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The Zotac Zbox – A Mini-PC That Packs a Blu-ray Drive
Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Zotac, HTPC, 3D Blu-ray (all tags)
It's got a solid processor, a stunningly small form factor, and promises pristine Blu-ray playback.
The latest creation from Zotac is a mini PC that's fully equipped to take over your home theater system. It's small, it's slick, and it plays Blu-rays with ease.
"The ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series is more than just a system for playing games and watching movies," explains marketing director Carsten Berger, "[it] is the ultimate multimedia hub for all your entertainment needs and replaces the function of multiple electronics devices."
Berger's not wrong, the Zbox can do just about everything. Since it's a PC, there's no need to worry about getting an app for Netflix, or whether you'll be able to play back a specific file type. You can, because it's a PC that does PC things.
The newest Zbox also comes with built in WiFi functionality, a pair of USB 3.0 ports and plenty of room for RAM and hard drive expansion.
Source: Zotac
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Okoro's Got a New High End HTPC
Fri Jul 23, 2010 at 12:00 PM ETTags: HTPC (all tags)
The SX100 does media streaming, 3D Blu-ray playback, and records up to four shows at once.
Okoro is known for its high end home theater PCs. They're the folks that make $5,000 computers that come bundled with iPads to handle the controls after all. Their newly updated SX100 comes in at a much more reasonable $1,695, but retains many of the features of the bigger systems.
Okoro's SX100 is designed to take the place of your Blu-ray player, media streamer and even your DVR. It's a capable system that does a lot more than just look pretty. And it does look pretty.
Combined with a CableCARD from your provider, the SX100 can record up to four programs at once. Thanks to 2TB of onboard storage, you can nab as much as 219 hours of HD programming before you have to start deleting.
It handles Blu-rays with ease, giving you 7.1 channel surround sound and decoding both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It's even 3D ready, in case you want to make the leap.
Of course, it does all the other things you'd expect and HTPC to do. Since it's a standard PC, you'll have access to all the video the web has to offer and the ability to play back any file type you can download a codec for.
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Connect up to Six HDTVs to your Computer with Gefen's USB Adapter
Tue May 25, 2010 at 11:00 AM ETTags: HTPC (all tags)
Gefen's new adapter supports a wide range of resolutions and makes HD output simple.
One of the coolest things you can do with an old computer is turn it around and make it useful again as an HTPC. Get a few low noise fans and heat sinks in there and your old clunker can actually make a pretty decent high-def source. But what if you have a video card without an HD connector?
Gefen makes that nice and easy with their new USB adapter. It takes any USB slot on your computer and turns it into a high definition DVI output. Not a bad setup.
You can add up to six of these to your computer and choose from two different setups. You can set it so that each output shows the same thing, or you can set each monitor or TV to act as part of an extended desktop.
The Gefen USB to DVI video adapter doesn't come cheap though. You can pick it up now for $149.
Source: Gefen
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Brite-View HDelight Offers Wireless 1080p PC Streaming
Mon May 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Wireless HD, HTPC (all tags)
It's the first of its kind, and it's under $200.
Home Theater PCs are incredibly cool. You can stream, download, and playback just about anything there is. You don't have to worry about compatibility with Flash or HTML5, and you don't need to hope for firmware updates to add Netflix and Hulu.
But they aren't always practical to have sitting right there in your entertainment center. Even small HTPCs take up space, and there's not always room. But thanks to the latest device from Brite-View, you can move the PC away from your TV and stream wirelessly.
"The HDelight lets users enjoy online entertainment on the big screen," says CEO Robert Lo. And it couldn't have come at a better time. As low puts it, "This will be a whole new experience for PC users, especially since Netflix will soon begin streaming 720p HD content."
You'll get uncompressed video, unnoticeable latency and a simple set-up. The Brite-View HDelight will be fairly inexpensive, coming in at at under $200 when it launches in July.
Source eCoustics
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The VIA ARTiGO may be the Smallest HTPC Ever
Wed Apr 21, 2010 at 11:00 AM ETTags: VIA , HTPC (all tags)
If you’re okay with building your own, you can get your hands on this incredibly small computer for just $199.
VIA’s latest DIY kit, known as the ARTiGO, is surprisingly small. It’s smaller than your PC for sure, slimmer than any VHS player, and it’s almost certainly smaller than your set-top box. The ARTiGO measures a mere 5.7 inches by 3.9 inches by 2 inches.
The miniscule computer packs a VIA Nano 64-bit processor and integrated VIA Chrome9 graphics with MPEG-2/4, WMV9 and H.264 video decoding acceleration. It’s got five USB ports, an IDE 44-pin interface and a SATA interface for hard drive use. And of course, the ARTiGO sports an HDMI output.
