LivingRoomPc
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Ask Engadget: Best wireless keyboard for living room?
Unbeknown to you, you've just stumbled upon this week's Ask Engadget. If you want to get in on this action, feel free to drop us an inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com. Before you get those gears turning, we'd invite you to chime in on Mitch's question below:"With the upcoming release of Ion-based "nettops," I'll be in the market to buy one and I'll also be looking to buy a wireless keyboard and mouse for my living room. Some things I would like to see on the keyboard are prices below $100 and backlit if possible. Media buttons would be nice but aren't totally necessary. Thanks!"Timely question, Mitch. Considering that the AspireRevo is just the first of many miniature PCs that'll undoubtedly be headed to dens across the globe, we figure you're not alone in wondering about the perfect keyboard to pair with it. So, readers -- whatcha got?
Will web-based interfaces become more popular on HDTV gear?
For those of us who have been around the block a time or two, we can distinctly remember just how hard WebTV fell. Granted, it is still around as MSN TV, but when is the last time you actually saw one being used? A new report put forth by ABI Research is asserting that web-based interfaces will soon become more popular than ever, potentially finding their way into set-top-boxes, standalone players, media streamers, etc. We've already seen RSS feeds and the like appearing on HDTVs, and the integration of Ethernet ports is certainly noticeable. Still, there seems to be a good deal of disconnect even now between bona fide internet content and HD programming, leaving us to wonder how accurate these suggestions really are. And furthermore, to what extent will being connected to the internet affect the way you utilize your living room TV?[Image courtesy of Ruel]
Sony quietly launches VAIO TP1 Living Room PC
If you can force your brain to remember back to January, you may recall Sony's curiously designed TP1 HTPC. Interestingly enough, it seems that Sony has indeed launched the device and didn't even bother to tell anyone, but that doesn't mean you can't be brought up to speed. Be warned, however, that Living Room PC does not equate to high-end AV center, as this modestly-spec'd machine lacks an HD optical drive and CableCARD option. Internally, you'll find a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo chip, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 300GB 7,200RPM SATA hard drive, dual-layer DVD writer, ATSC / NTSC TV tuner, GMA 950 integrated graphics set, and HDMI / DVI / VGA outputs. Moreover, Sony included a 4-pin FireWire connector, audio in / out, four USB 2.0 ports, Memory Stick / SD slots, 802.11b/g, and Vista Home Premium to run the show. So if you're still intrigued by this ho hum (albeit Viiv-certified!) PC, you can snag it right now starting at $1,599.99.[Via CNET]
Acer Aspire L320 mini PC touts Viiv certification
Every time you think the Viiv hype is dying down, Acer brings it back up, as just a few months after kicking out the "world's first" Viiv-certified LCD TV, the firm is now unveiling its Aspire L320 mini PC with -- you guessed it -- a shiny Viiv sticker adorning its case. Hot on the heels of its xSeries displays, this machine sports a slim, silver / black case designed for living room placement, a variety of Intel Pentium processors, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 400GB of internal hard drive capacity, an Acer-branded digital / analog hybrid TV tuner, DVD writer, flash card reader, and a bevy of included ho hum software that you'll likely replace immediately upon bootup. Additionally, it sports 7.1-channel audio, Intel's GMA 3000 graphics set, VGA / DVI outputs, an option to add Windows Vista, FireWire, audio in / out, and a pair of USB 2.0 ports to round things out. No word just yet on price or availability, but this ought to be a fairly inexpensive alternative for those eying a very basic (and fairly attractive) pre-fab HTPC.[Via RegHardware]
Sony's VAIO VGX-TP1DT media PC stack: streams and records HDTV over your home network
If Sony's latest living room PC lineup is just a bit too big and boxy for your tastes then check their VAIO "Television Side PC" and digital tuner stack. Collectively known as the VGX-TP1DT, it consists of the already announced VGX-TP1 PC and a new VGX-DT1 (bottom cylinder) digital tuner. The TP1 PC loads Vista Home Premium and packs a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB (up to 2GB max) memory, 160GB (up to 500GB) disk, super multi-drive DVD, and terrestrial tuner at its core with HDMI, analog RGB and optical digital outputs, 4x USB and 1x Firewire, memory stick and SD slot, 802.11b/g WiFi, and wireless keyboard. The DT1 digital tuner features the ability to stream hi-def, broadcast television over Ethernet or WiFi for viewing or recording on the TP1 or any up-to-spec PC on your home network. 1080i video is recorded at either 1920×1080 pixels / 24Mbps or 1440×1080 pixels / 10Mbps for half the storage requirements. We imagine they'll add a matching Blu-ray burner to the stack just as soon as they can squeeze the drive into that same 270-mm (10.6-inch) diameter footprint. The whole kit should go up for sale in Japan in the next few days for about ¥200,000 or right around $1,661.
AMD unveils living room PC reference design: world squints in wonder
The days of finding brands like Microsoft, Apple, Intel, and Cisco limited to the office-space are long gone. Windows Media Center devices designed around Intel's Viiv platform and soon, Apple's iTV (or whatever the final name will be) are perfectly happy to snuggle up with the living room TV and a bowl of WiFi. So no surprise to find AMD coveting a cut of that turf too, with this, their new living room PC reference design -- a prototype AMD hopes will be copied by manufacturers to bring AMD's Live! entertainment platform to market that much faster. AMD's VP of Consumer Business, Joe Menard, said that these living room PCs "may come out next year" and might even include quiet running, fanless designs if we read into his comments just a bit. With Windows Vista Media Center installed, the device will then be capable of storing all your digital media for pumping back out the TV or other PCs on the home network. Yeah, we know, that's a lousy picture but it's all that AMD is offering -- come on AMD, nobody dances with the wallflower.
