Sunday, December 26, 2010

What Gadgets Did You get for Christmas?

This is the single-biggest month for new tech gadget purchases thanks to Christmas and the other popular Holiday Season celebrations. For my family the gifts were less tech-related but there were a few:

Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit
- something that shouldn't have been necessary, but par for the course (thanks a lot Apple)

Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera
This little Kodak video camera is a great addition for simple, quick videos. It even takes decent still photos. It lacks a flash, but it uses SD memory cards and it's waterproof up to 10 feet! I studied the reviews and watched some videos made with the camera before purchasing as a family gift. Can't wait to try this one out.

Kodak Pulse 10-Inch Digital Frame
This Kodak Pulse digital photo frame is simply awesome. I gifted this 10" version of the touch-screen, Wi-Fi digital photo frame to my parents and they love it! Better yet, they can add photos, delete photos and control it without any tech support from their son :) If you're thinking of buying a digital photo frame this is the one to get without question.

That's about it for our family this year. How about you? Did you give or get any tech gadgets this year? Tell us all about it in the comments:

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas

As regular readers may have noticed, it has been pretty quiet around GeekTonic this month. Don't worry, all is well here and your favorite gadget, HTPC, and TV stories will be back soon enough. Things have just been extremely busy leading up to a few days of R&R through the holidays.

I will be posting a little in the meantime, but it will be light on the pretty pictures and other typical fare as I'm working without a laptop for the first time in many, many years.

I wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday season!!!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 12/12/2010

The middle of December brings us several finales and a few specials.  Like every week, GeekTonic covers the TV scene with a complete listing of premieres, finales and specials for the week.

Larry King

The last “Larry King Live” episode airs Thursday on CNN with Mario Cuomo as the final guest – appropriate since he was King’s first guest over 25 years ago


Check out the complete list of finales, premieres & specials below.

The GeekTonic Guide to TV Premieres, Finales and Specials this Week – 12/12/2010

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change

Sunday, December 12

Basketball Wives (8pm on VH1) Season 2 premiere

Amazing Race (8pm on CBS ) Season 17 finale

Dexter (9pm on Showtime – HD) Season 5 finale

Ax Men (9pm on History – HD) Season 3 premiere

When Rome Ruled (9pm on National Geographic – HD) New history series all about the Roman empire

Mercy Me (9pm on Lifetime) Made for TV movie with Lucy Liu having three men in love with her…

 

Monday, December 13

Phowned! (7pm on Spike) New reality series

Intervention (9pm on A&E – HD) Season 10 premiere

 

Tuesday, December 14

The Biggest Loser (9pm on NBC – HD) Season 10 finale

Third Reich (9pm on History – HD) The first of a two-part history documentary

 

Wednesday, December 15

Hell’s Kitchen (9pm on Fox) Season 8 finale

 

Thursday, December 16

Larry King Live (9pm on CNN – HD) The final episode of Larry King Live.  Beginning January 2011, America’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan will take over the Larry King 9 PM timeslot with another talk show.

L.A. Gang Wars: The Peacemaker (10pm on A&E – HD) A new reality series where a violence prevention counselor in South Central L.A. works as a peace maker in the area at night.

Burn Notice (10pm on USA – HD) Season 4 finale

 

Friday, December 17

Christmas in Washington (8pm on TNT – HD) A Christmas special with Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Miranda Cosgrove, Annie Lennox, Maxwell and Matthew Morrison performing holiday favorites at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

 

Sunday, December 19

Leverage (10pm on TNT – HD) Season 3 finale

 

Monday, December 20

Million Dollar Money Drop (8pm on Fox – HD) A new gameshow for Fox

The Sing Off (8pm on NBC) Season 2 finale



If you follow GeekTonic for the TV Premieres and news, you’ll want to click here if you would like to get a regular e-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Gifts Fit for a Geek – Online Content Media Streamers

Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and other online sites have continued to improve their catalogue of movies and TV shows available online.  And every day I hear of more people using those sites as an alternative means to watch video content.  So which set top box should you get if you’re looking for something to push that content to your TV set and not just your computer?

I’ve read so many “cutting the cord” articles over the past twelve months it’s not even funny.  And I mostly think those articles are hyperbole as the vast majority of consumers won’t really be cutting to cord from their cable or satellite providers just yet.  Still, there has definitely been some movement towards good video content being pushed to the web with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and others making strides in this category. 

Below are my choices for getting online video content to your TV in order of preference – although each buyers situation might be a little different (might want bundled with game machine or other device) so read all the way through:

The WDTV Live Plus HD is a great option and supports Netflix, YouTube, Pandora and more.  It doesn’t include Hulu Plus however so keep that in mind.

WDTV Live Plus HD

 

  • Roku XD is selling for $69.99 ($10 off through today, 12/8)

This is the mid-level device that includes nearly everything you need and streams Netflix, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus, Pandora and Flickr.  Roku was the first Netflix “box” and continues to be one of the best options.

Roku XD Streaming Player

  • The Boxee Box  is selling for $199 with free shipping at Amazon at the moment.  For I count this one as an early adopter purchase.  It had some issues at launch which the Boxee team has mostly addressed.  But it’s really a non-DVR HTPC setup that gives you some added flexibility over the simpler WDTV and Roku boxes above.

 Boxee Box

  • AppleTV – I’m not sold on this one really but those that LOVE Apple might consider it.
  • GoogleTV – I’ve played around with the GoogleTV a bit and was underwhelmed at their first many boxes that came to market.  Add to that the fact many content providers are blocking online streaming to GoogleTV and I’m going to stick with my “stay away for now” mantra.

 

  • Game Machines:
    • XBox 360 – Support for Netflix, ZuneHD video rentals, and ESPN3 are there as long as you pay the extra fee, annual fee (Netflix).  Oh and it acts as a Media Center extender and game machine also ;)
    • Sony PS3 – Hulu Plus, Netflix and Vudu VOD are included.  And like the XBox 360 it is a solid game machine as well.
  • Blu-ray Players & TVs – there are many TVs and Blu-ray players that include some form of online streaming.  My Panasonic VT25 3D Plasma has added Pandora and Netflix content for instance and my Panasonic Blu-ray player does as well.  So this is another alternative you might want to consider.

If you’re still not decided I recommend you check out Dave Zatz take on the Boxes of the Year (we’re mostly in agreement) and a great roundup of media players at MissingRemote

I’m leaving off other devices like the SageTV HD300.  The HD300 makes a great HTPC extender and even includes some media streaming for video podcasts and youtube.  But to get Netflix support you currently have to couple it with PlayOn which is lesser quality and more cost.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Gifts Fit for a Geek – Magic Wand Remote Control

I’m on the search for the perfect gifts for the media-tech geeks in the family and came across this unique find.  It’s an Infrared remote control that looks like and kind of works like a magic wand!

Magic Wand Remote Control

Those of you in the UK might find this familiar since it was highlighted in a realityTV program.  But for many of us in the U.S. it’s kinda crazy.  It caught my eye since I just finished listening to the last two Harry Potter AudioBooks this week.