It’s $199 for the base model, but you can pick up some addons as well. There’s no built in WiFi, but you can nab an adapter from VIA. There’s also an optional TV mount which would position VIA’s new micro-PC right behind your television.
Source: VIA
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Wind Top All-in-Ones from MSI do Just About Everything
Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 02:00 PM ETTags: MSI, HTPC, Industry Trends (all tags)
MSI’s new all-in-one computers can do 1080p, 120Hz and 3D, but something’s missing.
All-in-one solutions have gained ground in the entertainment market, but MSI is hoping to cement their place with a new series of computers that will be hitting shelves later this year.
Known as the Wind Top – though the press release doesn’t say it, I think we can assume that’s wind the noun and not wind the verb – these all-in-one PCs can handle just about everything. The AE2420 is at the top of that line with a 24” multi-touch screen and an Intel i7 processor.
For the first time, speakers have been added to Acer’s all-in-ones. They’re not much to write home about; the most powerful speakers only use 10 watts. Still, MSI says that their PCs are capable of producing excellent sound across low, medium and high frequencies.
The high-end AIOs from MSI will all be able to handle 3D with no problem. They’ve got a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1080p resolution. The one thing none of the new models seem to have is a Blu-ray player, which would make the 3D functionality a lot more useful.
When they launch, you’ll be able to configure the Wind Top AIOs to your heart’s content, even as far as changing the color of the PC.
Source: MSI
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Lenovo Sneaks Out a Slick HTPC Remote
Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: HTPC, Lenovo (all tags)
Like a kid sneaking into a store to put his band’s CD on the shelf to see if someone will buy it, Lenovo put out a new HTPC remote without bothering to mention it to anyone. The new remote can be found in the wild now and ordered online direct from Lenovo.
Lenovo may be a familiar name, but not one associated with fun. They make computers for business people. They make laptops for productivity. They make ThinkPads and IdeaPads and computers for education. They’re not the guys people tend to think of when they think entertainment.
Maybe that’s why their new remote – model number 57Y6336 – slipped under the radar. It goes by the moniker of Lenovo Multimedia Remote with Keyboard, but the remote looks to be a bit wieldier than its name.
This palm sized remote features a full QWERTY keyboard along with a few multimedia keys that provide shortcuts to commonly used functions. Its keys are bigger than that of a smart phone, but share a similar design. A trackball sits below the keypad along with left and right mouse buttons. Though the trackball looks like it might get in the way a bit, all in all this looks like a pretty solid option for those who don’t want to mess about with full keyboards or motion sensitive mice.
The Lenovo Multimedia Remote with Keyboard is available online from Lenovo at a cool $59.
Source: Lenovo
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Lenovo Sneaks Out a Slick HTPC Remote
Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: HTPC, Lenovo (all tags)
Like a kid sneaking into a store to put his band’s CD on the shelf to see if someone will buy it, Lenovo put out a new HTPC remote without bothering to mention it to anyone. The new remote can be found in the wild now and ordered online direct from Lenovo.
Lenovo may be a familiar name, but not one associated with fun. They make computers for business people. They make laptops for productivity. They make ThinkPads and IdeaPads and computers for education. They’re not the guys people tend to think of when they think entertainment.
Maybe that’s why their new remote – model number 57Y6336 – slipped under the radar. It goes by the moniker of Lenovo Multimedia Remote with Keyboard, but the remote looks to be a bit wieldier than its name.
This palm sized remote features a full QWERTY keyboard along with a few multimedia keys that provide shortcuts to commonly used functions. Its keys are bigger than that of a smart phone, but share a similar design. A trackball sits below the keypad along with left and right mouse buttons. Though the trackball looks like it might get in the way a bit, all in all this looks like a pretty solid option for those who don’t want to mess about with full keyboards or motion sensitive mice.
The Lenovo Multimedia Remote with Keyboard is available online from Lenovo at a cool $59.
Source: Lenovo
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Official ASUS EeeBox 1012 Specs Revealed
Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Asus, HTPC (all tags)
The new ASUS EeeBox EB1012 looks to be an HTPC that will offer both strong performance and a low price.
Noted for their economically priced Eee systems, ASUS has officially lifted the veil on their newest offering, the EB1012.
Featuring an Intel Atom N330 Dual Core processor, NVIDIA MCP7A ION, and 2GB of DDR2-800 RAM, the new EeeBox is a more than capable HTPC. Adding to the package is the addition of built in Wi-Fi capability and a trio of USB drives to expand on the 250GB of already included storage.
Coming in at just under 9” wide, 7” high and only an inch deep, the EB1012 holds quite a bit of promise. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.
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