MediaCenterExtender
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Ceton Echo Windows Media Center extender won't support Android after all
Around nine months ago Ceton unexpectedly announced plans to support the Android operating system and apps on its $179 Echo Windows Media Center extender, but now that's not happening. According to the company, Android is "up and running" on Echo hardware in its labs -- we saw screenshots back in February -- but early beta tests with home users showed a problem with an internal component. That flaw apparently causes a failure to update in some cases, and since efforts to find a workaround have been so far unsuccessful Ceton is shelving the project (presumably alongside its Q DVR). There's no question this is disappointing for Echo users that expected the feature, but the possibility of a bricked box seem worth avoiding. We haven't talked about the Echo much since it came out of beta with a fix for 1080i output issues -- if you're an owner then let us know if you were (still) waiting for Android, or if you've moved onto another solution like Roku, Ouya or Chromecast.
Ceton announces slight delay for Echo WMC extender, Q DVR shelved indefinitely
Ceton has, as promised, provided more information on upcoming hardware, however there's not a lot of good news to go around. The bad news is that the Windows Embedded-based Q DVR we were looking forward to will not launch this year. There's a possibility it may launch in 2013, however questions about whether Microsoft will continue to support Windows Media Center in future versions of its Embedded platform are keeping any potential launch plans in doubt. On a slightly brighter note, while the Echo Media Center extender is delayed slightly and the beta units have not yet gone out, Ceton still anticipates a release in time for the holiday season. Finally, there's a positive update on the suite of Media Center companion apps, which are now available on the B&N Nook and Kindle Fire HD as well as optimized for the iPhone 5. Relive our CES 2011 hands-on in video form after the break, we'll get started organizing a march on Redmond to make this happen.
Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now
If you're a Windows Media Center fan and have been drooling over the treats Ceton showed off at CES like its mobile companion apps (whether on WP7 or other platforms like iPhone and Android) and Echo extender we've got good news and better news. The good news is that the apps have been rebranded simply as Ceton Companion Apps and they will be available for all Windows Media Center 7 users when they launch, spreading their guides, file browsing and remote DVR management options throughout the land. The better news is that you'll be able to get your hands on the apps and / or Echo extender relatively soon, since there are beta tests coming soon for both. While the app beta is planned to start May 25th on all of the previously listed platforms, the Echo extender will be a paid beta where users can keep the hardware once its over. More details on the latter should be available soon, for now interested users should hit the link below to get on the list or check out an... interesting promo video embedded after the break.
Linksys Media Extenders suddenly stop working, did Cisco pull the plug?
It was the halcyon summer of 2009. The Hubble Space Telescope was fixed, Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500, Somali pirates were really doing their thing, and Linksys decided it was time to pull the plug on its DMA2100 and DMA2200 Media Center Extenders. Production was ceased and that was that... or so we thought. Now we're hearing dozens of reports that those extenders mysteriously stopped working over the past few days, and indeed a thread over at The Green Button is full of hundreds rightfully disgruntled users. Thanks to a lot of investigations by members it's been determined that the boxes are trying to dial home to an address that no longer exists. Naturally this is causing wild speculation about DRM checks and the boxes being remotely disabled, but for now there are some manual work-arounds, including configuring your router to explicitly block any traffic from the Extender or simply assign an invalid gateway. This seems to work for many, but not for all. We've reached out to get an official word from Cisco on what's up here, but until we hear back feel free to post your most alluring conspiracy theories in comments below. Update: Still no official response from Cisco/Linksys, but Matt was kind enough to send us the official work-around that users who have reported the issue are told to use. We've included that for you below. Update 2: Cisco responds! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Poll: Would you buy a TV running ChromeOS?
