REVIEW: Hauppauge HD PVR

The Hauppauge HD PVR is a USB capture card for you PC, available for just under $200. What sets it apart from the rest is that the HD PVR can record at HD resolutions from component sources (all the way up to 1080p!). This means you can hook your PS3 or XBOX 360 up to the HD PVR and record gameplay videos in HD. Cool right? What's even better is that you have the ability to record TV shows and movies off of your DirectTV or digital cable.

Some movies, such as the Lord of the Rings or Star Wars series, have never been released on Blu-ray or HD-DVD. However, they routinely run on HD channels such as HDNET (or similar). Someone with a HD PVR could make an HD recording of one of these films with no commercials and 5.1 channel ac3 sound. Of course in order to do that, you'd need premium HD movie channels, which I am not fortunate enough to have.

So far, I have been more than pleased with this unit. It records in .ts format, which I have learned is the native format of Blu-ray discs. Those of you lucky enough to have a Blu-ray burner can burn these recordings to Blu-ray very easily. The rest of us will probably want to convert these recordings to DVD (mpeg-2) Xvid (avi), or H.264 (mkv). For converting to DVD, I recommend Tmpgenc 4.0 Express. I'm a big supported of Xvid, which technically Tmpgenc supports, but I haven't fooled around with it yet.

What I haven't seen mentioned in any description of the HD PVR online is just how good the SD recording quality is. Everyone raves about the HD features, but for those of you who just want to record at 480i or 480p this unit is stellar. SD recordings look and sound great, way better than any other capture card I've owned in the past (ATI Wonder PCI, Pinnacle TV USB 2.o, ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0). I have burned a couple DVDs of recorded samples, after converting to mpeg-2.

Sample formats recorded:
-480p
- 720p
-1080i
-1080p

I haven't tried to play my HD recordings through my Dolby receiver yet, so I'm not sure if the 5.1 channel recording worked correctly. They sound fine on the stereo speakers I've sampled them on. I'll update this post when I get a chance, and I'll add some pictures.

In Short:
- It records in HD.
- SageTV and gbPVR both support it.
- Recording quality is excellent for all resolutions, 480i and 480p included.
- I wish it could record to different formats. The on board h.264 encoder is obviously the issue here, but still.

Update 1:
A great source of info and tools for HD PVR owners is ARogan's blog. The ArcSoft recording software that came with my HD PVR won't play nice with Vista Premium 64-bit, so I've used ARogan's rctvcap for all of my recordings.

Conficker Working Group Releases 'Conficker Eye Chart'

The official Conficker Working Group sponsered by Microsoft has released a 'Conficker Eye Chart' that lets you quickly and easily see if you have the Conficker worm, without installing any software!

Check it out today, they're saying that the worm is steadily becoming more powerful and invasive.

NEWS: Experts Say Small EMP Bombs Pose Threat To Planes

Terror experts have a new worry on their hands. EMP devices, which disable electronics within a small radius through the use of electromagnetism, have traditionally been large and unwieldy. New incarnations of the devices are now small enough that one person could carry it, possible avoiding detection. A device such as this could take down an entire airliner if activated while onboard. Hopefully this does not show up in the news anytime soon. Yikes.

8GB iPod Nano 4G For $99!!

Today, you can get a refurb 8gb iPod nano 4g for just $99 at Woot.com!

Click the image above to learn more at Gizmodo

Check out the deal before supplies run out. The nano is usually $149.99.

NEWS: Kyoto Box Cooks and Boils Water, Made From Cardboard

An inventor in Kenya has developed cheap contraption that can boil water and cook food, and it is made out of cardboard. The invention won a green ideas contest, and could become a source of boiled, clean drinking water for people in third world nations.

Click the image above to learn more at BBC News

You have to respect an innovation that could save thousands of lives, and which consists of little more than a cardboard box that has been painted black.

NEWS: Flo Rida Gives Out His Cell Phone Number

I'm not a big Flo Rida fan, but I know a lot of you out there may be. I an interview with CNN, the singer/rapper gave out his cell phone number to fans, so that they can call or text him as they wish.

It is: (305) 528-2786.

Give it a try!

