Alienware is innovating again, this time with an all-in-one, wall-mountable 30-inch TFT/LCD widescreen TV with an integrated Windows Media Center PC inside. Alienware DHD systems, which are based on Hy-Tek’s TekPanel 300 enclosure, will feature “Intel Pentium 4 processors up to 3.4 GHz and the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 operating system. ATI Radeon graphics, configurable up to X800 XT Platinum Edition with 256MB DDR3 video RAM, and optical drives up to 12x DVD±R/RW, provide an unparalleled cinematic experience. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound completes the package with superior audio quality.” MORE »

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Although the product page is in Japanese, DesignTechnica has a nice overview of the new Vertex Link MediaWiz HD. This product has some impressive specs, including 802.11g and support for Microsoft’s new high-definition (HD) Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9). The HD processing is performed by an Intel Pentium III chip, so you can stream video at up to 720p resolution. MORE »

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It seems that the big news on many of the gadget blogs today, was the introduction of a new portable media player (PMP) called the Honhai CT-PMP58A that can play VOB DVD files directly from its hard drive. But not so fast. True, VOB files make up DVD video files, but what people seem to miss (probably from lack of experience) is that when you decrypt and extract an exact DVD copy you’re left with VOB chapter files (among others). Meaning, after you select the first chapter the player can only play the duration of that file only, NOT a continuous DVD movie. Kind of lame in our opinion. The only solution that makes sense (in a half-ass sort of way) is that you can rip a DVD to a single VOB file, but then you still won’t be able to use the DVD’s menu features or view the extras on demand (that’s why you need a player that can read a DVD’s .IFO file). MORE »

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Road Runner, a Time Warner cable service company, not be out done by Comcast’s 4Mbps high-speed Internet service announcement will begin offering a Road Runner Premium 6Mbps (512kbps upstream) option as early as next month (Comcast’s 4Mbps service won’t be available until September). MORE »

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Microsoft in partnership with Thomson Electronics/RCA has announced the development of MSN TV 2. The new device, which should be available in October for $199, will feature a new, greatly improved version of its MSN TV dial-up service (we’re guessing a possible service discount if you already have broadband) and the ability to link to a home PC to stream digital music, video and digital image files from a remote PC’s hard drive to a home entertainment system. MORE »

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So the wait is over, this month digital cable-ready TVs hit the shelves. The new models will accept a credit card-sized circuit card that lets them receive digital television signals from a cable provider without the need for an expensive and bulky set-top box. All you will need to buy is the TV, then contact your cable service operator for the proprietary digital cable card. Installation is as simple as pushing the card into a slot in the television. This should mean lowered costs for cable companies, and ultimately for us, the consumer. MORE »

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Comcast is blowing away all serious competition by now adding second high-speed tier option at 4Mbps, which will come bundled with an enormous 1.7GB email storage distributed across seven user email accounts. The new tier will be priced at $52.95 per month for current cable television customers and will available this September. MORE »

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Designtechnica reviews the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 and gives it an amazing 9 out 10, along with an Editor’s Choice award. The favorable review was due to the WinTV-PVR-250’s powerful MPEG-2 encoder, which takes the stress off the CPU for video processing, and excellent image quality making it the product of choice for HTPC enthusiasts and Windows Media Center system builders. MORE »

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Real is about to win over some new converts with the announcement of their ingenious “Harmony” software plug-in that converts Rhapsody purchased music files into compatible DRM-protected FairPlay files for iPod playback. For those unfamilair, FairPlay is the digital rights management standard Apple uses to protect songs from unauthorized copying and playback. MORE »

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SkipJam has given their corporate site an extensive makeover. The site not only looks 100 times better than the original, uninformative site, but now features pictures of all SkipJam Home Solution product line, as well as, specifications for the devices and competitive overviews to similar technologies. MORE »

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