“Using patent-pending computer vision algorithms that can actually see the video’s content, VideoSurf serves up more relevant results for your queries and offers a new, visual way for you to interact with the video set returned. You can refine your results based on the people who actually appear in the videos and pinpoint the specific moments you’re interested in watching or sharing with your friends” VideoSurf

Current video search systems take a more basic approach to discovering clips, with metadata rather than content being the primary source of information. VideoSurf’s approach actually looks at what’s in the clips and themes, such as specific actors or car chases, and can apparently pinpoint not just an individual video but a point in that video.

The company – which counts Al Gore among its investors – came to particular attention back in January, showing off its visual search system on Verizon Android smartphones. After being shown around five seconds of a video using the smartphone’s camera, the VideoSurf app could identify it and show details of which TV show it is, which episode, the runtime and a full cast list.

Microsoft’s plans for the system are unspecified – the company is yet to confirm the deal, in fact – but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Bing integrate it in short order. However, VideoSurf’s tech also has broader implications for Media Center implementation: future STBs or Microsoft’s rumored Project Orapa IPTV system could well leverage the search to beat Google TV and Apple TV in serving up the sort of content users want to see.

Update: Microsoft has confirmed the acquisition, saying that the company “will integrate this technology across its entertainment platform to augment the Xbox 360 ecosystem and evolve search and discovery of entertainment content on Xbox LIVE.”

[via TechCrunch Europe]

Among the suggestions made for the demise of Front Row, a growing shift to baking digital media directly into the OS seems the most likely justification. Lion is all about streaming, the cloud and the iTunes ecosystem, with the imminent arrival of iCloud and iOS 5 only adding to that. Many users never used Front Row and, indeed, didn’t even know the functionality was present; the Apple Remote no longer being included in the box with Apple notebooks (in 2008) and desktops (in 2009) shifted emphasis away from media center duties.

Of course, that leaves the Mac mini – which many deploy as an HTPC – in something of a limbo situation if you’re looking for out-of-the-box media center use. The good news is that there are third-party apps which can do a better job than Front Row, such as Boxee, Plex and XBMC, thoroughly up to speed with streaming internet video like YouTube and Hulu.

If you’re dead-set on Front Row and Lion, however, there’s salvation to be had with a minor hack that brings the UI back to life. Detailed at the Apple Support forum by user “radiv78″, by copying the files below from a Snow Leopard Mac to one running OS X Lion (and then restarting), you can once again have Front Row access.

/System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BackRow.framework
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.RemoteUI.plist
/Applications/Front Row.app

Plex is a free media player app that allows you to use either an Apple remote or an iOS device running the free controller software to record live TV and manage a library of downloaded and ripped content. In fact, with OWC’s setup you can apparently easily rip DVDs to the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID enclosure.

Availability is pegged for the end of January, with OWC planning to announce pricing at the same time. Options will range from 4TB – up to 2,045hrs of DVD-quality footage – to 12TB – 6,145hrs – and OWC will also offer Blu-ray too.

Press Release:

OWC Unveils Industry’s First Plug And Play Three Screen Home Theater Media Center Solution For 2010 Mac mini At Macworld Expo 2011

Pre-configures 2010 Mac mini as home entertainment media server with first three screen (PC, TV, mobile) interface that simplifies and improves how content is viewed and managed across multiple devices

Options include enough capacity to hold up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies with Mercury Pro Qx2 RAID storage solutions up to 12TB – – and the ability to make copies of purchased CD/DVD/Blu-ray media with OWC’s Slim portable bus-powered drive

Complete bundled solution includes RAM upgrade to 4GB, HDMI A/V cables, Elgato EyeTV tuner or DVR recorder, and Apple Remote

January 27, 2011 San Francisco, CA — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today its new OWC Media Center Solution for the 2010 Mac mini to address the growing need of consumers wanting to search, navigate, consume, store/backup, and sync digital content from multiple content sources and devices with one easy to use solution. The OWC Media Center Solution includes installing the Plex digital media management platform onto a customer’s 2010 Mac mini, upgrading the mini with 4GB of OWC RAM, and bundling all the necessary hardware – including an OWC Mercury Pro™ Qx2 storage solution, OWC Slim portable CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc burner, Elgato EyeTV Hybrid tuner or HD DVR, and Apple Remote – to deliver a complete and hassle-free Plug and Play Mac mini based home theatre/entertainment solution. OWC will be demonstrating the new OWC Media Center Solution and other first-to-market products, like the OWC Mercury Aura Pro SSDs for MacBook Air models, in booth #513 at the Macworld Expo, which begins today in San Francisco, California.

Access And Manage Content Anywhere With Any iOS Device
At the heart of the OWC Media Center Solution is Plex, the first open three screen (PC, TV, mobile) media platform designed to simplify and improve the way people view and manage personal, commercial and streaming content sources across a variety of connected devices. With Plex installed, Mac mini owners can watch videos, access their music library, and control their Plex media manager at home with the included Apple Remote or while mobile with any iOS Device with the Plex iOS application installed.

Plug And Play Media Organization And Storage
The OWC Media Center Solution offers pre-configured Plug and Play organization and high performance storage of all your digital media, whether from local drives, network shares, optical media, and/or the Internet in one, easy to use application without having to install any additional third party plug-ins or programs. Because it requires virtually no hardware, networking, or home theater knowledge, the OWC Media Center Solution ensures even the most novice Mac mini user will able to access their favorite TV programs, movies, photos, and more with the intuitive, yet visually striking interface that compliments the home theatre experience.

Streams Free Media For Greater Viewing Options
Obtaining new content from free online sources with the OWC Media Center Solution is easy too. With the Plex App Store, a built-in library of free third-party plug ins, users can expand their media viewing choices by streaming content from websites like Apple Trailers, Hulu™, Joost™, Netflix®, Pitchfork™, Vimeo®, and YouTube™.

Backup And Save Content
With the included OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 storage solution, users can save up to 12TB of content – enough space for up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies – backed up by the safety of RAID 5. And with the optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive and the included MakeMKV application, users can make backups of purchased DVD and Blu-ray media and convert the files for use on any iOS and Android based device.

Watch And Record TV In High Def
Watching and recording TV with a Mac mini has never been easier than it is with Elgato EyeTV products. The OWC Media Center Solution offers a choice of either an EyeTV Hybrid to watch and record cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD; or an EyeTV HD DVR for capturing up to 1080i HD from a cable or satellite receiver with component video connections. Once a program is recorded, it can be exported to the OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 for permanent storage and later viewing.

Live Product Demos Presented At Macworld Expo
The OWC Media Center Solution for 2010 Mac mini will be demonstrated live at the Macworld Expo in OWC’s booth #513. Pricing and ordering information for the custom configured bundle for 2010 Mac mini, which will include a 48 business hours or less installation turnaround, various shipping options, and OWC’s renowned warranty coverage; will be announced by the end of January. For additional OWC Media Center Solution details and answers to commonly asked set-up and usage questions, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/Mac_Mini_Media_Center/AV

For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/.

“By creating a comprehensive, yet option rich bundle and configuration service, we eliminated all the hassle of incorporating a 2010 Mac mini into a home theatre system,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “This is the ideal solution for managing and viewing personal and public content whether it be a single user or an entire family with multiple devices.”

The OWC Media Center Solution Includes:

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 storage solution in choice of 4TB, 8TB, and 12TB models pre-set with folders linked to Plex Media Server.
Optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive
HDMI audio and video connection cables
Apple remote control
Quick Start guide
Choice of:
o Elgato EyeTV Hybrid TV tuner stick for watching and recording cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD.
o Elgato EyeTV HD digital video recorder (DVR) for connecting directly to a cable or satellite receiver to capture premium programming in full HD.

