those completely legal downloads. You can chose to buy a barebones version (that doesn’t have it’s own PVR), or you can buy the 2tb version that does include a PVR, which will allow you to record video from your cable, satellite receiver, or even a camcorder. The Ultio Pro is currently available for pre-order, with the basic (non-pvr) version selling for $169, and the 2tb version priced at $348.

Click here for the press release.

The Box Office supports pretty much everything, costs $99 after rebate and works at up to 1080p. The only thing that HardOCP didn’t like about it (and the thing that I don’t care for) is the interface. I’d love to see XBMC on this thing since the screenshots of the stock interface looks pretty bland.

I’ve never heard of Piixl but that doesn’t mean they can’t hold a place in my heart. This 3GHz Core 2 Duo machine mounts right behind your HDTV and will cost about $4,000, a pretty penny for something so thin and innocuous.

Called the EdgeCenter 3770 the device is designed to run home theater and kiosk applications and remain completely out of sight. It’s a clever solution to the thorny problem of convincing the rich and famous to stick computers into their living rooms. Available right about now, but in the UK.

London, the 12th December 2009

PiixL Ltd, a London based Technology Start-up, is excited to announce the release of their new EdgeCenter range this week! The EdgeCenter is a totally new breed of Media Center Computer, designed to be mounted directly behind flat screen TVs through their VESA mounting interface, for example between a flat screen TV and a wall mount mechanism. Only 30mm deep and adjustable to fit screens sizes ranging from 37 to 70 inches, the EdgeCenter stays quiet and invisible while leaving all the useful controls, I/Os and Physical Media readers accessible right behind the edge of any flat screen TV!
Beyond its striking design, a few features instantly single out the EdgeCenter from any other Media Center Computer available today:

- Ultra flexible design: already available with processors ranging from Core2 Duo to Two-Way Core i7, optional Discrete 7.1 Audio, up to four TV Tuners and the latest generation of Graphic cards, providing both Media Oriented and Power Users the perfect solution!
- Easy to use: The first ever computer with built-in PowerLine networking! Comes with Windows 7, MyMovies extension pre-installed and a choice of of accessories carefully selected for a one-stop, all-in-one platform.
- Durable: Unmatched components quality sourcing, all aluminium chassis, and a truly future proof Design where
all components can be upgraded at PiixL’s facilities.

via Eng

Right now there isn’t many good ways to control a PC from your couch. Full size keyboards are a pain, standard mice are awkward, and those waving-through-the-air gyro mice are overrated. This little controller with a touchpad up top and a keyboard on the bottom seems to have just about everything I need for my media center PC. It’s controlled via a wireless USB dongle and only costs $62 at USB Geek. Forget Santa, I can’t wait that long. Sold.

[via technabob]

Viewsonic is launching two models now; The VOT530, and the VOT550. Both come with Windows 7 Home Premium, Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processors and 802.11 b/g/n wifi. Both systems have six USB 2.0 ports, along with DVI, LAN, and eSATA ports on the back. The systems come with a remote standard as well.

The VOT530 PC Mini has 2GB of RAM, and a DVD drive. The VOT550, comes standard with 4GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive. The VOT530 will be selling for $749 MSRP, and the VOT550 is expected to sell for $949. Both are available now.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

Dell just went official with the Inspiron Zino HD price and spces. There have been a few unboxing and previews popping up around the blogs the last few days and I’ve fallen in love with the little computer. It’s slightly larger than the Mac Mini, but I believe infinitely more versatile.

HTPC - It’s a given. The $229 Dell Zino HD would feel right at home on a A/V rack. The Athlon CPUs and optional ATI Radeon HD 4330 512MB GPU has more than enough juice to output 1080p to your HDTV. Check the box for the optional Blu-ray drive and TV tuner to create a bonafide HTPCIB – Home Theater PC In a Box, that is.

WHS - There are about a dozen and a half already built Windows Home Server options available. HP makes the media-centric MediaSmart line, Acer has the Atom-packing easyStore, Lenovo has options and the list goes on. They are competent boxes, but none of them have the processing power that the AMD options offer in the Zino HD, which is somewhat important if you want to turn the server into a torrent downloading monster. Choose the integrated graphics but select at least 2GB of RAM along with the option 1TB hard drive. The 2 eSATA ports ensure that you’ll never run out of storage capacity too.

Trendy office computer – It doesn’t take much to run Microsoft Office apps anymore. Why live with a boring gray tower these days when the playful Zino HD can get the job done too? Even the base model should be fine for most office tasks.

