HTPC Hardware (MB, RAM, Video Card etc)
I absolutely love tests like this. A lot of buzz came out when Kingston announced their very affordable 40gb OS SSD drive, designed to entice budget PC builders to move onto solid state. But with most things one would use the HTPC for, the benefits of fast read and write time just aren’t that noticeable since most items used require […]
Read moreWith the invention of BD-Live in your players to Netflix in your television sets, the reasons for needing internet in your home theater is no longer limited just to the HTPC fanatics. If you have a larger home or just one with terrible wifi connection, here’s a nifty alternative that has actually gotten much better than when it first came […]
Read moreYou may have read reports of this coming today, but now it’s confirmed as being live! If you’re running Windows Home Server I highly recommend updating to Power Pack 3, lots of nice enhancements if you use Media Center. MediaSmartServer Power Pack 3 has now been released to Windows Update and can be installed by clicking on the Settings Tab […]
Read moreNow here’s a cool announcement. If you’ve been holding off on spending several hundred dollars on a sound card just for this, you’re soon to be in luck! I think this is significant if only because it’s one more point that can no longer be made by the old home theater crowd for why HTPCs aren’t good. EngadgetHD Well the […]
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Drobo has made a name for themselves with their small NAS-like devices, and are continuing their line of products with a professional and enterprise devices announced today. The Drobo S starts at an MSRP of $799 and includes the following features: High performance desktop storage for professionals and small offices Best-in-class performance that is up to 50% faster than current […]
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VidaBox is a company more well known for their own OEM HTPC systems, but here is a review on a chassis they have begun selling. The price is rather steep at $299, but if you have wanted one of their chassis, at least you now have the option versus having to buy the whole thing from them. TheDigitalLifestyle There […]
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Mini-ITX is really gaining steam with the help of improved hardware accelerated chipsets, to allow you to build equally capable systems in a super small configuration. Thermaltake joins the party with this slick little guy, which I think looks better horizontally than vertically. Legit Reviews From the pictures you can see the SD100’s clean and simple exterior. With a […]
Read moreMost of you running WHS are probably already using this, but in case you haven’t Power Pack 3 has some nice improvements if you use the TV functionality of your Windows MCE system. A couple other updates as well, still not sure why it took so long to release. MediaSmartServer.net The primary focus of Power Pack 3 is to improve […]
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This is a pretty interesting device, given that most people that are using 2.5" drives in their systems are doing so specifically to reduce the noise, since 2.5" drives are well known for being quieter than most 3.5" hard drives. That being said, for $30-40, you might seriously want to consider simply investing in a Solid State drive which would […]
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We have a very active thread going on in our forums regarding the cost to noise benefit of going with a Solid State hard drive in your HTPC after Intel announced an upcoming 40gb version at $160. To counter that, SPCR has 3 super quiet Seagate hard drives for review, that while mechanical do a fantastic job of staying quiet–with […]
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