For home theater PC (HTPC) “small” is another word for “compromise”. Thankfully, the amount required by our miniscule content consumption devices has decreased exponentially over the last few years. There is still a price demanded however, tiny systems require slower mobile integrated processor graphics (IPG) to drive them. We have to choose between size and performance; it is simply not […]
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I’m not completely sold on subscription consumer-targeted software, but in enterprise it makes a lot more sense especially as the up-front cost of the applications rise. CyberLink has added their suite of content editing and creation to their cloud + yearly subscription model introduced with last year’s rev of PowerDVD. I had a chance to play with the PowerDirector the […]
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It’s no secret that we like Fractal Design’s cases. Everytime we test one it is always a positive experience. What’s not to like about a solid, well made chassis that looks great and won’t break the bank? From the look of it, the new Node 804 will continue that trend. It does seem to be geared heavily towards water cooling, […]
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I can’t claim to be the first to notice when HEVC decoding popped up in a recent Intel GPU driver update for Haswell (HSW) systems, and I was prepared to write it off as a mistake until an off-hand remark about the feature coming in a future driver update came up in conversation with a source well positioned to know. […]
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Roku’s first streaming stick required a [not-quite-MHL] “Roku Ready” host, and I imagine that limited the market dramatically. Why it took them this long to introduce one that works with HDMI and can be powered via USB is beyond me. That said, I think it’s a great idea, but if your TV, like mine, doesn’t power USB when it’s off […]
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It wasn’t that long ago that I added a portable router to my standard pack whenever leaving the house for vacation or business travel. It’s just so handy to be able to setup a Wi-Fi hotspot wherever I need one, and even if I don’t need to share a single for-fee wireless connection, it comes out of the bag because […]
Read moreI was really excited when I found out Intel had placed the HDMI-CEC enabling Custom Solutions Header (CSH) on the D54250WYK NUC. It was exactly the kind of feature that belongs on this near-perfect mini-HTPC. Unfortunately, as we can see in the gallery, something isn’t right with its ability to maintain 3.3V under load. What this means in practice […]
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Today is a good day if you’re a Showtime subscriber and also have a Roku streamer for over-the-top content because the “Showtime Anytime” app is now available on the player. I think it’s great how Roku continues to add content, and this is another example of how they keep adding value to their ecosystem. Full PR after the click. SHOWTIME […]
Read moreThere has been a lot of talk on the Interwebs about the possibility that ISPs like Comcast are purposely degrading the bandwidth available to Netflix. While it makes a great story, most reasonable people are understandably skeptical that they would do something like that; sure it helps in the short term, but long term it clearly demonstrates the need for […]
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When I met with People Power at CES I was confused about where their technology fit into the home automation (HA) marketplace, or more specifically what the technology was and how it worked. They didn’t have a resource on hand to answer my questions so when after the show I had a chance to talk with David Moss, the CTO, […]
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