ASUSTOR started integrating Rompr, a popular browser-based media center app with its new generation home NAS servers. The app lets you organize all your media files, audio and video, and lets you stream it to any device with a web-browser that can playback HTML5 video/audio. Rompr is tied to MPD (music-player daemon). ASUSTOR is focusing particularly on the ability to play back high-resolution audio formats, such as DSD Audio. Rompr-MPD will let you keep your media files away on your NAS, and govern access rights, so others in your home have access to media suitable to them.

Streacom rolled out the FLIRC-SE, an adaptive IR receiver module for its HTPC cases, that can, besides working like a conventional Media Center IR receiver, wake your PC up from S4 (STR) and S5 shut-down power states. The module is originally designed and manufactured by FLIRC, for Streacom. It comes with drivers for Windows, Linux, and OS X. The module plugs into the motherboard over USB 2.0 header, and features a native memory, to store up to 160 key combinations. It's available now.

Synology today partnered with DVBLogic to extend the availability of DVBLink Server to DS213j. Developed by DVBLogic, the DVBLink Server package is an alternative TV program recording and streaming solution. "We're very excited to have DVBLink Server support our latest DiskStation 2-bay member," said Darren Lin, senior product manager of Synology Inc. "Combined with DVBLink Server's rich features and unsurpassed recording experience, we believe DiskStation DS213j is the ideal model for anyone looking for a personal video recorder."

DVBLink Server turns DiskStation DS213j into a personal video recorder, allows users to record TV programs distributed via Satellite (DVB-S/S2) or Terrestrial (DVB-T) in original quality, and streams live or recorded programs to Windows Media Center, XBMC, Plex Media Server clients, DLNA compatible devices and iOS and Android devices by using DVBLink mobile apps. DVBLink Server supports up to 4 DTV tuners and features integration with the premium EPG services of Digiguide, EpgData.com, IceTV, PercData and TimeFor.TV.

QNAP, Inc. launches its latest mid level NAS Series, the TS-x69 Pro and TS-x69L Series with XBMC. The TS-x69 Pro and L series are powered by an Intel Atom 2.13 GHz Dual-Core processor with expandable memory up to 3GB. The XBMC Media Center feature allows users to directly connect the NAS through their TV's HDMI port for direct media playback.

Users can now watch their favorite movies, videos, listen to their favorite music, and view their photos directly on their TV. With XBMC, users can also manage their video library, create/manage their own personal music playlists and create their own photo slideshows. "We are very thrilled to bring the exciting, feature loaded XBMC Media Center to QNAP users," said Ivan Hsu, Marketing Sales Director for QNAP.

ORICO unveiled an interesting portable hard drive enclosure, which doubles up as a wireless NAS and internet access point. Called the WiDrive (model: WDX-8 625), the device can enclose one 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD, and share its contents over a secure wireless network (802.11 b/g/n). As an added value, it can also serve as a wireless internet access point, if an upstream wired internet connection is plugged into its 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. As a NAS, it packs most modern features, including SAMBA, FTP, Bit Torrent, iTunes server and Media Center. Its storage can be expanded by a USB 2.0 port (mass storage device). The enclosure draws power from an external AC adapter. ORICO plans to charge 899 RMB (US $142) for the WiDrive.

Here's a unique device that renders three others obsolete, the TVPlug, by a Korean manufacturer of the name. This device combines the functionality of a WiFi-N router, a NAS server, and a home media center into a single device. The device includes a MIMO-capable 802.11 b/g/n wireless router with one WAN and two LAN ports. It provides two USB 2.0 ports, which connect to any USB Mass Storage-compliant devices (be it flash drives, portable hard drives, or even drive boxes. The device can act as a media server for all your iOs/Android devices (smartphones, tablets, and smart media players). Lastly, it can also play back videos to a TV.

ASKTech introduced a neat new chassis for media center PCs, the ALTO NT-TX1000/AC200BK. It supports motherboards in the mini-ITX form-factor, and is designed to gel well with other living room equipment such as home theater receiver decks. Measuring 380 x 268 x 66 mm (WxDxH), the case makes used of brushed, anodized aluminum for the front-panel, and stronger SECC steel for the frame and other panels. It is bundled with the AC200BK 200W PSU, which gives it just enough juice for an HTPC with a dual-core or low-voltage quad-core processor.