In-car computer – The Mac Mini might score you nerd points with the geeks posing in the car tuning crowd, but there are a lot of PC-only in-car apps, which makes the Zino HD a perfect solution. It has a small footprint and more than enough power to run GPS and music software. But most importantly is that the computer comes in enough color options that you should be able to find one to match your ride.

Old folks computer – What do old people do on a computer these days? Play on Facebook? That’s about it and the Zino HD, along with countless other options, has more than enough power to be a reliable computer for them. The Athlon cores should be able to handle at least five Internet Explorer toolbars and several spyware programs posing as card games. Try that with an Atom CPU.

The Zino HD product page is currently up, but you can’t customize or order one yet. That will probably change sometime today.

Press release,

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov. 12, 2009 – Dell today introduced the mini-sized Inspiron Zino HD, which is versatile enough to handle tasks from basic computing chores to driving a big-screen, High-Definition TV media center. With a choice of colors, the Inspiron Zino HD can be easily personalized to add flare to any room in the home.

The News:

Starting at $229, the Inspiron Zino HD includes standard HD-capable integrated graphics, HDMI output and built-in networking that make it smart for typical home and student computing activities such as word processing, e-mail, organizing photos and music, and surfing the Internet.

The economical Inspiron Zino HD with optional additional memory, hard drive storage, combo Blu-ray disc player, HDTV tuner, wireless remote control and Windows 7 Media Player and turns into a powerful home media center computer. In that capacity the Inspiron Zino HD can record and play your favorite TV shows, display high-definition content from the Internet, and store and deliver music, video and photos very well.

The Inspiron Zino HD is also ideal as an additional household PC that can fit in tight spaces and make home networking a cinch. It measures about 7.75 inches square and 3.5 inches tall. While small in size, the Inspiron Zino HD is a big performer with:

• Ultra-small form factor designed to fit almost anywhere.
• Easy personalization with nine color choices for Inspiron Zino HD.
• Choice of AMD processors or dual core Athlon Neo X2 6850e.
• Up to 8GB dual channel DDR 2 memory.
• Up to 1TB internal hard disk storage.
• Combo DVD/CD RW drive with optional Blu-ray Disc combo.
• Integrated 10/100/1000 networking with wireless option.
• Optional TV tuner, wireless keyboard and mouse.
• Built in 2.1 high-definition audio and 4-in-one media card reader.
• Integrated ATI graphics adapter with standard HDMI and VGA video connections, and optional 512MB discrete graphics adapter.
• Four USB ports (2 front/2 rear); two eSATA ports (rear).
• Energy-Star 5.0 compliant.

A basic Inspiron Zino without High-Definition capability or upgrade options will be offered in some regions.

[via Gizmodo]

That said, people for whom money is less of an object should jump on this thing (if it isn’t loud as hell), because hey, why not?

The press release is as follows:

IOGEAR Brings Multimedia PC Content to Life on TV Screens, Without Wires

Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit streams sound and picture to in-room display

LAS VEGAS – 2009 International CES, booth #7930 – January
8, 2009 – Consumers can now bridge the gap between their
computer and home theater system with IOGEAR’s Wireless USB Audio /
Video Kit, unveiled today at the 2009 International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES).

An ideal solution for entertainment enthusiasts who enjoy digital
content such as pictures and movies, the Wireless USB Audio / Video
Kit (GUWAVKIT) creates a
wire-free entertainment system by streaming audio and video content to
an in-room TV up to 30 feet away. The product consists of three
adapters: audio for speaker connectivity, VGA for a TV or monitor and
Wireless USB for the hosting PC. It provides HD streaming at
resolutions up to 720p and supports stereo sound. Eco-conscious
individuals can take advantage of the Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit
to streamline their living rooms or offices and reduce material waste
by eliminating excess cabling, ideal for hard-to-wire surfaces such as
marble.

“IOGEAR is a strong advocate of Wireless USB technology and excited to
further its use in the home and office,” said Miranda Su, executive
vice president at IOGEAR. “The Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit is
another step in closing the gap between the PC and the TV, and
provides individuals with a simple, cordless solution.”

The Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit is certified by the USB
Implementers Forum, ensuring interoperability with other certified
Wireless USB devices. It is compatible with Windows XP 32-bit
(Service Pack 2) or Vista (32-/64-bit) operating systems and will be
available in March 2009 at an MSRP of $349.95. The product is on
display at the 2009 International CES, booth #7930 in the Central
Hall.