 

I know a few geeks who have about everything who might just find this item a must-have :)

The wand is Infrared based, but includes a motion-sensing accelerometer that detects your hand movements.

There’s a simple manual on how to operate the thing along with embedded videos along the way.

You can purchase that very Magic Wand remote control for the low price of $80!



Gifts Fit for a Geek – eReaders

Barnes & Noble NookAmazon Kindle

One of the hottest gifts this year is the eReader.  Prices continue to drop while usability and features have steadily improved.  If you or a loved one reads many books, the eReader should be on your list of gift ideas.  So for those of you shopping for an eReader, which one should you get?  What things should you consider with an eReader?  Read on for advice on purchasing an eReader for yourself or as a gift.

eReader or Paper Book?

This question is becoming less asked, but I still hear it on occasion.  Lets say the person you’re considering an eReader for reads many books each year.  Will they like an eReader?  Most of the time the answer is yes, someone who reads many books will LOVE an eReader.  There are still those people who would rather have the “look and feel” of the paper book.  But most of those people change their mind after using an eReader for a short while – not all, but most.

Can I Borrow Library eBooks?

If the person you’re considering an eReader for gets their books exclusively from the library, it gets a bit tougher.  eBooks can be checked out for many libraries, but the selection is smaller and the supported devices are limited.  Many libraries use Overdrive which has a pretty good list of supported devices.  But the Kindle isn’t included.  If this person is really focused on the library model of borrowing books instead of purchasing, go with the Nook over the Kindle.

E-Ink or LCD/Tablet?

When someone asks me whether they should get an e-ink device like the Kindle or Nook or a tablet with an LCD screen like the Nook Color or iPad, I always ask this:  Does this person read many books?  If they do then the e-ink is really the better option.  Much better readability (easy on eyes like paper compared to the glare and eye strain from LCD screen), much better battery life (read for weeks with e-ink device as opposed to hours/day on LCD device), and mostly lighter with e-ink over LCD. 

The con with e-ink is that it does books great, but isn’t good for magazines or newspapers or web because of the lack of color and poorer navigation.  It should be noted that the e-ink devices are usually less expensive than the full-blown tablets as well.  If this person you’re buying for reads more magazines, newspapers and web browsing and little books – the Tablet is probably a better option.  Read the GeekTonic gift guide on tablets here.

Which One?  Kindle, Nook or other?

There are currently three major players in the e-ink eBook world:  Amazon has the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has the Nook and Sony has their family of eReaders.  I’m not a fan of the Sony because I see them as slow to adapt to the ever-changing eBook world and while their devices are decent, their store and competiveness just doesn’t seem to be up to par with the other two.  I recommend either the newest Kindle or the e-ink version of the Nook.

The latest Kindle is the perfect smallish size with a very crisp screen, it’s super light and has the best UI of all eReaders in my opinion.  I own the graphite-colored version of the latest Kindle and am very pleased with my choice.  MrsGeekTonic owns the slightly older international version of the Kindle and our daughter owns the hand-me-down non-intl version of the Kindle.  You won’t go wrong with the Kindle UNLESS you’re a serious library book borrower.

The Nook (not the Nook Color with LCD) with the latest firmware is nearly as good as the Kindle – even better in some regards.  It is supported by most eReader library collections and has a Barnes & Noble focus.  The original Nook before some firmware updating had some issues that kept me from recommending it equally to the Kindle, but they’ve worked out those kinks and I recommend the Nook to those that don’t want to be locked down by the Amazon’s Kindle store and those who want access to your local library eBook collection.

The Sony will be fine for some, but personally I recommend the Kindle or Nook over all else.  And please stay away from most other eReaders you find in stores these days.  For instance, you’ll find the Pandigital Novell at good prices and other wanna-be eReaders but you’ll be disappointed.  If you’re getting an eReader get the best, not a device the owner will be dissatisfied with.

Wi-Fi only or 3G+Wi-Fi?

I used to think 3G was a must-have.  3G gives you instant access to the online bookstore (Amazon Kindle or B&N Nook) wherever you get a mobile signal.  This is  a great advantage if you live a long way from a bookstore or travel outside of Wi-Fi locations often.  But most of us (me included) will be fine with Wi-Fi only which is a little cheaper.  These devices hold a LOT of books so why not load it up with several before travelling and then you don’t really need the 3G.  Then again, if you have the extra cash I guess the 3G is a good idea.

MrsGeekTonic reads several books a month.  I go through spurts where I read several and other times when I just read occasionally.  For both of us, the eReader is a great device.  Economically it makes more sense for MrsGeekTonic, but for me its a convenience thing as well as the fact that reading from a super-light/small Kindle is just more enjoyable compared to a thick hardcover or paperback book.  And not needing to pack multiple books on trips is an added bonus.

Where to Purchase

The best place to pick up the Kindle is online at Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax for most states:

The Kindle is also available in Best Buy, Target and Staples stores.

The Nook is available at the Barnes & Noble Online Site and in their stores:

The Nook is also located in Best Buy and many other retail stores.

 

Read More:

Kindle Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Kindle 2 - From the Recreational Readers Perspective
The GeekTonic Ultimate Kindle 2 Review
Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle
Battery Life of Kindle Wi-Fi – Awesome
To the Point: Kindle 3 Hands On Reviews Trickle In
New Amazon Kindle Cover – LED Built In

 

Nook Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Nook – From the Recreational Readers Perspective
A Look at the Nook – GeekTonic Reviews the Barnes & Noble e-Reader


Monday, December 06, 2010

Google Opens eBook store and eReader apps

Google unveiled their Google eBook Store and eReader apps this morning.  Actually the announcement was more about the fact that Google is bringing together their eBook properties all under a single roof since their eBook marketplace was already there before today.

The new eBook store has been named the “Google eBookstore” and is basically Google’s take on a unified eBook platform across multiple devices.  You can now read Google eBooks with the following devices:

  • JavaScript-enabled browsers
  • iOS devices
  • Android devices
  • eReaders that support Adobe’s eBook DRM (Nook, Sony Reader and many others)

Those not on the supported eReader list include the Amazon Kindle family, the Kobo, Blackberry and Windows Mobile 7.  Google has the official supported device list here.

To browse and download books in the Google eBookstore you simply go to their web-based store.  To purchase a Google eBooks from the store you’ll need a Google Checkout account or if it happens to be a book from one of their partner resellers (Powell’s Books, Alibris and others) you can pay with credit card or PayPal without a google account.

