Mike's Digital Home

Win a VidaBox Premium Wireless Keyboard!

mabrown — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:44:00 GMT

VidaBox is giving away one of their Premium Wireless Keyboards that I reviewed recently.

For the rules and details check out this forum post.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, contest, vidabox, wireless keyboard

VidaBox Premium Wireless Keyboard Review

mabrown — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:42:00 GMT

Over the past few weeks I’ve been evaluating VidaBox’s new Premium Wireless Keyboard. The keyboard arrived nicely packaged, and comes with a nice soft case for storing it away while not in use.

The keyboard features all the media keys along the top that you’d expect to find on a HTPC Keyboard, along with a trackball. I have to admit when I first saw the trackball I was a little put off by it, I’ve never been good at using them. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy I picked up using it and how accurate. I would still personally prefer a track pad, but given the small nature of the keyboard I can see why the trackball was chosen.

Installation couldn’t be easier, I simply plugged in the included small dongle into my test Windows 7 HTPC and I was ready to go. There’s no software that has to be loaded, or any that even comes with the device for that matter, which is another plus for this device.

The range on the keyboard is also great, I used it up to ~40 feet away from my HTPC and never had any issues with losing key strokes or accuracy with the trackball.

To keep the size of the keyboard down there’s isn’t a dedicated number pad, so turning num lock on (which is a bios and Windows default) takes over some of the letters on the keyboard to use as a number pad. This threw me for a few after I rebooted as I couldn’t logon to my machine. After realizing that num lock was on and I was able to logon and turn num lock off Windows remembered my preference. If needed you can also turn most bio’s boot options to not enable num lock.

If you’re looking for a small wireless keyboard with great range add this one to your list to check out and I guarantee it’ll end up being at the top of your list. After having the chance to evaluate it I would have no reservations in purchasing one.

ClubHouse Tags: clubhouse,media center,story,wireless keyboard,windows 7

Microsoft CEDIA CableCard news

mabrown — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:18:00 GMT

Today Microsoft announced a few new CableCard features that will be available in Windows 7 Media Center.

The biggest (in my opinion anyway) is that Microsoft and CableLabs have come to a new agreement around how end users can get access to the technology. Previously the only option (other then a recently discovered hack) to use a Digital Cable Tuner was to buy a pre-configured system from an OEM, this left the DIY & smaller system builders out. Today’s announcement will allow end users and small OEM’s to add Digital Cable Tuners to their systems. To enable this functionality Microsoft will release a utility that checks the system to make sure the end user will have a good experience while using the tuners on their system, if the system passes the test it will enable Digital Cable Tuner support in Media Center. What that utility actually checks is unsure, my guess is it checks for an HDCP display and display adapter, along with CPU and memory.

Another big announcement was the support for Switched Digital Video (SDV). Like other CableCard based systems the user will need to get a tuning adapter from their provider. The only bad thing about this is that the tuning adapters work in such a way that you’ll need an adapter for each tuner you have, someone like me who has 7 CableCard tuners this will add a lot of equipment to my setup.

Last but certainly not least is the relaxed DRM we’ve been hearing about since the release of the 2008 TV Pack. This will allow shows that are flagged as Copy Freely to be played back other Media Centers in your home. This will allow users to share recordings from local stations, premium stations such as HBO or Showtime will still be encrypted.

To enable all of these features updated firmware for ATI’s Digital Cable Tuner is required. Microsoft said this should be released before Windows 7 GA on 10/22.

The full press release can be read here.

ClubHouse Tags: clubhouse,windows 7,media center,story

Networking your Digital Home, a new option

mabrown — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:43:00 GMT

So with the release of Windows 7 on horizon and it's new features such as Play to, homegroup, and even Media Center extenders (what's left of them anyway) good network connectivity between all the machines in your home is just one of the must haves in my opinion. Anyone that has read my posts on thegreenbutton.com's forums knows I'm not a big fan of wireless for extender usage or media streaming in general. For those that, in the past, had no other option as getting cat-5 to some locations just wasn't possible there's a new to consumers technology finally hitting the shelves, MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) which has Coax to Ethernet bridges.

