After yesterday's much-lauded episode with Jill Schlesinger, Jeff, Justin, and Wilson are back to classic 404 goodness today. We're glad that for once in the world we can offer some helpful financial advice. And yes, we're still offering 404k options, so please send your checks to the show.
(Credit:
Joseph Fedele)
On today's show, we've got a First Look at the new Hulu Desktop app. It kind of destroys Joost and Boxee's previous efforts. For those of you who don't know, it's an actual application like Front Row or Windows Media Center that plugs into Hulu content and can be controlled with a remote. Pretty cool.
Also, we're pretty excited about Sonic the Hedgehog coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. Jeff and Justin don't like that the game will be controlled via tilt, but Wilson thinks that--considering you spend most of the game just hitting forward and jump--it's not really that big of a deal.
Finally, we spend the second half of the show picking up the pieces after Justin offends millions and millions of Dave Matthews Band fans, who call in to unleash their hatred. Hopefully, Justin learns never to mess with DMB fans again. They are rabid. After that, we spend the rest of the show going over the hundreds of 404 logo submissions. They are fantastic! Please continue to send them in. We're extending the contest until the beginning of next week. Have a great weekend everyone!
EPISODE 352
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HP MediaSmart Connect x280n: Member of a dying breed?
(Credit: HP)Call it a one-two punch: Monday's news that HP is discontinuing its MediaSmart Connect line follows Friday's report that Linksys' line of Media Center Extenders is also on its way out.
While two announcements doesn't a trend make (you need three for that), I'm hopeful that one of my consumer electronics wishes is finally coming true. We may be seeing the end of the standalone network digital media player. And I say "good riddance." This is a product category that never really should've existed in the first place.
To be clear, I'm not talking about digital music players--those products like Sonos, Logitech's Squeezebox line, or the growing number of cheap (often sub-$200) Wi-Fi radios available. That's a maturing product line that's providing real value--allowing you to access your PC-based digital music, Internet radio, and the growing array of online music services (both free and premium ones).
No, I'm talking about video-enabled digital media adapters. (Which brings me to gripe No. 1: the industry couldn't even agree on a common terminology. The products were alternately known as digital media adapters, digital media players, network media streamers, set-top boxes--or some amalgamation thereof.)
There were three big reasons the product category continued to languish in the enthusiast realm and never really went mainstream. ... Read more
The DMA2200 features 802.11n wireless and an upscaling DVD player.
(Credit: Linksys)Your PC's in one room, and your big, fancy HDTV's in another. How can you bridge the gap between the two? Answer: with a media center extender, which wirelessly pulls music, photos, videos, and more from PC to TV.
Newegg has the Linksys DMA2200 Media Center Extender with DVD for $94.99 with free shipping. These are new units, not refurbs, and they're rebate-free, to boot.
Easy to mistake for a DVD player, the DMA2200 doubles as one. Even better, it upscales your regular old DVDs to 720p, 1080i, and even 1080p. Given that you could easily pay upward of $90 for a standalone upscaling player, the media center stuff is just gravy.
And good gravy, that's good gravy. The DMA2200 streams content from Windows Media Center, the menu-driven multimedia front end that comes with most Home versions of Vista. The end result is akin to connecting your PC directly to your TV--a desirable but rarely practical solution.
The box joins your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi--preferably 802.11n, though it can do 802.11b/g as well. (Just don't expect reliable high-definition streaming at those speeds.) It joins your TV via HDMI or component/composite video.
Space doesn't permit me to get into all the nitty-gritty on the DMA2200, so be sure to read CNET's review. It's not overwhelmingly positive, but I think that the dirt-cheap price tag makes this a more desirable buy.
Indeed, the DMA2200 originally listed for $350, at which point you were better off buying an Xbox 360 (which nicely doubles as an extender). At $95, it's definitely a worthwhile option for anyone looking to make the PC-to-TV connection.
(Credit:
michbex.online)
Don't you hate those tiny buttons on an average Media Center PC's remote control? Well, some whiz kids have conceived the opposite extreme: an oversize "stepping remote" stitched together from two PS2 Dance Dance Revolution mats and a converter box. For those taking up this DIY project, the C language source code to program the mats with your Media Center PC is available here.
And here's a video of the remote foot mat in action.
(Via Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Proxure)
Despite the fact that iTunes has been getting so bloated with so many features and functions, it's arguably still the best software to manage your music. And now there's a way to play its content, as well as using its playlists, in the Media Center user interface if you use Windows Media Center as your entertainment center.
Proxure announced on Monday its MCE Tunes software application that allows for complete iTunes libraries access, including purchased music and video content, from within Microsoft's Windows Media Center (MCE) interface or Windows Media Player.