 

via Google Blog

 

For a good review of Google Books for Android had over to GigaOM

Gifts Fit for a Geek – Tablets

 Apple iPad

The iPad is probably one of the more hyped devices we’ve seen in the past many years but it’s also a pretty useful device.  It’s only real competition right now is the Galaxy Tab.  If you’re shopping for a tablet device and not sure what to get, here’s some advice:

  1. Look at the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.  Don’t even look at the others as they aren’t in the same league.
  2. Expect to pay a lot.  Prices are still at early adopter rates:
    • Galaxy Tab is $399 with a Mobile Contract or $599 without
    • iPad is $499 for the 16GB WiFi-only or $629 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G.  More for those with more memory
  3. If you’re buying for an avid novel reader who is looking for a device primarily for reading books, don’t buy a tablet.  Instead get a Kindle or Nook with e-Ink technology as they are superior for that function.  If you’re buying for someone who reads books some, but wants something for browsing the web, reading magazines and newspapers and for games & other apps, the tablet is your thing.
  4. If you’re buying for someone who already has an iPhone and likes it, pick the iPad.  Alternatively if you’re buying for someone with an Android-based phone go with the Galaxy Tab.
  5. The iPad has a bigger screen but because of its larger size is less mobile than the Galaxy Tab
  6. Know you’re buying an early adopter device.  Expect to see the next new thing in tablets sometime in the first four months of 2011.  If that bothers you, wait.
  7. The tablet isn’t good enough to act as a complete laptop replacement.  It’s not as easy to print (sometimes you can’t print at all iPad), touch-screen keyboards aren’t great for lots of typing.  Blogging with one is painful at best.  But as a consumption device it’s pretty awesome.  And they turn on almost instantly.

Galaxy Tab

If you’re still not sure, check out the Engadget review of the Galaxy Tab and their review of the iPad (Original iPad Review and Updated Software Review)

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a “wow!” gift for someone this season, check out the iPad and Galaxy Tab.  It’s very likely to be the best gift they’ll get this season.  I was skeptical of my iPad when I first picked it up, but I honestly use it daily.

Apple iPad

Samsung Galaxy Tab (Verizon)

Sunday, December 05, 2010

A Media Gadget Lovers Clock Radio – Review of the Sony IFC-CL75IP iPod Clock Radio

A year ago I was on the hunt for a new clock radio with an iPhone/iPod dock built-in.  One would think finding such a device would make for a pretty simple shopping trip right?  Well there are now several options out there to choose from and while I started with pretty simple needs here, my inner-geek pushed me to find a clock radio that handled more than just the typical tasks.  Enter the Sony Dream Machine IFC-CL75IP.

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I just needed a simple clock radio right?  Yes this is true, but as I often do I added a few extra requirements to my clock radio want list:

  • Dual Alarm
  • Dimming Display
  • Large time display
  • iPod/iPhone dock – for charging and possibly playing back music…

That list actually fits several available clock radio options.  But I chose the one that had the cool factor going for it.  An Engadget story about one particular Sony clock radio caught my eye in a big way and I couldn’t resist.

Sony Dream Machine IFC-CL75IP doesn’t have a catchy name.  Matter of fact it has a terrible model name that only an engineer could love.  But its feature list makes it the “swiss army knife” of clock radios:

  • iPod Dock that slides out on the side & retracts out of sight when not in use
Sony Clock Radio
  • Dual Alarm – wake up to nature sounds, iPod/iPhone music, radio, personal message (recorded by you) or built-in buzzer
  • 2-5-7 Day Alarms – Alarms are customizable to do 2-day, 5-day or all 7-days.  A must-have feature for me.
  • Built-in memory – 1GB
  • Memory Stick port, SD memory card port and USB port
  • Built-in Lithium battery – maintains time during power interuption
  • Built-in stereo speakers for sound – not great speakers honestly.  But usable for the role it plays
  • Automatic time adjustment – built-in calndar recognizes dates and makes proper time adjustments – NOTE:  The time is factory set which honestly is a bad thing…  More on that later
  • LCD Screen – 7” diagonal LCD WVGA (800 x 480) screen isn’t the best of picture quality for video, but just fine for photo slideshows which is what you’ll use it for more anyway
  • Customizable display – Set background photo, photo slideshow, change the way the time and photos show on the LCD screen
  • iPod/iPhone compatibility:  Compatible with iPhone®, iPhone 3G, iPod® touch, iPod Nano 3rd generation, iPod classic, iPod Nano 2nd generation, iPod 5th generation, iPod Nano 1st generation and 5th generation, iPod 4th generation, iPod mini
  • Format Support: P4, Motion JPEG and AVI
  • AM/FM Memory Presets : 20 FM/10 AM
  • Snooze w/Extendable Snooze : Snooze: 10 minute intervals up to 1 hour
  • Sleep timer: 10 min./20 min./30 min./60 min./90 min./120 min.
  • 4 Step brightness control (Hi, Mid, Lo, Night Mode)
  • Voice Recorder : Record up to 10 seconds

 

Not Your Average Clock Radio

The first thing you’ll notice about this clock radio is the 7-inch (800 x 480) LCD screen.  This gives it a couple of advantages over other similar clock radios.  First, It can optionally display the time and date in very large fonts for those with bad eyesight.  The LCD screen also means this device makes a decent digital photo frame as well.  You can also watch videos (MP4, AVI) from the memory card reader, USB port and your iPhone.  I actually streamed movies from my Home Theater PC server to this thing using the SageTV Mobile Web app.  Now don’t get too excited here as the video quality on this screen is not great.  I’d much prefer to watch videos on my iPad or better yet TV, but it CAN do it if you so choose.  Below is a screen-shot of the clock radio displaying “The Office” streamed from my SageTV HTPC to my iPhone and displaying on the clock radio’s LCD screen.  Bet you can’t do that with your clock radio…

TV streaming to Sony Clock Radio

The photo slideshow and background image capability of this device is where it really shines.  You can choose a photo to display as the background of your clock radio or have it show a photo slideshow like a digital photo frame.  The time will still display while doing this, but you can change how it displays: either in large font that centers on the LCD or smaller on the lower-right corner.

The back of the clock radio has a memory stick port, SD memory card port and USB port all of which can be used for the slideshow or video content.  Of course it also includes a 1GB internal storage and can display from your iPod or iPhone.

Memory Card and USB ports on back

The Dream Machine in Action:

The iPod/iPhone dock is hidden away on the side of the clock radio.  It has a tension release tray that you press to open and push back in to hide it back away.  It’s functional, but seems a bit flimsy to me.  While I get the feeling it could break if not careful I haven’t broken it in the year I’ve owned it – even though I admit my clock radio gets some abuse when I awake abruptly at times.

020016

The most important function of this thing is honestly the alarm.  Fortunately the alarm works great and has all of the features I need.  It’s a dual alarm (it takes two to get my rear up some mornings) and each of the two alarms can be programmed to wake on weekdays (5-days) only, 2-days only (weekends) or every day (7-days).   The alarm noise itself can be set to wake you with built-in nature sounds, iPod/iPhone music, radio, a personal message (recorded by you) or built-in buzzer.  It also has a snooze function that shuts up the alarm in 10 minute intervals up to 1 hour when you hit the snooze button on top of clock radio.

Another feature that is essential with a clock radio that displays so much light due to it’s larger-than-normal LCD screen is the dimmer.  When you hit the large, top- snooze button it rotates between four brightness settings.  High, Mid, Low and an almost black-dark night mode.

The radio works well and has a very good signal for both AM and FM.  With your iPhone plugged into the dock you can add Pandora and other streaming like Sirius radio to the mix as functionality which is pretty nice.