Forget widgets and ten-foot experiences. If someone's designing a lightweight, net-connected operating system, why not jam that into a flat panel and let us have our way with it? That's the idea we had after all the Google operating system news of the last week, although like an embedded Boxee solution or the long rumored AppleTV TV, we may be waiting a while whether its ChromeOS, Moblin or something else, although there's already least one Media Center Extender-packing display on the way from Toshiba. So, are we crazy or is this something that could sell? Let us know in the comments below. %Poll-31770%
Netflix Watch Instantly comes to Vista Media Center, not Extenders
Good news, Vista Media Center PC users will soon find a new option under the TV+Movies tile, as Netflix Watch Instantly streaming access is added directly to the interface. The soul crushingly bad news? A post on The Green Button informs that this does not apply to Media Center Extenders, so cheapskates hoping to get around the Xbox 360's Gold Xbox Live subscription requirement are still going to need those plugins and workarounds. This should go over much better than the InternetTV beta 2, but we're disappointed Microsoft's vision of TV on Your PC (as pointed out on its accompanying blogs, videos and assorted paraphernalia indicates) doesn't allow users to stretch their PC back to the TV at will. 'til that changes, check the gallery and after the break to see what awaits in Media Center once the update rolls out over the next 48 hours.Update: We checked with Microsoft, and confirmed that, at least for now, this streaming only includes the same content as the browser experience - so no HD. As far as Windows 7 and / or RC1 support? No word yet.[Via The Green Button]
Linksys discontinues Media Center Extenders, hardly anyone notices
Media Center Extenders -- remember those? Yeah, those things were all the rage at CEDIA 2008, and right around four hours after the show closed up, you and the whole world forgot about 'em. Honestly, the concept and execution was flawed from the start. These standalone boxes provided exactly what media loving consumers didn't want: yet another set-top-box crowding their space. Furthermore, most were priced at or above the cost of an Xbox 360, which -- lo and behold -- could be used as an MCE as well as a darn good gaming console. See the holes in this plan yet? Furthermore, most of 'em, particularly those that relied on WiFi, were utterly unreliable and offered disappointing streams. High prices plus lackluster results yields low demand, who woulda thunk it?Essentially, manufacturers were hoping that those with loads of media on Windows-based PCs would jump at the chance to get all of that material on their HDTV with the addition of one little box. And in theory, at least, that does sound somewhat attractive. Unfortunately, only a few of these were announced in Denver, and almost all of them suffered from inexcusable delays. By the time they hit the market, all of the buzz generated at the trade show was extinguished, and early reviews were less than positive. It didn't take long to see prices begin to plummet, all while fence sitting companies realized that avoiding this niche would likely be most beneficial to their longevity.Today, we're seeing Linksys' DMA2100 and DMA2200 listed as "Discontinued" at a number of legitimate e-tailers, and while D-Link's DSM-750 and HP's MediaSmart Connect seem to be hanging around at near-full price, we can't say the same for Samsung's discounted MediaLive Digital Media Adapter. Heck, Niveus Media doesn't even list its Media Center Extender - EDGE as a product on its website anymore. It shouldn't be any real shock that hardly any other companies have jumped in since these first few, and we're having serious doubts about the future of the dedicated MCE. Are you getting the same vibes? Do you think these things could thrive at the right price? Let us know in the poll and comments below![Via GeekTonic]Update: Turns out HP is axing its MediaSmart HDTV / Connect lines as well. It's full statement sent to us is after the break. %Poll-30216%
SecondRun.tv updated with direct play Media Center Extender support
Media Center Extender users now have a reason to check out the SecondRun.tv plugin, with the latest build supporting direct play mode on any providers that support it (read: not Hulu, at the moment.) Right now Revision3 and the unfortunately overcompressed GameTrailers.com are the big names but users will know which ones work by a green arrow in the corner. Otherwise the latest revision has other tweaks including fixed display sizing problems and movie covers, but you'll have to load it up on your display to let us know how well it's working.[Thanks, Nathan]
vmcPlayIt pulls PlayOn streams into Media Center and Media Center Extenders
Sure there's other ways to get bits like Hulu and Netflix on your Windows Media Center and Media Center Extender interface, but since PlayOn media server's already set up to add streaming video from those and other services like ESPN and YouTube, why not slide them all in at once? If you've already dropped the cash for a PlayOn install or are trying out a demo, the vmcPlayIt add-in serves as a Vista Media Center front end for all those video sources. 32- and 64-bit versions are available for the low low price of free, if this matches your setup it should be worth a try.[Via eHomeUpgrade]
Linksys DMA2200 Media Extender plummets from $350 to $95
It was only a matter of time, really. Remember when Media Center Extenders were all the rage (yeah, for around ten minutes) at CEDIA 2007? Remember how everyone balked at paying $350 for one when you could just buy an Xbox 360 for the same amount and get two things in one? Apparently those "everyones" were right, as Linksys' slow-selling DMA2200 Media Extender has sunk from $349.99 on day one to $94.99 today at NewEgg. Quite honestly, this thing looks about 8.98 times sexier with its slim new sticker -- anyone thinking of getting into Extenders now that the barrier to entry is all but gone?[Via Slashgear]
Will Windows 7's integrated codec support cut off third party solutions?
