Media Center

Computing

Roll A Powerful Media HTPC For Less Than $US500

10:40AM January 29, 2011 | Alan Henry

The web is rich with streaming video, and there’s no reason you should limit yourself to enjoying it all on smaller screens. Here’s how to roll your own home theatre PC and consolidate your media centre components to one small, sleek box. More »


Entertainment

Windows 7 Media Center Internet TV Delivers Zune Video Podcasts

4:12AM October 23, 2009 | Sean Fallon

Just in case you missed it buried underneath the upgrade to Netflix Watch Instantly the other day, Microsoft has gone live with Internet TV on Windows 7 Media Center, offering content (of rather poor picture quality) from the following providers: More »


Entertainment

Zone Pro Hands On Part 2: Copy Freely And Windows 7

3:48AM September 12, 2009 | Jason Chen

To continue our review of the Niveus Zone Pro media centre, we put Windows 7 on there to try out all the new features, like better sharing of recorded shows. More »


Normal People Can Now Install CableCARD Tuners On Windows 7 PCs

9:44AM September 10, 2009 | Jason Chen

FINALLY. Microsoft and CableLabs are finally opened the door to have regular people add in CableCARD tuners by themselves, after they’ve purchased the PC and set it up. This is good news. More »


Software

Windows Media Center Opens Up DRM Restrictions On Shows

8:57AM September 10, 2009 | Mark Wilson

If you record a lot of shows using a CableCard in Windows Media Center, know that the upcoming 1.19 update will loosen the reins on these recordings and allow you to copy them to other WMC machines and portable devices. In other words, you record into WMC, you can copy the content wherever you want—save for Pay-Per-View and premium content. So it’s not the Holy Grail, but it may be as close as we’re going to get.


Software

DLNA Media Center Software, Compiled And Simplified

2:00PM August 13, 2009 | Dan Nosowitz

Want to get media onto your TV using some of that fancy DLNA standard hardware? You still might be at a loss for which media centre software is right for you, but now there’s a handy chart. More »


Entertainment

Roxio CinemaNow Brings Streaming Movies To The Wii (in Japan)

8:30PM June 25, 2009 | Dan Nosowitz

Well, it’s Japan-only for now, but the Wii is finally starting to compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the only category in which it’s in third place: Media centre functionality. CinemaNow, apparently, is the guinea pig of choice. More »


Would You Rather Have an HTPC or a Set-Top Box?

7:20AM May 28, 2009 | Sean Fallon

Yesterday I purchased a Home Theatre PC to supplement my existing DirectTV hardware—although I hope to ditch cable TV/satellite providers all together sometime in the future. What I’m interested in knowing is what kind of setup you guys prefer.

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Software

Netflix Instant Streaming Coming to Windows Media Centre on Your PC

2:01PM May 20, 2009 | Andi Wang

For Windows Vista users, more than 12,000 movie titles and television episodes are now available to be streamed onto your PC, and watched instantly via Netflix through Windows Media Center.

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Gadgets

Largest TV Remote Ever Controls Windows Media Centre

2:40AM March 6, 2009 | Jesus Diaz

Behold the MEGAREMOTE! Actually, roll onto it, because you can’t hold it: It’s made with two flexible Dance Dance Revolution mats for the PlayStation 2, hacked to control Windows Media Centre with your feet.

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