Menu Screen

The menu on the screen will be familiar to Playstation 3 users as it shares some similarities.  It’s pretty easy to figure out regardless, but expect lots of settings since it has so many features.The radio is pretty sweet an gets a better signal than the old clock radio I had in exactly the same position.

Negatives:

  • Sometimes when you put the iPhone (I have an iPhone 4) in the dock you get “this device is not supported” on your iPhone.  This hasn’t happened much, but requires that I re-fit the iPhone in the dock or hit dismiss when it does to get rid of the message.  This seems to happen when you don’t fit the phone in the dock just right so the pins don’t line up.  Annoying, but since it’s rare I haven’t let it bother me too much

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  • While the track & playback information does display on the LCD during music playback from your iPod, no album artwork displays
  • No Remote Control.  Yes, this is intended to be used as a nightstand clock radio, but with it’s digital photo frame and video playback capabilities, a remote would be a handy addition.
  • Audio quality from the clock radio is passable, but very little bass sound.  Music quality is simply not great.
  • iPod/iPhone Dock Quality – that “not optimized” message I get on occasion is a bummer.  And the dock itself seems a bit flimsy
  • Internal “demo” photos can’t be deleted without some work so they get mixed into your slideshow.  A few months ago Sony FINALLY came out with a firmware update to fix this, but it’s simply mindboggling that they took so many months to do this – and it takes a little work to do the firmware update via USB thumbdrive.  Once I installed the firmware update from the Sony support page I was able to delete those stupid demo photos.  This is the very reason I didn’t review this device before the firmware update.
  • No headphone jack and no audio-in port

Final Verdict:

I recommend this clock radio with some qualification:  If you’re a geek who likes the functionality this thing brings, by all means check it out.  If the sound of “firmware update” gives you chills or worse – doesn’t make sense to you…. stay away.  I am extremely happy with my choice of this clock radio with it’s nice LCD screen, great alarm clock functions, photo album display and decent iPod/iPhone dock.  But it isn’t for everyone – especially those that like simplicity.

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Amazon sells the Sony ICFCL75iP iPod Docking Clock Radio for $129.99

MWave sells it for $130

Sony sells it for $159

You can also find it at retailers like Best Buy and Target

Sony Product Page



TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 12/05/2010

December arrives with more TV to watch.  This week we have a bunch of finales and a couple of premieres.  Like every week, GeekTonic covers the TV scene with a complete listing of premieres, finales and specials for the week.

Boardwalk Empire

HBO’s Boardwalk Empire has it’s season 1 finale tonight, but will be back for a second season


Check out the complete list of finales, premieres & specials below.

The GeekTonic Guide to TV Premieres, Finales and Specials this Week – 12/05/2010

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change

 

Sunday, December 5

IRT Deadliest Roads (9pm on History – HD) Season 1 finale

Boardwalk Empire (9pm on HBO – HD) Season 1 finale

Sturgis (9pm on Travel – HD) A new travel series based on the famous Sturgis bike gathering

Gene Simmons Family Jewels (9pm on A&E – HD) Season 5 premiere

I Survived (9pm on Biography - HD) Season premiere

The Hasselhofs (10pm on A&E – HD) New reality series with you guessed it, David Hasselhof and family

I Survived…Beyond & Back (10pm on Biography) New documentary series on dying and coming back to life

Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business (11pm on VH1) Season premiere

 

Monday, December 6

The Sing Off (8pm on NBC) Season 2 premiere

American Country Awards (8pm on Fox – HD) Another awards show hosted by Trace Adkins with performances by Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Josh Turner, Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Uncle Kracker.

Cake Boss: Next Great Baker (9pm on TLC – HD) New reality/food contest series

Men of a Certain Age (10pm on TNT – HD) Season 2 premiere

Tabatha's Salon Takeover (10pm on Bravo – HD) Season premiere

 

Tuesday, December 7

In Treatment (9:30pm on HBO – HD) Season 3 finale

Running Russell Simmons (10pm on Oxygen) Season finale

Strange Days with Bob Saget (11:30pm on A&E – HD) Season 1 finale

Thursday, December 9

Rocky Mountain Gators (8pm on Animal Planet – HD) New series where Jay Young raises alligators in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

The Apprentice (10pm on NBC) Season finale

Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files (10pm on SyFy – HD) Season finale

The League (11:02 on FX – HD) Season finale

Friday, December 10

The Good Guys (9pm on Fox – HD) Season 1 finale

 

Saturday, December 11

An Old-Fashioned Christmas (8pm on Hallmark) A made-for-TV holiday movie

Pets 101 (8pm on Animal Planet – HD) New series focused on pets.  This first episode is about Peculiar Pets such as: Pet Pig, Hedgehog, Pygmy Goat, Capybara, Mini Donkey, Skunk.

VH1 Divas: Salute the Troops (9pm on VH1 – HD) Musical performances include Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Keri Hilson, Sugarland, Paramore and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

 

Sunday, December 12

Basketball Wives (8pm on VH1) Season 2 premiere

Amazing Race (8pm on CBS ) Season 17 finale

Dexter (9pm on Showtime – HD) Season 5 finale

Ax Men (9pm on History – HD) Season 3 premiere

When Rome Ruled (9pm on National Geographic – HD) New history series all about the Roman empire

 

Monday, December 13

Phowned! (7pm on Spike) New reality series

Intervention (9pm on A&E – HD) Season 10 premiere



If you follow GeekTonic for the TV Premieres and news, you’ll want to click here if you would like to get a regular e-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News.



Sunday, November 28, 2010

TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 11/28/2010

We’ve survived all of that turkey and the shopping over the past several days.  Now it’s time for more TV.  This week we have a bunch of reality series premieres and a few finales.


Like every week, GeekTonic covers the TV scene with a complete listing of premieres, finales and specials for the week.
Cast of Terriers on FX
         The cast of FX’s great show, Terriers.  Season finale this week


Check out the complete list of finales, premieres & specials below.

The GeekTonic Guide to TV Premieres, Finales and Specials this Week – 11/28/2010

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change

Sunday, November 28

When Vacations Attack (8pm on Travel – HD) New travel series about vacation mishaps.  I’m guessing we’ll see spam on this series sooner or later

Bridalplasty (9pm on E! – HD) A new reality series that is yet another demonstration of what is wrong with reality TV

Wild Justice (9pm on National Geographic – HD) New animal/reality series where game wardens show us their jobs of patrolling West Coast wilderness areas

Paranormal State (9:30pm on A&E – HD) Season finale

Snapped (10pm on Oxygen) Season finale

Monday, November 29

Africa’s Great Rift (8pm on National Geographic Wild) New nature series

Finding Amelia (9pm on Discovery – HD) New reality/history series focused on finding out what happened to Amelia Earhart.

Restepo: Afghan Outpost (9pm on National Geographic – HD) A documentary following a platoon of American soldiers on a 1-year deployment to one of the most-dangerous outposts in Afghanistan.