NEWS: GM Segway P.U.M.A. Demonstration Video

Personally, I don't think a Segway would be worth the money. Apparently GM does. GM and Segway are teaming up to create the P.U.M.A. transport vehicle that can hold two passengers, and uses self-balancing technology similar to the original Segway.

Engadget has posted a video showing the P.U.M.A. in action. If someone really wanted to blow money on something like this just to travel from point A to point B in the city, I'd say buy a bike and get an exercise while you travel.

NEWS: Gameboy iPhone Case Looks Amazing

All of the tech sites are buzzing about one solitary photo. A blogger traveling abroad in Tokyo took a picture of her friend's iPhone case, which makes the back of your iPhone look like a vintage Gameboy.

Click the image above to learn more at Engadget.

Requests are popping up everywhere for someone to sell this case in the states, but so far it seems that it may only be found in specialty shops in Tokyo. Shame. As a lover of classic games and someone who will likely buy an iPhone when he's up for an upgrade, I'd love to have something like this.

NEWS: AT&T Offers $50 Computer

AT&T is now offering a deal to Atlanta and Philadelphia residents where they can buy select netbook models from AT&T retail stores for just $50. Sound too good to be true? In order to get the deal, you need to sign up for one of two mobile broadband plans that they offer, both of which cost $60/month.

So in essence, if you want this $50 netbook you're really buying a netbook and mobile broadband for a year. For those of you in the market for mobile broadband, this is definitely a deal worth looking into.

NEWS: Bruno Trailer Released!

For those of you who liked Borat, the trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's latest film Bruno has hit the net. Personally, I was a fan of Da Ali G Show, both the UK version and it's US incarnation on HBO. I loved Borat, and I hope Bruno is up to par. Time will tell. Be sure to check out the trailer and see what you think.

NEWS: X-Men Origins: Wolverine Leaks To The Net

Wow. So on a somewhat unrelated note, an unfinished (missing some CGI effects) workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine has hit the net. Considering the fanbase of these films, I don't think it will take long until this copy has permeated throughout the web.

NEWS: $100 PS2 Starting April 1st

If you're in the market for a cheap gaming fix, a have good news for you. Those of you who don't already have one can pick up a PS2 for just $99 starting April 1st.

Click the image above for more details.

Personally, I'm kind of amazed that they're still even selling the PS2, but with the economy the way it is, it's probably a good idea to offer low-cost alternatives to the current gen systems.

NEWS: MacBook Mini Leaked Photos?

For you Mac lovers out there who have been waiting to hop onto the netbook wagon, possible shots of a MacBook Mini have hit the net. Gizmodo reports that the shots were spotted in a Russian tech magazine, which puts the MacBook Mini at $899 and a 2009 release.

We'll see if any of this is true. Personally, I would never spend $899 on a Mac netbook when I would get one running Windows for $250. Maybe that's just me. I'm happy with my $300 MSI Wind.

NEWS: Source country of Conficker worm found?

Have you heard about the Conficker worm yet? Regardless, you'd better run a virus scan on your PC as soon as possible. The worm, which has infected an estimated 10 million PCs worldwide, is programmed to take action on April 1st, 2009. Exactly what action the worm will take (i.e. wipe the host's hard drive, steal private data and send it to the worm's creator, etc.) is not yet known.

Microsoft has offered a $250,000 bounty for information leading to the capture of the worm's creator, hoping that he or she can be apprehended before April 1st. The most recent development in this case is that experts now suspect that the worm may have originated in China.

Do yourself a favor -- run a virus scan today and make sure you don't have Conficker. Nobody knows exactly what it will do come April 1st, but you can avoid becoming a victim by being proactive and making sure your PC is clean.

UPDATE: You can scan your PC for Conficker for free on Microsoft's website.

UPDATE 2: Microsoft has renamed the group of computer professionals that are pursuing Conficker's creator the 'Conficker Working Group'. Hopefully the formal title brings with it an increased dedication to catch this guy.

Google Voice gives you visual voicemail, free domestic calls

People are already talking about Google's upcoming "Google Drive" free online storage service. But have you heard about "Google Voice"? Within the next few weeks, Google will launch their new, free call service that will allow free domestic calls and visual voicemail.

