DVDPedia now has a FrontRow Plug-In that allows you to take full advantage of your movie collection stored in the cataloging application. You can browse your collection by Title, Director, Actor, Year, Genre, Country, and even get a list of recently added movies.

DVDPedia is a Library tool for your Mac HTPC. It catalogs your DVD and VHS (yikes) collection, and utilizes Amazon, IMDb and other sites to gather movie information such as Actors, Genre, Directors, Art Work , Ratting, etc. If your movies are linked (video_ts, file, etc), FrontRow can also launch these flicks for you to watch. One of the nicest parts is the information is displayed the same way as Movies stored in iTunes, making a seamless addition to FrontRow.



The DVDpedia PlugIn does duplicate the function of iTunes Movies without the rental abilities. However, iTunes won't provide you with all the fantastic meta data, without spending a good amount of time organizing it and manually adding it yourself. Using DVDpedia would also prevent futher bloating of your iTunes Library. We could almost say take it a step further and replace your remove the Movies plug-in, since your really won't be needing it!

The only negatives that we can see is the movie description is way to long for the space provided in FrontRow. Take 'Gladiator' for example, the long description, present information about Ridley Scott and the movie itself, while the plot summary is hidden. A short and long summary would be nice. If found IMDB's Plot summary to generally be the perfect length for information such as this.

The DVDpedia FrontRow Plug-On (1.1) is a free download, and DVDpedia has a 25 movie free demo. The full version is $18.

Most of us Mac HTPC geeks have at least 2 mac with media split between both of them and hopefully most of it on the Mac HTPC. Managing dual libraries can be a tedious task; even when you are able to locate the missing media, you may lose your metadata, settings, covers, etc. Enter SuperSync makes moving iTunes library items to another simple, and without lost metadata.

SuperSync 2.4 makes this process a lot easier. The software allows you to visually compare, merge and modify media across multiple iTunes Libraries. In this latest release new features such as enhanced metadata transfers, new GUI, iPod Importing, media filtering and expanded support of new media types, hope to make your life easier. The software will send embeded track information such as genre, artist, album, track numbers, star ratings, entry points, end points, album covers, eq settings and play counts.

SuperSync will also sync with iPods, iPhones, and even PC iTunes Libraries!

A free demo is available for download, and the upgrade is free for registered users. Purchase the software for $29.00 and it includes a license for 2 machines to get you started.

HandBrake everyones favorite DVD ripping utility has introduced version 0.9.2. The most important upgrade to this version is the full support of AppleTV Take Two, and iPhone/iPodTouch upgrades. Handbrake is as always free and available for download.

Here's a round up of features:

• Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC3) sound in MP4 files, for a true DVD experience on the AppleTV and in Perian.
  
• Multi-track audio support for Apple devices
  
• iPhone-compatible anamorphic video at its full size
  
• Variable frame rate encoding with detelecine filtering
  
• More flexible, "loose" anamorphic video
  
• MP4 optimization for progressive web downloads
  
• Dynamic range compression for encoding from AC3 audio
  
• Robust program and transport stream support
  
• A fresher, faster version of x264
  
• Tuning of FIFO sizes by processor count
  
• Better handling of audio discontinuities
  
• Better handling of DVD read errors
  
• Work-arounds for missing end-of-cell markers
  
• Recovery when streams have signal loss
  
• Better synced chapter markers
  
• Better handling of B-Frames
  
• No more cutting off the very ends of films
  
• No more lost subtitles or chapter markers
  
• No more crashes in 2-pass encoding

The complete list of change are available through HandBrake's Trac.

As always, the complete list of changes is available on the Trac, as well as a complete timeline of 0.9.2's development.

An update to Kenbushi Pro 7.2 was released by Lava Soft today. The HTPC software update includes a Internet TV system including over 180 channels, with regularly updated program guide. The DVD and CD cover art download process has been simplified. Also included is a one-click setup wizard, powerful internet download management tools, and various enhancements and fixes.



Kenbushi Pro is available for download from Lava Software's site, and is free for personal use. This now includes government and companies. Versions are available for Windows 2000/XP and MacOS X. A Linux version will be updated soon.

For those of you that always wanted DivX 6.8 Professional but never wanted to purchase it, today may be your luck day. DivX is giving away free legal serial numbers to their software. The one requirement is you must provide a valid email address.