Once connected, any computer on the home network can get to and access the files, as can remote Internet connected computers. Files can be uploaded, downloaded, viewed, and managed from any remote location. Connectors can also set up a sharing option (this is a right reserved for those connected directly) and sent albums to one another or post content on Facebook.

Supported devices include Playstation 3, Xbox 360, DLNA compliant devices, plus iPad, iPhone, Blackberry devices, and webOS devices such as the Palm Pre. And what’s the best part of this whole situation? I bet you can guess: the price, at right around $90. Shipping now.

[Via iPodNN]

A workaround for the problem has been devised by enterprising owners, though it’s somewhat convoluted. Basically, by setting a dummy DNS address for the Media Extender, you can fool it into reconnecting without calling into the offline update server first.

According to reports from TheGreenButton, Linksys support is aware of the problem and the company’s engineers are working on a fix. However there’s no timescale for its roll-out, and it’s unclear whether it will involve reflashing the Media Extender to remove its reliance on the update server, or simply pester Microsoft to turn the systems back on.

[via ZDNet]

Boxee have also partnered with three content firms: The Escapist, Suicide Girls and Clicker, the latter of which is a little like IMDB but for the TV.  Global shortcuts and a new Boxee menu have been added for quicker navigation, while the Now Playing menu and the OSD have both been reworked for improved visibility.

Under the hood, a switch of the graphical back-end from OpenGL to DirectX means Boxee can now use Direct X Video Acceleration, allowing you to use lower-spec’d machines but still have the same video performance.  There’s also NVIDIA Ion support for DXVA and Flash 10.1 video processing.  There’s still no word on when a generally-available beta will be released, however.

Over time, Microsoft tried a few approaches with MCE – from extenders to allow you to view content on other TVs in the home over your network, to creating extender technology for Xbox (which is already hooked up to a TV set) – as well as working with a host of OEMs to create “living room” form factor home theater PCs. The result of these efforts was less than a stellar success and few vendors actively build home theater PCs; these days, if a consumer uses media center they’re either an enthusiast or they’ve tripped over it by mistake trying to do something else. That’s a shame, as MCE has evolved over time to become a great technology, one that few people even know exist.

With the advent of Windows 7, Media Center has gone through another refresh and the technology is really very good. I’m beginning to wonder if most consumers will ever realize the value of integration between the PC and the TV if they don’t know enough about what’s possible. We know consumers are interested in getting the content on their PCs over to their TVs but that’s another story.

The fact is, Media Center in Windows 7 should be a hit. For example, one of the biggest problems with most consumer DVRs is that the content is locked. Want to watch in another room? Sorry, that will cost extra please. Want to take that TV show and watch it on your laptop? Sorry, not happening. Want to archive that show to something other than analog VHS tape? Sorry, can’t do that. Even TiVo, which allows users to move some content from their TiVo box to the PC, does so at low resolution and over the home network, making for a slow and often frustrating process.

By contrast, MCE records shows, transcodes them in the background and makes it relatively easy to stream the content to a device like the Xbox 360, copy to a laptop for later viewing and even transfer to Windows phones and Zune media players. In addition, unlike most DVRs on the market, there’s no additional monthly fee to use the technology and no need to purchase copies of TV shows that will only be viewed once.

The promise of MCE was that ALL my media could live on one box and I could then do what I wished with that content, moving it from screen to screen and device to device. MCE in Windows 7 delivers on a lot of that vision. Microsoft talks a lot these days about three screens and a cloud. MCE is actually a foundation technology that enables much of that “three screen” interaction to happen. MCE owners can stream content via WiFi to any computer in their home. They can get on a plane and take the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows on their laptops, phones or media players, or burn a copy of that old movie and keep the disc as an archive.

Is MCE perfect? No, not even in Windows 7. Is it the right product for the masses? Quite possibly, yes. Microsoft needs to think who the market for this version of MCE is, work to find ways of hiding more of the Windows UI for a total 10 foot experience and perhaps, in the future, even think of unbundling MCE from the rest of Windows.

For now, MCE is a compelling technology that appeals mostly to enthusiasts who are looking for more functionality than current DVR solutions can give them. It could be so much more.

Other specifications include a Blu-ray drive, 8-channel audio with pre-amp, S/PDIF digital audio output and Vista Home Premium with its media center UI.  Storage is courtesy of two 3.5-inch SATA drives, offering up to 2TB of space, or alternatively twin SSDs.

Up front there’s an OLED display for status information – including song or artist for music, or alternatively movie title – plus a multi-format memory card reader.  Connectivity includes DVI-D, VGA, HDMI and component out, plus dual gigabit ethernet, eight USB 2.0 ports, two 6-pin FireWire ports and eSATA.

Unsurprisingly, none of this comes cheap.  The Maingear Axess HD Gamer range starts from $1,799, but expect to pay far more than that for the kind of maxed-out system the company are talking about here.

There’s also WiFi b/g/n, a DVD burner and 2-megapixel webcam, together with gigabit ethernet and and integrated receiver for the supplied wireless keyboard, mouse and remote control.  Graphics are courtesy of Intel’s G4500HD chipset.

Running the show is Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit, complete with media center functionality.  The Averatec D1200 is available now, priced at $999; it’ll be on sale from Best Buy, Tiger Direct and Comp USA, as well as Averatec themselves.

Press Release:

New Averatec 25.5-inch PC/TV Combo Delivers Best of Both Worlds

SANTA ANA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TriGem USA today announced the Averatec 25.5-inch D1200 all-in-one (AIO) computer, the largest AIO offering for under $1,000 available today. The new AIO plays video at true 1080p resolution and features a built-in hybrid digital/analog TV tuner, making it an ideal TV replacement. The D1200, which is offered at an MSRP of $999, is now available.

“With its sleek, contemporary AIO design and crisp LCD, the D1200 is an ideal system for power users and those looking for a computer that can function both as a PC and TV,” said Henry Hewitt, vice president of sales at TriGem USA. “The system’s affordable price point makes this innovative technology and design accessible to a broader segment of customers. The D1200 is an ideal solution for those who are ‘space challenged’ and need a PC/TV combo that fits easily in apartments, dormitories, bedrooms, kitchens and smaller homes and offices.

“With the cost of LCD televisions of comparable size ranging from $600 to $700, Averatec customers are getting a full-functioning TV with complete PC capabilities for only about $200 more. You can’t beat that.”

The multimedia capabilities of the Averatec D1200 deliver a versatile multimedia device for home or office. The hybrid TV tuner enables the AIO to view analog or digital television programming.

The new 25.5-inch Averatec D1200 AIO features a 2.5GHz Intel Pentium dual-core E5200 processor, 320GB hard drive, 4GB of memory, the 64-bit version of Microsoft Vista Home Premium and integrated wireless keyboard and mouse.

TriGem USA and its Averatec brand have a widely respected reputation for stylish designs and innovative, value-oriented products, Hewitt noted. The space-saving design of the D1200 enables it to be placed in any location where TV viewing and daily PC use is desired by a family, student or small business.

“Customers can place it on a TV stand in their bedroom enabling them to work from any location with ease using the integrated wireless keyboard and mouse, while still having the convenience of watching television,” Hewitt said.

The new all-in-one PC is optimized for handling everyday computing tasks such as Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, photo editing, home and business accounting, video editing, games and social networking. It includes an 8x super-multi DVD optical drive, built-in 2.0-megapixel webcam, WLAN wireless 802.11N compliant networking and wired gigabit 10/100/1000 Mb/s network connectivity.

The D1200 will be available for purchase at Best Buy.com, TigerDirect/CompUSA and Averatec.com.

