TVSquad

There's good news and less good news and then some more good news on the Windows Media Center front. The good news is that Microsoft will be releasing an update soon, the bad news is that it won't include support for things like the H.264 codec or the upcoming DirecTV tuner. The good news (again) is that EngadgetHD reports those features are on their way, they just won't be ready by the end of July, which is when Microsoft plans to issue the next update to Windows Media Center.

A tipster also sent EngadgetHD a few screenshots of the upcoming update, which adds a few new features like the ability to use as many TV tuners as you want, and to use a combination of tuner types such as NTSC, ATSC, QAM, CableCARD, DVB-T, PAL, or DVB-S. The update includes additional features for international media center users, such as support for ISDB-T and BML standards in Japan, and DVB-T and DVB-S in Europe.

Who says home theater PCs have to be expensive? Sometimes all you need is a PC that's small enough to look good next to your TV, cable box, and video game console, and powerful enough to handle HD video. It looks like the Acer Aspire X1200 might just fit the bill. And this tiny (10.6" x 4" x 14.4") computer has a starting price of just $450.

The low end model is available today and packs an AMD Athlon X2 dual core CPU, NVIDIA GeForce 8200 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a 16x DVD burner, a 14-in-1 card reader, and Windows Vista Home Premium. For a few bucks more you can get a faster CPU.

Or if you're willing to wait until July 13th you can get a $700 model with a 500GB hard drive and a 22-inch "widescreen LCD display." There's no word on what the resolution for that display will be, but $700 is a pretty decent price for a home theater PC packing Windows Media Center functionality as well as the bundled CyberLnk PowerDVD and Arcade Live software. Of course, you'll need to pony up some cash for a TV tuner if you want to watch or record live TV.

[via Engadget]

So you want one of those newfangled TV tuner dongles that will let you watch HDTV on your laptop, but you've got a Macbook Air with a funny USB port that makes it tough to plug in most standard USB devices? No problem. Elgato's new EyeTV DTT Deluxe tuner sports a new ultra-thin design and fits into the low profile Macbook Air USB port.

The EyeTV DTT Deluxe is a digital-only tuner, which means you cannot use it to pick up analog signals. At the moment it's only available in Europe, which means you can grab DVB-T or Freeview signals. No word on a US launch date. The European version will set you back about €79.95 or £69.95.

[via Gizmodo]

The media center software suite formerly known as Xbox Media Center is now available for the Xbox, OS X computers, or pretty much any PC that's capable of running Windows or LInux. But the XBMC name still makes it sound like an application for the Xbox only. So the folks working on the OS X version decided to rebrand their port. Meet Plex.

The team plans to roll out a rebranded version over the next few days, and will set up domains at plex2.com, plexsquared.com and plexsquare.com. Plex.com, like most four letter domain names, was already taken. The new software will also get a new skin soon. In the meantime, all I can really show you is the new logo.See it? That's it in the corner.

[via Automated Home]

It's been a long bumpy road, but TiVo will finally be available in Australia by the end of the month. TiVo and the Seven Network officially announce the coming availability of the set top box this week. As expected, Australian customers will be able to pick up a TiVo for $699 at Harvey Norman and Domayne stores. If the price seems a bit high, keep this in mind: There will be no monthly subscription fees for basic service.

But it turns out that many of the features that make TiVo stand out in the US won't be available at launch in Australia. There will be no support for networking features. That means you can't connect to the internet to download music and movies. And you can't hook up your TiVo to a home PC to access your photos, music, and videos on a TV set. In other words, basically what you get is the same TiVo service US customers had 4 or 5 years ago, but with support for high definition video.

Seven may eventually add networking features via a software update, but the company would charge for such additional services.

Looking for a good deal on a Slingbox? Woot has the Slingbox AV for $70 today only. Shipping will set you back another $5, but that's still about $35 cheaper than the $110 you'd usually pay for a Slingbox AV.