You will be able to log in with your existing Gmail username and link your Google Voice account to any of your phone numbers that you wish -- your cell, landline, business line, whatever. If someone calls you, you can have any (or all) or the linked phones ring simultaneously. And if someone leavesd you a message, Google will send you a free text transcription of the voicemail right to your Gmail inbox.

For those of you (myself included) who abandoned Youmail after they started charging for transcriptions, this service will be right up your alley. And as always with Google, it's all free, though likely will be supported by a small number of ads.

The service hasn't launched yet, but you should definitely keep an eye on the Google Voice homepage and check for future developments in the next few weeks.

NEWS: Stream Crysis to your netbook or TV with OnLive

Don't have the best PC? Don't even HAVE a PC? You can still play the latest, most cutting-edge games like Crysis and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, at maxed out settings.

Click the image above to learn more at Gizmodo.

A new service from a company called OnLive will allow PC users to download a simple client, and then stream games from a remote server. You don't need to have a great PC, or even have a video card at all. All of the video rendering is done on OnLive's servers, and the result is sent to you. The basic requirement is simply a fast broadband connection. You can play at standard definition with a 1.5mbps line, or at 720p HD with 5mbps.

Click the image above to learn more at Gizmodo.

The big concern here is obviously lag, and it will be interesting to see if OnLive's servers will be able to handle the load. I know I'm intrigued to see where this service can go, and will definitely be keeping my eye on it. Video card upgrades could eventually be a thing of the past.

REVIEW: $99 WD TV HD Media Player

The WD TV HD Media Player. Wow, what a name. Basically, this little $99 gadget from Western Digital (yeah, the hard drive people) lets you hook up an external usb hard drive or usb flash drive full of movies, TV shows, whatever, and play them on your TV. It has composite out (the yellow, red, and white RCA cables) as well as HDMI and optical SPDIF (for surround sound). So far, every file format that I have tried running on this beast has worked (see the list below). It runs a lot of files that my Xbox 360 can't even handle -- for example, Xvid movies with 5.1 ac3 will play on the 360, but the video will skip every 30 seconds or so. The same files also glitch on both of my Philips DVD players that support Divx/Xvid. When I run them on the HD Media Player, playback is flawless.

(the menu)

A few months ago, I was mulling over turning an old PC into a HTPC (home theater PC), but I knew that this type of thing can get VERY expensive. Sound cards that support Dolby Digital pass-through to a receiver are $50-100, basic video cards with HDMI are at least $50-100, etc. This media player (in conjunction with a 1tb internal and a hardrive dock) has all the perks of an expensive HTPC, at less than $100. A gift certificate to Best Buy made the offer all the more enticing.

Tested formats (all played perfectly):
- Xvid with mp3 sound, Xvid with 5.1 ac3 sound, Xvid with DTS sound, and Divx.
- h.264 mkv 720p movie with DTS sound, h.264 mkv 1080p movie with DTS sound
- Full DVDs saved as iso's
- Full DVDs saved as multiple VOBs and ifo's in a VIDEO_TS directory (it recognizes the separate VOBs as one movie, and never skips between VOBS)
- Mpeg-1 files
- Mpeg-2 files
- Wmv

The media player allows you to hook up two USB drives at the same time. It supports music, video, pictures, and the menus are easy to navigate. It has RCA out for basic TVs, and HDMI out for your HDTV. Some people have griped online about this unit, claiming that it doesn't support 5.1 sound, only stereo. THIS IS NOT TRUE. If you hook the HD Media Player up to a dolby receiver with a spdif cable, the receiver will do the decoding, and the result is perfect surround sound. This is no different than any DVD player or an Xbox 360 -- if you want surround sound, you need a receiver that supports it. If your video file has 5.1 ac3 audio, the unit can downsample it to stereo if that is all your TV setup supports. NOTE: One caveat is that if the video file has DTS audio, the HD Media Player can't downsample to stereo. For these files, you are going to need to run the sound through a receiver (or watch your movie with no sound!).

In Short:
- It plays MANY different file formats, even movies in 1080p.
- Future firmware updates will add even more file format compatibility.
- It's only $99, and it has all the functionality of some HTPCs
- You should buy it.

