Windows Media Center

Acer Aspire Revo 3700 review

January 4, 2011January 13, 2011 Doug Groves Acer, Aspire, ASRock, Boxee Box, Microsoft, nettop, OTT TV, review, Revo, Revo 3700, Windows, Windows Media Center9 Comments

One of the recent computers to cross the desks here at RGB Filter Acer’s latest iteration of the Revo nettop line, the AR3700. Powered by the second generation dual core Atom processor and Nvidia’s ION 2 graphics chip, the low cost machine is a computer looking for a niche to fill. With Window 7 Home Premium, it’s certainly capable of handling light processing duties such as web surfing, email and document creation, and at about $350, including keyboard and mouse, it makes for a decent machine for someone looking for…

Acer X3400 review

September 10, 2010September 10, 2010 Doug Groves Acer, Acer X3400, home theater, HTPC, Media PC, Microsoft, review, small form factor, Windows 7, Windows Media Center, WMC10 Comments

When Acer first announced their line of X3400 small form factor PCs, I don’t think they had me in mind. They were clearly targeting people with limited space, and in need of somewhat limited computing power. The initial press release announcing them was clearly shooting for dorm rooms and light-medium use, and not much more. However, when I took another look at the basic specs, I have to admit I was kind of curious. Given the small form factor, but room for expandability, could this be a good balance for…

Telus bringing IPTV to Xbox 360 in Canada

May 3, 2010 Doug Groves extender, Microsoft, Telus, Telus TV, Uverse, Windows Media Center, WMC, Xbox 3601 Comment

If the source over at gamefocus.ca is right, it looks like Telus will be bringing an IPTV solution to Canadian Xbox 360 users, which is currently being tested and should hit the market in 2011. Other than finding out that it’s Telus, as opposed to Bell or Rogers, there’s not too much new to see. It doesn’t sound like the 360 would be used to do the recording. Instead, the Telus TV HD PVR would handle the recording, and the 360 would be used as an interface for one of…

Windows Media Center in HDTVs, Xbox Live TV around the corner… dare I say “synergy”?

April 29, 2010April 30, 2010 Doug Groves Microsoft, Windows 7, Windows 7 Embedded, Windows Media Center, Xbox 360, Zune Marketplace, Zune Pass3 Comments

Microsoft has talked in the past of making the Xbox 360 an ‘all-in-one’ set top device, capable of providing DVR and TV capabilities, but little substance has come from it. Now, Game Focus is reporting that according to their own trusted source, that an Xbox live TV service will be coming to both the US and Canada by 2011, and that this would work in conjunction with a major telecommunications company, which narrows it down to basically Rogers or Bell. Users will have access to live TV feeds, recording capabilities…

Boxee Beta now public

January 8, 2010January 15, 2010 Doug Groves Boxee, Boxee Box, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Windows Media Center5 Comments

As we’ve mentioned before, Boxee threw it’s hat into the settop box ring, and from the looks of what they’ve got on tap, it’s one of the better options. The announced Boxee Box hardware (made by DLink) will have HDMI out, and support 1080p video to your television, using the horsepower of Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset, and support a myriad of file formats, networked content and streams from online sources. The cut off cube look is just begging for a “Weighted Companion Cube” mod, and is actually small enough that…