 

Tuesday, November 30

Christmas in Rockefeller Center (8pm on NBC – HD) A special musical presentation that includes performances by Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, the Radio City Rockets and more

Sons of Anarchy (10pm on FX – HD) Season 3 finale

Strange Days With Bob Saget (10pm on A&E – HD) New reality series where Bob Saget explores different lifestyles & cultures of America

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (10pm on CBS) The famous special to help men choose the proper garments…. okay well it was worth a try.  Katy Perry and Akon perform along with a bunch of models

 

 

Wednesday, December 1

America’s Next Top Model (8pm on CW) Season 15 finale

Nazi Hunters (8pm on National Geographic) A new documentary series

The President's Book of Secrets (9pm on History – HD) – A special documentary showing us some of the secrets only known to the President

Terriers (10pm on FX – HD) Season 1 finale of the best new show this season that nobody is watching.  Seriously if you haven’t been following this series you’ve been missing out

Storage Wars (10pm on A&E – HD) New reality series centered around professional buyers of storage units – looking for lost treasures

Top Chef All-Stars (10pm on Bravo – HD) Season 8 premiere

Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew (10pm on VH1) Season 6 premiere

 

Thursday, December 2

Brad Meltzer's Decoded (10pm on History – HD) A new history/reality series focused around a a well-known author (Meltzer) who demonstrates theories based on hidden codes and symbols

 

Friday, December 3

A Walk in My Shoes (8pm on NBC – HD) Made for TV movie where a stranger helps a high-school teacher (played by Nancy Travis) learn the truth behind the poor performance of a student athlete

Gold Rush: Alaska (10pm on Discovery – HD) A new reality series where 6 men head to Alaska in search of gold

 

Saturday, December 4

Sunday, December 5

IRT Deadliest Roads (9pm on History – HD) Season 1 finale

Boardwalk Empire (9pm on HBO – HD) Season 1 finale

Sturgis (9pm on Travel – HD) A new travel series based on the famous Sturgis bike gathering

Gene Simmons Family Jewels (9pm on A&E – HD) Season 5 premiere

I Survived (9pm on Biography - HD) Season premiere

The Hasselhofs (10pm on A&E – HD) New reality series with you guessed it, David Hasselhof and family

I Survived…Beyond & Back (10pm on Biography) New documentary series on dying and coming back to life

Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business (11pm on VH1) Season premiere

 

Monday, December 6

The Sing Off (8pm on NBC) Season 2 premiere

Cake Boss: Next Great Baker (9pm on TLC – HD) New reality/food contest series

Men of a Certain Age (10pm on TNT – HD) Season 2 premiere

Tabatha's Salon Takeover (10pm on Bravo – HD) Season premiere



If you follow GeekTonic for the TV Premieres and news, you’ll want to click here if you would like to get a regular e-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News.



Monday, November 22, 2010

Netflix Raises Prices and Adds Streaming Only Plan

Netflix Logo

Today Netflix finally announced their long-speculated streaming-only plan.  The bigger news however is the fact that they basically raised the price for all plans by a dollar per month.  That may not seem like much, but over time it makes the value proposition of Netflix go down for me.

I’m currently using the 1 DVD out at at time unlimited plus Blu-ray which is $10.99 per month.  The increase takes it to $11.99.  I use the streaming service sparingly to say the least and opt for an occasional Blu-ray as my mail-to-home movie.  Even with the 1 movie a month plan I’m busy enough I’ll sometimes not even rent more than one movie a month.  Another problem for me is the new release delay that Netflix is now saddled with – the value of their new releases is lower than the value of the much maligned Blockbuster new releases. 

A streaming-only plan was needed for those that don’t care much about the picture quality of their movies, but I was hoping for a lower price for that version given the much lower list of available movies and lower PQ.  Here’s the new pricing schedule – add $2.00 for the Blu-ray option:

NetflixPricingChange

If you’re like me and already have a Netflix subscription, your plan will update to the new rate starting with the next billing period OR after January 2, 2011.  I’m guessing that 1/2/2011 date is for those that put their Netflix account on a “vacation” between now and then and therefore delaying their billing date.

Netflix Price Increase

It will be interesting to see how their subscriber number change from this.  Netflix is the big guy these days so they’ll probably do fine, but my happiness with them just dropped about a dollar a month…

via Netflix Blog

Sunday, November 21, 2010

TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 11/21/2010

We’re there – the holiday season is upon us once again with Thanksgiving for all of the U.S. And it’s time for another What’s-on-TV Check-In.  This week we have a a few premieres, a few finales and a bunch of holiday specials.
Like every week, GeekTonic covers the TV scene with a complete listing of premieres, finales and specials for the week.
Macy Day's Parade
Macy Day’s Parade on NBC Thanksgiving Day

Check out the complete list of finales, premieres & specials below.

The GeekTonic Guide to TV Premieres, Finales and Specials this Week – 11/14/2010

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change
Click Here if you want a downloadable PDF  version of this “GeekTonic TV This Week Guide.”

Sunday, November 21

2010 American Music Awards (8pm on ABC – HD) Lots of current pop artists including Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Kid Rock and more perform
The Next Iron Chef (9pm on Food – HD) Season 3 finale
Paranormal State: The New Class (9:30pm on A&E – HD) New series
Brew Masters (10pm on Discovery – HD) Finally a reality series I can get into.  Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewery along with his crew travel the world in search of new ingredients and long-standing techniques to produce this original elixir.
Top Gear (10pm on History – HD) New series for the U.S. as the popular UK reality series comes across the pond.
Jilted? (10pm on WE – HD) New romance/drama series
Futurama Holiday Spectacular (10pm on Comedy) The Holiday special for this sci-fi comedy series brings us voices of Al Gore and Coolio.

Monday, November 22

X-Play’s Holiday Buyers Guides (6:30pm on G4) Part one of a three-part special with the best Wii and DS games of the year
How I Met Your Mother (8pm on CBS – HD) Thanksgiving special with Lost star Jorge Garcia!
Skating with the Stars (9:11pm on ABC – HD) A new reality series that takes dancing with the stars and makes it about skating…
Mike & Molly (9:30pm on CBS – HD) Thanksgiving special
Fabulous Cakes (10pm on TLC – HD) Series premiere for a food-centric reality show

Tuesday, November 23

Eyewitness (8pm on National Geographic) – New crime/reality series
Dancing With the Stars (9pm on ABC – HD) Season 11 finale.  And seriously isn’t that something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Raising Hope (9pm on Fox – HD) Thankgiving special
Jilted? (10pm on WE – HD) New romance/drama series
Restless Planet (10pm on National Geographic World) – New Science Documentary series
Parenthood (10pm on NBC – HD) Thanksgiving special with Billy Baldwin guest starring

Wednesday, November 24

The Middle (8pm on ABC – HD) Thanksgiving special with Norm Macdonald guest starring
Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special (8:30pm on NBC) A Holiday special version with Jack Black as Po, along with Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan and David Cross back in their roles from the movie
Inside NASCAR (10pm on Showtime – HD) Season finale
Bacon Paradise (10pm on Travel) Yes the travel channel agrees that everything tastes better with bacon so they are having a bacon-centric special.
Modern Family (9pm on ABC – HD) Holiday special with Celia Weston guest starring
Cougar Town (9:30pm on ABC – HD) A “romantic” Thanksgiving special