REVIEW: MSI Wind U100-420US Netbook

I've had my Wind for about 3 months now and I use it every day. I have a desktop PC, and I wanted something portable that I could bring to classes and type of my notes, eliminating the need to rewrite them later. A full-featured laptop was out of my budget, so I turned to a new category of computers: the Netbook. I looked at all of the different models on the market, and ultimately settled on the MSI Wind. It met my price goal ($200-$350), and it had very positive reviews online. Now that I have it, I'm happy with my purchase. I have had a couple technical headaches with my Wind (see below), but they don't outweigh the benefits.

So, what can you run on an MSI Wind? It has a 1.6ghz Intel Atom processor, can that really run anything good? Well, that depends. Do you like emulators? Old dos games? They look amazing on the Wind. Movies do too, anything up to 720p plays without a problem. If you want to run CDs, you'll need to learn how to make iso's on another PC and run Daemon Tools or a similar app on your Wind. This netbook won't be able to play newer games, but that's not what it's designed to do.

Pros
- Cost. The Wind U100 cost me $330 from Best Buy

- Size. This netbook is so small that I can put it in my backpack and you hardly know it's there. I bought a $10 case that fits it like a glove and prevents scratches.

- Convenience. If you're a student, and you feel that you can probably type notes faster than you can possible write them, a netbook like this is for you. My class notes have never been more organized (or easy to read!).

- Storage space. This unit sports a 120gb hard drive. I hear all the fuss about solid state hard drives like those found in the Dell Mini 9, but until they are available in larger capacities, I don't see the advantage. I filled up 50+ gigs of my Wind within a week of purchase.

- LED Screen. The LED-lit screen is beautiful, movies look fantastic and text is very easy to read.


Cons
- Defective webcam. Mine had a defective webcam that died after two week's use. The solution? I RMA's the unit to MSI (deal with them over the phone, their website is useless) and the webcam was replaced. Back in my hands in less than two weeks, and video chat through Skype is awesome.

- Mouse issues. Recently, the right and left click buttons have been swapping functions for no apparent reason, or ceasing to work altogether. I have been using a wireless USB mouse until I sum up the nerve to reinstall windows and all of my applications (which may or may not solve the issue).

In Short:
This is a great netbook. The issues that I have had with mine may be a complete fluke. I use this netbook every day, and it is a lifesaver for any college student. The price point is right too, and the new Wind model is just $319 at Best Buy.

Zillion TV instead of cable?

Zillion TV, a product that will hit shelves sometime in the near future, claims to offer a cost-effective alternate option to cable TV. This service will allow consumers to purchase a small receiver which hooks up to your broadband internet connection and your television. It comes with a remote, and it would allow you to choose from thousands of TV shows and movies, all with no subscription fees whatsoever. Sound too good to be true? The content will contain commercials, like on normal cable, but will give you the option of paying a small fee if you want to watch the programming without any advertisements.

In Short:
- You can choose from around 15,000 TV shows and movies
- No subscription fee
- Around $50 for the receiver and remote
- Remote included

We'll see how this one plays out, but if someone were to hook up one of these and a Roku box (which now supports both Amazon Video On Demand and Netflix Streaming), you could have a viable alternative to basic or digital cable. This is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

NEWS: Facebook worm rears it's ugly head

It seems that many Facebook users have been complaining of a malicious worm that is making it's way through the social networking site. Users have been clicking seemingly normal links such as "Joe Smith has posted a photo", and they are prompted to download a new plugin. The catch is that this plugin is in fact the "Koobface" worm, which can take your account over as well as infect your computer.

Screenshots

As promised, here are some screenshots of games running on the Saphhire 4850 1gb. Click any of the images to see them at their full resolution. As I've stated in the past, my CRT monitor more or less restricts me to lowly 4:3 resolutions like 1024x768.

Hitman: Blood Money

Screenshot 1:



Screenshot 2:



Screenshot 3:



Mirror's Edge

Screenshot 1:



Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Screenshot 1:



UPDATE! (03/04/09)

Here's a picture of my Rosewill power supply running. If you're in the market for a new PSU, definitely check this one out.

NEWS: Amazon yields on new Kindle 2 feature

A week or so ago, I showcased a legal argument between Amazon and audiobook publishers. The publishers felt that a "text-to-speech" feature in Amazon's new Kindle 2 that would read any ebook aloud infringed on the market of audiobooks.

