Here are two good reviews of Microsoft’s Media Center Edition 2005:

• Thomas Hawk is underwhelmed and disappointed
• GamePC gave it a better review, saying there were some issues with DVD playback (ie it doesn’t come installed with DVD codecs) but that it is “the best home theater product currently on the market”

This weekend, I had a little time to try GB-PVR out for the first time and it is definitely a contender for people willing to build their own PVR using a computer. You can’t beat the price of free (although I recommend giving a donation to the author if you use it) and combined with the ability to support multiple capture cards and distribute throughout a house using Hauppauge MediaMVP, it’s a good low cost solution.

(more…)

TomsHardware just released a review of ATI’s HDTV Wonder. Like the previous review we noted from ExtremeTech, there are some compatibility and installation issues. The review gave ATI some credit for some aspects of the product including the image quality of the HDTV video feed.

It sounds like a few more weeks of testing this product would have done ATI some good.

While certainly not the easiest product to install, XBMC, an open source project developed for the Xbox, is an impressive product with a loyal following of developers and users.

(more…)

I finally had a chance to look at my new Hauppage MediaMVP last night and I found it had a lot of potential. Hauppauge has been a favorite for the build-your-own PVR crowd with their PVR250 and PVR350 capture cards, and if those cards are the solution to getting video into your PC, the MediaMVP can best be described as the solution to output your multimedia to your entertainment center.

(more…)

Anandtech.com has a two part review of Meedio Essentials, which was created by the authors of the MyHTPC freeware software. Meedio Essentials allows you to play videos, view images, and listen to music that is stored on your PC. It sounds like it also has a good plug-in architecture and is skin-able so that it can be customized and extended.

Unfortunately, it currently doesn’t have the ability to watch or record television so for my personal use, it is rather limited. If I’m going to hook up a computer in my living room, I’d want it to support all my needs and the biggest use for me is the Tivo-like recording functions.

They are currently working on PVR support so I’ll keep an eye on them and check it out when it has been added.

UPDATE: Part 2 is up at Anandtech.com
(hat tip: byopvr)

As more video is accessible digitally, products are now being created to try and become the IPod of video called Personal Video Players, or in the world of acronyms, PVPs. Two products that have just been released are Creative Lab’s Zen Portable Media Center and the Archos AV400. Similar to MP3 players, both these products can allow users to download multimedia files from a PC and let you play them on the road.

(more…)

ExtremeTech has a review of the new ATI HDTV Wonder capture card and to put it mildly, they said it had some issues.

They nicknamed it the “HDTV Blunder” card. OUCH!

(Hat Tip: BYOPVR)