Like its siblings in the Slingbox family, the Slingbox AV lets you stream media over the internet. That means you can plug the Slingbox AV into your home cable box, TiVo, or other audio/video equipment and then watch live or pre-recorded video on an internet-connected computer or mobile device.

The Slingbox AV is one of the cheapest models available. You can only plug in one audio/video device at a time using the S-Video or composite inputs. This box also does not support HD video. If you're looking for HD, you either need an adaptor or the Slingbox Solo. If you want multiple inputs and/or HD video, you should check out the Slingbox Pro. But if you're just looking to save money and stream content from your TiVo to your mobile phone, today's a good day to buy.

The BBC rolled out a new version of its iPlayer software today. The iPlayer online video service allows UK residents to watch full-length episodes of any program that's aired in the last 7 days. Version 2.0 adds higher resolution videos, the ability to keep track of TV shows you've watched, and the ability to schedule upcoming recordings. The redesigned portal that lets you access TV and radio from a single page.

The update also paves the way for the BBC to roll out a set top box with iPlayer features. Earlier this year the BBC announced plans to roll out the iPlayer software for existing set top boxes including the Nintendo Wii video game console. Now it looks like the BBC might also be planning to build its own box.

The device would work like a Windows Media Extender or an Apple TV, in that you'd plug the box into your television and connect it to your home network so it could access the internet. It's possible that the BBC isn't really planning to put out a box with its own name on it, so much as work with hardware makers to add iPlayer software to future devices that may also be able to access content from other networks, play DVDs, or perform other services. You can think of the box as sort of the BBC version of the Netflix player by Roku.

[via Electronista]

Once upon a time, ATI's All-in-Wonder cards were the cream of the crop. The lineup combines a TV tuner with a graphics card. That means you don't need to buy two separate pieces of hardware to capture TV signals and to display those signals on a monitor. But while other hardware makers have been busy putting out HD tuner cards, ATI has been stuck in the dark ages of standard definition.

Now it looks like ATI is back in the game with the ATI All-in-Wonder HD. This PCI Express card has enough oomph to capture HD video and to play back HD video on your PC. It features DirectX 10.1 support, an MPEG2/VC-1/H2.64 decoder, and Vista and AMD Live! certification. It also packs a DVI port and HDMI jack.

On the TV tuner side of things, the AiW HD can handle SD, HD, and ClearQAM signals.The card should be available in July for $199.

[via Engadget]

The Hauppauge HD-PVR may be the first device capable of recording HDTV through the analog hole by basically capturing high definition video from your TV screen and compressing it using the H.264 codec into something you can watch on your PC. But if the box doesn't work with the operating system of your choice, what's the point?

Fortunately, members of the MythTV community have figured out how to make the box, which was designed for Windows, work with Linux. Setting up an HD-PVR to work with Linux and MythTV isn't quite as simple as getting it to work with Windows. You need to compile the driver from source. And the driver is still in alpha, meaning it hasn't been tested very widely yet, so there's a good chance it simply won't work on your system. But if the early reviews are anything to go by, there's a good chance it won't work perfectly with your Windows system anyway.

[via Brent Evans]

The ZvBox, which was announced in May, is a set top box that brings the PC experience to your TV. Like other media extenders, this means you can watch movies or listen to music stored on your computer, or you can access web content from sites like YouTube and Hulu.

What makes the ZvBox a bit different from other media extenders is that it works with your home's existing coaxial cables. In other words, you plug it into your PC so it can connect to the internet, and into your wall so it can broadcast throughout the house. Now any TV plugged into the wall can pick up your ZvBox content.

ZvBox makers ZeeVee were showing off the device at CONNECTIONS 2008, and eHomeUpgrade got chance to shoot some video of the $499 box in action. A few things I learned:

• The ZvBox remote controls your computer, so whatever your PC is doing is what shows up on the TV
• The other side of that coin is that you can't use your PC to do something else while someone is watching ZvBox content
• There's a good look at the web video interface, with content from Hulu, Jaman, YouTube, ABC News, and other sites

The ZvBox will be available on July 1st.