DivX Pro includes the DivX Converter, allowing you to instantly create divx files, even in a batch process; Pro Codec, allowing you to play DivX files from QuickTime / FrontRow, DivX Player and Web Player. This bundle of applications are generally sold for $19.99, but free today.

For more informaiton on this special check out the DivX website, or download it now. It looks like their website is getting slammed so be patient.

IOSPIRIT was busy today releasing the latest version of their Remote Buddy software. Version 1.8 now includes support for remote controls supplied with EyeTV devices. Taking advantage of the Remote Buddy software EyeTV users can utilize the supplied remote to control more then just EyeTV, including Dashboard, iPhoto, iTunes, DVD Player, VLC, FrontRow, and more. 1.8 also includes leopard inspired OSD and behaviors to control spaces.

To utilize the EyeTV remote with RemoteBuddy, both EyeTV 2.5.1 and Remote Buddy 1.8 need to both be running to take advantage of new features. The EyeTV software contains the drivers, while Remote Buddy intercepts the remote signals. IOSpirit is reporting that the software and remote included with EyeTV 250, 250 Pluss, 300, 310, 400 410, 500, 610 in addition to Terratec and Pinnacle devices.

The update is available for download through IOSPIRIT's website for registered users. New users may purchase the latest version or $28.00.

When Apple introduced TV shows management to iTunes last year, there have been several attempts to build a solid tagging application, to properly name and identify tv shows. Apple responded giving ups TV Show Name, Episode, Episode ID, and Season number, but other tags are still missing, but appear in iTunes purchased shows. Enter TvTaggr.

TVTaggr is a new Leopard based atom tagging application, based on Atomic Parsley. This little application allows you to make batch changes to mv4 and mp4 files within iTunes. The main advantage however is having access to the hidden and seemingly non-editable meta data. Description, Network Name, Release Date, Movie/TV Ratings are all available to be edited. You can also access the 'Short Film' movie type used for Pixar Shorts and other short films.

EntertainMac has covered other AtomicParsley based movie taggers before in the past. TVTaggr blows these out of the water, with some of the quickest tagging times we've seen. The application is also more stable, and easier to use, when tagging multiple files.

Its great to have a utility to tag the tv shows not purchase from iTunes, but with only a little of metadata displayed in iTunes/FrontRow its a little difficult for us to spend the time to fully tag all of our TV Shows.

Doug's AppleScripts has a new method to eliminate those duplicate track from your iTunes Library. Dupin is the first of its kind an iTunes Duplicate Manager.

The 'Show Duplicates' goes as far as matching Artists and Track names, but that doesn't help, if your collection contains several studio and live albums. AppleScripts do their best, but collecting duplicated in play lists just makes more clutter.

Dupin works because you can locate duplicate tracks based on your criteria. Simply adding album name dramatically cut down on the number of false duplicates. You may take further steps by selected keeper tracks, and immediately purging duplicate tracks from iTunes. The application also works with multiple libraries and libraries on remote computers. And if none of this helps, you may preview each track to determine if it really is the same thing.

At $15 and 1.8MB Dupin is available for immediate download from Doug's Scripts.

Rogue Amoeba has introduce an interesting new application that we took special interest in. Radioshift is a AM/FM/Internet controller for your Mac. Their extensive online guide has over 50,000 radio stations which is fully-searchable. An innovative map feature allows you to search by country or city. With Internet Radio always under constant attack, its great to find a simple application that allows listeners to connect to thousands of stations immediately.

Subscribe to a radio station and Radioshift will record your programs automatically, for later playback, or pass the tracks off to iTunes for safe keeping or transfer to your AppleTV or iPod. Subscribe to your favorite programs just like you would for a pod-cast, except Radioshift knows to turn on and record according to your schedule! Additionally being compatible with RealAudio, Windows Media, QuickTime and MP3 streams you don't need to mess around with 4 separate applications. If you have a Radioshark, AM/FM channels become available through Radioshift as well.



A full-functional demo of Radioshift is available for download from Rogue Amoeba's website (Audio quality is degraded after 20 minutes). Or you can elect to unlock the full version for $32 USD from their online store.

We will be keeping a close eye on Radioshift, for future updates.