TriGem’s products are backed by a one-year limited warranty and one-year of technical support available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

What’s still missing is Netflix support, for either streaming movies or TV shows, which was added to the OS X version of the app back in December 2008.  Hulu functionality is the same pseudo-workaround as added earlier this month, which uses a combination of RSS feeds and an integrated Mozilla-based browser engine to display the streaming service’s content.

Boxee remains a free app, available – in varying states of development – for Linux, Windows, OS X and AppleTV.  Linux users may be able to access this latest version through the Update Manager tool on Ubuntu systems.

[via Slashdot]

Relying on the Smart Anti-Vibration System to keep things quiet, this PC features a vacuum fluorescent display and support for 7.1 audio. Specs include Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 4GB RAM and several outputs including DVI and HDMI. Other connections include two miniPCI slots, Ethernet and four USB ports.

An 8X DVD burner is included as is Windows XP or Vista. A remote control comes with the system as well. The AOpen XC Encore OE700 will be available in May, but only in Japan. We don’t know the pricing yet or if it will be available stateside.

[via Akihabara]

To demonstrate the new API, Boxee has released two initial plugins: Pandora and RadioTime.  The former allows users to sign in with their standard Pandora account, set up stations and listen to existing Quick Mixes, while the latter offers over 100,000 streaming radio stations.

Eventually developers will be able to charge for their Boxee plugins, but for now all extensions will be free.  Boxee have also answered the call for Hulu support by embedding a Mozilla-based browser into the media center.  You can download the latest version of Boxee, v0.9.11.5591, here.

[via ArsTechnica]

Other specs include up to 4GB of RAM, up to 250GB of storage and both HDMI and VGA outputs.  There’s also gigabit ethernet, WiFi (either b/g or b/g/n), a 4-in-1 card reader, six USB 2.0 ports and audio in/out, in a casing that can be easily hung from the back of your flat-panel display.

OS is Vista Home Premium (or Basic), which should see the AspireRevo rocking as a very capable media center – albeit one that would require external TV tuners and an external DVD or Blu-ray drive.  No word on pricing nor official availability for the Acer AspireRevo, but all signs are pointing to late Q2 2009 still.

Press Release:

Acer AspireRevo: Nettop Meets Games Console
A Revolution in Your Multimedia Entertainment

2009-04-08 – New York With the enormous success the netbook brought, in very little time a new market segment was created that revolutionized the arena of the portable computer. The world of desktops has now also taken a step up with the introduction of the nettop. These are computers of reduced dimensions and at a lower cost than traditional PCs which are ideal for satisfying all basic requirements of surfing the Internet, downloading and watching rich content, playing videos and games , running typical office programs or communicating with VOIP using the optional webcam.

Today, Acer changes the industry landscape by introducing the Acer AspireRevo, the new nettop that offers advanced graphic capabilities for full enjoyment of multimedia contents in high definition. AspireRevo is a true entertainment center for the entire family, not only offering immediate access to music, video and images, but can also transmit and stream HD content and be used as a gaming console.

The AspireRevo is, in fact, the first small form factor PC to offer the NVIDIA® ION™ platform that combines the Intel® Atom™ 230 processor with the NVIDIA ION graphics processor. Apart from its low energy consumption and reduced dimensions, it has the graphic capability worthy of a true multimedia PC. The highly integrated NVIDIA® ION™ GPU delivers 10X faster graphics performance than other small desktop PCs, resulting in extraordinary multimedia entertainment and high-definition quality. Certified for Windows Vista Premium, NVIDIA® ION™ ensures access to complex video with full graphic support.

“The Acer AspireRevo is a bold new direction for the PC industry,” says Acer. “It is a compact, stylish, fully capable PC that uses less energy and provides a brilliant visual experience for daily digital life, games and even high definition video.”

“The Acer AspireRevo with our new NVIDIA ION GPU is a shockingly small home PC,” said Drew Henry, general manager for MCP products at NVIDIA. “You will be stunned and amazed watching HD videos, editing photos, surfing the web and playing the latest online games.”

Characterized by refined design and reduced dimensions (only one liter!), Acer AspireRevo is decisively practical and versatile and is perfectly adapted to any environment. Futhermore, thanks to a special mounting system, it’s possible to attach the device on the back of any LCD or TV panel with a VESA attachment to offer the user an All-In-One capability and increase the working or playing area. Like this, the AspireRevo can find enough space for any room, from the kitchen to the bedroom or the lounge, without any problem. The VESA mount offers vertical adjustment ensuring that the power-on button, optional webcam and memory card reader are always perfectly accessible from the top of any LCD display used.

Acer AspireRevo is also available in a bundle that comes with a game controller with 3D motion sensors offering numerous functionalities. Besides being able to be used like a pointing-device (air mouse) or remote control for the media center, the controller transforms into 3 primary different gaming scenarios from an airplane/race-car steering device, or a tennis racket/baseball bat or a shooting device with built-in trigger. The device is very sophisticated and does not only keep track of points during the game, but captures and tracks very precise user motion.

Furnished with a rich endowment of portals, the AspireRevo can be connected with ease to a wide variety of devices. The 802.11b/g (and /Draft-N on selected models) wireless or Gigabyte Ethernet network connection guarantees an ultrafast network connection into the network of other home computers. while the HDMI™ portal allows a true-to-life reproduction of Full HD video.

Its in the Living Room connected to a large flat panel TV where the AspireRevo really comes alive. The ability to use a small, quiet, and fully capable PC in the heart of the Living Room where families may view their digital photos and videos, use free MSN Messenger with the webcam in video conference mode, play family friendly physically active games and also still be able to run standard PC applications, makes the AspireRevo an indispensable asset to the modern home.

A compact, sleek desktop designed to go anywhere in your home, the AspireRevo features the incredible graphics processing power of NVIDIA® ION™ coupled with the low power Intel Atom 230/330 processor. ION enables the AspireRevo to deliver a premium Windows experience at an unprecedented price. Watch 1080p HD movies, play DirectX 10 games at great frame rates, and enjoy all the 3D capabilities of Microsoft Windows Vista Premium. This space-saving, quiet design can be used as a fully functional home office PC or as a living room PC for casual gaming on your television.

Even the hardware characteristics do not disappoint expectations. Besides being equipped with the Intel® Atom™ 230 processor and NVIDIA® ION™ GPU, the AspireRevo comes with a choice of a Serial ATA Hard Drive or Solid State Drive and up to 4GB of DDR2memory that allows quick performance without problems for all the most widely-used range of applications. A Mini PCI Express slot offers the possibility of expanding memory capacity to make space for continuously growing multimedia files.

Video demo after the cut

While the ZONE will work as a standalone unit, it comes into its own when more than one are installed.  Then each ZONE can share content with each other, or with network-attached storage, including Digital Cable boxes or 3rd-party TV tuners for DVR duty.

The ZONE PC itself has a 2GHz T5750 processor, 2GB of RAM, Intel GMA 4500HD graphics, gigabit ethernet, a 160GB hard-drive, slot-loading Blu-ray drive, HDMI 1.3 and eSATA ports, and can output 7.1 surround sound.  It runs Windows Vista Home Premium together with Niveus’ own software suite, including the Movie Library app which handles saved DVD and Blu-ray content.  The whole thing measures just 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.97 inches and uses less than 50W.

The Niveus ZONE media player is available now, priced from $1,499 per unit.  There’s also a new user community, Niveus Forums, where buyers and dealers will have access to early software builds and tech support.

[via Automated Home]

The nettop is expected to be priced at under $299, and come in three configurations.  The top spec model will have media center functionality, 160GB storage and 2GB of RAM, together with a Wiimote-style motion-sensing remote.  A mid-tier model will lack the wireless peripherals and have optional WiFi, while an entry-level model – believed to be priced around at $149 – will have either 80GB or 160GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and lack the instant-on OS of its more expensive siblings.

