Gadgets and Gizmos

HP Links Media Smart to HDTV

HP likes to get around its bets. In adding to a couple of big-screen flat-panel TVs with built-in Media Center Extenders, the company is now offering a set-top box as well. The HP Media Smart Receiver will pipe movies, music and the like from Windows-based computers (HP makes a Linux Media Smart server, too, so expect any old Samba share to work), has 802.11abgn, and, yes, can run on DivX/xVid. It’ll also have a front-loading “pocket media drive” slot for stuff on portable media.

HP Media Smart Receiver is available separately for users who want many of the same features as the TVs while using their own screens: the glossy black set-top box connects to Ethernet or most 802.11 networks and will take most music, photos, and videos (including DivX-formatted clips) from any devices that fit the DLNA or Universal Plug and Play formats, such as Windows Media Center PCs or the PlayStation 3.

A Pocket Drive slot on the front allows it to play content directly from HP’s proprietary removable hard disks. The Receiver is also due in the spring and should receive a price closer to its actual ship date. The top of the HP brand is the Elite series, and the updated m9100 desktop is packed with an Intel Quad Core processor and up to a TB of storage, starting at $1160.

The monitors are 24- and 22-inch widescreens, the w2408h (1920 x 1200 res) and 2207h (1680 x 1050), respectively, and they each come with HDMI ports and better, contrast-y ratios. They’re also HDCP-enabled; the DRM scheme intended to block piracy of HD content at the video stream level. The w2408h will go for $500, or $350 for the 2207h.