SageTV HTPC software acquired by Google, next stop Google TV?

In what may be an interesting development for the future of Google TV, the folks at Mountain View have purchased SageTV. The HTPC software has been doing its media center thing on multiple platforms since 2002, and according to a note on its homepage the developers “believe our ideas will reach an even larger audience of users worldwide on many different products, platforms and services.” While there’s no word on exactly what Google has planned, SageTV has long included DVR and placeshifting features that the Google TV product lacks by itself. The bad news for current users is that the store links on SageTV’s page have suddenly stopped working, so hopefully you snagged the software already if you’re interested. If your main question is “What is SageTV?” check out a demo video created by user jaredduq that is embedded after the break.

[Thanks, Jason, screenshot courtesy GeekTonic]

Continue reading SageTV HTPC software acquired by Google, next stop Google TV?

SageTV HTPC software acquired by Google, next stop Google TV? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @SageTV (Twitter)  |  sourceSage TV, Forums  | Email this | Comments

Acer ships AMD-powered Revo RL100 HTPC to Americans: $499 and up

Acer actually popped out its Revo RL100 media center right around six months ago, but for those unable to make the trip to Asia, today’s the day for getting jovial. Said player is now shipping to the US of A, hailed as a “digital hub” and outfitted with a dual-mode wireless touchpad / keyboard as well as the company’s own clear.fi streaming solution. A pair of models will be available — one with Blu-ray and one without — with the entire box measuring just 1- x 11.81- x 7.09-inches. As expected, an HDMI port ’round back will handle the bulk of the data transmissions, and an internal NVIDIA Ion graphics chip will be responsible for 1080p video playback. Within, you’ll get a 1.3GHz AMD Athlon II K325 CPU, 750GB SATA hard drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, three USB 2.0 ports, a multi-card reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and an Ethernet socket. Windows 7 Home Premium will be the OS of choice, and it can be yours for the tidy sum of $499.99 (or $569.99 if you’re looking to add BD capabilities).

Continue reading Acer ships AMD-powered Revo RL100 HTPC to Americans: $499 and up

Acer ships AMD-powered Revo RL100 HTPC to Americans: $499 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner prices are dropping, down to $256 shipped from $399 previously

Whether it’s due to pressure from SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun Prime or as a result of simplified hardware is unclear, but Ceton’s InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner is now available for as little as $256 shipped. Forum posters at Missing Remote noticed a $282 fire sale for the HTPC cable TV adapters going on eBay Friday, before prices dropped precipitously at Buy.com ($264), and an Amazon third party ($265). Lesser known Erwin Computers currently claims the lowest price, while Ceton’s official Amazon listing and those of other resellers like Cannon PC and Fluid Digital remain at the $399 MSRP — for now. The choice is yours — wait for official word and to see if prices drop any lower or click the buy button now and get some (network sharable) cable TV reception for your computer in time for the second episode of Teen Wolf on MTV.

InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner prices are dropping, down to $256 shipped from $399 previously originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner officially available for preorders for $249, six tuner version next week

After a false start when it passed certification earlier this month, SiliconDust’s three CableCARD tuner HDHomeRun Prime is finally available for preorder from Newegg for $249. The release date is scheduled for June 29th but those interested in getting it hooked up to their HTPC as quickly as possible may want to wait until next week when the six-tuner 6CC version goes up for preorder, as those are expected to begin shipping first. There’s no volume discount on the tuners at $499, but at $83 per tuner you might be able to justify it as a better value than the four-tuner and also network-sharable InfiniTV 4. Either way, if you just need a bit more information before purchasing, you’ll find it on the sales page, on the linked PDF below or in the video trailer embedded after the break.

[Thanks Justin & @TheReal_PeterF]

Continue reading HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner officially available for preorders for $249, six tuner version next week

HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner officially available for preorders for $249, six tuner version next week originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @HDHomeRun_US  |  sourceNewegg, SiliconDust  | Email this | Comments

HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner passes CableLabs tests – Update: Preorder pulled, 6-tuner ships first

We’ve been waiting for SiliconDust’s CableCARD-compatible HDHomeRun Prime for a little over a year and it seems finally ready to bring its triple tuner TV magic home, having gained CableLabs certification as of April 28th and subsequently showing up for preorder on Amazon. While this is mostly big news for Windows Media Center fans who need a new way to get premium channels on their box it also supports other DVR software like MythTV on Copy Freely-marked content. HTPC builders don’t have to choose between this HDHR3-CC and the (suddenly in abundant supply and still $399) Ceton InfiniTV 4 just yet, since the listing has no shipping date and the last we’d heard from SiliconDust was that preorders would ship around 30 days after it completed certification. Check out our hands-on impressions from CES a few months ago if you’re on the fence, but right now all that’s standing between you and that grey box is a little bit of time… and $207.

