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.
... Read moreDon't feel like dishing out $100 for the Roku Netflix player? Well, if you have an Xbox 360 and a Windows Vista PC, you don't have to.
Last week we reported about this amazing hack and now we're showing you how to do it! It comes courtesy of Lifehacker.com and takes about 20 minutes to set up.
Streaming Netflix movies isn't the only thing you can do with this connection--once your Xbox 360 is added as a Media Center extender, you can stream pictures, music, or video from your PC to the console as well.
Ready to get going? You can grab the required 'vmcNetflix' Media Center plug-in here.
Behind the MediaSmart Connect's fold-down front panel is a USB port and a slot for an optional removable hard drive.
(Credit: HP)Hewlett-Packard's line of MediaSmart TVs includes the built-in ability to stream digital media from your home network and the Internet straight to their screens. But for the vast majority of us who don't own an HP TV, the company will soon have a second option: the MediaSmart Connect. The little black box connects to your home network (via its built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet) and streams a wide variety of digital audio, photo, and video files--including content from compatible Internet services (including Live365, Vongo, CinemaNow, and MovieLink).
The MediaSmart Connect should be able to pull digital files from any UPnP and DLNA compliant storage devices on your home network--beyond standard Windows PCs, that includes network attached storage devices such as HP's own MediaSmart Server and Media Vault. It can also double as a Windows Media Center Extender when interfacing with Media Center-enabled versions of Windows Vista--allowing the streaming of live or recorded TV at HD resolutions. The MediaSmart Connect doesn't have any on-board storage, but users can use the box to pull compatible media straight from an HP Pocket Media Drive (found on the company's PC desktops) or a standard USB flash drive.
The MediaSmart Connect will be available later this summer for $349, and is now available for preorder. (If it looks familiar, it's because HP has been teasing us with it since January's Consumer Electronics Show.) It'll include a learning remote that can control up to four other devices, an HDMI cable, and a $20 CinemaNow coupon. To drum up publicity for the product's launch, HP is offering a trade-in program where 100 people can exchange their old digital media adapter for the MediaSmart Connect. The company is also teaming with Microsoft to offer a series of four online "webinars" to demonstrate the product's features over the next few weeks. Feel free to check them out, but don't be surprised if you're just getting an infomercial for the product in question.
We'll be doing a detailed hands-on review of the MediaSmart Connect once we get a final production sample in July. (Also on deck: the similar Linksys DMA2200.) Until then, the floor is open: do you have any interest in the MediaSmart Connect, or in Windows Media Center Extenders in general? Is the whole idea of streaming media in the home just a niche market that will never go mainstream? Or would you prefer to go with an Xbox 360, which handles nearly all of the same media streaming functions, and adds game playback to boot?
(Credit:
Woot)
Know how I'm always going on and on about TV tuners and Windows Media Center? One ingredient that's almost always missing from the equation is a remote. Enter the Pinnacle Remote Kit, which lets you operate Windows Media Center from afar (or from the couch, anyway). Woot Sellout has the remote on sale for $14.99 (plus $5 shipping), a decent savings over the $29.99 list price.
To use the kit, you need Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate. (Rumor has it there's a hack that'll allow it to work with the XP version of Media Center; try Google.) A TV tuner is optional, though definitely recommended if you want to make the most of Media Center. The IR transceiver, which plugs into a USB port, includes a suction cup so you can mount it in an out-of-the-way location.
As with all Woot deals, when this one's gone, it's gone--so don't wait if you're in the market for a remote to control all that hot Media Center action.
Do you find Windows Media Center's blue, remote controlled façade easier to navigate than the cold red, white, and yellow world of Netflix? Then check out Andrew Park's new plug-in for the Vista version of Windows Media Center called MyNetflix. The plug-in lets users link to their Netflix account, search for movies, and make changes to their queue without leaving the couch.
Users navigating from their computers can also partake in Netflix's streaming service, letting them watch movies without having to wait discs to come in the mail. Because of the reliance on software, users enjoying Media Center via extenders (read: the XBOX 360) cannot partake in the streaming--that is, unless they've got their PC hooked up directly to the TV, or are planning to get one of those newfangled Netflix Watch Now-enabled set-top boxes due to arrive later this year.
The software is in "beta" and we haven't tested it out, but if you're a Netflix user who happens to use Media Center, this is definitely the missing link.
[via Engadget]
Watch your 'Watch Now' streaming movies from Netflix on big TVs in a more eyeball-friendly manner with this Vista Media Center plug-in.
(Credit: Anthony Park / www.anpark.com)Toshiba has officially announced the Gigabeat T400, a $120, 4GB MP3 player that has the potential to give the iPod Nano and Creative Zen a run for their money. We'll have our full review up on CNET in the next few days, but our initial impression is that the audio and video quality are both excellent. We are pretty bummed, however, that it has a maximum capacity of just 4GB, with no room for expansion. Also, where's the Wi-Fi found in the Japanese version? Still, with a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, and support for WMV video, as well as MP3, WMA (with or without DRM), WMA Lossless, and WAV, you get a lot of player for the price.
Need a closer look before you make up your mind? Set your eyes upon our Toshiba Gigabeat T photo gallery.
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