Visual Hub has updated their amazing software to version 1.27. Formating and converting your video into the proper resolution, has never been easier with Visualhub. This latest version includes several presets for existing and new Apple devices. This update directly coinsides with the release of the new iPod released during the Beat Goes on Media-event Wednesday.

The update is free for registered users, and if your not registered, you can still get it for $23 and change. For you cheap-bastards out there a free demo is also available.

Kenbushi Pro v7.1, by Lava Software is the latest Media Center Application to hit the Macintosh market, with one major difference. Kenbushi features a built-in file sharing and data back up utility, to protect you media library from system crashes, accidental changes, and EntertainMac's just messing around. V7.1 introduces a new enhanced full-screen media control system (similar to most HTPC apps), vidcast support, automatic hourly addition of media, improved categorization, daily news, and (of course) various bug fixes.

Unfamiliar with the application, we sought to give it a good run. The interface is incredibly quick, making navigation a snap. The amount of detailed information is great, especially when getting into movie information. The search feature requires a keyboard, but i think most of us have one of those handy and a nice BT keyboard would be an excellent addition for the application. The overall appearance of the application lacks the wow factor that CenterStage, iTheater, FrontRow, and MediaCentral all have. In this regard you can see how this was designed as a transfer/backup utility first.



Kenbushi takes giant steps forward in the HTPC application development, with several features. The automated addition of media is great for those that rely on torrents and video downloads to pad their media libraries. The simple automation adds the files instantly and will grab detailed DVD/CD information from Amazon. This allows for great dvd cover visuals as well as precise searches for actors, directors, ratings etc. The search feature is great for those with extensive libraries.

EntertainMac recommends you download the latest version today and try it out for a day. We are confident that after the initial set-up you will have an excellent media center application for serving your movies, TV shows and music. We are looking forward to seeing what Lava Software has in mind for future versions. We will keep you updated as they are released.

Kenbushi Pro is available for download from Lava Software's site, and is free for personal use. Use for governments and companies is $24.95 USD per computer. Versions are available for Windows 2000/XP and MacOS X. A Linux version is coming soon.

Handbrake has released 0.9.0 their latest in their DVD-Ripping software. The first thing to notice in this release is an improved interface. But once you start ripping you'll start to notice the hidden changes.



Picture quality has been dramatically improved through "image scaling, deinterlacing, and several filters for denoising, deblocking, inverse telecine, and new presets devoted to high quality settings." x264 and ffmpeg have also been updated which should improve speeds.

Moving on, you will also see new presets for the iPhone and PSP. DTS is also now supported as an audio source, and introduced some limited support for .VOB and .TS files. Also satisfying a popular request, HandBrake can now export to MKV files.

Other features, as if this wasn't enough, include supporting MP4 files larger then 4GB, countless bug fixes, audio drop and mp2 stability improvement.

0.9.0 weight in at 5.9MB for 10.4 and can be downloaded from their site.

Searching for new content for your MacHTPC often leads you to YouTube or GoogleVideo. But currently YouTube is not integrated into FrontRow, CenterStage, iTheater, or MediaCentral! There is a lot of great user submitted content out there.

TubeTV is a freeware application that will allow you to save these video to your system for later feedback. The easy to use application quickly converts and save this video in H.264 with Quicktime. With its built in browser you can search videos without jumping to your web browser. Once your conversion has completed add the video to your iTunes Library, and quickly synced to you AppleTv, or access through your favorite media center applications.

Quicktime and Perian 0.5 are required for proper conversions.

Of course being a freeware application TubeTV is free to download over at Chimoosoft.

With over 100 Gigs of Music, I have found that managing your iTunes Library increasingly difficult. iTunes treats artist capitalizations differently then FrontRow, Genres are completely in a muck, and forget about trying to put a good mix together! Just when hope is lost BeaTunes 1.2 comes to the rescue.

iTunes Library Management is a pet-peeve of mine. I can find myself spending several hours a week, looking at tracks, updating meta-data, but still end up with over 100 Genres, and countless duplicate tracks, multiple spellings in FrontRow. Really iTunes should know that 'Pink Floyd', and 'pink floyd' are one in the same! BeaTunes has really helped with cutting down my time spent on file management.



