htpc

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

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Windows Media Center is a better DVR than TiVo. It has a vastly superior program guide, a much prettier Netflix interface, and a total lack of monthly fees.

The key ingredient to a successful WMC setup is a CableCard tuner. These were few and far between until a couple months ago, but now you have several good options.

Like this one: Newegg has the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime HDHR3-CC CableCard tuner for $169.99, plus $6.98 for shipping. The list price is $249, and most online outfits sell it for around $229.

The HDHR3-CC offers three digital tuners that can pull down HD and premium channels alike. (Sorry, no on-demand or pay-per-view, though.) All you need is a CableCard from your cable company. The one I'm renting from Comcast costs me all of $1.50 per month; I think I was paying $13 to $14 for a DVR box.

What's unique about this particular tuner is that it plugs into your home network router, meaning you can share its tuners with multiple Windows 7-powered PCs: one in the den, one in the bedroom, and so on. (Ideally, however, you'll want a wired Ethernet connection between those PCs and your router.)

There's even a companion iPad app, though it's pricey at $17.99 and not very good.

My only real complaint is that you can't plug the HDHR3-CC into a single PC if you prefer that kind of configuration. But for multi-PC households, the HDHR3-CC is a steal at $169.99. Grab one while it's on sale!… Read more

When we first opened the PDF containing the concept images of Omaura's concept TT chassis, we thought for a second it was a large, TV-stand-ready all-in-one PC whose display had a seriously distorted aspect ratio. We'll confess to a little disappointment once we realized it was simply an upright case, but that shot of its interior got us excited again. Imagine sticking the TT on a low-profile table under your wall-mounted LCD or plasma screen.

The shots of the TT concept come to us by way of Chris Morley at Omaura North America. The former Velocity Micro Director … Read more

We're not sure why Sony hasn't made a bigger deal about its Vaio TP1 Living Room PC going on sale. Sony announced the existence of its round, Roomba-like system at this year's CES, and then we didn't hear much about it. After we found out at Sony's laptop launch last week that the TP1 was actually available, we got Sony to send us a review unit. It's in our lab right now, and we'll have the review up early next week. As Sony said all along, this system will not have the higher-end … Read more

Alienware's new Hangar18: HD Entertainment Center (announced at CES) fires a direct shot at Sony, Velocity Micro, and the other PC vendors still hanging on in the home theater PC game. Equipped with a built-in 200-watt surround sound amplifier, an HDMI output, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, and a Gyration Media Center remote (the keyboard costs $50 extra), the Hangar18 looks about as well-stocked as the competition. It even trumps both Sony and Velocity Micro by giving you the option to upgrade to two over-the-air HD tuners and two analog tuners, for a total of four cable streams … Read more