Whoa, we may need to slow down on the celebration over out of the box h.264 codec support in Windows 7, with reports from developers indicating the beta OS blocks the usage of third party decoders under Windows Media Player and Media Center. Of course, the included codec support would obviate third party installs for many users anyway, and until we get an official release candidate we can't be sure how things will stack up in the retail experience. Digitalwerks has run down the sources, noting that third party solutions like VLC and Media Player Classic could still serve as workarounds, but Media Center Extender heads will want to keep a close eye on things going forward.
Samsung MediaLive Digital Media Adapter review
One of the reasons why Microsoft's Media Center is so attractive is because of the extender functionality. It allows you to enjoy just about all the same content in every room of your house, without the need to buy more than one HTPC. But with variety sometimes brings hard choices, so this motivated us to start a quest to find the best Media Center Extender. While the Xbox 360 is the obvious choice for most, it isn't the best solution for everyone. So we started out by comparing it to every extender out there. But since our initial shoot out, a few more Extenders have made their way to market, and the most recent addition is the Samsung MediaLive Media Adapter. At first glance it seems that this is the perfect solution for anyone with a Samsung TV, and while the tight integration, great price, and diminutive size is attractive, you'll have to click though to find out why we're still on the hunt for the perfect Windows Media Center Extender. %Gallery-38727%
SageTV launches HD Theater (HD200) media streamer
Ah, so this is a yearly treat? Almost a year to the day after SageTV's STX-HD100 HD Media Extender was revealed, in flies the unit's proper successor. The simply named HD Theater (or HD200, if you prefer), is launching for the same $199.95 and sports a slightly smaller footprint, the same remote as the HD100, USB ports on the front and rear, an Ethernet jack, HDMI / component / S-Video / composite video outputs, a S/PDIF audio port, network / local media streaming capabilities and the SageTV Media Center for Windows software bundle. Per usual, you'll find support for a cornucopia of formats (MPEG 1/2/4, H.264, WMV9, VC1, MKV, MOV, AVI, FLV, AAC, MP3, WMA, FLAC and JPEG just to name a few), and it looks as if it's ready to ship as we speak.[Via GeekTonic]
HP exiting LCD TV biz, killing MediaSmart HDTV line?
Chalk this one up as rampant speculation for now, but word on the street has it that HP may be fixing to axe its LCD TV business and kill the MediaSmart HDTV while it's at it. In taking a step back, it's easy to see how logical this move seems -- HP has never been a giant in the LCD HDTV arena, and its MediaSmart line serves an even smaller niche. Couple those facts with plummeting LCD prices and diminishing margins, and you've got yourself a pretty strong case to hit the eject button. If all of this pans out, it'll surely hurt Microsoft's chances of getting even more TV manufacturers to sell sets with Media Center Extenders built in, but at least those still on the hunt for a MediaSmart HDTV on the cheap would have an opportunity to find just that.[Via ElectronicHouse]
VidaBox's RoomClientHD streams Blu-ray, other 1080p content to your HDTV
First things first: you'll supposedly need an actual VidaBox Media Server in order to work with the RoomClientHD. Granted, we imagine there are some workarounds out there, but we figured we go ahead and burst a few bubbles early before getting hopes up too high. That being said, the 2-inch tall RoomClientHD was designed to hide behind your HDTV and stream Blu-ray / 1080p multimedia from your server over CAT5e / CAT6 cabling. For those with VidaBox setups, you simply plug this thing in and mash go; everything is preconfigured for detection and streaming. You'll also be thrilled to know that DTS-HD / Dolby TrueHD audio support is there, and while pricing isn't available just yet, we do know you can pony up for an inbuilt BD drive if you prefer local playback.