For further information on IOGEAR and its connectivity solutions,
please visit www.iogear.com. To subscribe to an RSS feed of IOGEAR
press releases, please go to
http://lewiswire.com/us/index.php?client=15 and click on ‘Subscribe to
RSS’.

About IOGEAR
IOGEAR, Inc., headquartered in Irvine, CA, offers innovative
technology solutions that are fun, stylish and help people enjoy daily
life. A consumer electronics leader, the company provides a range of
KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) and KVMP (Peripheral), Connectivity,
Networking, A/V Digital Home, Mobility and Desktop solutions.

IOGEAR’s products decrease office clutter and energy consumption,
reduce electronic waste, enable computer sharing at home and in the
office as well as enhance mobility and efficiency when on-the-go. As
one of the only true manufacturers in the industry, the company offers
high-quality solutions backed by the service and support that
consumers demand. Additionally, IOGEAR’s Customer Advocacy Team is
available any time day or night at 1-866-946-4327, providing
assistance and welcoming feedback regardless of time and location.

IOGEAR is an environmentally-conscious organization that emphasizes
conserving natural resources to employees and customers through its
GREEN initiative The company has a dedicated timeline and list of
goals to achieve before the close of the decade to ensure its products
are as eco-friendly as possible and its packaging utilizes 100%
recyclable and biodegradable materials.

The company distributes throughout North and South America, Europe and
Asia. For further information, please visit IOGEAR’s Web site at
www.iogear.com.

(c) 2009 IOGEAR. All rights reserved. IOGEAR and the IOGEAR logo are
registered trademarks or trademarks of IOGEAR. Other company and
product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

The first-gen Onkyo hasn’t exactly made a splash in the HTPC market - do you know anyone that owns one? – but maybe the new models will help the home theater namesake penetrate more markets. By ditching audiophile-grade amplifier along with a DAC, the price has dropped from 200,00 yen ($2,149) to 59,800 ($643) which should spur some sales. Still, the netop is equipped with enough power to run a media server thanks to the Atom 230 1.6GHz CPU and 1GB of ram. Just don’t expect to play CoD5 on it.

I love it! The hardest part about building a HTPC always seems to be finding a case that doesn’t look out of place with the other AV equipment. Even specialty built HTPC cases still don’t have the look and feel of traditional equipment; that’s where an old TiVo comes into play. This guy simply ripped out all the TiVo innards and shoved a Ubuntu XBMC computer within. He was nice enough to photograph the process so it shouldn’t be that hard to replicate. Sounds like a good weekend project to me.

Starting with the base configuration, I selected Vista Home Premium 64-bit (!), the Intel E4700 processor, 4GB of RAM, the 256MB Nvidia video card with HDMI, and the Blu-ray player. To inch the total up to $999, I also added the HP 2.1 speakers with remote and HP multimedia keyboard with HP optical mouse. (Note: monitor not included.)

Better jump on this fast as it’s only for the first 900 orders but talk about a good CrunchDeal.

via CNET

Acer recently announced its series of X1200 small form factor desktops. There are three models ranging in price from $450 to $700. The X1200-U1520A and the X1200-U1510A are both available now for $450 and $460, respectively, and the decked-out X1200-B1581A will be available for $700 on Sunday, July 13th.

Each model comes with a 64-bit dual-core AMD chip, 4GB of RAM, on-board NVIDIA GeForce 8200 graphics, DVD burner, Vista Premium 64, 7.1-channel audio, and HDMI out. The premium model comes with a 22-inch LCD monitor and 500GB SATA hard drive versus 320GB hard drives (and no monitor) on the less expensive ones.

That’s a pretty compelling setup for the price, especially if you’re looking for a HTPC for the living room. Full press release after the jump…

New Acer^® Aspire X1200 Desktop is a Small Yet Mighty Package

No-Compromise Solution Boasts Desktop Power and Value in a Compact, Expandable and Environmentally-Friendly Design

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Acer America, the third largest vendor in the PC market,⁽¹⁾ today announced the Acer^® Aspire X1200, a truly dynamic and compact entertainment center with prices beginning at just $450.

Offering powerful desktop components and expansion capabilities in a small box, the Acer^® Aspire X1200 desktop enables users to enjoy high-definition movies, games and theater-like sound while maximizing space in the home. Featuring AMD dual-core processors, NVIDIA^® GeForce® 8200 on-board graphics and PCI Express^® 2.0, it’s ideal for entertainment enthusiasts and space-conscious consumers desiring phenomenal performance in an environmentally-friendly design.