The first devices available are from Netgear, the MCA1001 coax to Ethernet bridge. It's being sold in a pack of 2 for around $189 US. I picked up two kits a couple weeks ago to test them out. I had my Media Center and Bed Room Extender hardwired, but not in the ideal way, I had drilled some holes through walls, ran it along baseboards, etc.. It worked and you really couldn't see that the cables were there as I colored matched them to my walls but my 2 year found them and he loves to pull on them. : ) So back to MoCA, I installed one device in my office which is where my servers (homeserver, domain controllers etc..) and where the Internet router is located. The next device that got plugged into the switch in my living room where my Media Center, Xbox 360, DNLA TV, and 2 HD Homeruns are located. 2 things I found out while getting this up and running. The MoCA devices do not work if they are downstream from a drop amp, so I had to rewire somethings to get them hooked up to the cable coming from the wall (I have a drop amp in my office and in the living room because of the amount of tuners I have). After that I found that my OCUR's wouldn't work if they were downstream from the MoCA devices, so I ended up putting in a splitter from the wall 1 leg going to the MoCA device and the other to my drop amp and everything was happy. I tested like this for about a week before moving on, I had no issues streaming HD content from my homeserver while others used hardwired extenders.

The next step was to install a device in the bedroom for the extender there, that was a simple install just replacing the Ethernet cable from the extender and running it to the MoCA device, and hooking the MoCA device up to the coax in the bedroom. The extender came right up and is running just as good as it was when it was usually a traditional hard wired Ethernet connection.

So anyone who is looking for a way to get good network performance that can't use a traditional Ethernet connection I highly recommend checking out these devices. I have in the past tried Powerline to Ethernet bridges and no luck what so ever so it's nice to see something that just worked out of the box, with the exception of my drop amp and OCUR issues which I imagine most people wouldn't see.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, review, networking

maTest

mabrown — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:31:00 GMT

here's my test post...

Aftermarket Xbox 360 Case

mabrown — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:17:00 GMT

With the demise of the HP and Linksys extenders we're pretty much back to having the Xbox 360 as our only extender solution, D-link hasn't killed theirs yet but I fully expect that they will. The issue with this is mostly noise. I'm having to use mine in my living room right now while our main media center is out of commission, and even my wife says the Xbox is louder then the full blown PC we normally use.

A-Tech Fabrication has announced a new case called the HeatSync Three-sixty that will make the 360 virtually silent, and it looks great!

HeatSync Three-Sixty Features:

100% made in the USA
Outstanding workmanship and finish quality
Heavy-duty chassis constructed from heat-treated aircraft quality aluminum
Modular heatsink system increases performance and functionality
Large aluminum fins optimize natural convection cooling
Highly efficient HeatSync^®CPU cooling system transfers heat directly into chassis
Integrated HeatSync^®GPU video cooling system
DVD Drive Isolation System to eliminate noise from vibrations
Machined billet aluminum power, reset, and eject buttons
Infrared receiver and Wireless controller port built into faceplate
Thermally controlled exhaust fan -normally OFF
Green power and controller status LED's
Standard black anodized aluminum finish on chassis
Dimensions - 17.50" wide x 9.25" deep x 3.25" high (+ 0.31" with feet)

Options Include:

Pre-built system including Xbox 360^TM components
Memory card ports
Wired controller ports
(2U) one-piece rack mount faceplate
Billet aluminum case feet

As of now, there is no mention of price and the order form is not yet online but if it's reasonable I'll be buying 1 for sure! Check out all the pics and details here.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, extender, xbox 360, story

Preview of new Media Browser Features

mabrown — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:24:00 GMT

For those that need a great looking and functioning addon to manage your TV Series archives, Home Videos, Movies and just about any other video collections Media Browser is the product to look at. I just can't tell you how much easier this addon has made it for my wife (great WAF here) and myself to consume our local video collection (by local I mean local to our home, all our videos are stored on an HP HomeServer).

