MediaCenter

Get a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner for $169.99 shipped

This is an update of a deal I posted about a year ago.

Much as I love my TiVo, I despise the monthly subscription fees that go along with it. It can literally cost you a couple hundred bucks per year. As Dr. Smith would say, "Oh, the pain!" (Don't get the reference? Ask your parents. If they watched cheesy 60s sci-fi, that is.)

A much cheaper option over the long haul: Ceton's InfiniTV 4 products, which can turn a Windows PC into a pretty sweet DVR.

For a limited time, Newegg has Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB for $169.99 shipped. … Read more

Do you hate Microsoft?

In a recent column, PC World editor Jon Phillips tackled this provocative topic: "Why PC users hate Microsoft."

Noting that few users would admit to anything like fondness for the company, Phillips suggests that because we're effectively stuck with Windows when we buy a new PC, Microsoft is the obvious scapegoat when things go wrong. "When Windows fails [users]," he writes, "they elevate Microsoft to boogeyman status: a craven, profit-hungry monopoly that runs an unreliable service."

True, but I think there's more to it than that. Much, much more. I say this … Read more

How to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for free

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 will not come with Windows Media Center as part of the operating system. It's now an add-on that can be purchased through the Add Features option in Windows 8. For a limited time, however, Microsoft is offering Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro customers for free. Here's how to get it:

Request your free product key from Microsoft's Web site. Hit the shortcut, Win+W, then type "add features." Select "Add features to Windows 8." Click on "I already have a product key," then enter … Read more

Get more than a media player with RealPlayer

We have to admit that it had been years since we used RealPlayer, and we weren't quite sure what to expect from this version. Nor were we particularly excited about trying it out; we have a media player already, thank you, and what could RealPlayer possibly do that we hadn't already seen before? Quite a lot, it turns out. In addition to managing and playing your media, it can also download and convert videos, keep certain content private, and more.

RealPlayer has a sleek and intuitive interface that opened with a page touting its latest features. After a … Read more

Get an HDHomeRun Prime CableCard tuner for $129.99

True story: The cable guy was over just last week, troubleshooting a signal-strength problem with our service. When he saw my CableCard-equipped media center PC, he said, "I've been wanting to do that with my computer, because Windows' channel guide is so much better than ours."

True dat. Windows Media Center offers a mighty sweet 10-foot interface, and when you pair your PC with a CableCard tuner, you've got everything you need for DVR awesomeness.

There are three such tuners on the market, and today's deal is for the most versatile of them. While supplies … Read more

iPad Mini coming this year, say reports

On this Thursday, take a whiff and smell those fresh Apple rumors:

New details on a smaller iPad are pouring in. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have sources saying Apple is gearing up to produce an iPad Mini that would arrive sometime this year. We've also heard the same earlier this week from an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. This would compete with other 7-inch tablets, like the Amazon Kindle Fire (which will likely have a new model out this summer) and the Google Nexus 7 tablet.

But that's not the only hot Apple news today. Just check … Read more

Windows 8 Pro upgrade set for $39.99, Media Center too

Microsoft is trying to make the Windows 8 upgrade more tempting by cutting the upgrade price and throwing in Media Center, too.

Those with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 will qualify for an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 in 131 markets, Microsoft said today.

And Media Center can be added "for free" through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade, according to Microsoft.

That might not seem like much but Microsoft said previously that Media Center must be "acquired" via "Add Features to Windows 8" … Read more

How to add Media Center to Windows 8 Release Preview

Microsoft has followed through on its promise to remove Media Center from Windows 8. But you can still install it in the new Release Preview.

Those of you who downloaded yesterday's Windows 8 Release Preview will notice that Media Center is missing from the list of apps on the Start screen and Apps screen. A new Windows FAQ page explains how to grab it for free via the following steps:

From the Metro Start screen or Apps screen, hover to the upper right or left corner of the screen until you see the Charms bar. Click on the Search … Read more

Get a Windows Media Center remote for $13.99 shipped

As I've mentioned before, a Windows 7-powered PC makes a great companion for your TV. Just fire up Windows Media Center and you've got an awesome 10-foot interface for watching TV, listening to music, streaming Netflix, and the like.

Just one problem: You need a way to navigate WMC from the couch, and balancing a mouse and keyboard on your lap is not my idea of ideal.

What you need is a remote. Like this one: Today only, Newegg has the Rosewill RHRC-11001 Windows Media Center Remote for $13.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCYTZT1594 … Read more