Skip to main content

The AOpen Home Theater PC

 â€œThe ePCs are based on digital entertainment platforms which can fit ideally in different users environments,” said Bernie Tsai, president of AOpen.  “AOpen Media Center Server 400/410 is an ideal choice for the main living room, while AOpen XC REC6 is a model for the sitting room,” Tsai elaborated.  The various models of ePCs form AOpen’s digital home entertainment solutions and are used in different scenarios. For example, the AOpen Media Center Server 400/410 is designed to look like your more traditional amplifier. You can store up to seven hard drives in this case as well as multiple TV tuners.

Features of Media Server 400

* Built with large size VFD which shows system playback status clearly.
* Designed with dual-channel TV tuner – the user can watch the program of a TV channel while recording the TV program of another TV broadcast station.
* Supports Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition.
* Supports 7.1-channel surround sound.
* Supports Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz 820 processor which is designed with dual core and Hyper-Threading technology.
* Supports dual channel DDR II 533/667 MHz and expandable to 4 GB.
* Provides PCI-Express x16 and PCI expansion slots.
* Provides one ATA and six Serial ATA connectors.
* Built-in 250 GB hard drive.
* Built-in DVD Combo drive.
* Built-in 10/100/1000 Mb LAN interface.
* Full function remote control.
* Provides S-Video, YPbPr, and D4 video output connectors.

The AOpen XC REC6 – AV system is more of a traditional PC although it retains the look of a home theater product. The whole system is under 3-inches tall and makes it ideal in almost every situation.

EP915-M Features

* The size of the product is only 8.9 liters – nearly the same as home electronic products.
* Provides one 5.25” and one 3.5” drive bay.
* Built with a stylish VFD panel to show operation status.
* Supports Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition.
* Supports multiple-channel audio outputs.
* 275W power supply.
* Dimensions: 69mm(H) x 300mm(L) x 430mm(W); 2.72” x 11.81” x 16.93”
* Supports Intel Pentium M Dothan processors.
* Supports Intel i915G and ICH6 chipsets.
* Supports dual channel DDR II 400/533 MHz.
* Provides PCI-Express x16 and PCI expansion slots.
* Provides ATAand Serial ATAconnectors.
* Provides S-Video, YPbPr, D4 video output connectors.
* Provides USB, IEEE1394, and HD Audio 7.1-channel sound.
* Built-in 10/100/1000 Mb LAN connector.

Ian Bell
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
Why AI will never rule the world
image depicting AI, with neurons branching out from humanoid head

Call it the Skynet hypothesis, Artificial General Intelligence, or the advent of the Singularity -- for years, AI experts and non-experts alike have fretted (and, for a small group, celebrated) the idea that artificial intelligence may one day become smarter than humans.

According to the theory, advances in AI -- specifically of the machine learning type that's able to take on new information and rewrite its code accordingly -- will eventually catch up with the wetware of the biological brain. In this interpretation of events, every AI advance from Jeopardy-winning IBM machines to the massive AI language model GPT-3 is taking humanity one step closer to an existential threat. We're literally building our soon-to-be-sentient successors.

Read more
The best hurricane trackers for Android and iOS in 2022
Truck caught in gale force winds.

Hurricane season strikes fear into the hearts of those who live in its direct path, as well as distanced loved ones who worry for their safety. If you've ever sat up all night in a state of panic for a family member caught home alone in the middle of a destructive storm, dependent only on intermittent live TV reports for updates, a hurricane tracker app is a must-have tool. There are plenty of hurricane trackers that can help you prepare for these perilous events, monitor their progress while underway, and assist in recovery. We've gathered the best apps for following storms, predicting storm paths, and delivering on-the-ground advice for shelter and emergency services. Most are free to download and are ad-supported. Premium versions remove ads and add additional features.

You may lose power during a storm, so consider purchasing a portable power source,  just in case. We have a few handy suggestions for some of the best portable generators and power stations available. 

Read more
Don’t buy the Meta Quest Pro for gaming. It’s a metaverse headset first
Meta Quest Pro enables 3D modeling in mixed reality.

Last week’s Meta Connect started off promising on the gaming front. Viewers got release dates for Iron Man VR, an upcoming Quest game that was previously a PS VR exclusive, as well as Among Us VR. Meta, which owns Facebook, also announced that it was acquiring three major VR game studios -- Armature Studio, Camouflaj Team, and Twisted Pixel -- although we don’t know what they’re working on just yet.

Unfortunately, that’s where the Meta Connect's gaming section mostly ended. Besides tiny glimpses and a look into fitness, video games were not the show's focus. Instead, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wanted to focus on what seemed to be his company’s real vision of VR's future, which involves a lot of legs and a lot of work with the Quest Pro, a mixed reality headset that'll cost a whopping $1,500.

Read more