Sure the idea of ripping all your Blu-ray discs to your PC’s hard drive or networked home server sounds appealing, but the reality of going through the process isn’t quite as pleasant — especially when you consider how much storage space you’ll need (an uncompressed Blu-ray movie copy can be 25+ GB in size). Enter the S1Digital Blu-ray Disc Changer (MSRP $1,499). According to the company’s press release (attached below), the S1Digital Blu-ray Disc Changer can supply your Windows Vista / 7 Media Center PC or Windows Home Server an instant catalog of available movies to play or serve up. In addition, S1Digital is bundling in a free copy of the My Movies add-in to manage your collection and pull all the relevant metadata and cover art to keep your library of Blu-ray movies up to date. MORE »

It looks like HP thought it was time for a MediaSmart Server refresh. The company is introducing two new models that appear basically the same on the surface, but with some key differences. The $549 EX490 is a 1TB server powered by an Intel Celeron 450 2.2Ghz processor, while the $699 EX495 is 1.5TB server packing a speedy, multi-tasking Intel Dual Core E5200 2.5Ghz processor. Each has 2GB of RAM, eSATA, and includes a redesigned WHS home console and web UI. If you’re interested in seeing an in-depth review, MediaSmart Home has got you covered. We say: Spend the extra $150 on the EX495, if you plan on running multiple, processor intensive WHS add-ins at once on a regular basis. MORE »

Good news for DIY Windows Home Server builders and consumers who’ve purchased WHS systems. We Got Served is reporting that TwonkyMedia has finally released a WHS Add-In [v5.1] of their server product that anyone can purchase and install for $29.95. Note: If you own an HP MediaSmart or a Fujitsu-Siemens SCALEO, your system already has a version of TwonkyMedia Server installed. The main benefit of TwonkyMedia Server over the default WHS feature-set is its superior media streamer device support, transcoding, and media format compatibility.

We got an early glimpse of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 Home Theater PC ($499 – Intel 2.5Ghz dual-core processor / Intel X4500 graphics), now the company is officially announcing that product along side their new IdeaCentre Q100 Nettop ($299 – Intel Atom N230 / NVIDIA ION), and the IdeaCentre D400 Home Server ($499 – 4-bay Windows Home Server). Honestly, Lenovo’s new product suite is probably the most attractively designed and engineered offering currently available to Digital Home enthusiasts. Way to raise the bar, Lenovo. MORE »

It looks like HP’s MediaSmart Server line has got some competition to worry about. Acer today has unveiled its own Windows Home Server (WHS), called the Aspire easyStore, that places itself somewhere between the 640GB single drive HP LX ($399) and multi-drive, powerhouse EX series (starting $599). Personally, I think the 1TB Acer easyStore ($399) hits the sweet spot of what general consumers are looking for — offering power-efficiency, expandability, compactness, and a low price point. Product highlights: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom 230 processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 1TB of storage, 4 hot-swap bays (3 of them empty), DLNA / UPnP support, one-touch USB copy, 5 x USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and bunch of other goodies WHS natively offers. MORE »

One of the great features recently introduced to Windows Home Server (at least on HP’s EX485 / EX487 / LX195 MediaSmart Servers) is the ability to use it in conjunction with Time Machine on the Mac. While this feature has been very much welcomed, many Mac users are still hoping to one day get native Windows Home Server Console support. If that’s been your desire, the Windows Home Server Team is providing instructions (difficulty level: moderate) on how you can use Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac to quick launch Windows Home Server Console in Mac OS X.

It seems that RipNAS has been on a tear shipping a variety of CD ripping NAS servers to the market recently. Now the company behind RipNAS is unveiling its latest product called the RipNAS Statement, featuring a passively cooled, multi-drive enclosure that can be equipped with 500GB (2×250GB) of SSD or 3TB (2×1.5TB) of HDD based storage. MORE »

If the idea of having a rack mountable Media Center PC or Home Server functioning at the core of your Digital Home appeals to you, then you’ll be interested in learning more about Okoro’s 2009 RK Digital Entertainment Server offering, which can be configured to run Windows Vista Ultimate (32/64-bit) or Windows Home Server (32-bit). Okoro is also providing the option to install SageTV, if you prefer it over Windows Media Center. All 2009 servers come standard with Intel i7 processors, 6GB of RAM, 80GB SSD for the OS, Blu-ray, and RS232-support. Hardware options include: up to 32TB of RAID storage (2TB standard min.), Quad CableCARD tuners, Multi-zone Audio controlled via UMPC / MID or by Russound / Nuvo house audio systems. Starting price? If you need to ask, it’s probably not for you (kidding… it’s actually not listed yet). MORE »

From the folks who brought us the RipNAS, mCubed is taking the wraps off their latest offering called the hFX mini storage WHS. The new product comes packaged in a stealth-black fanless enclosure, is powered by a 1.6Ghz Intel Atom (dual core) processor, includes built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, and measures 16.9 x 2.4 x 15 inches. The hFX mini storage can be equipped with up to 3 hard drives providing 3-6TB of storage space. The company will also be selling an 8TB stackable storage box that you can piggyback to the device. Price and availability details should be out soon. [via]

One of the new features bundled into Power Pack 2 update for Windows Home Server is an add-in for Windows Media Center that will allow users to access WHS content seemlessly. Previously you would have had to jump through a variety of technical hoops in order to accomplish this. So now when a PC on your network backs up media files to WHS (like recorded TV, photos, videos, music), you can access them from any Windows Media Center PC on the network. In the attached video, Ian Dixon at The Digital Lifestyle walks viewers through the process of installing the add-in and provides a quick walkthrough of it in action.