As for NVIDIA’s Ion platform, rumor has it that the company is planning to announced the second-generation – Ion 2 – in Q4 2009.  The first devices to use Ion are yet to launch.

Graphics stay the same, with NVIDIA’s GeForce 9300 doing duty, and there’s still an optional Blu-ray drive to replace the standard DVD burner.  Buyers will also be able to specify a dual-TV tuner and pick between standard Vista Home Premium or optional Vista Ultimate.

Connectivity includes gigabit ethernet, WiFi a/b/g, eSATA, HDMI, six USB 2.0 ports and S/PDIF.  There’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam and stereo speakers (8W + 8W).  Prices start from 114,800 yen ($1,162) with the E8400 CPU, 4GB RAM and 1TB storage each roughly $100 add-ons.  The Blu-ray drive costs around $405 extra.

[via Akihabara]

The three models are defined as Standard, Deluxe and Media Center.  All have what’s believed to be an Intel Atom N230 processor, which the Standard pairs with 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard-drive (possibly doubled by launch) and Vista Home Basic.  The Deluxe and Media Center models have 2GB of RAM, 160GB hard-drives and Vista Home Premium, as well as a quick-loading “Boxshell” Linux OS.

The price range is expected to span $149 to $299 when the Acer Hornet nettop arrives in Q2 2009.  Still no official word from Acer on the device, but we’re crossing our fingers.

The range starts at $699.99 for an A600-30112AU with Intel’s T4200 2GHz processor (800MHz 1MB), 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB 7,200rpm hard-drive.  Next up is the A600-30112BU, with the same CPU but 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 500GB 7,200rpm hard-drive, priced at $799.99.  Finally, the A600-30113AU is priced at $999.99, and has the T6400 2GHz processor (800MHz 2MB), 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 640GB 7,200rpm hard-drive.

Each come with a wireless keyboard, mouse and remote control, WiFi, six USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire port.  There’s also a 6-in-1 memory card reader, 2.1-speaker system with subwoofer, and an optional integrated hybrid TV tuner; right now there doesn’t appear to be a way to specify the Blu-Ray drive.  According to Lenovo the ThinkCentre A600 will begin shipping within two business days.

[via Engadget]

Video hands-on after the cut

The concept of the ASUS Eee Keyboard is straightforward: a nettop packed inside a keyboard shell, complete with a 5-inch LCD touchscreen replacing a numeric keypad.  The integrated screen is merely for remote control, however, and the primary point of the Eee Keyboard is to be hooked up to your big-screen TV; wired HDMI and Wireless HDMI versions are planned.

ASUS expect the Eee Keyboard range to start from around $400, jumping to around $600 for the Wireless HDMI version.  That gets you an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of memory and either 16GB or 32GB SSD storage.  Connectivity also includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0, three USB 2.0 ports and VGA output.

Full specifications for either system are still unknown.  What will be interesting to see is whether Dell continue their “luxury” path with the Adamo range and give the Dell Adamo 9 “mainstream” components in the vein of the Sony VAIO TT, or opt for a netbook-style specification using Atom processors.

Meanwhile, what we do know is that the Adamo 9 should have optional wireless broadband and GPS, going by the compatibility list for Dell’s wireless 5530 card.  The ultra-ultraportable is listed there, which suggests it will have integrated HSPA and GPS.

[via Engadget]

According to DesktopReview, the Studio One 19 will actually hit the US by the end of April, and the multitouch version will be priced at “under $900″.  They spent some hands-on time with Dell’s new multitouch interface back at CES, which consists of a new quicklaunch menu that can be called up in an arc on the display.  Other apps include a multitouch-capable finger-painting program, a webcam app called “Touchcam” which shoots video that can be “flicked” to upload it to YouTube or Facebook, and a drum machine the individual components of which can be played simultaneously.

Most of the Dell Studio One 19 specs can be tweaked to keep the price down.  RAM ranges from 1GB to 4GB, and storage starts at just 160GB and rises to 750GB 7,200rpm.  Graphics are via either NVIDIA GeForce 9200 or 9400 chipsets, and there’s either a DVD burner or a Blu-ray (read-only)/DVD burner combo.  Even the 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone are optional.

Connectivity includes six USB 2.0 (two of which are on the side), 2.1 audio output plus headphone and microphone ports, and a 7-in-1 memory card reader.  There’s also 10/100 ethernet and optional WiFi b/g/n.  The whole thing measures 22 x 15.5 x 3.2 inches and weighs 22.7lbs.

Press Release:

Dell’s Studio One 19 All-in-One System Fits Anywhere in the Home

ROUND ROCK, Texas –(Business Wire)– Mar 12, 2009 Dell today announced the Studio One 19, a beautiful all-in-one computer that looks just as good in the living room as it does the kitchen. The optional touch capability provides the optimal experience for moms and their kids as they peruse photos from Spring Break and other family events. The Studio One 19 is ideal for the shared computing experience, especially in family areas where people can effortlessly view and move photos, manage music and review home work.

“The new Studio One 19 is as nice to look at as it is functional,” said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell’s Consumer products. “More and more people are making the kitchen the center of their entertainment and computing experience and the Studio One 19 is the ideal system for that need. The Studio One 19 is about lifestyle and design and is very affordable for the family.”

The Studio One 19 is made with beautiful aluminum, glass and fabric that make a style statement that people will want on display in their home rather than hidden. A single power cord means a much neater computing environment and experience. The Studio One 19 comes in several colors, including Solid Pure White, Tuscan Red, Navy Blue, Powder Pink and Charcoal.

The Studio One 19 will be available on March 19 in select Japan retail outlets including Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera and on dell.com in Japan on March 23. The system will launch in many other countries later this spring. Starting price for the Studio One 19 is $699.

Innovative Software from Dell

Easy multi-touch photo editing, slideshow creation, playlist compilation, notes, and even web browsing.
Unleash creativity with You Paint finger painting software.
Record videos and upload directly to YouTube with the touch of a finger.
Flick to Flickr – Upload photos to Flickr to share with family and friends.
Create a musical masterpiece with the multi-touch percussion center.
†Software is optional and works with multi-touch configurations only.

Power & performance:

Intel® Celeron, Dual Core Celeron, Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Quad Core Processor options
Choice of nVidia GeForce 9200 or GeForce 9400 integrated graphics[i]
Up to 4GB[ii] dual channel memory
Up to 750GB[iii] HDD
Slot load Optical drive
7-in-1 media card reader, six USB ports
Optional integrated wireless, web camera, Blu-ray Disc™
Optional multi-touch capability
Optional facial recognition security (with webcam)
Additional Information:

http://www.dell.com

www.dell.com/yourblog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dell_consumer/

About Dell

People worldwide can buy Dell online, by phone and through 24,000 stores.

Offers subject to change, not combinable with all other offers. Taxes, shipping, handling and other fees apply. U.S. Dell Home and Home Office new purchases only. Dell reserves the right to cancel orders arising from pricing or other errors.

[i] System Memory & Graphics: Significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors.

[ii] System with 4GB Memory or Greater: Up to 1GB may not be available with 32-bit operating systems due to system resource requirements. Graphics and System Memory: Significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors.

[iii] Hard Drives: GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and operating environment and will be less.

As for graphics, there’s either the standard NVIDIA GeForce 9200, or the optional GeForce 9400; the optical drive is normally a DVD burner but a Blu-ray drive can be specified.  Dell provide wireless peripherals to go with it.

The Dell Studio One 19 will go on sale in Japan later on this month, priced from 149,800 yen ($1,538).  No word of how long it will take to cross over to foreign shores.