Its drive cage is detachable, and provides one discrete 3.5" bay (to hold a hard drive), and one low-profile/slim optical drive slot (for notebook optical drives). The case has just enough clearance for a CPU cooler that's 40 mm tall, and the cooler Intel ships with its low-TDP processors matches the description. The front-panel has no additional ports as such, but a hole for an infrared receiver (for the remote control). ASKTech has an optional package that includes its NT-IMON100 infrared Windows Media Center compatible remote. The case is rather airy, with plenty of vents, but there are provisions for some 40 mm fans. Launched to the market recently, the ASKTech ALTO NT-TX1000/AC200BK is priced at 8,480 JPY (US $102).

ZOTAC International, a global innovator of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today starts CeBIT 2012 with three new mini-PCs in standard, nano and Blu-ray form factors. The new ZBOX ID82, ZBOX nano ID61 and ZBOX Blu-ray AD05 series mini-PCs are perfect matches for users seeking a powerful tower PC replacement, home theater PC or energy-efficient PC.

A high-performance Intel Core i3-2330M processor with Hyper-Threading technology takes the spotlight in the ZOTAC ZBOX ID82 series to bring mini-PC performance to a whole new level with dual-cores for performance that can dominate much larger-sized tower PCs. Intel HD Graphics 3000 with Intel Quick Sync Video, InTru 3D and Clear Video HD technologies bring lightning-fast GPU-accelerated video conversion, stereoscopic 3D video output and hardware-accelerated Blu-ray 3D playback to the compact ZBOX ID82 series mini-PC.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and a channel manufacturer, today kicks off the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show with a trio of versatile 2nd-Generation ZBOX mini-PCs for all your computing needs. The new ZOTAC ZBOX ID81, ID80 and AD04 series deliver outstanding energy-efficiency and stunning high-definition video playback in a compact form factor.

2nd-Generation ZBOX platform enhancements debuting with the ZBOX ID81, ID80 and AD04 series include an external WiFi antenna for superior wireless reception, integrated Bluetooth 3.0 technology and a bundled Media Remote with USB IR receiver for use with Microsoft Windows Media Center, XBMC and other popular media player applications.

British PC maker and specialist with "small and silent PCs", Tranquil, unveiled its latest MMC-12 media center PC that will give your home video player (DVD/Blu-ray player) a run for its money, for in its 1.5-inch tall form-factor, it packs a throbbing Intel Core i3/i5/i7 "Sandy Bridge" processor (buyer chooses model). Its body is milled out of blocks of metal with a satin-textured matte finish. It has a minimalist front-panel with a slot-in optical drive, DVD or Blu-ray (again, buyer chooses). Tranquil didn't give out much more information about the MMC-12. Its previous media center PCs earned quite some praise for their acoustics.

Japanese company ASKTech introduced its latest ultra-compact, fan-less mini-ITX case, the NT-TX3000BK. Measuring 295 (W) x 270 (D) x 76 (H) mm, this case is designed for your living room shelf. It can hold mini-ITX motherboards that feature Intel LGA775 or LGA1155/LGA1156 sockets, specifically these sockets, because its bundled ZENO (zero-noise) fan-less CPU cooler. The sides of the case double up as a heatsink. Due to power supply limitations it only supports CPUs with TDP under 65W.

The ZENO cooler consists of a base with retention module, from it, two sets of heat pipes arise, that lead to the two sides of the case, where heat is dissipated to the air passively. The location of the base can be adjusted, as also the points where the heat pipes make contact with the sides of the case, so you don't have to worry about where the CPU socket of the board is located.

Guru3D reports on a post from NVIDIA tech support on NVIDIA's forums regarding TDR issues (Timeout Detection & Recovery problem (display stopped responding but has successfully recovered)). These problems centre around Battlefield 3 and Windows Media Centre, which NVIDIA can't reproduce, so it looks like the problems may be with specific card models. NVIDIA rep ManuelG posted:

ASRock's frontline mini PC product, Vision 3D, is set to get a hardware specifications update, to the second generation Intel Core processor "Sandy Bridge" family, from its current Core "Westmere" family. The new model will be available with your choice of Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, and will come with an updated connectivity. Aiding the Sandy Bridge processor will be NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M GPU. Using NVIDIA Optimus technology, users will be able to switch between the GeForce discrete GPU and the Intel integrated GPU. The desktop supports NVIDIA's stereo 3D technologies.

