HTPC Hardware (MB, RAM, Video Card etc)
As I noted in my getting started blog, one of my tasks was to upgrade my production machine (AKA gaming and mr.coma activity machine) to my first dual core CPU. Fortunately, my socket 939 system afforded me an upgrade path to dual core for pretty darn cheap. The system in question was my old HTPC and consisted of a Socket […]
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I used a Shuttle system a while back & was quite pleased with its miniature stature. There's a lot of options nowadays for small form factor, but this Shuttle Barebones sure seems to have a log of bang. No mention on price though. Tech Report Based on the Intel G33 integrated graphics chipset, the system supports 45nm Core 2 […]
Read moreChris Lanier gets his Cable Card freak on by answering some questions you know you had about it but were afraid to ask. This on the day that Vidabox also announces they're shipping cable card systems. Curious to hear if the bugs have been worked out, guess only time will tell. Chris Lanier Q: Who currently offers CableCARD PCs?A: As […]
Read moreno driver writes.. PcPerspective has a review of the new AMD BE-2350 and BE-2300, dual core AM2 CPUs that are rated at 45W. The price is nice too, expected to be around $90 at introduction. Sounds like a great start to an inexpensive HTPC. Story Link: Â
Read moreSomething I never really considered is the amount of power useage my Media Center setup used. Wtih a few clients, a server, and a test bench you can see how the power cost could add up to be a significant portion of a power bill. Stanger, a well known SageTV user, has detailed his power useage over in the Sage […]
Read moreChris gives the heads up of a new website/database that's designed to have people put MCE-compatible components. Hopefully this takes into account some of the work Ian Dixon's done on the tuner-side. It's great to see people working extra to help the community…wouldn't mind seeing this from Microsoft tho 😉 Chris Lanier's Blog A new website just launched that I […]
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Am I jealous Engadget got TWO systems to test out Cable Card? Um….not based on their first go-round, but definitely for their second one. I don't think anyone should really be surprised by difficulties…this is still a V1 product after all that had a VERY limited beta. Just a shame that customers have to pay a TON to "test" a […]
Read moreI'm posting this more for the future potential ramifications it could have on the extender market, and hopefully meaning more support for other video formats. Always a good sign. Engadget Fujitsu just announced a world's first H.264 chip capable of encoding/decoding 1920 x 1080 (60i/50i) video in real time. The chip features 256MB of onboard FCRAM and ultra low 750mW […]
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I like the idea of this, even though I'm not one of those users that really need a keyboard for my MCE, as my remote does anything I need. But still, the concept seems cool. Gizmodo Transform your notebook into an instant entertainment center with product xxx, a revolutionary cordless controller that seamlessly integrates a Media Center remote control […]
Read moreI'm posting this article to make up for the awful one from GearDigest. This one is a little broader, but OCModShop does a good job of giving a refresher course not only on some components to buy, but also the benefits/disadvantages of each thing, and why you need it at all. Not super advanced, but definitely great for beginners….and a […]
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