Author Archives | J.R.
J.R. - who has written 54 posts on Floppyhead - Digital Media and Home Theater Computers.
Can Microsoft’s Windows Home Server and Digital Cable Tuners coexist?
Windows Home Server is an upcoming operating system from Microsoft, and appears to be an important cog in Redmond’s attempt to dominate your living room. With features aimed at the home user, WHS could be an interesting addition to the “digital” home. From Microsoft’s Press release: Delivered on hardware from leading partners, Windows [...]
Continue reading...Auzentech to support OpenAL in Microsoft’s Vista
Monday, January 8, 2007
Unlike Windows XP, Microsoft’s Vista will not include DirectSound hardware acceleration. DirectSound and DirectSound3D will still function; however, they will no longer use hardware acceleration. Vista’s audio stack completely removes support for hardware accelerated audio. Microsoft intended to include extensions capability to the Vista audio stack that would allow manufacturers to provide support for [...]
Continue reading...Resellerratings.com saved me from a digital camera scam
Friday, January 5, 2007
I am in the market to purchase a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Like any self-proclaimed nerd, I looked to the internet to find the best deal avaliable. I googled the name of the camera and saw a sponsored link for Expresscameras.com. They had a phenomenal price for the camera at $399. This was [...]
Continue reading...Alienware: Dell’s media center store?
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Alienware, purchased by Dell in 2006, is known for its distinctive computer design for the gaming crowd. In October 2006, the company announced a unique intepretation of the media center PC, called the DHS A. This latest offering to Alienware’s media center line-up is stylish and is sure to attract lots of attention [...]
Continue reading...Who is to blame for HDTV’s consumer confusion?
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
I have a co-worker who purchased a HDTV for several thousand dollars but was not actually watching high definition programming. She and her husband were uncertain about how to get HD programming and they did not want to pay the extra monthly fee from their cable provider. Surprisingly, this anecdote is representative of a [...]
Continue reading...Fox Sports offers college football bowl games for download
Friday, December 29, 2006
Are you going to miss your favorite college football team’s BCS bowl game? Do you want to savor the victory at your own leisure? FOX Sports might just have the thing for you. I came across this press release from Fox Sports (via PVRwire): FOX Sports today announced that, for the first time ever, full-length [...]
Continue reading...NBC’s ‘Office’ prank call: Have Dwight call a friend
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Update: NBC has closed the Dwight Scrute prank call website. I recently have become a big fan of NBC’s The Office. I got a good laugh yesterday when I got a prank call from Dwight Schrute, the over-zealous salesman at Dunder Mifflin. The call lasted about a minute while I was berated by [...]
Continue reading...8 features to make media centers mainstream
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Media centers have yet to make it into the mainstream consciousness and seriously into the living room. Tivo and DVRs have certainly made an impact, showing the potential of a media center. With music, photos, and movies becoming digital, media center PCs, also known as HTPCs, are on the cusp of being [...]
Continue reading...IPod Tuneview remote wirelessly controls music with LCD screen
Thursday, December 7, 2006
TuneView for iPod provides a new wireless way to manage your music throughout your house or office. TuneView for iPod consists of a universal iPod dock, 2-way RF remote with color LCD screen, a USB power adapter, audio and USB cables, and selected dock adapters. According to the Tuneview website, these components allow you [...]
Continue reading...HD DVD Managed Copy is key to Vista’s Media Center
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Microsoft’s Vista is an important step in the evolution of the media center and the home theater computer since it will support CableCARD and HD DVD’s ‘Managed Copy.’ I have discussed Vista’s CableCARD implementation alot on this site but have not talked at all about HD DVD support. So exactly what is ‘Managed [...]
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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
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