SnapStream Blog

Comcast’s 250 GB cap – 08/28/08
Comcast will institute a 250GB bandwidth cap starting on October 1st. via Zatsnotfunny

Home theater PC video podcast by system – 08/27/08
If you’re interested in Home Theater PCs, check out Monday’s System Video Podcast by Revision3. Patrick Norton hosts PCMag.com’s Robert Heron and reviews basic HTPC requirements, hardware, discusses tuner cards, Hauppauge HD-PVR, Vista Media Center and even a mention of SageTV, BeyondTV and MediaPortal. via GeekTonic

Honey I need a new Drive – the Olympics filled up my DVR – 08/22/08
Brent documents how readers are using their HTPC setups to record if not all, most of the Summer Olympics. via GeekTonic

The right lighting for your home theater – 08/22/08
The average home theater enthusiast may do a lot less thinking about lighting than they do the size of their screen or even about acoustics, but the right lighting can transform the most basic to the most sophisticated home theater into an entertainment oasis. via Electronic House

Wi-Fi is a Go! Well, Sort of… – 08/21/08
On August 19th, the city of Houston announced that they’d created a large cluster of free wi-fi locations throughout the dowtown area, both in an effort to provide the free wireless access that has been long-promised by Mayor White’s administration and to promote the continuing revitalization of downtown as a destination to work, live and play. They’ve even created a website for the wi-fi campaign, called Houston WiFi via Houstonist

Cable penetration continues to slip as satellite, IPTV add customers – 08/15/08
The cable industry as a whole has hit an 18-year low, with the Television Bureau of Advertising finding wired cable penetration reaches just 60.9% of households. Alternative delivery systems (i.e. satellite, fiber, DSL, 2nd-day air) now grab 28.4% (28.2 of which is satellite), and nearly a third of all subscription subscribers. via engadgethd

Ask Engadget: What’s the best PVR software? – 08/13/08
A pretty open-ended request, you see, but a valid one nonetheless. What’s your favorite PVR software? Does Beyond TV have your heart? MythTV / SageTV the one(s) for you? Feel free to list the pros and cons of applications you’ve tried — wouldn’t want anyone to miss anything! Read the comments. via Engadgethd

Last weekend the Houston Technology Center hosted BarCampHouston3. For those of you asking yourself what exactly a BarCamp event is, well it’s a way for techies to meet up, mingle, network, and exchange ideas. Our very own Rakesh Agrawal headed over to HTC and was interviewed by Mike McGuff, Multimedia Web Producer at KTRK-ABC. Rakesh answers the who, what, how and why on SnapStream’s Enterprise TV Search Appliance. Check out the interview below.

Roundup: watching the Olympics online – 08/08/08
It wouldn’t be the Olympics without a roundup of the ways you can keep tabs and this year it’s much cooler – with thousands of hours of content available in HD streaming on the Web for Windows and Mac users. via Addicted to Digital Media

Bringing 3D TV to the home – 08/07/08
In its perpetual quest to provide bigger and better entertainment (and to sell new gear), the consumer electronics industry is pushing 3D televisions. But first it needs to figure how to deliver the 3D tech and what types of standards need to be set so the experience is the same as that of 3D movies. via GigaOM

Intel’s Larrabee aims to take on Nvidia and AMD – 08/04/08
Last week, Intel offered up a sneak peak of its Larrabee graphics processor, due out in 2009 or 2010 and guaranteed to raise the competitive pressure on graphics chip makers Nvidia and AMD. Unlike its existing integrated graphics chips, Larrabee will be a standalone processor, but don’t expect that it will be a success. via GigaOM

DVICO FusionHDTV Gold USB – was $99.99 now $79.99
This sleekly designed compact device is highly portable and can be supported on all notebooks and desktop PCs. It is also compatible with USB2.0 Bus powered ports and does not require an external power adapter. Records digital HDTV directly to your hard drive just like a VCR Real HD/SD time shifting function with FF/REW/Positioning. Pause and replay live TV shows by simply pressing the Pause button and then pick up right where you left off. Get crisp and clear picture quality on your PC. Buy now

DVICO FusionHDTV5 RT Gold – was $99.99 now $79.99
The RT series Gold cards now offer PC boot on/off function using the Fusion Remote or power on/off before/after recording. You can turn your Home Theater PC on and off with a single button as well as schedule and record with ease. Fusion Gold cards offer all you need to get up and running on your HDTV system, whether you’re using XP or MCE. DVICO’s Fusion 5 ships with low-profile bracket for integration into the smallest of PC chassis. Record, watch, and store both over-the-air and unencrypted QAM broadcast HDTV shows on your PC. Buy Now

AVerMedia AVerTVHD MCE A180 – was $99.99 now $79.99
Experience true Hi-Definition TV Viewing on your PC with the AVerMedia AVerTVHD MCE A180! As a full height PCI ATSC HDTV card for free over-the-air digital TV and full quality free over-the-air HDTV reception, the AVerTV HD MCE A180 offers crystal clear video. Certified for Windows XP Home, Professional and MCE 2005, you can enjoy free over-the-air Digital TV on your PC, and watch, pause, rewind and record Digital TV programs including 1080i HDTV broadcast programs like NFL Football or the Oscars. The AVerTV HD MCE A180 is the top choice for HD and digital broadcasts. Buy Now

Hauppauge Wireless MediaMVP – was $149 now $125
Hauppauge’s Wireless MediaMVP® is the link between your TV and your PC, allowing you to watch and listen to PC based music, videos, digital pictures and Internet radio on your TV set. wMVP (as it is also called) works with either a wireless 802.11G or wired 10/100 Mbit Ethernet network. You can use up to 24 wired MediaMVPs on a home network, or up to four wireless MediaMVPs. Listen to PC music on one TV set while watching an MPEG movie on another! Buy Now

Hauppauge MediaMVP – was $99.99 now $84.99
Hauppauge’s MediaMVP is a low cost, thin-client device which bridges the home PC with home TV and A/V equipment via a local area network connection. It takes high quality digital audio (MP3 music), digital video (MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 videos), digital pictures (JPEG and GIF digital pictures) and other multimedia content in the form of IP packet streams and renders the content onto video and audio equipment such as TV sets, TV monitors or plasma monitors and home theater A/V systems. Buy Now

Zap2it’s 2008 Fall Preview – 08/01/08
Fall Preview. Get excited! via Zap2it

Opinion: the HTPC is dead; long live the HTPC – 07/27/08
Brent Evans expounds upon Nate Anderson’s interesting editorial on the HTPC. via GeekTonic