In addition to the features we're loving in the current release (which I would highly recommend installing now) Sam Saffron has blogged about some of the new features they're adding into the product and most if not all look very exciting and can't wait to get a hold of it. The project is open source so if you're the adventurous type you can pull down the latest bits and compile it yourself.

From Sam's Blog Post:
Upcoming features for Media Browser

I have spent a fair bit of time refactoring the Media Browser code base, the idea has been to make the product a lot more extensible and maintainable. Lots of tests were added and lots of stability and performance fixes were applied.

The new code base is VERY different, so different I have been contemplating not calling the next version 2.0.12 and instead going with version 2.1 or 3.0.

The list of fixes is so long it probably will not fit in a single blog post. I will leave the list of fixes to the release notes. But I would like to note that overall, MB is now faster, more stable and easier to debug (both in production and dev)

But this post is not really about that, instead I would like to give some people a taste of the features to come:

New plugin architecture:

We now have a way for people to extend Media Browser without joining the Dev Team. The extendability allows you to extend our object model, add new entities, define new types of media and add items to the root menu.

DVR-MS support

I have two media centers, I tape stuff downstairs and watch stuff upstairs. To date DVR-MS support in MB has been a little woeful. No pretty metadata and horrendous filenames. The brand spanking new DVR-MS plugin solves this issue.

Multiple backdrops

This one has a real high WAF, we have nice transition effect that cycles between multiple backdrops. The backdrops can either be local or we can fetch them from themoviedb.

Podcasts

I love this feature. The configurator now allows you to add whatever podcasts you want to MB and we will go ahead and stream them for you.

Play All and Random

Select a folder, hit play and little window will pop up that will allow you to either play all the movies in the folder (recursively) or play the randomly. Really slick.

Whats new in this folder?

Usually when you sit down to use your HTPC you want to look through the newest videos in your collection. Well, in detail view we will display a list of all the newest children on the right hand side. But wait, theres more, this list is clickable.

Global indexing

If you click on an actor, or index by actor the index will look through the whole collection. Not only at the items in the folder directly below. This allows you to see what TV shows your favorite actors are in.

ITunes HD Trailers

I wrote this puppy today. Pretty ITunes HD trailers with full metadata. Take that front-row. ITunes trailers is a plug-in, getting the videos to stream requires a bit of Codec-Foo we will have to have a wiki page on this.

Share your settings

You can now place your actor images on a network share, you can place your watched/unwatched status on a network share and you can place your display preferences on a network share. You don't need to install a fancy shmancy database. It just works. Getting it to work was no easy task.

There is more

There are some additional goodies I have not told you about. So hold tight, the next MB is shaping out to be a fantastic release. I'm using it at home on all my media centers.

When will it be released?

When its ready, there are still some bugs to crush and features to polish. Hold tight, I hope it won't take too long. Keep in mind, I am going away in a week (for 3 weeks) so if we are not ready by the end of next week you are going to have to wait a month.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, addons, Movies, TV, Home Videos, media browser