This unique application, analyzes all the tracks in your iTunes Library, and uses a unique meta data editing tool so you can regain control of your Libraries. Its thorough inspection of your tracks can determine the temp, language, and can even determine genres. BeaTunes also includes full-screen album charts. Got songs that are missing artists or titles? Utilizing the the acoustic fingerprint provided my MusicIP's MusicDNS service, these tracks are quickly identified.

One of the most amazing features is the BPM analysis. If your a runner or like to workout, you don't want Eric Clapton's Unplugged version of Layla, you want the original! By adding the BPM for all your tracks, you can build play lists based on this information, filtering out the slow Barry White, and keeping the Fat Boy Slim.

If your interested in BeaTunes, a 2-Week trial of the software is available for download, but after that you'll have to pay the $24.95 like the rest of us.

3 New iMacs - Aluminum and Glass
- 20in, Intel Core Duo, 1GB Memory, 250GB SATA, ATI Radeon 2400, $1199
- 20in, Intel Core Duo, 1GB Memory, 320GB SATA, ATI HD 2600 Pro, $1499
- 24in, Intel Core Duo, 1GB Memory, 320GB SATA, ATI HD 2600 Pro, $1799
Ports include: USB 2.0, Firewire 400, Firewire 800. Slot load Superdrive. iSight camera and mic. All with Glossy Screens

MacMini:
The MacMini is getting refreshed today. We'll report on this separately later :

iLife '08
iLife is getting a kick in the pants. '08 will introduce many new features and replaces iMovie all together. The new iLife 08 will be available for purchase at $79.00 USD .

iPhoto leads the pack with several new features. The new layout and look is very Web2.0 like. The main new feature is being able to group photos together by an Event. Currently I just separate these into separate rolls, but Apple has a better idea. iPhoto also has more advanced editing features, unified searching, theme-base printing, and new photo books and photo calendar options.

.Mac is also receiving a face lift in '08. With the new .Mac Web Gallery viewers can now view your .Mac galleries as sideshows, mosaics, and even a Coverflow like look. The galleries are now iPhoto compatible, and allow users to permit high-quality printing, if they would like. You may also add photos to your galleries via email or through a new iPhone menu. For those $99/year .Mac subscribers your getting 10GB of storage.

iMovie was replaced, when an Apple developer releaized there was no easy way to manage your movies. He built a new iMovie, which will now feature movie organization, similar to iPhoto or iTunes. The application can also handle HD video with little effort while still featuring all of iMovies great and easy to use editing tools. iMovie will also allow you to export your finished movies to iTunes, AppleTV, iPhone, iPod, and even YouTube!

iWeb will allow you to build more enhanced websites, with Live web widgets like, GoogleMaps and GoogleAdSense. Large directories of photos can now be indexed quickly, with comments. Of course '08 ships with several new themes as well. The best advancement however is that you are no longer restricted to your .mac address, if you own a domain, iWeb is now supported, but we wonder if Photocasting will be?

iDVD & GarageBand gets the snooze update. Do people still make DVD besides my sister? New 'pro editing' and themes.... yawn.

With the WWDC opening tomorrow, the CenterStage Project, (one of our favorite media centers apps) has release version 0.6.2. This release is a giant milestone for the project. It seems like it was just the other day the groups was wowing us with their online demo and screen shots.

EntertainMac has downloaded this release and has been kicking the tires for a few hours now. The Centerstage/Backstage combo comes to us as a 17.6mb download. A quick install and we were off and running. The interface is smooth and extremely responsive. We have encountered a few crashes, but in a Alpha release this is expected. I was pleasantly surprised with the Photo's section.

The developer team over at the CenterStage project have put a lot of effort into making this the most function release to date. The effort really shows. We are looking forward to the next release which should have some GUI changes. The team is also looking for more developers, to keep up / accelerate the current pace. You can keep track of the progress here.

Equinux has released version 2.6 of its MediaCentral product. The latest version now includes the ability to watch digital tv (DTT) with TubeStick. This is done with enhanced integration of 'The Tube' within version 2.6. This allows for time shifting and a more organized TV channel listing in both applications. Any show recorded in MediaCentral also appears in The Tube.

A few bugs and other improvements have also been made with this latest release, including the ability to eject your dvd without an enhanced keyboard, or exiting the application.

