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March 27, 2009 6:47 AM PDT

A media center extender with DVD for $95 shipped

by Rick Broida
  • 11 comments

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.

Originally posted at The Cheapskate
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
January 16, 2008 3:18 PM PST

DLO's HomeDock goes high-def (sorta)

by John P. Falcone
  • 2 comments

DLO HomeDock HD

DLO HomeDock HD: The HDMI output upscales iPod videos to (sorta kinda) HD resolution

(Credit: DLO)

The iPod accessories are hitting hot and heavy at Macworld. DLO has used the occasion to take the wraps off its HomeDock HD. As you might guess from the name, the latest iteration of DLO's HomeDock Deluxe now offers upscaled HD video output (720p or 1080i) from an HDMI port built into the dock. (For those that still haven't made the leap to HDTV, it'll still connect to standard televisions via the composite or S-Video jacks.) In addition to playing back iPod-based videos on the big screen, the HomeDock HD also provides TV-based navigation to all of the music and photos on the iPod as well, and the RF remote should work anywhere within 100 feet, regardless of line-of-sight issues.

Sounds cool enough--especially now that iTunes is now renting movies and offering better video quality--but just remember to keep those HD expectations in check. As Gizmodo points out, it comes with the same caveat that's long applied to an upconverting DVD player: it's pretty much superfluous unless it's better than the scaler built into your TV. Look for the DLO HomeDock HD to hit in the spring for $250. It'll be going head-to-head with the very similar Creative Xdock HD ($400, includes streaming audio to a second room), not to mention the revamped Apple TV ($230).

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