[via Engadget Japanese]

Unlike most nettops, the B208 picks Windows Vista over XP, in this case either the Home Basic or Business editions, finishing them off with its own Eee Cinema media center front-end.  Other specs include four USB 2.0 ports, WiFi b/g/n, ethernet and a multiformat memory card reader, together with an infra-red remote (and receiver dongle).

Onboard storage choices range from 160GB through 250GB and top out at 320GB; there’s also an internal battery that functions as a UPS, allowing you to safely shut down the Eee Box B208 in a power-cut.  No word on price or availability as yet.

[via Liliputing]

After the cut, 22-inch model specs and pricing

As for the 22-inch Averatec All-In-One, that has a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 processor, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GPU, up to 4GB maximum supported RAM and up to 500GB storage courtesy of a 7,200rpm hard-drive.  There’s also a built-in DVD burner, three USB 2.0 ports, two PCIe-mini slots, audio in/out, ethernet, a VGA output, DVI output, and a 4-in-1 memory card reader.  A 1.3-megapixel webcam sits above the display, and there’s standard WiFi b/g and an optional ATSC TV tuner.

The 18.3-inch Averatec All-In-One is priced at $549.99.  As for the 22-inch Averatec All-In-One, that’ll set you back $849.99 for the 2GB/320GB model with TV tuner, or the same price for the model with 3GB of RAM and no TV tuner.  Alternatively there’s an $899.99 22-inch Averatec All-In-One with 3GB of RAM, 500GB hard-drive and the ATSC TV tuner.  The PCs are available from Walmart, NewEgg and Best Buy, among other places.

Video demo after the cut

A converter box was required to hook up the two Playstation dance mats to a PC; they get mapped as HIDs/joysticks.  Some custom C# code acts as the interface between them and the Media Center, with buttons mapped to different keystrokes.

The last step is redecorating the two dance mats with some suitably large icons.  Who knows, perhaps this is the best way to get fit while watching TV.  If you’re interested, the source code is free to download and tweak for your own projects.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

That opens up the possibility of watching HD content on the AE2010′s widescreen 16:9 aspect display.  Behind the scenes there’s an AMD single-core processor paired with the silicon company’s 780G chipset. 

Other specs include an integrated webcam and stereo speakers, multifunction card reader, optical drive and a choice of wireless peripherals.  No word from MSI right now about release dates or pricing.

Press Release:

MSI Shows Off Touch Control Tech with Wind Top at CeBIT

Announces Launch of the “Wind Top” and “Wind Box” Series

To welcome the CeBIT computer fair in Germany, MSI is now rolling out new high-performance multimedia entertainment products targeted at the All-in-one market! In the lead, the Wind Top AE2010 with a 20″ display in the E (Entertainment) sub-series that will be making its first appearance at CeBIT. It will be accompanied by the new touch screen models in the form of the Wind Top AE2200 and Wind Top AE1900!

A housewife is in the kitchen preparing to cook the “New Year Feast”. She opens the extra-large family-sized refrigerator and feels a little overwhelmed by all the ingredients. While she wondered where to start, inspiration strikes and she quickly fires up the nearby All-in-one computer to look for New Year’s dinner menus on the Internet. Soon, she not only has a collection of great recipes but also how-to videos. It didn’t take long then for her to create a feast for the whole family. The above is not a vision of a distant future. It’s the scenario zone from the MSI display at CeBIT. Simply use the touch controls on the All-in-one computer and have all kinds of recipes and multimedia cooking guides at your fingertips.

Lifestyles have become increasingly high-tech and home lives more style conscious as well. To meet the needs of today’s families, MSI worked to develop new All-in-one computers that will now be shown together for the first time at CeBIT. To bring this futuristic high-tech lifestyle to life, MSI designed the scenario zone as a contemporary kitchen. It is fitted with the new Wind Top AE2200 and Wind Top AE1900 touch control computers to show how high technology can create a more stylish life.

As for Small Form-Factor (SFF) products, MSI has added an even more compact Wind Box DC100 model to its Wind Box range. At CeBIT, MSI also announced that its All-in-one computer product range will now be officially known as the “Wind Top” series while the SFF range is now named the “Wind Box” series.

Wind Top AE2010 – The First New 20″ All-in-one Model

The first 20″ All-in-one computer from MSI will be making its first official experience at CeBIT in Germany. The new 20″ model joins the existing 19″ and 22″ models in the Wind Top series, and not only offers the new option of a 16:9 aspect ratio 20″ computer display but also upgraded the multimedia performance.

The E (Entertainment) series in the Wind Top range is designed to provide high-quality visual and audio effects for the discerning user. The new Wind Top AE2010 now offers even more advanced graphics. Apart from the 1600×900 high resolution display, it also comes with built-in UVD (Universal Video Decoder) to support High Definition video decoding and greatly reduce the process workload.

The Wind Top AE2010 also offers more complete multimedia functionality compared to its predecessors by using an AMD single-core CPU with the AMD 780G chipset. The outstanding performance and reasonable pricing makes the Wind Top AE2010 the most cost-effective option for an HD machine!

The casing was vacuum-formed and then select parts sent away to be professionally chromed.  Meanwhile, a laser-cutter was used to make the port holes at the back and the text along the side. 

The project was actually completed all the way back in 2006, when Thomas demonstrated the Mini Media Centre at a show in London.  It’d be interesting to see what he could come up with now, given the proliferation of small-form-factor ‘boards capable of high-definition video decoding and media sharing.

[via Red Ferret Journal]

Check out the video demo of the Fuzebox after the cut 

The Fuzebox uses a custom home theater GUI on top of a Windows Vista box.  Minimize the GUI, however, and unlike Windows Media Center there’s nothing but a blank display.  There’s no way to install extra software, meaning minimal opportunities for clashes or crashes.  As standard, the Fuzebox we saw demonstrated had no Cablecard tuner installed, being a low-profile box, but plug in an external USB tuner and it will automatically be recognized and new Live TV/Record TV options displayed.

What you do get is the ability to stream audio to up to nine different zones – with Velocity Micro suggesting a wireless audio adapter on their site – with a very straightforward way to organize each stream.  DVDs – whether ripped or physical media – or Blu-ray discs  have their full menus, and there’s also a streamlined, large-font web browser, internet radio system and Netflix movie streaming with the ability to add titles to the queue direct from the Fuzebox GUI.

Bundled with the Fuzebox is a standalone app for a networked PC, which can be used to rip DVDs, automatically download cover-art and disc details, then automatically transfer them to the HTPC’s onboard storage.  Alternatively the Fuzebox can access content on other PCs or NAS drives, listing it among local content.  It’s available now, with the Fuzebox range beginning from around $1,599.

The Endeavor ST120 as standard gets 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard-drive, though these can be upgraded to up to 4GB and 320GB 7,200rpm respectively.  If the standard processor isn’t good enough for you, Intel’s P8600 (2.4GHz), T9400 (2.53GHz) and T9600 (2.8GHz) are all options. There’s also gigabit ethernet and an HDMI output.

Pricing for the basic ST120 – which still includes Blu-ray, remember – starts at 137,500 Japanese yen ($1,527).  Other models are available with DVD burners or dual hard-drives, which are obviously cheaper.

[via Akihabara]

The specs set the LV off to a good start, with up to a 3.16GHz Intel Core Duo E8500 processor, 4GB of RAM and 1TB of 7,200rpm SATA storage available.  Graphics are courtesy of up to an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS video card with 256MB of memory, and all but the base model has a Blu-ray drive, with the top-end LV supporting both Blu-ray playback and burning.  Crowing glory, however, is the 24-inch widescreen XBRITE-HiColor display, running at 1920 x 1200 full 1080p High-Definition.