Previous owners of MediaCentral can update to the latest version, free, using the update feature. For those curious about the application, they have a 10minute trial available for download. The full version of the software may still be purchased for $29.95 (excl. tax) /€29.95 (incl. German VAT). And those interested in TubeStick / The Tube its priced at only € 39.95 (incl. German VAT).

The CenterStage Project guys promised an update. And did they ever make good on their word. The Demo of Centerstage is now online. The graphics are stunning, interface breathtaking and it takes the MediaCenter application to the next level. It was a jaw-dropping WOW.

I was a fan of CenterStage back when they were duking it out with iTheater for the best MacHTPC experience. (Read: When people didn't understand what an Alpha release was.) I loved the community effort and the goal of having an intuitive media app. But with FrontRow released, I moved on and have been living in FrontRow bliss. I have demo'd iTheater, MediaCentral, and the current CenterStage release, but nothing blew me away.

After reviewing the demo online, reviewing the photos, and documentation, I am preparing to switch over to CenterStage when the new beta version is ready. The features go beyond any other media application. It is obvious they have put a lot of effort into the user interface and making everything fit like a glove.

Enter the demo of CenterStage. Now its important to note that the demo, only shows what they are projecting the final product to look like. The beta version of the app should have the majority of these features incorporated.

So here we go... with pictures.

Main Menu
The main menu is a side scroller or beautiful icons for each area. You can quickly navigate to the proper section and get to watching your movie. But the main screen also features several items no other media application has. Along the bottom, you can quickly see the weather, your mail inbox and news reader. It also highlights the last item you were playing, weather it was a movie, or a random CD. the images are easily identifyable and having a seperate section for TV shows is brilliant.

Music
Most of us will be using this module frequent. FrontRow does a great job of using iTunes to sort through music. CenterStage looks like it will go beyond that. You will be able to browse your music by Artist, Albums, Song, Playlist, Genre, Music Video, Podcast, Audio Books. They have also included a radio station and compact disc menu items. I'm glad they didn't over look the radio stations, like FrontRow does. Also included is an iTunes like visualizer. Nicely done!

They have also come up with several ways of browsing your music. They have a side scroller, list view and cd cover matrix. With the ability to ad FanArt the screen takes on the look and feel of the music. This theme is also used on other sections.

Screen Shots:

Movies

Within the movies section you also get your variety of navigation options. The Alpha scroller jumps through DVD Artwork, and a information menu provides more details about the flick. Browsing my Actors or Directors (all gathered from IMDB) makes searching for a specific movie a breeze. A DVD Menu also allows you to check out your latest netflix.

TV Shows
The demo did not include the TV Shows section, however from the high resolution images they provide it appears it will be handled very similar to the movies section, with browsing by show, and fan art views.

Photos
With the exception of MediaCentral, media apps out there have neglected the photo section. CenterStage does an excellent job of handling the photos. Browse by album, library, or last import. I would be nice to see the folders, as a lot of people use them. Once again the sidescroller lets you jump through pictures and enter a full screen slideshow mode. Everything fits nicely. You may also enter a informational screen showing the details about the photo.

The CenterStage Project has something new for us all tonight. After 6PM (UK) tonight they will have 'a lot to look at, download and cast your eyes over.' So get your refresh button polished, and trigger finger ready.

So what are they going to give us tonight?

Perhaps as a subtle hint ala apple's 'Its Show Time' event from last year. The CenterStage logo appears on a red curtain. What could it mean?

It most likely won't be the anticipated 0.6.2, which they are still hacking away at. But they are calling this part 1 of that release. The release of 0.6.2 has been delayed due to extensive user testing and stability testing of the application.

Bravo to CenterStage for taking QA seriously. I wish most apps were released this way, rather then prematurely with bug. Here's the teaser the left in the blog.

Joost has released a 'friendlier' version in 0.10.3. This latest release has many bug fixes and promised to improve your Joost Experience. Personally I've never had a bad Joost Experience, so with them wanting to improve it, I can't wait to see what they have rolled up their sleeves.

The release specifically is a bug-fixing release, and a modification to their advertising. The ads appear between segments, and little box ads in the corners. I think its executed nicely. They are not loud and in your face and don't interrupt your user experience. Joost also has a blog widget, which allows you to blog videos or channels. The links will lead you to cross-referenced pages for each program.

For the developers out there check out the new API for widgets. It would be great to get some FrontRow launcher in there or something.