“Our innovative, low energy consumption desktop is a no-compromise solution providing desktop power, performance and value in a compact form factor,” said Stephanie Hatchel, Senior Manager, Retail Desktop Product Planning for Acer America. “Aspire X1200 was designed to be an appealing, easy to use media hub for making the most of entertainment. From broadcasting MP3s in crystal clear acoustics to showcasing movies, this compact system is a multimedia powerhouse and available at a price today’s budget-minded consumers will appreciate.”

Expandable Space-Saving Design

Measuring just 10.6-inches (H) x 4.0-inches (W) x 14.4-inches (L), the compact chassis maximizes desktop real estate. Its high gloss coating and recessed venting sport an elegant look and feel. Translucent plastic knobs on the speakers are attractive and make it simple to adjust volume. Peripherals including the keyboard and mouse showcase subtle color differences that enhance the overall design appeal.

Providing room for expansion, the system offers two PCI Express slots (X1 and X16). For easy access and reach, five USB 2.0 ports, a multi-in-1 card reader, IEEE 1394 port and audio jacks are conveniently located on the front of the PC. Four additional USB 2.0 ports are positioned on the back for connecting to a wide array of peripherals and digital devices.

Dynamic Digital Media Powerhouse

Unlike similar small form factor PCs that leverage mobile components with higher costs and lower performance, the Aspire X1200 offers a choice of models that scale up to an AMD Athlon™ X2 5000 processor and up to 4GB DDR2 memory for taking on advanced multitasking. The AMD processors support downloadable AMD Live! applications for optimal recording, transferring, sharing and organizing of photos, videos, music and media. The energy-efficient designs employing the AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e processor consume less power, resulting in less wasted energy, lower operational cost as well as cooler and quieter operation.

Boasting the NVIDIA^® GeForce^® 8200 Chipset with PureVideo HD Technology, the Aspire X1200 supports the hottest games with Microsoft^® DirectX 10 for realistic, life-like images. The system also promises high-definition movie picture quality with supported formats including H.264, VC1 and MPEG2. Fully integrated high-definition audio with 7.1-channel audio support provides dynamic sound for games, music and movies. In conjunction with an HD display, the Acer Aspire X1200 delivers a superb home theater experience.

HDMI makes it easy to hook the PC to a big screen TV and gives users a full range of support for any high-definition format via a single cable. A high-performance 14-in-1 digital media card reader makes it easy to transfer video, music and movies from a host of digital devices. The minidesktops also come with a large SuperMulti Double-layer drive, which provides enough room to record significant data, hours of DVD-quality video and thousands of songs.

Front- and rear-access audio jacks speed up connection of headphones, microphones and other audio peripherals. PCI Express 2.0 optimizes computer components, such as high-end discrete graphics cards and network cards for the fastest performance available.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

The Acer^® Aspire X1200 desktop PC is available now at major retailers nationwide. Prices range from a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $449.99 to $699.99 depending on configuration. See following for available models.

Acer^® Aspire X1200-U1520A: Available now for a MSRP of $449.99

• AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e Processor
• NVIDIA^® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
• 4GB DDR2 Memory
• 320GB SATA II Hard Drive ⁽²⁾
• 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
• 14-in-One Media Card Reader
• Windows Vista^® Premium 64 with SP1

Acer^® Aspire X1200-U1510A: Available now for a MSRP of $459.99

• AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 5000+ Processor
• NVIDIA^® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
• 4GB DDR2 Memory
• 320GB SATA II Hard Drive ⁽²⁾
• 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
• 14-in-One Media Card Reader
• Windows Vista® Premium 64 with SP1

Acer^® Aspire X1200-B1581A: Available for a MSRP of $699.99 starting on July 13

• AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual Core 4850e Processor
• NVIDIA^® GeForce® 8200 On-Board Graphics
• 4GB DDR2 Memory
• 500GB SATA II Hard Drive ⁽²⁾
• 16x DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM SuperMulti, Double-Layer Drive
• 14-in-One Media Card Reader
• 22-inch Widescreen LCD Display
• Windows Vista^® Premium 64 with SP1

Practical Software Simplifies Management of Data and Applications

The Acer^® Aspire X1200 comes with Genuine Windows Vista^® Home Premium, Microsoft^® Office 2007 Trial with Microsoft Works 8.5, Adobe^® Reader^®, CyberLink PowerDVD and Arcade™ Live, a powerful software package for editing, viewing, burning and managing media content.

Acer Empowering Technology, a suite of management applications, is also bundled. These feature eRecovery back-up and recovery and eSettings for viewing system information, changing boot options and monitoring components.

