Floppyhead - Digital Media and Home Theater Computers

One of the more interesting CES press releases that flew under the radar was Auzentech’s announcement of the HDMI X-Tension. Sound cards have always been the weak link in an HTPC set-up, especially with the lack of HDMI 1.3 and Dolby True HD/DTS HD support. The HDMI X-Tension will be the first [...]

I recently purchased a HDHomerun (about $170) to watch and record unencrypted television shows from my cable provider. My cable modem is right next to my computer so I just added a splitter and connected a coaxial cable to the HDHomerun and cable modem.
Setting up the HDHomerun requires two steps: 1) find unencrypted [...]

Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra. the only viable option for watching Blu-ray or HD-DVDs on a computer, has been certified by the Blu-ray Disc Association to support playback of BD-Video Profile 1.1 specification. From the press release:
CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra featuring support for BD-Video Profile 1.1 format allows the playback of high-definition movie content with multiple [...]

Jackass 2.5, starring Johnny Knoxville and his band of merry men, will be launched on the Internet on December 19 and will be subsequently released on DVD. Instead of being a straight to DVD release, it is a straight to Internet release. According to the Associated Press:
Blockbuster Inc. will present “Jackass 2.5″ free of [...]

Some interesting news broke today regarding Digeo’s Moxi, a high-end DVR about to hit the retail market. In addition to a standalone hardware version of the Moxi, Digeo will be release a PC software version as well. From Digeo’s press release:
Moxi TV for PC offers the same award-winning Moxi Menu and a new, [...]

According to PCMag, Dell is planning on re-entering the Digital Cable Tuner market by this summer. Currently, Dell is not offering consumers the option to buy DCTs since the XPS 420 is not approved by CableLabs.
Dell’s new strategy will be a slight deviation from most OEM’s. DCTs require two things: 1) an upgraded BIOS [...]

I try to pay close attention to the price of 1080p projectors. My ultimate plan is finish my basement and use a ceiling mounted projector as part of my home theater set-up.
Several manufacturers are shipping 1080p projectors for around $2500. Optoma is the latest company to join Epson in the 1080p with [...]

S1Digital and Microsoft are hosting a Media Center event in Manahattan on December 5th. If you live or work in Manhattan, it might be worth checking out. S1Digital is a Microsoft OEM that sells media center pcs with Digital Cable Tuners so you can record cable HD television shows on your computer.
The average person [...]

When the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac hit the street, it was lacking one big feature for HTPCs: Clear QAM support. It looks like Clear QAM support will be added via a software download through ATI’s tvPORTAL.
The USB Tuner is an ideal match for the Mac Mini, though it is [...]

Blockbuster has been hemorrhaging lately, trying to keep up with Netflix. It looks like the large rental movie chain is going to jump into the video download service via kiosks, among oter things.
Kiosks seem a little strange for a retail chain. I think Blockbuster is just trying to see what sticks in the [...]