On top of that, MCE Tunes can also stream iTunes music to Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming consoles or other Media Center Extender devices.
I tried the application briefly with my Windows Media Center 2005 and it worked as intended. There wasn't much to do. Once installed and launched, the MCE Tunes interface allows for merging iTunes' library with MCE's library. You can choose different criteria for the merge, such as: the whole library, just content rated with certain amount of stars, or certain playlists.
The merge only happens once, and when you want to share more music from iTunes to MCE, you'll need to run MCE Tunes and repeat the process. However, there's also an option for MCE Tunes to automatically perform this task everyday for those who add more music and video to iTunes regularly.
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Logitech's Z5 USB PC speakers don't match the Z-10s.
(Credit: Logitech)A couple of years ago, Logitech brought out the Z-10s, an interesting set of PC speakers that featured USB connectivity and a digital readout on the front of one of the speakers. They looked good, sounded decent, and were cutting edge in their nod to visually incorporating digital-music playback--though the touch-sensitive controls did cause issues for some users. Now the company is serving up the Z-5s, which don't feature the fancy digital readout, but offer some intriguing design elements and the same USB connectivity.
(Credit:
HP)
When Hewlett-Packard showed us an early version of its $349 MediaSmart Connect digital media extender, our first reaction was, "It costs too much." Now that it's actually available, it appears the company has finally gotten the message. We're hearing from a source close to HP that the official price will drop to $299 in early October, and that "retailers are expected to offer instant rebates so consumers should find the product for around $249...maybe even lower."
Why the price cut? Remember that the Xbox 360 can duplicate much of the MediaSmart Connect's Windows Media Center functionality (albeit without built-in Wi-Fi, and with considerably more noise and shelf space). Recent price cuts have made the entry-level 360 as cheap as $199. The PS3 also has some impressive media streaming capabilities; it's more expensive at $400, but it's also got a built-in Blu-ray player (and, like the Xbox 360, it's a great gaming machine).
We're currently testing the MediaSmart Connect, and will have a full review soon. In the meantime, would you pay $250 or $300 for such a device? Or is the whole "digital media streaming" thing just another instance of the manufacturers trying to create a market where none really exists--do you actually want or need something that pulls your PC-based media files into the living room?
Logitech's Z5 USB PC speakers.
(Credit: Logitech)A couple of years ago Logitech brought out the Z10s, an interesting set of PC speakers that featured USB connectivity and a digital readout on the front of one of the speakers. They looked good, sounded decent, and were cutting edge in their nod to visually incorporating digital-music playback. Now the company is serving up the Z5s ($99.99), which don't feature the fancy digital readout but offer some intriguing design elements--including omnidirectional sound--and the same USB connectivity.
The black Z5s have a simple, clean, modern look, but aren't quite the knockouts that the Z10s are. From afar at least, the Z5s look more luxurious than they really are. Pick them up and you'll notice that they feel a little light. They weigh in at 1.5 lbs for the left speaker and 1.66 lbs. for the right, and measure 10-inches high by 3.3-inches wide by 3.3-inches deep.
They're compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs and radiate sound from their front, back, and sides. Marketed toward laptop owners, they ship with a little remote that has a quick-launch button that can be programmed to launch iTunes, Windows Media, or the audio application of your choosing.
We'll have a full review shortly, but feel free to get some comments in here while you wait.
(Credit:
CNET)
We recently tested the network media capabilities of Sony's KDL-46Z4100 flat-panel LCD, and frankly there's not much to look at save for a slide show of colorful photography. Unlike other media-rich televisions we've covered in the past, such as the Pioneer's PDP-5020FD and the Samsung LN46A750, the Sony only supports the streaming of JPEG photos, not music or video, over an Ethernet connection. ... Read more
The 160GB iPod Classic is the king of lossless audio MP3 players, but there are rivals.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)With the increased capacity of today's computer hard drives and MP3 players, ripping your CDs to a large, lossless audio format such as FLAC or Apple Lossless isn't such a crazy idea. In fact, some folks are convinced that lossless audio is the wave of the future.
While I personally have a handful of my favorite albums ripped to lossless files on my computer, I'm a little skeptical of the idea of a lossless revolution taking root. For better or worse, the MP3's popularity will likely remain unshaken for many years to come, for a variety of reasons.
That said, anything's possible, and there's a good chance you already own an MP3 player that supports at least one lossless audio format. If the idea of being unprepared of the bloody overthrow of the MP3 by lossless loyalists makes you feel uneasy, however, then here's a quick roundup of some of our favorite lossless MP3 players.
