I dicided to build a rackmount server in my loft as a ‘home entertainment system’. I wanted to have all my media in one place whilst also being able to watch and record live tv. The advantage of this setup is that with loads of satellite and freeview feeds I can record whatever I want with no ‘tune conflict’ issues and can watch live tv, setup recordings, listen to music, watch tv series and watch movies where I want. I also wanted to build something that would pay for itself by not needing to have Sky TV with multiroom etc. Showing the front end of a Windows 7 Media Centre based server which im building in my loft. This is where all live satellite TV, terrestrial...

I wanted to see if I could build a fast but inexpensive HTPC using XBMC. I wanted to use Mac OSX (Lion $29) or Ubuntu OS (free), because I hate the high cost, and all the hassles that come with a Windows OS, This video shows all the parts I used, and how I put them together into a very compact but powerful Media Player for under $400. I  built the PC in one day with hardware I bought at my local Fry’s and Micro Center. That part was easy, but getting a Mac OS to work on a PC took me more than a week, but it was well worth the time. This thing boots in under 20 seconds and works just like a real Mac that would have cost me $2,000 or more. I have also included a short clip of the finished...

Just announced, the Ikea TV, Uppleva, is parodied by the American talk shows, including Conan O’Brien’s. The comedian Conan O’Brien did not miss to react to react to the arrival of Ikea TV, which was announced last week. He has imagined what would this TV be if it were necessary the self-assembly, like all other furniture of the brand. The Uppleva TV is sold by Ikea as a TV stand incorporating everything needed around the screen: a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray, a 2.1 audio kit, etc.. Although this piece is unlikely to be sold as a kit in the store shelves, Conan O’Brien still parodied this new Swedish concept by imagining the result if buyers have to mount the TV themselves. Remember...