Home Theater

Ace Computers to release $999 CableCard-equipped home theater PCs

Sean Portnoy — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:01:20 +0000

One of the major impediments to the growth of the home theater PC (HTPC) market has been the lack of digital cable TV support. Yes, Clear QAM tuners can handle unencrypted digital channels, but only now that cable companies have started getting behind the CableCard standard can consumers use their PCs to view and record [...]

Netflix Player by Roku adds streaming HD content

Sean Portnoy — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:25:53 +0000

For $99, the Netflix Player by Roku was already a pretty good deal for getting on-demand content from Netflix’s Watch Now service streamed to your TV. Now Roku has upgraded the device to support HD streaming from Netflix, which should help it answer one of the chief criticisms leveled at the player: video quality that’s [...]

Intel to showcase Widget Channel Internet TV platform at CES

Sean Portnoy — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:16:32 +0000

Another tech heavyweight is jumping into the battle over bringing the Internet to the living room. Intel will be showing off its new Widget Channel platform, which combines the new Media Processor CE 3100 with a software framework for displaying widgets of information on your TV, at next month’s CES event. Intel is targeting its solution [...]

Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Soundbar speaker systems

Sean Portnoy — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:01:25 +0000

Some enthusiasts want the accuracy of a full surround-sound speaker setup handling their home theater audio output, but judging from the number of soundbar solutions that have been hitting the marketplace, many people are willing to trade fidelity for a single speaker (and often a subwoofer) that doesn’t require you strewing cables all around your [...]

Wireless HD standards battle for supremacy

Sean Portnoy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:19:53 +0000

It’s pretty clear that the future for sending high-definition content to HDTVs is wireless, since it eliminates all those cables that everyone is trying to hide behind walls, in home theater cabinetry, or however else they can. But as is often the case with nascent technologies, the best approach for transmitting wireless HD is up [...]

Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Three Ultimate HDTVs

Sean Portnoy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:12:11 +0000

Though putting together a high-end home theater for a few thousand dollars might seem like an awful lot of money in this economy, there are a lucky few who can afford to spend the same amount just on their TV. (Of course, many also choose to go the projector route when creating an ultimate home [...]

Holiday Gift Guide 2008: High-end home theater setups

Sean Portnoy — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:41:06 +0000

Economy be damned, you want to upgrade your home theater—and do it right—for the holidays (and/or in anticipation of the Super Bowl). If you have the means to spend more than two grand on a set and the hundreds and hundreds more to round out your setup with primo components, you won’t lack for superb [...]

Surveys show consumers love HDTVs, but show some confusion about HD programming

Sean Portnoy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:58:06 +0000

Two recent research studies have found that the demand from U.S. consumers for HDTVs hasn’t slackened despite the tough economy, but confusion remains about what you do with the TV once the set is purchased. You would presume that people are seeking out HDTVs in order to step up to the superior image quality of high-definition [...]

Blockbuster joins movie-streaming race with 2Wire MediaPoint digital media player

Sean Portnoy — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:10:22 +0000

With Netflix pushing hard into the living room with the Netflix Player by Roku, Vudu offering an improved device (the BX100) with HD streaming, and, of course, Apple TV still hanging around, Blockbuster was bound to want to join the streaming movie club, even if the company is on the ropes. Finally, the movie rental [...]

2008 Holiday Buying Guide: Midrange home theater setups

Sean Portnoy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:41:50 +0000

Last week, I gave some recommendations for budget home theater setups. This time, I’m looking at home theater products for a slightly larger budget: TVs that cost between $1,000 and $2,000, plus slightly more expensive components. Even with the additional outlay, it doesn’t add up to a ridiculous sum, and you’ll be getting an incredible [...]