Smart Home Blog

Toshiba announced in Japan a new series of its LCD TVs - Z3500. The TVs of that series combine ordinary LCD TV and PC where Linux is used as operation system (no information about what Linux distribution is there). It includes three Ethernet port to get media content from any Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) devices or Toshiba’s in-house VARDIA recorders. Using two USB ports you can connect to the TV external HDDs for recording TV shows.

Regardless of size - 37, 42, 46, 52, and 57 inch, each set boasts native 1080p at 24 or 60 frames per second, a 120Hz LCD panel that eliminates motion artifacts, and three HDMI inputs with deep color support.

The new PC-TV from Toshiba will start to sell in late September with price started from $3153.00.

[via Electronista]

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Mirror Media Ltd offers a cool device which contains mirror, TV and PC in one - MirrorMedia. It’s available four models with different diagonal - 20′, 26′, 30′ and 32′ and different PC configuration. The 20′ model features Intel Pentium Mobile 500MHz,
256MB SDRAM, HDD 60GB 2.5” 4500rpm, AGP Video S3 Mobile Savage with 8MB SGRAM 2/3D accelerator, Yamaha YMF724F – Creative Labs SB 128 Compatible, Line out, Line in, MIC, SPDIF, LAN 10/100 on board, Wireless LAN option, USB 2 x USB 2.0. To communicate with TV-PC you can use wireless IR keyboard & mouse. The keyboard includes built in track ball. MirrorMedia TV-PC works under Microsoft Windows XP Pro. The bigger models have faster processor and HDD, more RAM and HDD capacity.

In my mind it’d be much useful to add touchscreen functionality. In that case that computerized TV mirror can be used as control panel for your home automation system. In current implementation is just an expensive (I suspect its price won’t be cheap) toy. Nothing more.

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If you know what is HDTV and want to watch it on your PC or HTPC this brief howto is excactly what do you need. There are just four simple steps to bring HDTV to the your PC: buy and install HDTV card in PC, install a new indoor antenna, plug antenna cable to the card input and run appropriate DTV software. That’s it.

You can get background information on how HDTV works here.

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Fridge on the kitchen now is more than just a fridge. It may include LCD TV as in LG TV fridge or Siemens CoolMedia Fridge. It permits to save a space and enjoy favourite TV show during the cooking or eating. The well-known Swedish company Electrolux decided to surprise its potencial customers and produced Cyber fridge. This is the second model of the Electrolux Screenfridge. It has built-in PC with LCD touch screen. So, the Cyber fridge allows you to surf Web, read or send emails, listen MP3 and watch TV.

The price is not specified but I suspect it’s high.

[via Ubergizmo and Home Appliancist Magazine]

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