Connectivity includes gigabit Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth with A2DP, five USB 2.0 ports, S-Video, iLink Firewire, HMDI input, S/PDIF and headphone outputs, A/V and line/microphone

inputs.  There are also dual NTSC/ATSC TV tuners, with two RF aerial inputs.  Sony includes not only a low-profile wireless keyboard and mouse, but also a remote control.  On the LV itself there are a small number of controls: separate PC and Display on/off buttons, HDMI source selection, volume, wireless on/off, keyboard/mouse connect and webcam angle adjust control.  The webcam is mounted above the display and 1.3-megapixel resolution; it supports software face tracking and has an integrated microphone.

OS is one flavor or another of Windows Vista – Home Premium on the lower-end models, Ultimate on the higher-end – all with Media Center support.  That means pausing and recording live TV, including over-the-air HD channels, and scheduled recordings, all through a lounge-friendly GUI that also gives access to music and online content.  As well as that, Sony add their usual array of VAIO apps – here including the “Click to Disc Editor”, “Movie Story”, “MusicBox”, “Media plus streaming” and more – together with trials of Microsoft Office 2007 and OneCare.  Happily the bloatware for which the company had become known for has been dramatically reduced.

While the LV would make a perfectly pleasing desktop PC – with 24-inches of high-resolution screen ample for just about any application you could think of – it’s true home is in front of your sofa.  The integrated dual 5.5W stereo speakers do a passable job, but for best results we’d recommend hooking up a full surround system.  Do that, and the LV comes into its own: the XBRITE display is a typical Sony triumph, with deep blacks, minimal motion smear and crisp, bright colors.  Vista comes in for plenty of (often justified) criticism, but its Media Center functionality is straightforward and intuitive to use.  The Sony remote manages to be both comprehensive but not overwhelming, and the keyboard (which feels a little plasticy) has an integrated trackpad for surfing the web from your lap.

Plug another video source, such as a PS3; into the LV’s HDMI input and instead of a Vista PC you’re now looking at a high-definition display.  Copyright reasons mean Sony won’t allow you to use both the PC and the HDMI input at the same time, so you have to switch between them, but all the aspects that made the VAIO such a good PC monitor make it an equally good standalone screen.  We can’t help but be disappointed by the inability to have, say, a PS3 window onscreen at the same time as a Word document, though.

Sony has obviously used some of their HDTV knowledge with the LV’s physical design.  Unlike many all-in-one PCs, the power supply is integrated; go for wireless networking, stick with the integrated speakers and the cordless peripherals and you’ve got a one-cable system.  A standard VESA mounting plate means suspending the LV on the wall or, even, on a poseable arm is straightforward, and with the slot-load optical drive hidden on the right-hand side you could easily mistake it for a standard TV.  Overall, we’re fans both of the LV-series design and its  construction: plastics and other materials used in the main unit are of high quality.

So could you – should you – replace your HDTV with the VAIO LV?  A lot of it will come down to room size: 24-inches is big for a monitor, but small for an HDTV.  The same display that looks impressive on your desk or, even better, mounted on the wall in your study, looks overwhelmed on a TV stand in all but the smallest of rooms.  Yes, you can connect to a bigger screen, but that then leaves you with two high-definition options in close proximity, which seems a bit like overkill.

On the other hand, keeping the LV-series PC as a bedroom set – where the size might be more typical – is a tremendous waste of a very capable computer.  No, the VAIO LV makes most sense in a den or games room, serving duty both as your everyday PC and, when the workday is done, the display for some impromptu gaming.

As for the price, there’s another argument.  While the range starts at $1,699.99, that gets you a mere 320GB of storage and a DVD burner; the former will quickly fill if you use the Media Center functionality, while the latter doesn’t do justice to the LV’s screen.  Instead, you’re looking at $1,899.99 for the 500GB model with Blu-ray player or, if you’re serious about high-def media editing, $2,799.99 for the 1TB version with Blu-ray burner.  That’s a whole lot of money, and it would buy you a decent standalone PC and an HDTV certainly larger than 24-inches.

That said, we’ve still a soft spot for the Sony VAIO LV-series.  It’s undoubtedly well designed, well constructed and well specified, and if space is an issue but 1080p a must then it’s well worth considering.  Mainstream users will likely find they get more for their money – including more interconnecting cables – if they spread it out to separate components, but those who pick the LV are unlikely to be disappointed.

Related: Sony Vaio RT Review – Top Tier All-in-One Multimedia PC

Unboxing Sony VAIO LV

Compared to my NEC MultiSync 2690 LCD, the Sony VGC-RT150Y with a similar screen size has a much larger shipping package and it weighs a ton! That is to be expected for an all-in-one oversized PC. My first impressions after removing it from its packaging and setting it up on my test bench were pure amazement. I know it’s huge but looks bigger in person, heavy and not easy to move around for display that’s weighs about 41lb. Despite its massive footprint and chunky dimension, it sits sturdy and solid on a small footprint base. Like most big displays, this one ships with the base attached.

The gun-metal finish VAIO offers an ergonomic stand that can be swiveled about 80 degrees, 40 to each side. Tilting is only allowed at small degrees (we’d estimate no more than 5 degrees) in either backward or forward directions, and the monitor can be raised by up to 2.36-inches. Adjustment and panning of the screen are very smooth and the movements are frictionless. The VAIO RT is easily one of the best big displays when it comes to ergonomics and appearance.

If desired, the unit can be wall mounted with the base removed. I should point out the awkward location of the TV tuners, directly behind the stand. One would need to use an angled RG6 coaxial cable, otherwise the presence of coaxial connection would prevent the monitor from tilting downward. Also, it’s fairly frustrating to hook up a stiff, screw-type RG6 coaxial cable in such a tight space.

Boiled down, the RT is like a supersized laptop with depth twice that of a regular LCD monitor. Ventilation slots are located on bottom but concentrated mainly on top where the video card breathes.

The rear panel supplies the TV tuner connections for analog and digital ATSC signals and has number of cable holders designed to tie and route the power cable on the back of the unit. User-accessible replacement parts are limited to the hard drive and memory from the back panel. Removing the back panel revealed a ported-design subwoofer sitting above the tuners.

The extra-thick side panels do not go unused; a green light built into the power button rests on side of the panel, followed by a display off/on switch and HDD activity light. On top of a Blu-ray/CD/DVD burner there’s abundant multimedia connectivity arranged conveniently on the sides: five USB ports, an ExpressCard/34 slot, network port, mini Firewire jack, eSATA port, WiFi on/off switch, auxiliary audio, headphone and mic inputs and last but not least, a multimedia card reader compatible with CF, SD and Sony’s own Memory Stick format.

VGC-RT150Y as PC

Beneath the cover there’s an Intel P43 Express chipset, 2.66-GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 processor, a pair of half-terrabyte hard-drives in a RAID 0 configured array, 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics card and 8GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; OS is the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate. The 25.5-inch WUXGA screen is matte finished, great for combating glares, reflections and fingerprints, but lacks depth and paunchiness for viewing images or movies.

Like most VAIOs, the RT is Bluetooth enabled with A2DP technology protocol to enable stereo music playback wirelessly via a compatible headset or speakers. The WiFi on/off switch on the side panel triggers an integrated Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n networks.

With a flip of the switch, WiFi setup worked right out the box for the set of wireless keyboard and mouse. The low profile keyboard offers a full-size standard key layout and touchpad along with media controls and battery indicator in a sleek, low-profile design. The key movement has good feel, thus typing is smooth and pleasing. The included mouse is ergonomic and elegantly designed to be comfortable and productive. Despite its relatively diminutive size, it is a full-fledged five-button wheel mouse.