Okoro Media Systems Releases New Media Servers

mabrown — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:31:00 GMT

Okoro Media Systems, manufacturer of digital entertainment systems for the high end audio video market, is pleased to announce the availability of the 2009 RK Digital Entertainment Servers. This new line of rack mounted servers feature the latest technology while making available custom solutions for many different home theater installations. Each RK system is powered by these standard features:
Rack Mountable Chassis
Intel i7 processor technology
80 GB Solid State Hard Drive OS Drive
Minimum 2TB Media Storage
Blu-ray Drive
Minimum 6GB RAM.
RS232-support
Multi-zone Audio Support
"Our customers and installers have always enjoyed our elegantly designed machines. However we have had many requests for rack mounted systems with more media center options. We are now offering multi-zones audio, solid state drives and SageTV for satellite HD DVR support in our line of premier Digital Entertainment Servers." says Christopher Curry VP of Sales and Marketing.
The following options are currently available:
Operating Systems:
·Windows Vista Ultimate 32Bit
·Windows Vista Ultimate 64Bit
·Windows Home Server 32bit
Media Servers:
·SageTV
·Windows Media Center
Storage Options:
·SSD OS Drive RAID 1 (Mirroring)
·SSD OS Drive RAID 0 (Striping)
·2 - 32 TB of RAID Storage
Solutions Available:
·SageTV
Satellite and Cable HD premium HD capabilities via HDPVR
Full Music/Photos/Recorded TV/Blu-ray/DVD libraries on extenders
Multi-zone Audio controlled via UMPC or MID
·Windows Media Center
Multi CableCARD Tuners
Multi-zone Audio controlled via UMPC or MID
Multi-zone Audio controlled by existing Russound or Nuvo house audio system
Please contact sales@okoromedia.com or 877-539-4788 option 1 for pricing and configuration.
Current Blu-ray Promotion
"Bond is Back!" and Okoro Media Systems is going to bring him to you in stunning 1080p and HD audio. We can do this because we have integrated the latest Blu-ray playback technology in our digital entertainment systems.
With every purchase of a BX series or system that is upgraded with a Blu-ray player we will add the box office hit - Quantum of Solace Blu-ray movie to your order as a gift from us. Plus, get 10% off the listed base MSRP price for the following models:
OMS-TH550
OMS-BX100
OMS-BX300
OMS-GX100
OMS-GX300
OMS-ZX100
For more information about the complimentary Blu-ray movie Quantum of Solace and the percentage discount promotion that has been extended until Sunday, May 3, 2009, please visit click here or contact Okoro Media Systems at 877-539-4788 option 1.

Cyberlink PowerDVD 9 Ultra - Initial Impressions

mabrown — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:57:00 GMT

I installed PowerDVD 9 Ultra on my Windows 7 test box last night to see how well it integrates with Media Center and I have to say I was pretty blown away. I've haven't used PowerDVD since version 7 because I switched to Total Media Theatre for its Media Center integration, but my initial impressions on the integration is that PowerDVD 9 has the upper hand now (to be fair I've not tested TMT 3 yet).

I'll have a full review up after I get some more time to play with it.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, blu-ray, powerdvd9, review

PacketVideo announces upgrade to award-winning TownkyMedia Manager Software

mabrown — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:58:00 GMT

Newest Version Supports More Popular Online Services; Enhanced Functionality Makes it Easier Than Ever to Drag and Drop Media to Multiple Devices Throughout the Home

SAN DIEGO, CA (April 7, 2009)-PacketVideo (PV) announced today that a new version of its award-winning home media server software, TwonkyMediaT manager v1.1, is now available for download at www.twonkymedia.com.

Building on the success of its predecessor, TwonkyMedia manager v1.1 provides enhanced functionality and support tools that enable users to aggregate and view digital photos, music and videos stored in multiple devices - often from a multitude of applications and online services - and play them on any compatible device in the home via simple drag and drop functionality. TwonkyMedia manager v1.1 is available today for $39.95, providing users an installation for up to three different PCs in their home. A 30-day free trial is available.

Support for More Popular Online Services
TwonkyMedia manager v1.1 adds support for more than 70 new Internet radio stations including an expanded line-up of Electronic, Jazz, Latin, Hip Hop and Blues programming options. The software also now supports feeds from many of the world's most popular online services including Photobucket, SHOUTcast, Picasa Web and handpicked videos as part of the upgrade. Additionally, users can now pull video from YouTube using TwonkyMedia manager and play the files on a Sony Playstation® 3 connected to their TV.

