HP's ultra-compact Pavilion is stuffed with home theater-friendly features.
(Credit: HP)If you're in the market for a PC to serve as the hub of your home theater, look no further than the refurbished HP Pavilion Slimline S3750F. It's compact, loaded, and on sale at Buy.com for $479.99 shipped.
As many of you pointed out in last weekend's post about the Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC, Windows Media Center offers some pretty killer DVR features.
I agree 100 percent, which is why there's a PC much like this HP sitting in my family room, connected to my TV.
The S3750F features a quad-core AMD processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray drive/LightScribe DVD burner.
It also comes with an AverMedia ATSC/NTSC TV tuner, which can pull in analog cable or over-the-air digital signals. My advice: add a couple extra tuners so you can record multiple shows from multiple sources simultaneously. (Thursday night is just a bear this year, isn't it?)
HP supplies a remote for couch-friendly operation and 802.11n Wi-Fi for wireless-friendly operation.
My one and only complaint with this system (apart from the 90-day warranty, which I consider minor) is that it comes with Vista Home Premium, not Windows 7. And because it's a refurb, it's not eligible for a free upgrade.
Still, I'm running Vista on my media-center PC, and it's been absolutely fine and dandy. In other words, an upgrade isn't essential, IMHO.
Shop around a bit and you'll see this system selling for at least $800 elsewhere, and as high as $1,000 at many stores (including Amazon). A desktop this loaded for $479 is a real deal.
Get a stylish, smartly equipped quad-core tower for under $300.
(Credit: Woot)I try not to go to the Woot well very often--it's a competing deal-of-the-day site, after all--but this is too good to pass up: a refurbished Gateway quad-core desktop system for $289.99. Shipping runs a mere $5.
Because it's Woot, the offer expires at the end of the day, and stands a good chance of selling out before then.
That's because this is a really nicely loaded tower. It packs a 1.8GHz AMD Phenom X4 9100e 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive, and a SuperMulti drive with LabelFlash technology (LightScribe's red-headed cousin).
On the video side, you get an OK-but-not-great-for-games integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 that borrows up to 256MB of system memory. On the plus side, it sports an HDMI port, meaning this system can easily pull media-center duty.
The system comes with Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit). Alas, because it's a refurb, it doesn't qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 7.
It does, however, have the refurb-standard 90-day warranty. I don't consider that a major compromise, but some buyers might.
This is, I think, the lowest price I've ever seen on a quad-core desktop, and it's a nicely equipped one at that. If you've been looking for a cheap replacement for that aging XP box, look no further.
(By the way, if this does sell out, check back later. I'll find something else cool for your weekend!)
That's a big bundle of Xbox goodies for just $199.99 shipped.
(Credit: Buy.com)Putting nearly all previous Xbox deals to shame, Buy.com has a complete Xbox 360 Pro bundle for $199.99 shipped.
Until recently, it was fairly exciting to find the console alone for less than $200. The bundle includes not only the 360 (with a 20GB hard drive and HDMI output), but also two wireless controllers and three games. Unheard of, right?
Yes, this is a refurbished system. But before you run screaming for the hills, check it out: Microsoft is backing it with a full one-year warranty, same as new units. So you literally have nothing to lose by going the refurb route.
As I've said many times before, one of the things I like best about the Xbox 360 is that it pulls double duty as a Windows Media Center extender. And you can scarcely buy one of the standalone extenders for such a low price.
On the other hand, it's no Blu-ray player. If you'd rather have that, Dell Home has the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $254.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).
(Search for A3018856 to find the console, then apply coupon code 6FWJ247J1P44CK at checkout.)
The Slim's on backorder right now, but it appears you can still place orders for it. Don't want to wait? The SonyStyle store still has refurbished 40GB PlayStation 3 consoles for $236.77.
Well, game fans, over to you. Both these deals are really hard to pass up. Which console will you choose?
Thanks to reader Cary for sharing the Xbox deal!
Grab the top-of-the-line Xbox for under $200.