Joost is available for download from their website.

Equinux is announcing 'The Tube' v. 1.1. With this release they are introducing several new features including time-shifting, deja vu, and an AppleTV export. The Tube is of course the new PVR software that has replaced EyeTV on newer Miglia devices.

Timeshifting isn't new for most of us. Its the same technique used by Tivo's and DVR's that allow you to pause live TV and pick it back up again. I love the fact that the Tube now allows for this, as EyeTV does a poor job of it (unless your are recording the show at the same time). The length of time you can shift is dependent on how long you've had the channel live and the size of your hard drive. So size does matter!

Déjà Vu, is quite brilliant. With the extended time-shifting capabilities, The Tube will record the entire show, even if your a few minutes late. Simply rewinding the show to the beginning by time shifting, you now get the entire program, rather then just 'most of it'.

Lastly The Tube has extended its export feature to include AppleTV, iPod Videos and iMovie. Yeah!

Joost, everyones Internet TV Channel provider has been making a lot of progress lately. If your out of the loop Joost (pronouced juice-t) is an application that allows you to watch tv on the internet. They have popular channels such as National Geographic, MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central. Future channels include TBS, Sony, NHL, SI and potentially CBS. Each program streams to your computer so there is no scheduling issues.

Up until recently Joost, was restricted to Beta testers. EntertainMac started beta testing last month and we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Their high quality streams are just what the Mac HTPC needs.

If your interested in Joost, here's the link so you may become a beta tester. Besure to sign up for their newsletters so you'll know when new channels and programs are added!

Sling Media has released their SlingPlayer 1.0 for the Mac today. The software client allows for 'placeshifting' your television to your remote location. This will allow you to watch your local media from your laptop while your away on business or vacation. You will need a Slingbox to receive and encode the tv stream as well. The SlingPlayer software is available for download from their site.

This of course leaves the hackers to get it running on AppleTV which would be the first TV feed viewed from AppleTV. But it only soundslike an expensive alternative to just connecting the cable feed to the TV to begin with.

With the latest release of HandBrake, you can now quickly and easily add Chapter markers in your movies in FrontRow. Prior to the latest HandBrake adding Chapter markers would require some extensive work within Quicktime, and another export to a MOV file.

1. Handbrake Setup
With v0.8.5, a new set of options appear. I've heard the bst preset is the AppleTV preset. It is a MP4/AAC file @ 2500 kbps. Make any other video and audio preferences you would like. Be sure to select the 'Create Chapter Markers'



2. Change File Extension
By default MP4 files are not identified with the ability to have chapter markers. Change the file extension to .m4v. Without doing this, your chapter markers won't work in FrontRow, QuickTime or iTunes.



3. Add to FrontRow
After the file has been encoded, add it to your ~movies folder or to iTunes. This will make the m4v movie accessable via FrontRow, and that is basically it. Instead of jumping 30 sec forward or back, your movie will jump to the next chapter marker, just like a DVD.

This process should work for movies sent over to your AppleTV, but it would be great to get a confirmation.

After a slight identity crisis, HandBrake is back. Their latest release includes several improvements over the previous versions. These included user requested features such as AAC5.1 and DolbyProLogicII, AppleTV and PS3 Support, High Profile H.264, and my favorite Chapter Markers! You can read the entire change set in their release notes.

The update is available now at 15.2 MB for us Mac users. Remember its still a beta but it looks like with the new improvements a lot of users will be re-ripping their dvd libraries!

When MediaFork 0.8.0 was released there was a swarm of new users and developers to help their cause. A year ago they had 2 devs, today they have over a dozen! Impressive! With this we should expect to see more features and more releases!

As promised, iTheater 0.1.4 was released today. From the basic user many of the new features will not be apparent right away. The latest release is more focused on application development. The application architecture now contains a framework API, 3rd Party Plug in Support and Module support. Basic users will notice the new tabbed interface in the preferences, and shutdown and start up transitions.

Giving it our quick testing, we noticed the interface is still just as fast and responsive as before. The interface is sleek and we are looking forward to the potential 3rd party modules that may be developed.

The application downloads at 5.9 MB, which includes the installer, and new uninstaller. You can get it here at their sourceforge download center.

It is iTheater Idol time, minus the rude guy in black with the accent. But seriously folks, if your one of those people complaining about the sad state of MacHTPC software options now is the time to lend a hand.