Enhanced Functionality and Support Tools
TwonkyMedia manager v1.1 introduces a new "QuickStart" option to minimize application launch time, also enabling users to minimize the software without stopping playback. With QuickStart enabled TwonkyMedia manager launches more than 25x faster than before. A new SmartSort feature enables music files to be automatically associated with their album of origin, sorted in the order they appear on the actual album. New skins and graphical improvements have been implemented across the software interface enhancing the look and feel of the application, while PV has also improved support for FLAC, AAC and additional file formats. TwonkyMedia manager v1.1 also adds support for popular Netbooks and Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs).

"We know how important the Internet is to consumers, so we continue to expand our support in this area by providing our customers with an even wider range of choices," said Rick Schwartz, product manager, PV. "We also continue to make it easier for consumers to access their online media on devices around the home including digital photo frames, Internet-ready TVs or game consoles. Our innovative drag and drop interface provides consumers with a higher level of control than ever before. It's even possible for two people to work together at the same time on PCs in separate rooms of the house to create a photo slideshow or music playlist. No other media manager can do this."

Additional updates in TwonkyMedia manger v1.1 include:
.TwonkyMedia manager now includes an improved version of the award-winning TwonkyMedia server
.Numerous navigation tree enhancements including the ability to sort music files by genre/ album and composer; and photo/video files by personal rating, keywords and album
.A one-click tray application can now be used to control the application
.New renderer icons have been added for select devices, including Sonos® ZonePlayersT, new Linksys DLNA devices and select Denon receivers
.Expanded language support for eight languages, now including Japanese and Russian
The Easiest Way to Enjoy Media on Connected Devices throughout the Home, Period
TwonkyMedia manager automatically displays icons for all the connected devices in the home that can be controlled and play media. Compatible devices include PCs, Internet-ready TVs, A/V systems, music devices, digital picture frames - even some smartphones. To play media, the user simply drags the desired content onto the selected device. Popular gaming consoles including the Xbox 360T, Sony Playstation®Portable and Sony Playstation® 3 can also display media served by TwonkyMedia manager.

# # #

About PV: PV, a subsidiary of NextWave Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: WAVE), is the software innovator powering the world's leading mobile multimedia services. With more than 320 different devices supported and hundreds of millions of PV multimedia clients deployed around the world, PV has the deepest, broadest and most respected multimedia software expertise in the industry. Founded in 1998, PV is headquartered in San Diego, California with regional offices in the U.S., Japan, Europe and India.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurances that forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual events or results could differ materially from the events or results predicted or from any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, PV, and should not be considered as an indication of future events or results. Important factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially are described in filings of our parent company, NextWave Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: WAVE) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such documents are available through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. PV and NextWave Wireless Inc. make no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect changes in events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made, except as may be required pursuant to applicable law.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, windows vista, dnla, digital media, story

Calling all Media Center Hardware Vendors

mabrown — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:26:00 GMT

Ian Dixon and myself have started a new hardware video review show on The Digital Lifestyle and it also appears on my blog at The Green Button, the first installment is located here. I'm looking for some hardware to test out for the show. If you are interested in getting any of your products reviewed for the show drop me a line using the contact form or feel free to email me directly if you already have my address.

I'm looking to do everything from individual components to full systems and anything hardware that can be integrated into the Media Center experience such as home automation and remote controls.

Thanks,
Mike Brown

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, hardware, review

I'm now a Media Center MVP!

mabrown — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:50:00 GMT

I was awarded MVP status for Media Center from Microsoft yesterday. I'm incredibly honored and stoked to be a part of this group. I just wanted to give a big thanks to Richard Miller and Ian Dixon who I know had something to do with my nomination. Also thanks to everyone who sent me an email or hit me up on twitter yesterday to say congrats.

Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse, media center, story, mvp

The Digital Lifestyle Hardware - ATI Digital Cable Tuners

mabrown — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:27:00 GMT

Ian had an idea about starting a hardware podcast and I wanted to be involved so I contacted him and in the end we decided a video show (video podcast if you will) reviewing hardware would probably work out better. So to kick things off Ian asked if I...(read more)

DMA 2200 Extender $95 at Newegg

mabrown — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:21:00 GMT

Just thought I'd pass this deal along, can't beat $95 for a DMA-2200. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124282&CMP Clubhouse Tags: clubhouse , story , media center Extender , media center...(read more)

DMA-2200 $99 from Dell

mabrown — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:33:00 GMT

Dell Home is running a $100 off special on the DMA-2200's which brings the total down to $99. If you've been sitting on the fence now's the time to jump in I don't see these devices getting any cheaper! http://tinyurl.com/c5bo9t...(read more)

Configuring Media Center with 1 or 2 set-top boxes

mabrown — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:18:00 GMT

In my last post we covered how to get a tuner installed and hooked up to basic cable. Going to a set-top box allows you to get more channels also it allows you to use Media Center with other signal types, like DirectTV, Dish Network, or U-verse...(read more)

Do you have Windows Media Center on your PC?

mabrown — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:15:00 GMT

Every version of Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate include Windows Media Center. So what is Media Center you maybe asking yourself, or why do you care that your PC has this application? The short answer is Windows Media Center is a DVR (digital...(read more)

The Microsoft "Clubhouse"

mabrown — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:19:58 GMT

A few of us bloggers have been asked to contribute to something Microsoft calls the clubhouse. This post is just a heads up that some of my upcoming posts might seem a little obvious to those of you who normally read my blog. The purpose of...(read more)

My connected home, pt. 2

mabrown — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:51:00 GMT

So way back in September I wrote a review on my new S1Digital machine which is the core of my connected home. That machine (which is still awesome!) is directly connected to my living room television (as seen below). Not much with the system has changed...(read more)

Add Channel Logos to Windows 7 MC Guide

mabrown — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 03:13:00 GMT

Thanks to Richard for tweeting about this. A member of the green button community has released a utility for Windows 7 Media Center that many of has been waiting for for quite some time, the ability to have channel logos in the guide as opposed to just...(read more)

S1Digital Product Updates

mabrown — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:32:00 GMT

My favorite Media Center OEM has updated their product line and I gotta say they all look awesome! I thought I would share with you some exciting new product announcements and updates. It's been way too cold for us to venture outside here in NJ, so...(read more)

Vidabox releases a new single room DVD movie server

mabrown — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:14:00 GMT

What is a RoomClient:SE? Starting at $2249, the RoomClient:SE system is a single box that allows you to: - Store and play DVDs, music, pictures & slideshows, videos, and TV** on-demand, instantly - Archive 150+ DVDs with the standard system, or 230...(read more)

S1Digital launches Free Windows 7 Upgrade Program

mabrown — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT

If you've been putting off that purchase of a new S1Digital Media Center because Windows 7 is coming, then we have some exciting news for you! S1Digital today announced a free upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 operating system for all customers who purchase...(read more)

VidaBox Unveils Touch3.6, vPad8 Touchscreen Tablet

mabrown — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:48:56 GMT

I can't find any info on their site about this but Electronic House has some details on a couple new touchscreen devices from VidaBox . Read the Article here . (on a personal note it's awesome to see dream theater as the artist in the screen shot...(read more)

Severely Confused - The state of Media Center

mabrown — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:05:10 GMT

Not sure where to even start with this. Lets go back a few weeks to the PDC when Windows 7 was announced, for lack of a better term. Shortly after Charlie Owen had a great blog post and did a show with Ian on all the new features of Media...(read more)

M-Card Tuner coming for Vista Media Center?

mabrown — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:58:00 GMT

Looks like they'll soon be a new player in town for Digital Cable Tuners Ceton Corp. has a product page up claiming they have an M-Card Tuner coming soon for Vista Media Center . I'll be very interested to see how this performs compared to the...(read more)

