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There will be no deduction of geek cred points if you've never heard of Steiger Dynamics, a relative newcomer to the scene. However, from this point forward, you may want to make a mental note of the company, which is breathing some fresh air into the growing home theater PC (HTPC) market. Introduced at the Consumer...
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In the run up to the highly anticipated releases of Steam Machines in 2014, Valve announced a beta program called In-Home Streaming that will allow users to stream Steam games (say that five times fast) from one computer to another within the same house. Any system with Steam installed on it can run games from the cloud, but this in-home streaming...
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CyberPowerPC announced a new line of Zeus HTPCs that are designed to be stylish enough to be prominently displayed in your home theater configuration but are dead silent, never interrupting your movie-watching or game-playing. CyberPowerPC bills the Zeus HTPCs as “your DVR, enthusiast home theatre PC, gaming console and DVD/Blu-Ray Player”...
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Big, boxy, beige tower PCs aren't nearly as common as they once were, but oddly, neither are mini PCs. Instead, the notebook world has been eating into the desktop share, but that doesn't mean that there are no companies cranking out boxes for the niche. Gigabyte has just introduced the BRIX PC, a super small desktop with some pretty potent...
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Boutique builders like AVADirect, iBUYPOWER, and Maingear have introduced some killer Mini-ITX gaming systems this year, and Lian Li now has some sharp-looking new Mini-ITX cases for us DIYers. Starting in May, the popular PC chassis maker will be launching the fanless PC-Q27 and the fan-bearing PC-Q28, which has a...
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Most HTPCs have more modest components than your average gaming rig, and they’re typically designed to be quiet and to blend in with a home theater. Enthusiasts who go the HTPC route will often keep a dedicated PC in the media room and keep another set up for serious gaming. Velocity Micro is apparently not a...
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Those who like to tinker with and build computers have a new toy to play with in the cubieboard, a $49 self-described “open arm box” that offers intriguing possibilities as an HTPC build. The cubieboard supports Ubuntu (and other Linux distros), so it can operate as a regular desktop, but it can also run...
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As we flip past more channels blacked out by the DirecTV and Viacom dispute and the case for ditching satellite or cable pay TV builds, svelte little HTPCs like the Giada i53 Mini PC look even more compelling. China’s Giada (not her) has a spate of interesting mini computers, and the i53 is a well-appointed member of the family. The...
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There’s been quite a few smallish cases unveiled this week, and we’ll finish the list off with two more. Streacom announced full specifications on the FC9 and FC10 fanless HTPC chassis. The cases are awfully pretty, with a sandblasted aluminum finish in black or silver and understated profile to blend in with your home theater...
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Boxee has long since been a favorite amongst HTPC owners, and Spotify has been catching more buzz than a next-gen iPhone over the past few months. Put 'em together, and you're bound to get people talking. And turns out, that's exactly what Boxee and Spotify have accomplished. The two have teamed up "at least," with Boxee being the latest place...
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Years back, embedded systems weren't much good in the consumer realm. They were used for rather boring enterprise applications, and not much else. But with the power packed even into low-end CPUs and APUs these days, that's all changing. Habey USA is leading that charge in a way, with the introduction of quite a few...
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Comcast was always a major player in the cable / ISP space, but now it's almost unfair. These guys have managed to coerce even a monstrous company like Intel to team up with 'em, with their newest Xfinity TV set-top box being powered by none other than Chipzilla herself. Intel's CE media processor has been kicking...
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Zotac clearly has a thing going with their ZBOX series. The company has been cranking them out like nobody's business lately, and the ZBOX AD02 mini-PC is the latest. They've been doing great things with the SFF form factor, and particularly with the HTPC crowd, these space saving machines have really hit the spot. The newest series is powered...
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Apple's Mac Mini has been viewed as a legitimate HTPC contender ever since the original model was released years back. People immediately began hacking the mounting options to get them onto the backs of their televisions, and with the new model, it became an even nicer solution. With a more powerful CPU and GPU, more storage space and great...
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A keyboard is a keyboard, right? Not at all. We tend to favor mechanical keyboards for gaming, backlit keyboards on our notebooks, and keyboards with integrated trackpads for use with our HTPC setups. IOGEAR has a long history of providing keyboards for that last application, and they're keeping the trend alive in the new year. The company...
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We know it's hard to stay on the cutting edge of technology, particularly if you're trying not to go broke while doing it. But Zotac is definitely not waiting around for anyone with their latest release. It feels like just yesterday that we sat down and tested out a Blu-ray equipped HTPC from this very company, and now -- just months later...
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It's something that we take for granted, but without it, there's no computing to speak of. It's the grand ole keyboard, and if you need a new one, IOGEAR has two new ones to choose from. The company has introduced today two new 2.4GHz wireless keyboards, complete with an optical trackball, scroll wheel and convenient hotkeys. The first is...
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Here's something that you don't see every single day: a dedicated music server. Not an HTPC that also acts as a music server or jukebox, but a high-end, audiophile-quality music server. Olive Media is the company behind the box, and the new O3HD is designed to be their most affordable unit ever. But even affordable means lots of dough for...
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ZOTAC has made a living from producing graphics cards and PCs that are smaller than your average mid-tower, but their latest round of Mini PCs may be their nicest yet. For years, HTPC owners have wondered why so many HTPCs were shipping without Blu-ray support. Now, the times are finally catching up. ZOTAC has stepped...
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Okoro Media Systems has been producing pre-fabricated HTPCs for years now, and even as the niche narrows, they're continuing to be one of the go-to places for new living room computers. Now, the company is looking for ways to convince consumers to spring for an HTPC when they wouldn't otherwise, and the newly equipped SX100 is just the thing....
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Now here's an idea. In order to draw more attention to your gear, just bundle an iPad with it! In seriousness, this actually isn't a bad plan, particularly when the company in question is Okoro Media Systems and the product is an HTPC. HTPC control is a huge issue; do you use your keyboard and mouse from the couch? Do you attempt to program...
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iPads and other tablets may be hindering the growth of the netbook market, but the HTPC market may be hurting even more. Users have gravitated towards online TV or other movie set-top boxes from Roku and the like (not to mention the media capabilities of the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii), leaving only a few pre-fabricated HTPC builders on the market....
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