(Credit: Geeks.com)Geeks.com has a ridiculously good deal on a refurbished Xbox 360 Elite: $199.99 (after applying coupon code XDEALS at checkout). Shipping will run you about $16.
For those not thoroughly versed in Xbox models, the Elite is, well, the elite. The top of the line. The Xbox that normally sells for $399.99.
Like a new unit, the refurb comes with a 120GB hard drive, an HDMI port, a wireless controller, and a headset. Unlike a new unit, the warranty expires after 90 days.
On the cabling side, the Xbox comes with only the usual component-video cable. If you plan on making an HDMI connection, you can get what you need for just a few bucks.
If the Elite is overkill for your gaming needs and/or your budget can't stretch quite that far, Geeks.com also has a refurbished Xbox 360 Pro (20GB) for $149.99.
Either way you're getting a killer game console and a damn fine media center extender (meaning it can stream music, videos, and photos from your PC).
The Xbox also lets you stream movies from Netflix, though for that you need both a Netflix membership and an Xbox Live Gold account.
OK, so what do you think? Too good to pass up? If memory serves, this is by far the lowest price I've seen on an Xbox 360 Elite. The deal is available through July 31, but something tells me it'll sell out long before that.
If your PC is pulling double duty as a media center, I can't speak highly enough of the Logitech Z Cinema speaker system. It's a 2.1-channel surround-sound powerhouse that cranks out 180 watts and comes with a sweet media-center remote.
Originally priced at $300, the Logitech Z Cinema is on sale for just $79.99 from TigerDirect. Shipping runs a hefty $22, but that's understandable; these are hefty speakers!
The system consists of a subwoofer that plugs into a USB port and two desk-friendly satellite speakers. On one of the satellites you'll find both headphone and aux-in jacks, the latter for connecting, say, an MP3 player.
I should note that these are new speakers, not refurbs, and they're covered by a two-year warranty from Logitech. (TigerDirect's product page says 12 months, but it very clearly says two years on Logitech's site.)
CNET hasn't reviewed the Z Cinema, but PC Magazine gave it high marks. Surprisingly, the magazine dinged the remote for being complicated, but I find it very comfortable and intuitive. The volume-control wheel in particular is just awesome.
In short, I adore these speakers. They're perfect for a den or bedroom where the PC serves up music, movies, and the like. And I'm wild about the price; you really are getting a $300 speaker system for just over $100 out the door.
If you don't mind a smaller hard drive, you can save nearly $150 on the Xbox 360 Pro.
(Credit: Buy.com)Whoa! Buy.com has the refurbished Xbox 360 Pro for $155.99 shipped. That's way less than the price of a new Xbox 360 Arcade, which has no hard drive and only a wired controller.
The Pro comes with a 20GB hard drive, a wireless controller, and...drum roll...HDMI! However, although component video cables are included, HDMI is BYO. (Meritline, always a good source, has a 6-foot HDMI cable for $4.99 shipped.)
The 360 is not only a killer gaming console, but also a damn fine media center extender (meaning it can stream music, videos, and photos from your PC).
It also lets you stream movies from Netflix, though for that you need both a Netflix membership and an Xbox Live Gold account.
Buy.com doesn't specify the warranty (which is weird--it's not like the company's new at this), but it's almost certainly 90 days. Hey, that's the "cost" of getting a refurb on the cheap. In this case, the really, really cheap.
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 more
Get a new Sony Blu-ray drive for just $80 shipped.
(Credit: Newegg)Remember the $89.99 Blu-ray Disc drive from last week? Hope you waited, because here's an even better deal: Newegg has the Sony Optiarc internal Blu-ray drive for $79.99 shipped. Plus, unlike the previous drive, this is new, not a refurb.
Same caveats as before: It's a serial drive, meaning that you'll need a system with a SATA interface. You'll also need a video card and monitor that support HDCP; otherwise, Blu-ray's copy protection will prevent movies from playing.
Alas, Sony bundles no software for viewing said movies, so you'll need to earmark some funds for a program like Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 Ultra. (If anyone knows of a cheaper alternative, hit the Comments, and name it!)
Gotta run--today's a travel day for me. Happy bargain shopping!
