Smart Home Blog

If you think that HTPC is too complicated and expensive the new product from Emtec might be interesting for you. Movie Cube -R actually an external storage (up to 500GB) but with amazing functionality. It allows to MPEG 4 playback and recording without PC! What you need to do is connect that media HDD to the TV using its video ouput and that’s it! You can record your favorite TV show or play video already stored on the Movie Cube -R. It has navigation buttons on the front panel and supports remote control.

The Movie Cube offers a simple way to connect your digital camera to download and store photos. It also can be connected to the PC via Ethernet or USB and used as ordinary external storage.

Emtec offers a several models of Movie Cube -R with different capacity: from 160GB to 500GB. The price is started from $300.00 which is quite reasonable for device with such features.

[via Engadget]

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As you may know the free service which offered electronic programming guides (EPG) for many of the popular freeware PVR applications like MythTV, was discontinued by Tribune Media. So, basically owners of PVRs have two possibility. One is pay for EPG to Schedules Direct or CT TV or wait when some big guys like Google or Yahoo! offer similar service for free. The reason why EPG is not free is the license of its data.

Schedules Direct offers 3 months for $15 and plans to give a $20-30 per year in the near future. CTpvr asks $3.50 per month or $30 flat for a year. So, actually it isn’t so expensive to have possibility schedule favorite TV shows.

[via TV Squad]

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Practical MythTV, written by Stewart Smith and Michael Still is the second book (the first one was MythTV Hacks) about MythTV - one of the best open source Linux-based software for HTPC. According to short review from MythPVR the new book will be useful for both new users of MythTV and its old funs.

Basically, the book can be split on three parts. The first one describes the installation procedure. However, the authors paid more attention on build MythTV from the sources and just mentioned about pre-built packages or a CD distributions like KnoppMyth or MythDora. But those way of installation will be more interesting for the ordinary users.

The second part of the book is dedicated a process of using MythTV. There are many screen shots, tips and hacks which may make your communication with your media center much easier and more productive.

And the final part is for advanced users. It gives an overview of some of the more advanced features and plugins of MythTV such MythWeb, DVD’s (watching and burning), MythPhone and network control.

So, if you’re just planning to use MythTV or already have HTPC with that software you may get more useful information just pay $20 :).

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Here is an example of silent MythTV Set-top Box. Actually, I said STB because it isn’t full-featured HTPC. It contains flash card instead of HDD to reduce noise and heat generation. So, I suspect it should use external storage to record TV show (MythTV records(?) every channel that you watch in real time). TV tuner is also for your choice. You may use HDHomeRun which is compatible with MythTV.

Hardware

1. Via ME6000 Motherboard/CPU
2. 256MB RAM (I’d go with 512MB next time)
3. Morex Cubid 2677 Mini-ITX Case
4. 1GB Compact Flash card (you could get by on a much smaller card knowing what I know now)
5. Compact Flash to IDE Adapter
6. StreamZap USB Remote Control
7. DVD-ROM, Laptop (thin) style (optional, as you’ll see later)

Software

1. MiniMyth on Compact Flash

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Here is an interesting A/V device - HDHomeRun Networked Digital TV Tuner. It allows to you watch over-the-air digital TV from all computers in your home. HDHomeRun has two tuners. So you’ll able to record/watch multiple channels at once.

HDHomeRun supports major DVR features:

• Pause, rewind, fast-forward live TV.
• Record all your favorite TV shows by name.
• Fully integrated 14-day TV guide.

Additionally, HDHomeRun can be integrated with Windows Media Center, MythTV - DVR for Linux, SnapStream BeyondTV - DVR for Windows, SageTV - DVR for Windows, MediaPortal - DVR for Windows, GB-PVR - DVR for Windows, Pluto - Home automation & media system, VLC - Multi-platform media viewer, TSReader - MPEG-2 transport stream analysis.

The HDHomeRun Networked Digital TV Tuner is tagged at $169.95 and available on DVRupgrade.

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