media centres
Computers
11:10AM Nick Broughall | I’ve never really had a lot of interest in Media Centre PCs, but these two new models from Viewsonic are so small that it’s hard to ignore them. Both the VOT132 and VOT550 Media Centre PCs come complete with a 12-month subscription to IceTV’s EPG, which now also works with Windows 7. More »
Viewsonic Launches IceTV Powered Media Centres
11:10AM Nick Broughall | I’ve never really had a lot of interest in Media Centre PCs, but these two new models from Viewsonic are so small that it’s hard to ignore them. Both the VOT132 and VOT550 Media Centre PCs come complete with a 12-month subscription to IceTV’s EPG, which now also works with Windows 7. More » 
Entertainment
Roku HD-XR Hands On: Where’s Roku Going With This?
11:30PM Dan Nosowitz | Roku updated their lineup today with two new models bookending the current Roku HD. I took a look at the higher-end HD-XR — it’s solid, but disappointing, since it needs a firmware upgrade (coming soon) before it feels truly next-gen. More »
Computers
see you then! Niveus ZONE Living Room Computer FULL HIGH DEFINITION! $US1,499.99!!
11:58PM John Mahoney | i LOVE this picture and am so inspired to keep the needles moving. The picture on my television set now is so clear! And so convenient in the living room! More »
Software
Do You Want a Boxee Dedicated Set-Top Box?
12:50AM John Mahoney | Boxee, makers of fine open-source media centre software, apparently couldn’t go anywhere at CES without someone asking them to build a set-top-box. Now they’re asking you if they should go through with the plan. More »
Regulars
Dealzmodo Hack: Get Some Use Out of Your Useless Old PC
1:00AM John Herrman | The PC upgrade cycle is a brutal, senselessly fast one. Problem is, every upgrade doesn’t mean disposal for your old PC — it means suffering a much more depressing fate in the back of a dark closet. It doesn’t have to be that way. Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of dusty towers yearning to breathe free — we’ve got some ideas. More »
Screens
Allio HDTV Integrates Media PC with Built-In Blu-ray
11:15PM Mark Wilson | Allio has gone and done what we wish every HDTV manufacturer would attempt already. They’ve shoved a full-blown media PC into a 1080p LCD TV. Coming in sizes up to 42 inches, buyers can customise a set that features a Vista-powered PC with a Core2Duo, 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, 1TB of storage and a Blu-ray player. And maxed out with these specs, the system only runs $US2,800. So what’s the catch? We noticed at least two that may or may not be dealbreakers. More »
Software
Boxee Media Centre Now Streams Hulu, Comedy Central and CBS to Apple TV
12:07AM John Mahoney | Boxee, the free media centre software that you can easily install on your Apple TV via a USB patch stick (as well as any other recent OS X machine), now supports Hulu streaming, as well as CBS and Comedy Central (for South Park and Daily Show/Colbert). It’s an alpha release, so you’ll need an invitation to download the app (use this special hookup for Giz readers) to get streaming. It will also play videos of myriad codecs stored on networked drives, and lots of other tastiness. A quick try on my Intel Mac yielded a nice stream of the most recent episode of the Office–not bad at all. Ahem, Apple–third parties are now not just walking, but dancing circles around you with these unofficial add-ons. [Boxee] More »
Computers
Sony LV All-In-One Entertainment PC One Ups The LT With HDMI-in And Integrated HD Tuner
9:00AM Adrian Covert | Sony’s LV all-in-one PC is the direct successor to the LT desktop PC released earlier this year, but this time around, they added two crucial features — HDMI-in and an integrated ATSC tuner. This means you can watch over the air TV or connect any HD cablebox, DVR, Game Console, DVD/Blu-Ray player, etc…, without the need for special hardware. Furthermore, the 24-inch WUXGA screen works regardless of whether the computer is on or not. More »
Gadgets
aTV Media Centre Hack for Apple TV is Back, Now With GUI Installer and Support For USB Drives
7:00AM John Mahoney | After disappearing for a while due to a fair use scuff-up, the aTV software that helps turn the Apple TV into the media centre it should have been is now back and freshly updated. Big new features are a GUI installer for loading the hack onto a USB stick, eliminating the messy command line work that used to be required, and support for external USB devices for connecting a bigger hard drive or NAS for more storage, on top of everything else this nifty unofficial upgrade does for your Apple TV. More »
Software