Thursday, November 25

Burn Notice Marathon (6am & all day on USA – HD) A hearty serving of Burn Notice on all day
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (9am on NBC – HD) The annual special hosted by Matt Lauer, Meridith Viera and Al Roker
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (8pm on ABC) Special
Punkin Chunkin 2010 (8pm on Discovery – HD) What better way to send of Thanksgiving than a bunch of engineers coming up with new ways to send pumpkins flying like rockets
Taylor Swift: Speak Now (8pm on NBC – HD) Special 9-song performance
Facing Evil (10pm on Investigation Discovery – HD) New law documentary series

Friday, November 26

School Pride (8pm on NBC) Season 1 finale

Saturday, November 27


Sunday, November 28

When Vacations Attack (8pm on Travel – HD) New travel series about vacation mishaps.  I’m guessing we’ll see spam on this series sooner or later
Paranormal State (9:30pm on A&E – HD) Season finale
Snapped (10pm on Oxygen) Season finale

Monday, November 29

Africa’s Great Rift (8pm on National Geographic Wild) New nature series
Finding Amelia (9pm on Discovery – HD) New reality/history series focused on finding out what happened to Amelia Earhart.

If you follow GeekTonic for the TV Premieres and news, you’ll want to click here if you would like to get a regular e-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Amazon announced today that Amazon shoppers can now purchase any Kindle eBook as a gift to anyone with an e-mail address.  Yes, it’s kind of difficult to wrap up that eBook as a present but as a Kindle owner I can tell you this is a really nice feature addition. 

 4839784548_5f6d05b75c[1]

The Gift giver chooses a book in the Kindle Store, and sends the e-book as a gift by simply inserting the recipient’s email address. Recipients can then redeem the gift in the Kindle Store to read on any Kindle or Kindle app.

Amazon adds this feature just in time for the holidays and right after earlier announcements that that magazines and newspapers will be available on Kindle apps and that users will soon be able to lend e-books for a 2-week period just like Barnes & Noble Nook readers can.

Full Press Release at Amazon



SageTV 7 The Getting Started Guide – Part 2

If you’re wanting to get your feet wet and give SageTV a try this is your guide.  I’ll take you step-by-step through the installation and basic setup of SageTV along with many screen-shots as possible.  This will be a multi-part article with the first part starting with the basic installation of SageTV 7 which was just released from Beta last week.
Earlier this week in Part 1 of SageTV the Getting Started Guide we covered what SageTV is, the basics of what it can do with extenders and multiple HTPCs, why choose a HTPC and the first steps of installation.
The last step we covered in Part one was adding the recording directory (or directories if you have more than one) where the TV will be recorded to.  I should note that I currently use two drives for recording TV.  You can set your disk space usage rules as “use only, use all, leave free” along with the specified amount of Gigabytes. 
Notice on the first drive below I’m limiting recording space to 250GB for now, but the second drive can be filled up with recordings.  Like most things with SageTV this is up to you.  SageTV will record to both drives and by default balance between the two when possible to optimize disk read/right activity as well as available space between multiple drives.


46 b


Thursday, November 18, 2010

Media Center HTPC Meeting in Houston

Mikinho of MissingRemote fame is hosting a meet-up in Houston, Texas for Media Center and HTPC enthusiasts.

  • Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2010
  • Time: 6:00-9:00 pm
  • Location: PageSoutherlandPage, Architects Engineers Consultants
    1100 Louisiana Suite One
    Houston, TX 77002

There will be presentation/talks from Cannon PC, Fluid Digital, Amulet Devices, Missing Remote’s Michael “Mikinho” Welter and more!  Also part of the meet-up will be a bunch of nice demo’s including RemoteFX and other fun stuff.  If you’re in the area and interested in HTPC’s this is a must-attend event.

Complete details along with the RSVP link at MissingRemote.com.

Deal of the Day - Antec Fusion Remote HTPC Case

Antec Black Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

Newgg has a special deal on the Antec Black Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case$134.95 after $35 instant discount ($2.99 shipping).

The Antec Black Aluminum/Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center/HTPC Case features a low profile desktop aluminum plate front bezel with LCD and IR receiver triple chamber structure and removable HDD brackets. It includes 1 external 5.25" drive bays, 2 internal 3.5" drive bays and 4 expansion slots.

SageTV Basics - How To Install Hauppauge HD-PVR with SageTV

Hauppauge HD-PVR
Want to record any channel from your Cable or Satellite TV provider?  Better yet, want to be able to detect commercials on those recordings and control how you use & store those recordings?  Well the Hauppauge HD-PVR is your device.  The HD-PVR from Hauppauge records directly from the component out port of any device and uses the “analog hole” to bypass any restrictions put on the content by the provider.  SageTV has the best (read most reliable) solution for using the HD-PVR and today I’ll show you how to install and set up the Hauppauge HD-PVR for use with SageTV’s HTPC software.
Hauppauge describes the HD-PVR this way:
HD PVR is the world’s first High Definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i.  HD-PVR records component video (YCrCb) from video game consoles and cable TV and satellite set top boxes, with a built-in IR blaster to automatically change TV channels for scheduled recordings. Audio is recorded using two channel stereo or optical audio with five channel Dolby Digital.
If you’re using the HD-PVR for recording TV content to SageTV you’ll need either a Cable box or a Satellite box with a component video output and preferably an optical output for audio.  Added bonus if your cable/satellite box has an active firewire port because if it does I’ll show you how to connect your cable box to your HTPC to change channels more quickly and accurately than using an IR Blaster.

Read on for the complete how-to on setting up the HD-PVR with SageTV

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hulu Plus Goes Gold – Drops Price to $7.99 per Month

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Hulu is out of beta (they called it Preview) and is ready for the masses.  As part of the launch they’ve also dropped the price from $9.99 to 7.99 and is offering those who have been paying the higher per month subscription price a credit on their next bill.  Also notable is the addition of Hulu Plus available to Roku users.

Hulu Plus is a good way to get the network shows streamed over the web instead of through traditional OTA and cable means and a way to watch it when you want to.  The $7.99 is still a little pricey for me since I already control what I watch and when I watch it thanks to my HTPC, but it’s nice to have options.  As part of the launch, Hulu is also offering the following special offers:

One free week trials for all new subscribers. In addition, current subscribers who joined during the preview period will receive a credit for one week of Hulu Plus toward their next month’s subscription.
Two free weeks of Hulu Plus for both current subscribers and friends they invite through our referral program. Subscribers can learn more by clicking on the “Referrals” tab on their Hulu profile page.
11 weeks ($20 worth) of free Hulu Plus with the purchase of a Sony BRAVIA connected TV or Blu-ray player through January 31, 2011. (See sony.com/huluplus.)
One free month of Hulu Plus with the purchase of a Roku device through December 15, 2010. (See roku.com/hulu.)

It should be interesting to watch the coming battle between Hulu and Netflix.  Something else to watch is to see what additional devices Hulu Plus crops up on in the near future.

via Hulu Blog

Ask the Readers – What Books Should I Read?

Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin 

A little off topic here, but as the holidays near I’ll be doing a little more reading than normal.  I like to mix in some time for “off-the-grid” reading of fiction and history books and will be packing my Kindle with as much book goodness as I can.  I’m looking for your suggestions for about any book you geeks (and non-geeks) recommend I check out.  I read a variety of genres including history, mystery, suspense, sci-fi and more.

Let me know in the comments and I’ll do a follow-up post with some of your suggestions.

SageTV 7 The Getting Started Guide – Part 1

If you’re wanting to get your feet wet and give SageTV a try this is your guide.  I’ll take you step-by-step through the installation and basic setup of SageTV along with many screen-shots as possible.  This will be a multi-part article with the first part starting with the basic installation of SageTV 7 which was just released from Beta last week.
SageTV Main Menu with Serenity Theme
My goal in the multi-part series is to provide those curious about SageTV all of the basics they need to get started, learn more about what makes SageTV different, what SageTV can do and finally a review of SageTV 7.
SageTV 7 - The Getting Started Guide:
SageTV 7 The Getting Started Guide - Part 1
SageTV 7 The Getting Started Guide – Part 2
SageTV 7 The How to Install Hauppauge HD-PVR with SageTV
List of all SageTV 7 Plugins
Setting up SageTV 7 Commercial Skipping

Before we get started though lets go through some basics:

What is SageTV?

SageTV is a Home Theater PC (HTPC) software that performs DVR functions (recording TV, time-shifting TV), playback of movies (DVDs, Blu-rays, ripped movies on hard drive etc), music, photos and more.  SageTV works with Windows, Windows Home Server, Linux and Mac (V6 only). 

Want to Avoid a Big, Noisy Computer in Living Room?  Extenders are for You!

Want a small, silent box (extender) instead of a computer in your living room?  SageTV offers an excellent extender for just that purpose.  But to use it as a full-fledged TV recording HTPC, you’ll need at least one computer with SageTV installed.  This computer will be your HTPC server.

Computers can be Extenders Too

Want to use multiple computers in the house like an extender?  You can do that with SageTV.  You’ll still have one HTPC server, but can then have as many additional HTPCs in the house that work just like extenders (softsled for those of you who followed MediaCenter a few years ago).  These additional HTPCs will use SageTV Client.

Why HTPC instead of TiVo or Cable DVR?

Well I could devote an entire article to this topic.  But the big reasons to use an HTPC over the cable box and/or TiVo are as follows:
  • Complete control over your content.  You record it, save it as long as you like, convert it for playback on your mobile device etc.  You can even stream your media to your iPad/iPod/iPhone!
  • Commercial Skip.  With a simple installation of a 3rd party commercial skip program your HTPC can detect commercials and you can skip them with a click of a button or even automatically.
  • Expandable.  Want to watch 1 show and record 5 or more at the same time?  You can do it with the right number of tuners in your HTPC server.  Want to save a seasons worth of your favorite shows and watch them in the summer when you have more time?  It’s up to you on how big and how many hard drives you include on your HTPC.  Bottom line is you can expand your HTPC as you want.
  • Evolve as new features come along.  You won’t have to wait for your cable company to come out of the stone ages – your HTPC gets new features all the time with new updates.  Online streaming of content, Picasa plugins and much more is available to you with an HTPC.
    Read On for the Full SageTV Installation Walk-Through

    Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    HTPCentric Podcast on Switching to SageTV

    HTPCentric Podcast Logo

    My favorite HTPC podcast, HTPCentric spent this month’s episode talking to Alton Marschall who recently made the switch from Windows 7 Media Center to SageTV 7.  Alton gives his take on SageTV versus MediaCenter as a SageTV newbie and has some excellent criticisms of both programs.  Another must-listen episode!

    More at HTPCentric



    Saturday, November 13, 2010

    TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 11/14/2010

    It’s time for another What’s-on-TV Check-In.  This week we have a little Sarah Palin, Summer Glau on Chuck and Human Target returning to primetime.

    Like every week, GeekTonic covers the TV scene with a complete listing of premieres, finales and specials for the week.

     Human Target

         Human Target returns this Wednesday on Fox

     

    Check out the complete list of finales, premieres & specials below.

    The GeekTonic Guide to TV Premieres, Finales and Specials this Week – 11/14/2010

    NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change

    Click Here if you want a downloadable PDF  version of this “GeekTonic TV This Week Guide.”

    Sunday, November 14

    Sarah Palin’s Alaska (9pm on TLC – HD) A new reality series with Palin in Alaska

    Amazing Wedding Cakes (10pm on WE – HD) – Season finale

    Bored to Death (10pm on HBO – HD) Season finale

     

    Monday, November 15

    Chuck (8pm on NBC – HD) Not a premiere or finale, but hey, Summer Glau from Firefly and that other show :) will be guest starring.

    Weeds (10pm on Showtime – HD) Season 6 finale

    The Big C (10:30pm on Showtime – HD) Season finale

     

    Tuesday, November 16

    Apocalypse PA (10pm on History – HD) A 2-part series where Belcastros, a Pennsylvania family learning to become self-sufficient in preparation of the possible collapse of civilization

    Glory Daze (10pm on TBS – HD) New sitcom series where four college freshmen learn about fraternity life

    Ace of Cakes (11pm on Food – HD) Season finale

     

    Wednesday, November 17

    Human Target (8pm on Fox – HD) the popular action/drama returns for a new season

    Top Chef: Just Deserts (10pm on Bravo – HD) Season finale

     

    Friday, November 19

    House of Glam (7pm on Oxygen) Series finale

    Dennis Miller: The Big Speech (10pm on HBO – HD) A special comedy event with Dennis Miller

     

    Saturday, November 20

    Fix This Kitchen (10pm on A&E – HD) Season finale

     

    Sunday, November 21

    The Next Iron Chef (9pm on Food – HD) Season finale

    Jilted? (10pm on WE – HD) New romance/drama series

    Paranormal State: The New Class (9:30pm on A&E – HD) New series

    Brew Masters (10pm on Discovery – HD) Finally a reality series I can get into.  Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewery along with his crew travel the world in search of new ingredients and long-standing techniques to produce this original elixir.

    Top Gear (10pm on History – HD) New series for the U.S. as the popular UK reality series comes across the pond.

     

    Monday, November 22

    Skating with the Stars (9:11pm on ABC – HD) A new reality series that takes dancing with the stars and makes it about skating…

    Fabulous Cakes (10pm on TLC – HD) Season premiere

    If you follow GeekTonic for the TV Premieres and news, you’ll want to click here if you would like to get a regular e-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News.



    Friday, November 12, 2010

    Deal of the Day - Panasonic TC-P42G25 42” Plasma with Soundbar $800

    A crazy-good deal for today comes from Amazon

    Panasonic TC-P42G25 Plasma 

    Amazon has a bundle with the best Panasonic 2D 1080p HDTV TC-P42G25 Plasma. 

    I have the 3D Plasma from Panasonic which is more expensive, but the G25 is very highly rated and includes their internet streaming, skype video calls (with optional camera) and other nice features.   Plus they’re throwing in the $350 retail SC-HTB500 2.1 SoundBar Speaker with subwoofer for free.

    Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

    This is today (Friday 11/12) only and a gold box deal on Amazon.

    MythTV 0.24 Released

    MythTV Logo

    Users of MythTV, the most popular linux-based HTPC software (open source and free of course) now have their 0.24 release after a six-month wait!

    This latest version (0.24) of the open source HTPC software includes several updates and new features including a new on screen display, all new HD audio support, Blu-ray support and many other features and fixes.

    Get the details on the 0.24 release with a full changelog at the MythTV page



    SageTV 7 Released from Beta

    If your one of the few who haven’t already installed SageTV 7 during the beta cycle and were waiting for it to be official, your wait is over.  Last night SageTV officially released their latest version of SageTV and the beta testing is over.

    SageTV 7 brings a new User Interface, a Plugin Manager for easier installation of Plugins and much more.  Check out my overview of the new features and watch the intro video below to get a good feel of what SageTV can do

     

    SageTV Plans to make an official Splash about SageTV 7 in the coming days including the unveiling of their new blog.  Stay tuned for more info.

    Purchase or Upgrade to SageTV 7 at the SageTV Website



    Boxee Box Has Arrived

    Boxee Box

    The first reports of people receiving their Boxee Box started yesterday right after the Boxee Event.  Boxee wants to play with the big boys like GoogleTV and AppleTV and announced Netflix support coming “this year” and Hulu Plus

    Thursday Boxee officially unveiled their Boxee Box, a non-PVR HTPC streaming, set top box built by D-Link.  The big news in the announcement was that shipments have begun already (many have already received theirs) and Netflix & Hulu Plus support is on its way.

    Boxee Box Hardware

    The Boxee Box is built on an Atom-based platform much like Logitech Revue GoogleTV. 

    iFixIt had a teardown of the Boxee Box on launch day (check out the teardown at iFixIt here.)

    Boxee Box Inside

    Inside you find:

    • Intel Atom CE4110 SOC processor
    • Wolfson WM8524G stereo DAC
    • AKM 8137A multi-clock generator
    • Nanya 1035 NT5CB128MCN-CG 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM (1/2 total RAM capacity)
    • RealTek RTL8201N 10/100 Ethernet PHYceiver
    • FE1.1 USB 2.0 HUB LG3A924A6180
    • 1 GB NAND Flash
    • Microchip PIC24FJ64GA004-I/PT 16-bit flash microcontroller
    • 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM (1/2 total RAM capacity)

    Netflix & Hulu Plus Coming

    Boxee provides access to many online sources like VUDU (SD only), Vimeo, YouTube and others – much like GoogleTV and others.  Boxee apps work on the box and it allows access to content to your local network and storage devices as well.

    Boxee seems to have given in to the fact they can’t get official content support and still allow things like unauthorized streaming of Hulu and torrents – things that make those content providers edgy.  And so they seem to have worked out agreements with Netflix for official support on the box before 2010 ends (we’ll see if they’re able to meet that promise) and Hulu Plus sometime soon (read: Hulu deal isn’t all worked out yet so I say 2011).  Both great additions, but similar to many other devices by the time they get both of those providers online.

    I see the Boxee box as a great alternative to the AppleTV and GoogleTV if your focus is on video content on your local network and streaming content available on Boxee.  I’ve decided to hold off on reviewing the Boxee Box for now though – perhaps if they add TV tuning at some point…  We should see a full review at ZatzNotFunny! before long though.

    You can order a Boxee Box at Amazon now for $199 

    More info on the Official Boxee Blog

    Did you get a Boxee Box?  Let us know how you like it in the comments!



    Wednesday, November 10, 2010

    Linksys Extenders Working Again – Just a Simple Mistake

    Sounds like Cisco has resolved the problem with the Linksys MediaCenter Extenders.  They did some server maintenance and had an issue with the certificate server that all of their extenders automatically checked into via the web. 

    So those extenders were off-line for about 48 hours give or take – not as bad as many had expected.  But I wonder, why do these extenders NEED to check in over the internet to continue working?  What happens when Cisco decides to no longer keep that server running?  Should other HTPC extender owners worry about this as well?

    via Engadget

    Monday, November 08, 2010

    Linksys MediaCenter Extenders Terminate Themselves – Hack Required to Revive

    Linksys Media Center Extender

    All weekend I watched as more and more Microsoft MediaCenter users reported that their Linksys Windows MediaCenter Extenders (DMA2100 & DMA2200) stopped working – mostly in unison.  Users are understandably frustrated and thus far Cisco hasn’t provided any official response.  Fortunately there is a hack that gets the extenders working again.

    You can follow the carnage of Linksys users on this GreenButton Forum Thread.  Several reports began streaming in as soon as Thursday evening, November 4th from users that had one or more Linksys extenders just stop working.

    “So my DMA-2200 media extender is frozen.   All it says is network is connected.  It won't output via HDMI (like it has for years).  When I pull the cord and let it set for a minute I get the same result.  And I have hit the reset botton on the back.  I am at a complete loss.”

    More and more reports began streaming in over the next few hours and throughout the weekend

    “The exact same thing is happening to me also for all 3 of my extenders (2-DMA2200 and 1 DMA2100).   I usually run wired but I also had the same issue with wireless.   It says waiting for network c.   If I boot without wired/wireless connection, I can boot up until I plug the wired connection in.   It will get an ip address and lock up.   I don't think it is a linksys problem because I just used all 3 extenders last night.”

    Some are speculating that Cisco just pulled a “kill switch” and others are saying it must be some problem with a DRM check.  Whatever the issue, it’s completely insane that Cisco has no response or even direction to users on their support page as of 8am CST this morning.  I understand that these devices were discontinued over a year ago, but this is crazy.  Some Linksys extender owners are saying they have reached a support person who says something like this:

    “Called Linksys Support (11/6/10) and reported my problem with my DMA2100 not responding.  The support person informed me that they are aware of this problem and Linksys engineers are working on a fix.  It seems that Linksys has received many calls about this problem. The support person could not tell me when the fix would get pushed out, but it could be soon.”

    At least the support person knew there was an issue, but It’s pretty frustrating to have your devices just shut down in unison for no apparent reason.

    How To Revive Your Linksys Extender

    It’s not a great fix, but this hack reported on that same Greenbutton Forum thread will get your extenders working again:

    Steps for a wired network (you don't have to disconnect your router from the Internet).

    1. Power off
    2. Disconnect network cable
    3. Power on - unit tells you that it is disconnected and asks if you want to setup a connection
    4. Select "Next"
    5. Select your connection type (I chose "Wired") - unit tells you cable is disconnected
    6. Plug in network cable - unit immediately goes to settings selection
    7. Select "Manually"
    8. Enter an IP address outside or your routers DHCP range, e.g. my router range was 100 - 200, so I entered 192.168.7.99
    9. Enter your gateway address, e.g. 192.168.7.1
    10. Enter a bogus DNS address, e.g. 127.0.0.1
    11. Select "Finish" (I think)

    Now press the Green Button, and voila.

    It’s not the end of the world, but a really significant failure on the part of Cisco for a product they may not sell anymore, but still should be supported by them.