Acer^® Aspire X1200 is the perfect platform for taking advantage of Acer GameZone that provides an array of casual games available for purchase and downloading at http://acer.oberon-media.com.

The media hub once known as Xbox Media Player, then Xbox Media Center, then XBMC, then ported to Intel-based Macs and called OSXBMC is now known as Plex. The name change was announced at the weekend, while many of you were celebrating your country’s independence.

As explained on the application’s official Web site:

The one name that stuck was Plex. I like it because it evokes “cineplex” and the suffix means “comprising a number of parts” which the application certain does. In mathematics, you use the suffix to mean “ten to the power of the number” (e.g. oneplex = 10).

And look how great Plex can be…

The name of the skin here is Aeon, and it’s great. Really great. It makes Front Row look weak. I’m not exaggerating when I say I spent at least six hours on Saturday fiddling around with all the settings, and adding the many movies I’ve collected over the years to Plex’s database.

Again, try it out. You won’t find a better interface for a home theater PC.

CLARIFICATION!
Right, the whole project hasn’t been re-named, just the Mac fork (OSXBMC) that we mentioned some time ago. The XBMC name is alive and well on all other platforms, including the non-forked Mac version. This version, Plex, forked off from the main XBMC development tree a little while ago.

Long story short, OSXBMC is now known as Plex. Thank you, and may God bless America.

Formerly named Xbox Media Center, XBMC made the original Xbox useful long past its sell-by date, and it’s now been ported over to Mac OS X. Well, it’s been available for OS X for some time now, but yet another beta was released a few hours ago. That latest version, 0.5b8, can be found here.

Now, you ask yourself, “Just why would I use XBMC on my Mac?”

Because it’s great. Is that reason enough?

Let’s say you have a Mac mini or MacBook tucked away somewhere—why not put it to good use? XBMC will transform your Mac into a dedicated home theater PC. And unlike the Xbox1 version, the Mac version isn’t running on underpowered hardware, meaning you can watch HD rips at your leisure.

Imagine Front Row, but without the codec limitations.

My advice would be to play around with it this weekend for a bit. What else are you doing?

If you’ve got some cash to spend and AppleTV doesn’t really fancy you well, it may be worth a minute to check out the new Hangar18 HTPC from Alienware. Equipped with radical features such as a Gyration remote, this box will kick new life into your home theater setup. Dual tuners, a 5.1-channel amp, HDMI, and 1080p output are all included. You’ll also find 2TB of storage space, 4GB of RAM, and an AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core CPU.

So you’ve got the power, but what about the pricetag? Extremely rad features like these don’t come cheap. The Hangar18 will set you back $1999, not including the 2TB of content you’ll need to come up with to make the most of this unit.

Alienware Lifts the Veil on its High-Def Hangar18 HTPC [Gizmodo]

Over at Zatz Not Funny, the greatest name ever for a blog, Zatz asks an important question: What’s up with CableCARD-ready PCs? Did they fall off the face of the planet, or are people just not enthusiastic about the idea of sticking a PC in their entertainment center?

I look at it this way: There’s one group of people who have no qualms about getting a home theater PC (or HTPC) and truly experiencing a one of a kind entertainment extravaganza, then there’s people who head over to Wal-Mart to buy a home theater in a box and think a $50 DVD player and a couple of plastic speakers will recreate the joy of heading to the movie theater. The fact that theaters have gone to hell (in a hand basket) notwithstanding.

With a CableCARD slot-ready PC, users can do away with having to rent a set-top box from the local teleco or what have you, can have storage space from here to next Tuesday and, with the appropriate software, can do everything that a TiVo or a generic DVR can do. What gives? Why don’t people jump on top of this?

Could it be price? Zatz points out that such PCs can be had for $1,500—not cheap by any means, but nothing that couldn’t be saved up for in a few short months. In the meantime, you could figure out how to best integrate the HTPC into your setup.

Or could it be that, for whatever reason, people just don’t want a PC in their entertainment center? Wasn’t the Mac mini supposed to be aimed at, in addition to first time Mac users, people who wanted a cheap HTPC solution that doesn’t look like garbage?

It seems, to me at least, that the smart money is on using a HTPC. Over time, it gives the most “bang” for the “buck,” and you’re not indebted to the local teleco for life.

Or maybe I’m just dumb.

Do CableCARD PCs Really Matter? [Zatz Not Funny]

The device will be contained in a case tailored to blend with home theater equipment, so potential owners can shed those fears about having an obtuse computer case in the living room. I’m intrigued to see what else this thing will have to offer.

AMD designs prototype PC for the living room [CNET]