As I predicted, Amazon has come to a compromise with the publishers, and will now allow the copyright holder of any ebook available on Kindle to disable the speech feature.

Screenshots coming soon

Sometime in the next couple days I'm going to post an update with some screenshots of games running on the Sapphire 4850. Expect some from Hitman: Bloody Money, Mirror's Edge, and COD4.

Crysis, Supreme Commander, Spore, and Soldier of Fortune: Payback are possibilities as well, I just need to figure out how to get screenshots to work in them.

On a side note, Mirror's Edge maxed out has some of the best visuals that I have ever seen in a video game. On PS3, 360, or PC, I've never quite seen anything like it. I hear that later levels in Crysis are also supposed to look great, I'll have to check that out as soon as I can.

I also might post a picture of the leds in my new Rosewill power supply; they look make the back of my PC case look great.

I'll update this post once I have everything ready. Check back soon.

NEWS: Is that a camera in your government funded DTV converter box?

In recent weeks, a Youtuber posted a video showing the opening of a government-funded DTV converter box, revealing a hidden camera inside. Is Big Brother watching you? Probably. But for the time being, they won't be watching you through the converter box that you get for the analog to digital switch. Turns out the whole thing was a hoax.

REVIEW: Sapphire Radeon 4850 1GB

Ok, so I sat down and installed my new Sapphire Radeon 4850 1Gb video card (100258-1GL). This is a PCI-Express x 16 2.0 card, but the slot in my system is only 1.0. This is OK! PCI-E 2.0 cards are backwards-compatible with 1.0 systems. Now since my rig only has a 300w power supply, I also needed to buy a new power supply. The installation of both were actually surprisingly simply, I'll post guides at a later time.

Once my new, updated system was up and running, I started testing the games that flat out refused to run on my Intel GMA3100 integrated graphics. have been able to play EVERY game that I have tried. So far, I ran the Crysis SP Demo with every setting maxed (including AA), flawlessly. My old CRT monitor more or less limits me to 1024x768, so I can only speak for that resolution.

Games that I tested (and ran perfectly at maxed out settings):

- Crysis SP Demo
- COD4 SP Demo
- Hitman Blood Money Demo
- Team Fortress 2 (also Episode 1, HL2, and Portal, but I hear that most Source games run more or less the same on any given setup)
- Doom 3
- Far Cry
- F.E.A.R.

So far, everything that I have tried has run at max settings, without a hiccup. I'm also impressed with all the included adapters -- this card allows for connections to HDMI, VGA, DVI, s-video, composite, and component. Basically everything out there. The HDMI even allows for passthrough of 7.1 channel audio, and has two DVI ports so you can run dual monitors.

In Short:
Buy it. The card is $161 at Newegg, and it can run any game currently on the market. This is definetly a mid-range card in terms of price, and from some other reviews I've seen, some people saw slightly lower frame-rates when running Crysis at 1080p at max settings (who would have thought?). Installation is easy, it can handle anything, and you won't regret it.

Update: (03/04/09)
I thought it was worth mentioning that my Vista Experience scores skyrocketed after installing this card. My 'Graphics' and Gaming Graphics' scores went from lowly 3.4's with my integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics to 5.9 each (the maximum possible).

My computer

OK, so before I post future reviews about hardware and my new Sapphire Radeon 4850 1GB video card, I should talk a little bit about my PC. It's a few weeks old, and I love it. It has 64-bit Vista Premium, which I hear a lot of people gripe about, but I haven't had a single problem. I encode video in AutoGK 3x faster with this PC then my old P4 3.0ghz that eventually died on me.

Video editing and such has been great on this PC, better than I could have hoped for. Games are another matter. I don't have a lot of time for gaming, but I like to be able to pull up a quick game of Hitman or an emulator when I have a free moment.

My new PC is a Gateway DX4710-05. Let's take a look at the specs:

The Good:

- Intel Core Quad Q6600 2.40ghz
- 6GB ram
- 640GB HD

The Bad:

- Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics
- 300w power supply.

With my factory setup, games like Hitman: Blood Money, Crysis, Supreme Commander, or Soldier of Fortune: Payback won't even load. I think that has to do with the fact that most of these games requier Vertex Shader 2.o, and my integrated graphics weren't up to the task.