Ben over at iTheater is about ready to release version 0.1.4 by the end of the month. The new modular implementation is making development far easier, however they still need developers to work on the core modules.

iTheater is one of the promising HTPC software solutions out there. Arguably iTheater has the cleanest interface, and the greatest potential when it comes to plug-ins and extras.

What do we need?
We need people, who want to work on these modules,

• Music Module (developer that would supplant our main developer in the future)
  
• Images
  
• Weather
  
• DVD
  
• Apple Remote
  
• Movies (co-developers, to help our main developers)
  

If you want to get involved please email ben@itheaterproject.com for the details.

So perhaps you were one of the early HTPC guys out there. Before FrontRow and Apple Remotes, when you had to come up with your own remote control solution. Still envious of the simple 6-button Apple Remote? Twisted Melon brings you the Mantra TR1 at $19.99. Combo that with a standard $25 Apple Remote, and Mira Software ($15.95) and you'll be styling line those Intel macs. You can also get both the Mantra and Mira combo for $32

The Mantra TR1 gets bonus points for its extra IR ports, so you can hide other devices. This would be great for those with the EyeTV Mini, which has a IRport but which you probably don't want sitting in front of your system!

Drive-In is a new DVD-Archiving application from the developers of Flip4Mac. This tool allows you to store your personal DVD movie collection locally on your mac, without loosing the quality and DVD extras.

Drive-In creates an image of the DVD which can be quickly access, loaded, and played through DVD-Player. We found that creating a DVD image was quick. Based on the SKU on the back of the case, Drive-In downloads the correct meta data for your movies (Directors, Actors, Ratings, etc). This also makes your images search able with Spotlight. Movies not found in the Amazon Database can be entered manually. Drive-In takes a step further and save the DVD Cover as icon for easy navigation through the finder.

Playback is as simple as selecting the DVD title and clicking play. To watch the DVD in Front Row load the image and launch Front Row. The DVD will be loaded as a disc in the DVD player module.



The public-beta will expire May 1, 2007 when you will need to purchase the final release if you wish to continue to use the images you created.

There are very few competitors to Drive-In. MacTheRipper, creates video_ts files, but does not have the metadata features. HandBrake rips the video, but not the quality, extra features and menus.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed usind Drive-In. The application was intuitive and easy to use, like all Mac applications should be. Preserving the menus, extra features and quality of the DVD's was the key feature in our review. We would hope that the Flip4Mac developer team would include a more seamless integration with Front Row. This feature alone would have us HTPC guys lining up to purchase it.

Requirements: OS-X 10.4, G4, G5 or Intel-Based Mac, Internet for Activation and Movie Information Download.

So, if your not using Handbrake for your Mac HTPC, your probably using MacTheRipper to save and back-up your DVD's. MacTheRipper quickly and successfully rips the video_ts folders from your favorite DVD's.

The latest release (R-14) was rewritten, to better handle future updates. The new modular approach makes future releases of MacTheRipper easy to update and decipher any new encryption methods used by the studios.

Keep up to date with MacTheRipper over at their forums at RipDifferent.com

Most EyeTV users were not pleased with ElGato's switch to the Blue background in EyeTV 2.3.1. But they offered a solution to those willing to modify the contents of the EyeTv Application. So after some messing around with QuartzComposer and Image Editing a theme has been created called "EyesFront". Its hosted on RapidShare for your downloading pleasure.

The Blue Background animation was replaced with a black to grey gradiant. Other graphics were converted to grey scale and replaced. To get the neat FrontRow highlight bar, you have to borrow the graphics from FrontRow, rename then and insert them in EyeTV. (Instructions are provided)

EntertainMac has tested it on 2.3.2 & 2.3.3, but never checked it out on older versions. Install at your own risk and always back-up your application before trying anything.

The Header colors throughout the menus still needs to be changed. There are also some blue areas which appear behind the channel info and volume. If someone has some more experience with that it would be great to add.

That didn't take very long. It seems OpenSource projects they don't die, they just get new names, and then take their old names again.

After the MediaFork developers failed to contact the Hand Brake developers, they renamed the project and released their own version. Well it seems that those Hand Brake developers are back and have approved of their efforts. The next release will take the Hand Brake name again.