In its tiny dimensions of 200mm(W) x 70mm(H) x 200mm(L), the Vision 3D packs 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory, several storage options, a slot-in Blu-ray drive and connectivity that includes four USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, 8 channel THX-compliant audio with optical SPDIF output, and display outputs that include HDMI 1.4 and DVI. A Windows Media Center Remote comes bundled, completing the package of what will be a great mate for your HDTV.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today debuts the palm-sized ZBOX nano AD10 series mini-PCs. The new ZOTAC ZBOX nano AD10 series shrinks the standard ZBOX form factor and adds more home theatre PC friendly features for your digital media needs.

Powered by the AMD "Brazos" E-350 APU Platform with Discrete-Class AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, the ZOTAC ZBOX nano AD10 series packs plenty of performance with hardware video decode acceleration technologies for popular high-definition video formats, including Blu-ray and Adobe Flash, into a miniature 127mm x 127mm x 45mm form factor that fits in the palm of your hand.

AMD today released this month's major update to its Catalyst software suite, Catalyst 11.7 WHQL. The new driver introduces a few major bug fixes, and provides WHQL-signed support for the recently released AMD A-Series APUs, apart from Radeon GPUs and AMD 8-series and 7-series chipset-integrated graphics. AMD claims to have fixed all outstanding issues related to cursor-lag; a variety of system hangs noted when using HDMI or DisplayPort outputs have been fixed; a number of video playback issues, some generic and some application-specific, were resolved; the "checkerboard" pattern display corruption issue related to Eyefinity on CrossFire setups in DirectX 10 games was fixed; and flickering issues related to Portal 2 were fixed. The driver doesn't introduce any new features or performance improvements, but with greater stability, improved performance should naturally follow.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 11.7 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit | Windows 7/Vista 32-bit | Windows XP 32-bit | Windows XP 64-bit

A list of changes follows.

ASRock launched its newest motherboard, the Z68M-ITX. As the name suggests, it is a socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel Z68 Express chipset, in the mini-ITX form factor. ASRock's new board is aimed squarely at HTPCs or premium home desktops. It uses a standard ATX power supply, drawing power from a 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power headers. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 4-phase VRM, it is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory, the lone expansion slot: a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and the Z68 PCH. Z68 provides overclocking capabilities, as well as Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI) letting you use the integrated graphics, and Intel Smart Response Technology that lets you use SSD for caching HDDs

Connectivity includes 8 channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output, driven by Realtek ALC892 CODEC, two USB 3.0 ports driven by ASMedia ASM1042 controller, gigabit Ethernet, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Storage connectivity consists of two each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s internal ports, and an eSATA 3 Gb/s port. Display connectivity includes HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. The board is driven by UEFI firmware, with a graphical setup program. ASRock bundles a specially-designed Windows Media Center remote control, which comes with a multi-sensor CIR USB dongle that can receive infrared signal from a number of angles. ASRock did not give out pricing.

Introducing the MB882HX-1SB 2.5" SATA SSD Xpander Hybrid Adapter. Using a high speed 2.5" SATA SSD and a high capacity 3.5" SATA hard drive, you can combine them to create a new breed of species. Using our hybrid technology, we can take a moderate or 2nd generation 2.5" SATA SSD in combination with a mid to higher end 3.5" SATA hard drive which automatically creates "hybrid partition" and "storage partition". The "hybrid partition" doubles the capacity of the SSD drive and provides high performance in transfer rates. The storage partition gives you the remaining capacity of the hard drive* (the size of the 3.5" SATA hard drive minus "hybrid partition" size).

This is the perfect upgrade solution without purchasing an expensive high capacity SSD. The Xpander Hybrid Adapter doubles the sequential transfer rates of the hard drive exclusively in the hybrid partition, it is great for people who move, play or edit large media files. Such as a video editor, graphic designer, HD movie enthusiast that use applications like Adobe Photoshop, Sony Vegas and Windows Media Center that require large file loads / transfers. For editing, you can use the hybrid portion as a sketch drive; move the working files to it for fast editing. When you are done with the file we recommend moving the file to a RAID protected archive drive. The "storage partition" is perfect for non-important applications or files i.e. games, movies, music, or other media files.

Acer America Corp. announced today that the slim and stylish Acer Revo RL100 media center is now available at leading technology retailers in the United States. A digital hub for a den or living room, it connects to a flat-screen TV and comes with a dual-mode wireless touchpad/keyboard for smooth navigation from the comfort of the couch. There are two models available, including one with Blu-ray.