The Samsung MediaLive Digital Media Adapter gets a date
We hate to admit it, but the longer we have to wait for something, the more anxious we get. So it should be no surprise that after nine months, we can't wait to check out Samsung's new Media Center Extender. We got word last week that the little guy was available for pre-order on Best Buy, but the lack of expected release date left us hanging. Now Amazon also has it available for pre-order, but this time with a release date of October 15th. That leaves just over two weeks before we can all find out if this thing is all it's cracked up to be -- you know, made to mount on the back of the latest Samsung TVs, and HDMI-CEC for seamless one remote operation.
Samsung's MediaLive Digital Media Adapter really coming soon?
Hey, Sammy -- bet you thought we forgot about that little MediaLive Digital Media Adapter of yours, huh? For everyone that had, let us bring you back up to speed. After launching under a different name at CES 2008, this puppy was officially revealed in the summer. Unfortunately, the supposed August ship date has come and gone, and it doesn't seem like too many folks are up in arms about it. Nevertheless, the obviously delayed Media Center Extender has finally found itself a holding page over at Best Buy, where's it's listed in detail for $199.99. The "Coming Soon" bit doesn't really give us much to go on, but we'd suspect Samsung would want to get this out before the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear. Now would also be a wonderful time to shave $50+ off of the MSRP in order to make folks care once more -- just sayin', is all.[Thanks, Lindsay]
EI breaks the 8 CableCard / 10 Extenders barrier too with Life|media 810
Niveus Media wasn't the only show in Denver offering up a new HTPC that can handle eight simultaneously CableCARD streams while dishing out content to some ten Media Center Extenders -- oh no, Exceptional Innovation showed up with a slightly less powerful, albeit equally effective alternative of its own. If you'll recall, EI shined last year by boasting a swank quad-CableCARD rig, and this year, the LMS-810 Life|media server raises the bar by handling twice that. The $30,000 box comes with 12TB of internal storage, two internal CableCARD slots, a USB add-on box (Life|tuner) with six other CableCARD slots and a Blu-ray writer. Those unaffected by sticker shock can look for it to ship in "early 2009." For now, you can peep the gallery below to see it in action. %Gallery-31198%
Hands-on with Niveus Media's Denali, Rainier and Cargo media wares
Niveus Media came to this year's CEDIA locked and loaded, and while most typical consumers won't look too far past the sub-$2,000 Vail system, those with cash to spare and colleagues to impress will certainly appreciate the Core i7-powered $19,999 Pro Series n9 media center PC. The rig setup on the show floor had said HTPC connected to four dual-CableCARD boxes via USB ($1,500 a pop), giving it the ability to record eight HD shows simultaneously while streaming HD movie clips to ten other Media Center Extenders (without a hiccup, might we add). The mid-range Denali was also on hand, and Blu-ray drives were found across the board. We also spent a tick with the new v1.5 Niveus Movie Library, which very neatly enabled us to surf to any media stored locally or on the networked 16TB Cargo Media Server. Even if you can't afford it, this stuff is still worth a look -- check it all out here at Engadget HD.
Niveus says "never enough," adds support for eight CableCARDs / ten Extenders
At least year's CEDIA, EI's quad-CableCARD 754 LifeMedia server was all the rage. Between then and now, Cannon PC has jumped out to offer a system with six CableCARDs. Now, Niveus Media is showing 'em all up by announcing support for up to eight CableCARDs and ten Media Center Extenders. The functionality will soon be available on the forthcoming Pro Series n9 powerhouse, which will utilize Intel's Core i7 processor. The sum of eight is reached by pairing the n9 with four Niveus Digital Cable Receivers and an external, dual CableCARD tuner device, giving users the ability to view and record eight SD / HD programs at once. Oh, and you can also stream those eight signals along with all other HD content to eleven zones. Don't kid yourself -- you know the next US President is so getting this for the White House. Full press release after the break.