Awesome Video of Media Center Evolution

mabrown — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:13:55 GMT

I usually don't post things other bloggers post, but just in case someone reads my blog and not Ian's (fat chance I know) I thought I'd pass this along. Enjoy!...(read more)

Top Microsoft Exec Shows Off Media Center-Based Home

mabrown — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:33:00 GMT

Electronic House has a really nice article about a Senior MS Exec and his 11,000 square foot home powered by Media Center and Lifeware. Check it out here: http://www.electronichouse.com/article/top_microsoft_exec_shows_off_media_center_based_home...(read more)

Slingbox PRO-HD

mabrown — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:34:00 GMT

So I was at a friends house a few weeks ago and he asked me to help him hook up his Slingbox solo to his Tivo. After getting it hooked up, which was extremely easy and extremely cool, it got me to thinking about how I could use one in my current Media...(read more)

More information / Video on Live Mesh Homeserver and Media Center Integration

mabrown — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:47:41 GMT

Here's a great video that shows the potential of live mesh to integrate with Windows Home Server and Media Center, I for one can't wait for both of these apps to become available at least in a beta format! http://on10.net/blogs/nic/Windows-Home...(read more)

Media Center Sideshow Gadgets RTM Download

mabrown — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:35:36 GMT

Looks like the Media Center SideShow gadgets are finally out of beta. Check the Windows SideShow Team Blog for all the details and the download links....(read more)

S1Digitial Platinum Edition with TV Pack Review

mabrown — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:08:28 GMT

So it's been about a month since my S1Digital Media Center arrived and I couldn't be happier with it. Like every other review I've read about their systems this thing is just rock sold! I meant to get this post written sooner but IKE had other...(read more)

S1Digital Platinum Edition Unboxing pics and initial impressions

mabrown — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:02:10 GMT

With the new features of the 2008 TV Pack, I couldn't resist buying a new media center from a cutting edge OEM like S1Digital who was the first to ship systems with the new update, and according to Paul I was the first to get one. I plan on writing...(read more)

Linksys DMA-2100 $199 (or cheaper) at dell.com

mabrown — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:23:03 GMT

As a poster at thegreenbutton.com pointed out Dell is selling the Linksys DMA-2100 for $199 right now. But you can get it even cheaper. If your company has an employee purchase program with Dell you get an extra $50 off select network hardware...(read more)

VidaBox PicoPC

mabrown — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:17:24 GMT

I just received an email from VidaBox about a a new product they're releasing. Before I go any further I must say that I think VidaBox is a great company and are doing great things for the Media Center community. The new product is called...(read more)

mControl SideShow client to ship with version 2.1

mabrown — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:32:00 GMT

Ted from Embedded Automation posted some info on their Vista SideShow client that will be a part of mControl version 2.1. Check it out at http://www.embeddedautomation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=670...(read more)

Media Center wins over Apple fan

mabrown — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:24:00 GMT

I love stories like this. Big Apple fan who never thought they'd be running Windows ends up having their entire house powered by Media Center. Good read: http://www.electronichouse.com/article/media_center_convert_wins_microsoft_ultimate_install_contest...(read more)

FUZE™ Media Systems Launches Revolutionary Whole-Home Media Solution

mabrown — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 13:06:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FUZE™ Media Systems Launches Revolutionary Whole-Home Media Solution System Designed to Be Used by Any Family Member, Anywhere in the Home San Jose, Calif., August 15, 2007 – FUZE™ Media Systems today emerged from stealth mode by...(read more)

I'm Still Alive!

mabrown — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:43:52 GMT

Just wanted to put up a quick post, yes I'm still alive. My son was born about a month ago so I've not had much time for blogging or Media Center in general. Before he was born my Velocity Micro CableCard system came in so I'm planning a post on my experiences...(read more)

Free DivX Pro 6 for a limited time.

mabrown — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:19:00 GMT

DivX is giving away their Pro version 6 software for a limited time, get it at http://www.divx.com/dff/?lang=en&version=win...(read more)