Games like HL1, Hitman 2, etc load fine. That pretty much limits me to games that came out in the 1990's. Considering the raw power of this computer's quad core processor and ram, I'm amazed how bad the integrated graphics cripple any attempt at gaming.

To remedy this issue, I bought a Rosewill 550w power supply and a Sapphire Radeon 4850 1gb video card, both from Newegg. These were my first purchases from Newegg, and I was really happy with the service. Fast shipping, the best prices I could find anywhere, and the items were well packed.

Stay tuned for the in depth Sapphire Radeon 4850 1GB review...

NEWS: Beware Facebook

You've probably already heard the news -- if you're a Facebook user, Facebook has the rights to each and every photo that you post on your personal account. So any private photos that you upload becomes Facebook property. You can cancel your account at any time, but Facebook maintains the rights to take your Cancun vacation photos and make an ad out of them. Go read their Terms of Service and see for yourself.

NEWS: Economy is in turmoil, Netflix is prospering

I love Netflix, so I thought I'd post this article. It seems despite the economy's current state, Netflix is making record numbers. They have reached 10 million subscribers, with a surge of new customers in recent months.

If you aren't already down with Netflix, you should really give them a try. I have the two DVDs out at a time plan (unlimited rentals per month, no late fees ever) and I couldn't be happier. Plus, their streaming movies catalog is getting bigger every day. I can stream movies for free on my netbook -- or better yet, watch them on my TV through my Xbox 360.

Keep up the good work Netflix.

NEWS: Kindle 2 Text-To-Speech Legal Drama

I'm sure you've already heard reports about Amazon's new Kindle 2, a device that lets you store thousands of e-books on it's internal hard drive and read them on it's revolutionary electronic-ink screen.

Well, it seems that a new feature in the Kindle 2, previously unavailable in the first Kindle, may come under legal attack. Amazon decided to include a text-to-speech feature that will enable the Kindle 2 to read aloud any e-book.

This is a big no-no, because legal reps for audiobook companies feel that this may be a form of infringement.

Considering Amazon's prowess, I would have to believe that a decent percentage of all audiobooks sold go through Amazon. We will see in the near future how this one pans out. I anticipate some sort of a mutual agreement, I doubt the situation will get messy.

MAME machine

For the arcade people out there, I converted a 1985 Gauntlet II arcade machine into a MAME machine. Mind you, I didn't corrupt a perfectly good arcade game. When I bought it second hand, it had been stripped of it's art, the PCB had been replaced with Battletoads, and the control panel had been replaced. I took it upon myself to add a MAME computer, ArcadeVGA (v2) card, J-PAC, I-PAC4, and some basic custom art. I'll post some pictures of the machine, and I might post some MAME machine-related guides.

Possible MAME guides:

- Wiring a control panel (including grounding the wires)
- Wiring a J-PAC or IPAC4
- Installing the ArcadeVGA

Check back soon for updates!

Tech-related guides

I also will post some easy to follow tech-related guides, stuff that I learned the hard way and I can possibly make easier for some of you. I have a 200+ positive feedback rating with 100% feedback on eBay. I'll probably make an easy to follow guide showing you how to list an item painlessly on eBay in under 5 minutes.

Possible tech-related guides:

- How to turn an old (or new) internal hard drive into an easy, portable external hard drive
- How to install a PCI-Express x16 video card
- How to add RAM to your computer
- How to install a second hard drive in your computer
- How to install a PCI-card peripheral

First post

From time to time, I'll post reviews of some gadgets and PC parts that I've bought. If you happen to be considering one of these items, you can use these as an extra piece of reference information.

Possible reviews:

Gadgets:
- Western Digital HD Media Player
- MSI Wind U100-420US Netbook
- Boom USB N64 controller adapter
- Thermaltake BlacX Universal Docking Station for SATA HD

PC Parts:
- AcomData 3.5-Inch USB 2.0 Enclosure
- Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EACS 1TB SATA HD
- G.SKILL 2GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 1GB PCI-Ex16 2.0 Video Card
- PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W Power Supply
- Rosewill NEC 4+1 Model RC-101 Port USB2.0 PCI CARD
- Rosewill RFX-100B 90mm PCI Slot Case Cooler