Outfitted with Acer clear.fi, the Acer RL100 automatically interconnects all Acer home-based and mobile devices, including smartphones, making it easy to consolidate and share HD multimedia throughout the household. This means users can access HD movies and personal content from any Acer device in the house for enjoying on a big screen TV.

During keynote presentations today at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel Corporation executives outlined several software- and hardware-related efforts as the company intensifies its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) product plans based on the Intel Atom processor family.

Amid predictions of billions of additional Internet-connected devices going online, Renée James, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group, and Doug Davis, vice president and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, discussed the expansion of these processors into high-growth areas including netbooks, tablets, CE, embedded, and smart phones.

Gaming has evolved into a leading growth industry and dynamic motivator for the technology sector, as CeBIT 2010 further illustrates. It's a massively popular pastime drawing people, all united through thrilling entertainment. ASUS shares the passion, maintaining a tradition of ingenuity aimed at meeting the needs of gamers both with the hardcore Republic of Gamers brand (ROG) and powerful mainstream solutions. It seeks to innovate and introduce new exciting ways to enjoy gaming, believing it should be natural to take up rather than complicated.

The new ASUS EeeTop PC ET20/22 Series is a range of touch-enabled, all-in-one PCs that provides users with the fundamentals of everyday computing and multimedia entertainment in an elegant space-saving design. Its forte lies in its ability to provide users with the ultimate home entertainment experience. The EeeTop PC ET22 and EeeTop PC ET20 feature a flushed 22-inch and 20-inch touch-enabled display respectively that provides high definition images through the use of state-of-the-art graphics processors. The resulting visual spectacle is complemented by a surround sound experience delivered by the Dual Hi-Fi speakers with SRS Premium Sound. The ASUS EeeTop ET20/22 Series also lets users communicate via the easy-to-use Eee Cam, while the Eee Bar gives them access to their commonly-used applications. Users can also organize their photographs with FotoFun, and leave notes for their family and friends with Eee Memo. Simply put, the new ASUS EeeTop PC ET20/22 Series is the ideal all-in-one communications and entertainment PC for the family.

ASUS today proved that TV quality and CPU bandwidth do not have to be trade-offs with the launch of its new ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card. Designed for users seeking to watch and record both digital (ATSC/QAM) and analog (NTSC) TV channels simultaneously without taking a CPU hit, the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC is embedded with a MPEG2 hardware encoder that dramatically reduces CPU loading while guaranteeing high quality video. With the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card, any PC can easily be turned into a smart multimedia center.

Shuttle Inc., the market leader in the Mini-PC segment and manufacturer of Multi-Form-Factor solutions, today introduces the XPC H7 4500H complete system for satellite TV reception. Unlike present proprietary solutions, the H7 4500H now comes with satellite television conveniently and reliably integrated in Windows Vista.

The whole feature set of Windows Media Center that had previously been available for DVB-T tuners and analogue cable TV only, can now be used with a DVB-S TV tuner card as well. Timeshifting (pausing TV programmes), EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and recording, all this can be done right from the sofa by remote control.

Microsoft has had patchy success with its Windows Vista series of operating systems, and is banking on its next major addition to the Windows franchise, Windows 7 to turn its fortunes for the better. After having generously released beta versions of the operating system to the public, the company is gearing up for a product launch schedule. In the process, it made its SKUs (variants) of the operating system official today. The lineup consists of three variants in particular, suited for domestic deployments, with three variants aimed more towards commercial deployments, and then of course, there is an Ultimate variant that lets one have it all. The lineup for Windows 7 is as follows:

• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Windows 7 Home Basic
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Ultimate

Seagate today announced at the 2009 Consumer Electronics show two new additions to the Seagate Pipeline HD family of purpose-built hard drives for Digital Video Recorders - the Pipeline HD Mini and Pipeline HD.2. The Pipeline HD Mini hard drive is the world's first 2.5-inch drive engineered specifically for use in digital video recorders (DVRs). With 160GB and 250GB capacities now available, DVR manufacturers can benefit from the lower-power performance and slim form factor of these new, smaller hard drives without sacrificing capacity for their content-hungry customers. The Pipeline HD.2 is Seagate's second generation of the Pipeline HD drive built in a 3.5-inch form factor. These new Pipeline HD.2 hard drives, available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities, give home entertainment device manufacturers one and two disk, cost-optimized solutions for today's high definition video recording applications.