Had the updated Roku Streaming Stick been available a few months ago when I picked up a Roku 2, I’m confident that I would have opt’d for it instead. With a very sleek profile, RF remote (vs. IR), the same capabilities for a lower price ($50), it just makes sense. Roku has released two other Streaming Stick media players. Despite […]
Read moreIf you want a NUC like HTPC, but don’t want an Intel branded system this system from MSI looks like a decent alternative. Although, it doesn’t look to have CIR or HDMI CEC capability so… The desktop PC market has been subject to many challenges over the last few years. However, the miniaturization trend (including the introduction of the ultra-compact […]
Read moreUbiquiti is pretty well known for their [relatively expensive] line of business access points. The feature set is really nice, but the price point and complexity has to put off quite a few buyers. It looks like they are addressing that with a new line of consumer oriented access points that should be easier to use and it includes a […]
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As you all know, one of the major disappointment with the Intel Broadwell NUCs was that Intel made it much harder than is should have been to leverage the HTPC’s HDMI CEC header. So when the Intel NUC6i5SYK (Skylake NUC) review unit arrived, one of the first things I did was crack the case to see if Intel had […]
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It’s probably a bit too early for wide adoption of 10GbE in the home, but it is becoming more important for small and medium sized business (large has been there for quite a while). Pricing is also still very business oriented, but it is nice to monitor and see what’s available. There are three new managed switches available ranging from […]
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LG’s OLED display continue to review very well, with some improvements from previous years. It’s actually this reasonably rapid improvement that makes me hesitate the most when it comes to picking up an OLED display. The sweet spot within LG’s 2016 OLED television lineup is undoubtedly the E6 series: it’s less expensive than the flagship “Signature” G6 series, yet offers […]
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Like the rest of Intel Atom systems, home theater PCs (HTPC) based on the CPU have come a long way over the last few years. The Intel NUC5PGYH offers hardware accelerated video decoding up to 4K (HDMI 1.4b output) via the quad-core Intel Braswell Pentium N3700. Now add in 7.1 multi-channel audio support, Windows 10 preinstalled, RC6 CIR (consumer […]
Read moreThe biggest change looks to be improved support for multi-channel compressed audio CODECs like DD & DTS, but there are quite a few fixes and improvements listed in the update. The latest version of the Android TV and Fire TV Apps include several improvements centered around audio playback and stability. The highlights are: Framework Updates – The Android TV […]
Read moreThis has to be the most approachable, and longest, guide to setting up DD-WRT ever. There’s even an eBook available if you can’t dedicate the time in one browsing session. Well, it turns out that stock routers are limited, and getting the best setup and performance out of them can be very difficult. Custom firmware, such as DD-WRT makes the […]
Read moreI love a good sub. It’s an essential part of the movie, and many times, music experience. Naturally, not everyone’s budget can strech to accomodate something that costs several hundred $ – which is where this “best of” list comes in. With an entry at $110, it’s probably time if you don’t already have some thump in your HT room. […]
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