Fired up, the VAIO from a cold boot sounds like a jet engine just spooled up. The initial boot was loud but slowly calmed down after start-up, the whole process took about 2 minutes and 40 seconds before a complete boot to “my desktop”. Fear not, the VAIO allows a very robust sleep mode with a single click on the power button. The resume and temporary shut off are one of the most responsive in any system I’ve ever tested. You’ll quickly learn to love it; it’s like the RT is an HDTV, not a PC. There is also a display on/off button beneath the power button; as the name suggests it toggles the display on and off for both the PC and video sources from HDMI or S-Video.

Like most built-to-order systems, the VAIO comes preinstalled with a few usual suspects. Thankfully, though, Sony kept the bloatware at a minimum. There are more useful apps such as Sony’s In-house multimedia burner and player, together with full versions of entry level video and image editors like Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Premiere Elements 4.0. These two should let you take advantage of the RT150Y’s quad-core processing power and huge chunk of 8GB memory. We kept those untouched but proceed to remove the AOL junk and Windows Live Onecare before getting on with the multimedia and benchmarking.

Last, but not least, a Matshita (Panasonic) UJ230AS Multi-burner takes care of reading and writing CD, DVD and Blu-Ray content. The Bundled Blu-ray software player, InterVideo WinDVD leverages the power of NVIDIA PureVideo HD hardware acceleration capabilities to deliver highly efficient hardware decoding for playback of HD content, thus freeing up the CPU to perform other tasks.

The Sony XBRITE’s full-HD and Blu-ray version of the John Woo masterpiece The Battle of Red Cliff is a deadly combination, with jaw-dropping image presentation. To throw in some irony, my obsolete HD-DVD – although covered in dust – looked just as good on the Sony XBRITE; seriously, though, Ann is irresistible in any format. Sadly there’s no glass or gloss front panel, as that would put it over the top for HD image viewing.

Moving on to the TV recording functionality, as mentioned the RT comes equipped with two tuners, one for analog and the other for digital ATSC (HDTV)/NTSC TV. Setting up live and recording TV shows requires Windows Media Center to stream and store captured media file directly onto the VAIO, but you’ll need a ATSC antenna to get the party started. After setting up a RadioShack amplified antenna and allowing Vista MCE to scan though available QAM channels, we were able to pickup local OTA as well as unencrypted cable channels in HD. Recording and live TV works as advertised though the included MCE remote could be a little more responsive.

Benchmarking

As expected, the laptop-grade GPU doesn’t exactly excel in the OpenGL subsystem 3D and graphic intensive SPECViewPerf benchmarks, despite having 512MB of memory, but it still scores a healthy 21.25 FPS on PCmark Gaming 1-GPU Gaming with Overall Gaming accumulated to 4587.

The RT150Y also makes a good run on video transcoding and playback, with the PCmark Vantage score from TV and Movies Suite at 3057 nearly twice as much compared to a quad core Q9650 system we reviewed last week. MPEG-2 Blu-Ray playback also achieves 23.48 FPS. The system, however, botched on HDD suite, posting a rather disappointing score for a RAID-0 array. Two questionable tests were HDD5 at 8.44 MB/s (video editing using Windows Movie) and HDD6 at 16.59mb/s (Windows Media Center ). Those two were the responsible parties for the low overall number. We also ran HD tune to ensure the 7200.11 series Seagate (ST3500320AS) hard drive array worked as advertised. Same result, the burst rate of 77.8 MB/s is clearly not up of the speed for a stripped array, high density dual-platter drives with 32MB of cache.

All the PC guts do not make up for a $4,000 price tag, is the RT a serious contender as a standalone HDTV display? To find out the answer, we put the Sony’s XBRITE fullHD screen on workbench for more in depth calibrations.

Of course, there’s the serious question of whether touch-control on your HDTV is a desired or even likely possibility.  Those who have an HTPC sat under their plasma TV will be better served with the same old remote control and keyboard combo they have now.  However those who use Media Center on a touchscreen PC such as the HP TouchSmart in the video, or who use a touch-based remote, will probably be gleeful with excitement.

There are certainly still a few areas that look to need tweaking.  The controls long the bottom of the display could do with being larger if they’re going to play nicely with finger-stabs.  But it’s great to see one of Microsoft’s more successful interfaces getting brought up to date.

[via Gizmodo]

Connectivity includes two HDMI inputs, two component inputs, one S-Video, one composite, one eSATA, six USB 2.0, one DVI-I, one HDMI output and one S/PDIF. There’s also WiFi b/g and gigabit ethernet, together with Logitech wireless peripherals. Sound is either from the integrated 12W stereo speakers or 7.1 Dolby Home Theater surround sound. In fact the limiting factor might be the LCD panel itself, which has a relatively meager 2,000:1 contrast ratio and 400 cd/m2 brightness.

The top-spec Allio will set you back $2,799.99, but the range starts at $1,599.99 for a 32-inch version without Blu-ray. Silicon Mountain are also planning Ubuntu Linux models at lower prices. 

Press Release:

Silicon Mountain Unveils Allio™ 42-inch HDTV with Integrated PC and Blu-Ray Player

Product, First of Its Kind in North America, Now Available

Boulder, Colo. & Menlo Park, Calif. — November 10, 2008 – Silicon Mountain Holdings, Inc., (OTCBB: SLCM), a technology company specializing in high-performance interactive computing solutions, today announced its design for a 32 and 42-inch High Definition LCD-TV with an integrated, full-function PC and Blu-Ray/DVD player. Named Allio, this system will define an entirely new category of converged products, where entertainment and instant, on-demand information and productivity blend together seamlessly, in stunning high-definition.

The Allio HD TV / PC is the first product of its kind in North America, and Silicon Mountain is the first company worldwide to develop a converged HDTV / PC solution that includes Blu-Ray. It is available now, in time for U.S. holiday purchases. Orders are being taken now at the Visionman website at http://www.visionman.com/.

Additional information on where to buy Allio will be announced soon.

The flagship Allio model marries a Full-HD 42″ LCD display with a combo Blu-Ray/DVD player, integrated digital recorder for PVR and a powerful PC, based on the Intel Core2Duo E8400 processor, 4GB of RAM from Silicon Mountain, a 1TB hard drive and the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium. In addition to the analog and digital audio-video inputs common to high-def televisions, Allio includes wireless and wired networking capabilities and several USB ports to extend the experience to other computers and peripherals in the home.

Internet Video Comes to the Big Screen

Integrating the television with the Internet brings a new source of content to the digital lifestyle – Internet video. Normally confined to smaller computer monitors, streaming high definition content from providers like Joost, Hulu and TidalTV now can be accessed on the TV, in addition to popular clip sites such as YouTube. Allio’s channel choices span cable, satellite and Internet for a truly converged, hybrid entertainment experience. Media libraries can be combined, shared and played from a single device. The Allio HD TV / PC enables users to store their iTunes and DVD collections on a single system.

“The Allio HD TV / PC takes the digital experience into another dimension,” said Tré Cates, Silicon Mountain President and CEO. “During product development, we discovered that our testers regularly expressed disappointment in their own large screen television and home theatre configurations after using Allio for just a few hours. The results are clear. The Allio HD TV / PC experience simply suits our modern digital lifestyle better. The converged experience will boost productivity and interactive behaviors, and bring families together around the next generation of appliance, just as the early television and radio did for generations past.”

Picture-in-picture and split-screen capabilities allow multiple sources of content to operate together on a single large screen. A Blu-Ray or DVD can be watched in one window, while television is viewed in another pane, with computing tasks occurring simultaneously. The uses of this split-screen capability are seemingly endless. On Sunday, a fantasy football player can watch multiple games simultaneously, while browsing NFL.com for real-time player stats and scores, while chatting on AOL Instant Messenger or Skype with other league owners. A student can watch educational programming from a satellite or cable provider while writing a paper and looking up unfamiliar terms and concepts on Wikipedia, then taking a quick break to update his or her MySpace page. A business executive can view streaming stock quotes while composing email and watching financial news.