Update: According to a post on its forum, SiliconDust confirmed the HDHomeRun Prime has been certified and an email announcement will follow shortly, however it expects to deliver a 6-tuner Theater version first with the three tuner box appearing afterwards. The post also notes sites are “incorrectly listing” the HDHomeRun Prime for preorder and “will not be first in line for delivering product” so you may want to wait for the official word on which “major retailer” has the go-ahead to make sure you’re first in line. The option to preorder disappeared from Amazon this morning, we’ll let you know when and where the option to purchase pops up next. [Thanks, robniep]

[Thanks, Neil]

HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner passes CableLabs tests – Update: Preorder pulled, 6-tuner ships first originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 01:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmazon, CableLabs (PDF), SiliconDust forums  | Email this | Comments

HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner passes CableLabs tests, available for preorder on Amazon

We’ve been waiting for SiliconDust’s CableCARD-compatible HDHomeRun Prime for a little over a year and it seems finally ready to bring its triple tuner TV magic home, having gained CableLabs certification as of April 28th and subsequently showing up for preorder on Amazon. While this is mostly big news for Windows Media Center fans who need a new way to get premium channels on their box it also supports other DVR software like MythTV on Copy Freely-marked content. HTPC builders don’t have to choose between this HDHR3-CC and the (suddenly in abundant supply and still $399) Ceton InfiniTV 4 just yet, since the listing has no shipping date and the last we’d heard from SiliconDust was that preorders would ship around 30 days after it completed certification. Check out our hands-on impressions from CES a few months ago if you’re on the fence, but right now all that’s standing between you and that grey box is a little bit of time… and $207.

[Thanks, Neil]

HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner passes CableLabs tests, available for preorder on Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 01:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip

Intel Atom Lineup

That new processor smell has barely started to fade from Oak Trail and we’re already getting some tantalizing details about the next generation of Atom chips — Cedar Trail. As expected, Intel has moved to 32nm, which allows it to cram the GPU and the CPU onto the same sliver of silicon. The first two models, the D2500 and D2700, will be dual-core, sport 1MB of L2 cache, and have a miserly TDP of 10w — 3w lower than current dual-core Atoms. The former will be clocked at 1.86GHz with Hyper-Threading turned off, while the D2700 flips the switch on those two extra threads and kicks it up a notch to 2.13GHz. The new integrated graphics will boast better HD decoding and support for Blu-ray playback which, when combined with the taunts of fanless designs and WiDi, make Cedar Trail a natural fit for the living room.

Intel’s Cedar Trail gets some specs, combines CPU and GPU on a single chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xtreamer Ultra HTPC grabs a €249 price, May 3rd ship date

We’ve heard, we’ve toyed, and we’ve waited. And now, we’re presenting you with two vital nuggets of information surrounding the Xtreamer Ultra HTPC. The Ion 2-based machine is one of the most compact (and most affordable) pre-built HTPCs available, complete with six USB sockets, 4GB of DDR3 memory, an HDMI socket, IR remote and — if you place a pre-order before the end of April — a mini wireless keyboard, 8GB USB key, an HDMI 1.4a cable and a fresh copy of Linux. €249 will get one headed your way on May 3rd, or $323 if you’re Livin’ In America. Hit the source link to get in line, ya heard?

[Thanks, Tim and Henrik]

Xtreamer Ultra HTPC grabs a €249 price, May 3rd ship date originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Veho’s Mimi all-in-one HTPC controller attempts to be a gamepad, looks overwhelming

So you’ve done it. You’ve bought a top-of-the line computer and turned your once-scary basement into the home theater of your dreams. But, since the HTPC is well, a computer, you’re probably still using the age-old mouse and keyboard combo. Veho, a company that once claimed to have the world’s smallest camcorder, recently announced a device called the “Mimi wifi Keyboard & Air Mouse with game controller.” A long name indeed, but suitable considering the number of buttons found on this Xbox 360 gamepad lookalike. It’s got everything you’d expect in an all-in-one computer-controlling unit — including a motion sensor to control the mouse, separate buttons for left- and right-clicking and a range of around 33 feet. The controller is compatible with both Windows and Mac via a USB dongle, but the customizable buttons will only work on a Microsoft machine. If you’re ready to take computing and gaming, along with your dignity, to a whole new level, hit up the source link to drop around 150 bones (£90) for this hybrid gadget.

Veho’s Mimi all-in-one HTPC controller attempts to be a gamepad, looks overwhelming originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Everything USB  |  sourceFirebox  | Email this | Comments

NES becomes an HTPC, turns your FOF upside down

Nintendo Entertainment Systems have proven to be fertile ground for the DIY community — purses, guitars, and belt buckles are just a sampling of the more unusual NES mods out there. We’ve also seen our share of NES PCs, and now an enterprising Finn going by the name Ana-5000 has crammed a fully-fledged home theater PC into everybody’s favorite 8-bit console. An Asus AT3IONT-I Deluxe motherboard with an Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor and an NVIDIA Ion GPU provides the computing power and offers HDMI and VGA ports, six USB 2.0 ports, optical and RCA audio connections, integrated 802.11b/g/n wireless and Gigabit ethernet, and Bluetooth connectivity. Ana-5000 gave the repurposed Nintendo a fresh black and white paint-job to set it apart from your garden variety NES as well. Hit up the Source link for pics and an explanation of the entire mod process if you feel like doing some console recycling yourself.

NES becomes an HTPC, turns your FOF upside down originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNintendo HTPC  | Email this | Comments