Systems start at $1,599.99

Six configurations of The Allio HD TV / PC are available, with features and pricing to fit any budget. The entry-level 32″ and 42″ Allio with an Intel 2.5 GHz PDC E5200, 250GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, DVD/CD support and Vista Home Premium retails for $1,599 and $1,999. The middle system in the series adds PVR and Blu-Ray support and an upgraded 2.54 GHz Core2Duo E7200 processor for $2,199 and $2,399. The flagship Allio system ups the ante on the intermediate option, upgrading the RAM and storage to 4GB and 1TB, respectively, for $2,399 and $2,799.

For the budget-minded, Silicon Mountain plans to launch configurations based on the popular Ubuntu Linux operating system for an even lower-cost solution. Every Allio HD TV / PC model will be assembled in Northern California.

Two basic versions of the new XPS One 24 are available, the first with a 320GB 7,200rpm hard-drive and integrated Intel GMA 4500HD graphics and the other with a 750GB drive and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video card. Both have 4GB of DDR2 RAM and an integrated HD TV tuner, but keep the single-cord design of the existing, 20-inch XPS One.

The Dell XPS One 24 is available now, priced from $1,699. It’s available in white, grey or (PRODUCT) RED charity livery.  

[via Electronista]

The F8Va-C2WM will have Intel’s Core 2 Duo T9400 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive.  It will also include ASUS’ Infusion technology, which protects the notebook from scratches and bumps in normal, day-to-day use.  As for the N50Vn and M50Vm, they will both use Intel’s Centrino 2 P8400 processor with 4GB of RAM, a 250GB hard-drive and discrete NVIDIA 9600M video card.

Pricing for the F8Va-C2WM starts at $1,599, while the N50Vn and M50Vm will be priced from $1,399.  The notebooks are believed to be available today.

There’s also some serious audio capabilities on offer, with Dolby virtual surround sound and Sony’s own Sound Reality chip that can play, record and edit SACD audio.  SonicStage Mastering Studio software, preinstalled on the JS1, can upconvert standard CD audio to uncompressed Direct Stream Digital (DSD) format, and then remaster it into 5.1 surround sound.

Blu-ray is an option (although one not mentioned on the European release) and there’s an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam.  Price in Europe is as-yet unknown, but in the US the VAIO JS range will be priced from $999 (with a DVD-RW drive) to $1,449 (with a read-only Blu-ray drive) with availability this Fall.

Press Release:

VAIO JS1-Series

The VAIO JS1-Series all-in-one PC seems to offer buyers the impossible: it has a large, high-resolution screen, yet it takes up less desk space than most notebooks. It achieves this apparent contradiction by virtue of its sleek and stylish design. The compact keyboard can be slotted underneath the main unit when not in use, leaving only a modest footprint on the desk. Even when the keyboard is out, the JS1-Series takes up remarkably little room.

Despite its modest space requirements, the JS1’s main unit incorporates a generously sized 20.1-inch screen complete with multiple lamp technology for exceptional brightness. The display runs at 1680 x 1050 resolution, delivering a huge Windows workspace as well as an imposing widescreen presence when a movie is playing.

All this makes the VAIO JS1 an excellent choice for anyone wanting a rather special home PC. It looks good in almost any room, takes up surprisingly little space and offers an adventurous design a long way away from the standard desktop box. Internally there’s raw power for audio-visual applications thanks to the Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor, plus a performance-enhancing 3GB of memory and a roomy 500GB hard disk providing plenty of space for music, pictures and video.

While the large screen is ideal for photo editing, the JS1 also scores well when it comes to the audio side of things. Movie soundtracks are enhanced by Dolby Home Theatre® technology which creates an impressive virtual surround sound effect, and audiophiles can take advantage of the special features offered by Sony’s Sound Reality signal processor chip built into the system.
This can handle Super Audio CD (SA-CD), allowing the JS1 to record, edit and play music at SA-CD quality, and even upgrade older recordings to the new standard.

Sound Reality can up-convert conventional CD-quality music into uncompressed Direct Stream Digital (DSD) format. Using the pre-installed SonicStage Mastering Studio software, the DSD signal can be re-mastered into 5.1 Super Audio CD, revitalising the original.
As with the VAIO NS1-Series, JS1 comes with VAIO Movie Story and VAIO Music box for easy, largely automated slideshow and playlist creation. The software package also includes the popular and highly regarded Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 6 for powerful but easy to use photo editing tools plus Adobe Premiere® Elements 4 for video editing.
To round things off the VAIO JS1 has an integrated Motion Eye webcam, making it perfect for video chat or blogging. With its versatility, eye-catching design and big screen, the JS1-Series is the perfect blend of form and function.

VGN-JS1E/S
- Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E7200
- OS: Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
- Memory: 3072MB (2048MB+1024MB)
- HDD: 500GB
- Others: WLAN 802.11b/g/Draft n & Camera
- Screen: 20.1” X-black LCD with multiple lamp technology, WSXGA+ (1680×1050)
- Optical: DVD±RW/±R DL/RAM
- Graphics: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD

The whole idea behind this octagonal device is to act as the center for your family’s media. It is a media server that utilizes NFC signals to find media files in the air. So, anything that you enable to have access to the device will be picked up by it.

According to Gadget Lab, “The server automatically downloads media files from a cell phone as soon as the user drops it nearby and fires them up to the wireless HD 1080p TV on site, without touching anything or wasting time looking for a Bluetooth signal.” Now that is impressive! The whole idea here is to make transferring media files a snap and so fast you don’t even have to do anything about it. Unfortunately, this is just a concept for now, but Toshiba is probably really onto something here. The automatic nature of this one is something I would keep an eye on.

[via Gadget Lab at Wired]

Functionality includes PVR control, copying of Blu-ray or DVD discs to a remote server from the streamer itself, audio and photo slideshows, and Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-MA, and Dolby TrueHD audio.  It’s also a full Vista Home Premium PC.

Best of all, it’s plug’n'play so, assuming you’ve already got a VidaBox server, installation shouldn’t require too much head-scratching.  No word on pricing, but a full VidaBox system is unlikely to be too cheap.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

Both TouchSmart models include a TV tuner with remote, HP Pocket Media drive bay and WiFi.  There’s also Bluetooth and an integrated webcam, which can be used to leave video messages for family or uploading footage direct to YouTube.  An LED ambient light is built into the underside of the bezel, to illuminate your keyboard in a variety of user-selectable colors.

Touch-sensitive buttons along the edges control volume and jumping into the TouchSmart GUI, while there are also USB and Firewire ports together with a multicard reader.  The remaining ports are hidden underneath a cover on the rear of the PC.

The TouchSmart IQ804 will be available on September 21st, priced at $1,899; the IQ816, meanwhile, won’t drop until October 12th, priced at $2,099.

Both an HDMI input and output are included, meaning the RT can operate as a standalone HD display or, alternatively, be connected to another display for secondary output.  Sony suggested this could be used for color checking when doing graphic arts or animation.  A slot-loading Blu-ray drive is fitted, as is an NTSC/ATSC TV tuner.  Connectivity includes gigabit ethernet, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth with A2DP support.

Ports include audio and microphone inputs, five USB 2.0, two RF inputs, one S-Video input, iLINK, headphone and S/PDIF outputs, one e-SATA, HDMI in and HDMI out.  Twin 5W speakers and an 11W subwoofer are built in, but the RT can also decode Dolby Digital surround sound.

A wireless keyboard and mouse are supplied, as is a remote control.  Sony also supply an IR blaster for controlling a connected A/V source.  The power supply is built in, for ease of wall-mounting, and Sony even include the necessary hardware to do so.

The Sony VAIO RT-series will go on sale in the fall, priced between $3,300 and $4,000.